Snowshoeing on snow machine trail on Kennicott River, winter, McCarthy, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

The cold in Alaska, in the winter, is incredible. Its stillness, its silence, its depth, and the intimacy of really feeling alone in the frozen north woods is an experience like no other. it’s It’s almost as if the cold is some thing, some being itself, a tangible reality rather than a temperature. It’s a unique experience, and it’s not at all entirely bad – in fact, I love it. But I don’t love freezing my tail off. My friend Patrick Endres, longtime Alaska resident and a fantastic photographer says it best, “I like being in the cold, but I don’t like being cold”. It’s really an extraordinary experience, and I do look forward to the winter. But I don’t want to be cold; I want to be bundled up and cozy, and enjoy the cold from inside my insulation.

Photography in the cold is a tough gig; snowshoeing or skiing is rough when the mercury falls beneath minus 20, but doesn’t come close to trying to photograph in similar conditions, in my opinion. I haven’t found any activity that compares to photography; standing around, not moving much, trying to operate fiddly, frozen camera controls and tripods with fingers that refuse to move. I’ve crosscountry skied 10 miles and more at 45below, and I’ll take that any day over futzing with my camera at 30 below. When those mitts come off and my fingertips touch frozen metal, it burns like, well, like I don’t like it at all. So, if you’re headed to Alaska for some winter photography, such as for the Iditarod or to photograph the aurora borealis, hopefully this page might provide you some use.

Your winter clothing should align with the Three L’s: “Loft, Loose, and Lots” of it. That’s the key to warmth here. Big puffy down jackets, loose, not tight fit, and lots of clothes, head to toe = warm. Don’t skimp.

A good basic rule for cold weather clothing (and I mean, crazy, Alaska-winter cold, not 45 degrees F chilly) is a simple one; looser fits = better. Tighter fits, especially with footwear and handwear, are colder = NOT better. So keep that in mind when you order your boots, socks and gloves.

Comfort isn’t the bottom line here; at 40 below, comfort means warm. So buy your gear a little bigger than usual – a half size or so, if possible. Don’t go crazy, but don’t go with that sleek, skin-tight muscle shirt and form fitting, skin tight lycra pants you prance around in during the summer. Trust me.

The specific items list below is not meant to suggest these items are what you need, or even that these are what I think is best; it’s simply a look at what I have, or what I wish I had. Most of it works pretty well, and I’ve noted any items here that I think might not be the best choice. So, for now, my cold weather photography (i.e., not backcountry-travel) clothing goes a little something like this:

Head, neck and torso baselayer

I love my LoweAlpine Mountain Cap. It’s the single oldest piece of outdoor clothing I own, and I wear it every backpacking trip I make, and in almost all cold weather situations. It’s awesome. Other options are a wool beanie, which I have way too many of. The warmest one you can find is the one to start with. I like them too, but my Mountain Cap is #1.

I have a couple of those cheap fleece (or wool works too) neck gaiters. Just simple fleece, nothing fancy, but I love ‘em. Winter is not the same without my turtle. Definitely requisite.

For non-backpacking winter wear, I love my Ibex wool baselayer; I forget the exact model. It’s heavier than I’d want for a backcountry trip, but it’s warm and comfortable. Very warm. I also have wool baselayer tops by Smart Wool and Patagonia, and they’re great. I also have various polypro tops, and a Patagonia Capilene top – the newer (i.e., post-2010) capilene material seems a vast improvement over the older version. For a cold weather photography, anything similar to these should be fine. I also have a Patagonia R1 Flash pullover; great piece of gear, I have both a jacket and a pullover. I live in those things. But wool is my ‘go to’ layer if weight isn’t an issue. I like the feel of it more.

Note; some folks will say not to wear cotton here; but I don’t think it’s a big issue if you’re not moving around (and sweating). Cotton is OK if you’re NOT hiking around. If you’re hiking up and over yonder mountain, avoid cotton like it’s death itself. In fact, it just might be death if you have to be mobile.

Loft and lots of it

Over that I’ll just add a flannel shirt, wool or cotton, or whatever I have laying around. I might wear the Patagonia R1 flash jacket, which I love; it’s light, wonderfully comfortable, and durable (so far, anyway). But it doesn’t have to be anything fancy; it could be a cheap, warm wool flannel shirt.

Then I go for a fat, puffy down jacket – what you want is loft, and lots of it. The puffier the better. Puffier still is even better. For supercold I have a Mountain Hardwear Chillwave, which I’m very happy with. I have a couple of other lightweight Montbell down jackets (the Ex Light and the UL Tec jacket) which I highly recommend, but these aren’t full-on winter jackets; more like 3/4 season backcountry jackets. But I’d recommend their winter wear in a second. Definitely a “parka”, with an insulated hood, is the best cold weather option, rather than a hoodless jacket.

Dressed for cold, winter night photography, Alaska.

If it’s windy, I’ll add a shell. I have an embarrassingly high number of shells (and just bought one more), so I won’t bore you with details. But any windproof shell is a good choice; a waterproof one isn’t requisite at minus 20degrees, but certainly will be nice. Shells by Arcteryx, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, etc are all nice. But my regular winter go to shell (it’s not waterproof at all) is an older Nike ‘stormfit’ jacket (left). It’s 15 years old and totally rocks. No longer waterproof at all, but warmer than warm, and pretty robust.

I have a few different pair of long underwear, both wool and synthetic (both fleece and Patagonia’s Capilene) to choose from; all of them are fine for winter frontcountry wear. The warmer the better, so I go with my Capilene 4 longjohns and an old pair of North Face 200 weight fleece pants over that. You could even go with a pair of synthetic or down fill puffy pants, like Mountain Hardwear’s Compressor, or Western Mountaineering’s Flash pants. A windproof soft-shell or rain pant works fine over that. Another great option for your shell layer is a simple insulated ski bib. The North Face Anchor Bib is ideal.

Longjohns, legs, toes and fingers

The best socks I know are my Patagonia Heavyweight Mountaineering socks; super warm, and they don’t get all floppy with wear like the Smart Wool expeditions one do. They wear well. Remember, not too small.

For winter boots, I have a pair of Columbia winter hiking boots, and they’re fine if I’m hiking, or snowshoeing, in most conditions. I also have a pair of Sorrel Caribou boots for my ‘when I’m not moving around so much’ photography. And they’re not really warm enough. A pair of Bunny Boots is probably the way to go, or extra big pac boots like Sorrel’s Intrepid Explorer or Baffin’s Endurance Boot. As you can see below, I need to get me some.

Barefeet are NOT recommended in snow.

Your choice depends on conditions and what you’ll be doing. The critical factor is to NOT buy some snug, well-fitted boot .. you want a looser than usual fit; you’re not backpacking in them, you’re mostly standing around, shuffling your feet in the cold, waiting to shoot something. Give your toes and your socks room to breathe, and your feet will be much warmer.

You’ll want boots with a removable liner, so you can easily dry it out when are done in the cold and head back inside. 2 pairs of liners are handy; one to hang by the fire and warm while you wear the others. Swap them out at night.

An extra foam or felt innersole can be great, too. The more insulation between your feet and the fiendish cold, the happier you’ll be. Remember .. buy large, not too tight.

And yes, that's me, barefoot in the snow, at minus 20deg F, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Alaska. The things we do for a photo, eh?

For gloves I have a pair of Black Diamond Guide gloves, which are about as good as any I’ve tried, for warmth. But they’re not my ‘go to’ photography gloves, because I need something that allows a little more dexterity. These are great for backcountry travel, for skiing or snowboarding, etc. But for photography, they’re not ideal – too clumsy for me.

I have a pair of Outdoor Research Alti Mitts, and they’re great; very warm, as warm as any I’ve tried. Under that I wear a liner gloves, either a really lightweight fleece liner, or a heavier one like OR’s PL 400 series. What I don’t want is some liner gloves that are too tight. A little large is good. The fleece Mountain Hardwear Monkey gloves are great, too.

Some of my friends here in Alaska go with fur; a sealskin hat, beaver mitts, or a caribou-skin boots. Nothing is warmer.

I’ve also started using those chemical hand warmer packs, like HeatMax Hot Hands. I keep those inside my mitts; when I remove the mitts to fiddle and futz with the camera, not only do my hands get cold (“cold” doesn’t really describe it – ungodly frozen, like, so cold they’re on fire is closer), but the mitts lose the warmth inside them. So sticking my frozen fingers back inside those now cold mitts isn’t enough; they just don’t warm back up. I just have cold hands and cold mitts at that point.

Hands are definitely the hardest part of this stuff, imo. Our hands are a pretty strong argument that we did not evolve in the subarctic, but somewhere warm and comfortable; fingers are not real functional at 30 below. Keeping fingers warm, yet  using them, is a difficult task. Keeping warm isn’t too hard if they’re buried inside a big heavy insulated mitten. I’ve never been able to operate my camera when I’m wearing mittens, so I remove them, and my fingers hate me for it.

Robust

So the last thing I’ll mention about clothing here is a quick point about durability. I’m amazed, every winter, at how quickly and easily just about anything breaks, and that includes clothing. Jackets rip, gloves tear, and seams split oh-so-easily; when it’s cold like this, anything you touch will be way less forgiving than it might normally be, and the materials of your clothing will be similarly so. That being the cast, durability matters. Don’t skimp and buy some lighterweight ultralite fabric because it’s color catches your eye. Get some hardy, robust gear because it WILL tear open.

Beyond clothing

When all else fails, move. Blood flow is your best bet; everything else here is an insulative process, materials designed to best keep the heat your body generates against your body. The flip-side of that is to generate more warmth. For my toes, it means walking. Hike around. Climb – climb up the nearest small hillside, and you’ll warm up; few things heat us up like going uphill. Don’t overdo it, and raise a sweat; that’ll do you more bad than good. Pay attention to your body, and be careful. But move.

For your fingers, swing your arms; back and forth, not high, and front to back to front. 2-5 minutes; or even longer if need be. Don’t raise your hands above your heart, but swing your arms, with some vigor. Your fingers will thank you.

Yep, trying to shoot some landscape images, and the cable release in my hand, much like my beard, is frozen solid. Gently does it! Click on the image to see a larger version (and the frozen cable release) of this photo.

Just as important; stay well fed. Heat is energy, and energy, for your body, = calories. Stay well fed. Eat a chocolate bar. Eat a bagel. Eat another chocolate bar (make sure you keep these items NOT in an outside pocket, or on the hood of your car, if you don’t want to chip a tooth).

Stay hydrated. And don’t “hold it in”; if all that hot chocolate and coffee needs to be released, take the 23 minutes it requires to undo the 13 zippers and remove enough clothes to make it happen, and relieve yourself. Your body is wasting precious energy keeping all that fluid warm, and that fluid is sucking up warmth your body needs. Get rid of it.

Another option, sometimes, is to scurry back and forth between your vehicle or nearby shelter (house, motel, cabin, whatever); it’s actually pretty easy to stand around in the cold for too long, and not realize how much body heat you’ve lost, then all of a sudden hit a wall and not be able to catch back up. So, if the option is available and workable, head back inside for a 10 minute spell and stand by the fire. Then head back outside. Better to be warm and OK, and miss a photo or 2 than freeze your junk off.

And remember to stack the cabin firewood box when you leave.

NB: If you choose this last option, back and forth between a warm motel room and the cold outside, do NOT bring your camera inside. Leave it set up on your tripod beside the car, or on the porch. Bringing a warm camera inside a toasty warm cabin is a good way to toast your gear; condensation isn’t electronics friendly. If you must bring it inside, stick it inside a zip lock bag, and insulate the camera inside your puffy jacket, or leave on the floor in the corner where the cabin is coldest. And overnight, toss in a Dry Pack Moisture Absorbing Silica Gel packet to help keep it dry. This article isn’t really a “Camera Tips” offering, so maybe I’ll write another edition for dealing with your camera gear.

One last item: realize how much longer you will take dressing up to head out, and dressing down when you come back inside, than you usually do; cold weather winter photography isn’t something you’ll do well with if you have to hurry. For example, if you’re the type who likes to sleep til the last minute, then race out to shoot as sunrise lights up the sky, you’ll more than likely miss most of your shooting opportunity. All those layers and loft and puffy down and loose-fitting accoutrements will take way longer than you think they will to comfortably and properly adorn your body. So plan accordingly. Realise though winter sunrise here might be 10:00am, so you should be just fine.

All that said, there’s a blizzard on the way as I type this right now; Remember the Three L’s, and bundle up,

Cheers

Carl

A snowy campsite on the high alpine tundra of Wrangell - St. Elias National Park. Termination dust covers the ground, or fresh fall snow, and Mt Jarvis (13 421') of the Wrangell Mountains stands dominating behind. Backcountry campsite, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. On a backpacking trip in September. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey folks

A lot of people heading to Alaska inquire about the “best” sleeping bag to bring; i.e., what temperature rating to bring. My recommendation has always been for a warmer bag than many people typically expect. My advice for a summer bag in Alaska is 20deg F, (about -6deg C) and no warmer.

That is, 20deg Fahrenheit minimum! don’t bring a 32deg F bag (0deg C).

Surely it’s not going to be below freezing in July, I hear folks respond?

Well, hopefully not. But it certainly can be, especially if we hike up in the high country at all (which we typically do, because that’s where the views are, and where the brush isn’t). And the altitude needn’t be that high; 5000 feet is alpine country in Alaska.

But the reasons for a warm bag go beyond merely snow and cold. Some folks will say they’d rather bring a warmer bag, like a 32deg F bag, as it’s lighter weight, and they can always wear extra clothes to bed if need be. They’ll be bringing warm clothes along anyway, right? Sometimes, this is true. But there can easily be times when it is not true. How about your fleece jacket is wet? Or you lose it (yes, I’ve seen that happen)? 

It matters not, in my opinion, how often this might happen. It matters more that you’ll be cold without it. I simply don’t ascribe to the view that cutting weight is everything in the backcountry. Staying warm and sheltered is ALWAYS #1.

On a weeklong trip to the backcountry in Alaska, you can’t simply hike out if the weather’s cold; especially if you do a fly-in trip. On a remote journey in to the wilderness, your sleeping bag is your last refuge against the cold. It’s the most shelter you can expect to have.  I don’t want to be squirming around in my bag trying to find that warm sport, and wriggling my toes because they’re chilly. I don’t want to lose sleep because I couldn’t QUITE get comfortable.

What I do want to do, even if it’s blowing a blizzard outside, is hunker down inside my tent, batten down the hatches, crawl inside my sleeping bag, and sleep soundly. If my last pair of socks got soaked thru on the hike, I don’t want to rely on them for my comfort at night. That’s the job of my sleeping bag, and my socks, my down jacket, my fleece hat, etc are there in case that’s not available. Those are the backups for emergency situations. My sleeping bag is not an item I’ll quibble over a few ounces about.

Some people feel the cold far, far more than others; often women feel the cold much more than men do (or at least than men SAY they do). If you’re one of those people who feel the cold, you could easily be cold sitting around camp in your fleece and down clothes, your hat and gloves, and that sleeping bag is where you head to be cozy. Bring one that is up the job. My advice is to go for 20deg Fahrenheit, at most … and don’t shy away from a 10 or 15deg bag, or even lower. I’ve seen people bring a minus 10deg bag on a trip, and be glad they did.

Your sleeping pad makes a big difference as well. I’ll write about that another time. Just be sure your bag is up to the task.

Be warm, sleep well, and enjoy the night, for tomorrow you could be wet and cold all day long.

Cheers

Carl

Aurora borealis lights up the winter night sky over Mt McKinley, highest mountain in North America, also called Denali. Viewpoint from Denali State Park, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey folks

The highest mountain in North America, Denali, or Mt McKinley as its more officially known, of the Alaska Range are dwarfed by the Aurora borealis, spiralling overhead in the night sky.

What a treat it was to see this last night. Well worth waiting up for. It’s 10:45am right now, and I’ve only been home maybe 30 minutes. A long night, cold and windy, but some fantastic sights to see. Winter in Alaska can be long and cold and dark; but those things are quickly forgotten in the moment.

On another note, my thoughts and prayers go all the way out to those folks in Japan; I haven’t seen all the reports yet, but from what I understand, the situation is pretty horrible. I feel for you.

Cheers

Carl

Snowshoeing and backcountry skiing in the Mentasta Mountains, winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey Folks,

Another photo from a winter trip; this one to the Mentasta Mountains in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve. My favorite mode of travel; snowshoe up, and ski back down. It’s worth bringing the extra gear!

Heinous wind – Yikes!

Cheers

Carl

Winter in Alaska. The Viking Lodge Cabin, a public use cabin in Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, makes a fantastic getaway for a winter trip. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey Folks

Here’s a shot of one of my favorite places in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve; Viking Lodge Cabin. The cabin is not far off the Nabesna Road, which is nice; accessible. Unlike most public use cabins in the park, this cabin requires reservations, though that also means when you arrive, you know ahead of time you don’t have to share the cabin with anyone else who might show up. There is no fee to use the cabin, which is nice. It’s quite a treat, being able to head out in the winter and have a cozy, comfortable cabin to relax in.

An old barrel stove sits in the middle of the cabin, and warms the cabin pretty quickly, even in the depths of winter. It makes the world of difference after a day out in the mountains, skiing or snowshoeing, to come back to a warm cabin, rather than a cold tent. Perhaps in the morning it makes even more difference, waking up and having a nice warm pair of boots sitting by the cabin, rather than crusty frozen boots outside the door. 

Viking Lodge Cabin was built in the 1970s, as a private, summertime residence, and the National Park Service renovated it in 2000. It’s in great shape, has an outhouse nearby, and a great view out the large window of Mt Sanford. Available year round, the cabin is really a treat in the winter. It’s only a 1/4 to half mile off the road, which means it’s easy to lug gear in; some of the other cabins are quite a bit further, making the jaunt in quite a mission.

The NPS suggests the cabin sleeps 4, but it can easily hold, comfortably, a few more. There are only 2 bunks (bring your own sleeping pad), but plenty of floor space, and a great big loft. Just be sure to not overpack your sleeping bag if you want to sleep upstairs (or even on the top bunk); you’ll roast, with even a small fire. There’s no bug screen on the door, so you won’t want to leave the door open to cool the cabin down if you’re there during the summer.

If you do decide to stay in the cabin, please, please, please don’t leave any of your gear behind. People seem to think ‘Oh, I’ll just leave these batteries/this candle/this book/etc behind and someone else can use it’. The cabin quickly accumulates all your crap. Pack it in, Pack it out, folks. And lastly, PLEASE don’t leave the cabin bereft of wood. By all means, use the wood in the cabin when you arrive, but make an effort to go gather/cut wood before you leave, and make sure there’s plenty of wood cut for the next visitor. I try to make sure I leave more wood than I used, and I think is a good approach. Arriving at a cabin in the dead of winter, at 40below Zero degrees, in the dark, only to find the last folks didn’t leave any wood behind, isn’t a great start to a trip.

Park regulations allow you to cut dead trees, or gather/cut any dead down wood you find. Do not cut any green trees. I’d suggest you check with the Ranger Station at Slana before your stay if you’re not sure about any of this. You can also buy wood in the area.

There are a lot of great hiking/skiing/snowshoeing options in the area, so be sure to allow a few days at least. And at least one day to spend sipping coffee by the fire, reading a good book, enjoying the view of the mountain out your window. Viking Lodge Cabin is really a little gem in the woods. And the best thing about a winter trip? It’s no problem to bring a pint of Ice Cream (or several). Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk, to be specific. Mmmhhhmmmmm!!!! Enjoy.

Cheers

Carl

A cow moose stands outside the house in Anchorage, Winter, Alaska (Alces alces). Please click on the image here to view a larger version of the photo.

Hey Folks,

A fun post.

After all the tromping around in the mountains and wilds of Alaska, carrying way too much weight and camera gear around the hills trying to photograph wildlife, I tried a new approach. Let the animals come to me! So here, taken from the window of the house, a cup of coffee in one hand and my camera in the other, is a cow moose. Anchorage, Alaska.

Now, I wonder if I can get this same technique to work on a pack of wolves!

Cheers

Carl

Hey folks,

Here’s a short video from our Canning River Trip, in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We spend anywhere from 10 days to 2 weeks in the refuge, depending on the year, and a little video like this doesn’t even touch the surface of the trip. But hopefully it catches at least a little of the feel of the trip.

Because of the nature of the logistics here, typically, the maximum number of people on this trip is 3, plus your guide. If you have more than 3 people, please call or email to discuss trip options.

Enjoy the video. I just recorded the music for it this afternoon; hope you like it.

Cheers

Carl

Bret snapping a photo of camp and the killer scenery on the Goat Trail, Skolai Pass - Wolverine, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

Just a quick note to say ‘At last’ .. the 2011 calendar is online. Take a quick look at the trips listed. Also, if you don’t see a trip you’re interested in, or the dates don’t quite match what you’re looking for, send me an email and we’ll see what we can do about scheduling that.

It’s set to be a great year …. the Gates of the Arctic trip to the Arrigetch Peaks should be a blast. 2 weeks exploring the Brooks Range, awesome. We have room for only one or 2 more people, so if this might be a trip for you, definitely drop us a note ASAP. This is an exploratory trip, so intermediate – advanced hikers only. All transport taken care of from Fairbanks to the backcountry and back! I’ve wanted to return to the Gates for 15 years now, and have long been wanting to explore the Arrigetch area. This one will be amazing.

More info on new trips and events coming soon. Stay tuned!

Cheers

Carl

Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Wrangell Mountains, Crystalline Hills and the Kuskulana River, from the Kuskulana River Bridge, McCarthy Road, Winter, Alaska. To view larger version of this photo, please click on the image above.

Hey Folks,

From a short trip to Wrangell – St. Elias National Park over the holidays.

Small piece of trivia – Minus 40deg F is the same temperature as minus 40 deg C.

Cold days indeed.

Stay warm folks,

Cheers

Carl

Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Wrangell Mountains and the Kuskulana River, Mount Blackburn, near Nugget Creek mine. Winter, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

hey Folks,

Welcome to mount Blackburn, winter, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Cheers

Carl