Denali 2016

[IPT]

A few from Denali last fall. Photobucket is taking forever to upload though!

[Higher Thinking]

That is awesome! My friend attempted to summit there a couple years ago and ended up having to turn back due to unforeseen weather conditions.

[IPT]

[IPT]

Originally Posted by Higher Thinking

That is awesome! My friend attempted to summit there a couple years ago and ended up having to turn back due to unforeseen weather conditions.

Yeah the weather up there can be insane! It must be something to view the landscape from it's flanks though.

A joke here in Alaska is "don't like the weather, just wait another 10 minutes". Weather can change on a dime up here, especially in the mountains!

[Reef Bass]

Very nice Louis. I also found PhotoB very slow the last time I used it. It seemed to be resizing my pics too which I find irritating.

Interesting interplay between the aurora and what I assume are car lights in #3. Was that just coincidence or how did you set that up?

[Pastey]

Incredible. I've wanted to make it up there since I can remember. It was between that and Iceland last year and we wound up in Iceland. I'd flat out move to Alaska if it didn't mean having my wife leave me xD

Great pictures!

[IPT]

Originally Posted by Reef Bass

Very nice Louis.
Interesting interplay between the aurora and what I assume are car lights in #3. Was that just coincidence or how did you set that up?

Intentional. The Aurora was kicking so all I had to do was wait for a truck to come through. I was camped off the hwy that goes from Anchorage to Fairbanks just to get me closer to the park for my 6:30 am camper bus. You need a tripod for Aurora stuff so it was just a matter of opening the shutter at the right time to get the taillights trailing through the image. It was in the early am hours but it is corridor that always seems to have a vehicle or two coming through now and then.

Originally Posted by Pastey

Incredible. I've wanted to make it up there since I can remember. It was between that and Iceland last year and we wound up in Iceland. I'd flat out move to Alaska if it didn't mean having my wife leave me xD

Great pictures!

Ha, they say that's why the ratio of men to woman is so skewed. Couple comes up, woman leaves, man stays. Though it's a lot more balanced now then back in the pipeline days when that reputation was developed. I've meet some of the women who did come up in those years. They are some tough chicks who i admire a lot. They also said it was a heck of a lot of fun in those times .

[FutureTOTM]

Very nice pics! Thanks for the share!

[IPT]

This dude practically stepped on my tent as he strolled through the campground







This one could probably use a contrast boost but you get the idea .

[Reef Bass]

Good stuff once again Louis. I particularly enjoy the moose head, although I'm surprised the upside of his left antler is so bright. Is that glare because it's wet? I see some water drops on his lower lip, but maybe he's just a drooler.

[IPT]

LOL, he was a drooler for sure. That drop is only in one or two frames. That antler is just bright because of the contrast of the bare bone (antler) and dark fur. Big dynamic range and I was probably lazy and did the adjustment on my laptop . I probably could have and should have pulled back the highlights some. That said you'd be amazed and how bright they are! Makes they easy to find because of in the distance you will see the light glint off the antlers and it really pops out at you in contrast to the rest of the landscape.

[Reef Bass]

Makes sense. I can see that being helpful for spotting them. On the bright side (), that area doesn't look blown out. Highlight reduction could help. But if that's how it was, then so be it.

How has your winter been? We've been getting a lot of rain here where I am. Some places near me over 200% of average. We need it.

[IPT]

Wow, 200% above average! That's a lot. Our winter has been fair. Started off slow with precipitation (snow) below average. We've gotten a lot in the past few weeks though so I'm not sure where we are with averages. it's actually been a pretty good winter but I haven't been able to enjoy like I usually would. I have an 8 month old now and she sort of crimped my style a bit . Still sorting out how to juggle all of that and be active with her being so young. I think my wife and I already gave her frost nip on one cheek so now we're being conservative.

[Reef Bass]

Congrats on the 8 mo. old! Yeah, your style is crimped for a while. Thanks for getting the shots you did.

Conservative with her at that age is wise. She'll have plenty of time to skin knees, etc. when she's older.

I have 3 daughters, 26, 19 and 16. They're terrific and the best thing I've done with my life.

I was just noticing what seems to me to be the relative lack of snow cover in your shots, except on Denali.

Yes, a delightful amount (double!) of rain for us, which after years of drought, is very welcome. Local reservoirs are full to overflowing. Local subterranean aquifers are likely still low, however, and it could take years to replenish those. Pumping of ground water has resulted in measurable settlement in parts of the central valley.

(ascend soapbox) California could do a much better job of capturing the rainfall it does receive so as to help to minimize drought conditions. (descend soapbox)

On an unrelated note - what animal would you like to get a shot of that you haven't been able to? I've enjoyed your shots of bald eagles and moose.

I got a poor shot of a Yellowstone black bear this last summer which I didn't really expect to have the opportunity to get. But it sucked so whatever.

[IPT]

Originally Posted by Reef Bass

On an unrelated note - what animal would you like to get a shot of that you haven't been able to? I've enjoyed your shots of bald eagles and moose.

I'd like to have a better crack at a Lynx. I got a shot or two in Denali a few years back but he was in the trees some. Saw one by my house but didn't have a camera! Saw an image in the paper a few weeks ago of a family of 5 of them walking down a street not all that far from me! My game came also caught one's butt in my backyard .

Yes, parenthood has been a very pleasant surprise. I think it's one of those things that you just don't know the pleasures of until you actually have a child (or 3 in your case!)!

[Reef Bass]

Yeah a shot of a lynx would be cool. I like the tufts of hair on the tips of their ears. I saw a wild one while fishing at a relatively local lake. He came down to drink in the same cove I happened to be in.

I like bears too but getting too close there is a bad idea.

[cody6766]

fantastic photos, as usual. I hope to make it out to Denali this summer. We didn't get there last year, and there's no way I'm going to spend 3 years in AK and not see it. I have 2 more summers to make it happen.

A lynx photo would be awesome. The closest I've come to seeing one was up at Eielson AFB, during Arctic Survival school last year. We only saw some tracks along some rabbit trails. It's amazing how effective their large feet are at keeping them on top of the snow.

[IPT]

Originally Posted by cody6766

fantastic photos, as usual. I hope to make it out to Denali this summer. We didn't get there last year, and there's no way I'm going to spend 3 years in AK and not see it. I have 2 more summers to make it happen.

A lynx photo would be awesome. The closest I've come to seeing one was up at Eielson AFB, during Arctic Survival school last year. We only saw some tracks along some rabbit trails. It's amazing how effective their large feet are at keeping them on top of the snow.

Yeah it is amazing how they just float on the snow isn't it. I was watching a squirrel yesterday even on the light fluffy snow we got and he hardy sunk in at all.

You really should make it to the park once if not two or three times. Every trip is different and you never know what you may see.

[Tinpanva]

Nice looking set! Love the 3rd image with the light trails. It's on my bucket list to shoot the northern lights!

[rollopac187]

What month were those shots of the Aurora taken?

[IPT]

Originally Posted by rollopac187

What month were those shots of the Aurora taken?

Late August, early Sept. Most forecasts say Sept and March are for some unknown reason some the best times for Aurora. Might have something to do with the Fall and Spring equinox.