Daily Image - Aug '23 Archive

01 Aug 23 Leaving Roaring Mountain and traveling north there are many sights you may want to take in, it all depends on what you want to see. Granddaughter Selby wanted to take it all in to the extent that we could, so our next stop was one we've never visited prior, Sheepeater Cliff. We had no idea what to expect but were pleasantly surprised to see a rock formation that we have only encountered in one other location in the park, just south of Calcite Springs on the road between Tower and Canyon which is generally closed when we visit in the spring. Sheepeater Cliff is "named for the Shoshone Indians who lived throughout this mountainous region. Their use of bighorn sheep earned them the name of "'ukadika'" or sheepeaters." The cliff you see is basalt lava that supposedly formed "columnar joints" when it cooled nearly 500,000 years ago. There is a nice picnic area for use and a couple trails that take you along the Gardner River to see more of the cliffs that start at the right of the shot. It's a fun spot for kids to climb and chase the marmots, neither of which were present when we were there. This is a 5 frame pano to better show the area. Up Against the Wall Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1,000 sec @ f / 9.

02 Aug 23 Leaving the basalt cliffs and traveling north will bring you past MANY potentially interesting sights depending on what you like to see. For me it depends on the time of year but in the spring the next place I like to stop is at Swan Lake. Now you won't find a sign for it but you will see a distinct paved parking lot on the left of the road with an interesting tree. There will be an information sign telling you not about the lake but about the range of mountains directly in front of you, the Gallatins. Each peak will be named and there is a little information about the entire range. The view from this location is an interesting one as the range appears to bend to the east as you stand looking at it. You can't see such in this 19 pane pano (I omitted 10 of the frames) but the mountains are on a slant with those at the left of the frame being further away than those near the right. This is just half of them as they extend a fair distance to the right at which point they seem to be bending to the east. I wanted to share the full extent of the view but the software couldn't handle the full 32 frames. Swan Lake is the body of water you see between the dry land and the mountains. On our first visit to this location we photographed a sleeping grizzly at the mountain side of the lake. It was about an inch high. 😂 I've never seen this view in the summer but in the spring and fall it is a lovely sight; I highly recommend you stop and visit for at least a few minutes. When you travel along hwy-191 between Bozeman and West Yellowstone you parallel these rocks on the opposite side. The two views are distinctly different. Zoom in to fully appreciate the beauty of this mountain range. Other than a bit of cropping for composition, this is what the camera recorded in the 19 frames. One Half View Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/ 1,600 sec @ f / 9.

03 Aug 23 Our next stop is literally walking distance from where I took the photo(s) of the Gallatin Range. Of course you won't be walking because it is on the way to Mammoth, but you could if you desired. This spot is almost always missed by those traveling north and can also be missed when returning south. There is no sign for it, no name plaque, or any indication of it anywhere to be found, at least that has been my experience since we began visiting. I had taken many shots of it before I found out its name in the several picture books on our shelf in the condo, and then, only by accident in two of them. In the spring this falls is really nice but come fall it almost, but not quite, dries up. Rustic Falls is a real treat but tucked away such that you can't see it when you approach from the south. There is a small parking area a one minute walk steeply downhill from it with an information sign telling you some startling facts about how the road was built in that location, named Golden Gate, but nary a mention of the falls or the stream. A bit strange for Yellowstone. You will definitely want to see this small falls so put it on your list of things to see. This is another of these small rivers/streams that don't carry much water but make it look like they are big players when flowing over rocky ledges. It would be really interesting to know exactly how much total water these many impressive falls actually carry. I don't think that has been reported anywhere; at least I can't find it. Other than some serious cropping, this is what the camera recorded. Close to Peak Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f / 9.

04 Aug 23 A reminder that this missive is the last one until I return from my bear shoot in AK. A little something different for this Friday's macro / close-up and maybe a bit of stretching of the definition for close-up. As most, if not all, of you know this month we get to experience two super moons, one of them a Blue Moon to boot. This last Tuesday was the first of the two and I traveled a bit to get a shot of it. Actually could have walked as it was only a half mile door to door. The folks I'm visiting in AK also own property just down the road that has a clear view of the Cascades and it sits on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound. So I tried my hand at shooting a super moon that evening. I used my 18 - 200 but in retrospect that wasn't the best choice so come the Blue Moon on the 30th I'll try again with a longer lens. Nevertheless, I was able to get a few reasonably decent shots and I'm sharing one of those for this last image. Now some may say I shouldn't consider this to be a close-up, but as the moon is typically 252,088 miles distant and it was only 222,159 miles away that night, I'm saying that since it was 29,929 miles closer that it counts as a close-up. I took a series of shots starting with the very tip of the moon just breaking the top of the Cascades and continued until it was fairly high in the sky. This selection is one as it was almost fully above the mountain tops. Somehow those geese just showed up in the processing. I've cropped the original a fair amount for composition, done some noise removal and sharpening, and discovered the flock of geese. Super Moon Rising Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 1,000; 1/50 sec @ f / 9 on a tripod with cable release.

24 Aug 23 It being Theatrical Thursday, and not having shared anything creative for a while, I thought I'd do so with a shot of our departure from the Juneau airport. We would be heading basically out of the picture on the left hand side for an approximate 45 minute flight to Pelican. The weather was beginning to turn ugly and would follow us out to our destination, but for the duration of our flight it lagged behind us and the scenery was truly beautiful. At the far right of the frame is the Juneau airport with its single landing strip and the float plane pond beside it. Each of the darker blue lines in that long section of lighter blue is a float plane. There are others that also have wheels and they are out of sight near the hangers. LOTS of float planes in Juneau. The landscape looks like a big delta to me with lush green vegetation being supplied by a myriad of water sources. While Juneau is on the mainland, it is surrounded by many small islands as you can see at the top of the shot. There are so many of these islands that I jokingly said the pilots should fly using IFR which I renamed from Instrument Flight Rules to I Follow Rocks. The area is in a transition zone between a humid continental climate, a subarctic climate, and an oceanic climate, depending on the isotherm used. The city's climate is heavily influenced by the proximity of the Pacific Ocean, specifically the warm Alaska Current, and the Coast Mountains that form a natural barrier for incoming cold air. The weather is thus mild and moist, which, as in other parts of the Alaska Panhandle, allows the growth of temperate rainforests. The weather in Pelican being similar with the region receiving upwards of 200 inches of rain annually. In clear weather it is breathtaking. Other than the creative application of the Glow 2 plug-in from Topaz, this is what the camera captured. Painted Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 250; 1/800 sec @ f / 9.

28 Aug 23 Supposedly one of the things needed to be considered a 1st Class city, or so I was told, is to have your own power supply. Hard to imagine but Pelican has just that and what I believe to be the outflow from the power plant dumps into the Pelican River right at the bridge from where I took the fish photos. Now as you all likely know fresh water is less dense than salt water so the inlet has a layer of fresh water floating on top of the salt water during the rainy season, so I'm assuming that's year round. I was told by one diver that it can be as deep as 18 inches; that would be something I would have liked to see. The location of the hydroelectric outflow provides for an amount of fresh water to add to that of the river right where the tidal flow meets the river. Considering the fresh water layer of the inlet sea water it would be interesting to know jut how much of that tidal inflow is actually salty; I'm thinking it is at a minimum. Folks in Pelican weren't unfriendly but they really appear to not be Chatty Cathys either, so I never had any discussions about any of this. You'll have to come to your own conclusions as will I. In the photo the darkish rectangular shapes you see near the river bank are spawning salmon. The water gushing out into the stream makes for some fun water to navigate, likely similar to that at the base of a falls. Spent a couple hours there during my visit just to watch. Quite a show. This is what the camera captured. Mixing Bowl Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1 / 400 sec @ f / 9.

23 Aug 23 Today's offering is one of those where I had a hard time choosing between a tight crop and one showing the bigger picture; the latter won out but you might want to make the tight crop yourself. The idea of an island with the highest bear population per capita and massive salmon runs seemed like a no-brainer. Although one half of that equation failed to materialize the other certainly didn't fail. We visited at the height of the Pink (Humpback) salmon run and today's offering is one look at what we saw. I'm standing on a small bridge crossing over the Pelican Creek; on the other side the fish were clumped together like sardines in a tin, sans sauce. Pacific salmon come in 5 flavors and each has two different names. The largest is called Chinook or King salmon; the best fighters are called Coho or Silver Salmon; Sockeye or Red salmon are the favorite of the Grizzly and high end restaurants around the world; Humpback or Pink are the smallest of the Pacific salmon and are fun to catch; and finally, the Chum or Dog salmon, is the least popular salmon but whose roe is among the best! We were there for the wrong run I do believe; what we likely needed was the Sockeye run. I'm not one who enjoys fishing nor do I know much about it (where is Dad when you need him) but I'm told the reason for the fish jumping like you see is to break up the clumped eggs into single eggs so that when they are laid they all have an equal chance of being fertilized. Sounds reasonable. Everywhere in the inlet we saw this activity constantly during the entire visit. One can only imagine how many fish were swimming in those waters. This is what the camera captured other than a lot of cropping. Jumping Triad Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/320 sec @ f / 9.

25 Aug 23 While nothing is the same as it was 90 years ago, some things still bear some form of resemblance. When my father was fishing in S.E. Alaska in the 30s, he talked about walking across rivers on the backs of salmon. That's not happening today but the fish do still return to the places of their hatching in vast numbers. So for this Friday's macro / close-up we are taking a look at the returning Pink Salmon in Pelican River. Now they aren't exactly packed in like sardines in a tin, but they still are giving us a colorful display of how it might have looked 90 years prior. With all these fish one would think that at least one bear might have given us a bit of a show but since they were Pink and not Sockeye it may have been a menu issue that got overlooked. In any event here is what we saw while we were there. The bright white areas are where the tails of the fish were breaking the water's surface. The water was less than two feet deep with rocks everywhere so the fish had to maneuver some to make their way upstream. Out of sight to the right and upstream was a nice waterfall - at least I think it was as I could only see small portions of it through the trees - that I wanted to see and shoot but there was no access to the river except through private property and I didn't want to do that. So this is the best I have to offer but at least you get the idea. Had to shoot through the rain so the shot isn't quite as sharp as I would have liked. This is what the camera captured. Last Hours Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1 /100 sec @ f / 9.

18 Aug 23 We're baaaaaaaak! 10 full days, 9.75 of which were nothing but rain, 2,000 miles by air, 1,100 shots, and one fantastic flight in which I wasn't allowed to use my camera. Saw hundreds of seagulls, 2 great blue herons, 2 squirrels, 1 song bird, 5 - 6 bald eagles, 5 sea otters, and a couple of flocks of some very tiny sea birds, possibly, just maybe, 1 small brown bear cub playing behind some rocks, and thousands of spawning pink salmon, plus dozens of magnificent waterfalls none of which are named so I named one after me. (Just like in days of yore.) Was told I just missed (like I do with bears) two breaching humpback whales and two nice pods of killer whales. Third trip to S E Alaska; third time I've been rained out; batting a thousand so far. But I stayed with friends from Eglon and had a very nice visit!!! So for this Friday's macro / close-up I'm going with a close up of some large rock with a little gnat bugging it some. My destination was the fishing community of Pelican, AK. You can get there by boat or air. It is an island roughly 66 miles due west of Juneau. It sits on the north easterly side of a 12 mile inlet and for all intents is literally carved out of the rock. Looking directly across from it over the water, c 100 fathoms at its deepest section, is the other side of the mountain, the inlet having been carved out of the rock tens of thousands of years ago by a glacier which has long since melted. Today's offering is of a small float plane (DeHavilland Beaver) which is one of two aircraft used to get on and off the rock. This is one of those locations when it pays to have a steady hand on the yoke. The flight in was O.k., we flew over the rock, but the flight out was in much more demanding weather so we flew right down the middle of the inlet; simply breathtaking beauty!! Wish I could have been allowed to shoot; hard to imagine otherwise. Now I know why my father was so in love with the area!!!! This capture was on one of the very nicest weather days. This is what the camera captured. Flight Level 1,000 Feet Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/1,600 sec @ f / 9.

29 Aug 23 So, when you live in a location where there are no roads, you are dependent on other resources, and in the case of an island you can be sure boats play a big part but also aircraft; either those with wheels, floats, or both, depending on what you have to offer for a landing surface. Pelican offers water, lots of it, so boats and seaplanes fill the bill. Alaska Seaplanes, a private company operating out of Juneau, fills the need nicely, weather allowing. Three flights per day during fishing season and one flight per day the rest of the year. Amazon; USPS; FedEx; UPS all utilize the flights; truly an equal opportunity carrier. (If you need COSTCO, it is located in Juneau.) They have a small dock for unloading/loading and an equally small office up on the boardwalk in Pelican for scheduling and weighing people and packages. This is one operation where weight and balance are quite important; a miscalculation for one of these flights could end up messy. It was always nice to hear the noise of the engine as the planes arrived as that indicated that a flight out was in the making. Today's offering is a shot of the last flight out on our second day. Passengers disembark, baggage off loaded, the baggage loaded, and finally the passengers. Then it's slowly move out to mid channel, rev up, and take off. Lots of fun. As long as there are no large marine mammals sharing the space, take off is generally uneventful. The heavy rains hadn't arrived on Tuesday when I took this shot; compare the waterfalls with pictures I've shared previously. This is what the camera captured but I've had to seriously increase the contrast; the original was mostly gray. Full Service Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1 / 2,500 sec @ f / 9.

31 Aug 23 Another Theatrical Thursday and another sorta "creative" image. By now most of you have likely figured out that among my favorite subjects are reflections, in particular those of mountains reflecting in lakes, and various marine settings. The best of them are created when the water is calm, preferably glass-like, but there are times when a bit of surface disturbance can make for an interesting shot. Today's offering was taken in Pelican but it could have been taken just about anywhere. For this capture the weather was in-between rain squalls so there was just enough wind action to have a slight ripple on the water's surface. I was out on a finger pier walking towards the boardwalk with portions of the boardwalk and the buildings residing on it reflecting on the water. One particular aspect of one building in particular caught my eye and it is the main player in this capture. You can see a portion of the main pier that takes you up from the water to the boardwalk at the very top of the shot. For those of you who like puzzles this might be a good candidate for a summer time holiday. I suggest you look at it from a distance of 4 -5 feet back from the screen, assuming the monitor you have will allow for such. This is what the camera captured. Flag Waving Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1 / 400 sec @ f / 9.

30 Aug 23 Switching gears some and going with something man-made for today's offering. Being a very tiny fishing village in my perspective, one should not be surprised that there is little cultural activity to be found in Pelican like an art gallery, public parks - the whole island being that - or similar offerings. But as I walked the boardwalk I noticed several items that could be considered art - art being in the eye of the beholder - and among them was a "mound" of multi-colored nautical floats and bumpers. The mound was surrounded by both potted plants and wildflowers, most notable being a grouping of daisies. On a grayish day the display was definitely eye-catching and I took shots of it on different occasions. As I looked at it each time I could only imagine the tales each of the component parts might have to tell. With its back against the rock of the mountain side, and its front just a few feet from the shoreline of the inlet, if that at high tide, this display occupied most of the free ground available. Not far away was another piece of "art" in the form of a planted bathtub and another further down the boardwalk of a derelict boat and discarded diesel engine both consumed by sea grasses. Both were intriguing and I took shots of them all. Based on the number of folks I saw taking shots of these items I'm not sure all the visitors agree with my assessment of art. Still . . . . . . . This is straight from the camera save for some de-hazing I employed to counter the "wet" air. Pelican Artwork Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1 / 400 sec @ f / 9.

21 Aug 23 So where exactly is Pelican. It is on the westerly side of Chichagof Island, the 5th largest island in the U.S.,approximately 66 miles due west of Juneau, AK. It sits on the east shore of Lisianski Inlet, about 6 miles south of the mouth of the inlet, in the northwest part of the island in the Alexander Archipelago. You get there by boat or seaplane. Either way, based on the weather, the views can be spectacular. Depending on your luck and/or timing you can see whales, dolphins, seals, and sea otters in the inlet. I missed seeing the first two although they were present when we visited but did see the others. The village (as I see it) of Pelican, is a 1st class city by AK standards, but I wasn't able to find out what that entails. It centers around fishing and in the fishing season is a beehive of activity; not so much in the off season. It is wet, rains a lot as I mentioned prior (snow in the winter), and has high humidity. While I was there it ranged from 80 - 95%; not what I had expected. But it is green to be sure. Lushly so!! The photo I'm sharing today is of the entire village so you can get an idea of how it looks. The entire length of the village is connected by a boardwalk roughly 12 feet wide; contrary to a recent N Y Times article, most everyone gets around via 4 wheelers or golf carts, NOT bicycles. It would seem, based on a box of photos from my father, that these fishing villages have changed little since he was fishing in the '30s. Although he didn't have access to HughesNet or Starlink when he was fishing up there. Over the next several days I'll endeavor to give you a flavor of what it is like to live there. Our host's home is the furthest left red roofed building at the far left. This 9 frame composite is pretty much what the camera captured although I've done some serious cropping for composition. From the Inlet Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 800; 1/1,000 sec @ f / 14.

22 Aug 23 If you were to be seated on the deck of the red house I mentioned in yesterday's mailing, this is what you would be viewing on the opposite side of the inlet. There is more above and below, but this is the main section of the opposing mountain side. When we arrived on that first Monday our host mentioned that had we visited in the spring of the year this is what we would have seen and the roaring of the falling water as well. We didn't see this, just one fall and the water beneath it. I'll try to help out with this description. There is a grouping of 4 falls close together center top; the one 2nd from the left is all we saw that day plus the water trailing down which would be that which forms a diagonal line through that fall. In all there wasn't a lot of water and virtually no sound. As the Saturday storm slacked today's offering is what we saw. Now it wasn't this clear as I was looking/shooting through clouds/fog/mist - take your pick - but with some considerable manipulation with software this is close to what we should have seen. Weather aside, it was spectacular. I can only imagine what it must look like during spring runoff on a clear day. I believe it would be one of those things you never forget! At the base of this falls is a small clearing that serves as a picnic area. You may note a strange naming of the falls. I asked many residents the name of these falls; all said the same thing. None of them are named. Soooooo, based on a long standing tradition, I named one, this one, Johanson Falls. Now I'm waiting for the fallout. 😂 This is not what the camera captured; I've done a lot of manipulation to get it where it is. Spring Like Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/160 sec @ f / 9.