Tag Archives: Landscapes

Winter’s comin

5 Replies
Snowshoeing in Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Winter travel through the boreal forest, in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Hiking on snowshoes through the snow-covered taiga, white spruce forest in winter. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of the photo.

Hey Folks,

Well, Fall’s well and truly over, now. I skied through a whiteout this afternoon, over in the Chugach Mountains, and decided winter’s here. So I think I’ll welcome the new season with a trip to “the park”, as I call Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

The plan is to head over early this week and spend a few days on the north side of the park, snowshoeing and skiing around in the forest. I took this photo last winter on a trip to this same area; it’s always a treat to return and wander through the silent whiteness.

Winter is such a fascinating time of year in Alaska, so stark and silent, yet completely amazing. It lacks the vitality of the summer, but owns a kind of sublime depth that simply isn’t present at any other time of year. It’s very alive. Right now it hasn’t yet got down to the crazy winter temps of -40˚, but there should be plenty of snow around.

Tomorrow I’ll spend part of the day packing for the trip. Even though I’m only going to the park for a few days, colder weather means more gear, and more careful packing is required. Then, Tuesday, it’ll be off to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to see what I can find to photograph. If nothing is on offer, I’ll just spend the time skiing a few areas I want to explore a little more, snowshoeing through the forest, and enjoying the greatest National Park in the world. 🙂

Cheers

Carl

RSS Feeds and WordPress

5 Replies
Sunrise over Kuskulana River and the Kuskulana Gorge, fall colors, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Sunrise over Kuskulana River and the Kuskulana Gorge, fall colors, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey Folks,

I received a note the other day (thanks Warren) about my RSS feeds being messed up. Is anyone else having any problems with it? Is anyone else subscribed to the RSS feeds? Does anyone else read this? Is anyone ACTUALLY out there?

No, seriously, if anyone is having any trouble with it, please let me know. The problem so far, is apparently twofold;

1) the feed seems to only offer the first 2 or 3 letters of the title of the post, and

2) posts get repeated in the feed.

I suspect the latter problem is my fault, for not unclicking the “Notify Subscribers” button at the bottom of the WordPress Dashboard when I edit a published post. I have no idea why the title of the post gets cutoff in the feed. I watch the blog through google Reader and it works fine for me (as an aside, google reader (Sadly google reader is no more) works great – I use it daily for my blog reading and newspapers.  If you’re unsure what a “reader” is, it’s a page you can set up for yourself, with your own account, like an email account, where you can subscribe to different “feeds” – such as blogs or newspapers, etc, etc. Everything the paper publishes with get posted, with headlines and usually a short blurb) in the reader – scan it for articles of interest, open them and read them – hence .. “reader“; tonsa fun!!!).

Anyway – so i’m not sure why the “”default” RSS feed tab format in FireFox web browser on a PC” shows my RSS feed all messed up. the titles (I saw via an email sent to me), say

“Aussiefoto (that’s me!) has published a new blog post: Stu..”
“Aussiefoto has published a new blog post: Bro..”
“Aussiefoto has published a new blog post: Ba..”

and on and on. If anyone out there has any ideas how to fix this so it works a bit more user friendly, please advise me, either in comments below, or via email. Thanks so much. And I’ll try to click “No” on the “Notitify Subscribers” button when I edit any posts I’ve published. I think that will solve the repeated postings problem ( I hope so – what I will REALLY try to do is properly edit my stuff BEFORE publishing it).

On to other more important matters. If you’re not subscribing to this blog, this might be a perfect time to sign up. And I’ll whack another 10% off  a print, up to 16″x20″, if you do so. just click on “Subscribe to the Blog Feed” below (you have to have an RSS reader setup), or enter your email in the box to the right and click “sign up” (this sends the post to you, without the photo, I believe, via email). That’s how easy it is. Networked Blogs (no longer functioning) is not an RSS feed, but it kinda works in a similar way. Kinda – you have to be on facebook to use it.

If you have a reader set up, you can also click on the appropriate widget in the sidebar, toward the bottom – there are options for Google Reader, (No longer an option) Yahoo, Newsburst (no longer), etc, etc. Google Reader is the best.(Update: as most of these RSS readers have gone by the wayside, I suggest you subscribe via the sidebar sign up).

That way, then you too can get messed up, repeated, truncated posts in your RSS feed. 🙂 Just kidding – hopefully, I’ll get the problem sorted out asap.

For what it might be worth, I am subscribed to about 50 feeds in my google reader; many of which are blogs by my friends, photographers, hikers, etc, but also newspapers and whatnot. All kinds of goodies. Some I delete if they don’t appease me. Most of the major newspapers offer a feed to particular subjects, such as “political news”, “sports”, international news”, “environment”, etc, etc. That way you can subscribe to just get feeds on subjects that might interest you. Worth setting up, in my opinion.

Again, if anyone can offer some input on how to rectify these 2 issues I just mentioned, I’d really appreciate. I’ll offer a print up to 8″x10″ if someone can solve it for me. Thanks.

Cheers

Carl

PS – oh .. the photo above is of the Kuskulana River .. folks who’ve been to McCarthy, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park might recognize the scene, the bridge goes right over it. In the fall, the colder temperatures slow the glacial melt down, and the river water level subsides dramatically; as does the amount of silt and dirt it carries, meaning it clears right up. Here it is almost a clear pristine turquoise – gorgeous, and not at all like the seething, roaring brown cesspit is can be in the summer.

Print Sale – 20% off, Nov 1 – 25, 2010.

1 Reply
A dumping of fresh snow loads this young willow sapling, Wrangell mountains, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

A dumping of fresh snow loads this young willow sapling, Wrangell mountains, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. To view a larger version of this photo, please click on the image above.

hey Folks,

I just thought I’d do a quick plug here and announce my first ever print sale. That’s right, the holidays are coming on soon, and why not order your loved ones a fine art print for their wall? Better yet, order yourself a fine art print. So, Nov 1 through Nov 25, 2010, I’m offering 20% off regular prices for ALL prints. A 16″ x 20″ print (or 24″) of this image typically sells for $180. Right now, until Nov 25, that means it’s yours for $144.00.

Canvas Wraps are also available – a beautiful canvas print, laminated for protection, wrapped, mounted on a handcut, solid wooden frame and ready to be hung on the wall. Printed in Atlanta (myphotopipe.com do some of the finest Canvas Gallery Wraps in the nation), the finished product is simply exquisite. For $280.00 (+S&H), this, or any other image on my website, will be printed at 20″ x 30″ and mounted, ready for your wall. That’s a $70.00 savings!

Wildlife Photos? Take a look at the Grizzly Bears gallery for over 500 wild grizzly bear photos. Elk, whitetail deer, bald eagles, you choose. Landscape photos and scenics on sale as well, such as the snow-laden willow sapling here, taken one winter in the Wrangell Mountains, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Also, note this offer includes any image posted on the blog here that is not yet posted to the gallery section of the site. Browse the website, decide which images you might like, or your friends and family might like, and place an order. 3 or more images and I’ll cover S&H .. just use the Coupon Code “Go-Ahead-‘n’-Get-Ya-One”.

In order that I can get all prints finished and shipped in time for the holidays, the sale ends Nov 25. Waiting until later can mean your print likely won’t arrive in time, so please go ahead and place your order asap.

Credit Card orders welcome.

Cheers

Carl

Aurora Borealis photo

3 Replies
Aurora borealis, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Aurora borealis photo. Using my vehicle headlights to light up the foreground a little bit. Northern lights, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of the photo.

Hey Folks,

An aurora borealis photo taken a few weeks ago.

I’ve never had the good fortune to shoot the aurora borealis on a well lit night; a clear night when the moon is full, or close to it, would be ideal. My luck always seem to run into a dark night, which makes for a great, great experience, but the photographs could benefit from some ambient light on the foreground.

So, in this particular instance, I turned on the lights of my van for a split second during the exposure.  It took me a couple of tries to get the balance right, and it’s far from ideal, but I kind of like this shot; taken along the Nabesna Road in mid-September. Continue reading →

Mt Sanford Photo

2 Replies
Alpenglow lights up the face of Mt. Sanford. Dawn and reflection in a small kettle pond, fall, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Alpenglow lights up the face of Mt. Sanford. Dawn and reflection in a small kettle pond, fall, 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 shot of Mt. Sanford. I know this might be a few too many, but trust me, t’s a REALLY cool mountain. And, if you had any idea how many times I’v tried to take this photo, you’d offer me your sympathies. And maybe some therapy.

So nearly 5 years ago I “found” this little pond and thought ‘ahhh, this could be a nice spot to photograph Mt Sanford from’. And it is. However, the pond is prone to some ripplage, particularly right around dawn, when the alpenglow lights up the mountain. So, all too often, I’ve been thwarted in my efforts; either the pond is rippling and the reflection is lost, or the light is not great, or the mountain not visible (most common). This week I thought I had a good shot at something happening, so I made the trip over to that area and spent a total of 3 mornings trying my hand.

On the 3rd morning, the conditions came together; Continue reading →

Mt Drum Photo, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

1 Reply
The Copper River, fall colors, Mt Sanford and Mt Drum. Copper River Basin, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

The Copper River, fall colors, Mt Sanford and Mt Drum, near Simpson Hill Overlook, Glennallen. Copper River Basin, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of the photo.

Hey Folks,

A view from just near the Simpson Hill Overlook, near Glennallen. The mountains here are (from left) Mount Sanford and Mount Drum. Mount Sanford is over 4 000′ the higher of the 2, but because it’s further away, looks to be shorter here. Mt Drum sits about 25 miles away from the Copper River and Glennallen.

The fall colors here can be quite spectacular on a good year. This year was a little dull compared to most, but the Cottonwoods, even on a poor year, still glow in evening light.

The alpenglow on this particular evening was quite grand, and I, of course, pretty much missed photographing it. I have an uncanny knack for not being in the right place at the right time, and true to form, was down walking through the woods when the light hit its peak.

Maybe next year I’ll do better. I did find another really nice viewpoint to shoot one fall evening, so hopefully next year I’ll manage something more.

Cheers

Carl

Mt. Jarvis, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

4 Replies
Sunrise glows on the peak of Mount Jarvis, and a near perfect reflection lights up a small alpine tarn in the Wrangell Mountains, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Sunrise glows on the peak of Mount Jarvis, and a near perfect reflection lights up a small alpine tarn in the Wrangell Mountains, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image to view a larger version of the photo.

Hey Folks,

Here’s a quick one I thought I’d post from the recent backpacking trip up around Mt Jarvis. This was from the 2nd morning spent at ‘Reflection Pond’.

A few mornings earlier I’d made a long dash thru the snow covered alpine country to try to catch this scene at first light. Alas, I was too late, and alpen glow, always all too brief, faded as I strolled over the tundra. So I got up a little earlier, and made sure I was in place in time this morning. The couple along on the trip, Tracey and Brad, from Chicago, were split on whether to come along. Brad stayed in camp, and Tracey joined me for the walk in near darkness over to this pond. It’s not easy to be woken at 5:00am from a sound sleep, and 5 minutes later clamber out of a tent in the dark, gather up all your camera gear, and hike a mile or so. Tracey managed it well though, and we go to this little tarn in good time. Great job Tracey.

The alpenglow and sunrise was really pretty, and I made a few images; this recent posting is from earlier the same morning. It was funny how quickly the color of the light changed. A warm, magenta/pink glow very rapidly became a nice warm yellow, then a cooler white as the sun rose. I’ve never seen it shift quite so quickly as it did this particular morning.

Another interesting note; it’s amazing to me how regularly a small breeze seems to kick up right at dawn, just as the alpenglow lights up a mountain peak, and ripples the surface of whatever pond I intend to photograph, obliterating a reflection. then, just as quickly, the breeze subsides and the reflection returns – always, just after the pink alpenglow ebbs away. I wonder if it’s some kind of temperature inversion or something that goes on, because it happens way too frequently. I’d be interested to see if others have seen this same thing happen a lot.

The Mt Jarvis trip was a great week. We got some nice photos, superb views, and I enjoyed the hang time with Brad and Tracey, 2 great folks, hardy souls, who braved the Wrangell mountains in September. Trust me, walking around at 7000-8000 feet in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in September is not for the timid. I’ll definitely be back there again and again.

NB: I’m currently in Katmai for 2 weeks. I’ll try to have a few posts scheduled for while I’m gone. don’t go away now, y’all.

Cheers

Carl

Mt Sanford

3 Replies
Fall colors on the tundra and alpenglow on the face of Mt Sanford at dawn, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Fall colors on the tundra and alpenglow on the face of Mt Sanford at dawn, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of the photo.

Hey Folks,

I just returned from a few quick days over in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park before heading off to Katmai for a photo tour. We’re enjoying some of the finest days of the summer, and I wish I could’ve stayed longer, but I must pack and get my gear ready for this trip. It sure is hard to get on the road and take the park “exit” when these mountains are standing tall and strong amid clear blue skies behind you.

It’s been a really great summer, though, and I’ve had a blast. This next 2 weeks in Katmai should be a great finish to a really good summer. Ironically, Anchorage has had one of the dreariest, and wettest, summers on record, while I’ve had some great weather, amid the fog, rain and snow. All good fun, though, eh?

Mount Sanford rocks.

Cheers

Carl

More photos of Mt Sanford

Mt. Jarvis, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

6 Replies
Dawn rises over Mount Jarvis, alpenglow lighting the mountain and it's reflection. Fall, Mt. Jarvis, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Dawn rises over Mount Jarvis, alpenglow lighting the mountain and it’s reflection. Fall, Mt. Jarvis, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. To view a larger version of the photo, please click on the thumbnail.

Hey Folks

Mt Jarvis, in all it’s 13 421′ glory.

A recent trek up around the Mt Jarvis area yielded some amazing scenery and fantastic views. I hadn’t been to the area before, and will definitely be heading back next year. To camp within a few hundred yards of this mountain face is a treat indeed. We were pretty lucky, for sure, considering we were camped at about 7200′ in the Wrangell Mountains in September!

We had a real mix of weather, from snow storms and rain to gorgeous sunny days; which I’ll take gladly. The trek was a lot of fun, with a great couple from Chicago, Brad and Tracey. I appreciated their flexibility and easy going nature, which allowed me to sneak out a morning or 2 and grab some photos. Tracey joined me once or twice, and both Brad and Tracey got up early on our final morning to make a a mad dash out the Nabesna Rd in the hopes of snaring some nice alpenglow on Mt Sanford. Much appreciated, Tracey and Brad. What a gorgeous morning that turned out to be.

This is a quick one folks – the weather forecast here this week is too promising to spend in town, so I’ll be heading back out on Monday for a couple of days to hopefully get some more fall color and nice light on the big mountains. Be back later for a day or 2, then heading to Katmai to photograph the great grizzly bears. Then it’s October.

Cheers

Carl

Wrangell Mountain Reflections

4 Replies
Reflections in the morning, of fresh snow or termination dust on the Wrangell Mountains, near Mount Blackburn, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Reflections in the morning, of fresh snow or termination dust on the Wrangell Mountains, near Mount Blackburn, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image to view a larger version of the photo.

Hey Folks

Here’s another image, taken earlier, of the scene outside my tent door a few mornings ago. After spending the previous day in the rain, cold, sleet and snow, I went to bed hoping for an improvement in the weather.

All during dinner, I had watched the snowline on the peaks above camp come ever slowly down the mountains – lower and lower. Now, listening to the rain fall on my tent, I didn’t imagine much change happening.

Turning off my headlamp, it was lights out, and I had barely a flicker of hope for the rest of the hike – the continuing patter of rain falling on my tent a sound I was about done with. Eventually that sound faded and then ceased altogether – at first I thought it had simply turned to snow, but a glance outside confirmed that nope, the rain had actually stopped. Woo hoo! Continue reading →