Archive for the ‘Glaciers’ Category
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 | 14 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 »
Friday, January 2nd, 2009

Hey Folks,
I hope you’re not tiring of Mount Blackburn. It’s an awesome mountain. One of the primary reasons I wanted to spend some time here in the winter is to catch this mountain in good light. In the summer time, when travel here is a bit easier and the weather much warmer, the good light is on the north side of the mountain. So here I am, running around at 50 deg below F trying to make a decent image of the mountain. I went up new year’s eve to shoot, and the light was amazing. Of course, both my camera batteries died, due to the cold, and I made 3 photos, then spent my time sitting in the cold watching the alpenglow light up the mountain as if it had a fire inside. It was something special to witness, but I’ve not a single image of the event. Since then it’s been cloudy. The weather did warm up to a comfortable 20 below though, so there’s always something positive. That and the little rubber foot off my tripod that fell off, and I thought was long gone, lost; I was wandering back to the shack just at dusk, when I saw this little black thing half buried in the snow .. I kicked it (as I’m prone to do such things), and it was my rubber foot off my tripod. Woo hoo!
You all stay warm. I’ll try to get some images of something other than Mount Blackburn here sometime soon.
Cheers
Carl
Tags: Alaska, black and white, Carl Donohue, Landscape features, Mount Blackburn, Mountains, photos, scenics, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park
Posted in Alaska, Glaciers, Landscape features, Mountains, Travel, Winter, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park | 8 Comments »