Anchorage International Airport, Canon S500

Unalakleet, last week before the big storm decended. Canon S500

Resurrection Bay, Minolta XG-1

This was taken at Brooks Camp two weeks ago. The building in the background is the ranger station. This guy was just on his way to the lake and wasn't too concerned about us. Still, this is about as close as I want to be. Canon S500.

Here's a photo from just moments before, when I spotted him on the knoll, by the time I took this, he dissapeared in the grass. It's amazing how something so big can be so silent and unobtrusive.

Above are two photos taken in Elim. It was so windy and rainy that I didn't take too many photos. Some of the photos blurred because I couldn't hold the camera still in the wind gusts.

Looking down the bar at the Board of Trade Saloon, Nome.

A Cessna Caravan on a scheduled stop to Selawik. These are great aircraft. We later flew another Caravan form Selawik straight to Nome.

While Iwas waiting at the airstrip, this barge came upriver to unload some equipment This is the only way materiel that is too heavy or bulky to fly in gets out here. This barge was unloading some equipment for a construction project for the FAA. Typically, it'll sit on solid ground (near the airstrip) until the ground freezes enough to support the weight of the equipment and then the drill rig will drill the holes for the piling foundation. One of the crew told me that they came up on this barge from Seattle specifically to deliver this equipment, with stops in Anchorage and Nome. They then planned to go to Kotzebue and St. Lawrence Island before heading home. He said it's pretty tough, but I wouldn't want to be on it in the middle of the Gulf of Alaska in bad weather, but that's just me.

Kids playing after school. If you're wondering what the metal piping is, it's a surface run sewer system in arctic pipe. This is necessary because of the permafrost. That's also why the structures are off of the ground.

This was posted in the store in Selawik, so no moaning about how much you have to pay for gas.

Selawik and one of the more unique lawn ornaments that I've run across in a while.

The main grocery store.

This building is the Selawik City Hall and State Troopers headquarters

The Selawik Tribal Clinic

The village of Selawik.

Fridaynight playing around. Here's a panorama taken from Glen Alps 9/10/05. I've just begun playing with panorama images and am posting this for comments/criticisms. One thing I noticed taking it, is that a rock steady tripod is an absolute must. I'll post more western Alaska photos tomorrow morning.

Back home (and loving it). I and my coworker had the slam bang tour of NW Alaska the last few days. First up to Kotzebue on the Alaska Airlines jet. Then a scheduled flight to the village Selawik. Due to incoming crappy weather and the vagaries of bush travel, our connection back to Kotzebue never happened. Fortunately, a hunting party had a chartered a Caravan directly to Nome. They were pilots, so all of a sudden transportation became easy. They offered us a ride to Nome, so we took it since we were going there the next day anyway. Well the weather caught up with us in Nome. There were major storm warnings about a bad storm front stretching from St. Lawrence Island to Hooper Bay. Nonetheless, we made it out to the village of Elim, where we overnighted. The temperature was in the low forties, not bad. However, the rain coupled with the high winds that brought the rain in horizontally made for a somewhat nasty day. I couldn't take too many photos as we couldn't see too much. However, the area around Elim is beautiful and had the weather cooperated, would have been outstanding. This photo was taken in Elim, on our walk to the store to supplement our meager rations. Canon S500. I'll post more tomorrow.

I have to go out of town again for a few days, so I'll leave you with this photo from Katmai. I'll be out Kotzebue & Nome way. Work ya'know. I don't know if I'll get any pictures, but I always take the camera, just in case. Canon S500

Sunrise, Naknek Lake, Katmai. Canon S500

Fall coloring along the shore of Brooks Lake, Katmai National Park. Canon S500

Just another day at the beach. Canon S500

It's always good to get home. Even when you've been someplace as mind-blowing as Katmai Nat. Park. Here's the main mode of transportation in & out. Canon S500

Like our 8-legged friend above, I too must toil incessantly and this week that toil takes me out of town. With luck, I'll be back here by Friday. I'm taking my digital and film cameras though. Wouldn't leave home without one or both.

Looking north from Glenn Alps, McKinley and Foraker in the distance.

Sunset yesterday, taken a Glen Alps.

Autumn, Yukon River fish camp near Russian Mission. Shutting things down for the season and getting ready to go home. Minolta XG-1.

Standing room only

Relaxing for a moment, out of the wind, Saturday morning.

Taking a break during Saturday morning's windy ridge walk.

The view from Wolverine Peak, on a better day than today.

The first fresh snow that I've seen so far. Saturday morning.

Ridgewalking on a blustery Saturday morning

Low Tide

As seen from Anchorage on any clear day, is Mt. McKinley on the right, Mt. Foraker on the left and I believe that the smaller mountain in the middle and closer to McKinley (or Denali. your choice) is Mt.Crosson.

The top of Powerline Pass, looking east. The first ridge in the distance is Bird Ridge.