North to Alaska- Anchorage to Girdwood

Thursday,  August 1st.  2013- Southeast out of Anchorage on the Seward Highway

Talk about being treated like a King, After spending the first restful night since my arrival I woke up to the smell of bacon and  freshly brewed coffee so I quickly jumped into the shower to get ready the next chapter of my saga in Alaska.

After a delicious  breakfast, my two guides for the day, Karla and Dionna were knocking themselves out put trying to plan a day trip that would give me an opportunity to photograph some the local scenery. By the time it was decided where we would go it was time for lunch so we loaded up my camera gear and returned to Anchorage for a  a delightful meal at the Glacier Brew House. This establishment is located on 737 West Fifth Ave, and happens to be one of the favorite places Karla likes to frequent. This also happens to be an award winning brewery/restaurant with a winning reputation as on of Alaska's finest places to dine that offers wide selection expertly prepared seafood.

 Since I am not a connoisseur of beer due to the fact that the results of a couple of beers will have the same effect as a large shot of Novocain causing my lips and nose to go numb and losing control of my tongue. I also lose my my sense of equilibrium having found myself under the table on various occasions conversing with a table leg. To save my hosts that embarrassment I ordered a Jack & Coke along with slab of salmon and both were excellent. Ordering a salmon dish is a "have to" if you are visiting Alaska, it would be like going to Maine and not ordering the clam chowder.

As our magical mystery tour progressed down the Seward Highway to Girdwood the weather was cooperating with warm temperatures and a steady wind. The wind make for  constantly changing cloud formations that added a "Wow" factor to every panoramic view of Cook Inlet.

At different stops along the way where I found large groups of people taking pictures I tried to avoid them by not becoming part of the group. Its not that I am antisocial, I just wanted to take my photographs from a different perspective.

We finally made it to a gas station in Girdwood  and not a moment to soon since all of us had to make a pit stop. We are now on our way to Mt. Alyeska Ski Resort and surrounding areas so keep following my posts for more exciting updates.

North to Alaska, Willow Creek

Willow Creek Alaska, Wednesday July 31st, 2013

Woke up about 5am, still having trouble adjusting to the the time difference but not feeling tired at all. After packing up the truck we were on the road to Willow Creek about 9am heading north out of Wasilla  under a beautiful clear sky with the temperature in the seventies. Accompanying Aaron and myself was his two young sons who were full of excitement and couldn't wait to get their lines wet. Our destination was the Willow Creek Resort, A beautiful riverfront family RV park and camping destination. It is located in South Central Alaska 1+1/2 hours north of Anchorage and 3 hours from Denali National Park. Aaron provides a fishing charter/ guide service for them so it was an opportunity for him to mix a little business with pleasure.
Thinking I would be fishing in ice cold, bone chilling waters I had put on my long johns and an extra layer of clothing earlier but I was surprised to see others who were fishing in cut off and tennis shoes. The air temperature being in the seventies for a long period of time before my arrival warmed the water enough that wading in that fashion was not uncomfortable. The water was crystal clear and the bottom was pock marked with numerous holes and cuts and all were filled with fish. The Kings have already made their run and were out of season, the Reds and Coho's were not running possibly due to the unseasonably warm and dry weather. I wasn't really interested in fishing for Chums since you have to use a different method to catch them so I was content fishing for rainbows but couldn't avoid snagging the Chum or Dog salmon while drifting a wet fly through the holes. I did manage to hook and land a decent size rainbow but almost lost all my flies inadvertently snagging into the salmon.
A decision had to be made to either continue fishing or pick up the camera and start photographing. since I can't do both at the same time ( I can't even walk and chew gum at the same time) I made the trek back to the truck, shedding my layers of extra clothes, grabbed my camera and set out to record the events of that day. Here are a few candid moments that I would like to share and I don't think captions are necessary.

On the way back, Aaron received a call wanting him to take a couple of clients out on a chartered fishing trip the following day so I returned to Eagle River and into the clutches of the two wild women who I had mentioned earlier. These two are like "Thelma & Louis" and I don't  know what they have in mind, so keep posted for more adventures "North to Alaska".

North to Alaska- Hatcher Pass

I arrived in Anchorage early in the morning after a long flight from Minneapolis and was wired for sound. I don't think it was the coffee that as served during the flight, but it was me being antsy that was caused by the anticipation of what lies ahead. My cousin, Karla  picked my daughter and I up at the airport and we spent the rest of the night at her apartment in Eagle River.  My itinerary was to meet with my buddy Aaron latter that day for a fishing trip on Willow Creek scheduled for the following day. (Aaron is a guide and outfitter who lives just outside of Wasilla who worked with me back in the lower 48.) My daughters plans was to whoop it up with Karla, her lifelong friend while I was being chased by a Moose or a Bear. Aaron and I hooked up as planned and we proceeded from Eagle River  to his home, arriving about 6pm Alaskan time. While we were waiting on supper  he took me on a little excursion to Hatcher Pass to take in some of the local sights that they must take for granted.
Hopefully my photography can try to to explain visually what I experienced and what I felt during that few hours that we spent there.

Stay tuned in for my fishing adventures on Willow Creek

North To Alaska

"Summer in the Alaskan Alps", Hatcher Pass

                                       

Sorry I haven't posted anything for a while but after returning from Alaska from my trip I have  over 1000 images to edit. I have culled them down to around 400 and hope to end up with 100 that will be my final choice.I covered a lot of ground in Alaska during my stay and I don't think you would ever run out of images that just knock your socks off. From Anchorage to Sourdough to the Knik Arm to Girdwood and Seward I was in awe at what my eyes were seeing. My hat is off to the residents of this great State and for their hospitality and I hope to return someday.
I will be posting some of the shots I captured during my photo and fishing safari in the near future so keep checking my blog. Doc