Northwestern Glacier

Northwestern Glacier, a tidewater glacier near Seward, Alaska. Kenai Fjords National Park.

Overcast Autumn

Fall day in Denali National Park & Preserve.

Savage River

Double Mountain and the frozen Savage River in Denali National Park & Preserve.

Grizz

Foraging for soapberries in Denali National Park & Preserve.

Light through the forest

A cold morning in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Look what the second day of autumn brought us!

Nearly 7 inches of snow and a nice sunset - Fairbanks, Alaska.

The End of Autumn - in Summer

A few miles of hiking on trail before darting off into the backcountry for another ten miles of foot-pounding ridges, saddles, and peaks. It was a gorgeous day in the White Mountains of the Alaska Interior. Fall foliage and plenty of snow. No signs of humanity as far as I could see. Except for a spoon. I found a spoon at the top of one of the peaks.

Autumn hits Murphy Dome

Short season up here on Murphy Dome

Hayes

South Hayes and Mt. Hayes (13,832 ft.) appear over a ridge on Moby Dick (12,360 feet) in the Eastern Alaska Range.

Arctic Ground Squirrel

These guys are fun to watch, and they make wonderful snacks for grizzly bears! They are also extreme hibernators, letting their body temperatures drop below freezing while their blood stays liquid, possibly through supercooling since they don't possess anti-freeze proteins.

Polychrome Overlook

The shuttle buses in Denali National Park stop constantly for wildlife, this is one of the few stops that is made purely for the view. Braded rivers, kettle ponds, and glacial erratics dot the valley. This was one of the only days I've been there that the glaciers were visible. (Full version in my landscapes gallery: http://photos.lwpetersen.com/Nature/Landscapes/i-BLs5SGd)

Meares Glacier

Seals chillin' on icebergs below the Meares Glacier in Unakwik Inlet

Under the Worthington

We stopped by the Worthington Glacier State Rec Area on our way to Valdez. I've seen huge changes here in the last 5 years. Two giant arms near the margin of this glacier are completely gone. Some landslide debris that insulates the ice beneath it has slowed recession on the south side. The glacier has steepened. I've had no trouble running up it in sandals in the past, this time I needed boots and crampons.

Ammonia Leaching Plant

The old ammonia leaching plant at the Kennecott copper mine in the Wrangell St. Elias National Park. Mt. Blackburn is hiding in the clouds above the icefalls in the back left. That's Donoho Peak towering over the building; the confluence of the Kennicott and Root glaciers is just south of it. It's a pretty incredible place!

Bridal Veil Falls

Into the Lowe River in the Keystone Canyon. Just outside of Valdez, Alaska, this is an incredible place with tall waterfalls and cliffsides on both sides of the road. I'm not sure if I like this place, or the glaciers up in Thompson Pass above it more. Just beautiful.

Thompson Pass

Fireweed, mountains, and glaciers at Thompson Pass in the Chugach Range. Just northeast of Valdez, Alaska - this is one of the most beautiful, and easily accessible areas of Alaska that I have been.

Liberty Falls

At Liberty Falls State Recreation Area along the Edgarton Highway near Chitina, Alaska

By the Savage

Evening light, a rainstorm on the way, rock outcroppings, and a bull caribou over the Savage River make for a pretty scene.

Castner Ice

Water-formed canyon between a medial moraine and bare ice on the Castner Glacier. Alaska Range.

Taiga

View along the Angel Rocks trail in the Chena River State Recreation Area.

Bull 'Bou

We took a walk along the Savage River in Denali National Park on Thursday evening. It was a gorgeous night. There was a caribou grazing down in the river with what is most definitely the largest rack I've seen up close.

Rainy Day - Who Cares?

We just spent 3 days in Denali National Park. I have many, many photos to go through, but we have another busy week and a half of travel and cool things to see. I'll try to post when I have a minute to sit at the computer, and an internet connection. Here's the northern view from the Park Road, around mile 5. You can only drive your car the first 15 miles of the over 90-mile road. It's also the only road in this park the size of Massachusetts. We had some nice evening light shining under the rain clouds for a while. The weather was gorgeous for the most part during our stay. Despite not having as many close wildlife encounters as I've had in the past, I still managed to shoot quite a few photos.

Gorgeous Day

Perfect day on Murphy Dome yesterday

Mock Mirage

Winter sunset on Wickersham Dome in the Alaska White Mountains. There's also a mock mirage of the setting sun from multiple inversion layers.

White Princess

Got a great view of White Princess for a while while on the Castner Glacier

Channel

Water flows into a channel on the Black Rapids Glacier at the edge of a medial moraine.