Snowflake

Day-old snowflakes on the window - Fairbanks, Alaska. Photo was taken with a Nikon D850 and a Venus Optics Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro lens at f/5.6. Part of my on-going Water and Ice Gallery.

Mountains of the Trinity Basin

Above 6000' elevation on the Black Rapids Glacier is typically above the equilibrium line - the extent of the snow line in summer. Almost all of the ice feeding this 40 km long glacier comes from this relatively small 8 km long and 1 km wide stretch. Being up here I find it easy to imagine what it must be like to be on another planet. Everything is covered in snow and ice. Even riddled with cracks, crevasses, bergschrunds it's hard to describe what's frequently called the "Trinity Basin" as anything but pristine. Black Rapids Glacier Photos and Info

Through the Forest

Beautiful forest canopy and floor on Mt. Kearsarge. This turned into one of the rainiest days ever on the trail for me. Even wearing full rain gear, we were absolutely soaked to the bone. I'm very happy we weren't camping, this would have been absolutely miserable! First, we had mist, then drizzle, then downpours, then misty downpours. The Lincoln Trail on Mt. Kearsarge is one of my favorite New Hampshire trails not in the White Mountain National Forest. It's 8.6 miles total (out-and-back), and I would usually only see people near the summit on the last mile, starting near the upper parking area. It travels through some beautiful and pristine forest. Here's my gallery from this day: Rainy Day on Mt. Kearsarge

Denali from the Alpine Trail at the Savage River

Denali viewed from high up on the Alpine Trail above the Savage River in Denali National Park. Double Mountain is on the far left. For perspective, Denali is about 70 miles away. Much of this trail is often snow-free because of the high winds in this valley. Click the link for my Guide to the Savage Alpine Trail

Goldstream Valley Aurora

Watching the aurora down in the Goldstream Valley. Lights from the homes on the hill, some purple at high altitudes (more in my article "What Causes the Aurora"), a brilliant night! Even after 11 years of aurora watching from Fairbanks, this still might be the best display I've ever seen. It's certainly in the top 3.

Sunrise over Hayes

January 7, 2021. The sun rises over Mt. Hayes viewed from Fairbanks as a flock of birds flies past. A temperature inversion causes the light to ripple from the different air densities. Just driving into town from the hills was a 17°F temperature difference. The 13,832 ft (4,216 m) tall Mt. Hayes is 92 miles away from this location at the University of Alaska. Temperature: 10°F (-12°C) | Sunrise: 10:43 am | Sunset: 3:11 pm | Daylength: 4:28:06