Tag Archives: Alaska

VIDEO: Hanging out with research bald eagle number 24

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Continuing with my recent post on bald eagle research being conducted on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, I thought it would be interesting to show a video clip and photos of an eagle that is part of a different research project.

Research bald eagle number 24 is one of three eagles that are part of the research study being conducted by Steve Lewis of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Juneau, Alaska. The study is examining the effects of eagle nest removal at the Juneau airport (approximately 95 miles away). Number 24 is one of a pair of bald eagles who were nesting near the pond airstrip where float planes land and take off.

A year earlier, I photographed research bald eagle number 88, a control bird in that study. Research bald eagle number 88 originally had a GPS tracking pack, but later lost it. Interestingly, I photographed research bald eagle number 24 very near were I had previously photographed research bald eagle number 88.

Unlike the eagles I recently photographed that were part of Rachel Wheat‘s study, research bald eagles numbers 24 and 88 have a patagial tag (green wing tag) along with the solar powered GPS tracking satellite transmitter. The transmitter’s antenna can be seen sticking out of the eagle’s feathers to the right of the green patagial tag.

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VIEW PHOTO GALLERY of bald eagle photos from the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska

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Bald eagle research on the Chilkat River

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Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, releases bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) ?4P? back into the wild. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world. EDITOR'S NOTE: This image is a cropped version of the image I0000DKmhuipNOvQ. (John L. Dengler)

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, releases bald eagle “4P” back into the wild. Wheat is conducting a migration study of bald eagle that visit the Chilkat River using GPS satellite transmitters. Note the GPS transmitter on the eagle’s back and the dual leg bands. One leg band is used by the researcher and the other is registered with the U.S. Geological Survey.

 

On my most recent trip late last fall to photograph bald eagles on the Chilkat River, I made a conscious decision to shake my photography up. While I don’t claim to have the definitive bald eagle photograph (yet), I do have quite a few keepers in my archive. It was time to move beyond simply photographing bald eagles themselves and begin to take a more all-encompassing approach to the subject of the bald eagles that visit the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska.

To start me in that direction, I decided exploring the subject of bald eagles from the perspective of a researcher would be a good place to start. This would allow me to get back to my storytelling roots, while at the same time broaden my knowledge of bald eagles.

So instead of spending time by myself photographing eagles, I spent time photographing those who study them. Lucky for me, there were two distinctly different groups of researchers working on the river while I was there. Both with interesting stories to tell.

Counting bald eagles – Haines School Citizen Science Class

First, was a Citizen Science class from the local school. Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School in Haines, AK. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River near Haines to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world. This sounded perfect. Students interested in doing real science and fieldwork for their community sounded like a publishable story to me. I also recorded quite a bit of natural sound of the students doing their eagle count survey. My goal is to produce along with the still photo coverage, an audio-only report and perhaps a multimedia report (audio, video, and stills). There were aspects of the process the citizen scientists use to do their counts that made it perfect for an audio-only report. Bet you never thought a photographer would propose something like that!

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Capturing and tracking bald eagles from the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve

While working with the Citizen Science students I discovered they would be meeting a team of researchers who were capturing bald eagles for a migration study of the eagles that visit the Chilkat River in Alaska. The study is being conducted by Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. She hopes to learn how closely bald eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT – platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Helping with the eagle capturing was Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Juneau Field Office.

Lewis employed leg snare traps and a net launcher for the capturing. Leg snare traps employ a looped cord on a hinged perch. When a bald eagle lands on the perch a spring is sprung which tightens a looped cord around the bald eagle’s legs. The net launcher uses three projectiles attached to a large lightweight net. A salmon carcass is used at bait in front of the launcher. A radio-controlled trigger to launch the net is used when an eagle lands next to the bait. In addition to the GPS satellite transmitter installation, researchers attached leg id bands and took measurements including blood and a small feather sample for analysis. To keep the eagle calm during the entire process, a hood covered the bald eagle’s eyes and leather booties protected researchers from the eagle’s talons.

Information about Wheat’s bald eagle migration study and the latest updates on the locations of the bald eagles she is tracking can be found on the Ecology Alaska website.

Social media and education outreach are an important facet of Wheat’s project. Wheat along with Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz and Dr. Taal Levi, wildlife ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies funded their various Alaska research projects through an innovative Kickstarter fundraising campaign. I highly recommend that you check out the Ecology Alaska website. They are a group of excited and dedicated scientists who do a great job of making science understandable and fun.

I’m really looking forward to telling the story of both the Citizen Science eagle count survey and University of California – Santa Cruz migration research efforts as I work on producing publishable packages about their work.
 

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VIEW PHOTO GALLERY of bald eagle photos from the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska

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Connelly Lake Hydroelectric Project

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Connelly Lake (left) is a 90-acre alpine lake near Haines, Alaska that drains into the Chilkoot River (right). Connelly Lake (formerly known as Upper Chilkoot Lake) is the focus of a proposed $32 million, 12-megawatt hydroelectric project by Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T). AP&T proposes to build a dam at the outlet of Connelly Lake that would create a 160-acre reservoir and a 6,200-foot-long penstock down the side of the mountain where water would be delivered to two turbine generators located in a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project (for example portions of the penstock, the powerhouse, access roads, and the transmission line) would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest. Environmental concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat (water turbidity issues), and bald eagles. The eagles rely on the salmon that use the Chilkoot Valley in the fall and early winter when they are attracted to late spawning salmon runs. AP&T wants to build the project to replace the undersea cable that supplies Haines with electricity from Skagway. This photo of the ice and snow covered Connelly Lake was taken in mid-July. The large lake in the background is Chilkoot Lake. Beyond Chilkoot Lake is Lutak Inlet of the Lynn Canal. (John L. Dengler)
This photo of the ice and snow covered Connelly Lake (left) was taken in mid-July. Alaska Power and Telephone Company is proposing to dam Connelly Lake and build a powerhouse below the lake near the Chilkoot River (right) in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. The Chilkoot River is an important salmon spawning stream supporting bald eagles and bears. The large lake in the background is Chilkoot Lake. Beyond Chilkoot Lake is Lutak Inlet of the Lynn Canal.

I visit Haines, Alaska several times a year as part of my ongoing project photographing and filming the bald eagles that congregate in the nearby Chilkoot and Chilkat River Valleys each fall. I look forward to my visits for the friendly people and the natural beauty of the area — arguably some of the best any town in Alaska has to offer.

Haines is a a small town (population 2,554) nestled in between the majestic Takhinsha and Takshanuk Mountains and the bountiful salmon-rich ocean waters of the Lynn Canal. Much of the Haines Borough boundary is the mountains that separate it from Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve with its incredible glaciers, and its summer visitors — humpback whales. Abutting Glacier Bay National Park and up the highway from Haines are three more National or Provincial Parks (Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Kluane National Park (Canada) and Tatshenshini-Alsek Park (Canada). Together they form the one of the largest internationally protected areas on the planet. While challenging to access, that is still quite a backyard to have.

The upper Lynn Canal area of Haines is not just rich in beauty and wildlife but is also rich in resources — rich in minerals and rich in fisheries. Chilkoot River salmon are harvested by commercial fishermen, by sports fishermen, and for subsistence. Salmon play an important role in the area’s economy and lifestyle. The Connelly Lake Hydro Aquatic Studies Report for 2012 prepared by the Shipley Group for Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T) states that according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 41 percent of the sockeye salmon in the upper Lynn Canal come from the Chilkoot River with 25 percent of those salmon spawning in the Chilkoot River drainage above Chilkoot Lake. The value of the fishery is estimated at more than $1,000,000 annually.

So when AP&T, the power company that serves Haines, announced a proposal for a hydroelectric project using a high alpine lake above one of the area’s important salmon spawning rivers, I couldn’t help but wonder how this delicate balance of resources would play out with locals. This curiosity led me to fly above the lake to see for myself.

Connelly Lake (formerly known as Upper Chilkoot Lake) is the focus of a proposed $32 million, 12-megawatt hydroelectric project by AP&T. The power company proposes to build a dam at the outlet of the 90-acre alpine lake that would create a 160-acre reservoir and a 6,200-foot-long penstock down the side of the mountain where water would be delivered to two turbine generators located in a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project (for example portions of the penstock, the powerhouse, access roads, and the transmission line) would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest.

Environmental concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat (water turbidity issues), and bald eagles. Bears and bald eagles rely on the salmon that use the Chilkoot Valley in the fall and early winter when they are attracted to late spawning salmon runs. AP&T wants to build the project to replace an undersea cable that currently supplies Haines with hydro-powered electricity from Skagway. If the cable would ever become unusable, then Haines would need to depend on diesel-generated electricity produced in Haines.

After seeing Connelly Lake and how it is situated high above the Chilkoot River, my immediate question is how well would the dam stand up to earthquakes? I think back to the collapse of a man-made mountain top reservoir outside St. Louis, Missouri (Taum Sauk Hydroelectric Power Station); also built for generating electricity. It sent a billion gallons of water down the mountain washing away a dense growth forest and scouring the ground down to bedrock before sending a 20 foot high crest of water down one of the prettiest streams in the state.

While most Haines residents see clean hydropower as a viable and economical solution to the community’s growing power needs, some feel that it might come at too high a price if the salmon spawning waters of the Chilkoot River are put at risk or even worse, damaged. Others see it as vital if Haines wants to grow. The Connelly Lake hydropower project is still in it’s early stages. How it will play out is unclear.

If you are interested in learning more about the project, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission posts documents pertaining to the project online. As an example, the Second Six Month Progress Report” from Alaska Power & Telephone Company (26MB download) has quite a bit of research study information regarding the salmon and other fish that inhabit the Chilkoot River. You can find other documents like this by searching the FERC Online eLibrary using the “Full Text Search” feature. Search for “Connelly Lake.”

Connelly Lake (center) is a 90-acre alpine lake near Haines, Alaska that drains into the Chilkoot River. Connelly Lake (formerly known as Upper Chilkoot Lake) is the focus of a proposed $32 million, 12-megawatt hydroelectric project by Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T). AP&T proposes to build a dam at the outlet of Connelly Lake that would create a 160-acre reservoir and a 6,200-foot-long penstock down the side of the mountain where water would be delivered to two turbine generators located in a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project (for example portions of the penstock, the powerhouse, access roads, and the transmission line) would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest. Environmental concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat (water turbidity issues), and bald eagles. The eagles rely on the salmon that use the Chilkoot Valley in the fall and early winter when they are attracted to late spawning salmon runs. AP&T wants to build the project to replace the undersea cable that supplies Haines with electricity from Skagway. This photo of the ice and snow covered Connelly Lake was taken in mid-July. (John L. Dengler)

The outlet stream of Connelly Lake, Connelly Creek (center), descends 2,138 feet to the floor of the Chilkoot Valley where it joins the Chilkoot River. A 6,200-foot-long penstock would be built down the side of the mountain where water would be delivered to two turbine generators located in a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake hydroelectric project would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest.

For more photos see:
Gallery of landscape photos from the Haines, Alaska area
Gallery of all my bald eagle photos from the Chilkat River and Chilkoot River

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Mosquitoes – The unofficial state bird of Alaska

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Mosquito bites on the back of the hand of John L. Dengler. Photo taken on a kayak trip into Adams Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska (John L. Dengler)

I’m often asked what the mosquitoes are like in Alaska. Well, if you ask someone from Alaska, they are likely to respond somewhat jokingly with “you mean the state bird?”

Honestly, I’ve never found mosquitoes a problem, but then again I’m pretty tolerant of the little vampires, even in mosquito-rich enclaves like the Wonder Lake area of Denali National Park.

My secret is that I simply tell myself that I’m going to encounter them and yes, they may be intense. In other words, I play a mind game on myself. For many reasons I rarely will use mosquito repellant. Among them — I hate the smell, I worry that grizzly bears might be curious about the smell, DEET (which is what you want in your spray) has been linked to causing serious neurological and other health problems, and the repellant melts the fabric and plastic of many forms of outdoor clothing and equipment. In the absolute worse cases I will drag out a head net  For that to happen, the mosquitoes have to be to the point where I’m breathing in mosquitoes with every breath. What you pray for in mosquito-rich areas is for wind. Anything above four miles-per-hour usually grounds the suckers.

Sometimes your hands are both busy and you can’t do anything about it. An example, is the above photo of my hand after a day of kayaking in the Adams Inlet of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. An anti-itch gel or cream like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) will offer some relief.

So how bad have they been? Well, once near Wonder Lake in Denali National Park and Preserve, I slapped the top of my hand to kill the mosquitoes on it. How many did I kill, I counted close to twenty dead on the top of my hand. Yes, TWENTY!

Thank goodness for the buggers though. Wonder Lake is one of the most beautiful places on the planet when the weather is clear and you can view Mt. McKinley, aka Denali. The ravenous mosquito population there, while annoying to park visitors, pollinate the flowers and berries, and are an important link in the food chain.  They also keeps the number of campers down.  Only the hardy are willing to brave their meals with the buzzing and biting, so most vistors to Wonder Lake keep their visit short. I’ve never had a problem getting a spot there — a wondrous place that should easily have a waiting list of hundreds of campers.

VIEW PHOTO GALLERY of all my Denali National Park and Preserve Photos photos

VIEW PHOTO GALLERY of all my Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve photos

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Alaska travel tips

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I am often asked for advice on traveling to Alaska. Several months ago, the Springfield News-Leader published an email on Alaska travel tips that I sent to my former colleague and News-Leader travel columnist Juliana Goodwin. What follows is an edited and updated version of the advice I gave Juliana. Keep in mind that I’m definitely not your typical Alaska tourist since I’m more likely to be off working in a remote wilderness setting. I typically travel to Alaska at least several and different times of the year (usually summer and late fall/early winter). With that in mind here are some tips.

Unidentified passengers on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry m/v Malaspina enjoy the scenery of the Lynn Canal as the sun sets behind the Chilkat Range near Haines, Alaska. (John L. Dengler)
Unidentified passengers on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry Malaspina enjoy the scenery of the Lynn Canal as the sun sets behind the Chilkat Range near Haines, Alaska.

Driving

I actually don’t do much driving in Alaska. Primarily, because most of the time I am traveling/working in remote areas inaccessible by roads and cars. It would make little sense for me to be paying for a rental car to sit idle in a parking lot while backpacking or sea kayaking for weeks at a time. The only time I use a rental car for an entire trip is during my November trips to the Chilkat River where I photograph bald eagles (southeast Alaska near the town of Haines). On those trips I spend the night at a bed and breakfast in Haines.

I have never rented an RV so I can’t speak to that except that I see a lot of them from rental RV companies. If readers think that RV travel would be a cheap way to see the state, consider that this past November (2011), I paid $4.53 per gallon for gas in Haines, Alaska. I’d hate to think what the price of gas would be in the “middle-of-nowhere” Alaska. Factor in that it’s hundreds of miles from most spots to the next, and the miles per gallon of an RV gets, I personally would not recommend doing the RV thing if I was doing a general trip across the state. However, for folks traveling to one spot, and staying put (like people who fish), then an RV would make sense.

A look at a highway map of Alaska shows that there are only a handful of highways, and that a few of those highways are gravel. The distances between cities are great. It’s difficult to realize the difference in scale between the size of the state and the lower 48. Alaska is the size of Texas, California and Montana combined. Gas stations are rare once you leave the Anchorage or Fairbanks metropolitan areas. There is a reason why you see folks with gasoline containers piled on top of their cars and RVs. That said, I wouldn’t be hesitate in driving anywhere on the paved highways. Just never pass up topping off at a gas station. A publication called “The Milepost” is a handy resource for traveling wanting to do their own automobile driving or travel in a RV. The nearly 800 page book has detailed sightseeing, dining and lodging information presented in a mile-by-mile format.

Don’t plan traveling off-road on dirt roads. It’s not like anything you would find in the lower 48. These roads don’t have bridges, not even the low water type like we have in the Ozarks. The roads can have huge potholes and can be muddy due to rain. My advice would be to stay on the paved or gravel-packed roads. Even with a 4 wheel drive vehicle, if it’s not gravel packed, you want to seriously ponder whether or not you can make it out if rains. Alaska is the REAL deal. That’s why you’ll see ATVs parked along the highways and more ‘Big Foot Monster Trucks’ than then shows at your local state fair. The final thing to keep in mind with driving is that once you leave the cities, even though you might be on the highway, you are in true wilderness — REAL wilderness so you shouldn’t depend that your cell phone will work. When I do rent a car, I like to rent a car with a trunk simply to be able keep things out of sight of potential thieves while in Anchorage, or while parked at a trailhead.

Jumping off points

Alaska gateway cities for flights from the lower 48 are either Anchorage, Juneau, or Fairbanks. If flight connections require you to overnight in Seattle, then there are plenty of hotels right next door to the airport. I’ve found the Coast Gateway Hotel to be reasonably priced and comfortable.

I’ll fly into Anchorage if I’m heading to Denali National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park (Seward area) or Kachemak Bay State Park (Homer area). While in Anchorage I will rent a car for a several days as I collect needed supplies, etc. Then (using a trip to Denali as an example) I’ll either take the train (fun, but more expensive, slower) or a shuttle bus to Denali National Park. There are several shuttles to Denali. The one that I’ve used in the past is The Park Connection. I like them over some of the others because they use an actual bus, versus those that use a passenger van that tows a carrier for luggage. If a person was making their one and only trip to Alaska, I would suggest taking the train just for the experience.

A floatplane prepares to takeoff at sunset near the Sapphire Princess cruise ship docked in Juneau, Alaska. (John L. Dengler)
A floatplane prepares to takeoff at sunset near the Sapphire Princess cruise ship docked in Juneau, Alaska. 

For trips to southeast Alaska, I’ll fly into Juneau (typically flying through Seattle as Alaska Airlines only flies to Juneau). Juneau is the gateway city for Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, the upper Lynn Canal towns of Haines and Skagway and a host of other even smaller villages in the Inside Passage. There is no road access to or from Juneau. It’s totally off the highway grid. So to travel from Juneau your options are either by air (scheduled small plane or bush plane/helicopter charter service if you are backpacking) The other alternative and the one I recommend is to travel on the state run ferries that are part of the Alaska Marine Highway System. The AMHS ferries are the lifeblood of southeast Alaska traveling from small town to small town. The term “ferry” probably isn’t very descriptive of what these vessels really are. These are big ships, that carry buses, tractor trailers, and dozens and dozens of cars and RVs. Depending on the ship, some have cabins, showers, bars, movie lounges, and cafeterias (all have food service of some sort). I especially love to hang out on in a deck chair on the top deck solarium, part of which is covered and heated. I will rent a car in Juneau and take the car on the ferry to Haines (or Skagway). Be aware that the price to bring a car on the ferry varies by size so you don’t want to rent a bigger car than what you really need.

Make sure that your personal auto insurance and/or rental car/rental RV insurance is good in Canada. The Yukon Territory and British Columbia are just up the road from Haines and Skagway. Don’t forget your passport either. You’ll need it for any border crossings. As an aside, Carol and I drove from Haines to an unknown point on the highway in the Yukon. We drove for several hours (wonderful scenery). Never saw a town, house, or gas station though, actually I don’t recall even seeing another car! When we headed back to Haines and crossed back into the U.S. the border guards were determined that we tell them where we went. Just driving for several hours wasn’t enough. Finally, I recalled a landmark, near where we turned around that seemed to do the trick.

The mountains of the Chilkat Range serve as a backdrop for evening sunlight on the Eldred Rock Lighthouse, located on the Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska. Construction of the lighthouse was finished in 1906 after shipwrecks occurred in the area during the 1898 Klondike gold rush. The light was automated by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1973 with the original fourth-order Fresnel lens moved to the Sheldon Museum in Haines. (John L. Dengler)The mountains of the Chilkat Range serve as a backdrop for evening sunlight on the Eldred Rock Lighthouse, located on the Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska. Construction of the lighthouse was finished in 1906 after shipwrecks occurred in the area during the 1898 Klondike gold rush. The light was automated by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1973 with the original fourth-order Fresnel lens moved to the Sheldon Museum in Haines.

Trip ideas

What would I recommend for first time visitors? If they are reasonably seasoned travelers I would not recommend doing the cruise thing. Why? The thing to keep in mind about traveling on a cruise ship is that the ships travel at night so they can be in ports of call during the day. While it stays light late in the evening during the summer you’ll still miss the best part of the cruise as you eat dinner, etc. In my mind, the highlight of traveling the Inside Passage is the magnificent scenery, not shopping in the countless jewelry shops in Skagway or Ketchikan during the day or eating dinner in a cruise ship dinning room. Cruising the Inside Passage on the AMHS ferries will have the exact same views. This past summer, Carol and I saw whales bubble net feeding just off the side of the ferry on the way to Gustavus (Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve). I love the ferry not only for the scenery but also for the local folks you’ll meet. During the summer you’ll have more tourists than locals, but I’ve had some great conversations with local folks traveling 4.5 hours one way just to go grocery shopping, to the doctor, or for a high school wrestling meet. It’s not a stuffy white linen napkin fantasy affair with tuxedoed waiters — it’s the real world.

With a little planning, a person can put together a great first time trip. If I was telling a friend what to do on their first trip to Alaska, the following is what I would recommend.

Sunrise on coastal mountains seen from Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Juneau in southeast Alaska. SPECIAL NOTE: iPhone photo (John L. Dengler)Fly to Anchorage. Aim for a window seat for the portion of the flight flying into Anchorage. On a clear day, there are magnificent views of ice fields. You’ll know “you’re not in Kansas anymore” when you see mountain after mountain without a road in sight.

In Anchorage spend several days sightseeing around town. For me, that includes a trip to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, biking or walking along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail for views of downtown Anchorage surrounded by the nearby Chugach mountains (TIP: easy access to the paved trail is from Elderberry Park off of 5th St. and Pacific Pl.), a drive up to the Glen Alps Trailhead just outside town for great views looking down on Anchorage and the Cook Inlet and if clear, views of Mt. McKinley and Mt. Redoubt. (NOTE: The nearby hike up Flattop Mountain may look easy but it’s difficult and can be dangerous if you are not prepared with proper clothing and equipment). Other fun Anchorage activities include walking 4th Avenue downtown to check out all the tourist gift shops (the nicest being Cabin Fever, spending time at the impressive Tidal Wave Book Store (primarily used books), checking out REI (has Alaska specific items), and Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking (AMH) a local version of the nearby REI, and taking a short hike at the Eagle River Nature Center, located just outside Anchorage. Obey any bear warnings, and make plenty of noise while hiking.Fly to Anchorage. Aim for a window seat for the portion of the flight flying into Anchorage. On a clear day, there are magnificent views of ice fields. You’ll know “you’re not in Kansas anymore” when you see mountain after mountain without a road in sight.

While still in Anchorage, I also recommend spending a day/afternoon to drive along the Turnagain Arm on the Seward Highway towards Portage Glacier. Keep an eye out for mountain goats along the cliffs of the arm and beluga whales in the water. Inquire with locals on when the bore tide is for scheduled. You may see surfers on the incoming wave. One warning though, never, ever walk on the mud flats. People have gotten stuck only to drown in the dramatic tidal fluctuations that Alaska experiences. A fun lunch on the drive is to grab grub from a grocery store in Anchorage and picnic along the many scenic pullouts along Turnagain Arm. I guess it’s worth going to the Portage Glacier for the visitor center exhibits, but don’t expect to see much, if anything, of the Portage Glacier except possibly for some icebergs. The glacier has since retreated many miles out of sight since the visitor center was built — climate change in action.

This drive could be combined with a longer drive to Seward which I highly recommend. There’s too much to see to make the drive to Seward a same day trip from Anchorage. Instead plan to overnight in Seward. Here you can see a glacier up close, and I mean walk up close (Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park). As you walk to the glacier note the signs marking the years where the face of the glacier was at that point of time. Exploring the action at the harbor docks in Seward is interesting to see what the sports fisherman have caught. Any trip to Seward should include the Alaska Sealife Center. Finally, the highlight of traveling to Seward is taking one of the tour boats out into the deeper wilderness of Kenai Fjords National Park. I suggest taking a tour that at least goes to Aialik Bay. Kenai Fjord Tours and Major Marine Tours are two of many companies

Mt. McKinley, also known as Denali (Athabaskan for "The High One") basks in morning light at sunrise in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The snow and glacier covered mountain, part of the Alaska Range soars to a height of 20,320 feet. Mt. McKinley is the tallest mountain on the North American continent. Although Mt. Everest is higher, the vertical rise of Mt. McKinley is greater. This view is a small detail from the north slopes of the mountain seen from Wonder Lake. (John L. Dengler)
Mt. McKinley, also known as Denali (Athabaskan for “The High One”) basks in morning light at sunrise in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The snow and glacier covered mountain, part of the Alaska Range soars to a height of 20,320 feet. Mt. McKinley is the tallest mountain on the North American continent. Although Mt. Everest is higher, the vertical rise of Mt. McKinley is greater. This view is a small detail from the north slopes of the mountain seen from Wonder Lake.

Denali National Park and Preserve

In my opinion a must thing to do on a first time trip to Alaska is a trip to Denali National Park and Preserve. As I mentioned earlier, I think it is better to take either the train, or a shuttle to the park. Outside of taking a detour to the town of Talkeetna (base for most of the Denali flight-seeing flights, and base for those preparing to climb Denali and the other mountains of the Alaska Range) there really aren’t many places to stop or things to do.

There are several hotels at the park entrance. Book early as most are booked by cruise line companies. Plan on at least two nights at the park. If camping, plan camping your first and last night at the park’s frontcountry campground at Riley Creek. I won’t get into the details of camping, backpacking or hiking within the park. There are plenty of books, along with excellent information on the Denali National Park and Preserve website for planing a trip to the park. Folks might want to download the park’s newspaper before visiting.

The park has only a single, mostly gravel, road. Visitors can only drive their personal vehicles the first 15 miles of the 92 mile road. To go further into the park you need to board one of the shuttle busses or tour busses. I prefer the shuttle busses as you can get on and off as you please. Both types of busses stop for wildlife, etc. Technically, the shuttle bus drivers aren’t supposed to give narration, but I’ve found most are talkative and informative. The tour bus drivers supposedly go into greater detail. I’d suggest reading more about the bus travel options in the park. It’s important information as this is the only way to travel in the park.

I strongly recommend signing up for a shuttle bus or tour bus that goes at least to the Eielson Visitor Center at mile 66. This will ensure that you go through some prime wildlife viewing habitat and if you are lucky see “The Mountain” up close. If you are taking the regular shuttle bus, be sure to take food and drink as there are no food services beyond the park frontcountry area (some of the tour buses may provide food – check before leaving). Don’t sulk if it is raining, cloudy, or chilly. While you might not see the peaks of the mountains of the Alaska Range, I’ve found that you’re more likely to see grizzlies, wolves, caribou and moose as they tend to be more active on cool, cloudy and drizzly days.

Money no object?

Stay at Camp Denali or North Face Lodge. Both are very expensive and are deep in the park’s backcountry. They cater to high end tourists who can’t bear the thought of sleeping in the dirt with grizzlies wandering about. I once got to sample some “leftover” bake goods that one of the cooking staff brought on the park camper bus (yup, a third type of bus). Yum Yum! All I can say is that folks appear to eat well there. Definitely better than the freeze dried food I was eating.

A grizzly bear scratches itself against a small spruce tree as seen from the park road in the Sable Pass area of Denali National Park in Alaska. (John L. Dengler)

A grizzly bear scratches itself against a small spruce tree as seen from the park road in the Sable Pass area of Denali National Park in Alaska.

No money?

Score a campsite at the Wonder Lake campground in Denali National Park. It’s the closest campground to the continent’s tallest peak offering unobstructive views of 20,320 ft. Mt. McKinley. Be aware that the mountain makes its own weather. Because of this the peak can be cloud covered for weeks at at time. Increase the probability of seeing the mountain in all it’s glory by camping more than one night at Wonder Lake (I suggest 3-4 nights). IMPORTANT TIP: If the mountain is going to be visible, it is most likely to be visible at or just before sunrise. Set your alarm to peek out the tent door and be prepared to quickly take photos. The mountain can become cloud covered in just a few minutes. If you are lucky enough to see Mt McKinley (or Denali as most folks call it) I guarantee that it will be a life changing experience. While Mt. Everest is higher, Denali has the tallest base-to-peak height. You can’t see a taller vertical relief of rock anywhere on the planet. Why isn’t everyone in the world trying to stay at Wonder Lake? It’s the mosquitos. There are literally a ton of them there. You need to be in the right mind set when camping in Wonder Lake. It can be cold and buggy, but if you’re lucky it truly is the most jaw-dropping spot on the planet.

Hikers to Nugget Falls located next to the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska are dwarfed by the 377 foot waterfall. (John L. Dengler)

Hikers to Nugget Falls located next to the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska are dwarfed by the 377 foot waterfall.

Southeast Alaska

With no road access to U.S. or Canadian highway systems for much of southeast Alaska, my tips for that part of the state are more straightforward. In Juneau, be sure to check out the Mendenhall Glacier just on the edge of town. In addition to the glacier and visitor center there are plenty of hiking trails of for all levels of hikers.

To reach Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, you need to fly via Alaska Airlines, or take one of the twice weekly AMHS ferries. The highlight at Glacier Bay National Park is the full day tour of the park by boat. Sea kayak rentals are available for experienced paddlers interested of traveling on their own (Carol and I sea kayaked for 114 miles in a remote wilderness area of the park during a trip in 2011). Another way to see Glacier Bay is by air. I’ve had a great experience with Mountain Flying Service based in Haines.

Skagway and Haines are reachable by ferry or small plane. Skagway is rich in history of the Klondike gold rush era. I recommend taking the guided National Park Service walking tour of the town at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. While I’ve never taken the train trip up to White Pass, it looks like it would be a fun thing to do. I would describe Haines as being less touristy than Skagway and a bit more spread out. Haines is the site of the Southeast Alaska State Fair and the finish for the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay race. Be sure to check that if you are visiting at the time of these events that you have firm lodging reservations. The town will run out of rooms. The same is true if you are visiting in early spring during the heli-skiing season. I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to live than Haines.

The historic buildings of the former U.S. Army facility, Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska are dwarfed by Mount Emmerich and other peaks of the Takhinsha Mountains as the setting sun lights up the Chilkat River valley. Haines is a cruise ship destination on the Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska. Cruise ships dock at the pictured Port Chilkoot dock near downtown Haines. (John L. Dengler)
The historic buildings of the former U.S. Army facility, Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska are dwarfed by Mount Emmerich and other peaks of the Takhinsha Mountains as the setting sun lights up the Chilkat River valley. Haines is a cruise ship destination on the Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska. Cruise ships dock at the pictured Port Chilkoot dock near downtown Haines.

This all sounds like complicated planning

If you don’t like to plan and would rather have a more structured travel experience, then definitely consider a cruise. Just because I didn’t play up cruises doesn’t mean that you should skip going to Alaska if you rather have something more structured. The more important thing is you MUST go to Alaska. Cruises typically travel the Inside Passage. To see places like Denali National Park, Anchorage and Seward you would need to sign up for the additional land excursions that the cruise companies offer.

Weather

On one August 1, it was so warm that we went swimming in Wonder Lake in Denali National Park. On August 1 the following year, we trudging through blowing snow with nighttime temps in the teens. Most of the time, the summer temps are in the 60 degree range with little variation between day and night temps. My point though is that the weather can change dramatically and quickly. Again, plan and expect rain. If you don’t get rain then consider it a bonus.

Flights

Alaska Airlines now flies out of St. Louis and Kansas City. I like to fly Alaska Airlines because I participate in their mileage plan but be aware that their schedule out of St. Louis and Kansas City is limited. Most of the other big airlines have summer service to Anchorage (American, Delta, etc.). As I mentioned earlier, the only way to fly into Juneau is with Alaska Airlines. When I travel to Haines, it takes me three days of traveling. One day to travel and fly from St. Louis to Seattle where I overnight. The second day to travel to Juneau. The third day to travel to Haines on the ferry. Obviously, if you can avoid the overnight in Seattle, you can save money but it will make for a long day of traveling. I personally don’t mind breaking the trip up in smaller bites. Speaking of bites. …

Two de Havilland DHC-3 Otter float planes are docked in the Juneau Harbor next to the Merchant's Wharf Mall in downtown Juneau, Alaska. Float planes are a vital mode of transportation in Alaska where much of the state is only accessable by float plane. (John L. Dengler)

Two de Havilland DHC-3 Otter float planes are docked in the Juneau Harbor next to the Merchant’s Wharf Mall in downtown Juneau, Alaska. Float planes are a vital mode of transportation in Alaska where much of the state is only accessible by float plane. The Hanger on the Wharf restaurant is located in this building.

Favorite places to eat

Anchorage – Simon and Seaforts Saloon & Grill (make reservations – great oceanfront view of the several hour long summer sunsets, fancy and pricey, Haines – Mosey’s Cantina has some of the best Mexican food I ever had. Their mole is incredible. Mosey is the owner’s dog, typically greeting diners outside the front door. Outside Haines – If you want a true backwoods road house experience, 33 Mile Roadhouse located 33 miles up the Haines Highway near the Canadian border is “unique” and a local favorite. The Discovery Channel “Gold Rush” Porcupine Creek gold miners are working hard only a few, but difficult to access, miles away. Juneau – The Hanger on the Wharf has great views of the action at the cruise ship docks. While the food is good, the view is better. Homer – Cups Cafe. Elsewhere – Any place you can picnic. That’s my favorite. Just be mindful of bears by being able to quickly put food away.

A humpback whale engages in "tail slapping" in the Sitakaday Narrows of the main bay of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in this view seen from Young Island located in the Beardslee Islands of the park in southeast Alaska. In the near background is Marble Mountain and in the far background is Mt. Abdallah. It is unknown why whales engage in this behavior but speculation is that it is a way to ward off other whales or the opposite, an invitation to join a group of whales. (John L. Dengler)

A humpback whale engages in “tail slapping” in the Sitakaday Narrows of the main bay of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in this view seen from Young Island located in the Beardslee Islands of the park in southeast Alaska. In the near background is Marble Mountain and in the far background is Mt. Abdallah. It is unknown why whales engage in this behavior but speculation is that it is a way to ward off other whales or the opposite, an invitation to join a group of whales.

Places to stay

My favorite place to stay is in a tent in a remote wilderness location watching grizzly bear cubs play, wolves on the hunt, or whales breaching out of the ocean.

More civilized spots include the Alaska Guardhouse in Haines. Joanne and Phyllis are the nicest hostesses you will every meet. The Guardhouse is located on the historic grounds of Ft. Seward, an old army post that was established shortly after the Klondike gold rush and yes, it really was the fort’s guardhouse and jail. Don’t worry, the jail cell is long gone.

The choices for Anchorage are numerous. I used to stay at a cheap B&B downtown but that has rightfully been torn down and made into a parking lot. In any event I suggest staying in downtown Anchorage for walking opportunities.

Just outside Seward, the Seward Windsong Lodge is nice. though my favorite place to stay in the Seward area are the remote wilderness cabins in Kenai Fjords National Park. The cabins are cheap, but the effort and expense to get to them are very expensive (involves several hour water taxi, sea kayaking, etc.). The cabins are definitely not for your average tourist.

Saving money on tours, etc.

I’ve never used it but the Alaska TourSaver coupon book is supposedly is a great way to save money in Alaska. Obviously, a person would want to check out the book’s website to see if the $100 coupon book offers savings for things that they are going to do to make it worthwhile.

Probably the best advice I can give

One important thing that potential visitors to Alaska have to be aware of. The weather is more likely to be cool and wet. While I have experienced many glorious sunny warm days in Alaska, the norm is more likely to be cloudy and wet. That’s why I highly recommend that visitors have decent rain gear (rain parka and rain pants). Having decent rain gear will ensure that you’ll have a great time. Umbrellas are useless in the Alaskan winds and ponchos tend to leak and turn you into a human kite. Along those same lines, having proper hiking boots, if you plan to do any walking. Remember, your shoes WILL get wet too. Wear clothes in layers so you can adjust as needed. I see too many people unprepared, swearing never to return, only because they were wet and cold.

Grant Creek wolf pack of Denali National Park in jeopardy

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An adult member of the Grant Creek wolf pack travels with the rest of the adult members of the pack near Stony Creek in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska.. (John L. Dengler)

I first photographed the Grant Creek wolf pack of Denali National Park and Preserve in the summer of 2004. This first sighting was truly a special moment; I caught a glimpse of the alpha male tending the pups while his mate was foraging for ground squirrels to feed the pups. Over the years, I and countless other park visitors would see the Grant Creek pack as the pack’s home range included the park road that bisects much of the vast six million acre park. Often visible from the road, the pack has been described as one of the most visible and photographed group of wild wolves in the history of Denali National Park, and possibly the world.

The alpha male wolf of the Grant Creek gray wolf pack keeps watch on his six pups near Stony Creek in Denali National Park and Preserve. This photo was taken on July 31, 2004. (John L. Dengler)

So it was a sad day when I read a Los Angeles Times story by Kim Murphy that the main breeding female wolf was killed within a mile outside of the park boundaries. According to the story a trapper shot an aging horse near its death and used it as bait to lure and fatally snare the female radio-collared wolf and another male wolf. It is unknown if the male wolf was part of the Grant Creek wolf pack. The wolf kills were within a former no-wolf-killing zone that had been established by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game because it was surrounded by park land on three sides. In 2010, the regulation expired and the board of the department declined to retain the special area designation.

What makes the loss of this female troubling is that the female wolf was believed to be the only remaining primary breeding female wolf in the Grant Creek pack. Earlier this spring, the only other primary breeding female of the pack was found dead of natural causes within park boundaries. According to the Los Angeles Times story, biologists who study the Grant Creek wolf pack in Denali National Park and Preserve now fear that without these breeding females producing new pups, the pack will collapse.

The number of wolves within the park is declining. According to the Denali National Park and Preserve website, “For the last 20 years, park-wide wolf numbers (north of the Alaska Range) have averaged about 100 wolves. However, in April 2009, there were approximately 65 wolves in the packs being regularly monitored by park biologists – the lowest number of wolves recorded in Denali since biologists began monitoring wolves with methods that give reliable counts.”

As the reader comments to the Los Angles Times article on the incident published on the Anchorage Daily News website reveal, the issue of establishing a no-wolf-killing zone is controversial among Alaskans. Many feel that had this buffer zone been in place (as it once was), the wolves would not have been killed by trapping. Conversely, many in the hunting and trapping community feel they have the right to hunt wolves on state land adjacent to the park’s boundaries. In a Los Angeles Times follow up story by Kim Murphy the trapper involved scoffed at the idea of a buffer zone.

Regardless of future decisions concerning the issue, visitors to Denali National Park may see less and less of the famous Grant Creek wolf pack and if the predicted breakup occurs, sightings of the the pack will be nothing more than a memory and tale told by park tour bus drivers as they pass through the pack’s former home range.

An adult member of the Grant Creek wolf pack looks at other adult members of the pack as the pack was traveling near Stony Creek in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. (John L. Dengler)

More information on wolves in Denali National Park and Preserve can be found on the National Park Service website.

View my photo gallery of images from Denali National Park and Preserve.

Bald eagles and snow converge on the Chilkat River

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While it has snowed on all my trips to the Chilkat River to photograph bald eagles in Alaska, it never has REALLY snowed. The couple of inches of snow that I’ve previously experienced in November was nice, but not what you think of when you think Alaska snow. So as I clicked my seatbelt on the Alaska Airlines jet bound for Alaska, I made a silent wish for snow, lots of it.

It took me three days of traveling to reach my final destination of Haines where the Chilkat River empties into the fjord-like Lynn Canal. After overnight stays in Seattle and Juneau, I finally was in the Alaska Marine Highway System’s Auke Bay ferry terminal parking lot waiting to drive aboard the LeConte for the 4.5 hour passage to Haines.

After a crystal blue sky day spent at Mendenhall Glacier just outside Juneau, I sat in the pre-dawn darkness of the ferry terminal parking lot in what seemed like a blizzard. The wind was howling and snow was blasting horizontally but as I would later find out, this was nothing by Alaska standards.

I sailed on the LeConte three months earlier with my wife Carol, returning to Juneau after completing 14 days of photography by way of sea kayaking and wilderness camping in a remote region of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. On that return trip to Juneau we sat on the top deck of the LeConte in deck chairs, much like one would do on a cruise ship. It was so warm and sunny that one woman stripped down to her underwear to bask in the sun. Fast forward to November and no one is on the top deck except for myself and two small children who were having great time smacking each other with snowballs in the morning twilight.

Flying with the eagles

I reached Haines and got settled in with good friends Phyllis and Joanne at The Alaska Guardhouse, before meeting with Paul Swanstrom of Mountain Flying Service. Paul, an experienced Alaskan pilot, is a former wilderness guide who also worked in the photo department of a major Chicago-based corporation. Over the years he has flown some big name wildlife photographers (I’m not going to name drop, but its impressive). I felt his background in photography and as a highly skilled pilot was perfect for the aerial photography I needed to tell the story of bald eagles on the Chilkat River.

My primary goal was to take aerial photographs of the Tsirku River alluvial fan where the river meets the Chilkat River. It is here, in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, where a five mile stretch of the Chilkat River, known as the Chilkat Bald Eagle Council Grounds, that the largest congregation of eagles gather. Bald eagles come to this area because of the availability of spawned-out salmon and ice free water in late fall. The open water is due to a deep accumulation of gravel and sand that acts as a large water reservoir whose water temperature remains 10 to 20 degrees warmer than the surrounding water temperature. This warmer water seeps into the Chilkat River, keeping this five mile stretch of the river from freezing.

Paul and I looked over maps of the Chilkat River Valley and worked out a flight plan based on light at different times of day, needed altitude for the subject, etc.

Paul then introduced me to his plane, a spiffy fire engine red Bush Hawk-XP, which when I saw it, thought of it as the sports car of bush planes. I’d swear we were off the ground in less than 10 feet but know it took more runway. The plane allows Paul to add skis to the fat tundra tires for landings on snow or glaciers. Virtually, all of my aerial photography experience was as a newspaper photographer in St. Louis where all of it involved helicopters. I was a bit hesitate about shooting from a plane, but Paul rightfully convinced me that it would work.

I needed to meet with Paul right away because he had to begin taking his engine apart in two days to ship parts to the lower 48 for overhauling. If I was to fly, it would have to be either today (not happening – snowing), or tomorrow. The day after tomorrow his engine would be in pieces on the cold hanger floor.

As we shook hands and said goodbye, we both knew that it was almost certain that we would not be flying the following day. It was still snowing and the forecast looked very unfavorable for photography.

The following morning I began my ritual of photographing bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) by being on the banks of the Chilkat River before sunrise. Sunrise in November is quite civil as it occurs quite a bit later than in the lower 48. As I made my way up the Haines Highway towards Canada in the advancing twilight, the heavily overcast skies were dripping with rain and snow — definitely not conducive to aerial photography and not a particularly comfortable day for photography on the river bank. I continued driving knowing that between Haines and the area where I photograph eagles there can be big differences in the weather. It can be raining cats and dogs in town and be bright and sunny up the river valley. I have met plenty of photographers who missed a great day of shooting because their decision not to head up the river was based on the weather in town.

After several hours of rain and a little snow, the skies opened up. There were patches of blue and I began to wonder if perhaps I might be able to fly. Conferring with Paul at this point wasn’t possible. I was a good 15 miles out of cell phone range. So I drove back down the Chilkat River Valley to a spot where I knew I would be able to call Paul. We both knew good light would still be a gamble with the rapidly changing nature of weather in Alaska but since today would be my sole chance of flying until next year, I decided it was worth a gamble.

I met Paul at his hanger at the Haines airport and we shot off the runway and into the neighboring Takhin River Valley to get into position for the Tsirku River delta. The weather was what I expected with portions of the flight having good light and others marginal with flat lighting. Paul maneuvered the Bush Hawk -XP perfectly into the shooting position we had earlier discussed. An unplanned bonus of the trip was jumping over the Takhinsha Mountains and looking down on McBride Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve where I had kayaked in July. The mountains looked familiar, yet different now that they were blanketed in snow. The park seemed asleep, much like the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie in Kansas when I had visited there just a few weeks earlier. The Glacier Bay area is breathtakingly beautiful from the air. I always thought the best job in the world was that of a photojournalist. I still think that is true, but I now think that the second best job is that of a flight-seeing/charter pilot in Alaska. Paul is a lucky guy with one hell of an ‘office’ view.

Unusual sightings

On subsequent days, I stuck to my routine of being in place on the river early. The first stop I would make would be at the location where the bald eagle with white wing tips and talons was hanging out this year. This bald eagle is known as a leucistic bald eagle. Its white wing tips and talons are caused by a leucistic condition — a condition of reduced pigmentation resulting in white patches. These patches of white can occur while the rest of the animal is colored normally. Unlike albinism, the eye color is normal. Seeing this eagle was like seeing an old friend as I had photographed it several years earlier on the nearby Chilkoot River. The one thing I was surprised by watching this eagle was just how much, and often he ate. Since he stood out with his leucistic characteristics, it was easy to keep track of his meals. From watching bald eagles, I had the impression that eagles didn’t eat very often. For me, waiting for hours on end in the cold for action lasting no more than an eye blink, I would have guessed that 99% of their time was spent sitting on a tree branch or on the gravel bar taking bets amongst themselves on how long the crazy photographer would last. Considering the time I spent observing the white tipped eagle perhaps that is a false assumption.

Another unusual sight on this trip was when I saw a bald eagle drag a fish 15-20 feet up from the Chilkat River bank through the snow. Dragging a salmon that far of a distance is somewhat unusual as eagles usual drag a fish just barely out of the water onto the bank. Bald eagles are pretty dang lazy about putting out any effort to feed, particularly at this time of the year. What was more unusual was that the eagle dragged the fish right up to another eagle sitting on a log as if it wanted to share the salmon with the other bird. Normally, eagles challenge and fight each other. Formal sharing, is something I’ve never seen. In the end, the niceties didn’t last and the eagles were off trying to chase each other away. The winner in all this turned out to be a black-billed magpie who moved in and feasted on the fish while the two eagles chased each other in a circle.


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I’m always asked if I saw bears. I usually do, and often see their footprints in the fresh snow falls overnight. Along with the grizzly bear tracks I saw on this trip, I photographed an orphaned grizzly bear cub. I’ll speak about this bear and my reaction in a future post.

I missed a bit of excitement while I photographed eagles on another part of the river. Another photographer spotted a bald eagle whose wings were both frozen flat against the Chilkat River ice. An volunteer from the American Bald Eagle Foundation in Haines, slide out on the ice on her stomach and clipped the tips of the eagle’s feathers that were frozen to the river ice. The rescue was a success and the bird was expected to be back in the Alaskan skies after rehabilitation time at the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka for feather mending. I would have liked to have witnessed the rescue and subsequent treatment.

Dealing with the snow

It seemed like it snowed every day, though in reality, there were several blue sky days. One day, we had a true blizzard, even by Alaskan standards, with building rattling, 50 mile per hour winds. In roughly 36 hours a total of 52 inches fell. That much snow, that early in November, was unusual. I’d say I got my wish for snow and then some.

The snow was very helpful for photography. Besides making the already incredible scenery more so, the blanket of snow did wonders for cleaning up extraneous visual noise in my bald eagle photos. Many of the bald eagles that I take photographs of are on visually cluttered gravel bars or river banks. The snow cleaned these shooting situations, almost like the eagles were shot in the studio on a white seamless background.

The only drawback to the heavy snowfall was that it made exploring a bit more difficult. One of my usual afternoon haunts is the Chilkoot River. I like to go to the Chilkoot in the afternoon as you’re on the opposite river bank from what you would be on the Chilkat avoiding the afternoon backlit light of the Chilkat River. With all the snow I wasn’t surprised this year to find the entrance to the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site and the Chilkoot River, to be completely blocked by snow. The only way in was going to be on foot with snowshoes.

A few days earlier, my friend Phyllis gave me some pointers on snowshoeing. Wanting to show me in the deepest snow possible, Phyllis with her dog Harry, drove me out in the direction of Chilkat State Park. The park is closed this time of the year so the road doesn’t get plowed. The snow was getting REALLY deep as Phyllis wrestled the car through the drifts. Eventually, the snow was too much and we were stuck. That meant it time for snowshoeing as we (and a very nervous Harry) waited for Joanne to come rescue us with her pickup truck. The snowshoes I used weren’t like the tennis racket ones you saw on the old TV series, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. These were sleek, lightweight aluminum ones. For the rest of the trip, I would use them whenever I would go off the beaten path. I found them particularly useful for going up and down steep riverbanks. Many of these riverbanks would have been difficult to climb without the deep snow. The snow, and the snowshoes, made climbing them with my large tripod, 600 mm lens, and heavy cameras, much easier. The only bad thing was I was always breaking a trail since I was usually by myself on these treks. In deep snow, even with snowshoes, hiking can be taxing. The trips back were always much easier as I would backtrack over my path. Snowshoes are great!

I’ve written in the past about taking a small camping sleeping mat to stand on to keep my feet warm while standing in the snow. Having the mat on this trip proved to be even more important with all the snow; as you can see in this photo of one of the spots where I photographed the bald eagles.

Technical tips

For the past year, I’ve been shooting using manual aperture and shutter speed with auto ISO as my exposure setting. I really like this mode and it allows me to be in control of the appropriate aperture and shutter speed letting the ISO setting be the variable. For consumer DSLR cameras that could be a problem as the ISO creeps up, but with a professional DSLR like my Nikon D3 that isn’t an issue. Considering my positive experience this past year with this configuration I’m likely to use this setting in the future.

I’m assuming that you’ve watched the slideshow at the top of this posting of images from this trip. It may seem like there aren’t as many images from previous trips. This is because I have become more selective, and do not want to put duplicate situations into my photo archive. I’ve even eliminated previous archive images with new work that I feel is stronger. I like to think that this means that my work is improving and evolving.

Speaking of evolving, I shot video for a few hours. I didn’t get anything special (you can see the video here), but wanted to see what challenges shooting video here would be. I plan to work on this during future visits to Alaska.

By the time I left Alaska a total of 88 inches of snow had fallen in the Haines area. I know my Alaska friends in Haines have had their fill of snow by now, but I’m thankful that my wish for snow came true.

For more photos see:
Gallery of all my bald eagle photos from the Chilkat River and Chilkoot River
Gallery of landscape photos from the Haines, Alaska area
Gallery of photos from the Juneau, Alaska area
Gallery of photos from Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

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Bald Eagle Number 88 – tagged for airport eviction research

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Bald eagle Number 88 (photographed here on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska) was originally tagged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Juneau, Alaska as part of a study examining the effects of nest removal at the Juneau airport. Steve Lewis, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was quoted as saying that Number 88 was a control bird matched with a pair of eagles that were nesting near the pond airstrip where float planes land and take off. The eagle originally had a GPS tracking pack but lost it this summer. (John L. Dengler)

iPhone photo field report: Over a three year period, I have talked about a leucistic, white-tipped bald eagle, that I have watched and it is always interesting to see where this eagle shows up. A few days ago, I spotted another special bald eagle while on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. In this case, the eagle is easily identifiable by a large numbered green badge that is attached with a rivet-like coupling to its wing.

According to the Takshanuk Watershed Council website bald eagle Number 88 was originally tagged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Juneau, Alaska (roughly 95 miles away) as part of a study examining the effects of nest removal at the Juneau airport. Steve Lewis, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was quoted as saying that Number 88 was a control bird matched with a pair of eagles that were nesting near the pond airstrip where float planes land and take off. The eagle originally had a GPS tracking pack but lost it this summer.

Like the leucistic bald eagle, it will be interesting to see where Number 88 shows up in the years to come. Knowing that you are seeing the exact same bird year after year is like seeing an old friend.

For those interested, I spotted bald eagle Number 88 at 11:33 a.m. AST on Nov. 17, 2011 in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. My GPS coordinates were Latitude N59° 23.149′, Longitude W135° 51.030′, when I took the photo with my Nikon 600 mm f/4 lens. (EDITORS NOTE — Post updated with with correct time and coordinates.)

UPDATE: In late May 2013 Lewis reported that bald eagle Number 88 was found dead on the Klehini River. While Lewis doesn’t know the cause of death it appeared that the eagle might have died of starvation.

UPDATE: In late October 2012 I spotted Bald Eagle Number 24, also part of this study, on the Chilkat River not far from where I spotted bald eagle Number 88 the year before.

This bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) resting along the banks of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is equipped with a patagial tag (#24) and a solar powered GPS tracking satellite transmitter. The transmitter’s antenna can be seen sticking out of the eagle’s feathers to the right of the green patagial tag. The eagle is being tracked by Steve Lewis of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Juneau, Alaska as part of a study examining the effects of nest removal at the Juneau airport (approximately 95 miles away). During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world. (John L. Dengler)

CLICK HERE for a gallery of bald eagle photos in my photo archive
CLICK HERE for a gallery of Haines, Alaska photos in my photo archive

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My office when photographing bald eagles on the Chilkat River

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Photographic equipment belonging to independent photojournalist John L. Dengler set up along the banks of the Chilkat River where John was photographing bald eagles. (John L. Dengler)

iPhone photo field report: Here’s a closeup peek of my “office” when photographing bald eagles on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in southeast Alaska.

Most of my bald eagle photography is with my Nikon 600mm f/4 lens on a Nikon D3 body which are mounted on a heavy duty tripod and Wimberly tripod head. Both the camera and lens are protected from the elements with a ThinkTank Hydrophobia rain cover. I keep the cover on the lens at all times so I don’t have to fool with putting it on should it start to rain or snow.

I have the rest of my other lenses, Pocket Wizards, tele-extender, strobes, audio recorder, and video equipment in my Kiboko camera backpack bag made by Gura Gear. Also pictured is a Thermarest sleeping pad. The pad isn’t for sleeping but rather to protect my butt and feet from the cold.

Finally, most important of all, I have my lunch, usually a sandwich with cookies or english muffins from my Haines friends Joanne & Phyllis. Yum.

The photo below is the “office” view from the spot above with Four Winds Mountain in the background.

Ice forms on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. In the background is Four Winds Mountain. (John L. Dengler)

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Even more snow!

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A snow drift loom in this scene from the porch of the Alaska Guardhouse bed and breakfast located on the grounds of historic Fort Seward in Haines, Alaska after an early November blizzard. In the background is one of the fort's former army barracks. (John L. Dengler)

iPhone photo field report: I’ll probably stay in today. I went out to the car this morning and the 18 inches of additional NEW snow was up to my mid thigh (it’s drifting a lot with the high winds). I shoveled for a couple of hours and you would hardly know that I did. I’m guessing it is snowing at least 2 inches an hour (and it has been snowing all night). The main problem today is that the gusting winds (around 45 mph) are causing major snow drifts.

You would think school would get cancelled but that’s not the case. My young Alaska friend Gable (a middle school student) looked at me weird when I said schools back in Missouri would be cancelled for weeks with a snowfall like this one. Snow like this isn’t that big of a deal here. The photo above is from the Alaska Guardhouse where I am staying on the historic Fort Seward grounds in Haines. The building in the background is one of the old army barracks. Hopefully, the snow plow will come by soon.

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