#chilkat glacier

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Original caption:

A week of exploring on the road to Haines, Alaska. We hiked, camped and explored in Kluane National Park, Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park, Chilkat state Park, Chilkoot Lake state Park.

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The Upper Chilkat Valley, looking north, with the proposed Palmer site out of view to the left. Photograph: Ben Huff/The Guardian

A Tiny Alaska Town Is Split Over A Goldmine. At Stake Is A Way Of Life

In Haines, where the Salmon once leaped under Snow-Capped Mountains, a massive mining project promises Well-Paid Jobs – and Threatens a Fragile Ecosystem

— By Dominic Rushe in Haines, Alaska | Tuesday June 22, 2021 | Guardian USA

For 2,000 years, Jones Hotch’s ancestors have fished Alaska’s Chilkat River for the five species of salmon that spawn in its cold, clean waters. They have gathered berries, hunted moose and raised their families, sheltered from the extremes of winter by the black, saw-toothed peaks of the Iron Mountain.

Now Hotch fears a proposed mining project could end that way of life.

Hotch has an infectious, boyish laugh – but there is no mistaking how worried he is about plans to build a mine where millions of pounds of zinc, copper, lead, silver and gold are buried, beneath the valleys’ mountains. We arejust miles from the headwaters of the Chilkat, the glacial river that serves as the main food source of the Tlingit, the region’s Indigenous people, as well as the inhabitants of Haines, the nearest port town.

“You guys might have your Safeway,” he says, waving his arm across the valley. “There’s ours all around here.”

Hotch, a tribal leader, lives in Klukwan, a village that takes its name from the Tlingit phrase “Tlakw Aan” – “the village that has always been”. It is the hub of an ancient trading route – later known as the Dalton Trail – that runs from Haines to Fort Selkirk in Canada.

Here in south-east Alaska, the consequences of the climate crisis are already visible. “Our mountains used to be snow-capped all year round,” Hotch said. “Two summers ago, our mountains were almost totally bare.” In Haines, hardware stores sold out of box fans because it was so hot.

King salmon – also known as Chinook – are in particular trouble. Haines’s popular annual fishing derby for largest species of Pacific salmon has been canceled, and now if anyone catches one, it must be released, in the hopes of encouraging their numbers.

“We need the snow to keep water cold for the salmon, for the summer blueberries,” says Hotch. Last year he saw fewer bumblebees, essential for pollination, and the blueberry crop was very disappointing. “I saw a bumblebee last week and I got real happy,” he laughs.

The mine, known as the Palmer Project, is still in the exploratory stage but financial control of the project was taken over by Dowa – a metals manufacturer and one of Japan’s largest companies – in a move that is seen as giving fresh impetus to the project.

If it gets approved, Hotch worries that contamination from the mine, located under the Saksaia glacier, could destroy the salmon runs they rely on. Even the exploration now under way could irreparably damage the fragile ecosystem, he believes, adding that the town would suffer too. Haines is heavily reliant on commercial salmon fishing, as well as tourism – each November, visitors flock to town to watch the largest convocation of bald eagles on the planet gorge on salmon.

“This project is a serious, significant threat facing our people,” says Hotch. “Some of the younger generation here now, they could say, ‘We were the last ones that were able to smoke fish, jar fish, pick blueberries,’” says Hotch. “We are working very hard to make sure no generation will have to say that.”

Jones Hotch, Klukwon elder on the banks of the Chilkat River with the village of Klukwon in the distance Photograph: Ben Huff/The Guardian

Mining has a long and storied history in the Chilkat Valley, stretching back all the way to the 1890s Klondike gold rush. Hopeful prospectors have been trying to strike it rich ever since Haines local Merrill Palmer – hence the name of the mine project – first laid claim to the site in 1969.

This year, plans to open operations finally took a significant step forward when Dowa took over the majority interest in the project from its Canadian partner, the exploration company Constantine.

“It is a decision by an investor, already highly invested, to put in additional money to further develop it and take control of the project,” Jim Kuipers, a Montana-based consultant, told the Chilkat Valley News. “Every year the project continues to get financed and ownership gets more consolidated it does become more likely to happen.”

Along the banks of the Chilkat, there are already signs of increased activity. The Haines highway is being extended to carry heavy trucks at higher speeds, and the state-run Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (Aidea) is proposing financing reconstruction of the town’s deepwater dock to include an ore dock that would make it easier to transport the bounty that the Constantine corporation believes the mine contains.

The economic turmoil triggered by the coronavirus has added impetus to the plans. The unemployment rate in Haines was over 14% in January. Meanwhile, copper prices have soared to record levels as large parts of the global economy emerge from pandemic lockdowns. The Palmer project would support 220 full-time jobs and 40 contractors, a significant boost to a town with a population of 1,863.

The Upper Chilkat Valley, looking north, with the proposed Palmer site out of view to the left. Photograph: Ben Huff/The Guardian

‘What we have here is special, not just for us but for the world’

For Gershon Cohen, a long-time Haines resident and project director of Alaska Clean Water Advocacy, rumblings that the mine may finally become a reality are “a nightmare”.

Cohen moved to Haines in 1984 and lives surrounded by trees in a beautiful wooden house he built himself – nothing out of the ordinary for Haines’s hardy, self-sufficient residents. On a walk to the shed he uses as his outside office, his wife suggests he gives me the “moose and the bear” talk. I joke I am a little old for that, but the dangers of the area’s two largest mammals are very real. Bears are likely to sniff you coming from a mile off and leave before you ever see them, but moose are easier to surprise and likely to trample you if spooked.

This is still a wild place. A record 40 grizzlies were killed in Haines last year, perhaps because poor fish runs and a bad berry season drove them into town looking for food (they have also been kept out of the local dump by an electric fence.) Bears, however, are smart – they have learned to open car doors to look for food and are not averse to breaking and entering houses.

Shannon Donahue: ‘Part of what makes this place so full of life is the robust salmon runs.’ Photograph: Ben Huff/The Guardian

“What we have here is very special, not just for us but for America and the world,” said Cohen. “There is a very real possibility that this mine will destroy the fisheries here. With the fish gone, there will be no eagles, no bears, no tourists. If this mine gets started it’ll be here for what? Ten years? What’s that against thousands of years of supporting this community?”

Haines and Klukwan are part of the Inside Passage, the longest and deepest fjord in North America and a place with a unique ecology. Cold, glacial freshwater meets the sea here, making it the perfect spawning ground for salmon and a critical corridor for bears, moose, lynx, coyote and snowshoe hares.

“Part of what makes this place so full of life is the robust salmon runs,” says Shannon Donahue, executive director of the Great Bear Foundation. The salmon transport nutrients from the ocean to the streams, they feed the bears and the eagles and their bodies feed the forest. But salmon are “pretty picky about their habitat,” she says.

Copper in particular can be catastrophic for them. Salmon can travel thousands of miles to return to the stream where they were born to die, using a smell memory bank to navigate one of the greatest migrations in the animal kingdom.

Metals leaked into streams can destroy the fish’s ability to find their way home, and“fugitive dust” shaken from trucks transporting extracted minerals can also contaminate the waterways, eventually building up to levels that can destroy the salmon’s unique homing abilities.

The mine’s supporters believe they can safely extract the Palmer Project’s riches. But even if they do, the mine’s “tailings” – the waste materials including millions of tonnes of contaminated water – will have to be managed forever.

For local opponents, one recent disaster comes to mind immediately. In 2014 the tailings at the Mount Polley goldmine in British Columbia failed, sending 24m cubic metres of mine waste into the local waterways.

The Palmer site sits on active earthquake faults and in an area prone to catastrophic landslides. Only last December, two people died and multiple houses were destroyed after record-breaking rainfall triggered a landslide in Haines, leaving a huge, brown scar on the hillside.

As he recounts the tragedy, Cohen shakes his head. “What could possibly go wrong?”

A seagull flies above hundreds of spawning chum salmon on a slough of the Chilkat River, just below the Tlingit village of Klukwan. Photograph: Peter Mather

‘It’s nerve-racking to even pick a side’

Alaska is heavily Republican and deeply pro-mining, but Haines is split on the project – and this includes the Native community, says local artist James Hart, a tribal council member of the Chilkoot Indian Association.

Hart is against the mine, but is wary of speaking out. “I am not a scientist, but I have seen what has happened in other places,” he says. “Worst-case scenario [is] it could potentially devastate and wipe out all of our salmon runs.”

Sharing that view in a small town where everyone knows everyone has consequences. “It’s nerve-racking to even pick a side or voice an opinion as a minority person,” he says. “The political climate in Haines makes it really hard.”

Hart’s mother has long been involved with tribal politics and and is another opponent of the mine. Recently people yelled at her in the street “just for having an opinion”, he says. “It’s not even an opportunity for having a dialogue, it’s just yelling because you have an opinion.” The incident made him more nervous for himself and his family.

James Hart, an artist and activist. Photograph: Ben Huff/The Guardian

Support for the project also runs deep. Jan Hill, Haines’s former mayor, is also Tlingit and a First Nations member of the Southern Tutchone. Her family has deep ties to the community and the project; Palmer was a friend of her parents.

“Mining is kind of in my blood,” she said. Her great grandparents came up to Alaska in 1898 from Washington state for the Gold Rush. “We have dealt with resource extraction in this community and it’s worked well for us. For the most part it is done responsibly and that’s what is important to all of us,” she said.

She points to Constantine hiring local people who can buy homes offering “good-paying summer jobs” for students and purchasing all the goods it can in Haines. And experts at Constantine offered help after the recent fatal landslide that would not have been available otherwise.“They stepped up immediately,” said Hill. “They are a part of our community.

“None of us want bad things to happen to our fish or any of the wildlife. We live a subsistence lifestyle here. We depend on our fish and moose, the bears and ducks – all the creatures that God gave us. We all have these concerns, but I believe Constantine is very responsible. They are very regulated, they are good stewards of the environment.”

Garfield MacVeigh, Constantine’s chief executive, says he listens closely to the community’s apprehension. “We hear and appreciate those concerns. All the work we are doing is to demonstrate that we won’t be a threat to the environment. If we can’t demonstrate that, you are not going to build the project,” he said.

He points to a similar-sized mine, Greens Creek silver mine near Juneau, about 80 miles as the eagle flies from Haines, which went into production in 1989 and has been operating for 32 years without any obvious impact on salmon.

Asked about Hotch’s concerns, he said: “I hear them, and as far as I am concerned they [the Tlingit] will be there for another 2,000 years, because we won’t take a risk that would result in any threat to the river environment.”

Many of the concerns about the impact of the mine were unscientific, he said, and comparisons to the Mount Polley catastrophe were “very misleading”.

“These days you are seeing virtually every project, anywhere, being contested. You have got the extreme group on one end contesting all of these things. They seem to become political rather than scientific. That’s their intent, to create noise around this and make it more and more political. The more extreme element doesn’t seem to be interested in the scientific data that may or may not justify the project,” he said.

Cohen dismissed MacVeigh’s comments, saying that there had been plenty of evidence, including from state reports , of high levels of pollution near Greens Creek.

‘Haines is definitely a divisive little town. But what doesn’t get said is a lot of people are very engaged,’ said Kyle Clayton. Photograph: Peter Mather

Holding strong opinions can be hard in a small community. Other Haines residents were happy to talk as long as they were promised anonymity. One said it was particularly hard for the younger generation to speak out. The pandemic recession hit the town hard and, given its isolation, life was already too expensive for many here. “My friends are moving away,” he said. “I’m lucky – I’m working. But I can’t afford to piss anybody off. Older people have less to lose.”

He suggested I go and check out how much a gallon of milk cost in the local supermarket. A gallon of 2% milk was $6.89 in Haines, while the national average in April was $3.58. Nearby, the supermarket was selling organic cucumbers for $2.29 a piece, compared with $1.49 in a Whole Foods in Brooklyn.

It’s not just the mine that divides Haines. The town has a long reputation for sharp-elbowed politics and bitter generational infighting.

Few people know that better than Kyle Clayton, publisher of the Chilkat Valley News. Trying to objectively cover the Palmer project is a hard task. “I piss everybody off,” says Clayton. “I’ve been called a lackey for the mine.”

A handsome 36-year-old, Clayton has the worried look of a peacemaker. “It comes from all directions. The good thing is that in a small town, you can talk to people and reach some kind of understanding.”

He dislikes the black or white nature of the debate. “There’s a lot of unknowns. It’s still a long way off from being a project,” he says. He wants to see more information before deciding whether he should take a side.

On his paper-strewn stand-up desk is a list of 22 questions to be asked of interviewees to “complicate the narrative”, to “amplify contradictions and widen the lens”. In this hyper-partisan age, he is determined the paper will try its hardest to be fair to both sides.

People warned Clayton of Haines’s reputation before he moved from Petersburg, another small Alaskan town south of Juneau. These days, he thinks it’s not so different from much of America. When he speaks to people back home, they tell him people there are at each other over face masks and Covid vaccinations.

“Maybe we just did it first?” he says. “Haines is definitely a divisive little town. But what doesn’t get said is a lot of people are very engaged,” he says.

As plans for the Palmer Project pick up, the community and the wider world is likely to get even more engaged – and enraged. The Biden administration recently banned drilling for oil and gas in Alaska’s Arctic national wildlife refuge. Alaska’s Republican governor, Mike Dunleavy, called it an “assault on Alaska’s economy”.

But the opposition to the mine may not come entirely from the left. Last year Donald Trump Jr, the former president’s son and a keen hunter and fisherman, joined opposition to the controversial Pebble mine at the headwaters of salmon-rich Bristol Bay. That project is now in jeopardy.

An eagle takes flight from a perch along the Chilkat River, in the Chilkat Bald Eagle preserve, 10km downstream from the Tlingit village of Klukwan during the fall chum salmon run. Photograph: Peter Mather

Hotch said his community would be fighting hard to make sure Merrill Palmer’s gold stays underground. No short-term gain is worth the risk involved, he said.

“There might be money for five, 10, 15 years and then they will leave for the next spot, wherever that is. And we here will have to live with the consequences of what they did to our lands.”

More than anything, he wants the way of life that has supported his people for 2,000 years to be protected.

“I long for the day we can stop having to do this and look at ways that the salmon can have a friendlier way swimming up river. That’s how we can help them. That’s my goal after we finish this battle. They have been helping us for generations. It’s the absolute least we can do.”

[thatsnakeman]

Ssitkaje / Davidson Glacier, Chilkat Range, Alaska. [OC][3648x5472] via /r/EarthPorn https://ift.tt/3yaeKkE

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 EPUB|PDF|KINDLE If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska ONLINE BOOK DOWNLOAD FOR FREE by Heather Lende 

If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska by Heather Lende

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If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Free Online Books Download Tiny Haines, Alaska, is ninety miles north of Juneau, accessible mainly by water or air?and only when the weather is good. There's no traffic light and no mail delivery; people can vanish without a trace and funerals are a community affair. Heather Lende posts both the obituaries and the social column for her local newspaper. If anyone knows the going-on in this close-knit town?from births to weddings to funerals?she does. Whether contemplating the mysterious death of eccentric Speedy Joe, who wore nothing but a red union suit and a hat he never took off, not even for a haircut; researching the details of a one-legged lady gold miner's adventurous life; worrying about her son's first goat-hunting expedition; observing the awe-inspiring Chilkat Bald Eagle Festival; or ice skating in the shadow of glacier-studded mountains, Lende's warmhearted style brings us inside her small-town life. We meet her husband, Chip, who owns the local lumber yard; their five children; and a colorful  If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Download Free Epub Books Online-Download Books Online If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska-Download Free If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Books Online Pdf-Read Books If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Online Free No Download-Free Audio Books If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Online Download-Book Online If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Free Pdf Download-Book Online If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Free Download-Buy Online If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Books Download-Online Books If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Free Download- If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Books Online Download-Online Book If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Free Download-Books If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Online Download-Online Book If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Pdf Download-Book Online If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Free Download-Download Book If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska From Google Books Free Online-Download Free If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Romance Epub Books Online-Free Download If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Read Books Online-Free Kindle If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Books Online Download -Books Online DownloadIf You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska-Free Online Inspirational Books Download If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska-How Can I Download If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Books For Free Online-How Can I Download If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Free Books Online-If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Online Booking App Download-If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska Book Online Free DownloadReading Download Pdf Epub read

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Have you ever visited an area and instantly fell in love?

Alaska – A Town Called Haines

Have you ever visited an area an instantly fell in love?

A few years ago I visited Alaska and fell in love with a small town called Haines. There are no words to describe the beauty of this place. Each day that I was there, I felt like I was in a dream.

Haines is a tranquil town in Alaska that is located at the northern end of America’s longest and deepest fjord. It is one of the few areas that is not overwhelmed with cruise ship traffic.

 This adventure filled town is accessible by air, land and water. However, I chose to travel to Haines the most scenic way, by ferry.

Starting in Juneau we travelled approximately 75 miles along the 2000 foot deep canal. We were consistently treated to dramatic vistas of the mountains rising sharply from the fjord.

The best aspect of travelling to Haines via ferry was the opportunity to view sea life such as orcas and seals! The ferry occasionally stopped to allow us to take advantage of the excellent photographic opportunities!

We arrived in Haines just after the sun had set and it was to be the most spectacular time to arrive; the silhouette of the mountains with the port of Haines lit up was a sight that will certainly stay with me for a very long time.

The main draw of this town is the majestic scenery. Everywhere you look you can see glacier covered mountains; the still deep blue water of the fjord that surrounds the town makes for an even more stunning setting.

However, it was the abundance of wildlife that really made my stay memorable. Haines is the home of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and also has one of the best viewing areas for feeding Bears!

It was when I visited the Chilkoot River that I witnessed several bears feeding on the spawning salmon, and a Bear trying to feed on a fisherman!!!

We were provided with powerful spotting scopes to view the Bears, but I soon realised that I didn’t need them due to the VERY close proximity of the bear/s!!

It was quite tempting to stay out of the vehicle as long as possible to get “the shot” but I quickly retreated to the vehicle as soon as I saw him/her heading right for me!

I did manage to get a couple of okay shots, although the “shaky” hands resulted in the photos becoming a little blurry!

It was an amazing experience to see these fine animals in their natural environment.

When travellers visit Alaska they visit only the most obvious places; doing so, they miss out on one of the most stunning towns, Haines.

My only regret was that I didn’t spend longer in this stunning peaceful town, as Haines really has it all: scenery, nature and outdoor adventure.

[travelguideworldtour-blog]

10 Best Places in Alaska

10 Best Places in Alaska

Even though it’s physically different from the others of that the unitedstates , Alaska is still probably one of the very scenic and fascinating pieces of the nation. Its seclusion increases the state’s mystery and beauty, which makes it an area for nature lovers and travelers. Together side the cities such as Anchorage, it’s crucial to move out and go through the attractions and landmarks which make Alaska cherished. Make certain to add as much of the places to see in Alaska, Since you plan the trip.

Contents

1 10 Best Places in Alaska

1.1 Girdwood

1.2 Valdez

1.3 Seward

1.4 Haines

1.5 Tracy Arm Fjord

1.6 Tongass National Forest

1.7 Alaska Highway

1.8 Columbia Glacier

1.9 Kenai Fjords National Park

1.10 Matanuska Glacier

Girdwood

It’s found 3 6 miles south east of Anchorage and will be offering chances.  It’s town ahead for Nordic skiing snow mobiling, hiking, fishing, biking, wildlife watching.  Visit Alyeska Resort for your own Aerial Tram that is panoramic or Chugach Powder Guides to get helicopter and snow cat ski to watch views of the water and hanging glaciers.  Items to Do Girdwood

Girdwood is actually just really a Alaska mountain town surrounded by the peaks of the Chugach Mountain Range and surrounded by seven glaciers along with lush woods.

Valdez

Valdez’s Metropolis Is Located in Port Valdez at This fjord from the Prince William Sound’s Heart.  It’s one and city of the ports in Alaska for business purposes and both fishing.  It is an oil terminal to your own Trans-Alaska pipeline.

For centuries, Ahtna individuals and the Chugach used the region for also fishing, copper, furs, and gambling jade.  This Chugach Mountains’ security maintains.  Together with rainforests, waterfalls, majestic mountains, tidewater glaciers, and wild life on sea and land, Valdez is a favorite tourist destination for people who are.

Seward

Seward is located about the Coast of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula at the Base of Mount Marathon.  For years and years, Seward sanctuary has functioned for a gate way to Alaska crazy’s huge and resource-rich interior.  Town functioned throughout the goldrush as a starting place for seekers, and also your dogsled course that led to Seward from Iditarod into the fields is the precise positioning of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

  Visit Kenai Fjords National Park, deep glacial lakes, visit the Harding ice field, have a kayak excursion, engage at your dogsled race, then go fishing for salmon or halibut, or require a tiny plane tour and visit what there was to visit from the atmosphere.

Haines

The most prominent feature of the town is Fort William H. Seward, and it’s now home to galleries, stores and houses.  Town is famed for its high number of totem carvers and artists, in addition to the Hammer Museum, including a group of 1,500 hammers.

Haines is found in a fjord onto a peninsula in Southeast Alaska.  On a trade course of Chilkat Indians employed by seekers, Haines was constructed like many more.  20 million acres of wilderness areas surround this stunningly beautiful small town, with the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on the outskirts and also gorgeous Takinsha campuses towering over the town.

Tracy Arm Fjord

Even the access is by ship through Stephens Passage into Holkham Bay and out of the bay into the fjord.  Tourist ships see North Sawyer and the fjord both glaciers during its conclusion, and South Sawyer.  The bottom of the glaciers can be just really actually a location where the visitors may observe wild life such as black and brown bears, wolves, deer, harbor seals, and birds.

  It really is but one of 2 narrow and deep fjords from the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness.  Tracy Arm Fjord is significantly a lot greater than 30 kilometers long, and one fifth of it’s coated in icehockey.  Throughout the summertime, the fjord has ice hockey which ranges to some construction size from small bits.

Tongass National Forest

Tongass National Forest covers.  It’s the largest forest within the USA.  The majority of it is composed of a rain forests full of rare and wild life flora.  The region is diverse and ranges in the fjords along with Alexander Archipelago islands and glaciers.

Three Alaska countries from the region: Tlingit, both the Haida, and Tsimshian.  Tongass National Forest symbolizes the authentic crazy Alaska, also it delivers the exceptional chance to find bears, eagles, and poultry, and also to shoot a sleddog ride round a glacier, increase through board walk paths, and also to fish from the sea or within the great outdoors flows.

Alaska Highway

The further west and north you move, the more dramatic the hills will end up.  On the street, you may strike moose bears sheep, and bison.  You walk in through the bridge in Pouce Coupe for gold can discover great fishing holes, or discontinue to find out more.

  The Alaska Highway is a long road from Dawson Creek in British Columbia to Delta Junction at Alaska.  It had been carved out of heavy and stone woods in eight weeks.  You may notice some of their most glorious national parks in the Canada and the USA Since you drive throughout Alaska Highway.

Columbia Glacier

Columbia glacier is situated a quick boat ride from the port of Valdez.  At a few point, the glacier is over 550 meters thick, plus 400 square kilometers are covered by it.  It finishes at Columbia Bay and stretches throughout the Chugach Mountains to get 32 miles.

This imperial glacier was radically re-treating since 1982 and will be currently now losing 1 3 million tons of ice hockey daily.  In reality, a few balls are so enormous that they undermine.  During its face, the glacier is left up to 400 feet tall.

Kenai Fjords National Park

Kenai Fjords National Park is located Close to town of Seward on the Kenai Peninsula.  It covers a region of 669,984 acres.  Its principal feature is.

  Around 40 glaciers escape from the Harding Icefield, and wildlife and marine are now living in the playground.  You’re able to view sparks and moose once trekking into the Exit Glacier or whales out of the ship, because there are boat tours out of Seward.  You may rent a kayak and explore by yourself.

Matanuska Glacier

It’s known as a valley glacier; it flows as a river.  The perfect solution to observe that the glacier is by Matanuska Glacier Park.  You’re able to walk over the glacier all on your or with an experienced guide.

Matanuska Glacier starts from the Chugach mountain range at the Southcentral Alaska and is a Portion of This Matanuska State Park.  It’s the largest glacier – you are able to observe it after having a driveway from Anchorage in Glenn Highway.  It really is wide at the stage at which it finishes.

  See more articles about Alaska!

10 Best Places in Alaska

[row4climate-blog]

A journey is at its best when you enjoy the ride

So much more happens when you travel by bike rather than take a car. You come to really appreciate that slight downhill, you notice that change in weather, you get extra energy from that stunning view around the bend, and best of all you get an unparalleled feeling of accomplishment at the end of a long day of riding.

Day 1: we rented touring bikes in Haines, AK and rode 33 miles up the Chilkat River. The riding was pretty easy and took us less than 2 hours but the views were outstanding.

Day 2: If it weren’t for the stunning landscape, this day would have sucked. We spent almost 9 hours riding 65 miles which included 3,500 feet of elevation gain. Our bikes loaded down with all our gear made the climb harder than I anticipated. However in good moods and with great scenery, we made the trek with only a few short breaks. 

Along the way we met our first bear (which dashed across the road before we could tell what type of bear it was or get a pic). We also encounter about 9,999 mosquitos, millions of beautiful lakes and rivers, some very steep and pointy peaks, lots of impressive glaciers, and one big thundercloud which soaked us as we were climbing the final big hill right before the campground. 

Day 3: We were at last rewarded with some long downhills, another bear (Black bear) and finally after leaving Haines three days ago and 150 miles ago, we reached our next town, Haines Junction. We rewarded ourselves with ice cream, showers, coffee and a laundromat!

[dailynynews-blog]

9 Reasons Photographers Should Visit Alaska Now

New Post has been published on https://www.usatelegraph.com/2018/9-reasons-photographers-visit-alaska-now/

9 Reasons Photographers Should Visit Alaska Now

Alaska is a bucket-list destination for the world’s great explorers and adventurers. In a land where the count of mountains and glaciers outnumber people, there’s no end to discovery in America’s northernmost state.

For photographer’s especially, Alaska provides a unique opportunity to document rugged landscapes and rare wildlife in a pristine environment. In the list below, discover nine not-to-miss photography destinations on your next visit to Alaska.

01of 09

The View of Anchorage From the Air Will Amaze You

•••

Flying into Anchorage is a joy. Daily flights are available on Alaska Airlines, and once you break free from the Anchorage clouds, an aerial view of a vast mountain landscape emerges. Nicknamed the Anchorage bowl, the city is surrounded by mountains and fjords from every angle. The Turnagain Arm​ and the Chugach Mountain Range form a natural barrier between Anchorage and other outposts in the state, creating one of the most stunning landscape city views in the country.

Photographer’s Tip: On your inbound flight to Anchorage, opt to book a window seat. This will give you prime positioning to snap the ideal photograph from your seat. If you prefer to work up a sweat for your images, climb the Flat Top trail in Anchorage. The seven-mile route will lead you high above the city and sometimes even the low hanging clouds. Once you complete the final grueling push up the mountain, attach your zoom lens for the ultimate photo reward from your challenging day on the mountain.

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An Aerial Flight in Juneau Reveals Waterfall Views

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From Anchorage, book an in-state flight to Juneau, Alaska’s capital city. Located in the Southeast Alaska Panhandle, Juneau is home to a temperate rainforest. Cloud-covered mountains loom in every direction, and a misty haze often engulfs the majestic landscape. Full of mystery and moody views, Juneau is surrounded by droves of cascading waterfalls. Book a room at the eclectic Silverbow Inn in downtown Juneau, where you can pass a rainy day in the outdoor hot tub when the temperatures are cool in the fall. As the icy rain drizzles down and the sauna pool warms you up, gaze at the waterfalls on the horizon to get lost in the wonder of Juneau.

Photographer’s Tip: When visiting Southeast Alaska, always pack a dry bag. Rainproof jackets and backpacks are also advised, as you never know when an unexpected shower will rain down on the city.

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Glacier Walking in Juneau Is Like Walking on Glass

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As Juneau is known as an adventurous hub in Alaska, opt to get active during an exploration of the Mendenhall Glacier. With crampons strapped to your feet and a down jacket keeping you warm, walk along the icy ledges of the slopes that stand resolute above the city. You’ll quickly notice that the ice includes a number of translucent pools and deep crevasses, which make for beautiful micro-images.

Photographer’s Tip: Bring a pair of gloves during your adventure to Mendenhall Glacier. Using your hands as your anchor, lay horizontal on the glacial ice to capture the crevasses up close. The mineral sediments and intense depth of the split make for a mesmerizing glacial photo.

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Landing on the Mighty Mendenhall is an Adventurer’s Dream

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Book a helicopter tour with Temsco Helicopters for the ultimate view of Juneau’s Icefield, the fifth largest icefield in the Western Hemisphere. While in air, enjoy the endless scene below from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the helicopter, but save your energy for the two landings. Landing on both the Mendenhall Glacier and Taku Glacier, you can hope to see bears and mountain goats on your ride.

Photographer’s Tip: While in the helicopter, it may be hard to capture the scene, as the condensation often produces water droplets along the frame. It’s still worth a try, however, as you may be able to extract any catches of light in the editing process. As a whole, save your battery for the two landings on Juneau’s largest glaciers. Here, you can walk freely along the ice to capture the surrounding mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife.

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The Concentration of Glaciers in Juneau is Astounding

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In Juneau, it’s as if you’re constantly gazing at a glacier. They surround the city, and you can see them from boat rides, plane rides, and helicopter tours, making it hard not to document them at every moment.

Photographer’s Tip:  In Juneau, glaciers often form near waterfalls. Shoot in manual mode to capture a smooth flow of the waterfall juxtaposed against the harsh, craggy notches in the glacier. The volcanic rock also makes for a fine contrast in the finished image.

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The Mountains in Haines are Majestic

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Only a two-hour catamaran ride from Juneau, Haines is known as the adventure capital of Alaska, and for due reason. During a visit, you can river raft, kayak in lakes, and summit mountains, among other adventures. While rafting down the Chilkat Lake, be on the lookout for mountain peaks emerging over low-hanging cloud streams.

Photographer’s Tip: Make sure to pack a dry bag during your rafting trip, as it’s better to have a backup plan if the rain begins to pour or the water becomes unexpectedly choppy. While documenting the surrounding mountain peaks, make sure to capture the cloud streams in the photo. As the white, puffy clouds linger below the mountains, it shows the sheer scale of the landscape – it’s as if you’re flying above the clouds.

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The Eagle Population in Haines is Flourishing

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The Chilkat River is surrounded by the vast Chilkat Range of mountains, the ideal home for some of Alaska’s flourishing eagle population. The wondrous birds fly uninhibited around the area, serving as the perfect opportunity for you to document a slice of majestic Alaskan wildlife.

Photographer’s Tip: Get your zoom lens ready while rafting down the Chilkat River. Eagles swarm the area, making the wildlife shots endless. Be on the ready to capture images of perched eagles. The birds don’t scare easily, so if you get your raft in proper positioning, you’ll be able to document the eagles closely in their natural habitat.

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Visit a Sled Dog Farm in Willow to Cuddle with Huskies

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The Iditarod is a right of passage for the toughest of Alaskans. In a race that covers nearly 1,100 miles – equivalent from going to Miami to Chicago – mushers, or dog sledders, take a pack of 16 husky mutts through a perilous route from Anchorage to Nome, beating insurmountable odds and surviving in temperatures as low as negative 70 degrees Fahrenheit. As the race is so integral to Alaska’s culture, opt to visit Vern Halter’s Dream a Dram Dog Farm in Willow, where you can get intimately acquainted with the state’s best sled dogs.

Photographer’s Tip: Sled dogs are fast! The husky pups are full of energy and are always ready to run, so set your camera to a continuous shooting mode. This grants you greater probability of capturing the adorable dogs in proper focus during your visit.

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Road Trip to Denali to View Alaska’s Best Wildlife

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You simply can’t go to Alaska without venturing to Denali National Park and Preserve. It’s considered Alaska’s most popular park for a reason: White-capped mountains dominate the horizon, and a slew of wildlife roam the open land, making the ideal outpost for photographer’s to document the best of Alaska.

Photographer’s Tip: During your road trip from Anchorage to Denali, keep your gaze focused on the tree-studded fields along the road. If you’re lucky, a family of moose will be grazing. Pull off to the side and document one of Alaska’s most iconic animals, but do keep a safe distance. Moose may not look agile, but they are surprisingly fast and have been known to chase down a human or two.

[berndwenske]

Orca Whale Spyhopping near Glacier Chilkat, Alaska- must see these Orca Whales and a glacier in the wild ! #SailWithCelebrity

[dailynynews-blog]

11 Best Things to Do on Alaska Cruise

New Post has been published on https://www.usatelegraph.com/2018/11-best-things-alaska-cruise/

11 Best Things to Do on Alaska Cruise

Alaska Offers Great Activity Options

An Alaska cruise is a dream vacation option for many travelers, and both large and small ships visit the region during the May through September season, primarily on one of three different itineraries.

The best bargains for Alaska cruises are early in the season (May or early June) or in September. The mountains are covered with more snow early in the season, and the days are as long in May as they are in August. Many of the shops at the ports of call have fantastic sales during September since the shop owners would rather sell the merchandise than store it over the winter.

Visitors come to Alaska to see glaciers, wildlife, and mountain and coastal scenery. Since much of Southeast Alaska is inaccessible by car, a cruise ship is the best way to see this spectacular part of the state. Towns like Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Sitka offer visitors a variety of shore excursions and things to do and see. This mostly undeveloped region also offers many outdoor activities, some of which can only be done in Alaska.

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See Whales

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For many of those cruising to Alaska, seeing wildlife is a major draw, and humpback whales are a big favorite. Most travelers to Alaska see the fluke(tail) of a humpback whale, and lucky ones get to see them working cooperatively to bubble feed.

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Ride the White Pass Railway

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If your cruise ship stops over in Skagway, you’ll find an old gold rush boomtown community, complete with shops, bars, restaurants, and wonderful old historical buildings. Although you can easily spend the day exploring Skagway, a ride on the White Pass Railway travels up into the mountains and provides magnificent scenic views and a look at the route the gold miners took on their way to the gold fields in the Yukon. Some White Pass combination rail and bus excursions include a stop at the Yukon Suspension Bridge for a great photo opportunity.

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Visit Glacier National Park

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All of the National Parks in the United States are worthy of a visit, and Glacier Bay is one that can best be viewed from a ship. The unspoiled, glorious mountain scenery, glaciers, and wildlife like sea lions and bears make this park a memorable destination.

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Float on a River

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In addition to many miles of ocean shoreline, Alaska features some beautiful rivers that are perfect for floating or jet boating. The Chilkat River near Haines is one of these, and a ride on the river provides a close up look at moose, eagles, and other wildlife. 

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Ride in a Helicopter

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A helicopter ride is an exciting adventure almost anywhere in the world, but zipping over an icy glacier field in Alaska is quite exhilarating!

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Go Dog Sledding

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Can you go dog sledding on the snow in August? Yes, you can if you take a helicopter ride up to a summer training camp for sled dogs. This was definitely one of my favorite shore excursions ever (I’m a dog lover).

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Ride the Alaska Grandview Train

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If your cruise is embarking in Seward, you might enjoy riding the train from Anchorage on the Coastal Classic route to Seward. The scenery is spectacular, and the ride is relaxing.

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Cruise Misty Fjords near Ketchikan

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Misty Fjords National Monument is near Ketchikan, but is only accessible via plane or boat. This spectacular area is too far south for glaciers, but visitors get to the the results of these icy giants that were in the area eons ago.

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Visit a Native American Community

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Fifteen miles south of Ketchikan is Metlakatla, the only native American reservation in Alaska. It’s a beautiful island and visitors get the opportunity to learn much about the Tsimshian culture and history. Like a walking tour of Skagway, a visit to Metlakatla provides some historical perspective of Alaska’s past.

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Go Fishing

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Fishing is a popular activity in Alaska, and cruise travelers can go fishing for halibut, salmon, or whatever odd sea creature bites their bait!

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Kayak Near a Glacier

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There’s something unbelievably serene about kayaking on a calm, ice berg-filled bay near a glacier in Alaska. Enough said.

Plan Your Cruise to Alaska

Alaska offers a wide variety of activities for cruise travelers, especially those who love wildlife and the great outdoors. There’s no place else in the world where you can see glaciers, fjords, AND Alaskan brown (grizzly) bears. Why not plan your cruise to Alaska now?