End of 2010 . . . on a visit home . . .

Woo Hoo . . . all aboard the lighted holiday train in Azalea Park . . .




















Through the polarized lense . . .












Azalea Park lite up for the holidays . . .
















A few Harbor Seals at Cresent City, CA















Harbor seal off on his own . . .















Paul Bunyon . . . a tall story amongst some gorgeous trees . . . the Trees of Mystery in Klamath, CA . . .
















It is hard to fathom the life of a Redwood . . .












Love those Redwoods . . .












The Family Tree . . .












Driving through the Redwoods . . .

Winter Soltice 2010 - 20101221

High noon in Anchorage, AK on Winter Soltice, the shortest day of the year . . .




A different angle . . . different colors . . .













The lunar eclipse





The full moon after the eclipse . . .















About as dark as I saw . . .then the clouds moved in . . . caught the after picture several hours later.

I've been moved . . . again . . . now on the 12th floor facing the Chugach Mountains . . .

















Anchorage really is pretty just after a fresh snowfall . . .









and my street is getting dark earlier and earlier these days . . .

Coldfoot, Brooks Range, Alaska

Back from my meeting in Las Vegas . . . a quick flight up to Fairbanks and now on the road to Coldfoot. Original plan was to fly up, a small 9 passenger plane, an hour flight and a view of the White and Brooks Ranges from the air . . . but, weather forced us to drive up.

Left Fairbanks before noon for the 6 to 7 hour drive to Coldfoot Camp.




Out of Fairbanks on Steeve's Highway, onto the Eliot Highway . . . then onto the Dalton Highway, also known as the haul road. Listening to various stories along the way.










Crossed the Yukon River after dark . . . and stopped for pictures at the Arctic Circle . . . very breezy up there! At the Arctic Circle stop, met with the tour van from Coldfoot and let our tour driver head on back to Fairbanks as we headed up to Coldfoot.







The plan, again, was to head to Wiseman for some Aurora Viewing, then take a trip up to Atigun Pass, the top of the Brooks Range where teh north slope begins . . . but, alas, the weather kept us from completing our mission . . . we did get to Wiseman, for a short while, but did not get up to the pass . . .







I've been to Deadhorse and on the north slope, just couldn't get there by ground this time. The weather and the tour group just would not support it . . .

Our "reversed" trip was to have us fly back to Fairbanks . . . yet, again, it did not pan out . . . essentially stuck in Coldfoot Camp, stayed an extra night and day . . . with no joy. The tour group hitched us a ride with a couple headed to Fairbanks for the Thanksgiving holiday . . . so, got a ride back to Fairbanks in time to catch our flight to Anchorage . . .

On our way out of Fairbanks . . .




TAPS Pump station 7 turn off . . .









We also passed pump station 5 & 6 along the route.



Snow encrusted Boreal Forest . . .

TAPS at the Yukon River Bridge . . .




















Crossing the Arctic Circle, 66 degree 33 minutes









Sled dogs at Coldfoot Camp . . .








and our stop in Wiseman . . . where we were stuck in the snow for a good hour, with no shovel or other material or supplies ordinarily suggested for travel in this environment . . . not that we were in anyway in danger . . .








We did get to see the nice blue moon, the second full moon of the month . . . but no aurora's became visible, even with our extended stay . . .







Sign at Coldfoot Camp, with the Slate Creek Inn behind it. Comfortable, and thanks to the visitors that sent the cases of books, puzzles and games!






Standing on a quiet Dalton Highway at Coldfoot Camp . . . I'll have to continue the saga of the trip back later . . .

Denali . . . Kantishna trip . . .

After replacing the flat on the Denali Highway, about 30 miles toward Paxson . . .













Our stop in Kantishna, the mining district . . . with a park ranger telling us tales of some of the local characters that lived in the area . . .













Caribou walking past the bus . . .














Grizzly and cub crossing the braided Toklat River . . .












Dal Sheep taking it all in . . .















Wolf . . .












Moose Butt . . . just for Pat!














Batting 1000 today . . . a Lynx! . . . very rare sight!















McKinley/Denali . . . another one of the 70% days












Dal Sheep . . .











Bait . . . I mean Caribou . . .















Lone Male grizzly, further up the road . . .













A grizzly and her cub . . .













Unusual to see a bald eagle in Denali, but here he is!













and a few miles further . . . inside the park












On our way into the Park . . .