lee petersen photography

Smith Lake - Spring Panorama

An absolutely gorgeous day on Smith Lake in Fairbanks, Alaska. The trails were still wet and muddy, but it was still worth it to venture out. I love the cumulus clouds that start rolling in during the spring months in the interior.

Ballaine Thaw

The west end of Ballaine Lake is mostly melted, but the surface still refreezes in the colder evenings.

Sap

The sap is flowing on the white spruce.

Trails

It's a bit awkward walking on the part snow, part ice, part creek, and tussocky trails right now.

Trapped

Water was flowing beneath the ice and snow on the trail. The grasses and ground foliage beneath made for some cool colors and texture.

Icy and Wet

The firmly packed snow and ice adhered well to the groundcover and frozen soil while the water from the melting snow around did well to fill much of the landscape with 1-2 feet of water. It gets cold enough at night to refreeze the surface with a centimeter of ice. What a pretty day!

Warning