tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19608922310132724532024-03-13T18:08:24.291-07:00Sunny in WildernessSunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-71984676936153260972018-07-30T08:59:00.002-07:002018-07-30T08:59:43.239-07:00Sunset Moment - McNeil River Sanctuary, Alaska<br />
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In July, Chum Salmon return to spawn at McNeil River and brown bears congregate at the river for an annual salmon feast.<br /><br />It was exactly a year ago, I was at McNeil River Sanctuary to photograph brown bears catching salmon. It was late in the evening, almost 11pm, when the sun finally touched the horizon. After the long day of capturing bear action at the falls, I relaxed at the camp where warm orange lights painting the sky and distant Aleutian Range, when the drama started…<br />
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Several bears where strolling along the beach near the camp as usual. Suddenly I heard animals running back and forth… There was a bear family, mother and two cubs, playing on the beach just outside of camp. They were truly enjoying the moment. The cubs were over a year old, nearly as big as the mother, this would be the last summer to be with their mother.<br />
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A lone young bear approached the young cubs. The distance between young bear and the cubs got shorter… and they were almost touching! Usually the mother bear is very protective and normally would chase the strange bear away. However, to my surprise, the mother bear let the strange bear come to interact with her cubs! The ranger guides were also disbelieved of this rare occasion. The mother bear was just watching them play from a distance. The lone bear was as big as the two cubs. He or she must have been just kicked out by its mother.<br />
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Those bears were playing run and chase for a long time under the long-lasting sunset.<br />
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The sky and air turned to magenta. Slowly the darkness of the night descended upon McNeil River Camp. It was truly a magical moment.<br /><br />My passion of photographing bears is still alive…<br /><br />This is the last posting from McNeil River Sanctuary in Alaska.<br /><br />In late May, I moved back to the mainland/lower 48 to Kent, Washington, south of Seattle. I lived in Hawaii for the past 2 years and finally made it to the northwest. I’ll be capturing the beautiful Cascade Mountains, the Pacific Coast, and wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. Please check back in 2-3 weeks!<div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-56767354275790082672018-07-08T18:00:00.000-07:002018-07-09T20:03:00.995-07:00Queen of McNeil Falls - McNeil River Sanctuary, Alaska<br />
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During the summer salmon run at McNeil River Falls, prime fishing spots are normally occupied by the large dominant males. But that is not always the case. A beautiful bear called Ivory Girl was a rare female bear fishing at the falls among the large males. Unlike most bears, Ivory Girl has stunning white claws on all four paws. She was a frequent visitor to the falls during my visit and had the best fishing skills!<br />
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Ivory Girl stood in the middle of a cascade at the falls, always facing downstream as she waited for fish to swim upstream. She stared intently at the rushing water waiting patiently for the salmon to swim within striking range. </div>
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Ivory Girl's fishing technique was to allow the salmon to jump upstream and settle in a small pool where she would quickly snatch the fish with her powerful jaws. Ivory Girl preferred to eat the skin, brain, and eggs—the fattiest parts of a salmon—with so many fish available. She continuously caught fish after fish and was one of the best fishers at McNeil River Falls!</div>
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Here is Ivory Girl fishing among larger bears. Those male bears did not mind her presence, they just let her stay at the premium spot as long as she wanted.<br />
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Ivory Girl scratches her muzzle and back at the same time, at her resting spot near her fishing hole.<br />
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As for her sassy presence, or good fishing skills, Ivory Girl is one of the favorite bears for many visitors and guides. I could not help it but often focused on her during my visit.<br />
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Next posting will be my last story from McNeil River Sanctuary. Please check back in 2-3 weeks!<br />
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comMcNeil River State Game Sanctuary, Alaska, USA59.0166667 -154.4666667000000258.9511592 -154.62802820000002 59.082174200000004 -154.30530520000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-23866065245235477732018-06-26T20:16:00.000-07:002018-06-26T20:16:19.320-07:00Napping Bears - McNeil River Sanctuary, Alaska<br />
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In July, Alaska’s McNeil River Falls is busy with large brown bear (grizzly) traffic. Chum Salmon return to the McNeil River during a short period of time and so do a large numbers of bears that gather at the falls to feast. It is action packed at McNeil River Falls during the salmon season with over two dozen bears fishing, feasting, and occasionally fighting.<br />
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In the middle of the chaos some bears find time to take a nap! This large bear came down to the river, waded into the current, and climbed up on the rock in the middle of the river… then laid down. He fell asleep in about a minute.<br />
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The rushing water flows over the rock but he doesn’t seem to be care. He occasionally tosses and turns but still slept for several hours…<br />
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Meanwhile, other bears fish only a few feet away…<br />
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And some other bears are feasting right behind him…</div>
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He is still comfortably sleeping at the same spot. Looks like he is having a good dream…</div>
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After many hours, he finally rolled on his back, and lazily moved his legs… time to wake up.</div>
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Well, that bear wasn’t the only one napping in the middle of the fishing scene.<br />
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This handsome bear fell asleep at the spot where he fished and ate, in the calm water right above the falls.<br />
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Even a large dominant bears look cute and cuddly while sleeping.<br />
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This large bear finished fishing for the day and came up from the river, then laid down right by the gravel pad where a group of us were sitting! He was comfortably taking a nap only a few feet away from humans! The ranger guide assured us he was fine. The guide knows many of the individual bear's comfort zone… What an experience having that large bear, the size of a van, sleeping right behind us!<br /><br />I still have many bear images from McNeil River Falls, maybe 2 more posts? Please check back in 2 week!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-16927389721781450072018-05-02T14:59:00.003-07:002018-05-02T14:59:43.355-07:00Bear Fighting - McNeil River Sanctuary, Alaska<br />
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Continued from a previous post, I have more bear images from the McNeil River Sanctuary in Alaska! I observed and photographed a large numbers of brown bears bears catching salmon in the Alaskan wilderness in July of 2017.<br /><br />When fish is abundant at McNeil River, bears fish in close proximity, literally shoulder to shoulder. Those bears mostly ignore each other and focus primarily on catching and eating fish. However, fights do break out . . . possibly over a dispute of prime fishing spots or maybe just over personal space.<br />
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At the start of the fight, one bear slightly opens its mouth and starts roaring prompting a response roar… the two bears intensely stare at each other and continue the roaring for a few moments… </div>
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One of them advances a little, most likely the other bear gives up and moves away without any actual physical contact. When a fight breaks out they are usually brief. They don’t want to waste a time and energy fighting over catching and eating fish. They just quickly go back to fishing as if nothing happened. During only a few weeks of the salmon season, they need to put on as much weight as possible for a long winter hibernation.<br />
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Meanwhile, at the calmer side of the river, these two young bears are play fighting. Starting with a playful roar then casually bite at each other.<br />
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Then the biting escalates to wrestling!<br />
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Unlike serious fights, the “play fight” lasts for several minutes…<br />
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These two bears repeated a series of play fights all afternoon. Play fighting is important to subadult bears to build their fighting skills and experience to be a future dominant bear or to protect their future young.<br />
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This subadult bear flees from a larger male.<br /><br />Observing the large number of bears, I noticed many of the larger mature bears have plenty of scars on their bodies from previous fights. To grow into a large dominant bear the young bears must endure many years of survival.<br /><br />I will post more bear images on the next blog… Please check back in a few weeks!<div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-91624926234422613912018-03-28T15:51:00.000-07:002018-03-28T15:51:28.781-07:00Bear Family - McNeil River Sanctuary, Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Continued from a previous posting...more images from McNeil River Sanctuary, the highest concentration of brown bears in Alaska. I’ve been posting these large dominant bears fishing and feeding at McNeil River Falls for the last few posts, now it's time to focus on bear families – sows with young cubs.<br />
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McNeil Falls is a premium fishing place for dominant males. Many sows with cubs tend to hang out at the lagoon away from large males where the McNeil River flows into the ocean. The Chum Salmon steadily swim up the current through the lagoon towards the spawning grounds.<br />
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During one of the days at the Sanctuary, a group of us were led by a guide and we waded across the creek. We walked along a narrow rocky shore under the cliff along the lagoon while the tide was low and hiked through the grassy hills to the falls. During the peak season of the salmon run, more than two dozen bears including multiple families spread across the lagoon to feast on their share of salmon. Those families with young cubs often stay at the narrow shoreline under the cliff – that’s the only pathway to the falls where we were hiked each day. <br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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While mother bear fished for salmon in the shallow lagoon waters, the cubs curiously checked out the surroundings… playing, wrestling, and falling asleep in the sun.<br />
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As we were slowly walking under the cliff, a bear family was nearby and we hoped the family would move away. Another bear family with three spring cubs walked toward the family that we were watching. It made the mother bear nervous, so she turned around and headed in our direction followed by two cubs! </div>
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They got closer and closer… as you can see in my photos. We were instructed to stand close to the cliff and not to move because any sudden movement could trigger the bear’s instinctive reactions causing an incident. They came very close… the mother bear was huge, almost the size of a car! I was frozen, every one of us seemed to stop breathing… then I heard the mother bear’s breathing and grunting, she walked right in front of us, only a few feet away! The cubs walked behind their mom and one of the cubs was very curious and approached us… Our guide shooed the cub away. The cub obediently turned to its mother as we just watched the family pass by as they marched into the meadows…<br />
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Another family is leaving in a different direction. All this excitement happened on our first day as we headed to the falls.<br />
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We saw the same bear family another day while traversing. The mother bear caught a fish while the cubs gathered around for the feast. They finished a whole salmon in just a few minutes.<br />
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As mother bear went back to the water for more fish, the cubs’ playtime resumed. Under the harsh midday sun, the back lighting was a photographer’s nightmare.<br />
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Here are another family with three small cubs playing in the grass. <br /><br />Large bear action in the falls are always interesting, but I personally enjoy observing and photographing the sows with cubs. <br /><br />I’ll update with more images from McNeil River Sanctuary on my next blog posting. Please check back in a few weeks!<div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-49226426580382233332018-02-25T21:53:00.000-08:002018-02-25T22:27:38.147-08:00Salmon Feast - McNeil River Falls, McNeil River Sanctuary, Alaska<br />
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Continued from previous posting (took longer then expected...) I'm updating with new images of Alaskan brown bears.<br />
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During the summer season, as the Chum Salmon run peaks, a large number of brown bears gather at the McNeil River to feast. It is these calico-colored chum (or dog salmon) that attracts these bears in early July through mid-August to the remote Southwest Alaskan shore. The falls are located about a mile upstream from its mouth where a series of rocks and boulders form the McNeil River Falls. Salmon are slowed in their movements by the falls and they congregate there during their upstream migration to their spawning grounds. Since there are only a handful of rivers in the area with fish, bears congregate at McNeil River Falls in numbers that have brought McNeil River worldwide fame. I was fortunate enough to get a permit. The site of those large bears, some well over 1,000 pounds, at McNeil River Falls is extraordinary.<br />
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During the short salmon season, bears eat as much as 20 salmon a day to build up fat reserves for the long winter months ahead. Observing dozens of bears in close proximity with each bear having their own fishing style was obvious. Watching the bears catching salmon in their mouths is always exciting. With each successful catch it was also obvious that each bear had his or her own unique eating technique. Most bears like to carry their catch to the shore to devour.<br />
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After catching his fish, this handsome bear first shook some water off, then laid down in the shallow water to eat. He held the fish with its craws, ripped off and ate the skin, head, then roe - the nutritious rich parts of the salmon. He was actually taking time to enjoy his precious catch.<br />
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He kept coming back to eat in front of my camera! Doesn't he look like he's smiling? This bear reminded me of one of my signature images titled <a href="http://spiritofnaturephoto.com/Wild_Bears/slides/12-1264.html" target="_blank">"Feast Time"</a> from Katmai National Park from 2006.<br />
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This large rock in the middle of the river is a popular dining spot for the bears. Several bears feed in the small area while other bears wait for left overs and of course the noisy seagulls constantly flying overhead...<br />
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In the hot sun (Alaskan standard of course) this bear enjoyed "bathing" in calm water while casually snacking on his catch.</div>
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Younger or smaller bears often head off high up on the hill with their catch. Those larger dominant bears often steal meals from other weaker bears. This young bear climbs up seeking higher ground seeking sanctuary from other bears.</div>
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Tough bears like these large males catch his fish and eats at his fishing spot. He just stands in the rushing water, holding the flopping fish with one paw then chomps the head off for a quick bite in an artful performance. Soon after finishing his catch, he gets back to fishing, wasting no time.</div>
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Not all bears are skillful fishers, some are "beggars" that just stare at other bears feeding, slowly crawling closer and closer for a possible morsel. This bear just ignored the beggar and kept eating... Other bears get uncomfortable being watched and move out with their fish.</div>
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I was lucky to have beautiful sunshine for all four days at McNeil River Falls. The glacial water of the river was vibrant turquoise under the sun. However, the midday's harsh sunlight created shadows on the bear's eyes, and back lighting was too contrast. Overcast lighting may be better for wildlife photography. I have been spending extra hours on the computer to modify the contrast shadows. Nevertheless, capturing these special moments at McNeil River was a once- in-a-lifetime-experience. I will post more bear images on the next update, hopefully soon!Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-92114765288391201792017-10-25T21:30:00.003-07:002017-10-25T21:34:56.922-07:00Bears Fishing - McNeil River Falls, McNeil River Sanctuary, Alaska<br />
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In late July, I spent four full days at McNeil River Falls in the McNeil River Sanctuary, Alaska to photograph bears. As the Chum Salmon run peaked, a large number of brown bears (grizzlies) congregated at the river for this big feast opportunity. The full river of salmon slows down at McNeil River Falls (more likely cascades rather than waterfalls). The falls are a premium spot for large male bears. Dozens of bears fish in the small area of the falls.<br />
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Each bear has his own unique fishing style - some bears stand right on top of the falls and wait for fish to jump or leap up. When fish successfully climb the few feet of the falls, hungry bears wait at the ready.<br />
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For several days this bear (a rare female ) stood at the same spot at the falls looking down the cascade. When a fish swam near her, she would quickly snatch it up! She was very skilled and caught more fish than any other bears in the area.<br />
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Some large males sit in the white water of a cascade, staring at the water until fish swam by.<br />
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This bear stood with three legs in the water with his left hind leg against the vertical surface of the rock. When fish passed by, he tried to thrust himself in the water... but it wasn't successful...<br />
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While most other bears fished patiently and methodical, this young bear tried another method of fishing. He leaped and pounced into the water, splashing, came up with nothing, shook off the water, and pounced again and again. It looked like a waste of energy in that method, but after many tries, he finally caught a fish.<br />
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This bear is "Snorkeling." He floats on the surface of water, keeps eyes underwater searching for fish swimming by.<br />
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This large male with a fresh deep scar, sat in the icy cold rapids for hours... he stares at the current, and when fish swim close by, he quickly dives and snatches it. He is one of the more skilled bears. He was staying at a rough deep part of the river with waves crashing on him time and time. I admired his endurance. I was happy to see him catch some fish. He didn't waste his time, he ate his catch at his fishing spot, in the rushing water.<br />
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Photographing bears has been my passion since I started nature photography... I have visited some amazing bear viewing locations, but I have never seen this many bears gathered at one spot! McNeil River Falls was truly magical. <br />
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Now back at home, I'm still editing thousands of images... I will keep updating with more bear images for my next posting. Please check back later!<br />
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<br />Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comMcNeil River State Game Sanctuary, Alaska, USA59.0166667 -154.4666667000000229.8678792 164.22473929999998 88.1654542 -113.15807270000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-24609897081646953032017-09-09T15:29:00.003-07:002017-09-10T00:18:11.135-07:00"River of Bears" - McNeil River Sanctuary, Alaska<br />
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Photographing bears in their natural environment has been my passion since early in my career. I have visited some prime bear viewing areas before, but Alaska's McNeil River is truly outstanding!<br />
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The McNeil River Sanctuary is located in the remote wilderness on the Alaska Peninsula along the Aleutian Mountains just north of Katmai National Park & Preserve. McNeil River Sanctuary contains the highest concentration of brown bears (grizzlies) in the world during the peak season of the Chum Salmon run in early July through mid-August. As many as 80 bears congregate at the river. The area was designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1967 and enlarged to a preserve in 1993. The sanctuary allows only 10 visitors per day for a four-day period with permits scarce and at a premium during the peak season.<br />
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I arrived at the McNeil Sanctuary in late July by seaplane. The area is truly remote where access is permitted by seaplane or boat and is without road access. The closest town is Homer on the Kenai peninsula, 100 air miles across Cook Inlet. As the flight approached the lagoon at McNeil River, I could spot a number of bears from the air.<br />
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McNeil Falls, the bear viewing spot, is about a 2 mile hike from the camp. An armed naturalist from the Alaska Fish and Game, led us to the falls. We were not allowed to leave the camp by ourselves. We were instructed to walk close together so that bears think we were one big animal instead of individual humans. Crossing the river mouth at the lagoon and waiting for bears to pass by, the 2 mile hike took us 2-4 hours. Approaching the McNeil Falls for the first time, I was amazed that two dozen large bears were standing in a tight spot!<br />
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Bear activity was everywhere! As large numbers of salmon continuously came up the river, bears energetically fish. </div>
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Visitors are divided into two groups and sit closely together on the two gravel viewing pads. Bears often walk by within several feet of us. A large bear, the size of a small van it seemed, walked right in front of us and it was really intense, but no one has been injured or been killed since the bear viewing program in McNeil River began. Following strict rules, humans and bears have been coexisting in McNeil for over 50 years.<br />
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After a successful catch and quick devouring, it is back to fishing again. My problem was figuring out which bear to photograph.<br />
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Fights can break off at any moment. Tensions among the bears was high.<br />
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McNeil Falls is dominated by large males whereas sows with cubs hang out at the river mouth and lagoon area. While the mother bear fishes in the lagoon, cubs play at the shore, sometimes not so far from us. We often stopped by the lagoon and had to wait for a bear family to pass by. Capturing the cubs playing with each other was one of the best parts of this trip.<br />
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During an intense 4 days at McNeil Falls, I shot several thousand photos... it took me a month to go through all of them, made some selections, deleted a bunch, and finally the post processing began. It'll take at least a few months to complete the entire work... I will slowly update my blog with new bear images.<br />
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comMcNeil River State Game Sanctuary, Alaska, USA59.0166667 -154.4666667000000229.867871700000002 164.22473929999998 88.165461700000009 -113.15807270000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-68313119106198192822017-08-07T18:12:00.004-07:002017-08-07T18:13:45.772-07:00"Green Wall" - Tantalus Mountain, Oahu, Hawaii<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the things that astonishes me is the diverse natural environment on the small island of Oahu, Hawaii. Within a short drive from famous beaches are the razor-like mountains of the Koʻolau Range which rise to 2,000 feet above sea level. Mount Tantalus, in the Ko'olau Range, is an old volcanic crater.<br />
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As the winding road steeply climbs up the range, the vegetation increases in density. A high amount of rainfall in the summit area creates a beautiful tropical rain forest. I looked for a spot where I could capture the sense of this mountain. Passing through a narrow curve in the forest, this large sheet of vines spread across the trees! Such an incredible view!<br />
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While I was waiting for defused light through clouds, this red car drove through... It was a perfect color against the green wall.<br />
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I know that Hawaii is famous for its beaches and coastlines; however, I have been more fascinated by the tropical rain forests and mountain landscapes on this island... I promise that I will post some seascape images another time.</div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-20303268348034250882017-07-12T13:23:00.000-07:002017-07-12T13:23:44.628-07:00Manoa Falls and Rain forest - Oahu, Hawaii<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Greetings from Honolulu, Hawaii!! After 6 years of living and photographing in Alaska, I made a big move to Hawaii.<br /><br />Hawaii's natural landscapes is very different from those in Alaska or mainland states. As a photographer, I enjoy capturing the majestic nature that this tropical island offers. You may think Hawaii is all about beaches... Yes, beaches and coastlines are huge attractions here; however, Hawaii offers diverse landscapes and other spiritual beauties. I am especially fascinated with tropical rain forests with jagged mountain ranges and waterfalls.<br />
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Less than a half hour from the famous Waikiki Beach, this island creates different climates and terrains. With significant amounts of rainfall, Manoa Valley is filled with thick green vegetation. Surrounded by tall trees, Manoa Falls vertically drops 150 feet to a forested valley.<br /><br />One of my first photography trips in this island was to Manoa Falls. Within a short hike, I was already at the falls.<br />
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Manoa Falls itself is beautiful but more than the falls, I was stunned with the "jungle" plants along the stream. I wanted to capture the entire atmosphere of the area... so I set up the camera in the stream among the leaves and waited for the lights to arrive at the spot. By the time I finally got this shot, my legs were chewed by mosquitoes.<br />
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Beyond Manoa Falls, I explored the trail that reaches the overlook of Nu'uanu Valley. The trail leads through various tropical plants including a patch of bamboo forest. I tried capturing the "zen" kind of atmosphere where the bamboos and tree roots blend. Of course, there were more mosquito bites. </div>
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After the muddy climb up a wooded cliff, I made it to Nu'uanu Valley overlook. The valley looked like a remote countryside! It is not too far from the heavily populated city of Honolulu!<br />
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Back from the trail, looking up above Manoa Valley, the tree canopies are outstanding!! The pattern of branches and leaves that created the detailed artwork in the sky! To capture this image, I handheld the camera straight up to the sky. I really like how this image turned out.<br />
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Okay, you may want to see an image of the ocean, here is sunrise at Sandy Beach, the south side of Oahu, Hawaii. I'll keep posting more images from paradise!<br />
<br />I'm heading to Alaska soon for a bear photography project. I'll stay in the McNeil River Sanctuary, north of Katmai National Park, for 4 days to photograph bears. In late July, the river is filled with salmon where the large brown bears (grizzlies) gather at the river. When it's peak season, as many as 70 bears can be seen in the area feasting on salmon! It is one place I am eager to visit... <div>
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Next posting will be in a few weeks after get back from Alaska. Please check it back!</div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-74997072295600387882017-03-28T00:34:00.003-07:002017-03-28T00:34:42.038-07:00Denali Autumn – Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska<br />
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For the past several blogs I’ve been posting photos from Denali National Park from the 2016 trip and this will be the last.</div>
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It was a short autumn season while camping and photographing the highest peak of the North America; Mount Denali (formerly named Mt. McKinley). With unusually nice weather during my stay, I successfully captured five stunning sunsets glowing on the mountain.</div>
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The photo above is the sunrise glow on the east side of Denali, with autumn colored tundra carpeting the landscape.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The fall is the most beautiful season in interior Alaska. The tundra turns to golden fall colors with vivid red patches… I like the way the tundra glows under the warm evening light. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Here are some more images at Wonder Lake. When the days are calm, the lake reflects Denali.</span><br />
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The old antlers were shed on the tundra hill. Mount Denali is in the background.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Denali glowed bright orange at sunset. This is the spot where Ansel Adam captured one of his famous black & white images, “Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake” in 1948.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Late August is the peak season for blueberries in Denali! The fully ripened berries were everywhere in the park. After 6 years of living in Alaska, I had never seen so many blueberry bushes. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Frosted tundra leaves. At the end of August, the temperature drops in early mornings in Alaska. Nevertheless, it is art in nature.</span><br />
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The last image is from the Polychrome Pass area. The hill is turning to autumn colors. </div>
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Interior Alaska, includes Denali National Park, is covered with snow with harsh subzero temperature during the long winter months... </div>
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After this Denali photo project, I moved to Hawaii. After 6 years of living and capturing wild Alaskan nature, I was ready to move on to new subjects. I have been capturing beautiful yet different landscapes in this tropic island since September. I will post some of the photos on my next blog posting. Please check back in 2 weeks!</div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-83544984436258928312017-01-27T23:41:00.000-08:002017-01-27T23:41:41.593-08:00Denali Wildlife, Alaska<br />
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In addition to North America's highest peak, Denali National Park & Preserve is known for a variety of wildlife. Wild animals roam the more than 6 million acres of the vast wilderness along the slopes of Mount Denali (McKinley). During the fall season, animals are in their prime. They are well fed, their fur is prepared for the coming winter, and their antlers are fully grown for the mating season.</div>
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Denali National Park is a sanctuary for wildlife; they are somewhat used to the shuttle bus and visitors traffic within the park. Wildlife, even bears, sometimes can be viewed close by the Park Road. Here is a bull caribou, feeding by the road.</div>
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As much as I enjoyed the close up opportunities, I also love the "animal landscape" images. Here is a grizzly bear strolling along an autumn tundra hill with Mount Denali (McKinley) backdrop.</div>
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Here is a bull moose in autumn colors. The tundra hill warmed by the morning sun.</div>
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Here is another bull moose in bright autumn colors.</div>
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Sometimes little critters will pose for a photo. Arctic Ground Squirrel with fall foliage.</div>
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Here is yet another caribou running across the valley.</div>
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I'll post some more photos from Denali Park on my next update. Please check back in a few weeks!</div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-40712648808632375262017-01-03T00:37:00.000-08:002017-01-03T00:41:43.213-08:00 Denali (McKinley) Views, Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Continuing from a previous post, I would like to share more images of North America's highest peak - Denali (Mt. McKinley). I camped deep inside Denali National Park & Preserve to capture Mount Denali in bright fall colors. With unusually nice weather, I successfully photographed five beautiful sunsets of the famous North Face of Denali. In addition, I captured the view from the Eielson Visitor Center, another well-known park icon. </div>
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I climbed the ridge above the Eielson Visitor Center to get a better view of the valley with Mount Denali and the Alaska Range. The surrounding tundra was draped in warm autumn colors.<br />
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I discovered the view of Denali from Stony Hill to be stunning and easily became one of my favorites. When visitors ride the shuttle from the entrance, Mount Denali can be seen in its entirety only after a few hours of riding. When the bus turns the corner on clear days, the view is impressive. I clearly remember that awe inspiring experience back in 2001. I wanted to capture this "first impression" of Denali.</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I had to wait a few hours for perfect lighting at Stony Hill... Dozens of shuttle buses passed by as clouds drifted by... I like the shadows of clouds on the vast tundra field. A few hours passed easily, I noticed a few buses stopping on the road down below... This means wildlife presence, normally. Sure enough, I spotted a small black dot moving on the road. It was a bear - a grizzly bear! More buses joined the bear viewing. Those passengers were lucky to see the bear very close by. Slowly, the black dot moved away from the road and walked into the hilly tundra. The bear started climbing up the hill ... It was a small dot and soon its was out of sight from where I was at. Then, the next time I saw him, the small dot got bigger and closer. He was coming my direction! I quickly packed up my gear and began walking to one of the shuttle buses parked by. The bear climbed up this steep hill so fast and with ease. The shuttle driver yelled to the passengers to get inside the bus. I too joined them. Soon, the huge grizzly bear came close and walked behind the bus then crossed the road! Thank goodness, the bus was here at that moment.</span></div>
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Here is another photo of the Grizzly Bear, I took earlier in the day.</div>
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I'll have some more Denali images to share on the next posting. Please check back soon!</div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-13080165748229086042016-11-27T23:20:00.000-08:002016-11-27T23:20:51.471-08:00Denali (McKinley) Reflections, Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reflection Pond in Denali Park is a favorite spot for photographers especially when it is a clear and calm day. North America's highest peak, Mount Denali (McKinley) and its mountain range reflects on the small tundra pond.<br />
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During my stay in Denali Park, I commuted to Reflection Pond several times. The pond was usually still in early morning and late evening. This is under morning lights.<br />
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Since the evening lights were the best on this side of Denali, I wanted good sunset glow on the reflection shots. The first night I tried shooting at Reflection Pond but it was too windy... I sat by the shore for a few hours with some other photographers as the pond rippled all evening... So, I returned there the next evening and it was much calmer successfully capturing beautiful reflections.<br />
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My 5 nights in Denali Park was nothing less than perfect. I captured 5 spectacular sunsets in a row. I have been busy editing thousands of images from Denali. I will continue posting more Denali images on my next blog. Please check back!<div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-890088154639932812016-10-17T01:42:00.001-07:002016-10-17T01:43:51.204-07:00Mt. Denali (McKinley) Northface - Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska in Autumn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My week long Denali photo project was success. I camped deep inside Denali National Park & Preserve for 5 nights in early fall to capture Mt. Denali (McKinley) at sunrise and sunset. The weather was more than perfect, Mt. Denali was out for my entire stay, which is extremely unusual.</div>
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In late August, interior Alaska is already in autumn colors. The tundra started turning bright orange against the blue sky; the most beautiful time of the year. Nature showed off their its prime beauty before another harsh winter.<br />
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The lake was a little calmer in the morning... Denali reflected on Wonder lake.<br />
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This is the entire Wonder Lake, about 4 miles long, and Denali on a calm morning.<br />
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After a long and challenging bush whack, I made it top of the range... The entire Wonder Lake and Denali was in view on my site with a bright crimson tundra hill! This one of the best views of Denali and Wonder Lake. The midday light was too harsh... I may have to come back there for sunset on a future trip.<br />
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A few hours before sunset, I arrived at the spot where I dreamed of photographing the mountain at sunset. After 4 nights of sunset shooting, I selected this spot where I could capture the perfect reflection of Denali on Wonder Lake. I set up my camera, carefully adjusted it, and waited for sun to slowly shift toward the horizon. As the breeze slowed down, the ripple on the surface smoothed out. The bright white sun on the mountain slowly turned to a warm golden light, then orange to pink... The entire range glowed magenta as the sun lowered. It was the brightest glow during my 5 evenings in the area. The lake was flat at the time, and a perfect mirror image was on! The glow was shifting up to the highest peak the North America, then faded... It was the image that I dreamed of since I first saw the mountain 15 years ago.<br />
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When I made it back to the campsite, the northern lights started dancing above the sky. The lights were very active that night; waving, swirling, then spread over the sky. Then the faint light band stretched over Denali...<br />
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On one morning, I was shooting the mountain by the lake and a large caribou was found feeding on tundra. He was calm and quiet, I didn't notice him until he came close by... He rose his head and looked at me but he went on continuously feeding. He seemed at ease not caring about my presence.<br />
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The 5 nights at Wonder Lake in Denali was amazing... It was nonstop photographing and exploring the area. The place is truly magnificent. I'm deeply in love with Denali...<br />
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I will post more Denali images on next few blogs. Please visit back soon.</div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-51110440385053921672016-08-26T00:18:00.003-07:002016-08-26T00:18:44.579-07:00Mount Denali (McKinley) Southface, Alaska<br />
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North America's highest peak, Mount Denali, formerly known as Mount McKinley, faces Kesugi Ridge which is located north of Anchorage, in Denali State Park. (Yes, Denali State Park is distinct from the well known big brother Denali National Park & Preserve)<br /><br />To capture sunrise glow on Denali's south face, I backpacked Kesugi Ridge which parallels Denali and the Alaska Range across a valley on a beautiful weekend in July. The trail ascends through forest, then rocky terrain, and opens up to alpine tundra. Soon after climbing above the tree line, majestic Denali was supposed to show off... however, Denali was hiding behind clouds, as is not uncommon. With an elevation of 20,310 feet (6,190 m), the mountain creates its own climate and often generates clouds around the mountain although it was a perfectly clear day.<br />
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Once getting up on the ridge, the trail was almost flat and continued along the ridge. The clouds over Denali slowly departed, and showed off the entire mountain while I was setting up camp. It was a perfect evening as the sun lowered behind the Alaska Range. The light rays lit the silhouette of Denali...<br />
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The sky above Denali was still clear at sunrise. View of Denali at camp. It was windy and cold at dawn as I set up the camera outside the tent door and while sitting inside my warm sleeping bag, I was able to capture the sunrise on Denali. It was early July, under the midnight sun, there was only a few hours of twilight instead of darkness. When the sun appeared on the edge of the horizon, the very first light hit the highest peak! Slowly, the golden light shifted downward...<br />
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As the sun slowly rose, the glow on the mountain lowered... The thin clouds behind the mountain turned to peach colors... In the northern latitudes, sunrise and sunset take much longer. Photographers appreciate this long "magic light" for sure!<br />
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Stunning morning lights painted Denali and the whole Alaska Range in warm crimson. Several unnamed creeks from melting snow flowed down Kesugi Ridge. What a perfect morning in wilderness.<br /><br />I had captured the south face of Denali, next will be the famous north face view. I'm heading to Denali National Park & Preserve this weekend. Camping for a week, I'm hoping to capture the sunset glow on Mount Denali with bright red fall colors of tundra. Wish me good weather!<div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-44565268413073233822016-08-08T22:13:00.001-07:002016-08-08T22:13:56.943-07:00Virgin Creek Falls, Alaska<br />
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It was mid June and I finally made it to this small but tranquil waterfall in Girdwood, Alaska. This small valley is covered with thick green rain forest which reminds me of the scenery of the Pacific Northwest that stretches north to Southeast Alaska. With a short walk, the picturesque Virgin Creek Falls appeared in the woods.<br />
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The water level was higher than normal due to the heavy rains. The waterfalls were larger and more powerful as a result.<br />
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The creek was surrounded with green vegetation and moss covered rocks. It is like a little fairy tale world! I've always been attracted to the waterfalls with its lush green landscapes for my photographic subjects.<div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-15403842547303386882016-07-19T22:58:00.000-07:002016-07-19T23:01:34.958-07:00Sunset Reflections - Kenai Mountains at Cook Inlet, Alaska<br />
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It was beautiful spring evening in Alaska as I was headed south toward the Kenai Peninsula along Cook Inlet. It was almost 11 o'clock, the tide was low and the mud bottom of the ocean was exposed. The sun slowly settled down seemingly into the ocean. </div>
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The rose-colored light glows on the snow capped Kenai Mountains above the ocean. I quickly selected the site and set up the camera gear to capture this special moment. The sky against the snowy mountains were a beautiful lavender color.<br />
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The setting sun painted the other side of the sky in bright orange!<br />
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The magical twilight sky lasted about a half hour after sunset. Slowly, the tide came in, and darkness descended upon the inlet. It was already past midnight when I packed up the gear and left.<br />
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<br />Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-46221983135568681962016-06-12T23:21:00.000-07:002016-06-12T23:21:17.795-07:00Camera Test at Reflections Lake, Alaska<br />
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I had been pretty happy with my camera for the past 7 years and didn't upgrade when the 5D Mark III came out. However, 5DsR is a major spec change. With 50.6 Megapixels, 30 x 40 inch pictures with crispy sharp detailed prints can be produced!! After waiting for a several months, I finally purchased the Canon 5DsR in early May.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I headed to Reflections Lake, north of Anchorage for test shooting. It was a beautiful evening, clear skies with a few clouds, and no wind. I selected the perfect location along the lake shore. The spring was here already with fresh leaves growing on the trees. As its name states, the perfect reflections of Chugach Mountains - Pioneer Peak and Twin Peaks were on the surface of the lake! As I was setting up, I realized that I left the filters at home... oh, well...<br />
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The low angled sun painted the mountains with warm orange lights. There was some snow on the higher elevations... Lake is still like a mirror for a long time. Since I forgot to pack the filters, the sky was darkened with post processing... The image came out better than I expected.<br /><br />As sun set on the horizon, the purple colors enveloped the entire area. This image is HDR, 3 different exposed images combined into one.<br /><br />Over all, I'm more than happy with the 5DsR.<div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-7583737303742393622016-05-08T23:24:00.000-07:002016-05-08T23:24:02.105-07:00Spring Greens - Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring is here in Southcentral Alaska! Since the past winter was mild and short (for Alaskan standards), fresh greens already started sprouting in April, over a month earlier than past years.<br />
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Within an hour's drive south of Anchorage, Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet is one of the most outstanding landscapes which nature photographers dream of... The inlet was surrounded with snow capped mountains which drop directly down to the ocean. The area is rich in vegetation and wildlife. The Chugach Mountains along the Turnagain Arm is my favorite place this time of the year. Under the sunshine and blue sky, I walked through the birch woods with the scent of fresh greens in the air. Finding a few open spots to over look the panoramic scene to capture... This spectacular landscape always takes my breath away!<br />
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The leaves are still in light greens and a significant amount of snow still remains in the high peaks across the inlet. Soon, the foothills and the valleys will be decorated with vivid wildflowers.<div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-89497509705917306812016-04-11T10:53:00.007-07:002016-04-11T10:53:55.459-07:00Young Moose, Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring came 2 months early in South central Alaska this year. By March, almost all snow was gone in Anchorage, and the greening started in early April.<br />
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It was in late February, while there was still some snow along the high elevations in the Matanuska - Susitna Valley area. Moose, especially cows with calfs search for eatable plants in lower elevations this time of year. It is not uncommon where moose can be spotted in residential areas as they feed on vegetation in backyards. This young moose was chewing on birch in the woods. He is still young and small although his antlers began to form above his eyes. He was staring at me for a long while...<br />
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Then, he began running across the road...<br />
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Running faster...<br />
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The peaks of Alaska Range was still white, shining against a blue sky.<br />
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Fresh snow covered a boreal forest. Spring is in the air!<br /><br />It is time to explore a new season in the Alaskan wilderness.Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-58205140068490067192016-03-20T20:06:00.001-07:002016-03-20T20:06:19.739-07:00Kalalau Valley - Na Pali Coast, Kauai Island of Hawaii<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After trekking the 11 mile strenuous Kalalau Trail, the beautiful remote paradise known as Kalalau Beach waited at the end. I camped on the beach the first night and captured a magical sunset with crashing waves on the Na Pali Coast. The next day was beautiful and I had one full day to explore Kalalau Valley.<br />
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Kalalau Valley is surrounded on three sides by rugged cliffs and ocean at the start. The valley is filled with thick rainforest with an abundance of streaming water. The first Polynesian settlers brought coconuts and taro root over 2000 years earlier and remnants of their habitation still exist. They built stone walled terraces for taro farming and also planted fruit trees. Taro root has been an important part of the Hawaiian diet since ancient times. Hawaiians moved out of Kalalau Valley to other parts of Kauai Island in the 1900s. Today, dozens of hippies still live in this jungle year round. They also grow taro and vegetables in the community gardens, and harvest an abundance of fruits and vegetables that grow in Kalalau Valley.<br />
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Searching for the hippie community gardens, I followed the trail deep into Kalalau Valley... The trail meandered through the rain forest along a flowing stream.<br />
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The entire valley is deeply shaded with tree canopies and lush green vegetation covering the ground. There were some signs of habitation in the valley, but the trail disappeared in the thick vegetation several times. Kalalalu Stream, surrounded with tropical greens, is a spiritual pathway up into the valley.<br />
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Crossing the stream several times, I finally found a well worn trail that led to the community gardens. The jungle canopy soon opened up revealing patches of vegetable gardens with tall fruit trees. An irrigation channel meanders through the gardens leading to the taro fields. I felt like I was transported back to an ancient Hawaiian village. A topless woman came with a saw to do some garden work, and welcomed us to the gardens. She kindly showed me some fruit trees including the ever-present passion fruit trees. A long bearded old hippie known as Grizzly also guided us to the vegetable gardens. They were unexpectedly friendly to us outsiders. Most of the hippies live there for a few weeks to several months but some of them had settled there for several years to decades! Their life is simple and mostly sustainable; grow vegetables and pick fruits, catch fish, hunt wild goats living in the area... and sometimes trade extra camping food from hikers for locally grown herbs or vegetables or wine made from local fruits and berries. Hidden from State Park officials and government (living in State Park land is not permitted), some were likely tired of the modern world and choose to live a simple life at least for the moment.<br />
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Back to the beach to photograph another gorgeous sunset. The sky was bright red with thin clouds above the horizon that night. Each sunset is different and special. A huge cruise ship came across the sea after sunset... After all, Kalalau Beach is a remote location, but popular tourist destination to see by air or ocean if not able to physically set foot.<br />
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Here are some campsite images... Hikers can pitch the tents anywhere in the shady woods.<br />
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A small waterfall cascades down through the rocks at the west end of the beach. This waterfall is the main water source and shower for the campers.<br />
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Na Pali Coast/Kalalau Valley is an astounding place... It is a remote "Garden of Eden." I captured some beautiful moments but expressing the location's spirituality in such a short time was a challenging task... I hope you can feel the sense of this place through my images.<br />
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A few days later, I looked down the Kalalau Valley to the Pacific from above. Only a few miles above the Kakakau Valley, it takes almost 80 miles, 2 and a half hours, on winding roads to drive around the island to reach the overlook of Kalalau Valley. From above, the entire valley is filled with lush green rainforest.<br />
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As the sun lowered down on the horizon, the cliff glowed in reddish orange... and the last sun lit the rugged summit in crimson... Kalalau Valley was only a few miles below but I felt like it was far away. Sweet dreams . . .<br /><br /><br /> Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-35522237112154313592016-03-14T10:41:00.000-07:002016-03-14T10:41:15.900-07:00Na Pali Coast - Kalalau Trail Backpacking, Kauai, Hawaii<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Na Pali Coast, a rugged coastline with numerous cliffs and lush tropical greens along the north shore of Kauai Island of Hawaii, is one of the most beautiful but remote places in the Pacific. Most visitors just get a glance of the Na Pali Coast by tour boat or helicopter, but I wanted to spend some time along the coast and the secluded Kalalau Beach to photograph. The only way to fully experience the Na Pali Coast is trekking the 11 mile long strenuous Kalalau Trail to Kalalau Beach as a backpacking trip.<br />
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In December, it is supposed to be the rainy season on the Hawaiian Islands. Luckily it was a beautiful sunny day when I started the trail in the morning. The first 2 miles was a breeze, a wide trail with views of turquoise ocean below, and green coastline along the horizon... The trail was busy, filled with casual day hikers.<br /><br />The rough part of the trail began after the 2 mile point at Hanakapi'ai Beach. Upon crossing the river, the misty rain began and the trail became muddy. The north shore of Kauai is the one of the wettest places in the world; the rugged mountain terrain creates its own rainy climate, raining almost all the time during the winter months. The trail winds along several valleys along the coast. It was extra hard to hike up and down the muddy slippery trail with heavy packs filled with camera and camping gear. When I arrived at the 6 mile camping spot, it was almost dark... and the rain drenched all night.<br />
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It was still raining the next morning... crossing Hanakoa River was harder after the rain storm. Hiking an extra half mile into Hanakoa Valley brought views of the spectacular Hanakoa Falls vertically dropping down the green cliff was impressive and well worth the extra mile.<br />
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The weather changed often; raining followed by sunshine, then rainbows...<br />
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The roughest part of Kalalau Trail comes into view. Backpacker Magazine listed it as one the "10 Most Dangerous Hikes" in the US. Outside magazine rated it as one of "The 20 Most Dangerous Hikes" in the world. The well known treacherous spot, "Crawler's Ledge" was now ahead. Two hikers came from the other direction, and one of them was struggling on the muddy trail. It was after a hard rain, and trail conditions were rough. The muddy trail slopes steeply leading down the rocky cliff. The trail which curved along the vertical cliff became narrower... and deep blue waves crashed down below. The one part of Crawler's Ledge was sketchy; narrow footing with uneven rock terrain... the rocky trail was especially slippery after the rain. It was nerve racking... When I was about to give up and ready to turn back, a miracle happened. A couple of hikers came down the trail. It turned out the man was a local professional hiking guide who hiked this trail many times, and the woman was a client from Germany. The guide was kind enough to help me cross the narrowest part of the ledge. The sunshine broke out after that and the landscape brightened up full of natural colors.<br />
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However, Crawler's Ledge wasn't the worst part of the trail. A few miles after Crawler's Ledge, there was an even more dangerous spot with slippery mud! A big round rock obstructed the eroded trail, and the narrow part of the muddy trail was a downward vertical drop. In order to pass the spot, I had to hug the rock, securely placing my right foot on the other side, and slowly move my left foot around the rock not to mention that trail was muddy and slippery with steep cliffs leading several hundred feet to the ocean. There were some tree roots hanging above the rock on the red sandy cliff. I didn't know if I could trust the roots for my life but I grabbed them as a cable to hang on anyway... My heavy pack which hung over the outer edge of the trail was pulling my body down towards the crashing waves hundreds of feet below. If one of my feet were to slip, I would slide down the red muddy hill and drop into the ocean. Thank goodness, I made it through that part.<br />
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Finally, after a long 10 mile hike, Kalalau Valley showed off its outstanding beauties! Surrounded by razor edged rock walls, the rocky red hill leads down to sea level. The lush mountains rose straight up to blue sky with a green forest carpeting the valley floor, and a turquoise ocean with white waves at a secluded beach... this was truly marvelous scenery.<br />
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Looking back where I came from...<br />
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Another breathtaking view... the end of the trail and entering the one mile long Kalalau Beach. This is the remote paradise only reached by a long, hard hike!<br />
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After setting up camp on the beach, the sun started to set on the horizon- time to prepare sunset shots. Sunset is quick near the equator, I had to get moving. The low angled sun lit up the mountains in blaze.<br />
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During the winter months, the large waves crash on the north shore of Kauai Island. I carefully selected the spots to capture the crashing surf against the sunset. The sun sets behind the cliffs in winter months on Kalalau Beach. Setting tripod (of course, I carried a tripod on the trail!) on the beach sand was challenging enough, nonetheless I had to run with the camera mounted tripod every time the incoming tide reached my feet...and do it ever and over again, repeating this countless times. The sky turned bright orange with silhouettes on the cliffs. Then slowly, the dark sky descended upon us. The lavender colors enveloped the paradise at twilight leaving only the sounds of crashing waves and millions of stars in the dark sky...<br /><br />The next day, I explored Kalalau Valley to search for the secret hippie gardens hidden throughout the jungle... I'll update with more images from Kalalau Valley/ Na Pali Coast on the next posting. And, I promise, the next posting will be within 2 weeks.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comKauai, Hawaii, USA22.0964396 -159.526123821.6254936 -160.17157079999998 22.5673856 -158.8806768tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-39131220411163628432016-02-04T20:42:00.001-08:002016-02-04T20:44:35.846-08:00"The Garden Island" - Kauai, Hawaii<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My 2015 winter photo project took me to the northern most Hawaiian Island of Kauai. I have been spending some time in the Hawaiian Islands during the winter months for the past three years. I have traveled to the Big Island, Oahu, and Maui so this winter I flew to the northern most Hawaiian Island, Kauai. Kauai is the smallest island among those four islands, but as a nature photographer, Kauai offers a variety of outstanding landscapes in a small package. As the name of the "Garden Island", the island is covered with lush tropical greens with bright colored flowers! This sunset was shot overlooking Hanalei Bay. The storm clouds moved in before sunset and the low angle sun painted clouds in golden orange. The opening sky was red, and the color reflected on the ocean.<br />
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This is a Hanalei Bay under day light. The tropical ocean was turquoise green under blue sky. Hanalei Bay represents my dream landscape of Hawaii; tropical ocean surrounded by a rugged green mountain backdrops. <br />
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Another shot at Hanalei Bay. The bay was spiritually beautiful when a misty rain veiled over the mountains. The local surfer with his two dogs on a paddleboard. I was shooting Hanalei Bay from various vantage points, different times of the day and varying weather... I was drawn to this magnificent bay several times during my stay. It was one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen...<br />
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Here is the sunrise at Kappa, the east coast of Kauai. Typical sunrise view with palm silhouettes. <br />
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"Garden Island" is the perfect name of Kauai. Fern Grotto, the ferns hanging on the natural lava cave along the Wailua River, accessed only by tour boat. I wish I could have spent more time to compose from different angles.<br />
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Waimea Canyon is another natural wonder on Kauai. Often described as "the Grand Canyon of the Pacific", its dramatic landscapes are greener than the Grand Canyon. This is another place that I'd like to explore in depth in future visits.<br />
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Kauai, as with other Hawaiian Islands, offers a unique wildlife presence on the island. The Hawaiian goose called the Nene is especially high within Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. <br />
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Hawaiian Monk Seal laying on a northern beach of Kauai.<br />
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Kauai's most common wildlife is the ever-present domesticated chicken gone feral... Wild chickens are everywhere across the island... I mean literally everywhere like on the streets, airport, beaches, parking lots, and campgrounds! If one appears, groups of them suddenly shows up seemingly out of nowhere. Families with several chicks cross the highway regularly. This photo was taken at the campground at Waimea Canyon, the rooster calls woke me up at dawn, and they continuously sang...<br />
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There are countless photogenic locations on Kauai, nevertheless, backpacking along the Napali Coast Kalalau Trail was the highlight of this trip... The 11 mile trail along the Napali Coast was spectacular but treacherous and strenuous. Hiking on the muddy narrow trail along vertical cliffs with my heavy pack (photography gear and camp gear) was really challenging. The paradise waiting at the end was worth the effort.. I'll post some photos and my adventure story from Napali Coast on my next blog. Please check back in 2-3 weeks!<br />
<br />Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960892231013272453.post-56823698845337159242016-01-01T19:45:00.001-08:002016-01-02T12:55:07.217-08:00Rabbit Lake, Chugach Mountains, Alaska<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">A Happy New Year from Spirit of Nature Images!!</span></i></b><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">May year 2016 bring all the new adventures and happiness in your life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">I will continuously capture and share the beautiful nature images in this new year!</span></div>
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Rabbit Lake is one of the many beautiful landscapes in the Chugach Mountains near Anchorage, Alaska. Only a short drive from Anchorage, true wild nature expands in all directions. I've been exploring and photographing within the Chugach Mountains extensively for the past couple of years. I am always impressed with the breathtaking beauty of the scenery at every lake, every mountain, and every meadow I visit in the area...<br />
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In mid-May, I hiked up a long uphill trail to Rabbit Lake. The trailhead at the lower elevation was full of spring greens, but when I hiked up deep into the Chugach Mountains, it was still winter! The whole area, surrounded by rugged peaks, was still white, and the lakes were still frozen! The snowy scene was beautiful under blue sky, and I enjoy capturing the winter landscape.<br />
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Later in summer, in mid-July, I came back to capture the summer landscape of Rabbit Lake. It was a completely different world! The lake was full of emerald green water, and green grasses and wildflowers were celebrating the short summer! This is why I never get tired of exploring the Chugach Mountains.<br />
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The summer was too short... The cold and darkness has descended upon Alaska. <br />
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Taking a break from a long dark winter in Alaska, I had another photo project and adventure in Kauai Island of Hawaii in December. I will post some new images from the "Garden Island" on my next posting. Please check back in 2 weeks.</div>
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Sunny K. Awazuhara-Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09593738129364091533noreply@blogger.com