Goodbye Winter, Hello Summer

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Chugach, Photos, Travel 12 Comments

A frozen waterfall, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

Excited to be taking off this afternoon – after 2.5 days of flying and driving we should be in Southern California, first Anza-Borrgeo, then over to the coast.  I have been in Alaska for 7 months straight – the longest stretch in over 10 years!  Over the next 10 months, we have a lot of travel planned.  As much as I have enjoyed my time in my home state, I also enjoy traveling and I’m getting excited to be hitting the road!

What I’m really excited about is where I’m going after we spend a couple of weeks in California – Antarctica!  It is going to be strange to go from our short days, to the long, Alaska summer like days down South.  I am really looking forward to seeing this amazing continent, should be a trip of a lifetime!

As you might guess, posting might be a bit spotty over the next week.

Petersburg, Alaska

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Photos, Travel Leave a Comment

This was from my trip to Southeast at the end of summer as I scouted for next summer’s Inside Passage Whale and landscape photo tour.

The rock formation off in the distance is Devils Thumb.  One of the chapters in Jon Krakauer’s book Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains was about his solo climb of this peak back in the 70’s.  When I was there, I couldn’t help thinking about that adventure – trying to picture a guy who actually used curtain rods as protection from a fall into a crevasse as he hiked / climbed to the base of the rock – crazy!.  Like all of Krakauer’s adventure books – the compilation of short stories in Eiger Dreams is fascinating reading.

Janine has our website completely updated with new sections for sections for Southeast Alaska and the Tongass National Forest, along with updates to some popular sections including our gallery of bear photos and whale photos.

Frozen Ghost Trees

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Chugach, Photos, Travel 5 Comments

Here is another one from my hike last weekend.

Standing dead trees usually only remain standing for a couple of years in these parts thanks to our wet, extreme weather.  The wet rots the wood, and the wind and heavy snow takes care of the rest.

So for these dead trees to be still standing after 50 years is remarkable.  The reason they are still standing is interesting.  This area subsided during the huge Alaska earthquake of 1964 and that allowed this area to be flooded by the nearby ocean.  When the trees sucked up the salt water it killed the tree, but also preserved it.  After time, the weather turns the trees white which is why they are often called ghost trees.  These trees are extra white in this photo thanks to the snow and frost.  There are numerous examples of these trees along the coast throughout South-central Alaska.

Las Vegas Time-lapse

Ron NiebruggeLas Vegas, Nevada, Photos, Travel 4 Comments

Here is a new time-lapse video of Las Vegas – most of this was filmed during our visit last Winter.  Some of the opening scenes were filmed with a tilt-shift lenses giving the appearance of a miniature city.  Enjoy!

Winter Frost

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Chugach, Photos, Travel 4 Comments

This was from a hike in Portage Valley this past Saturday.  It was a bit cold for this time of year, at least in this area – the temperature varied from 10 to 15 below Fahrenheit.  These trees were nicely back lit by nice golden light as the sun just peaked over the mountains on the horizon to the South – right about at high noon!  A good portion of the Portage Valley doesn’t even see sun this time of year.

This reminds me of a post I did a few years ago that might be of value:  8 winter photography tips.