July 21st – Aug 1st, 2008

The trip to Alaska this summer was fantastic and resulted in some terrific images.  To start off, we (myself, Kate and another couple who traveled with us) flew into Anchorage where we picked up a 24ft RV that would be home for the next two weeks.  This was quite an experience since I’m use to campfires and sleeping bags on most adventures.

Our trip started off north out of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway, leading us to the Richardson Highway to the city of Valdez.  From Valdez we took the Alaska Marine Highway (the ferry) across Prince William Sound to Whittier.  Two ferries take this route – a fast one and a slow one.  If you have the time, I recommend taking the slow boat.  It is a great way to see the Sound, and you are likely to see wildlife along the way.  On our ferry ride we saw orcas, otters, and sea lions.  From Whittier we drove to Homer where we went halibut fishing, bear watching, and whale watching.

From Homer we drove to Seward stopping for a day hike at the Russian River.  I am glad we hiked back to have lunch at the waterfall – this brown bear had the same idea.  I think the salmon would have been a better lunch than my turkey sandwich, but he wasn’t sharing.  After a few fun days in Seward we spent our last day in Anchorage, where we hopped a plane back to Ohio.

Unfortunately, the drive to Valdez was shrouded with low clouds and haze, but I managed to get a few good shots along the way.  Outside of Valdez the waterfalls make for some spectacular shots.  We stopped at Horsetail Falls and Bridal Veil Falls located on the Richardson highway.  They are both worth braving the rain to get the shots. Most of the time I had to hold my hand over the lens, keeping the drops off of the glass.  I used a stormjacket to cover the body of my camera and lens.  Although I used this, I probably submitted my camera to moisture that Canon never intended a 40D to endure, but it performed flawlessly.

Although driving through the interior of Alaska has some great scenic views, we didn’t see much in the way of wildlife.  This changed as we crossed Prince William Sound to the Kenai Peninsula.  In Homer, I left everyone behind (not really behind, they went halibut fishing) and flew out to Katamai National Park with Emerald Air Service bear viewing for the day.  I did have my reservations of spending $600 for the flight out to Katamai, but it was an experience of a lifetime and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.  The flight over the mountains in Ken’s deHavilland Otter was worth the price of admission, and I was lucky enough to ride in the co-pilot’s seat.  Before stepping off the plane we could see a bear along the river bank.  After we deplaned and set off on a short hike to the grassy meadow, a bear crossed the river to check out our tracks.

As we approached the grassy flats we first saw two bears, then a mother and two cubs, then two more.  If you weren’t counting, we’re up to seven Alaskan Brown Bears, one in just about every direction you looked.  This was an experience that was both humbling and exhilarating, but also impossible to fully capture in words.  As we sat down to have lunch, I ate as fast (I was starving) and cleanly as possible (not to leave anything for the bears), with a constant eye on the bears not wanting to miss the perfect shot.  After more shooting and a bit of bear water wrestling, the incoming tide decided that it was time for us to leave.  If you’re like me and keep a list of things you want to do in life, it would be remiss for this not to be high on your list.  Many thanks go to Chris and Ken Day for an unforgettable day.

Safely back in Homer our next adventure would be a spur of the moment whale watching cruise that resulted in the best whale shots of the trip.  We were lucky enough to have a humpback mother and calf breach many times very close to our boat.  Even the captain said that we got a rare show.

After our hike at the Russian River we made our way to Seward where we hiked up to Exit Glacier.

Photographing the glacier was nearly as fun for me as the wildlife.  My best shots were made with my 70-200mm cropping in on the fantastic details in the ice.  I could have spent hours exploring the glacier.

The wildlife cruise we took out of Seward took us into the Kenai Fjords National Park where we visited puffins and sea lions along the way to Aialik Glacier.  This glacier extends all the way to the water’s edge. With the boat’s engines off, we watched the glacier calve to hear the massive crash of ice meeting water.

If you plan on going to Seward make sure you visit the Alaskan Sealife Center, and also try your hand at sea kayaking.  It is a very different perspective on the landscape.  We even had a sea otter within 10 feet of our kayak.

Sadly with our trip coming to an end we left Seward and stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which allowed us to see few animals we missed in the wild.  The fences make it hard to photograph, but if you are careful you can get some good shots.

To summarize our trip in this short report does not do it justice.  I was in awe of the unspoiled beauty and diversity of Alaska.  It does one’s heart good to know that there are still truly wild places in the world.  To get to enjoy them for even a short time was amazing.

Tips:

1. Don’t schedule things to do every day of your trip.  This allows you to explore things you might have otherwise missed.  We would have never gone on that great whale watching trip if we would have had a full itinerary.
2. If you are going to be driving in Alaska the The Mileposts guide is invaluable for finding things.  Everything is called out in the book by its mile marker.
3. Have some type of weather protection for your camera.
4. Layer your cloths! We saw temperatures from the 30′s and snow to 70′s and sun.
5. If you are planning on going on a wildlife cruise spend the extra money to go on a smaller boat, you have more flexibility of what you want to see and the lower camera angle will make for better shots.  There are also far less people on the boat.
6. Talk to the locals.  They will tell you about great things you would miss that are off the beaten path.  This is usually Kate’s (my fiancée) job.  We went on a great hike in Seward that took us through the coastal rain forest.
7. When I go back to Alaska and plan to drive around I will probably rent or buy car (donating it to a church when I leave) and just camping.  Most of the RV parks had camping and showers so it would make for a cheaper way to go.

Places to eat:

Homer spit:

• Finn’s Pizza: Wood fire pizza.
• Boardwalk Fish and Chips: Great food and view.

Seward:

• Exit Glacier Salmon Bake: Awesome food and the Moose’s Tooth root beer is the best I’ve ever had.
• The Crab Pot Restaurant: Don’t let the name fool you.  They’ve got live king crab and you can get your picture taken with it before they cook it, It’s the best crab I’ve ever eaten.