Himba village, Nambia, October 2021
The sun rose at exactly 10 am today and will set at 3:42 pm. With Winter Solstice just over a week away, we will lose approximately 15 more minutes of daylight before the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt toward the sun and the light returns.
I was facing away from the sunrise here, using a 3 minute exposure to show the motion of the clouds moving in from the inlet, hopefully bringing a fresh layer of snow to the valley.
Another brisk, beautiful morning at the Nature Center. Beginning in mid-November, sunlight does not reach this part of the valley floor for approximately two months, leaving us in perpetual shade. On or around January 20, the sun will begin to slowly return, bringing long awaited light back into the valley. While this can be a challenge in terms of photography, I often seek out reflected light where there is open water.
"People might look at you a bit funny, but it's okay. Artists are allowed to be a bit different." One of my favorite quotes from the late, great artist Bob Ross.
I spent today exploring Eagle River Valley, seeking out happy trees and a peaceful little corner of the world, far from the repetitious cycle of tragic news stories and the vitriolic exchange that it always generates. I found solace in a frozen landscape with only the sounds of rushing water and crackling ice to break the silence. I wish everyone could have experienced this same tranquility, maybe the world would be a bit more civil.
I have been living here at the Eagle River Nature Center for 14 months now as a resident volunteer (since then, they’ve also given me the title of Artist-in-Residence). I moved in one year ago last October for what was initially going to be a winter stay, until they asked if I would like to stay on through the summer and now for another winter. Recently, I asked if I could stay through next summer, for a total of two years, and the staff obliged. In the end, I will have a body of work, which I plan to turn into a project that will be announced at a later date, when the details have been worked out.
Yesterday evening at our annual Holiday Potluck, two of us were given the honor of being named “Volunteer of the Year” for 2015 – local volunteer Steve Rasic and myself. Places like this, typically managed by non-profit organizations, run on volunteer power. Without all of the wonderful people who donate their time and effort, we could not exist. While I was humbled and honored to receive this recognition, I have to say that this has been one of the greatest opportunities that has ever come my way. Living here at the Nature Center and having this beautiful mountain valley for a backyard has allowed me to immerse myself in photography and writing, as well as accomplish a number of goals that I simply would not have been able to do otherwise. Building my new website, for instance - something that I had been trying to do for years – finally came to fruition last winter.
I will proudly display my “Volunteer of the Year” plaque and continue to give back to this organization as much as I can. Honestly, though, I don’t feel that I could possibly repay what I have gained here, both personally and professionally. So I would like to thank the ERNC staff and community that have provided me with this incredible opportunity and continue to keep me around. I am confident that someday when I look back on this time and fully realize the benefit of being here, I will say, “I would not be where I am today without the Eagle River Nature Center.”
Friends,
Mark your calendars! If you or someone you know might be interested in learning how to photograph the northern lights, I will be offering a class at the Eagle River Nature Center on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 7pm. The cost is $25 per person, is limited to 20 people and should run about two hours. If conditions permit, I will take a group out hiking afterward to photograph the night sky and with a bit of luck, we will have some lights. The outdoor portion is an additional $45 and is limited to 10 people. Attendees must provide their own digital SLR, tripod, headlamp and be prepared to hike in cold weather. No iPhones or point & shoot cameras please, as we will be shooting in manual mode.
Call (907) 694-2108 to register. Feel free to share!
Cheers,
Colin
One of the many things I love about Alaskan winters is being able to sleep in and still catch a sunrise. This was taken around 9:15 this morning at the Nature Center.
Woke up to a fresh winter landscape at the Nature Center this morning. We've gotten close to 9" of snow so far, which is more than we received in any single snowfall last season. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come!
A beautiful start to the day near my hometown of Outing, Minnesota. I've only got one more day here, tomorrow I head back to Minneapolis and then fly home on Thursday. Alaska is my home now, there is nowhere else I'd rather live, but every place has its own unique, intrinsic beauty and I do miss these dramatic Midwestern skies.
A nice ending to the day here in the heart of lake country, Minnesota. Alaska is home now and I couldn't imagine living any place else, but it's nice to be here to visit family and appreciate the area in which I grew up.
Good morning from Lake George, Minnesota. After a few days of totally clear skies, we had some clouds move in overnight to add a bit of color to this morning's sunrise. How many fellow early birds were awake to enjoy this scene today?
It was a subtle display last night, still it's always good to be out chasing auroras near my hometown of Outing, MN. This was taken over Lake George around midnight.
Friends, I have a correction to make. After reviewing the photos of the bear from the Nature Center yesterday, I realized that I had incorrectly identified it as the bear that charged at the viewing decks, which led to the Rodak Trail closure one month ago. That particular bear (which caused the trail closure) is the same bear that has been hanging around the river at mile 9 of Eagle River Road the past few days and has a distinct mark across its snout. The bear we saw yesterday is a smaller individual and did not have the facial mark. Furthermore, upon closer inspection of my bear photos from last August, it turns out that was yet another individual that was chasing salmon near the viewing decks. As it turns out, I have photographed three different bears here since early August. They have similarly shaped faces and coloration, with only subtle differences in their appearance.
My apologies for the incorrect information,
Colin
She’s baaack! Look who showed up at the Halloween trick-or-treat walk at the Eagle River Nature Center today. This is the same bear that I’d been photographing earlier this summer & fall - the same bear that bluff charged a few times, which led to the temporary closure of the Rodak Nature Trail and viewing decks. The trail has been open for more than a week now and this is the first reported sighting since before the closure on October 3, although she has recently been spotted just a few miles down the road. She made her usual rounds in the creek and past the viewing decks, occasionally picking up a decaying salmon to gnaw on. Because of the event we were hosting, there were a number of people on the trails and fortunately she passed by without turning her attention to the onlookers. Hopefully, the rapidly shortening daylight hours will soon trigger her instinct to seek higher ground and den for the winter.
Happy Halloween from CTP and unless you're outside in New Zealand or Montana, I'll bet you didn't realize that the last Saturday in October is also "Hug a Sheep Day" (seriously, Google it). So by all means, go out and hug a sheep today if you have the opportunity, let him or her know that we appreciate all the wool clothing that they make possible, but let it go at that...
Photos taken in New Zealand 2014 (WWOOF New Zealand).
After nearly three weeks of closure, the Rodak Nature Trail was reopened today by Chugach State Park. It was a blustery evening with rainy weather making its way down the valley yet beautiful in a monochromatic way, and always a good place to clear my mind, breathe and create. I’ve used this little hiatus to catch up on a bit of editing as well as process last summer’s salmon, but I truly missed this scene and starting my days here.
I just witnessed a very unfortunate situation. I saw the Nature Center bear this evening, about 1.5 miles down the road from the visitor center. She was feeding on what I had thought to be road kill, but after she left the area I took a closer look and it appears to be some kind of game meat that was discarded, judging from the wax paper that was lying on the ground with the meat. There was a large femur and other bones, probably from a moose or caribou. Somebody possibly dumped it or it could be another example of people being irresponsible with their trash. Whatever the cause, it has created a hazardous situation and when a bear becomes accustomed to rummaging through trash in search of food, things usually don't end well for the bear. Problem bears are often the result of human carelessness.
Did anyone happen to read ADN this morning? They wrote a nice piece about the brown bear and the trail closure at the Nature Center and used two of my photos. They even quoted me quite a few times with excerpts taken from last Sunday's post
Click on the photo to link to the article:
Well, after Channel 2 News ran the story about the bear at the Nature Center last night (Oct. 6), I got a call today from Channel 4 News. They interviewed me at their studio and I will be on the 9pm broadcast this evening. Also, Alaska Dispatch News should be running two of my bear images in tomorrow's paper. Not sure how I am going to handle all of this media exposure...
In case you missed last night's television broadcast, here is the online story and video about the Nature Center bear and the trail closure along with my images. Since the information they were relaying came from me (indirectly), I thought I should point out a few inconsistencies. This past Saturday evening, I spoke with the area biologist and the ranger who subsequently closed the trail after I witnessed the bear’s behavior becoming increasingly aggressive and intolerant of humans. First, I never once said that it “slapped the viewing deck.” I have no idea where that statement came from but it certainly wasn’t from me. Second, the bear that our neighbor Richard was speaking of during the segment was NOT the same bear that I have been photographing around the viewing decks. That was a larger, lighter colored bear that was in the area earlier this summer and most certainly not the bear that caused the trail closure. Finally, the photos I submitted were taken when the bear was fishing, before any of the aggressive behavior and bluff charges took place. In other words, when the newscaster said that the photos I took were showing what I believed to be the bear’s aggressive behavior, that statement didn’t originate from me either.
For the record, I made the call to report the bear’s behavior and bluff charges, which I believed was of concern, before it escalated into a full-blown charge or a mauling. The headline “Bear Charges Visitors…” might be a bit over-hyped. Ironically, when the news team called to inquire if I had any photos that I could submit, they never asked for my account of what happened, even though I am the one who witnessed the incidents first-hand and made the report to the Fish & Game biologist, nor did they contact the Nature Center for any information on the story. Aside from all of this, I was happy to contribute my photos for the segment and I hope that people will respect the trail closure and ultimately the bear itself, which is only trying to pack on weight for the long winter slumber. Click on the image to link to the story:
