lee petersen photography

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  1. 2014
  2. August

2014-08-30

Some photos from the drive from Fairbanks to Red Rock Canyon near the Canwell Glacier. Start of an overnight, solo hike into the Rainbow Basin. Story: http://lwpetersen.com/photo-blog/camping-rainbow-basin/
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  • Evening hike to the Rainbow Basin

    Evening hike to the Rainbow Basin

    Beautiful night in the Eastern Alaska Range

  • The view from my campsite

    The view from my campsite

    This was were I holed up for the night, hoping for aurora, but getting a lot more in the way of winter weather instead. I'll say that I sure wasn't expecting stumble on such a wonderful spot to stay the night. In the Alaska Range - near the Canwell Glacier

  • Reflections

    Reflections

    Across the Richardson Highway from the Donnelly Creek Campground. Possibly the calmest weather I've ever seen in this part of the Alaska Range. Wind is often funneled through Isabel Pass from the south, so it's not often I see flat water here.

  • Castner Creek

    Castner Creek

    White Princess was out when I was driving by - back in the clouds by the time I stopped and got out with the camera.

  • A nice place to camp

    A nice place to camp

    Gorgeous view from my tent. It was flat-ish. Sharp rocks, but flat-ish. I recommend multiple pads.

  • Jagged

    Jagged

    Jagged peaks in the Rainbow Basin shortly before sunset - Eastern Alaska Range blogpost: Camping in the Rainbow Basin

  • Red Rock Canyon Trail

    Red Rock Canyon Trail

    This is a hard packed dirt and rock "road" that I can drive on comfortably in the Subaru for a couple of miles. It narrows quickly, with brush scraping both sides of the car, then comes to a good size stream that I can't cross. ATV's and well equipped off-road vehicles can continue, but I go by foot. Anyway, this is at the start of the road.

  • I just wandered around for hours

    I just wandered around for hours

    Carefully . . . the talus is steep and fairly loose.

  • Setting up camp

    Setting up camp

    In the Rainbow Basin. My MSR Hubba Hubba, 17 year old Lowe Alpine Pack, multiple cameras and tripod.

  • Silvertip

    Silvertip

    It's three glacier valleys away.

  • Canwell

    Canwell

    Cool little green valley, turning red - above the Canwell Glacier.

  • Camp

    Camp

    Finally ready to settle in for the evening.

  • The other side

    The other side

    Many people drive past Rainbow Ridge on the Richardson Highway - this is what the other side of it looks like.

  • Sometimes everything disappears

    Sometimes everything disappears

    Even short-lived whiteout conditions on mountains and glaciers are incredibly disorienting. Everything becomes, simply, void. When fog comes in with snow there are times you can't see your own feet. It's best not to even try to travel at all when possible.

  • Fog

    Fog

    Cool cloud layer at about 4500 ft. elevation, above the Canwell Glacier.

  • McCallum Peak

    McCallum Peak

    McCallum Peak with Institute Peak lurking in the background with some perfect evening light - Eastern Alaska Range

  • Silvertip

    Silvertip

    Silvertip. Well, from what I could see of it through the clouds.

  • A mountain disappears - black and white

    A mountain disappears - black and white

  • Evening Light

    Evening Light

    Last light of the day hits the glacier in the Rainbow Basin as the sun is about to drop below the mountains to the west. It's hard to describe how peaceful everything was this day. It was so quiet as I sat alone in front of my tent watching time pass. Occasionally I'd hear a crack from the ice or a rock tumble down a slope. Without those sounds I would never have had the sense that time was passing.

  • Rocky Camp

    Rocky Camp

    My tent in the Rainbow Basin near the Canwell Glacier in the Alaska Range. It was a pretty sweet and quiet campsite.

  • Untitled photo
  • Dreamlike

    Dreamlike

    Dreamlike - View of Item Peak and Silvertip from the Rainbow Basin above the Canwell Glacier. Late August in the Alaska Range.

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