Northern Lights in the ArcticThis was my first trip to Alaska, and while most decide to visit in summer, I decided to do mine in March. However, March is one of the best months to view the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. The weather is SLIGHTLY warmer than in the months of December through February and the nights are still long enough and dark enough to observe them. My trip was led by Andy Long, who has been leading northern lights workshops to Wiseman, Alaska for 13 years. Despite the clear skies, the first night in the Fairbanks, Alaska did not yield any Northern Lights, at least not while we were awake. We later did hear a report that they did come out around 3am...but I think I would have rather sleep, especially getting used to the 3 hour time change. However, the second night in Fairbanks did yield to lights much earlier in the evening. This was the first night I was able to see them and it is quite a magical experience to see them, especially when you can see them "dance" in the sky.
After a couple of days in Fairbanks, it was on to an even more remote location...Wiseman, Alaska (population 14 in the 2010 census). Wiseman is located in Northern Alaska...and even north of the Arctic Circle! The red pin in the map is where Wiseman Alaska located.
Yes, it was cold north of the Arctic but temperatures were above normal for this time of the year. The lowest reading I saw from the thermometer outside our cabin was -2 degrees and daytime highs reached the 20s. I dressed in layers including long underwear and was equipped with snow boots, hand warmers and toe warmers. However, with the proper gear, it was not all that uncomfortable as long as the wind was light.
That is the cabin we stayed in Wiseman. Overall, the conditions were good as I viewed northern lights 5 of the 6 nights this week! I would love to head back to Alaska soon, but the next trip will probably be in the summer! My favorite Arkansas photos this winterWhere I live in Northwest Arkansas, there hasn't been any more than a dusting of snow so far this winter. Back in January, in order to see snow covering the ground, I have had to travel south into Central Arkansas. On the morning of January 22nd, I drove to Pinnacle Mountain State Park, just outside of Little Rock. Here about 6 inches of fresh snow covered the landscape.
Winter is a great time to hunt for waterfalls. One of the more unique and photogenic waterfalls that has been recently "discovered" in the Ozark National Forest is a little known place called Short Grotto Falls. The waterfall is not big, but the grotto that has been created has made it an interesting place to visit.
There is no trail to get to this place, but it is a relatively short and east bushwack to get there. I suspect that this place will become more well known in the coming years, especially once it is published in the next upcoming edition of Tim Ernst's Waterfalls Of Arkansas. Another little known place, also in Johnson County, is a rock formation called the Arkansas Sphinx. Nobody seemed to know that this place even existed until loggers recently cut down the trees around it. There is now a short, but steep, trail to get to this place. The view is fantastic from this place, but the view won't be there forever. Over the coming years, as the trees grow back, the view will diminish. However, for now, it has become one my favorite subjects to shoot in the Ozarks of Arkansas.
On the morning of February 24, a heavy wet snow fell in the highest elevations of Arkansas. The most impressive snow totals fell over 2,000 feet above sea level, where about 5 to 9 inches of snow accumulated. I drove from Fayetteville (where snow did not accumulate), but it was a different world about 30 miles east and less than a thousand feet higher. Knowing ahead of time, that is was going to be an elevation dependent snow event, I opted to drive to one of the icons of Arkansas, Hawksbill Crag. That morning, it was not an easy place to reach, even by car. On Highway 16 in far southeast Madison County, just before the turnoff to Cave Mountain Road, it was a winter wonderland...about 6 inches of fresh wet snow clinging to all the trees. It caused one tree fall across the road, and I was blocked from going any further! I had to wait for an electric company crew to clear out the tree with their chainsaws. Once on Cave Mountain Road, I was the first person to drive on the snow covered dirt. I was stuck in the snow a couple of times and decided to walk the rest of the way to the trailhead. The trailhead is located about 2,200 feet and the entire landscape was covered in snow. However, as the trail drops down to the crag at about 1,900 feet, there was a noticeable difference in the amount of snow that fell and it was already melting pretty fast. in this picture, you can see the difference in snow between the top and bottom of the mountains. This type of snowfall was the closest thing you will see to seeing snow capped mountains in Arkansas!
A Weekend In San FranciscoEarlier this month I visited San Francisco for the first time. This was a photography tour, hosted by the Aperture Academy, that visited some of the highlights of the San Francisco area, including Marin County. Below were some of the locations we visited.
The Palace Of Fine Arts Theatre
Lombard Street
Bay Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
Hallway inside Fort Point
Rodeo Beach Utah: Anasazi Ruins & National ParksI recently made a trip to visit some of the hidden Anasazi ruins of southeast Utah. This photography tour was led by Stephen Oachs of the Aperture Academy, who has extensively scouted for hidden ruins in the Cedar Mesa region near Bluff, Utah. Some of the ruins he guided us to are somewhat well known, others are not. The first stop on the tour was to the House On Fire Ruin, which was a relatively short and easy hike.
The next place was a longer and more difficult hike to the Fallen Roof Ruin, which I think was the most photogenic. You can see part of the roof has collapsed onto the rock floor. I just loved the colors and patterns at this special spot!
While House On Fire and Fallen Roof Ruins have been photographed quite a bit in recent years; some locations that we visited are rarely seen. It takes some effort to get to these unnamed places. One location was about a 15-20 mile drive from the nearest paved road on a rough dirt road. Then after parking, you walk and even scramble over rocks to get to these hidden places. There was no formal trail and that is why the guidance from Stephen was especially helpful.
Some of locations had some fantastic rock art and even a few relics on the ground from years' past.
After the conclusion of this unique tour, I drove north to Moab and explored the wonders of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. I was fortunate to visit these parks shortly after some rain in the lower elevations, as well as snow in higher elevations. I wandered off the main road toward these red hoodoo formations in search for some puddles of water after the recent rain from the night before. Success!
Of course, a trip to Arches would not be complete without a visit to the iconic Delicate Arch. While the place is heavily visited and photographed by tourists, it is must for photographers to see at least once in your life. I was able to shoot the classic composition with the snow covered La Sal Mountains behind the famous arch.
The following morning, it was time to wake up early for the drive to another icon...Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park. After walking on the snow coated trail, I arrived at the long and slender arch at about 5am. I had heard that a crowd of photographers can sometimes gather here to watch the sunrise through the arch. However, with my early start and temperatures in the 20s, I was the first one to arrive and set up my tripod anywhere I wanted. Before leaving, I saw only 3 other people at the arch. At least the cold air seemed to scare away most people from joining me and I had to wait about 2 hours for the sun to rise. I guess I am one of the few who is crazy enough to do this. However, it was totally worth the effort! Just before the sun came up, the rocks on the bottom side of the arch started to display a soft, warm glow. The image below was taken about 10 minutes before the sun came up. It turned out to be one of my favorite images, as I love the yellow sky beneath the arch while the sky transitions to deep blue above it.
A few minutes after sunrise.
Another very photogenic spot in Canyonlands is called False Kiva. It is located in a naturally occurring cave. The name False Kiva comes from the uncertainty around the circle of stones' origins and purpose. Whether it was really an authentic kiva that used for religious purposes is unknown. To me, this is one of the best views in all of Utah!
Fall Colors Part 2After the fall colors in Colorado, it was time to see what it was like in the Eastern United States. I have always wanted to see want the fall colors look like in New England, so I visited Acadia National Park in October. Below are some of my favorite images from that trip.
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