First Snow on Chugach Mountains, Alaska

It was mid September when the first snow fell on the mountains just outside of Anchorage. The past summer the weather was unusually nice and warm paving the way for vibrant fall colors around the city and surrounding mountains. It was mid September when light snow dusted the high peaks. "Termination dust" as the locals call it indicating the termination of summer in Alaska, and about a month later, permanent snow would fall and stay.

From Rendezvous Peak, Chugach Mountain peaks were covered with snow while the foothills and valleys were still in Autumn colors.

Rendezvous Ridge was dusted with fresh snow.

At the lower elevations, fall foliages were still vivid among new snow.

A golden leaf trapped in icicle...

Coming down from the mountain, glad to see it was still fall. Golden foliages glowed in warm light just before sunset...

Fall color trees with distant peaks, also snow dusted.

Mountains aglow in rose color at sunset.

Finally snow reached ground level in late October. The long Alaskan winter has begun... Snow will stay another half year.

I will post some more Alaskan wilderness images from the past summer in the next posting. Please check back in 2 weeks!

Eklutna Lake Sunset, Alaska

 

Eklutna Lake is one of many amazing scenic places near Anchorage. When the sun shines, the deep turquoise color of the lake shows vividly. I have been photographing the lake from various vantage points in recent years.

One of those beautiful evenings, I was hiked up the trail overlooking the lake to capture the sunset. It was early July, sunset in southcentral Alaska occurs around midnight! The sun was already low as I hiked through the wooded trail when suddenly I heard a loud noise in the brush near the trail. A black bear was walking in the woods not so far from where I was!

I made it to a nice open area overlooking the entire Eklutna Lake. The sun was already very low and dim light began painting the clouds in reddish gold. The warm lights broke through the clouds and created a ribbon of lights on the mountain range above the lake! I love this kind of lighting often seen in Alaska.

The Fireweed's deep pink flowers were already blooming in the area and it was only early July! There is an old saying in Alaska; when the fireweed flowers bloom, summer is ending... only bottom part was blooming but thinking the end of summer was coming made me sad. 

 

Sunset normally takes longer in northern latitudes, but it was quicker that evening... Gold colors in the clouds faded quickly. I had only enough time to capture it from just a few different spots.

Aurora Reflections

 

The dark nights in Alaska are back. It is already late fall in Southcentral Alaska. The northern lights season officially begins.

After many rainy days, finally the sky cleared out, and the solar activity was high enough to display the northern lights north of Anchorage.

 

I was waiting at one of the lakes about 60 miles north of Anchorage. It was in the mid 30 degrees (°F), “warm” weather for northern lights photography. The lake is still not frozen yet this time of the year. It is a good time to capture the reflections of the northern lights.



Starting with faint lights on the horizon, the northern lights formed an arch around 2 am. Slowly, the arch like aurora shifted over the lake. The lake was still, like a mirror reflecting the lights on the surface. The light arch slowly waved and faded… then started all over again. It repeated several times. The lights weren’t as intense as I expected, but still a peaceful show.

On my next update, I will posts new images from the European Alps. Please check back!

Bull Moose, Alaska

 

Moose are the largest of the deer family that live in the Northern Hemisphere. Alaska has a large moose population including about 1500 that live within the Municipality of Anchorage. They wander in and out of residential areas, grazing on landscaping and natural shrubbery in backyards, and sometimes hold up traffic on city streets or cross busy highways giving all involved an adrenaline rush.

During late August until early October moose are in their mating, also called rutting, season in Alaska. Moose, a solitary animal most of year, become more social this time of the year staying up all night while eating and resting during the day then staying up all night and doing it all over again.

 

Bull moose grow their huge antlers every year starting from small nubs in spring to massive fighting weapons doubling as shields by fall. When the mating season begins, the bulls' antler velvet starts shedding and with assistance from the bulls, will be ready for the mating season. Here is a younger bull moose I photographed in the mid September in Anchorage. The velvet is still hanging on his antler.

Chugach Mountains, Alaska

The long winter is finally ending, daylight gets longer and longer each day... Finally the snow is melting in the northern wilderness. Time to get out and explore!

Chugach Mountains stretch from the Canadian border to Southwest Alaska. The mountain range contains dynamic landscape including high peaks, alpine lakes, glaciers, salmon streams and abundant wildlife. Chugach Mountains, especially outside of Anchorage, are a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, and of course, nature photographers!

During the spring melt, mother nature creates amazing art... I love the textures of ice sheets over  creeks.

 

The snow dusted over the icefalls, meting water runs down behind the icefalls.

 

Another spectacular landscape from Eklutna Lake.  Finally, the lake starts the spring melt in mid May.

January Sunset over Chugach Mountains and Knik Arm in Cook Inlet.

A sled dog team runs through Chugach Mountains.

 

Chugach Mountains over Anchorage at Sunset.

I can't wait to see and photograph beautiful fresh greenery in Chugach's outstanding landscape soon.

Northern Lights over Anchorage

 

The winter season 2012-13 were among the best to view northern lights due to high solar activity. Northern lights most often appear in the high latitudes around the Arctic region. When I lived in Fairbanks (300 miles south of the Arctic Circle), I witnessed the aurora several nights a week during the winter months. Now I'm in Anchorage, 300 miles south of Fairbanks where the aurora displays are rare. When the solar activity is strong, occasionally the northern lights dance above Anchorage and the southern region of Alaska.

 

It was on one of these rare nights following a magnetic sun storm that bright green aurora waved above the city! I happened to see the lights from my front door in a residential area of East Anchorage around 8pm. The lights must have been very intense to be visible with the city lights.

 

On another day, the aurora glowed brightly above Cook Inlet in south Anchorage.
 

Spring is approaching Alaska after the long winter months. The days are getting longer every day (+5 min each day in Anchorage) The darkness is soon to give way to long days in the land of the midnight sun. The season of the northern lights will soon be over...

Denali (Mt. McKinley) from Cook Inlet, Anchorage

It was in early October, the weather was perfect for the weekend in Anchorage.  The sky was clear and the air was crispy clean.  I was waiting for a perfect sunset to dip behind the mountains across the Cook Inlet.  The rugged snow capped mountains: Mt. Susitna, Mt. Spurr, Mt. Redoubt, and Mt. Hayes were in outstanding backdrop!

Located 350 miles south of Fairbanks, Anchorage was 2-3 weeks behind, still in Autumn.  Fall leaves were still hanging on the birch trees, and the temperature was 10 degrees warmer than the interior of Alaska near Fairbanks, where I currently live.

The orange sun was slowly moving to the tips of the volcanic mountains.  Bright orange glare reflected on the calm water.  I was focusing on the dynamic landscape spread in front of me.  It took me a while to notice the high distinctively shaped snow covered mountain standing out in the northwestern horizon.  To my surprise, I realized it was the highest peak in North America, Mount McKinley (Denali)!  When it's clear enough, Mt. McKinley can be seen from 300 miles south in Anchorage!

The warm light from the setting sun glowed on the south side of Denali for a long while.  The colors were slowly changing to soft pink, and then fading out.  The western sky and the inlet were bright orange for awhile afterward.  Viewing Denali from the city was a surprising bonus for the day!