Archive for the ‘Glaciers’ Category
Friday, April 9th, 2010
Winter snow covers Kennicott Glacier and alpenglow catches the peaks of the Wrangell Mountains and Stairway Icefall, Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the photo to view a larger version of the image.
Hey Folks,
The Wrangell Mountains in winter. Alpenglow catches the eastern edge of the range. This view is looking up the Kennicott Glacier. At right is the edge of Bonanza Ridge, Jumbo, Then Stairway Icefall, Donohue Peak just left of center, and the Ahtna Peaks behind that to the left.
Winter’s finally wrapping itself up here in the north; it lingers much as the sun’s final rays cling to these high peaks at days end. Spring makes it’s way north slowly, and and is completely diurnal for now. The days, growing longer weekly, yield. But the night belongs to the winter, the cold, dark silence of the quiet time.
This is the first real “view” I ever had in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, all those years ago when I first ventured north on a backpacking adventure. I’d taken a bus from Fairbanks south, and the weather wasn’t so great; not raining, but overcast. I didn’t really have any idea of the scale of the landscape I was amongst at the time. The bus dropped me off on the highway, at the Edgerton Cutoff, and I hitch-hiked from there in to McCarthy (about 90 miles). That was an adventure in itself, maybe I’ll recount it another time. (more…)
Tags: Alaska, Carl Donohue, Donoho Peak, Kennicott Glacier, Landscape features, photos, scenics, Stairway Icefall, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Alaska, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, Musings, Sunsets, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Skolai Pass, the north end; Sunset over Skolai Pass, Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click the image to view a larger version of the photo.
Hey Folks,
Skolai Pass has rocked into March 2010. This month’s edition of backpacker magazine, which I wrote about earlier, has a full page image of mine from Hole in the Wall, accompanying an article about hiking the Goat Trail. And this month’s edition of Popular Photography includes another photo from Skolai Pass by photographer Doug Roane, taken on one of last year’s Skolai Pass Photo Tours. Check out a large version of Doug’s amazing photo here. Better yet, take 15 minutes and browse the collection of images on Doug’s website. Awesome stuff!
Skolai Pass, the south end; Waterfalls overlooking Skolai Pass and Russell Glacier - Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, AK. For a gorgeous larger version, visit Doug's website at www.dougroanephotography.com
Doug’s photo was voted 2nd place in the March “Your Best Shot” competition. Huge congratulations Doug, a recognition well-earned. (more…)
Tags: Alaska, Carl Donohue, Doug Roane, Landscape features, photo tour, scenics, Skolai Images, Skolai Pass, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Cool stories, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, News, Photo Tours, Photography, Waterfalls, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 2 Comments »
Friday, January 8th, 2010
Dawn rising over Mount Blackburn, elevation – 16,390 feet (4,996 M), winter, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, Alaska. Click the image to see a larger version and to browse the rest of the gallery.
Hey Folks,
I thought I might make a blog post, the first for the new year, with a quick presentation of my favorite images from the past year. Not necessarily a “best of”, but just a collection of 12 images, one from each month, each of which mean something to me. Some of these have appeared on the blog before, some have not.
The first one is my favorite image of Mt. Blackburn I’ve taken so far, taken one cold morning a year ago. One of the primary reasons I wanted to spend winter in the McCarthy area was this particular scene. I knew the mountain would get great light in the winter, though I’d only viewed it from here in the summer previously. During the summer the great light is on the northside of mountains here in Alaska, so I’d never really viewed this scene in the great alpenglow you see here. A couple of winters in a cabin in the woods rewarded me in many ways, and I consider this image a nice memory of those days. Good times.
The 2nd photo (more…)
Tags: 2009 review, Alaska, bears, Birds, Carl Donohue, Moose, National Park and Preserve, photos, scenics, Wildlife, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Glaciers, Katmai National Park, Landscape features, Mountains, Musings, Photography, Reviews, Skiing, Snowboarding, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 15 Comments »
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Hiker on the Bremner Mines to Tebay Lakes backpacking, Wrangell St. Elias National park and Preserve, Alaska.
Hey Folks
While I’m working on updating my website, I stumbled on this image from our Bremner Mines to Tebay Lakes trip a few years ago. That little rocky outcrop has this big crack right through it, so standing on the boulder was somewhat …. uhhhmm .. mad. That drop off goes all the way down to the Little Bremner River below. Still, that’s what Texans are for, right? 
Mark was good enough to stand on it while I snapped a few photos.
This is one of my favorite hikes, and I’m aiming to do it again this coming summer, 2010. If I ever get done with overhauling this darn website. Pesky stuff.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Alaska, Alaskan Alpine Treks, backpacking, Bremner Mines, Carl Donohue, glacier, hiker, hiking, images, National Park, People, photos, Tebay Lakes, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Backpacking and Hiking, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, People, Summertime, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 13th, 2009
Tallest peaks in the University Range, Mt. Churchill and Mt. Bona rise dramatically from Russell Glacier, catching the last rays of the day, Fall colors in the foreground, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, Alaska.
Hey Folks,
Here’s an image that I am amazingly lucky to have made. Probably luckier than I deserve to be. Not because of the luck involved in catching this scene like this; this image has been a long, long time in coming. The scene is taken from the south end of Chitistone Pass, near Skolai Pass, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, Alaska. I’ve spent more time here than I probably should admit to, waiting, hoping and wondering if I’d ever actually happen to catch it in the light that I knew graces these peaks from time to time. Finally, this September, I was up there with our phototour and we were really blessed with some great weather. I was giddy with excitement and I’m sure the folks along on the trip were wondering just what they’d got themselves into. Within 20 minutes of landing we’d already found and photographed a Least Weasel, which I’d never had the opportunity to photograph inside the park previously. Next up we ran into some Woodland caribou, apparently the only woodland caribou herd in Alaska, so that was pretty awesome. Then we saw some Dall sheep rams, and managed to stalk up on them a little. Next up was sunset, (more…)
Tags: Alaska, alpenglow, Carl Donohue, Chitistone Pass, colors, Fall, fall colors, glacial, Glaciers, horizontals, ice, Landscape features, Mountains, Mt. Bona, Mt. Churchill, photos, Russell Glacier, scenics, Skolai Images, sunset, University Range, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Backpacking and Hiking, Cool stories, Fall, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, Photo Tours, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 5 Comments »
Monday, October 26th, 2009
Mt. Blackburn stands tall to catch the sun’s first rays of alpenglow, high above the Kennicott Valley, early fall, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, Alaska.
Hey Folks,
I just visited my friend Mark Graf’s great blog, and read with interest his commentary on mountains and the import and grandeur of nature, the role it can play in our lives. Mark prefaces his post with the legendary John Muir, so I’ll do the same:
“Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows, in craggy garden nooks full of nature’s darlings. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but nature’s sources never fail. – John Muir, Our National Parks, 1901”
While I think it’s a fantastic photo Mark posted, and a great post, (I’d ask that you read it and the comments that follow) I have to be the lone opponent in the discussion here; (more…)
Tags: AK, Alaska, alpenglow, Carl Donohue, color, Fall, images, John Muir, Mark Graf, Mount Blackburn, Mountains, Mt Blackburn, nature, photos, sunrise, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Alaska, Environmental Issues, Fall, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, Musings, People, Rants, Trees, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 9 Comments »
Sunday, September 13th, 2009
Hey Folks,
I just got back from a totally awesome trip to Skolai Pass – some great weather, wonderful folks for company, and we all had a killer time in the coolest place in the world – Skolai Pass! This image was taken the first evening, after we backpacked up to Chitistone Pass, walked south to the Russell Glacier, and watched the alpenglow rock Mt Bona (on the right) and Mt Churchill (center).
The rest of the trip I hiked around the area and had a blast. I didn’t hardly shoot anything, of course, because my *#^$$*#^# camera ceased working the following morning. One of the people on the trip was kind enough to let me use his backup camera, which was WAY cool. Thanks Doug!
Always have a backup camera body with you.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: AK, Alaska, alpenglow, alpine, Carl Donohue, Fall, Landscape features, Mount Bona, Mount Churchill, photos, Russell Glacier, scenics, tundra, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Backpacking and Hiking, Fall, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, Travel, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 5 Comments »
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
Hey Folks,
What would be the name of this Mountain? We’ve all heard how hard hiking in Alaska is, right? Here’s a tough morning.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: AK, Alaska, Carl Donohue, females, hiker, hiking, Mt Drum, photos, reading, recreation, relaxing, woman, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Backpacking and Hiking, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, People, Summertime, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
Hey Folks,
A short, easy quiz. Name these 2 peaks. I’ll give you a hint – this was taken on my recent hike over the Sanford Plateau. I’ll be back to check in on you when I return from my trip to Skolai Pass.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: AK, Alaska, apenglow, Carl Donohue, Mt Wrangell, Mt Zanetti, photos, Sunsets, volcanic, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Adventures, Alaska, Backpacking and Hiking, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, Summertime, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009
Hey Folks
Sorry it’s been a while. Not much to tell, I suppose. I have been shooting a bit, but the weather’s been lousy, so don’t have much. I’ll try to get some images downloaded to the computer so I can post something soon.
This one is from late last year. Looking across the Kennicott Glacier towards some unnamed mountains.
Still haven’t found me a wolverine, but I sure been looking.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Alaska, black and white, Glaciers, Kennicott Glacier, Landscape features, moraines, photos, snow, Winter, Wrangell St. Elias
Posted in Alaska, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 6 Comments »
