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

Roadside Encounters

Small herd of elk by the Alaska Hwy

 a lone elk 

Peek-a-boo - can you see me?  (elk in hiding)

Our porcupines are giants

Moose foraging on willow branches

Boreal chickadee trying to make sense of my presence

Mule deer

Black bear just a few feet from the highway

Moon rise over Alaska

Driving on the Yukon highways can provide for some fabulous wildlife viewing opportunities.  Take last weekend for instance when a friend of mine and I decided to drive the Alaska Highway from Whitehorse to Haines Junction and return.  Along the way we were treated to some fleeting glimpses of black bears, moose, herds of elk, mule deer, porcupines galore and scores of migratory birds including numerous species of duck and raptors.

Photographing these critters was relatively straight forward as we had prepared our gear before hand.  Most importantly, our gear was located in the back seat ready to be used on a moment's notice.  Our lenses and sensors had been cleaned, the batteries fully charged, memory cards formatted, the telephoto lenses attached and tripods close at hand.  The cameras were set to aperture priority (that way the camera calculates the shutter speed) and the shutter release mode was switched to continuous high (so we could happily fire away hundreds of images in a matter of minutes).  Spare batteries and memory cards were stored in our pockets.

Approaching wildlife near or on the road must be treated with the utmost respect.  Drive up slowly while at the same time pay attention to the traffic behind and in front of you.  Do not walk up to these animals and snap away otherwise you may spook them into running into oncoming traffic or face the risk of being charged at - both very unfortunate and dangerous outcomes.  Keep in mind all animals are unpredictable.  

I find it best to park your vehicle at a considerable distance and observe from there.  If the animal feels safe it may approach closer to investigate you (thus affording you the opportunity to photograph them in a more natural setting).  A telephoto lens is perhaps the most suitable lens to use as it will allow the animal to go about its business without feeling threatened by your presence (the animal will appear much more relaxed in your image).

Don't forget to keep an eye open for landscape images too - the Yukon and surroundings offers some stunning shots of snowcapped mountains, crystal blue rivers and thick green forests.  

Drive slowly, keep an eye on the road and be alert and prepared at all times - you never know what surprises await you around the bend.  With camera gear prepared and stored within arms reach you too will be able to capture those unexpected moments on 'film'.

Safe driving and happy snapping!

PS - I'm curious to see some of your images - email me.