More Harding Icefield

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Kenai Fjords, Photos, Travel 11 Comments

Janine stopping to admire the scenery at the half-way point of the Harding Icefield Trail, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

Janine stopping to admire the scenery at the half-way point of the Harding Icefield Trail, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

Replace the name Janine with hiker, and that is the caption that may accompany this photo one day if it is ever published.  A more accurate caption would be; Janine stopping, then moving a bit to the left, then coming a little towards me so that I can see her shoes, then turning slightly towards the mountain…well you get the idea.  She is always a great sport when it comes to posing.

Here is a better description of the Harding Icefield Trail

Janine crossing a snow field near the end of the trail. It is hard to see in this photo, but there is acutally a big drop off 30 feet past Janine. Notice the dirty snow - that is thanks to this winter's volcanic activity.

Janine crossing a snow field near the end of the trail. It is hard to see in this photo, but there is actually a big drop off 30 feet past Janine. Notice the dirty snow – that is thanks to this winter’s volcanic activity.

Exit Glacier Fog

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Kenai Fjords, Photos, Travel 7 Comments

Looking down Exit Glacier from the Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

Looking down Exit Glacier from the Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

This is sunset from my recent overnight trip to the Harding Icefield.

Over the last few months I have been photographing and posting images from the Seward area, most of which were captured within the 10 mile or so section you see in this image.  The largest mountain on the right is Mt. Alice, probably my single most photographed subject.  Below Mt Alice, covered in fog, is the seaside town of Seward, the town we are proud to call home.  The valley between Exit Glacier and Mt. Alice is the Resurrection River Valley – a beautiful valley I love to drive or ski through, and the source of endless photographic inspiration.  And finally there is Exit Glacier and the Kenai Fjords National Park.

Harding Icefield

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Kenai Fjords, Photos, Travel 12 Comments

Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

Janine overlooking the Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

We just got in from an overnight trip to the Harding Icefield via the Harding Icefield trail – I sure love that place on a beautiful day!

Much like a river flowing from a lake, here the ice is flowing from out of the icefield down to the left in what becomes Exit Glacier.

Coyote, Chugach National Forest

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Chugach, Photos, Travel 13 Comments

Coyote, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

Coyote, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

I spotted and photographed  this coyote last night – I think it was the same one I often spotted while skiing last winter.

Shortly after finding him, the coyote found a spruce grouse family with very small chicks.  The mother spruce grouse did an amazing broken wing acting job the the coyote compelty was fooled by.  The coyote took off chasing the mother bird some distance down the road, and she managed to stay enticingly close, but just out of reach.  Unfortunatly one the the chicks froze motionless right in the middle of the road!  I went and stood by the chick  so that it wouldn’t get hit by any passing vehicles.  Eventually, it moved back into the forest.  Nature sure can be fascinating to watch!

Vegas and Valley of Fire

Ron NiebruggeLas Vegas, Nevada, Photos, Travel 9 Comments

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

Janine in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

This is a larger version of a photo I posted here last winter – I think this has got to be one of the most amazing geological features I have ever stumbled across.

I posting this again as a lead in to say Janine is done updating our main website with photos from our winter travels, and we now have updated sections for Valley of Fire State Park, and Las Vegas.

Sunset Over Seward Boat Harbor

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Photos, Travel 5 Comments

Sunset over the Seward Boat Harbor, Alaska.

Sunset over the Seward Boat Harbor, Alaska.

Colorful sunset skies like this are fairly rare in Seward.  Thanks to the beautiful surrounding mountains, it takes just the right combination of clouds, and they need to be relatively high to light up like this.  Usually they are too low and the sun isn’t able to illuminate the bottom of the clouds.

I captured this photo about a week ago at the beginning of this amazing stretch of weather.  Unfortunately, with the hot dry weather has come forest fires – there are now over 70 burning in the state.  Today, you can barely make out the shape of that distant mountain you see in this photo, even though it is just a couple of miles away.

We looked at flying down to Glacier Bay as it was one of the few places not effected by the fires, but now I see new fires in the Yukon have inundated that area with smoke as well.  So instead of broad landscapes with fields of flowers, I will probably be sticking to closeups and maybe more underwater salmon photos.  🙂

Mountain Harebell

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Photos, Travel 5 Comments

I believe this is Mountain Harebell, a member of the Bluebell Family.

I believe this is Mountain Harebell, a member of the Bluebell Family, Seward, Alaska.

I captured this last night up on Mt. Marathon.  I thought the rock was a strong enough subject without the wildflowers, but the flowers were a nice colorful bonus!

Between office work, photographing porcupines and Mt. Marathon, it was a busy day yesterday, but with this amazing stretch of weather we are having – it is hard to stop!

Great news on the baby porcupine in yesterday’s post.  Last night it was spotted reunited with it’s mother!  I understand the mother was about 5 times the size of this little guy.

Baby Porcupine

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Photos, Travel 14 Comments

A baby porcupine, near Seward, Alaska.

A baby porcupine, near Seward, Alaska.

I’m just in from photographing this cute little guy!  I want to thank the wonderful owners of Log Dreamin Bed and Breakfast for tipping me off on this youngster.

I have never seen a baby porcupine, I think it is a fairly rare sight.  As exciting as it was to watch such an animal feed and wander about, a part of me couldn’t help but be sad.  Typically, the single off-spring of a porcupine female stays very close the it’s mother, and isn’t fully weaned and able to leave the den site until October.  The adult porcupine typcially seen in this area hasn’t been spotted in weeks – I’m not so sure this one isn’t now on his own.  seeing such a young, typcially nocturnal, forest dwelling animal out in the open during the day is probably not a good sign – it probably isn’t learning these things from its mother.  I hope it makes it!

Update:  Later this evening, this little guy was reunited with it’s mother!  I was told the adult was about 5 times the size of the baby.