Sunrise over Mount Sanford, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey Folks,

A quick post for while I’m away. I’m still off on the Malaspina Glacier expedition with Erin and Hig I mentioned earlier. I should be back soon, with tons of new images and stories from the trip. In the meantime, here’s the Image of the Month for November, 2011.

Mount Sanford on a gorgeous fall morning, taken back in September on our Fall Photo Tour. I hope you enjoy this photo.

Cheers

Carl

Brown bear, Ursus arctos, walking upright down Brooks Lake near the footbridge, first light of a cool, foggy morning. Brown bear, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey Folks,

Just back from a fantastic 2 weeks in Katmai National Park on our Grizzly Bears in the Fall Photo Tour. What a great way to wind up the season!

This year we had a challenging but rewarding trip; there were definitely fewer bears than in some recent years (still more than 45 bears along the river), but some great weather, light and conditions helped us to all make some nice images.

This photo I have to say a big thank you to one of the folks on week #2, Chris, a Brit now living in San Diego. I was loaded down with my 500mm and D300s on my tripod, and my D700 and 70-300m over my shoulder. We had moved off the river a little to give a passing bear some room, when this scene appeared behind us. Trying to stumble thru 4′ tall grass, hummocks and tussocks and wet marsh without busting my tail was a bit of a mission, and Chris kindly offered to hold my 500mm for me, so I could step over the ground easier and snag a shot before it was too late. Thanks Chris, I appreciate it. (more…)

4 grizzly bear (brown bear, Ursus arctos) cubs sit in the forest, and await there mother's return. Grizzly bear cubs, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey Folks,

Heading off for 2 weeks in Katmai National Park for the grizzly bear fall photo tour. Hopefully we’ll run into these 4 youngsters again, though it’d be most surprising if all 4 cubs made it through last winter; I sure hope so, but the ways of the wild aren’t always aligned with our hopes. Their mom turned herself inside out last fall feeding these hungry bear cubs, so we’ll see how things went for them.

See you folks back in October.

Cheers

Carl

Caliban, in the Arrigetch Peaks, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

Image of the month for September, 2011; Caliban, or Calaban, in the Arrigetch Peaks, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. A gorgeous fall morning and a near perfect reflection. We had a great trip up north to the Gates of the Arctic National Park; the Arrigetch Peaks were every bit as impressive as I’d heard they are.

We’ll definitely back for a hike and photo tour to this area soon!

Cheers

Carl

A waterfall glows in the light of a colorful sunset. Near Chitistone Pass, looking toward Skolai Pass, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of the photo.

Hey Folks

Roane Waterfall in the Skolai Pass/Chitistone Pass area, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park; an awesome foreground subject for a sunset photo (it also makes a great foreground at sunrise).

We just had 2 fantastic trips to the Skolai – Wolverine area, and got some great photos, etc. Highlight for me was seeing my first wolf in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park; something I’ve been hoping for now for years. Seeing it in a place such as this only made the experience that much greater for me. We watched him for 5 minutes or more.

A great summer so far; here’s to good weather for the rest of it.

Cheers

Carl

One-flowered cinquefoil (Potentilla uniflora), Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala), Moss Campion (Silene acaulis) and the view across Chitistone Canyon toward the University Range, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey Folks,

Image of the Month for July 2011: from a photo trip in June. This scene from Wolverine, looking across the Chitistone Valley toward the University Range.  The alpine flowers up there were gorgeous this last week, earlier than I expected them to be, but I was glad to be surprised.

This is part of the view we had right from camp.

Cheers

Carl

Mount Sanford and the Copper River Basin, winter, dawn alpenglow, boreal forest and tundra, Wrangell Mountains, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey Folks,

From a trip to Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve last month, here’s a photo of Mount Sanford and the Copper River Basin.

The wind was fairly whippin this morning, and it was way colder than I like for it to be, but the light was nice. What a  mountain, eh?

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.  (more…)