The Northern Glaciers in three parts (Part 2)

The sky is Het spel van het licht over de ruggen van de besneeuwde golvingena clear blue, an icy temperature prevails with an over abundance of immaculate white snow. The Atigun pass gives us an impression of the purity that we have come across from the Brooks Range right up to the frozen Arctic Ocean. It gives one a feeling of freedom to be able to behold this pure white landscape in all its untouched glory.  Our footprints cannot be seen here. Our tracks are covered here, and stay hidden for ever. Here nature is the boss and she flaunts this in super abundance.                 Lees verder

The Northern Glaciers in three parts (Part 1)

CamperHere we go. On the second of May we set off in our camper heading in a north westerly direction to The Dalton highway in the direction of the North Pool.  In Fairbanks, from where we will be leaving and where we are still enjoying the fruits of an elaborate Sunday brunch in the Pump House, the winter is beginning to fade. But we are going northwards towards the cold. We will have to take the winter and the heavy front into account. Our simple camper which is for using in the summer is not really a match for these winter periods.

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Woodhouse in Wonderland.

An ode to our stay in Blue Fox Bay (Afognak Island Alaska)

Based on the idea of Alice in Wonderland:

Our first encounter with the mythical surroundings of Blue Fox Bay has been planned for in the Autumn. The bay lies north of the Kodiak archipelago. The Kingfisher Bush Hawks are loaded with food, clothing, photo gear, and a Zodgeariac boat.  The weather is good. The dropping, close by the cabin, on the south beach of the bay, goes without a hitch. Glenn, our pilot, says “It is a very quiet and mysterious land. If you really want to see bears, you won’t find them here straight away.” They are very shy and the landscape is shut off, very different than what you are use to.

The next day we get into our Zodiac to explore the coast………

Earlier on in the morning we were treated to a beautiful sunrise and now, full of expectations, we are sailing towards the bay for yet another treat.

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Fifty ways, to catch a fish

In the 1980’s Paul Simon wrote the song “fifty ways to leave your lover”.

Every year when we are bear watching and we see the powerful Kodiak bears catch all those fish, this song goes round in my head.  Paul Simon only described a few ways of ending a relationship. In this report we will let you see up to 15 different ways how a bear catches his fish. The bear is, as far as that’s concerned, more creative than Paul Simon. Some of them really deserve the jackpot.

The jackpot is always there for the Kodiak bears. The immense amount of fish makes this look like the land of plenty. And by the time August arrives, most of these bears have already turned into extremely large obese bears. With their plump shaped bear bellies; they would never have won a beauty contest, but rather an Obese award.
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The Musk ox calf

The Dalton Highway in its winter plumage. The severe cold has the land in its grip. The ice crystals form beautiful patterns over the patches of snow free asphalt.

Each puny bush is engulfed with ice crystals, ensuring that the bush stands up straight. Never ending snow plains only to be broken in the middle by the grey black streak of the Dalton Highway, the only piece of accessible land that runs close to our camper.

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