January 13, 2008

Here in Eagle River winter is in full swing. Even though our first snowfall started in early October, it was not until December that we felt like it was really winter. With plenty of snow on the ground, temperatures below zero, and little daylight, most people would decide it is time to hibernate. Not so, here in Alaska. For us, it is a time to play in this winter wonderland and enjoy our longest season.

I like this photo, ak1014_40D, because it shows a hiker being enveloped, almost swallowed up, by the winter landscape. While it has a foreboding feel to it, the solitude of this scene also signifies our time to embrace winter, internalize it, and seek its spiritual comforts as we slow down and reflect about ourselves and our place in the natural world. Do not be afraid of the journey through the forest of our minds, for there is something larger and wonderful to be gained - peace.

January 31 , 2008

Winter can have such a monochromatic look to it, that color pictures are often mistaken for black and white. For example, the color image, ak1027_40D, was taken on the frozen Eagle River and appears to be black and white. On what was obviously a cloudy day, the snow and evergreen trees created a wonderful contrast. Yet, at the same time there were subtle transitions such as the ground fog with the mountains. Or the snow on the very tip of the overhanging tree branch in the upper left of the photo. It is hard to see where the snow ends and the ground fog begins.

Finally, frozen rivers play an important role in Alaska life. For some, it is a vital transportation corridor for getting essential supplies into remote villages. For animals, it is a way to easily move through the wilderness without getting bogged down in the deep snow. Predators, for example, wolves, use the rivers as easy access to prey. And for people, the snow covered surface provides recreation, whether it is with snow machines, sled dogs, or under your own power via cross country skies or snow shoes. River travel certainly ranks high on Alaskans’ lists as one of the fun things to do during the long winter.

February 1, 2008

No where is winter’s deep cold better illustrated than when flowing rivers and streams give off water vapor (appearing to steam) which condenses into ice crystals. Images ak1128_40D and ak1131_40D were found hanging off of the frozen surface of Eagle River in the area known as The Rapids. In the winter, as the river level (volume) drops, caverns are created below the surface ice, and are often opened and revealed by the cracking of the ice. During extremely cold weather, such as when these images were taken when it was -25℉, the water vapor from the “warm” water condenses onto the colder ice surfaces. The ice crystals are intricately beautiful and as delicate as a bird’s feather, hence there must be very little wind for them to survive intact. That is usually the case during the mid-winter when high pressure prevails and sunny skies are the norm.

February 28, 2008

Mid- to late-winter in Alaska has a character different from the beginning of the season. Like our Inuit (indigenous Eskimo) brothers and sisters who have many words to describe the various forms of snow, we recognize that winter is not one monotonous, unbroken chain of cloudy, dark days.

Although day light officially gets longer starting on the winter solstice, back in December, it is not until February that Alaskans really begin to see the effect of the longer hours of sunlight. Now, there is more time for outdoor activities, and sunny days - often accompanied by sub-zero temperatures - brighten up the landscape. For example, this image, ak1105_40D, shows the wonderful contrast between the brilliant blue skies and a cottonwood tree adorned with “leaves” of snow and frost. Image ak1103_40D reminds me of cottonwood trees in the summer shedding their cotton seeds that it looks like it is snowing.

Maybe the purity and crispness to this time of year is a herald to the season of rebirth to come - Spring. Yet, to look beyond this moment and forward to the next, is to perhaps miss the awareness and centering that “being in the moment”, i.e., appreciating the present, brings. For me, the process of photography - slowing down and seeing through the lens - allows me to do this. And that is a gift from the great creator that money cannot buy.

March 13, 2008

Every year at this time Fairbanks holds the World Ice Art Championships. It is simply amazing what artists with chainsaws and chisels can do to a block of ice. Many wonderful sculptures were on display. Among the simplest, but possibly the most fascinating, was the telephone booth, complete with a working telephone (ak8043). Perhaps it is fitting that the telephone booth, relegated to being art deco today with the widespread use of cell phones, melts away and leaves no trace as the weather warms; all that is left is the memory of a cold telephone call.

April 7, 2008

Break-up. No, it is not when two people who are in love decide to split up. Rather, it is that time of year in Alaska when winter transitions to spring, and appropriately, frozen rivers begin to break up into chunks of floating ice.

Despite getting over three inches of snow in Eagle River two days ago, accompanied with nighttime temperatures in the upper teens, the longer hours of daylight and the warming trend in March has taken its toll; the inexorable march towards spring has gained momentum. These images (ak0041, ak0042, ak0043 & ak0061) show the ice floes on the Knik River during the incoming tide. You can see some blurryness in the middle of the ice pack of image ak0041_Ds3 indicating movement relative to the stationary ice in the foreground. As impressive as it is to see, it is equally impressive to listen to the crushing sounds made by tons of colliding and compressing ice.

April 16, 2008

Okay, I’m confused. Is it break-up or make-up? Since April, we here in Eagle River have gotten over ten inches of snow, with some in the Anchorage area getting a few feet of snow. Winter is definitely dragging on and on and on. Yesterday’s five inches of snow started at the freezing point and proceeded throughout the night as temperatures plummeted into the teens, resulting in many trees and brush being coated with a layer of snow (ak0074_Ds3). While tonight’s temperatures will dip into the lower teens, warmer weather is promised for the weekend, possibly reaching 50℉, and turning nature’s handiwork into a watery memory. It just goes to show you two things about Alaska: 1) never count out winter at any time of the year, and 2) extremes in temperatures from day to day can drastically change the landscape.

April 26, 2008

Winter redux - yet again (see my previous two entries). In the last twenty four hours the Anchorage area was pummeled by a record breaking snowstorm for this date. Snow depths ranged from 10 inches to two feet. Now, I am really confused. Last week we were basking in sunny weather with temperatures in the 50s. After a long winter, that feels like heaven to Alaskans. Everyone was happy: daylight was approaching 16 hours; the mud was beginning to dry up; many people switched over from studded tires to regular tires (Doh!); cars were being washed completely of winter grime for the first time in months; gardeners were getting their plots tidied up in anticipation of planting; some hardy insects were already out and about; the birds were chirping; and the pussy willows were nearly in full bloom. What more could we ask for? And now this. I don’t even know what to call it. Is it a late-winter storm? Not really, because the calendar says we are over a month into spring. So then, is it a mid-spring storm? Perhaps, but we really have not had spring weather but for a few days. All I know is that it will all change again, and soon. As the cheechakos (northern vernacular for tenderfoots) were warned on the Discovery Channel premier of “The Alaska Experiment” last week, Alaska is a land of extremes so always be prepared. Stay tuned. Maybe, just maybe, my next journal entry will be under the heading of Spring!