Young Moose, Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Alaska

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.

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...

Then, he began running across the road...

Running faster...

The peaks of Alaska Range was still white, shining against a blue sky.

Fresh snow covered a boreal forest. Spring is in the air!

It is time to explore a new season in the Alaskan wilderness.

Rabbit Lake, Chugach Mountains, Alaska

A Happy New Year from Spirit of Nature Images!!
May year 2016 bring all the new adventures and happiness in your life.

I will continuously capture and share the beautiful nature images in this new year!

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...

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.

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.

The summer was too short... The cold and darkness has descended upon Alaska.

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.

Denali Aurora

When solar activity was high in early February, I headed north from Anchorage to hopefully get a glimpse of the aurora. The weather cooperated and the sky was clear. The faint northern lights arched in the north sky at 9pm which is usually a good sign for an active aurora night. It would finally be the night that I would photograph northern lights over Denali (Mount McKinley, the highest peak in the North America).

There are numerous locations about 100 miles north from Anchorage to view the south face of Mt. McKinley. The north face of McKinley is more well known - famous in postcards and books, etc, however, the best area to view the north side of the mountain is really remote, 90 miles deep inside Denali National Park. The dirt road within the park was still under the deep snow and temperatures could reach -60 Fahrenheit. Only experienced winter travelers with dog sled teams or snowmobiles can reach the area. The more accessible south side of McKinley is realistic option for winter photography.

When I arrived at the one of spots to view Denali, the faint aurora was already fading away... 

I moved on to another location with a majestic view of the Alaska Range. (Denali is part of Alaska Range) I was ready by 11pm, but no northern lights were out... just a clear sky with millions of stars above the mountains. I waited for 30 minutes at 16 degrees outside, but nothing happened. I hiked back to the car and waited... It was a long cold night with no aurora activity for hours...

At 5am, finally northern lights were appeared over northern sky. I grabbed gear and running up to the spot. The aurora was slowly stretch out and waving above the mountain. It was mostly faint green and slight pink at the lower edge. 

The bright moon was slowly setting behind the mountains yielding to an amazing show. 

The lights became more intense and danced over Denali and parts of the Alaska Range. The show kept going for over an hour! 

Dragon dancing over the mountain.

At 6am, the lights slowly faded and it was time to pack up. It was such an exciting morning.

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...

Ice "Hotel" Museum

I've been focusing on the natural beauties in Alaska, but there is amazing ice art created from the mother nature.

Aurora Ice Museum is located about 60 miles north of Fairbanks, at Chena Hot Springs. The indoor museum is decorated with gothic architecture, chandeliers, and more than 80 sculptures all created in amazing detail, with ice!

There are four hotel rooms within the museum. Each room with a different theme: Polar Bear, Christmas, Turret, and the Queen. One of the rooms even has an ice outhouse! Ice Museum was originally called "Ice Hotel," however, the building doesn't meet the fire code - no sprinklers - so they were forced to rename it "Ice Museum." Fire sprinklers in a Ice Hotel? Sounds like a joke! Anyway, guests can still stay at an ice room if they are willing to pay the $575 per night fee. It comes with a regular hotel room (just in case), warm sleeping bags, and the whole ice museum to themselves all night! Note: the ice outhouse is a part of art, guests have to use a real bathroom in their regular hotel room.

The “Ice Bar” at the center of the Ice Museum is very popular. The counter and bar stools are all carved from Ice. They even serve "Appletini" in a ice carved martini glass!

In addition to the ice rooms and bar, there are about 80 ice sculptures in the “Ice museum”. Large knights the horseback, a two-story ice castle tower, an ice chess set and more... all calved using the natural ice from a pond nearby. The Ice Sculptures were carved by World Champion Ice Carvers: Steve & Heather Brice with amazing details. Visiting the Ice Museum always brightens my days during the long days of the cold dark winter.

Rose Color Moments in Arctic North

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) are special in winter in the north. Winter alpenglow is another special lights in Alaska. During a long winter, day lights are short in Arctic North. On December 21, the winter solstice, we only see 3.5 hours of the day light plus a few hours of dim light in Fairbanks area in Alaska. The days are gradually getting longer in January... sunrise is 10:30am and sunset is 3:30pm in the mid January. There has not been any direct sun lights since mid November.

In this northern latitude, sun only stays right above the horizon for a few hours, moves only a short distance, and then set under the earth... The low angle sun lights up the snowy mountain peaks and paints to rose pink. In the most part of world, alpenglow last only for a several minutes; in the north, alpenglow last for a long hours! The bright pink lights slowly shifts to northwestern peaks to northeastern peaks for 3-4 hours until it disappears! A Photographers' dream moment lasts a few hours.

Photographing in sub zero climate is a challenging... Layers of clothing and face mask would reduces ones mobility... and tripods are icy cold. Setting up the camera with grabs is a bit of frustrating work... Then, standing one place for a while, toes and finger tips start feeling pain from the cold. Eye lashes start frosting... after 10 min, the camera and tripod are frost covered! Holding a filter by hand is a painful work in -20 degree... Soon, time to pack up and move on.

Despite of the cold weather, I feel privileged to explore the vast wilderness under the low angle lights. The frosted trees are the art of mother nature. 

Lake Tahoe - still in Winter

Leaving Wyoming, I stopped by Lake Tahoe for a week in early April. In addition to take care of several business/personal agenda, I was hoping to photograph some sunrise/sunset in the beautiful Lake Tahoe area... However, a storm was approaching when I arrived there... it began snowing hard that night, and continuously snowing for a whole week! Lake Tahoe was still winter... more than in Jackson Hole.

Only one partly sunny day for entire week! Didn't want to miss the opportunity, I was heading to Sand Harbor; one of my favorite spots in Tahoe, to shoot sunset. It was the late afternoon, golden sunshine came through the thin clouds. The lake was glimmering in gold! The round rocks on the shore was blanketed with snow. I just love the winter scene in Tahoe. There wasn't spectacular sunset but I was happy to see beautiful light in Tahoe.

I had stopped by Black Pearl Gallery, which has been representing my fine art photo prints since 2008.

It was a short trip, and back to Seattle where already spring and green. I've been working on several hundreds of photos from Wyoming and getting ready for new adventure in Alaska for coming summer.

Early Spring in Grand Teton

In mid March, it is already spring in Grand Teton National Park this year. Snow began melting in the valley, and water began running down creeks… There is plenty sunshine everywhere!

The large Jackson Lake in the Park is still solid frozen at this time of the year. Snowshoeing cross the lake and exploring coves and islands are the only experiences left of this winter.

Many other smaller lakes along the valley can be explored with snowshoeing or cross country skiing. Taggard Lake and Bradley Lake are right under the base of the Tetons. These lakes would have perfect reflections of the Tetons during summer.

Creeks connecting the lakes were slowly melting… and bears already woke up at this time. One of my favorite spots; Tetons and Snake River.