Skolai Images

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This year seems to be the year for snowshoe hares - they’re all over Denali National Park. What was interesting is that I made 2 relatively short trips to Denali National Park this year, one in late August and one in mid-September, and both trips I saw numerous snowshoe hares, but they weren’t at all in the same areas. In August I saw an awful lot of hares in the first 15 miles of the road into the park, particularly near Savage River. In September, we didn’t see any bunnies there, despite my assurances to my parents that would - well, we did see one, he was (more…)

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Here’s another photo from my little run up to Denali. We’d been tooling around on the shuttle bus system during the day, trying to find some wolves, and had no luck. Later in the day we were heading back to our backcountry unit, and my buddy Doug headed for camp - he was done in after a long day and wanted a nap. I wanted a bull moose. So I pointed Doug towards camp and then proceeded to walk all over the backend of Denali looking for a moose. Finally, I found this fellow. He wasn’t the largest bull moose in the park, he’s not fully grown yet, but he was reasonably obliging for my photos - more importantly, I didn’t find any others. (more…)

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OK OK OK .. I’ll quit posting Denali, or Mt. McKinley, photos in a little while! I’m just glad I finally got some! This one was kind of unusual for me. I do like this kind of abstract mountain peak photo, but normally I don’t shoot photos like this when the light is really happening. On this particular morning, I had been camped in this location for several days, already had a number of decent images of alpenglow on the mountain with wider lenses, and decided I would ‘go for it’. I’m glad I did because I got this one and a couple of other similar images that I really like. The alpenglow was warm and juicy, a real treat. (more…)

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I wanted to continue a little with my Denali series. This one I’ve waited for a long time now, and though the reflection wasn’t perfect, it was WAY closer than anything I’ve come close to so far with Denali. Like I said in an earlier post, I’ve camped at this location many, many nights, and rarely even seen the mountain come out - when I did, it was in bad light, windy conditions, and not conducive to decent photography. This trip I did better than ever before. (more…)

Hey Folks

Thanks so much for all the comments and emails I have had from readers so far, it’s great. I’ll try to keep up and be better about posting images, new and old and writing something about what’s going on. It tickles me that people out there are interested, thank you.

On another note, I would like to write this post in salute to Mr Paul Schoch, from Wisonsin, whom I never met, but wished I had. Mr Schoch went missing in Skolai Pass this fall, in mid-September. I won’t offer details here, other than point to a newspaper story for those of you who aren’t familiar with what happened. Mr Schoch’s tent was spotted, by my father, as we flew over the area looking for him, after Paul hadn’t shown back up at the landing strip for his scheduled pickup.

Newspaper Story

It saddens me that someone came to an unfortunate end in a place I love so much, and to which I return, often more than once, every year. Skolai Pass is possibly my favorite place anywhere. I was so excited to take my parents to this place, and show them a place I hold so deep. At the same time the reality of the wilderness was made perhaps no more evident than by Mr Schoch’s disappearance. It IS wild, rugged and remote country, and from what I’ve read, Paul seems to have valued those kinds of places as I do. In some weird and almost unspeakable way, I think I’d rather come to rest in a place like that than somewhere else.

It serves little purpose for me to speculate as to what may or may not have happened. What’s important is that his family and friends find some solace knowing their husband, father, or friend, died in a beautifully wild and truly awesome place. I wish them all my most sincere condolences and most heartfelt sympathies. Their grief, I’m sure, is in some way an important part of his death (as grief always is) and also a reflection of his life. To his memory, and to all those who knew and loved him, my deepest regards.

Sincerely

Carl

PS - This photo is of the Russell Glacier, and Mt. Bona, a 16 421 foot high peak, on the south side of Skolai Pass, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks

I thought I’d continue on my little slideshow of Denali photos. I got to shoot the mountain more this summer, in one short week, than in all of my previous sojourns into the park. Call it good luck, or call it persistence, or call if what you will, I had a great time in Denali. Mt. McKinley is certainly one of the grand mountains of North America, and probably the world. Denali so dominates the landscape that when it’s out, shooting any other photo, often even wildlife, makes me feel slightly guilty. Sometimes I’ll take some photos of Mt. McKinley, then look around for other interesting compositions or subjects, particularly if the light is good, but (more…)

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Finally back in Alaska, and what better photo to choose for such an occasion than a photo of my favorite campsite in Denali. This one is special as (a) it’s where I took my folks to have lunch one afternoon last month, and (b) shows my newest tent, a 4 season tent from Sierra Designs, by way of my Canadian friends, Carol and Pete Zwiers. Thanks so much Pete and Carol for the tent - you can see I put it to good use already! (more…)

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Well, this shall be my last post from the Lower 48 states, for a while at least. Tomorrow on the eve I fly to Alaska, and settle down for some winter fun. It’s been a short trip, and tons of fun with my parents - hopefully it won’t take 3 more years for me to get the chance to see them again.

I’m looking forward to getting back to Alaska, and if the weather is at all reasonable, trying to get some more images from Wrangell St. Elias. I also have a boatload of files to process, website updates to do, emails to return, and more computer stuff as well - which I’m not so eager to undertake, but, it seems, I have to. I have a ton of writing I want to, and also have had a few books recommended to me that I am keen to read. On top of that the moose rut is just starting to get underway, and that will be fun to photograph, so it seems I’ll be kept busy. I guess that’s good.

For now, I’ll just post this picture of my mum and her new friend from Banff National Park, waving us all goodbye.

Cheers

Carl
Banff National Park Photos.

Hey Folks

Just a quick note here to say G’day and keep moving. This photo was taken a few days ago, at the Lower Falls on Yellowstone River, near Canyon Village, in Yellowstone National Park. I wanted to shoot from the famous Artist’s Point viewpoint, but that location is closed at the moment for renovation. Apparently it is expected to take 2 years to complete. Ya gotta love the National Park Service’ committment to renovation and building things. They never seem to have money for rangers and programs, etc, but always have cash available to build new things. Nothing like construction in a National Park.

So, anyway, I shoulda headed to the North Rim viewpoint, but this one wasn’t too bad. The Yellowstone Canyon is awesome - probably one of my favorite features within the park. A little dusting of snow certainly added to its grandeur whilst we visited.

Right now I’m at a campground in Deer Lodge, Montana, and my feet are cold, so I’m out for the day.

Cheers

Carl

Hey Folks

Today’s my mum’s birthday! Happy birthday, mum! Mum refers to October as her ‘birthday month’, meaning she celebrates her birthday for the entire month of October.. which translates to ‘whatever mum wants goes for the month of October’. Pretty nifty deal, for her, I spose. Anyway, it’s all OK, because she’s mum. Happy birthday, mum - Love you! (more…)