I once shot a travelogue in Alaska where the lyrics of the soundtrack went like this: "‘rugged and wild..a land of extremes…Alaska, the land of my dreams!’
From cascading glaciers and waterfalls…
to diverse wildlife…
from glistening snow capped mountains…
to fishing fleets tucked into picturesque harbors…
an abundance of adventures are waiting for you in the last frontier.
I’ve been very fortunate to photograph and write about Alaska many times…spending time there in all four seasons of the year. I’d like to share some of the ‘real Alaska’ that I have found along the way.
South of Anchorage, you will find Turnagain Arm…a waterway to the Gulf of Alaska. An area of extreme climate and large tide ranges…it’s the home of the bore tide…a giant wave of water that rushes down the arm and can top 6 feet with a speed of 20 mph. Pictured above are the legendary mud flats…quicksand like mud that has claimed enough lives to become the setting for many an Alaskan tale. If there is a campfire story with a scary ending, it’s probably set in the mudflats. But, make no mistake about it, it is a beautiful area and a wonderful drive.
Driving along the Seward Highway with the spectacular Kenai and Chugach Mountains in view, you will find spectacular settings for wildlife viewing such as dall sheep and beluga whales.
“I’m being forced to ‘turn again’ because this isn’t the Northwest Passage. But, there are plenty of reasons to be here.” James Cook, 1778
We are headed for the Kenai Peninsula…known as an ‘adventure capital.' The Kenai is the Alaska that many people picture when they think of the 49th state… an area that offers hiking, kayaking, fishing, and just about any other sport that visitors come to Alaska for.
In and around Homer, are picturesque fishing vignettes…
all set along the breathtaking shores of Kachemak Bay.
Known as the Halibut Capital of the World, there is a sandy spit in Homer that is one of the best eagle viewing spots in all of Alaska.
I’ll never forget a sign on the Kenai that said…”Alaska…where I go to seek a great perhaps.”
In Alaska commercial fishing is more than a ‘job’…it’s a way of life.
Adding to the charm of this area, are old Russian towns with wonderful architecture, such as the town of Kenai that boasts the oldest Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska, dating back to 1896.
Time for our first adventure…one that I would highly recommend. We are going to helicopter up to a remote region where the sled dogs are trained for the Iditarod…a course that spans 1,100 miles.
On a clear day flying over the glaciers to get to the dog camp is a treat in itself.
The trainers live in several quonset huts with very few comforts…meals are basic, but there were warm chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate to welcome us. Everything has to be flown in by helicopter; and all garbage and refuse has to be flown out.
There are specific attributes that determine whether a dog will make a good sled dog. Long legs are a necessity along with a lean body and enough weight to pull and sustain the sled. It’s interesting to note that the minute a puppy is born it is exposed only to positive experiences to build complete trust. The trainers begin to form the pack one dog at a time. The first step is to always be able to calm the dogs upon demand, followed by training them to pull a large object behind.
While learning many commands, distances are increased until a team can pull 25 to 50 miles a day. The average sled dog burns up to 10,000 to 12,000 calories a day, and are born to run; most are filled with energy after their naps and ready to go!
It was pointed out that as regimented as the training is the for dogs…the mushers have to train themselves to stand up the entire length of the race.
It was thrilling to ride with the wind in my face over the freshly fallen snow. A real Alaska adventure I would highly recommend. This is a trip you can book out of Juneau…go online to check it out.
In the post next week we’ll experience another adventure as we fly with the famous K2 bush pilots over Denali Park and northern Alaska…where you can almost reach out and touch the peaks as you fly between them. They actually call their trips a ‘star wars’ event as there are definitely some spine tingling moments. I remember our helicopter pilot telling us that being a pilot in Alaska is the same thing as living the saying: ‘danger is the elixir in the DNA of being a true Alaskan.’
Welcome to the charming little town of Haines and an afternoon of rafting through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Reserve.
Rafting through the 48,000 acre preserve is traversing the Chilkat River…a natural highway for wildlife to move between the interior of North America and Southwest Alaska.
Featuring tidal flats, marshes and forests, it the perfect viewing spot for bears and trumpeter swans…and even the occasional moose.
Although the number of eagles greatly swell during the fall months when the salmon run, about 300 to 400 birds live in the reserve year round, and your guide is certain to find them.
“Swans prove that beauty can be found in simplicity…sometimes they appear magically as if they hold a secret to the beauty of the world.”
By getting off the beaten track, I have always found a profusion of wildlife in Alaska. I’ve usually hiked with a bear bell and spray, and I have been glad to have had them with me on more than one occasion…although I’ve never used either.
I’ve often spotted and come across solitary bears, but this was the first time I came across a Mom and her cubs…using a long lens and giving her a wide berth. Adults usually weigh from 200 to 500 pounds and can run at speeds of 25 mph. They spend 6 to 8 months feeding to prepare for their lean winter months, and the cubs will stay with her until they are two years old.
The wonderful sea otters! Utterly enchanting in every way. I have often come across them, sometimes carrying their dinner on top of their stomachs…especially clam shells just waiting to be opened and devoured.
It’s interesting to note that Alaska is home to 98% of the entire U. S. population of brown bears…they have over 100,000 bears in general. In the spring you might see baby bears, but in the fall there is a much better chance with the salmon run. The best opportunities are in Denali and Katmai National Parks, and on Kodiak and Admiralty Islands where the classic photos are taken with the salmon jumping in the waterfalls. Excursions can be booked online to both places, and it is worth it!
This is one of my favorite images as I took quite a steep hike to shoot it! A rare shot with the mom and her two babies. The mountain goats of Alaska are known for their strong bodies and hooves that help them live on steep cliffs. Did you know that you can count the rings on their horns to know their age…just like tree rings. Their black horns easily differentiate them from dall sheep and they technically are not goats at all, but are more closely related to antelopes and gazelles.
This was one of my favorite springtime adventures. One year we were one of the first small boats to enter Tracy Arm. Glacier Bay is a wonderful place to be surrounded by glaciers, but the smaller inlets offer an intimate, close up experience…especially in early spring when the waterfalls cascade all around and the baby seals are being born… floating on the icebergs with their Moms.
Icebergs and glaciers everywhere…when it all surrounds you, it feels surreal.
The cliffs were dripping with waterfalls, everywhere you turned…cascades of every size.
The harbor seals that float along on the ice floes are very curious, but cautious. They rarely vocalize and tend to swim solo unless a large concentration of food brings them together.
While not a prize winning photo, this image of a seal floating contentedly on a small berg shows the majestic scale of the inlet on that spring morning.
One of the most thrilling moments I have experienced in nature. There was a GIANT calve of a glacier. The pilot of our small boat said he had been there many times and had never experienced anything close to it. It was thunderous…birds flew everywhere…our boat tipped dangerously from side to side.
A favorite photo. As the birds flew off of a nearby floe…I loved their reflections in the water.
The sun shines through the brilliant blue of a berg we could reach out and touch. The entire day reflected the thought…’Alaska…may the North be with you!’
The scale and beauty of Alaska is beyond compare in so many ways. Often called one of the most beautiful places on the planet with its towering mountains and peaceful fjords, it’s ever changing glaciers and lush forests create a kaleidoscope of wonder that is unsurpassed in many ways.
It was John Muir who said years ago…long before Alaska became a state…”To the lovers of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful ‘countries’ in the world.”
It’s time for a kayaking trip to an island to get to know the tufted puffins.
The puffins are an amazing and mysterious species as they spend most of their lives on the open sea…coming to land only to breed, nest and raise their chicks.
When at sea they are called a ‘raft’ and very little is known about their lives there. It is said that trying to find a puffin at sea is like trying to find a breadcrumb on the beach.
In Part 2 of the series next week, we’ll visit some of the towns along the Inside Passage.
We will hop on the historic White Pass and Yukon Railroad in Skagway and travel to Whitehorse in the Yukon.
We’ll meet some of the people of Alaska and get to know the Tlingets, along with their tales and customs. We will take a couple of wildlife safaris in two remote areas.
We will take a ‘star wars’ trip and travel to Denali National Park in the winter and fly dangerously close to mountain peaks with the famous K2 bush pilots. From the air on a clear day it brings to mind the saying that the entire scene looks like the ‘poetry of a crystalized frosty morning.’
We will revisit a trip that I took one year when I pitched a tent on the backs of several Alaska Ferries and visited every port of call…only to drive home on the Alcan Highway through the beautiful Cassiar country of British Columbia, with its hanging glaciers.
The many moods of Alaska brings to mind the saying that this is a special place that attracts people who ‘are fed up with conventionality.’ I loved driving through are area that had a sign that said: “CAUTION! Dog Teams, Aircraft, and Children Use These Roads.”
Alaska…a beautiful adventure waiting to happen in any season.
A good place to end Part 1 is where we began. The first image was of Portage Glacier in the winter…and here is the same scene a couple of years later in early spring. One of the most visited and picturesque glaciers in Alaska, it’s located in the Chugach National Forest on the Kenai, and at one time extended the entire length of the Portage Valley. Today it has retreated to the eastern side of Portage Lake.
Alaska is still a vast wilderness of untamed beauty that has seeped into the hearts of almost every visitor who has spent time there. With its diverse majestic landscape there are so many stories and poems and quotations that are tied to the Alaska experience. Here are the thoughts of John Burroughs: “Alaska is a great solemn poem, set to music by glaciers and volcanoes, with an accompaniment of forests and the aurora borealis..”
Photographed Throughout Alaska
NEXT WEEK: Part 2 Of Discovering The Real Alaska Series…In The Weeks To Come: Discovering The Real Japan With Carol and Cheryl and Creative Tours
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So glad you enjoyed them....it's an inspirational place to photograph!
So glad you enjoyed it! There's a lot to experience in the last frontier!