Open North American and Yukon Quest

Photography

I photographed the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race for Fairbanks Daily News-miner last February, my second time on the trail.

Dogs and humans in the quest mush 1,000 miles between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse Yukon, often traversing some of the most remote land in America through temperatures that frequently reach 50 below.

Here’s a link to galleries of all my shoots, which I would post here if I owned the rights.

My favorite gallery is from the half-way point of Dawson City.

Since I don’t actually own the copyrights to any of those photos, here’s a three-photo series of mushing photos I took at the Open North American Classic a few years ago as they mush through downtown Fairbanks.

Please forgive the dirty images, they are film scans that I didn’t take the time to clean in Photoshop.

 

Grand Canyon — Round Two! (1/3)

Landscapes, Photography, Sports, Travel

Early this year the unthinkable happened. On January 11, exactly one year after hiking out of the Grand Canyon (as blogged about just a few posts ago), I hiked back down and floated the second half!

The serendipity was striking. Get additional details in the full write-up I did for the News-Miner. 

 

 

 

 

Atigun to Sag, Accomplishment (3/3)

Alaska, Landscapes, Photography, Sports, Travel

Atigun-Sag1

Reaching accomplishment creek on the Sag River is indeed an accomplishment. Fully out Alaska’s snowy Brooks Range and into the seemingly endless arctic tundra. 

However, accomplishment and completed are not synonymous. Another very full day awaits – half on on whitewater and half in a car.

But what better way to reward an accomplishment than Alpenglow reflected in a tranquil rock garden in a truly wild place. 

Atigun to Sag (2/3)

Photography

Atigun-Sag3

After a full day of technical water in the Atigun canyon, and a half day of flat floating on the Sag River, vast expanses appeared on the north side of the Brooks Range, far in Alaska’s Arctic.  Here, The Sag  cuts through the frame during a very strenuous side hike. 

Almost immediately after this hike, white water turned up for the next day-and-a-half. 

Atigun to Sag (1/3)

Alaska, Landscapes, Photography, Sports, Travel
Atigun-Sag2

Fall and winter collide in the Atigun River Gorge. Sept. 2, 2017.

It seems my life is being drawn toward rivers significantly more in recent years. I don’t necessarily go searching, but don’t turn them down either. 

Such a situation arose last fall, when I got the opportunity to float the Atigun and Sagavanirktok rivers. They are extremely remote class II-IV rivers, far above the Arctic Circle, flowing north out of Alaska’s Brooks Range.

It’s a nine hour drive north from Fairbanks just to the put in — cell phone service is unavailable after about 45 minutes of driving. Don’t forget to add a few extra hours for the car shuttle. 

Needless to say, the trip is extraordinary. 

Grand Canyon (1/3)

Landscapes, Photography, Travel

The year is quickly coming to an end, which makes me think about all the great activities it was filled with — none more monumental than paddling the first half of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, which fittingly started on Jan. 1. 

Check out the full story with photos I wrote for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.