2012 Vacations photographs
Photographs are shown in chronological order.
For the second part of the vacation photos, click here.
For the third part of the vacation photos, click here.
For the fourth part of the vacation photos, click here.
The photograph on the right shows a view o
f Mt. Denali from the Parks Highway.
Early on my second day (first
driving day) I encountered these moose off the Parks Highway.
Closer view of the moose.
Another view of Mt. Denali, further north.
Another view of Mt. Denali, still further north.
On Saturday, along the road from Fa
irbanks to the start of the Dalt
on, I first saw the Alyeska Pipeline.
The start of the Dalton Highway. Very exciting!
About 3 miles south of here, a drunk hunter shot the pipeline
and pierced the pipe wall, causing a major oil spill that made
national news in 2002.
http://albionmonitor.com/0109a/alaskapipelinespill.html
Papilio canadensis was plentiful t
he first few days. This is near the 10 km post.
Second growth after a 2004 forest fi
re, which killed the spruce forest. On average, forest fir
es caused by lightning burn stunted spruce forests every 80 yea
rs. Black spruce is one of the few trees that thrive where sh
allow permafrost stunts the roots.
Still Saturday. The weather for t
he first 10 days was great, with little rain. Second growth af
ter an earlier forest fire, circa 1990 or so.
Looking down on the Dalton.
These 'kinks' in the pipeline allow it to flex as the pipe e
xpands and contracts due to temperature changes. Without the
se kinks, thermal expansion f
orces could over-stress the pipe wall.
About 95 km on the Dalton. The
mileposts run from 0 at the southern end.
The white-topped plant is Eriophorum vaginatum.
Entrance to the Arctic circle wa
yside and campground, where I stayed Saturday night.
Yours truly!
Two nice grayling I caught in the North Fork of Bonanza C
reek, 10 miles north of the arctic circle.
The bottom fish is about 2.5 pounds.
Connection rock, roadside wher
e the southern team met the northe
rn team building the Dalton Highway.
Campsite at the arctic circle, Saturday night.
Sunday morning intruder, a Grey Jay.
Sunday morning, just north of the arctic circle.
Sunday morning, just north of the arctic circle.
Along the Dalton, near Chandalar
Shelf, a few miles south of Atigun Pass.
Chandalar Shelf.
Another view of Chandalar Shelf.
Looking south on the Dalton at Chandalar Shelf.
About 10 km south of Atigun Pass, I was going to hike through
this valley, but the hiki
ng was too difficult, and I ditched this idea.
At Atigun Pass.
At Atigun Pass.
At Atigun Pass, an avalanche zone most of the year.
Nice bowl to the east of Atigun Pass.
This is about 15 km north of Atigun Pass. I tried my hike he
re, but the terrain was too d
amp and nearly impassable. This was Tuesday evening.
Same spot as above, looking to the south on the Dalton.
Same location as the above shot.
Camped here Tuesday through
Saturday night. More shots follow. The creek was nameless.
The Atigun River is just to the west.
This is a parking lot for the State of Alaska road crew.
Still the same spot. By the way, it is about 10 pm!
Same creek.
The bridge over the creek for the Dalton Highway.
From my campsite, just below the bridge, looking north.
Tuesday morning, looking up the hill. I spent the next two day
s collecting here. Lots of good bugs.
These three little hills, about a 45 minute hike from the tent, yi
elded P. macaon, the Oeneis al
pina, a few B. polaris, and lots of other common leps.
Same hills.
So beautiful when it was clear.
A nearby shot. This is in the Brooks Range, by the way.
Another view from the road up the slope.
Another view to the north from the campsite.
Again, these were shot around 10 pm.
To the west.
Wednesday morning intruder.
My gear. The three little hills are to
the right. This is looking back to the Dalton. I was st
arting my four day backpack adventure. Never got more than
5 miles from the car, but I never visited the car on these day
s, returning Saturday night for pasta and beer.
About 1 mile from the Dalton. I w
ill hike over the ridge and camp, hiking further east (straight
back in this shot) the next three days.
This is the hill closest to the Dalton.
One of the three hills, with the next shots taken atop this hill.
Looking down to Pump Station #4. These stations pump oil f
rom the Arctic Ocean to the south.
Just to the north of the pumping station. This is Tea Lake.
That's the Dalton crossing the pip
eline, and the Atigun River in the back
A helicopter landing at the pump station.
The Dalton runs through a valley at this point.
Looking to the east, atop one of the three hills.
Some arctic plants. This is Silene acaulis, or moss campion.
Dryas integrifolia, White Mountain Aven.
This is Western moss heather, Cassiope mertensiana.
More arctic plants. Beside the heather and aven, Netleaf
willow (Salix reticulata).
This is the end of Part I. Click here to go to Part II.
Photographs are shown in chronological order.
For the second part of the vacation photos, click here.
For the third part of the vacation photos, click here.
For the fourth part of the vacation photos, click here.
The photograph on the right shows a view o
f Mt. Denali from the Parks Highway.
Early on my second day (first
driving day) I encountered these moose off the Parks Highway.
Closer view of the moose.
Another view of Mt. Denali, further north.
Another view of Mt. Denali, still further north.
On Saturday, along the road from Fa
irbanks to the start of the Dalt
on, I first saw the Alyeska Pipeline.
The start of the Dalton Highway. Very exciting!
About 3 miles south of here, a drunk hunter shot the pipeline
and pierced the pipe wall, causing a major oil spill that made
national news in 2002.
http://albionmonitor.com/0109a/alaskapipelinespill.html
Papilio canadensis was plentiful t
he first few days. This is near the 10 km post.
Second growth after a 2004 forest fi
re, which killed the spruce forest. On average, forest fir
es caused by lightning burn stunted spruce forests every 80 yea
rs. Black spruce is one of the few trees that thrive where sh
allow permafrost stunts the roots.
Still Saturday. The weather for t
he first 10 days was great, with little rain. Second growth af
ter an earlier forest fire, circa 1990 or so.
Looking down on the Dalton.
These 'kinks' in the pipeline allow it to flex as the pipe e
xpands and contracts due to temperature changes. Without the
se kinks, thermal expansion f
orces could over-stress the pipe wall.
About 95 km on the Dalton. The
mileposts run from 0 at the southern end.
The white-topped plant is Eriophorum vaginatum.
Entrance to the Arctic circle wa
yside and campground, where I stayed Saturday night.
Yours truly!
Two nice grayling I caught in the North Fork of Bonanza C
reek, 10 miles north of the arctic circle.
The bottom fish is about 2.5 pounds.
Connection rock, roadside wher
e the southern team met the northe
rn team building the Dalton Highway.
Campsite at the arctic circle, Saturday night.
Sunday morning intruder, a Grey Jay.
Sunday morning, just north of the arctic circle.
Sunday morning, just north of the arctic circle.
Along the Dalton, near Chandalar
Shelf, a few miles south of Atigun Pass.
Chandalar Shelf.
Another view of Chandalar Shelf.
Looking south on the Dalton at Chandalar Shelf.
About 10 km south of Atigun Pass, I was going to hike through
this valley, but the hiki
ng was too difficult, and I ditched this idea.
At Atigun Pass.
At Atigun Pass.
At Atigun Pass, an avalanche zone most of the year.
Nice bowl to the east of Atigun Pass.
This is about 15 km north of Atigun Pass. I tried my hike he
re, but the terrain was too d
amp and nearly impassable. This was Tuesday evening.
Same spot as above, looking to the south on the Dalton.
Same location as the above shot.
Camped here Tuesday through
Saturday night. More shots follow. The creek was nameless.
The Atigun River is just to the west.
This is a parking lot for the State of Alaska road crew.
Still the same spot. By the way, it is about 10 pm!
Same creek.
The bridge over the creek for the Dalton Highway.
From my campsite, just below the bridge, looking north.
Tuesday morning, looking up the hill. I spent the next two day
s collecting here. Lots of good bugs.
These three little hills, about a 45 minute hike from the tent, yi
elded P. macaon, the Oeneis al
pina, a few B. polaris, and lots of other common leps.
Same hills.
So beautiful when it was clear.
A nearby shot. This is in the Brooks Range, by the way.
Another view from the road up the slope.
Another view to the north from the campsite.
Again, these were shot around 10 pm.
To the west.
Wednesday morning intruder.
My gear. The three little hills are to
the right. This is looking back to the Dalton. I was st
arting my four day backpack adventure. Never got more than
5 miles from the car, but I never visited the car on these day
s, returning Saturday night for pasta and beer.
About 1 mile from the Dalton. I w
ill hike over the ridge and camp, hiking further east (straight
back in this shot) the next three days.
This is the hill closest to the Dalton.
One of the three hills, with the next shots taken atop this hill.
Looking down to Pump Station #4. These stations pump oil f
rom the Arctic Ocean to the south.
Just to the north of the pumping station. This is Tea Lake.
That's the Dalton crossing the pip
eline, and the Atigun River in the back
A helicopter landing at the pump station.
The Dalton runs through a valley at this point.
Looking to the east, atop one of the three hills.
Some arctic plants. This is Silene acaulis, or moss campion.
Dryas integrifolia, White Mountain Aven.
This is Western moss heather, Cassiope mertensiana.
More arctic plants. Beside the heather and aven, Netleaf
willow (Salix reticulata).
This is the end of Part I. Click here to go to Part II.
