Alaska Whales, Eagles and Bears – photo tour

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Kenai Fjords, Photos, Travel 2 Comments

Mountain Goat in Cataract Cove, Harris Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

Mountain Goat in Cataract Cove, Harris Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

This huge waterfall dumps straight into the ocean and is one of many places we visit on my Kenai Fjords photo tour.

All my workshops and tours are sold out this year except for this one which still has room.  I’m surprised, as this is maybe the best of the bunch!  So, if you want to see whales, eagles, bears, puffins and amazing scenery, check it out:  Kenai Fjords National Park photo tour.  

Note, there has been a date change.

Spruce Pollen

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Photos, Travel 5 Comments

Spruce pollen, Seward, Alaska.

Spruce pollen, Seward, Alaska.

As I returned from my daily walk from the Post Office, I couldn’t help but notice the cool patterns the spruce pollen was making in a mud puddle in our drive-way thanks to a recent rain.  This is a photo of that puddle.

F/V Northwestern

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Photos, Travel 2 Comments

F/V Northwestern coming into Seward, Alaska.

F/V Northwestern coming into Seward, Alaska.

This is the fishing vessel Northwestern coming into Seward at about 11:15 last night.  This is one of the crab boats made famous on the Discovery Channel’s show Deadliest Catch.  I was hoping it would arrive a bit earlier while we were enjoying some amazing evening light!  But, at least it is still plenty light enough for photography despite the late time of day.

Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Kenai Fjords, Photos, Travel 8 Comments

Canoes in front of the Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, Pedersen Lagoon, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

Canoes in front of the Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, Pedersen Lagoon and Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska.

Some good friends invited us along for an over-night trip to Aialik Bay on their fishing boat, as they were going to deliver some large water tanks out to the Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge.  Now doing an overnight trip with good friends sounded like a great time, but it even got better!  We were actually able to stay in our own cabin at the Kenai Glacier Lodge on the shores of Pedersen Lagoon, and were joined for dinner and breakfast by Kirk Hoessle who not only owns this remote lodge, but is the owner of Alaska Wildland Adventures, a company that has been offering unique Alaska travel packages for many years now.

First a bit of history.  Years ago before I had a blog I would write an occasional piece for my website.  Back then I wrote one about my favorite place where I selected Pedersen Lagoon / glacier area as my favorite place.  Today, it is definitely still one of my favorite places.

So I must admit I was concerned when we were contacted by a developer looking to buy images of the area for a financing proposal to develop a lodge on a piece of private in-holdings within the National Park – the wrong development could really ruin the area.  That deal came and went until finally Alaska Wildland Adventures came along and leased the land.  This was good news as Alaska Wildland is an Alaska based (Girdwood) travel company with other lodges in the state and a reputation of doing things right – if it had to be developed, they were an excellent choice.  They ended up building Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge a few years ago and I was eager to finally see in person how it turned out.

So how did they do?  Frankly, they couldn’t have done a better job!  I have always been pleased that you couldn’t see any sign of the lodge from Aialik Bay, but even from within Pedersen Lagoon the shoreline cabins are barely noticeable.  The cabins have “peak a boo views” through the trees as they sit just back from the shoreline.  This not only hides the buildings, but has maintained the historic paths used by the local bear population, and I think almost enhances the view as you feel like you are part of the forest looking out at the lagoon and glacier.  They made every effort in keeping every tree possible, they even went to great lengths to protect the mossy ground cover by using special mats to move the limited equipment around the site for foundations.  Really they couldn’t have done a better job!

The wonderful development is exceeded by the actual operation.  Wonderful food, very friendly staff and nice, clean cabins and lodge.  They offer a wide variety of activities including canoeing, hiking and kayaking.   Like most nice remote lodges in Alaska that have to get by with a 100 day season, it isn’t cheap, but when you consider the price includes boat rides meals and activities, I think it is a good value.  To stay in such comfort in such an amazing remote location looking at the amazing scenery and wildlife is an opportunity that I definitely highly recommend!

 

Can a tree cut a rock?

Ron NiebruggeLas Vegas, Nevada, Photos, Travel 9 Comments

Dead tree branch cutting through a rock, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

Dead tree branch cutting through a rock, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

I know this photo will never win me any awards or make any money, but it was such an interesting sight, I just had to share.  This was from our recent winter / spring travels.

This dead branch was still connected to the tree it grew from, but part of it came to rest on this rock.  As the tree swayed back and forth in the wind, this branch would rub against the sandstone boulder.  Over what probably took many, many years the branch has slowing cut it’s way through the stone.  Now granted, on the scale of hardness, sandstone is much softer then most – but it is still hard enough that trying to cut it by hand with tools would have taken a lot of effort.  Pretty interesting.

At the time I found this, I was exploring a somewhat remote canyon hoping to find an interesting slot canyon.  Judging by the difficult access to this canyon, I think it is safe to say very few people ever visit this area – just as well, one misplaced step and this branch would be broken.  I may have to go back in a few years to see how much more has been cut.