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
A question about snow shoes. What kind are you using? And what special gear do protect your camera with in winter.
Hey Gary,
I have an old pair of Atlas 1030s I use – they work well for me, most times. When I’m carrying a heavy load, I really need a bigger snowshoe, like the Atlas 12 series. Or, for more serious climbing, the BC24’s, which are very good.
Snowshoes are very specific to conditions. Some are good trail shoes, others better for steeper terrain, others better for deep powder, etc, etc. So it depends completely on the usage as to which ones will best suit your needs.
Regarding “protecting my camera”, you mean from the cold? I don’t do anything. I’ve had a problem with batteries dying when it gets down to -20˚ (F) and once with the LCD freezing up at -45˚. But other than that, no problems at all.
Cheers
Carl
Have a great and safe trek into the wilderness Carl! Wish I could join you, I can hear my snowshoes calling my name. I will need to invest in new ones this winter though…
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Hey David,
Will do, thanks. What’s wrong with the old snowshoes?
Cheers
Carl