Hitting the Road

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Photos, Travel 20 Comments

Sunrise on Mt. Marathon last month, Seward, Alaska.

Sunrise on Mt. Marathon last month, Seward, Alaska. If you look close, you can see the Seward Highway way down in the valley as it comes into town.

I gotta admit, it is really hard to leave Alaska this time of year.  Sure, it is the wettest time of year, but a beautiful Fall day in Seward can be really amazing.  In fact, last year we ended up delaying our fall trip because we couldn’t pull ourselves away from here.  But, I have always wanted to visit and photograph Colorado, and September is a wonderful month in the Rockies.  If we waited until after the fall colors in Alaska, we would miss them in Colorado.

So tomorrow we pack, Saturday drive to Anchorage, Sunday fly to Southern California where we spend a couple of days getting our trailer ready, then make the three day drive to Estes Park.  I say all that so that I have a built in excuse in case I’m unable to post to the blog next week.  Once we are down there and situated, I will resume my regular posts, hopefully with photos of a new region (for me) and exciting adventures!  Well, hopefully not too exciting.

What we typically do on these long trips is find a campground with wifi – this way we can set up our mobile office so that we can maintain the office while I photograph the surrounding area.

Our plan right now is to stay for two weeks in Estes Park and photograph Rocky Mountain National Park.  Then, down to Gunnison for two or three weeks of chasing the fall colors in the mountains.  Once the colors fade, we are going back to Moab – a place we really enjoyed last fall.  This year we were able to snag back country reservations for a couple of nights  along the White Rim Trail – that should be fun.  Those are hard to get, we had to apply months ago.

After that, our trip is less planned.  As we head West we will spend a few nights in the Vegas area before hitting the Southern California desert for a week or two.  When we return to Alaska in mid November, fall will be long over.

So that is the plan for now – sometimes we follow the plan almost exactly, other times we completely change our minds depending on what we find on the road.    So stay tuned to the photo blog for future posts!

Comments 20

  1. Hope you have a great trip Ron. I went to Rocky Mtn NP a few years ago right as winter first started so the main road was closed but it was still a fantastic place.

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  3. So will we see you at the 50th reunion in S.D… will you bring some catlogs?? Look forward to seeing you…Bunny
    You have a wonderful trip planned….ENJOY !

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    Thanks Dennis. I hope so – I love West Yellowstone, so it sounds like I will like it. Enjoy the long weekend!

    Thanks Gary -unfortunately, I know you speak from experience!

    Ron

  9. Have a great trip, Ron! Sounds great. I’m heading to Grand Tetons/Yellowstone for the first time tomorrow, so I’m excited about that. Your Yellowstone/Grand Teton photos are etched in my mind to help me with compositions.

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  11. Had a nice visit with the talented Niebruegge team yesterday. The painting Niebruegge team, not the photo one. It is amazing what your mom can do with a bunch of spots. Beautiful work!
    I can’t believe you are leaving Alaska this time of year! This weekends weather should be particularly good torture for you as you head out. Have a great trip anyway.

  12. Keep the photos coming! I hope from your comments that we may be getting a glimpse of Death Valley. That was one place i was really surprised by as it is so different to how I had imagined it to be. My husband & I are off this week ourselves to the Norfolk Broads –lots of birds and
    windmills!! However my favourite place is still Alaska and I’m still hopeful that one day I shall return.

    Cheers Nina

  13. Hi Ron,

    My wife & I just returned from our first visit to Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks yesterday. As you had stated correctly (a couple of weeks ago in reply to my questions), the weather did not always follow the forecast and we were very lucky that it did not rain during the last 4 days of our trip (to the Kenai Peninsula).
    1. We had excellent views of Mt. McKinley while driving from ANC to Denali NP. Not so lucky the next couple of days as rain washed out the ride to Wonder Lake. But the next day’s outing to Eielson Visitor Center was great. The fall colors were at their peak and brilliant. Lots of wildlife along the road. Highlight was the hike up to Mt. Healy Overlook near the park entrance.
    2. While in Seward, we took a cruise to Northwestern Fjord. Not much marine mammal sightings at this time of the year. Highlight was the hike to the Harding Icefield to the exact spots where you have captured those lovely images. Missed Mt. Marathon due to lack of time & aching muscles 🙂 We also had an overnight stay at Whittier where we took a boat cruise to Price William Sound (Blackstone Glacier). The weather was perfect on both these days with clear blue skies. On the way back to ANC, paid a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Needless to say, we both fell in love with Alaska and cant wait to come back for more.
    Plans will be underway shortly for a trip to the South East part (Inside Passage) next fall including Tongass National Forest 🙂

    Wish you and Janine a wonderful time in Rocky Mountain & Gunnison NP’s. Hope you guys come back with some lovely fall images including those of the Aspen trees.

    Swap

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    Hi Calvin. Yeah, it was really hard to leave, and the weather the last weekend didn’t help at all. But, it is the only way to hit fall in CO. Have a great fall, I like forward to seeing what you get!

    Hi Swap. So glad to hear your trip went so well. The Harding Icefield is such a great hike – it is a tough one, I’m not surprised you are sore! Thanks for the trip report!

    Thanks Michael – it would be great to see you again – if not this fall, then maybe this winter.

    Ron

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    Hi Nina. Hope you had a great trip! We probably won’t hit Death Valley on this one, but I would love to return there one day – I agree it is beautiful. I also agree, Alaska is my favorite as well!

  17. I love this photo. You really capture the brilliance of the sunrise. You can feel the morning air as much as visualize the flowers and life on these mountains waking up under the shine.
    Thank you! KyungMee.

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  19. I’m so glad a friend clued me into your blog! Few things I enjoy more than beautiful photos and I expect to check in frequently. Breathtaking!!!

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