Welcome back!

Grizzly Bear - Khutzeymateen Prov Park, BC

Greetings once again! 

My apologies for the lack of postings during the past year.  Enough of the procrastinating, time for some action and to finally follow what my heart, and countless friends, have been telling me all along - "Claus, get back behind your camera and start capturing the world as you see it!!!".  Stay tuned!!!

Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Cheers,

Claus

Portrait of a Red Fox

Red Fox, Pelly Crossing (Yukon)

Greetings once again from the Yukon!  Spring has been late in coming, but thankfully the temperatures warmed up to above the 20 degree mark and the snow has finally stopped falling.  Hard to believe that we experienced blizzard-like conditions during the May long weekend.  The leaves are out, the sun is in its glory, the birds are singing their tiny hearts out and the grizzlies are out and about with their new born cubs.  The Yukon has finally come back to life after a very long, and cold, winter.

Last night a red fox decided to pay us a visit while friends and I were enjoying the first BBQ of the season.   Cute little fella!

Hope you are all enjoying the sights and sounds of spring.

Cheers,

Claus

My first glimpse of Comet Pan-STARRS

Comet Pan-STARRS

near Pelly Crossing, Yukon 

A quick hello - at long last I caught my first glimpse of Comet Pan-STARRS an hour or so ago - very faint, but much more pronounced with binoculars. 

I spotted the comet at 1030pm while scanning the western sky with binoc's (look a few degrees above the horizon directly above where the sun set).  Tonight the sun set at 8:15pm (hard to believe) with darkness approaching the western sky an hour or so later.

I'm thrilled to have seen this comet as it had eluded me in Ottawa and during my first few days back North.  My mistake was that I was looking far too early - apparently 45mins to 1hr after sunset is ideal.  More and more viewers across the northern hemisphere are beginning to see the comet with the naked eye.  In the coming days the comet will appear higher in the 

evening sky which will make it an easier target for the untrained eye.  

Tonight's shot is very basic - I'm sure there will be plenty more nights in the coming weeks to fine tune my comet photography skills - so neat!!

Hope you have an opportunity to see it.

Good night,

Claus

Photo Info:  Nikon D800 camera with Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 lens attached.  Mounted on tripod, 8 sec exp, 1000ISO, f /3.5

Checkpoint Pelly Crossing

Yuka Honda (Yukon Quest 300) and her dogs arrive 

at the finish line in Pelly Crossing 

Allen Moore - first musher to arrive in Pelly Crossing

Feb 4th at 1:24am

Pups resting for the next leg of the race

Quest Vets check on the wellbeing of all pups

Traffic jam in Pelly - two teams 

(Christina Traverse a few seconds behind Randy MacKenzie in red)

 arriving at Checkpoint Pelly Crossing

Susan Rogan spends a few seconds with each of her

dogs moments before departing Pelly

Normand Casavant convincing his pup to eat

Normand Casavant hands out snacks

Markus Ingebretsen arrives at Checkpoint Pelly 

Putting on booties

Quest volunteers staying warm by campfire

waiting for next team to arrive

Darrin Lee arrives in Pelly

Volunteers check his gear

Dropped from race

Dyan Bergen and her team prepare to depart Pelly

Tamra Reynolds (YQ 300) arrives at finish in Pelly

Exhausted pup in bag

Time for a snooze

Welcome to Checkpoint Pelly Crossing - the fourth official stop in this year's running of the Yukon Quest.  Allen Moore was the first to arrive at 01:24am on Feb 4th.  

Mushers, upon arrival, are greeted by a team of Quest volunteers who check to see if each sled is equipped with a sleeping bag, food for musher and pups, snowshoes, an axe, the vet book, and other basic gear.  Time deductions are handed out to any musher failing to have the required gear.  Vets also take the opportunity to check on the wellbeing of all the pups.  Those injured or too exhausted to continue are dropped from the team - the handlers will then look after the well being of those pups.

Mushers are offered a hot meal as are the pups - mushers take hot water to thaw chunks of meat, fish and other goodies added to kibble.  Once the pups have eaten, they will rest for a few hours on a bed of straw.  Many mushers provide blankets and 'hand warmers' for their team.  Some of the mushers also elected to catch up on their rest while their team snoozes in Pelly.

At one point we had nine teams in the 'dog yard' - close to 140 sled dogs in our small village.  

Pelly is also the finishing point for those racing in the Yukon Quest 300 - a 300mile journey from Whitehorse to Stepping Stone and Pelly.  This years winner was Michelle Phillips who arrived 8 secs ahead of Aliy Zirkle.  The YQ300 is a qualifying race for those wishing to run in the 1000 mile Yukon Quest race.

Stayed tuned for images from the Dawson Checkpoint.

More images from Checkpoint Pelly are available on my flickr account

Good night,

Cheers

Claus

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And the lights came back....

Pelly Crossing Campground, Yukon

It's official - another season of the dancing northern lights has begun in grand style.  Last night, despite the minus 30 degree temperatures, the much anticipated solar storm (which was unleashed by the sun a couple of days ago) slammed into the upper reaches of our atmosphere.  The result was an impressive celestial show that unfurled across the entire circumpolar north.  Folks from Russia, Norway, Greenland, Nunavut, Yukon and Alaska were treated to a spectacular display of dancing lights.  Welcome back!!


Photo Info:  Nikon D800 with a Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 at 1000ASA, f/3.4 at 20 sec.

Yukon and Alaska - Summer Road Trip 2012

Tombstone Territorial Park (Yukon) and the Dempster Hwy

Summer 2012 has begun in grand style.  During the past few days I've be on the road updating the North chapter for the newest edition of the Rough Guide to Canada (due to be released in Spring 2013).  My tour took me up to the 220km mark on the Dempster Hwy and through Tombstone Territorial Park.  Stunning views of a rugged and raw landscape.  Then it was off to Dawson City for a few hours before crossing the Yukon River to meet up with the famed Top of the World Hwy.  Again, impressive views of rugged mountains, alpine tundra and drunken forests of spruce.  The highway took me through the gold town of Chicken and eventually to Tok.  Spent the night in Tok and continued my journey back to the Yukon via the Alaska Hwy. Along the way I stopped in Beaver Creek, Burwash, Haines Junction and Kluane National Park .    Total km: just over 2,000km in three days!

Join me in the coming days as I share my images and tales with you. 

I hope you are enjoying the start of your summer.

Cheers,

Claus

A most splendid view - Transit of Venus

Transit of Venus (aprox. 15:50pm Yukon)

Mid transit (18:30ish Yukon)

A most splendid day!!!

Success, and, relief!  The clouds broke free long enough to catch a few glimpses of the start of today's historic transit of Venus.  I caught my first peak of our sister planet sneaking across the solar disk shortly after 15:20pm (Yukon time).  Within a half-an-hour the clouds rolled in and obscured our view for the remainder of the transit.  I did, however, catch one last fleeting glimpse of the planet as it was in mid-tranist.

What an incredible privileged to have witnessed today's solar delight – and to think Captain Cook saw the same event while he was in the South Pacific in 1769.

None of us alive today will see the next transit scheduled on December 10-11, 2117!!

Good night,

Wishing for clear skies for Tuesday

Sunset over Cape Cod (August, 2011)

From the notes of Edmund Halley (noted astronomer who 'discovered' Halley's comet) on the 1761 transit of Venus - he knew then that he would not be around to witness this celestial spectacle.  

I recommend it therefore again and again to those curious astronomers who (when I am dead) will have an opportunity of observing these things, that they would remember this my admonition, and diligently apply themselves with all their might in making this observation, and I earnestly wish them all the imaginable success:  in the first place, that they may not by the unseasonable obscurity of a cloudy sky be deprived of this most desirable sight, and then, that having ascertained with more exactness the magnitudes of the planetary orbits, it may rebound to their immortal fame and glory

Edmund Halley, 1716

Here's hoping for clear skies for Tuesday's (or Wednesday, for my European and Central Asian mates) transit of Venus.  The next transit will occur on December 11, 2117.

Yukon – from the air

Heading south from Whitehorse

Emerald Lake, Carcross

Carcross Desert

Bennett Lake - part of Chilkoot Trail

Tagish Lake - no, it's not the Caribbean

(Emerald green in colour thanks to fine rock particles suspended

in the lake - these particles scatter light rays)

Tagish Lake

Southeast of Whitehorse

Southeast of Whitehorse

Whitehorse - SS Klondike in lower right

(Yukon River bottom)

Our Cessna

(Tagish Lake)

Last week I had an opportunity to participate in what's known in our circles as a Media Fam Tour (Media Familiarization Tours for travel writers and photographers).  Yukon Tourism had invited me, along with two international journalists, to check out the Tagish Lake Wilderness Lodge, a remote wilderness resort located some thirty minutes, by plane, southeast of Whitehorse.  We flew onboard a Cessna floatplane and enjoyed the breathtaking scenery of snowcapped mountains,  turquoise lakes and miles upon miles of rivers weaving through an endless expanse of wilderness.  Fabulous! 

Gebhard and Sarah, the owners of the Lodge, greeted us upon our arrival.  We were treated to coffee and homemade cake while we discussed their facilities and tour packages.  Their beautiful lodge and cabins, nestled between the mountains and the rocky shores of Tagish Lake, offer visitors an opportunity to enjoy Yukon's wilderness and outdoor adventures.  I'll post more on the Lodge in an upcoming post.  

Unfortunately, our stay at the Lodge was a brief one as the pilot was on a tight schedule.  Regardless, we enjoyed our stay and look forward to returning to the lodge in the near future.  

I could not of asked for a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  

Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Cheers,

Claus

In anticipation of Tuesday's Transit of Venus

The sun as viewed through the D300 and 300mm lens with

homemade solar filter attached

Astronomers and photographers around the world have been fine tuning their photography skills in anticipation of Tuesday's historical Transit of Venus.  Depending on where in the world you live, Venus will 'move' across the sun between June 5th and June 6th.  With proper solar glasses (a pair was included in the most recent issue of SkyNews magazine) you will be able to see the black disk of Venus make its way across the sun.  How neat! 

Yukoner's will see the transit begin at 15:30 and end shortly after 21:30 on Tuesday, June 5th.  This celestial show will not occur again until Dec 11,  2117 (the last Transit of Venus was in 2004, and prior to that, in 1882).

Last night I tried my hands, for the first time I might add, at solar photography.  I had cut out one of the solar filters found on the solar goggles and taped it to the removable filter on the Nikkor 300 f/2.8 telephoto lens.  With lens attached to the Nikon D300 camera, and firmly set on a tripod (with cable release), I aimed towards the sun.  Within seconds it was obvious my homemade solar lens was a success.  See camera settings below.

Now, if we can only pray for clear skies for Tuesday - somehow,  I don't think many of us will be around to see this show again in 2117!

Don't forget about Monday's partial eclipse of the moon!!

I'll post more images of my set up shortly with images from the Transit posted on Tuesday.

Good night from the sunny Yukon!

Cheers,

Claus

More info on Tuesday's transit can be found on Transit of Venus website (click on link)

Camera settings:  Manual focus for both camera and lens;  Vibration Reduction ON,  ISO 250 at f/5.6,  1/125th of a second.  Cable release

Alaska - a weekend getaway

Going for a walk-about (grizzly bear cub)

Grizzly bear cub 

A walk along the beach

Curious grizzly bear cubs

Grizzly bear cubs play fighting

Grizzly bear cub checking out its surroundings

Moose alongside the Haines Hwy

Breaching humpback whale

Partial eclipse of the sun (Sunday, May 20)

Flowering Praire Crocus (Putsatilla patens)

Flowering Shooting Star (Dodecatheon sp.)

At long last the unofficial kickoff to summer 2012 has begun!

Last weekend, during our Victoria Day holiday (four days), I had an opportunity to join a couple friends on a road trip to Haines, Alaska.  Throughout the weekend we were treated to endless photo opps thanks to chance encounters with wildlife, breathtaking scenery and a partial eclipse of the sun.

One of the many highlights of our excursion was photographing three two-year old grizzly cubs foraging on sedges and clams on the tidal flats near the Chilkoot River (Haines, Alaska).  With camera and tripod in hand, I spent close to two hours photographing the young bruins as they went about their business feeding, playing and scouting out their surroundings.  Soft lighting, a vibrant green background and cooperative bears made for a successful photo shoot.

On Saturday afternoon we were treated to an unexpected bonus – two humpback whales breached directly in front of us while we were eating our lunch on the rocky shores of Chilkat State Park.  Unfortunately, for me, I did not have my 300mm lens on hand.  Oh well, watching the whales enjoy themselves in the waters was a sight I won't soon forget.  Apparently, according to the locals, this is the time of year when the whales return to the Inlet to feed on krill.

The first of the flowering plants were also in full bloom as the praise crocuses, lupins and shooting stars added splashes of purple across the landscape. 

The weather did not cooperate for Sunday's partial eclipse of the sun.  Overcast skies obscured our view for most of the day.  We did, however, catch a few fleeting glimpses of the eclipse throughout the afternoon.  I guess we, here in the Yukon, will have to wait until Oct 23, 2014 to see and photograph the next eclipse (that one will also be a partial one).

Roadside encounters with moose, black bear (11 in total), porcupine, elk and mule deer were common occurrences. For some strange reason we didn't see as many swans as we did on last years road trip.

Alaska continues to impress me with its pristine wilderness, snowcapped mountains, salmon filled rivers and colourful folks who call this place home.  I'm already looking forward to my next visit come June.

Ahh, beautiful Alaska!!  We could not have wished for a better weekend.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend.

Cheers,

Claus

Photo info:  Grizzly bear shots photographed with a Nikon D700 camera, Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 lens with 1.7x convertor, mounted on tripod, cable release.  320ISO, f/6, Aperture Priority mode.

Flower pictures:  same camera, Nikkor 105 f/2.8 Macro lens, mounted on tripod, cable release

Super moon 2012

Super moon rising over Pelly Crossing, Yukon

Did you get the chance to see last night's moon rise?  It was simply spectacular.

Last night's full moon was referred to as a "super moon".  The phenomenon, also known as a perigee moon, is caused by the elliptical shape of the Moon's orbit around the Earth.  Last night, the moon appeared 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons of 2012.

For us, here in Pelly Crossing, last night's super moon was partially obscured by a thin layer of clouds.  Nevertheless, the moonrise had a dramatic flair to it.

Super moons occur, on average, once a year.

Check out last year's super moon 

Photo info:  Nikon 700 with Nikkor 300mm with 1.7x tele convertor (total 500mm).  ISO 800, f/6.3 @ 1/15sec. Mounted on tripod with cable release.