This photo is from last September when Alaska was full of reds, browns, and golds. Winter has a beauty of its own but I look forward to the rich colors that fill the Chugach State Park from summer into fall. 

Spring in Anchorage means ferns  popping up suddenly from the thawed ground, a surprising revival of insects, and a bright sun that casts fantastic shadows.

Moose

Yesterday morning, as John and I were eating breakfast, I looked outside and spotted a moose in the front yard. I haven't seen nearly as many moose this winter as I had imagined so I was excited to see this one in such close proximity. I happily snapped pictures as the moose got closer and closer to our house (see the smile she's got on in the second picture). Then, she got very close to our house and took a swipe at our bird feeder. She walked around the back of the house and munched on our compost for awhile then hopped the fence over to neighbor's and was gone.

Seward in January

Resurrection Bay shrouded in wintery fog

Seward, AK

lazy Sunday

Ice skating at Westchester Lagoon

Tide & Ice

A little video taken on my phone from a pull out along the Turnagain Arm on a lovely winter afternoon. I was driving from Anchorage to Girdwood and it was so beautiful that I had to pull over and marvel.

get winter.

We're back up to about 10 hours of daylight.  Although the dark days of December never really got me down, it is downright amazing to feel  the days grow longer.

southernly

An all too brief trip back south left me warmed and cheery. It's good to be in the company of family and old friends surrounded by utterly familiar landscapes. 

Lake Cheney in winter

Soon part of this frozen lake (here in fall colors) will be maintained as a public skating rink. I'm pretty excited about it. There is plenty of skating to be done in Anchorage in winter. The public schools have rinks for school hockey teams and skating after hours is free. This week we found a covered rink (i.e., no clearing off snow) and I got a chance to brush up on my skills. I still can't skate backwards, though. Not yet. 

Independence Mine and a white-tailed ptarmigan

Skiing at Independence Mine was something of a magical experience. I'm a sucker for any "living history" location, and moving between the abandoned buildings of this mining town while surrounded by unending white was incredible. I've never seen this much snow before and winter is only in its second month. Alaska is a special place. 

Glacier Creek

Poof!

Before the snow at Eagle River Nature Center. 

Glacier Creek Hand Tram

 

Hand over hand, pulling on frozen rope, we crossed the rushing Glacier Creek in Girdwood, AK. The town of Girdwood built the tram that is a metal box 200 feet above the creek that carries passengers across the gorge.The snow has just begun to fall in this part of Alaska and our hike Saturday found us in a quiet winter wonderland. The tram in itself was a worth the 45 minute drive from Anchorage and the beautiful white views from the it were lovely. 

Watching for the white whale

Sitting on a ledge above the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, John and I joined other volunteers to scan the waters of the Cook Inlet for beluga whales. It was a 30 degree F morning but with ample layers and a miraculous lack of wind, we sat comfortable behind our binoculars. We watched as six belugas fed at the mouth of Campbell Creek for nearly three hours before the retreating tide forced them to move on. 

The belugas of the Cook Inlet are a genetically distinct population and are federally listed as an endangered species. The beluga watch is conducted by volunteers of the Anchorage Coastal Beluga Survey and was created by the Friends of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge (FAR). Find out more information (here).

Flower.

Caterpillar earlier this summer at the Botanical Gardens.

Bird Ridge

John perched on Bird Ridge

Fall in Alaska

A beautiful evening at Cheney Lake, Anchorage, AK.