Denali Dreaming

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Denali, Photos, Travel 11 Comments

Mt. Mc Kinley (Denali to most Alaskan's), Denali National Park, Alaska.

Mt. Mc Kinley (Denali to most Alaskan's), Denali National Park, Alaska.

As I try to power away on the office work, I can’t help but to day dream away about Alaska’s upcoming summer – it is why most people live here!  In just a few weeks we will be back in Denali – a time of year that can be great for baby animals.  I’m excited to get back up there.

It seems like in the past week or two we have sold a lot of photos of Denali for various book and calendar projects.  Funny how it works – we might go many months without making a sell for a particular subject like Denali, then all of a sudden we see a bunch of activity – then it can go right back to nothing for months.  You would think it would trickle in, but often it doesn’t.  That is why it really helps to have a wide variety of subject matter.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Photos, Travel, Wrangell-St. Elias 11 Comments

Aerial of Regal Mountain, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Aerial of Regal Mountain, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

It has been a while since I have spent any time in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.  My summer is shaping up to be a busy one, but I’m really hoping to get out that way at least for a bit, maybe this fall.

This area will always have special meaning to me as I grew up nearby and within sight of the amazing Wrangell Mountains of which this is just a small part.

8 Great Years!

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Denali, Photos, Travel 16 Comments

Wild wolves at sunrise, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Wild wolves at sunrise, Denali National Park, Alaska.

This old photo shot on Velvia slide film is still one of my favorite photos and memories, and as good as any for my annual trip down memory lane.  You see it was eight years ago that I left a wonderful job and took the big plunge into being a full time photographer – a decision I have never regretted.  I could go on, but I would just be repeating what I wrote last year on my 7 Years and Counting post.

I heard about an interesting study reported on the news recently (NBC Nightly News I think).  The researchers interviewed elderly people in retirement homes to find out about their lives, and what brought them happiness and regret.  To greatly paraphrase the results, the thing that universally brought about the most regret was not having taken more risks in their life – risks they may have enabled them to pursue a dream or passion.

To this day I have to remind myself of this – I tend to be a bit risk adverse, and to this day I’m a bit surprised I did take such a huge leap.   I have to give Janine much of the credit for this decision thanks to all her help and support.  It reminds me of the great quote:  “It is better to try and fail then to never try at all”.

Shorebird Migration

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Chugach, Photos, Travel 11 Comments

Western Sandpipers, Seward, Alaska.

Western Sandpipers yesterday afternoon, Seward, Alaska.

The last two years I have traveled to the Copper River Delta for the spring shorebird migration – that is one amazing experience!

The number of birds migrating through Seward are measured in the hundreds instead of the tens of thousands over on the Copper River Delta, but it is still fun to see.  Yesterday was probably the best day I can ever remember here – hundreds of sandpipers and other shorebirds, numerous species of ducks, even a few sandhill cranes.  And a few eagles and a northern harrier preying on the weak.  There were birds everywhere – it was cool to see and I’m not even a “birder”.

They seem a bit late this year maybe because of the cool weather.  Between the steady rain, wind and a temperature just above 40 – I could barely feel my auto-focus and shutter buttons after a couple of hours – but I was having so much fun, it didn’t matter!

Transformation

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Chugach, Photos, Travel 9 Comments

Mt. Alice, Seward, Alaska.

Mt. Alice, Seward, Alaska.

The mountains around Seward still have heavy amounts of snow, but down low, most of it is gone and green leaves are just beginning to emerge from a largely brown landscape.  As I sit here right now watching a heavy rain come down, it is hard to believe that in just over a month the brown landscape will be transformed to this!  The transformation that takes place during the change of seasons never ceases to amaze me.

Desert Bighorn Statues

Ron Niebrugge Anza-Borrego, California, Photos, Travel 6 Comments

Desert Bighorn statues, Borrego Springs, California.

Desert Bighorn statues, Borrego Springs, California.

I would like to say that I captured some wonderful interaction between Bighorns in killer light – but, these are just two of the many full sized metal statues that can be found throughout the Borrego Springs area.

Nothing too exciting going on here right now – we are spending a lot of time in the office editing, keywording and adjusting photos from our last trip, like this one.  I will likely share a few more in the days to come.

Whimbrel Photo

Ron Niebrugge Alaska, Photos, Travel 15 Comments

A whimbrel working the shoreline in a light rain, Seward, Alaska.

A whimbrel working the shoreline in a light rain, Seward, Alaska.

Yesterday morning, seven whimbrels landed briefly in our front yard.  Yesterday evening I went out and worked the coast for a bit and wouldn’t you know it, found a group of seven whimbrels!  This photo is of one of them as I laid still in the rain and mud.  Later that evening, as I began to drive back to the house I spotted a group of – you guessed it, seven whimbrels flying overhead and off into the distance to the north.

Coincidence, or was I seeing the same birds each time?  As I thanked them and bid them a farewell, my simple, fairy tale mind likes to think it was the same birds each time.  🙂

Hiking in the Dark

Ron Niebrugge Arizona, Ask Ron, Photos, Travel 9 Comments

Sabino Canyon, near Tucson, Arizona and about an 45 minutes before a dark hike down this same hillside.

Sabino Canyon, near Tucson, Arizona and about 45 minutes before a dark hike down this same hillside.

Ron Richins asked this great question recently:

I just saw your last post about SabinoCanyon.  I also saw your post awhile ago about Tower Arch.  The one thing they have in common is that you hiked out in the dark from each location.  Do you have a lot of experience doing this, and does it get easier the more you do it?  I’ve only done a few hikes after dark, and they can be quite unnerving.  I wonder if you could share some tips about hiking prudently after dark.  A headlamp’s a must, but beyond that, what else do you do?  Do you follow tracks left by a GPS?  Or, am I just letting fear rule me more than reason?  This might make for an interesting blog post.

Actually, I don’t do too much hiking in the dark especially in Alaska.  Last summer I actually spent one night only a mile from my home in a tent rather then hike through a pitch dark bear infested forest. 🙂  There are enough bears around here already – but at night, it seems like every dark stump turns into a bear!

It was in Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park that I really began doing dark hikes.  There, spending the night wasn’t an option because of restrictions, permits etc., so long hikes in the dark was the only way to be at many locations for sunrise or sunset.  It was easy down there thanks to well marked, well worn trails.  It worked out so well, that I began doing it in other areas –  places like Moab and Tucson like you observed.

So here are some observations:

–  Be extra observant for visual clues, junctions etc.  Even familiar trails look very different in the dark.  It much, much  easier to get lost or miss a trail in the darkness.  Reliable visual references such as mountains and other land features are often impossible to see in the dark.

–  Dark hiking is slow.  Even though it seems like I’m hiking really fast, I’m not!  Allow extra time even on a trail you are familiar – like 25% extra time.

–  A headlamp is a must.  Unlike a flashlight, a headlamp keeps both hands free, and always places the beam of light exactly where you are looking – which is where you want it!

–  I use an old Petzl.  During my last visit to REI I was really tempted to purchase this much brighter version:
Petzl Tactkka Plus LED headlamp The thing I really like about the Tactikka Plus is the red filter which allows you to maintain your night vision.  I think that feature would be wonderful for night photography – star trails and northern lights.  Keeping your night vision while still having enough light to set up the camera would be a huge benefit.

–  Be sure your headlamps batteries are charged or fresh.

–  I carry a small can of bear spray.  I don’t remember where I bought this small can of spray – I think it might have been at a Bass Pro Shop.  I wouldn’t want such a small can in Alaska, but in the Southwest where I’m more concerned about mountain lions and people, I think it is a great size.

–  I make sure I know where I’m going.  I carefully look over maps and have a good feel for distances between junctions, directions etc.  I haven’t used my GPS on a night hike, but it probably isn’t a bad idea.  It would have been nice for our hike out from Tower Arch in Arches because the distance between cairns was greater then our light beam.  Fortunately on that hike I wasn’t alone.  I had Janine stop at the last cairn with her lamp, while I hiked out until I could find the next pile of rocks, then she could hike back toward my light and we repeated.  It was slow, but safe – especially given the steepness of the final hill.  A GPS cookie trail would have come in handy.

–  Go with a friend.  Not only is it safer like in the situation above, but it also makes it more fun and less spooky.  If I’m talking with someone then my mind is less likely to turn every stump into a monster like my mind does when I’m alone!

–  Be extra prepared.  I usually bring an extra shell or jacket, trail bars and water just in case I have to wait until morning to find my way.

I know what you are saying about how unnerving it can be when hiking in the dark – it is for me as well.  But, it does seem to get easier the more I do it.  I don’t think I will ever get to the level of comfort as I found in a young couple from South Africa.  I was camped late one summer night on the edge of the Harding Icefield in Alaska.  At 1:00 a.m in the total darkness they showed up without even a flashlight.  There are so many bears on that trail during the day, I can’t imagine making that long hike in the dark.  When I asked them about it the next day they just shrugged it off like it was nothing.