Off The Beaten Path
Click Small Image to See Full View and Caption
[ home | support | contact ]

Doors Off!

Alaska Range Flying

Flying In The Alaska Range

K2 Aviation In Ruth Amphitheater

Nenana River Paddle Rafting

 

Happy 4th Of July!

Nenana Gorge Paddle Rafting

Fly Denali - I have been very fortunate to have the support of Fly Denali, Inc. for my aerial photo book project. Fly Denali, Inc offers flightseeing tours and air taxi services from Talkeetna and the Denali National Park entrance. They operate a fleet of de Havilland Turbo Beavers on wheel skis as well as a couple of Navajos. They are the only air taxi who can fly from the north side of the Alaska Range and land on a glacier in Denali National Park, and who provides summit flights. Here, one of their Beavers is parked on the Ruth Glacier.

Fly Denali

Tragedy In The Great Gorge - I flew over the Great Gorge on the Ruth Glacier on Saturday morning as part of a new book project. On this day two Canadian climbers were killed in an avalanche as they descended a steep snow and ice gully on the southeast side of the gorge. This shot shows the location of their camp near the base of Mount Dickey.

Tragedy In The Great Gorge

Spring King Salmon Derby - About 800 entrants are competing in the 13th annual derby for over $23,000 in cash prices and donations. Prizes are awarded solely on the basis of the weight of the entered fish, and only gutted, gilled, fresh, unfrozen king salmon may be entered. Here, some people fish at False Outer Point on North Douglas Island, a favorite spot among some of the derby participants, as the sun sets being the Chilkat Mountains. Of course, we are rooting for our own Sean McKeown and Gary Hedges.

Spring King Salmon Derby

 
SouthEast Alaska Sailing Race - We were sailing almost neck and neck for first place with another boat as we entered Gastineau Channel. We still had over two miles to go to the finish line near Sheep Creek when the wind suddenly died down. As much as some of us wanted to cross the finish line, maybe even in first position, it was not meant to be this time around. There was no winner, as no sailboat made it across the finish line in time. And in the end, it did not matter. What mattered more was how much fun we had sailing. It was as if we needed to learn one of life's lessons, that regardless of whether we placed first of last we competed well, had no regrets, and nothing but joy in our hearts for the journey we had made, and the people we made it with.<br>

SouthEast Alaska Sailing Race

Magical Day Sailing In Southeast Alaska - Sebastian Schnuelle, left, and Anthony Crupi seek the best course during the SouthEast Alaska Sailing race this past weekend. I have known Anthony and his wife Lori for only about a year, primarily because Florian and their son Eli are best buddies, but I enjoy their company equally as much. When they graciously invited Greta, Florian and I to join them for the race and Greta and Florian could not make it, I found in Sebastian the perfect person to come along. One of the best long-distance mushers in the state at this time, Sebastian won the Yukon Quest in 2009 and finished second in the Iditarod the same year. More importantly though, Sebastian is an old friend and sailing is his hobby. He had just arrived in Juneau the day before the race to get his mushing camp on the Herbert Glacier up and running. It was hard to imagine any better place to be than in the company of these people on a sailboat, learning new things about sailing and discovering new places around Juneau on gorgeous summer-like day. It would be an understatement to say that there was a little bit of a competitive spirit on our sailboat. <br>Stay tuned to find out tomorrow who made it first across the finish line...

Magical Day Sailing In Southeast Alaska

SouthEast Alaska Sailing Race - The SouthEast Alaska Sailing kickoff race took place this past weekend. Six boats participated in the race that started at Marmion Island near the southern end of Douglas Island, then down Stephens Passage and around Grant Island and back to the finish line at Sheep Creek in Gastineau Channel. Here, one of the participants crosses the entrance of Taku Inlet, with the mountains at the head of the Taku Glacier in the background. SouthEast Alaska Sailing was created by a group of sailors in 2009. Its mission is 'to promote the appreciation of sailing and foster a community and culture committed to advancing both sailing and sailing education in the Juneau area.'

SouthEast Alaska Sailing Race

Mendenhall Lake Kayaking - The recent warm weather felt like an invitation to put the kayak together and go for a paddle. Florian and I decided to head to Mendenhall Lake yesterday afternoon, and we were not disappointed. Dozens of ice floes of all shapes were drifting around or were grounded at the south end of the lake, and we enjoyed being in their presence, though we kept a safe distance, because of the unstable nature of floating ice. Florian did not paddle because of his broken arm, but that did not deter him from having a good time.

Mendenhall Lake Kayaking

Alaska Marine Highway System - M/V Kennikott - M/V Kennikott plows through Stephens Passage on its way from Juneau to Ketchikan. The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is a ferry service operated by the state of Alaska and serving the southcentral coast of the state, the eastern Aleutian islands and the Inside Passage of Alaska and British Columbia, Canada. Ferries serve communities in Southeastern Alaska that have no road access, and the vessels can transport people, freight, and vehicles. AMHS's 3,500 miles (5,600 km) of routes go as far south as Bellingham, Washington in the contiguous United States and as far west as Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, with a total of 32 terminals throughout Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington.

Alaska Marine Highway System - M/V Kennikott

 
Spring Ski Touring - Several skiers contemplate their descent off of Pittman Ridge on Douglas Island, as most of the south-facing chutes on Mount Ben Stewart were prone to avalanches, as seen in several recent releases in the background. Considering the warm weather and unstable snow pack, I opted for an easy descent through the trees, which offered great skiing, especially with the little bit of fresh snow that fell earlier in the week. Clearly I am not ready to put my skies away yet.

Spring Ski Touring

Spread Eagle Or Fly Like An Eagle! - There is no place where Florian does not practice his aerial ski jumps, like here near the Mendenhall Glacier. The spread eagle is an aerial jump in freestyle skiing in which the skier spreads his arms and legs wide. Florian already said he cannot wait to do this jump on his skis...

Spread Eagle Or Fly Like An Eagle!

Another Magical Day At Mendenhall Lake - Florian and I went to Mendenhall Lake to look for Mountain Goats above Nugget Falls. We did not see any, but had fun running along the sandy beach, skipping rocks into the still frozen lake, poking around in the mud, climbing on the rocks at the falls and simply enjoying the distant vistas of Mendenhall Glacier and the surrounding mountains under clear and sunny skies. On such a day I am reminded just how fortunate we are to have such an amazing place in our backyard!

Another Magical Day At Mendenhall Lake

Eaglecrest - Ending On A High Note - For some, outdoor soccer is on their mind, for others it's catching kings, but we are not quite ready for that yet and couldn't resist to spend one last magical day at Eaglecrest yesterday. Great snow and clear skies made for a fun last day of skiing at the ski area. It's a little bittersweet, as the conditions are so good right now and there's still so much snow up there - why stop now? So I doubt that we carved our last turns for the season yesterday, but even if we didn't ski anymore this season, we definitely ended on a high note. Here, Greta caches a little air off a jump, with Mount Ben Stewart looming in the distance.

Eaglecrest - Ending On A High Note

Eaglecrest Powder - Another snowstorm brought several inches of fresh snow up at Eaglecrest and areas around town, so Florian and I went out for an afternoon ski yesterday and we were not disappointed. Especially up high on Ptarmigan the powder was at its finest. We know it's not going to last, so we enjoyed the present as much as we could.

Eaglecrest Powder

 
Alaska Marine Highway System - A large part of the highway system in Southeast Alaska is on the water not on land, and several ferries, such as the M/V LeConte pictured here, plow up and down the coastline. Sometimes, the ferries are the only link to the outside world. Last Friday for instance, Alaska Airlines canceled most of its flights in and out of Juneau, and only the ferries maintained their regular schedule.

Alaska Marine Highway System

Mendenhall Lake Skating - As our natural skating rinks quickly melt away, I thought it was time to skate down memory lane. Will we remember this winter for its lack of snow and warm temperatures or for its abundance of outdoor ice? For me, the latter is the case, and I am sure Florian will agree with me. We logged in many hours at Mendenhall Lake and Twin Lakes, and these days out on the ice will be remembered with great fondness.

Mendenhall Lake Skating

Yukon Quest Moment: Eagle Summit - This is one of my favorite images of the race, a moment where light, subject and composition came together almost perfectly. I had waited on top of windswept Eagle Summit for several hours, knowing that some teams were going to cross the summit just before dusk. Little did I know that all but one choose to rest their dogs prior to the ascent. The team of Japanese musher Keizo Funatsu eventually made it to the top, just past sunset, which made for a nice silhoutte. By the teams arrived, it was totally dark. Timing, as usual, is everything!<br>

Yukon Quest Moment: Eagle Summit

Hans Gatt 2010 Yukon Quest Champion - Hans Gatt of Whitehorse drives his team at the confluence of the Takhini and Yukon River. Gatt won the 2010 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race in record-breaking time.

Hans Gatt 2010 Yukon Quest Champion

Yukon River Jumbed Ice - Along the Yukon River, ice slabs the size school buses jut violently skyward, and along with thousands of smaller ice chunks, create a labyrinth of light and shadow across the surface. Where the wind has forced a dry layer of fresh snow in the cracks, the surface of this northern causeway looks something like an arctic moon. Needless to say that mushers in the 1000 mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race have to take it slow, and sled reinforcements in the form of plywood strapped to the sides of sleds for protection against ragged chunks of ice have saved many teams from disaster.

Yukon River Jumbed Ice

 
Frontrunners In And Out of Eagle - A dog team approaches Eagle Bluff on the Yukon River, just a few miles downriver from the village of Eagle. Zach Steer, Lance Mackey, Hans Gatt and Hugh Neff all pulled in and out of Eagle yesterday, and it is likely that they might arrive in Dawson this afternoon. There is little doubt that the winner of the 2010 Yukon Quest will be among one of the four frontrunners.

Frontrunners In And Out of Eagle

Yukon River Crossing - A Yukon Quest team, seemingly just a speck in a sea of ice and snow, mushes up the windswept Yukon River on the 160-mile run between Circle and Eagle. The Yukon River, with its headwinds, jumbled, rough ice and wide expanses can be a great equalizer. And it is almost always cold out there. Historically is has had a way of exposing weaknesses in even the most well put together team. It will be interesting to see who of the front runners in the 2010 race will be arriving first in Eagle today.

Yukon River Crossing

Mendenhall Glacier Retreat - A couple of climbers head up Mendenhall Glacier above the snout of the glacier. Even though the glacier has been retreating at a rate of 100 to 150 feet a year, it's still hard to believe that within a couple of years the glacier may no longer reach the lake.

Mendenhall Glacier Retreat

Low Tide At Sheep Creek - The sun pokes through fog banks above Gastineau Channel in this view from Sheep Creek. The low tide exposes a huge beach and many tidal pools, which are flooded during high tide. I am always surprised to never see more than a handful of people walk this gorgeous beach.

Low Tide At Sheep Creek

Outdoor Hockey Fever - Cold, dry weather has turned almost every pond and lake around Juneau into a skater's dream. Here, Florian chases the puck across Mendenhall Lake. Needless to say that he feels liberated from the confines of the hockey rink and his ability to skate for hours in every which direction. And with little change in the long-term weather forecast, we may be able to enjoy some more pond hockey in the days to come.

Outdoor Hockey Fever

 
Mount Ben Stewart - My friend Franz Mueter climbs on his skis across windblasted snow near the top of Mount Ben Stewart, elevation 3,428 feet, on Douglas Island. We picket a glorious day to ski up from Eaglecrest to Pittman Ridge, then across Hawks Back and over to Mount Ben Stewart. The descent in fine powder snow was the icing on the cake of a great day in the mountains.

Mount Ben Stewart

Moon Flight - A Wings Of Alaska floatplane takes off from Juneau International Airport for an unknown destination. I don't think it was a one way ticket to the moon...

Moon Flight

Scale - A couple of visitors to Mendenhall Lake admire some of the ice floes drifting in the lake. I took this picture from the East Glacier Trail, which provides nice glimpses of the lake along the way. The people are tiny compared to the ice floes, but in the larger scheme of things even the ice floes seemed rather small.

Scale

Reconnecting with Outer Point - On one of our first outings since we returned to Juneau, Florian and I hiked out to the Outer Point on North Douglas Island to explore an area he has become very familiar with during the Outdoor Preschool this past winter. It is a place that for him now is imbued with meaning, and it was really fun to follow him around as he was recounting experiences and remembering special places.

Reconnecting with Outer Point

Prince William Sound Sea Kayaking - My good friend Wade Willis silently glides through the tranquil waters of Blackstone Bay at sunset. Wade and I met over 10 years ago in the Brooks Range, working as guides for Sourdough Outfitters in Bettles. This trip to Blackstone Bay was our first long journey together. In the period of a couple weeks, we introduced two groups of Boy Scouts from Colorado to sea kayaking, which is definitely my preferred mode of transportation to explore the beautiful waters of Prince William Sound.

Prince William Sound Sea Kayaking

 
Beloit Glacier - There is nothing like the experience of paddling among glacial ice floes, with the thunderous sound of glaciers calving in the background and waterfalls cascading down huge rock walls, like in this scene near Beloit Glacier in Blackstone Bay.

Beloit Glacier

Blackstone Bay - Because of its dramatic scenery, proximity to Whittier and relative protection, Blackstone Bay is one of the most popular paddling destinations in Prince William Sound. Many sea kayakers charter a boat ride from Whittier to any of the beaches around Blackstone Bay.

Blackstone Bay

Prince William Sound Sea Kayaking - Prince William Sound offers some of the best sea kayaking in the state. It is located in the heart of South Central Alaska, at the northern extent of the Gulf of Alaska and has some of the most spectacular coastlines and glaciers. Dotted by small islands, the sound is bordered by mountains, glaciers, fjords, rivers, lakes and rain forests. I took this shot at sunrise during my last guiding trip in Blackstone Bay.

Prince William Sound Sea Kayaking

Alaska Railroad - The Alaska Railroad stretches 470 miles from Seward on the south-central Kenai Peninsula, to Fairbanks in the Interior. Along the way, the train travels through some of the most scenic and rugged territory in Alaska, including Denali National Park pictured here, Denali State Park, and Chugach National Forest. The Alaska Railroad runs two primary passenger services during the summer season. On the rail north of Anchorage, the Denali Star operates daily between Fairbanks, Denali, Talkeetna and Anchorage. To the south, the Coastal Classic operates daily between Anchorage and Seward.

Alaska Railroad

Nenanan River Whitewater Rodeo - Jared Leon of Anchorage shows off his kayaking skills during the annual Denali Wildwater Festival on the Nenana River near Denali Park.

Nenanan River Whitewater Rodeo

 
First Kayaking Strokes - The Denali Wildwater Festival was also aimed at getting kids engaged in water safety and kayaking, and Florian did not miss the opportunity to take little kayak provided by the Denali Outdoor Center out on Otto Lake for a little spin. Moving away from the shoreline was a bit scary at first, but with every stroke his confidence increased.

First Kayaking Strokes

Nenana River Roller Coaster - Jeff Shelton, formerly of Denali Park, negotiates a powerful hydraulic called Rockslide Wave in Rooster Tail rapid. I have known Jeff since he was three years old, and it's been a real joy to see him in his element. Jeff currently pursues his passion for kayaking in Idaho.

Nenana River Roller Coaster

Denali Wildwater Rodeo - Jared Leon of Anchorage was the clear winner at the Denali Wildwater Rodeo this past weekend. Kayakers from around the state converged to compete in various events on the Nenana River. The wildwater rodeo involved kayakers performing complicated maneuvers on waves, from cartwheels and surfing to full leaps into the air and of course, rolling back up when they tip over.

Denali Wildwater Rodeo

Denali Wildwater Festival - Participants in the downriver race mass start race to their boats on the last day of the 33rd annual Denali Wildwater Festival at Denali Park.

Denali Wildwater Festival

Fossil Canyon - Florian and his buddy Karsten wanted to climb some mountains, so I returned with them to a little valley near Healy they refer to as 'Fossil Canyon'. Surrounded by dramatic geology, we climbed up along several coal seams and sandstone cliffs high above the valley. It was quite an accomplishment for Karsten and Florian. I am sure that in a not too distant future I will not be able to keep up with them.

Fossil Canyon

 
Fall Is Just Around The Corner - Katie McKeown hikes along Primrose Ridge in Denali National Park during what probably was the last warm day of summer with a high of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. By early next week, the highs will likely be in the 50's, and recent frosts served as a reminder that fall is coming fast.

Fall Is Just Around The Corner

Northeast Ridge, Mount Brooks - Because of its beauty and prominence from Wonder Lake, Mount Brooks, elevation 11,940 feet, has long been a focus of photography, art, and climbing activity. The peak holds an awesome position at the confluence of three of the major glaciers on the north side of Mount McKinley — the Muldrow, Traleika, and Brooks. The Northeast Ridge is the logical and most direct route. The climb makes for a great week-long trip that is a true Alaskan adventure, combining river crossings, tundra, mosquitoes, glaciers, and ultimately a spectacular summit.

Northeast Ridge, Mount Brooks

Alaska Forest Fires - High winds and low humidity has caused the wildfires burning across Alaska to increase significantly in size yesterday. To date, over 1,3 million acres have burned, compared to 80,000 acres at this time last year. With high winds and dry weather in the foreseeable future, it looks like those fighting the fires will have their work cut out during the coming days.

Alaska Forest Fires

Nenana River Rafting - Paddle rafters brace for a plunge into Class IV whitewater on the Nenana River near Denali National Park. Paddlers work as a team and follow the commands called out by the boat captain. On this large volume river, rafters encounter a range of river features, including standing waves, big hydraulics, and swift current. Self-bailing rafts are designed specifically for these situations.

Nenana River Rafting

Hatcher Pass Paragliding - A paraglider soars above Hatcher Pass, with the Chugach Mountains looming in the distance.

Hatcher Pass Paragliding

 
Chitina Dipnetting - Steve Ratzlaff and I just returned from our marathon fishing trip to Chitina. Our round-trip to Chitina is the equivalent of almost 1,000 miles, which means that we essentially drove from Switzerland to Denmark and back to catch a few fish - unimaginable that anyone would make such a trip in Europe. I limited out at 30 Sockeye salmon, while Steve got 29. I also caught 8 Kings, but had to release them, because their run is supposedly very low. Here, Steve fishes along a very steep cliff in Wood Canyon.

Chitina Dipnetting

Exploring The Healy Coal Seams - We live in area of the state that is rich in coal. Here, our son Florian explores some of the coal-bearing strata near the abandoned Suntrana coal mine along Healy Creek, an area we also refer to as 'Little Utah' because of its dramatic geology. Not far from here, the Usibelli Coal Mine produces 1.5 million tons of coal per year. It is the only operational coal mine in Alaska.

Exploring The Healy Coal Seams

Savage River Overlook - Caspian and Dylan enjoy the dramatic view from Primrose Ridge down to the Savage River and the park road before making the steep descent. The public road access ends at the Savage River checkpoint and a permit is required for vehicles traveling beyond this point.

Savage River Overlook

Primrose Ridge - I hiked this ridge in the eastern end of Denali National Park yesterday with two young intrepid hikers, Caspian, age 10, and Dylan, age 9. It was a real pleasure to explore this plateau with these two boys. Their excitement about hiking in this terrain was contagious. There are large portions of Primrose Ridge that are wet tundra with polygonal-shaped ground, very similar to the ground on the North Slope of Alaska.

Primrose Ridge

Mount McKinley Clains Another Life - The newspapers have been reporting almost daily on the search for a missing climber from Colorado. He is now presumed dead, resting somewhere up on the mountain in a tomb of ice and snow. Clearly, the margin of error for any climber up high on Mount McKinley is very small, no matter which route he or she is on. If anyone lets their guard down, they may pay the ultimate price. Going solo, like this climber did, was taking a big risk. Most climbers travel in groups of two or more because there is safety in numbers. Also, venturing out on a summit day with no survival gear is asking for trouble, as I experienced in 1995 when a Taiwanese expedition got pinned down at 19,000 feet with sleeping bags, stoves, or snow shovels. One of the three climbers died, two others suffered serious frost-related tissue damage. Now it happened again. It will likely not be the last climber to die up high on McKinley, but hopefully it will serve as a wake-up call to those who consider the West Buttress a 'walk up'. I took this shot of the summit ridge during my first ascent, looking back down from the summit to the 20,000 foot level. The solo climber in this picture did make it to the top... and safely back down.

Mount McKinley Clains Another Life

 
Moody River - I tagged along recently with my friend and neighbor Jeffrey Ottmers, who owns Denali Backcountry Guides, on a heli-hike along the headwaters of the Moody river. We explored this tiny portion of the northern foothills of the Alaska Range in the search for wildlife and other signs of life in the fragile alpine tundra ecosystem.

Moody River

Snowkiting - Snowkiters (or kite skiers) such as Troy Henkels use large highly controllable kites to blast along on their skis or snowboards with just the power of the wind. In the early days of snowkiting, foil kites were the most common type; nowadays some kitesurfers use their water gear such as inflatable kites. Snowkiting differs from other alpine sports in that it is possible for the snowkiter to travel uphill when the wind is blowing uphill.

Snowkiting

Otto Lake Kiteskiing - Considering how long winter lasts in Interior Alaska and considering that any decent kitesurfing spot is several hundred miles away, it's no surprise that kiteskiing is popular among a handful of winter enthusiasts. Here, Troy Henkels rides his kite on Otto Lake near Healy. I actually took this shot exactly a year ago, when the ice on the lake was in fairly decent shape. This year, a mid-winter thaw caused the ice to become very irregular and extremely rough to ski on.

Otto Lake Kiteskiing

 -

Mount Crosson Icefall - A rope team approaches the seracs below an icefall near the base of Mount Crosson. This mountain is commonly climbed on the approach to the Sultana Ridge on Mount Foraker.

Mount Crosson Icefall

 
Ice Tools - One of the most important tools for any mountaineer is an ice axe. The multi-purpose ice and snow tool is commonly used for cutting steps on routes involving frozen ice. It is also used as a self rescue tool to stop an uncontrolled downhill slide. The ice tool pictured here is actually a specialized elaboration of the modern ice axe, and used in vertical ice climbing. In contrast to typical ice axes, usually used one to a person for the hours or days a party is traveling with need of them, ice tools are used two to a person for the duration of a pitch.

Ice Tools

Southeast Fork Kahiltna Glacier - A rope team searches for a way through the crevasses of the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier for an attempt on Mount Frances, a minor peak situated near the Kahiltna Basecamp.

Southeast Fork Kahiltna Glacier

Home Sweet Home On The Kahiltna Glacier - A couple years ago, on a climb on Mount Crosson, we camped on the Kahiltna Glacier, with the West Ridge of Mount Hunter looming in the distance. A beautiful full moon illuminated the sky throughout the night.

Home Sweet Home On The Kahiltna Glacier

Northeast Fork Kahiltna Glacier - A rope team travels up the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. This year, the presence of ash on the slopes of Mount McKinley that drifted here from the Redoubt explosions may cause the snowpack to melt in unforseen ways.

Northeast Fork Kahiltna Glacier

Kahiltna Glacier Landing - Doug Geeting puts down his Cessna 185 Skywagon in the trackless snow on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier in early April. The Denali climbing season usually starts off in early May, but those climbing lower peaks in the area, such as Mount Hunter, Crossen or Foraker, often will arrive a bit earlier for their climb.

Kahiltna Glacier Landing

 
Last Call - The days of strolling in front of the terminus of Mendenhall Glacier are numbered as warmer weather and rain eat away at the ice on the lake.

Last Call

Evening Cruise - A crab fishing boat plows the coastline near Juneau during a recent sunset.

Evening Cruise

Pittman Ridge - Many skiers and snowboarders took advantage of the fantastic weather and excellent snow conditions this past weekend to hike along Pittman Ridge and over to Hogsback Ridge to carve turns in Eaglecrest's West Bowl.

Pittman Ridge

Newschool Skiing - Jarrett Thomas works his magic on his skis at Eaglecrest's Terrain Park on Saturday. Newschool skiing is a type of alpine skiing which involves advanced tricks, jumps, and terrain park features, such as rails. This form of skiing resulted from a combination of the growth in popularity of snowboarding as well as the progression of Freestyle skiing.

Newschool Skiing

Eaglecrest Freestyle Terrain Park - Mckenzie Wilson is airborne with his snowboard at Eaglecrest's Freestyle Terrain Park yesterday. The freestyle terrain contains jumps, ramps, banks, rails, half pipes, and other constructed and natural terrain features. It's a favorite hangout for a talented group of snowboarders and skiers who enjoy freestyling.

Eaglecrest Freestyle Terrain Park

 
Spaulding Meadows - Skiing around Spaulding Meadows this past weekend reminded me a bit of the taiga I am used to from up North. The taiga is the transition zone between then boreal forest and the vast, treeless tundra. Similary, Spaulding Meadows is a transition zone, but between the temperate rainforest and the alpine tundra. Here, Franz Muter breaks trail in the 'Third Meadow', which offers sweeping views of the Coastal Mountains, the Chilkat Range, Douglas Island and Gastineau Channel.

Spaulding Meadows

Southeast Alaska Crabbing - The season for golden (or brown) king crab is currently under way since about mid-February. Forty vessels in Southeast Alaska have registered this year. They have been given a guideline harvest of around 525,000 pounds. The crabbers report their catches to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as they go, and the state ends the season when the guideline harvest has been caught. Here, the crew on the fishing vessel Pillar Bay prepares to drop crap pots in Stephens Passage.

Southeast Alaska Crabbing

Snow Kiting - Snow kiting is an exciting and exhilarating winter sport that is no longer considered a fringe activity of those extreme. The sport continues to grow and be fueled by the fact that any snow covered open terrain has the potential to be kiting country. There are expeditions to the South Pole using off-the-shelf foil kites, and both Antarctica and Greenland have been crossed using kites. Here, a snow kiter from Whitehorse snow kites in the White Pass area near the Canada-Alaska border this past weekend.

Snow Kiting

Skiers' Paradise - Clear blue skies. No wind. Frosted Trees. A massive snowpack. Silence. That's what it was like at Pittman's Ridge on Eaglecrest yesterday. A skiers' paradise. And a great day to introduce my nephew Gilles, who is visiting from Switzerland and who loves to ski, to this amazing place.

Skiers' Paradise

New Photobook 'Antarctica' Released - My latest large format coffee table book 'Antarctica' is finally out on European bookshelves. Here's a description from the dustcover: <br>''Antarctica' is an intimate and powerful visual celebration of a continent few will ever have the opportunity to visit. Photographer Laurent Dick's stunning visual journey among towering icebergs and honking penguins is a personal invitation to stand in awe of the wild and raw beauty of Antarctica. Turning the pages, one is filled with wonder at the dramatic interplay of light upon the living landscape. This sublime photographic collection adds to a growing body of visual work documenting the ephemeral nature and intrinsic beauty of Antarctica. The striking imagery provides an important record of this untamed and vast continent while creating a connection to a place far away.' <br>This fine art book was published and printed in Europe. The printers are masters of fine art digital imaging and they did a fantastic job in reproducing my color photographs. Currently, the book is available in the United States only via Amazon.com or by contacting me directly if you would like a copy with a personal dedication. It's a big volume (33x33cm - 240 pages with 180 photographs)and retails in Europe for Euro$55.95.<br>Check out some of the images from the book in my Antarctica portfolio galleries on my website www.polar-photo.com

New Photobook 'Antarctica' Released

 
Evening Ski - A couple of cross-country skiers enjoy their late afternoon ski on Mendenhall Lake yesterday as the last rays of the day illuminate Mendenhall Glacier and Mount Wrather. It was a gorgeous evening, with Romeo's howls piercing the silence on the lake. I didn't see Romeo, the lonely black wolf without a pack, but it's always nice to know that this wild canine is not too far.

Evening Ski

Antarctica In Our Backyard - The other day Florian and I skated from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center to the face of the glacier. We were alone as we reached the towering walls of ice just before sunrise. Florian touched a piece of glacial ice, looked at me and said: 'Papa, this is almost like Antarctica!' He referred to my expedition earlier this year to the 'last' continent which was memorable in many ways, but to be able to see my son touch ice that was formed thousands of years ago and to skate together in the presence of this ancient ice was better than anything I experienced in Antarctica.

Antarctica In Our Backyard

Backcountry Skiers Paradise - Juneau has much to offer to those who love the outdoors, with easy access to the ocean and its intertidal and marine ecosystem, as well many trails leading through old growth spruce-hemlock forests. However, as a skier and climber, I am somewhat biased towards mountains and glaciers, and the access to alpine areas around Juneau, such as this winter wonderland on Douglas Island, is simply amazing. I have heard that some die-hard backcountry skiers will actually ski up to Eaglecrest and get in a run before heading to work in the morning! Here, Franz Mueter skis through a maze of snow-covered Mountain Hemlock trees near Eaglecrest.

Backcountry Skiers Paradise

Magical Day In Southeast - With the clear weather holding up, Franz Mueter and I decided to ski up Eaglecrest on Douglas Island yesterday and explore some of the ridges beyond the ski resort. Winds gusting to 30 miles an hour picked up as we worked our way up to the highest point, with the ocean far below and mountains rising all around us in every direction. Franz and I first met in 1993 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he was doing graduate work in Fisheries Oceanography.

Magical Day In Southeast

Late Season Outing - A couple of kayakers take their craft for one last spin on Mendenhall Lake before freeze-up will turn the lake into a playground for skaters, snowmachiners, skiers, and hikers.

Late Season Outing

 
Douglas Island Deer Hunt - Alaska deer hunting is limited to the pursuit of the Sitka black-tailed deer in the coastal regions of the state. Deer are very dependent on old-growth spruce/hemlock forests especially for winter survival. These old growth forests give deer some protection from deep snow as well as a source of browse to sustain them through the winter. Here, Juneau resident Sean McKeowen tries to call in a deer on Douglas Island. Depending on the year and the depth of the snow, the deer can often be hunted very close to the beach, but just as likely it can be a very physical hunt up into the alpine areas involving lots of strenuous hiking through mazes of devils club and over, under, or around fallen trees and roots in steep slippery terrain - definitely no walk in the park.

Douglas Island Deer Hunt

Antarctica Bound - Alaska365 is going south for a few weeks, as I am bound for Antarctica and will try to keep updating content as much as telecommunications will allow me. I am currently in Ushuaia, Argentina, at the tip of South America, preparing for departure to the Antarctic Peninsula. Our yacht, the 'Euronav Belgica', pictured here in the Beagle Channel, arrived yesterday after a 10-week non-stop journey from Belgium. Our expedition 'In the Wake of the Belgica' coincides with the International Polar Year and is a re-enactment of Adrien de Gerlache's historic exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula with the ship Belgica 110 years ago, the first scientific exploration of the Antarctic continent. Among the crew were Roald Amundsen and Frederick Cook, who later became famous in polar exploration. A further purpose of the expedition is to bring public awareness to the fragile nature of Antarctica as the prime barometer of our Globe's health, as warming is occurring five times faster on the Antarctic Peninsula than on average around the globe. Part of my job as the expedition photographer will be to replicate the first images ever taken on the Antarctic continent 110 years ago. We also hope to climb some mountains that have never been climbed before, and do some kite- and windsurfing. Our projected return to Ushuaia is at the beginning of February. For those of you who want to follow the expedition online, here's the link:<br><br>http://www.inthewakeofthebelgica.com

Antarctica Bound

Ice Climbing - The frozen waterfalls throughout North America offer some of the finest venues for learning the winter dance of modern ice climbing. One of the most impressive ice flows on the planet, the weeping wall in Banff National Park is a vertical football field of ice only 10 minutes from the Icefields Parkway. Combined with the Upper Weeping Wall or a number of other variations, the Weeping Wall offers over a thousand feet of steep and fat ice.

Ice Climbing

Weeping Wall - Winter climbing in Canada is the ultimate in waterfall ice. The Rockies region of Alberta and British Columbia house some of the finest ice and mixed climbs in the world. The immense beauty and vastness of the terrain combine with the cold northern latitude and porous rock to create waterfalls of unrivaled quality and quantity. And I am certain that any climber will have a case of whiplash from eyeballing the ice climbing possibilities along the 200 kilometer-long Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper. More than one person has driven into the snow-filled ditches while looking at the routes. 100 kilometers from Lake Louise is the Weeping Wall, with soaring smears of ice above the tree-covered ledge. On any sunny day there will be many parties on both routes, but there is more than enough terrain to accommodate many climbers. The climber in the center near the bottom is leading the first of several pitches.

Weeping Wall

First Day On Skis! - Well,not quite, our son Florian actually spent a couple of hours on skis in Fairbanks last winter, but this is his first unsupported try. I was amazed just how well he was able to keep his balance and even was able to glide here and there. He is a natural, and after skate-boarding, biking, sledding and of course hockey, there now is also fun to be had with downhill skiing

First Day On Skis!

 
Mountain Biking - The Next Generation - Mountain biking is big in the Kootaneys, and so it comes as no surprise that our son Florian, although he is only two and a half years old, has been caught by the bug. His new bike we imported from Europe only furthers his passion. The cool thing about this bike is that is does not have pedals, so he uses his feet for balance. Here, he cruises through the woods in Kokanee Creek Provincial Park.

Mountain Biking - The Next Generation

Tanana Boater - A Fairbanks resides takes his dog on a spin in his riverboat on the Tanana River near its confluence with the Chena River. Interior fishermen are excited about the arrival of the first Kings in the tributaries of the Tanana this past weekend.

Tanana Boater

Spirit Of The Yukon Quest - I did not spend any time on the Quest trail this year except around Fairbanks, but from what I have heard it sounds like Sebastian Schnuelle of Whitehorse, pictured here as he approaches the finish line in Fairbanks, deserves the coveted Sportsmanship Award for his altruistic feat on Eagle Summit. After climbing up the steep slope with his team, Schnuelle left his team on the top and selflessly scaled Eagle Summit three more times to help three stalled teams make it over the 3,600-foot summit.

Spirit Of The Yukon Quest

Yukon Quest Trail - A musher and his or her team travel down the narrow ribbon of trail on the frozen Yukon River near Circle. While frontrunner Lance Mackey will arrive in Fairbanks today around noon, the red lantern in the race will still be somewhere between Eagle and Circle.

Yukon Quest Trail

American Summit - A Yukon Quest musher crosses American Summit before descending to the Yukon River community of Eagle. Yukon Quest leader Lance Mackey is well on his way to win his third consecutive race, while at the back of the pack overdue musher Greg Parvin was found camping along the trail, eighty miles south of Dawson. It is uncertain right now if Parvin will be airlifted or if he will be able to drive his team to Dawson.

American Summit

 
Summit Hiker - Our son Florian hikes around the summit of Ester Dome after his first climb. Mild weather and a beautiful sunset created perfect conditions for scaling the 2,400-foot high dome.

Summit Hiker

Fluid Motion - A sprint team passes a high speed in this camera pan during the open class race in Fairbanks this past weekend. Most often I am concerned with freezing the action, so just letting the camera pan to create a sense of motion was quite a bit of fun.

Fluid Motion

Mushing Madness - Over this past weekend, mid-distance racers competed in the Copper Basin 300 and Cantwell Classic 200, while sprint racers mushed in the Alaska Dog Mushers Association races. Here, a musher makes her way back to the finish line at the Jeff Studdart Racegrounds in Fairbanks.

Mushing Madness

For Sale - I wonder why this piece of real estate north of Fairbanks hasn't sold yet...

For Sale

Denali Visitors - Denali’s visitors have increased 1,000 percent in 30 years. Each year, almost 500,000 visitors each year flock to Denali, more than to any other of Alaska’s 7 national parks. We can’t claim to have such high visitation rates, in fact we just had our first visitor of the season. Our friend Michael Mraz took a break from his busy schedule as a physician in Anchorage to hike and visit with us. Here, Mike climbs on a rock outcrop in the eastern portion of Denali National Park, east of the Savage River. The highest peak in the distance is Fang Mountain, elevation 6736 feet.

Denali Visitors

 
Alaska Railroad - <br>The Alaska Railroad stretches 470 miles from Seward on the southcentral Kenai Peninsula, to the Interior city of Fairbanks. Along the way, the train travels through some of the most scenic and rugged territory in Alaska. Here, two locomotives pull a passenger train through the Alaska Range. <br>

Alaska Railroad

Climbing Season is Coming to an End - 142 climbers are currently registered to be on the mountain, but once they all descend, the 2006 climbing season on Denali will be over. The end of the climbing season is in part a result of conditions on the Kahiltna Glacier not being safe for take-off and landing for aircraft flying climbers to the Kahiltna basecamp at 7,200 feet, as snow bridges covering the crevasses are getting weaker. It often also rains at these lower elevations, making traveling on the glacier very unpleasant.

Climbing Season is Coming to an End

Nenana River Canyon - Rafters float down a more tranquil stretch of what is otherwise some of the wildest water the Nenena River offers to boaters. Low water levels have taken out quite a bit of the edge of the big rapids, but it’s still a thrill to paddle down this wild river.<br>

Nenana River Canyon

Climbers Missing - A cold front that hit the Alaska Range yesterday, bringing snow and freezing temperatures even to lower elevations, hampered search operations for two climbers who are overdue on Mount Foraker’s highly technical Infinity Spur. The National Park Service’s high-altitude Lama helicopter was launched to search for the climbers, but weather prevented them from covering the upper reaches of the mountain. During the helicopter search, one of climber’s backpacks was found torn and off the route. Very few people attempt to climb Mount Foraker and even fewer reach its summit. So far this year, none of the 26 climbers on attempted the mountain have reached the summit.<br>

Climbers Missing

Boating season in full swing - Flowing north through the heart of the Alaska Range, the Nenana River is the most popular whitewater river in Alaska. Here,a river guide navigates his oar raft through some big water in the gorge upstream from the Windy Bridge near Healy.

Boating season in full swing

 
Success - We often define the success of a climb by reaching the top, but no trip is truly successful unless you come home safely. The first time I climbed Denali (Mount McKinley), six people died, five of them on the descent after having reached the top. Almost 10 years ago, Ian and I descended from Panorama Peak near Denali Park when a slab avalanche wiped Ian off his feet. Fortunately, I was able to hold his fall. Here, Ian downclimbs the route we had ascended on False Tigaraha. It was uneventful, much like the snow machine ride that got us home in the middle of the night.

Success

False Tigaraha - Ian McRae tops out on the summit plateau after climbing up the ‘Walker Spur of the Kigluiak Mountains’. The summit of this peak is referred to as Tigaraha on 1:63,000 USGS maps, however among locals there is a consensus that Tigaraha Peak is the striking rock wall reminiscent of El Capitan just to the west of ‘False’ Tigaraha. Access to the Kigluaik Mountains at this time of the year is possible only by a punishing 2-3 hour snowmachine ride. The rough ride along valleys, over several passes, across frozen rivers and overflow, and over what seemed like as miles and miles of wind-blown terrain is as much of an adventure as the climb itself.<br>

False Tigaraha

Last Climb of the Season - Spring may have arrived in Nome, but perfect weather and snow conditions in the Kigluaik Mountains lured Ian McRae and I for one last climb in the Range. Here Ian climbs on what he called the ‘Walker Spur of the Kigluaik Mountains’, a beautiful route a rough two –hour snowmachine ride north of Nome. McRae labeled the route the ‘Walker Spur of the Kigluiak Mountains’, as its buttress reminded him of the classic route in the Alps. The Walker Spur is probably the finest climb up the Grandes Jorasses, one of the classic north faces in the Alps. From the summit of our climb, we could peer down 2,000 feet of what was reminiscent of another great classic in the Alps – the North Face of the Eiger.<br> <br>

Last Climb of the Season

Flood of Light - Karlin Itchoak's team is backlight by a near-midnight sun as he mushes at sunset on the sea ice near Farley's Camp east of Nome. The sun currently rises around 6:30AM and set around 11:30PM, giving us almost 17 hours of sunlight. And we are still gaining almost 7 minutes every day. This may have been one of Karlin's last runs, as the trails are deteriorating quickly because of the warmer weather. 'Warmer' of course is a relative term. For us, it means daytime temperatures climbing for the first time in almost eight months above the freezing point for several days in a row!

Flood of Light

Driverless Team? - One may wonder what happened to the driver of this dog team as they trot seemingly driverless across the vast frozen expanse of the Shishmaref Lagoon. Did the driver fall asleep and off the sled? A close look behind the handlebar reveals the faint outline of a musher, Richard Kuzuguk from Shishmaref, who crouched down and huddled on his runners to allow his team to be more aerodynamic. Considering how windy it can get along the Bering and Chukchi Sea coasts, it is a practice that is not uncommon. With the wind at a mushers back, a kite would probably be the most helpful gadget in helping a team gain or at least maintain speed on the sea ice.

Driverless Team?

 
Iditarod Dream - Karlin Itchoak drives his team across the sea ice east of Nome as he trains for the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Karlin plans to run two qualifiers in 2007, the Kusko300 and Kobuk440, and hopes to fulfill his dream to run the Iditarod in 2008.

Iditarod Dream

Canonball Snowmachine Race - Nome has its own small-town snowmachine version of the Indy500 - the Canonball Snowmachine Race. Racers compete with each other in a series of 25-mile long laps. Pitcrews stand by to gas up the machines and perform any needed engine tune-ups. Here, Gerald Hughes drives his snowmachine off the sea ice near the mouth of the Nome River, while with Chris Nassuk following closely behind.

Canonball Snowmachine Race

North Face, Mount Osborne - Snowmachined into the heart of the Kigluaik's to attempt a climb on the North Face of Mount Osborne. At 4,714 feet, Mount Osborne is the highest peak in the range. An unstable snowpack made for unsafe climbing conditions, so we decided to climb a safer route on a neighboring peak. From a climber's perspective, Mount Osborne and the Kigluaik's offer some incredibly challenging routes, many that have never been climbing before.

North Face, Mount Osborne

Mushing Marathon - It was good to see my old friend Sebastian Schnuelle of Whitehorse drive his team on the sea ice near Nome after his over 2,000 mile long-distance mushing odyssey. Schnuelle is one of three mushers who competed both in the 2006 Yukon Quest and 2006 Iditarod. His team were mainly young dogs, some of them rescue dogs from the Second Chance League

Mushing Marathon

Iditarod Arrives in Nome - Kotzebue musher Louis Nelson Sr. and his team approach Farley's camp near Nome on the final miles of their Iditarod journey. 2006 Iditarod champion Jeff King and over 20 mushers had reached Nome by Wednesday night, however it may be up to a week until all the remaining mushers will reach Nome. The many tripods along the trail may seem unnecessary on a clear day, but during a whiteout they are essential guideposts for mushers. Louis Nelson Sr. finished 20th in his second Iditarod.

Iditarod Arrives in Nome

 
Exploring Our Smallness - One of Nome’s greatest treasures is its close proximity to the wild world of jumbled ice and pressure ridges. The icy skin covering the Bering Sea in winter lies right in front of our doorstep, and to be able to access this dynamic and sublime world of ice is a real privilege. Here, my friend Paul Hwoschinsky, visiting from of Ashland, Oregon, is dwarfed by the vastness of this frozen landscape. It’s hard to imagine during such an unusually calm and clear evening that this can be some of the most unforgiving environment on earth during storms.<br>

Exploring Our Smallness

Using History to Preserve the Future - Serum Run '25 is a dog team journey with snow machine support across 768 miles of Alaska's frozen rivers, tundra and sea ice from Nenana to Nome. The mission of this annual trip is twofold. First, it is to commemorate the twenty men and their dog teams who relayed crucial diphtheria serum to Nome, saving countless lives. Second, and more importantly, it is to widen the awareness throughout Alaska of the need for inoculations for every single child and to stress important health issues such as immunizations, medical exams and cancer screening, tobacco cessation, accident prevention, HIV awareness and drug and alcohol abstinence. Here, one of the teams is ready to continue the journey after their arrival in Nome.<br>

Using History to Preserve the Future

Serum Run Reinactment - Nome is all about dogs and celebrating the historic and heroic Serum Run to Nome. Years before the birth of the Iditarod, 20 mushers teamed up for a relay race in which first prize was saving the lives of children in Nome, not a Dodge truck and a big check. In 1925, the Serum Run was a race against the spread of diphtheria, an often-fatal contagious disease. Here, Nome musher Nils Hahn drives his team of dogs on the sea ice near Nome for a German television crew working on a documentary on the Serum Run.

Serum Run Reinactment

Navigating through Sea Ice Pressure Ridges - A picture is not always is not always worth a thousand words. In this case, the image fails to capture the existing weather conditions along with a story. Andy Hennings had invited me to come along on what was supposed to be a little jaunt on his snowmachines. I had jokingly mentioned that we would turn around when the color of the sky and ground became one. We left Nome in overcast weather, heading for Safety Sound. As we turned around pasted Cape Nome, visibility was good and there was little wind. We had followed the coast and decided to ride back along the Iditarod Trail, up and over Cape Nome. As we started the ascent of the Cape, things suddenly deteriorated and we quickly entered a world of high winds and poor visibility. With winds gusting to 50 mph and drifting snow causing zero visibility in whiteout conditions, we religiously followed the trail markers, each one only a few yards apart. Being in such a ground blizzard felt like being tossed around in a washing machine, not knowing which side was up or down or left or right. Fortunately, we safely made it to the coast and then on back into town. This picture was taken near Farley’s Camp, with Andy navigating around sea ice pressure ridges. The photo fails to capture the wind and poor visibility that made our little outing into a memorable struggle with the elements.

Navigating through Sea Ice Pressure Ridges

Evening Glide - Yesterday was magical - clear, calm, and cold. All the rough, stormy weather we had recently gradually receeded into some distant memory as I headed out the door for an evening glide. That is when I once again realized why Nome is such a special place to live. I can snap on my cross-country skis in front of our house, and in a couple of minutes I am already out on the sea ice, blazing me own trail, skiing into the endless horizon. These are the days I live for. Here, a fellow Nomeite enjoys the last rays of the day as he skates on the frozen Norton Sound.

Evening Glide

 
Iron Dog Snowmachine Race - The Iron Dog Snowmachine Race is known to snowmachiners everywhere as the toughest and longest snowmobile race in the world. The race is roughly 2000 miles long and begins in Big Lake, Alaska. Big lake is roughly 50 miles north of Anchorage. From there, teams (2 sleds per team or more) will race all the way to Nome where they are forced to take a 40 hour layover. Then they race to the finish line in Fairbanks. There are many checkpoints along the way where teams can stop and work on there sleds, spend their required layovers, fuel up, or just to take a quick rest and sign into the checkpoint with the Race Official. Teams have to race as a team and not individually. Both sleds must leave each checkpoint together. The frontrunners are currently in Unalakleet and should show up here in Nome today or tomorrow.

Iron Dog Snowmachine Race

Catch the Fish Tomorrow and Eat it Yesterday! - Little Diomede is one of only a few places in the world where one can go ice fishing tomorrow, across the dateline, and then eat the catch yesterday. Here, a building ground blizzard does not deter a Diomede resident to jig for cod.

Catch the Fish Tomorrow and Eat it Yesterday!

Navigating through the Maze - For centuries, Alaska Natives and pioneer settlers alike traveled from village to village standing on the back of a dog sled, with food and survival gear stowed safely inside the basket, and the silence of the snow-blanketed land as a constant reminder of the solitude of the Alaskan bush. Today, snowmachines have replaced dog teams as the primary means of winter transportation where roads are not available, like here on the Bering Strait near the village of Diomede.

Navigating through the Maze

Navigating through the New Year - At the beginning of this journey through the New Year, I remind myself that the waters will not always be as peaceful as yesterday in Kachemak Bay. Storms will inevitably arise throughout 2006 as they always have, and the sun will break through again, and again, and again. We are unsure of what lies ahead, yet we continue moving forward. It’s the only choice we have as the past is gone and the present is only a fleeting moment.

Navigating through the New Year

The Journey Continues... - Around-the-World traveler Rosie Swalepope of Wales, battles 40 mph winds and blowing snow as she travels down the Council Road east of Nome yesterday. She hopes to make it to Anchorage by following the 1,000 mile-long Iditarod Trail. From Alaska on, she will continue her journey crossing the North American continent, before heading to Greenland, Iceland and then back to Wales on the British Isles. The only rule Swalepope set for herself is to pull the cart Hercules herself and that she needs to do her journey on foot or on all fours if it has to be.

The Journey Continues...

 
Penny River Crags - A new kind of climbing is emerging on the edge of the continent. It does not have a large following yet, as it is still in its infancy. It is called moss climbing, and Ian McRae is one of the pioneers of this new style of climbing. Instead of planting his ices axes into blue ice, McRae has become an expert on how to use various clumps of moss and vegetation for his ice tools. Here, he tops out after cragging around on the Penny River Crags near Nome.

Penny River Crags

'Rock' Climbing - Nome Style - This isn’t quite El Capitan in Yosemite or the Walker Spur in Chamonix, but for a handful of hardcore climbers like Ian McRae, who has climbed some of the hardest routes in the Alaska Range, these boulders near Nome offer at least something to get excited about. Yes, these routes are mossy and messy, but when you are desperate, anything goes.<br>

'Rock' Climbing - Nome Style

Going Around the World - On Foot! - World traveler Rosie Swalepope of Wales treks down the Teller Road near the Sinuk River, about 30 miles northwest of Nome. She is fulfilling a dream that started a little over two years ago when she left her doorstep and journeyed East across Russia and Siberia. One of the goals of Swalepope, who lost her husband to prostate cancer, is to raise awareness about the disease so people get check ups. Swalepope, who has covered about 7,000 miles in two years, said she cracked a couple of ribs just few days ago when she slipped trying to pull her sled out of the water. She was in good spirits but said she has learned one important lesson - 'it is not how you do things, but how you recover from your mistakes.'

Going Around the World - On Foot!

West Beach - We enjoyed another beautiful sunset last night as Greta, Florian and I hiked along West Beach near Nome. The last storm has altered the beachline significantly, a reminder of just how powerful are the combined erosional forces of wind and ocean surf. This is a very dynamic landscape, and the face of the beach changes daily, though often in more subtle ways.

West Beach

Chugach State Park - Chugach State Park is the third largest state park in the nation and provides a stunning backdrop to the city of Anchorage. A half million acres of glaciers, rugged mountain peaks and wild valleys are next door to a city of a quarter million. Grizzly bears, wolf packs and lynx, symbols of wilderness, occasionally wander into town. The park receives nearly one million visits each year, but the park also offers wilderness solitude and mountaineering challenges, like here on the southern edge of Flattop Peak.<br>

Chugach State Park

 
Western Alaska Coast Blasted - As waves crash unto Nome's Front Street in the biggest storm of the year, two Nome children who enjoy a day off from school attempt to go face to face with the storm surge.

Western Alaska Coast Blasted

Treasure Hunter - As people in the Bering Strait region hunkered down in anticipation of a major storm that made landfall late last night, Aaron Jackson of Nome weathered rain and wind to comb the beach near Nome for treasures that were being washed ashore with the storm surge. The storm surge is expected to produce tides of 7 to 9 feet above normal today causing major and widespread coastal flooding.

Treasure Hunter

Humility - When I look out from a high place such as Anvil Mountain north of Nome onto the vast rolling tundra down below, I often feel a sense of homecoming for my mind and spirit, but also how small I am in the larger scheme of things. Watching the endless world of tundra, mountains, and ocean melt into each other, I become aware of the timeless forces that have shaped this place, forces that help shape who I am and who I am becoming.

Humility

Cook Inlet Fisheries - A fishing boat emerges from the early morning fog near Seldovia in Kachemak Bay. Fishermen in Cook Inlet have been busy catching salmon for domestic and international markets. So far, boats and set gillnets working upper Cook Inlet have caught about 2.2 million fish of the forecasted 4,1 million sockeye salmon harvest.

Cook Inlet Fisheries

Rowing for Roro - Phil Hofstetter drags his ocean-going kayak on shore of the protected Kasegaluk Lagoon outside of the village of Point Lay on the Chukchi Sea coast. Hofstetter left Nome almost 40 days ago, and is rowing to Barrow to raise awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and his friend Nora 'Roro' Nagaruk of Unalakleet, who is undergoing treatment for Leukemia. Hofstetter was at a loss for words to describe the mental and physical challenges he has endured so far on his journey. He likened pulling his 400-pound boat on shore and up a steep bank to dragging a snowmachine through the snow.

Rowing for Roro

 
Salmon Pilgrimage - Sockeye (red) salmon as well as king, pink and chum salmon have started coming back up the rivers on the Seward Peninsula. Yesterday I went seine fishing with a couple of friends on the Pilgrim River on the north side of the Kigluaik Mountains. After much work, our smokers and freezers are filled with this incredible bounty from the river, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for being able to provide a winter supply of this world class salmon to my family

Salmon Pilgrimage

Ice Age Remnant - A couple of hikers are dwarfted by the terminus of the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau.

Ice Age Remnant

Hiking into tomorrow - Belgian polar explorer Dixie Dansercoer crosses the dateline between Alaska and Russia as he approaches Big Diomede Island.

Hiking into tomorrow

Snowshoeing - My partner Greta snowshoes at sunset with our one-month-old son Florian on her chest. This is Florian’s first long outing into the hills outside of Nome. Right now he still travels on our chest, but I am sure it won’t be long until he will pull his own weight.

Snowshoeing

Trail Markers - Traveled almost one hundred miles today on snowmachine to go climbing in the Kigluaik Mountains. These wooden tripods with reflective tape guided some of my way up the Kougourak Road. Such trail markers become vital when traveling across the Seward Peninsula or along the Bering Sea coast in marginal weather with poor visibility.

Trail Markers