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Arctic Ground Squirrel — at Denali National Park.

Sometimes trips turn out just as you have planned.  By this I mean coming home with the images that you wanted or needed.  Those trips are few and far between mainly because most of us always want something that is almost to perfect to even be possible.  Then there are  the images that you get that had never even crossed your mind.

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Northern lights (Aurora borealis) when it appears, it always seems to entertain.  It is the main cause of sleep deprivation among a handful of photographers here in Alaska.  I am one of the few who is addicted to the occurrences of the Aurora.  I have over the years put on thousands of miles chasing the colors in the sky.  On the recent trip up the Haul Rd. I was lucky enough to not have to drive anywhere.  We simply camped in a location that we felt would give us a good scenic view in most directions or at least in the direction that the Aurora usually occur.  This sort of proved pointless because at that latitude we had miscalculated the common direction.  No worries because the is very little that obstructs your view in most areas.  So Tom & I came up with a schedule of waking to check the skies.  This worked out relatively well.  I think we only missed one short display due to sleep.

Like most of the Aurora displays this season it wasn’t until the wee hours of the morning.  I think 2:15 was the earliest that we began photographing, with most nights be 4:00 AM on.  In some of the shots above the snow has a red to orange tint to due to an idling semi truck in the pullout (they leave their running lights on).  Less than perfect conditions but with not knowing how long the display would last we decided to stay put.  After all, I have have nights where the display will last a few minutes and others where it is from sundown to sun up.  All in all well worth the sleep loss, at least I think so.

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Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) are social ungulates (hoofed) that travel in in herds.  Males can weight as much as 900 lbs. with females topping out around 400 lbs.  I have tried for several years to photograph them in the wild.  Sometimes I think my life would be easier if I did not make up rules for myself, such as I won’t/don’t photograph captive animals.  Nothing wrong with it just isn’t for me.  So a few years ago I flew out to Nome, AK during the summer to photograph a herd of Muskox.  First day there I found them.  Great!  They were several hundred yards from the road.  So I approached slowly.  Traveling only a hundred yards or so in an hours time.  About that time a van full of birders pulls up, out jumps one very enthusiastic individual who charges on to the tundra.  Meanwhile I am watching the Muskox turn and look.  I no sooner look up and see this guy running by me at them.  About 50 yards past me was the breaking point for the Muskox.  They simply ran up and over a distant ridge.  That would be the last time I saw them for the week I spent out there.

On this trip I knew that A: I would be lucky to find them in a location that I could photograph them and B: It would take a great deal of time to get close.  When we did find them on three occasions, the first was horrible light but I was happy to just know they were there.  The second time it was warm late evening light and they were relatively tolerant of us approaching.  We however, could not get close enough to get single individuals or even just 2 in the frame.  We were getting picky at that point but the sun was setting and they did not want us any closer.  While hiking out to the trucks we discussed coming back in the morning, knowing that it was a gamble to think they would be in sight from the road.  So after a late night shooting Aurora we headed down the road to find the Muskox.  When we arrived at the location, they were no where to be found, at least with the naked eye.  After glassing the horizon for a little while ,I spotted 2 pass between a couple of knolls.  That was it I had to try to get out there.  So I donned the snowshoes and warm gear and off I went.  It took, I don’t know how long to actually go the 3/4 mile out to them because of frequent stops so they could get used to me.  As I got close a strange thing happened that actually scared me, a little.  They all started running, but unlike in Nome it wasn’t away from me, it was towards me.  They then turned and put their backs to me and stared down on to the Sagavanirktok River or Sag River.  I still do not know what got their attention but my guess would be a wolf.   After a few minutes had passed I started to approach, with only an occasional glance from them.  I was able to spend 1 1/2 hours with them prior to them moving on.  This time Luck was on my side.

Rob

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Completed in 1974 the James Dalton Highway or Haul Road exists only to bring supplies and equipment to the oil field of northern Alaska.  In 1994 the road was open to public travel.  Out of the 414 miles I spent probably 100 or so mile driving on icy rumble strips.  This happens when the heavy semi trucks use chains on their drive tires in order to get traction on the snow and ice.  For most of the drive, the weather was amazing.  Clear skies day and night which made the visibility unlimited.  This was good because the Semis have the right of way.  So when one is approaching you must yield by pulling as far over as possible.  Worst case scenario is when you get caught in between a north and a south bound trucks.  This happened only 3 times throughout the trip.  Ironically, all in a 3 mile stretch of road.  I can now tell you that it is quite scary to see a semi skidding in your mirror knowing that their is nothing you can do.  After all my little truck would do more damage than a trucker hitting a deer or moose, but I would not fair any better than the animal in that situation.  I have always had respect for the individuals who drive that road for a living, but after doing it myself, I am now confident they earn every penny they make.  Some of the road sections are 12% grade, now add in a rough, icy surface, a blind corner, and trucks weighing over 90,000 lbs. just to make things interesting.

Enjoy.

Alaska Pipeline along side the James Dalton Highway.

Most people  gravitate to warmer climates at this time of year, since I am not one to follow the crowd I headed north.  If I am not mistaken to the farthest north point that you can legally drive on the road system in the US.  Upon returning home I had clocked roughly 2100 miles in a week or so.   The days were cold, and the nights were colder.  Pretty sure it was -20 F one night.  But the nightlife kept you moving and in constant awe.

Northern Lights (Aurora borealis) Atigun Pass

The days were filled with driving miles and miles either glassing the landscape for signs of life or simply trying to catch my breath from the magnificent vistas.  After several days the only critters that I was able to locate were Musk Ox.  This shooting opportunity was a thrill because on my last Musk Ox oriented trip I had less that stellar results.  That is after all part of business.  Wildlife photography is about the gamble, which sometimes doesn’t pay out.  However, this time luck was on my side.

5 Musk Oxen (Ovibos moschatus) Arctic Coastal Plain.

Unlike previous posts where I have only posted a few images from a trip similar to those above, I have chosen to break this trip into 4 posts.  The following 3 posts will consist of a small write up about the above mentioned subjects along with a gallery that should contain a dozen or so images each.

Last night was the first time in a very long time that I was actually able to shoot the Northern Lights (Aurora borealis) and come home with something worth showing.

Ever since I saw a beautiful Aurora photo on the cover of our local newspaper well over a decade ago I have been hooked.  I shutter to think how many hours/days I have spent standing in the middle of nowhere looking up in amazement.  Also how many hours of sleep I have missed.  Thanks Calvin!

Lately, at least for me the displays of Aurora have been few and far between, but last night with the help of my dogs who need to go to the bathroom I had confirmation that they were occurring.  So out I went.

In Alaska, this is our Super Bowl, heck it is probably the only alaskan sporting event that most tourists can name.

It is one of the toughest sled dog races at roughly 1100 miles in length.

The mushers set out with 16 dogs from Anchorage to Nome.

The ceremonial start is more of a parade for the media and sponsors that part of the actual race.  These times do not figure into the elapsed times for the race.

The photos shown here depict the the true athletes and their passion for the run.

Female Dall's Sheep (Ovis dalli)

With the recent snow some of the sheep tend to head down hill.  This gives folks like myself the opportunity to get up close and personal with the sure footed beasts.   This afternoon I was able spend a little time with 2 females and one young one (probably about 9 months old).

Young Dall's Sheep (Ovis dalli)

The warm light from the low sun made the trip worthwhile.  Not to mention I am always amazed at what these creatures can run on, most of the time I wouldn’t dare try to follow them.

Female Dall's Sheep (Ovis dalli)