The French Castle; Fort Niagara
Camera: Leica M3; Film: Kodak 35mm, Tri-X400
Tag Archives: travel
Taku Glacier & the Juneau Ice Field
The Juneau Ice Field, as seen from the air
The Juneau Ice Field is located just north of Alaska’s capital city. The ice field covers 1500 square miles, more than a third larger than Rhode Island, and stretches from Alaska across the border into British Columbia. The ice field is home to over 40 large glaciers and more than 100 smaller glaciers. The Juneau Ice Field has been one of the most studied in the world, with the Juneau Ice Field Research Project being conducted annually since 1946.
Taku Glacier, as seen across the Taku River
One of the most talked about glaciers within the Juneau Ice Field has been Taku Glacier. It has been the last advancing glacier within the ice field. It’s “mass balance” has been in the positive; it has been gaining more snow during the coarse of a year than it has lost in melt.
Taku Glacier from the air
Taku is the thickest measured glacier in Alaska. It is considered a high elevation glacier, which has helped it maintain the title of an advancing glacier.
That designation has officially come to an end. With the increasingly warm temperatures that Alaska has been experiencing over the past decade plus, the Taku Glacier is now retreating.
When Taku has calved in the past, it has sent icebergs into the Juneau harbor. Massive calving events would not only send icebergs to Juneau, but also into the Inside Passage.
When Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound started its retreat, sending icebergs into The Sound, the State of Alaska was forced to create an ice-watch program for oil tankers and cruise ships.
Taku Glacier is twice the size of Columbia.
A path to be traveled
A few more images from my time exploring Fort Niagara.
Camera: Leica M3; Film: Kodak 35mm, Tri-X400
Pineapple Express
There was a time when I really enjoyed hearing terms like “Pineapple Express” and looked forward to a warm “Chinook” wind blowing through the area.
Now they comes with such frequency, that the deep freeze has replaced them as the rare events in the state.
A Pineapple Express came through Alaska over the weekend. Fairbanks saw rain and temps in the 40’sF. Our dusting of snow took a beating. The ice on The Pond has reverted back to slush.
Bethel on the western coast saw 53F on Sunday morning. The second highest temperature recorded this late in the year.
King Salmon reached 60F on Sunday, breaking their record for the warmest temperature this late in the year.
Not to be left out, McGrath in the Interior hit 50F, which tied their record set 7 years ago.
Utqiagvik on the Arctic Coast will see 38F on Monday, which will do absolutely nothing to help our utter lack of sea ice.
The times, they are a changing…
Porte des Cinq Nations
The French named this gate “Gate of the Five Nations” in honor of the Iroquois Confederacy
Fort Niagara’s main gate.
Camera: Leica M3; Film: Kodak 35, Tri-X400
Father Millet Cross
In the winter of 1687, the men stationed at Fort Niagara were overwhelmed by disease and starvation. Of the 100 men stationed at the garrison, only 12 would survive that brutal winter.
Father Pierre Millet, a Jesuit missionary, was a member of the rescue party that arrived at the fort in the spring of 1688. Father Millet erected an 18 foot wooden cross in honor of the men who perished.
In 1825, President Calvin Coolidge named the 18 square foot section surrounding the cross a national monument. It was the smallest national monument ever named in the U.S.. At the monument dedication, the original wooden cross was replaced by a bronze version, which still stands in its place.
In 1949, monument status was abolished by Congress, and the memorial was transferred to the State of New York, to be a part of Fort Niagara State Park.
Camera: Leica M3; Film: Kodak 35mm, Tri-X400
Guns of Fort Niagara
Musket demonstration
Cannon overlooking the Niagara River
Camera: Leica M3; Film: Kodak Tri-X 400
Battle of the Bruins
Holly: Bear #435
It’s Championship Tuesday at Katmai National Park. Lefty and Holly emerged from the belly battle to face each other for the much coveted “Fattest Bear of Katmai”.
Lefty: Bear #775
Voting takes place on the Katmai National Park F/B page. Send your favorite some love before they head off into hibernation.
Photos credit: Katmai National Park & Preserve
Lurking for salmon
Photo by Robert Hawthorne
Since we’re in the middle of Katmai Week here between The Circles, I wanted to share this photo, although probably not for the reasons many would think.
The pic above was taken of two fishermen in Katmai National Park. I’ve found myself in a similar situation while fishing Alaska’s rivers. Once was with my Dad, which was more nerve-wracking than when I was solo! Forget the bear, I was worried about how my Dad would react.
What I love about this picture, from all my time in Alaska, is that the bear actually has little to no interest in the fishermen. The bear simply has salmon on its mind. We don’t have two fishermen in the picture, but three.
If given half the chance, man can live with wildlife. The two species above, can coexist. Katmai NP&P is a prime example of that. I would hope that is the lesson the photograph has to give. After all, Alaska would be a much poorer place without her bears.
The photo was taken in July by Robert Hawthorne, a photographer out of Bozeman, Montana. His link is below:
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