Countdown 365 T-30

TOTAL MILES: None ~ WILDLIFE: 2 Moose

I assume that all of my travels in an attempt to get pictures of Moose have finally paid off. Evidently the "word" got out among the Moose, "if you want your picture taken, go to the Harrington's". This afternoon while relaxing at home, this little visitor stopped by to "smell the roses", he did not realize he was six months early so he had to settle for nibbling the rose bushes. He does not realize it now, but soon "mama" is going to send him packing. He is a young bull, likely a second winter calf with his mother, his little "nubbins" are just starting to show on his forehead. Come spring, mom will push him out of the nest in preparation for re-birth. Slipping out onto the deck in my stocking feet to take his picture, I was in a hurry to get a shot of him and made what could have been a critical error. Less than ten feet from me, he allowed me to shoot several shots.

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"Smelling The Roses"

Evidently, the sound of the camera spooked him and he headed to the lawn. It was only then that he started calling his mother. He was vocalizing, a single syllable that sounded very similar to that of a lamb except it was not continuous. He continued this the entire time that he would remain in my sight, eventually cutting around and behind the old "homestead house".

"Don't Fence Me In I"

"Don't Fence Me In II"

It was only while I was watching him cross the lawn, calling his mom, and easily stepping over a three foot fence that it dawned on me of my error. He was calling for his mother, due to his size, I had not even considered him to still be with his mother. I had not stopped long enough to look around for her when I had started snapping his picture. First checking behind me, I spotted her about 40 feet away to my left, hiding in the alders at the end of the old "homestead cabin", and alongside the snow plow truck. She did not seem to concerned but she was "eyeballing" me. I have to wonder if he had run his syllables together if it would have been the alarm for help. I guess, I will never know but she never answered his call to disclose her location, I was thankful for that.

"Don't Tread Any Closer"

Countdown 365 T-29

TOTAL MILES: 173.4 Miles ~ WILDLIFE: 11 Moose

Pulled out at first light this morning. Weather was cloudy with a light rain falling and the temperatures were in the 20 degree range. Today's destination would include that area south of Kasilof River and north of Ninilchik, Alaska. Weather during the day increased in temperatures in the high 30 range, with scattered clouds. By nightfall, I will have seen a total of eleven moose. Not a great number for the miles driven but during the bright part of the day that is still a decent average. Took a slight detour and returned to Holly Street where the "Cheyenne" guide had seen a small Bull Moose earlier in the week but it had eluded our pursuit. Once again, I could not locate the Bull Moose but did see two cows and a calf. My travels today would include the Sterling Highway to Coho, Alaska. At Coho, I took the coastal route of Coho Loop Road which intersects the Sterling Highway south of the Kasilof River bridge. Exploring side roads, I ended up at the mouth of the Kasilof River and had the opportunity to witness a "January Rainbow" while my spotter, "Dutch" explored the beach area.

"January Rainbow" ~ Mouth Of The Kasilof River

Since I saw the mouth of the Kasilof River, I decided to continue my journey to the headwaters of the Kasilof River and Tustamena Lake. Although this route is through some prime moose country, I have been disappointed. This would be my second trip this month without seeing any moose in this area. Side trips on this route would include several side roads including,Crooked Creek Road. As the sunset was starting to show, I decided to head south in time to travel Oilwell Road at sundown. Once on Oilwell Road, I would see an additional eight moose on this side trip.. This is one reason that my well trained "spotter" travels with me on my hunts. This cow moose was spotted approximately 150 yards from the roadway, bedded down and camouflaged in with her surroundings. While watching her with my binoculars, a second cow was spotted that was bedded down inside the spruce tree line. This Oilwell Road trip would take me to just short of Silver Salmon Creek before I started loosing shooting light and turned around.

"Bedded Down"

This moose is playing it smart, she knows what neighborhood to hang out in, this is her safety zone.

" I Am Safe"

I liked this "Over The Shoulder" look that this cow gave to me. While I was shooting pictures of her, the cell phone just happened to ring. Pausing to answer the phone, it was a relay message from the "Cheyenne" Guide. The trail of the small bull, now referred to as the "Holly Bull" was found and had been spotted once again. By coincidence, I was only two miles away and with well defined directions, he would out not smart me, again! All I had to do was drive two miles to "Holly" turn left and he was on the right hand side of the road where the horses are at. With the mention of the horses, I knew exactly where he was at.

"Over The Shoulder"

Arriving on Holly, the horses were standing there, looking across Holly Street, however I could not spot the Bull Moose. I drove the route, turned around to make a second pass, still not seeing anything but the horses. After turning around for the third "drive by", I noticed a car with the headlights down the road from me about a mile. As I approached the car, it moved forward to meet me, it was "Cheyenne" the guide. The Bull Moose was still there and hanging with the horses. I did not know that a second horse ranch was situated on Holly Street. Sure enough, on the right side of Holly Street there was a pasture with horses and one small bull moose.

The lighting was very poor by this point of the day, the horses were feeding on some some hay and I can only assume that "Holly Bull" wanted to share in the bounty or was lonely. Neither of the species seemed to be offended that they were intermingling. With the lighting and tree coverage, I could not get a group shot. However, I did get a couple of single shots of "Holly Bull" although it is very poor quality due to the lighting. Had a tough time even seeing his antlers with the naked eye from fifty feet. Although, not the Bull Moose that I wanted, after the miles I have driven, it was good to see a definite Bull Moose. Now that I know he has friends, I will return in better daylight and see if I can get a better shot. Better not be any funny looking "colts" born in the spring.

"Holly The Bull Moose"

Countdown 365 T- 27

Total Miles: 57.4 ~ Wildlife: None

Just as I was preparing to go on an early morning photo hunt, I received a phone tip on the sighting of a Bull Moose in Ninilchik, Alaska at the intersection of Holly Street and Lingenberry Street. Diverting from my normal route, I and my "spotters" turned north for Ninilchik. My guide, "Susie" took me to the exact location of the sighting. Upon my arrival, I was fortunate to meet up with my "Cheyenne" guide. The "guide" had seen the bull and assisted me in trying to locate it. The "guide" stayed with me, going separate directions in an attempt to cut the trail of the Bull Moose. After making several attempts, the "guide" called off the search. I continued exploring the area in hopes of cutting his trail for another hour. The hunt was not successful, however, it renewed my hopes that the Bull Moose have not yet shed their antlers.

Ninilchik, Alaska ~ Russian Orthodox Church Overlooking Cook Inlet

"Closing Minutes Of the Day"

Countdown 365 T-25

Morning Trip Total Miles: 22.1 Miles ~ Wildlife: 26 Moose EVENING TRIP Total Miles: 27.6 ~ Wildlife: 10 Moose

Pulled out at dawn's early light to make my regular scheduled trip to the upper Anchor River, looking for that elusive Bull Moose. It has been almost six weeks since we have seen any measurable amount of snow. However, the moose continued to herd up based on feeding area and slowly migrating downstream from the upper Anchor River. Impressed with the number of "spring calves" that I am seeing and their growth. The calf crop looks very strong from this past spring. A good number of cows still have two calves in tow. From my home to the bridge on the upper Anchor River a total of 26 moose were counted. Arriving at the Anchor River bridge, the morning temperature was a balmy 1 Degree. All of the moose that I saw in the river valley was a little frosty.

Frosted Cow Moose On The Upper Anchor River

Arriving back in Anchor Point, drove around our Golf Course, hoping to see a "local bull", a cow and calf were playing the back "9" on the bluff over looking Cook Inlet with the volcano, Saint Augustine in the background.

"Playing Through"

Making a trip into Homer this afternoon, my wife and I drove the entire North Loop Road on our return to Anchor Point, just prior to and during sunset. A total of 10 moose were counted on this trip.

The first two of the three pictures were taken mid way on the North Fork Loop Road, adjacent to the land that my wife's parents, uncles, and grandmother homesteaded prior to statehood.

Volcano, Mt. Redoubt Releasing A Little Steam As the Sun Sets (Shot Was Taken +50 Miles From Mountain) Sunset On Mt. Saint Augustine (Shot Made From Same Spot As Above Picture)

We caught up with the sunset on the beach of Cook Inlet, just a mile from our home and approximately 35 miles from Mt. Saint Augustine.

"Saint Augustine and Cook Inlet At Sunset" A Great Ending To The Day.

Countdown 365 - T22

Total Miles ~ 66.5 Miles Wildlife Viewed: 33 Moose and American Bald Eagles

Following my morning coffee, I pulled out at the break of day to make another local road trip. Partly cloudy with the low temperature of four degrees. Had a beautiful day, warming to 29 degrees by mid afternoon.

Once again, I made my normal trip from my home to the upper Anchor River Bridge on the south end of the North Fork Road. From my home to the bridge, the 12.4 mile trip took me one hour and twenty-seven minutes to complete. During this time, I saw a total of 26 Moose, all cows and calves although a couple could not be identified due to the distance and lighting.

Got some good shots, however, I broke the standard rule by forgetting the fundamentals of "cold weather" photography. The fogging of the lens from the atmosphere of a warm car to the outside temperature. Once discovered, a anti-fogging cloth between shots takes care of the problem. On my return trip, I would see an additional 7 Moose, bringing my daily count to a seasonal record of 33 Moose.

Creatures of habit, the moose have a tendency to bed down during the bright part of the day so I broke off the search for a Bull Moose and decided to go shoot some Eagles. Got in some good shooting in a couple of locations, however, the Homer Spit remains my favorite although there are less eagles.

Have had this site for almost of month without introducing my assistants. I do not do all these "photo treks" by myself as I do have "spotters" that assist me. It is better to have five eyes looking than just two, especially when you are having to dodge cars. My primary spotter, especially for Eagles is "visually handicapped", having only one eye but he can spot an eagle a half mile away and 300 feet in altitude.

"Professional Spotters" "Eagle Eye" ~ Ruger and "My Buddy" ~ Dutch

Dutch Harbor Dutchman "Dutch" Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (Side Note) Lady Tollers ~ "Dutch Is Available"

Although, I took 183 shots of Eagles today, this particular bird and I bonded to a point that I named him "Sam". He really worked with me, allowing me to photograph him as close as ten feet and posed for a variety of shots. He even gave me the 360 degree look, rotating his head completely around and looking behind him. They are an awesome bird, but they sure walk funny in the snow. After working with him for a half hour or more, as I left he was still sitting on one of the two logs that he was roosting on.

"A Silent Prayer For America" "Turning Into The Wind For The Launch" "Eyes On The Sky" "Call Of Freedom"

Countdown 365 -T20

Total Miles: 20.0

Wildlife Viewed: 25 Moose

What a great morning! After a dusting of two inches of fresh snow overnight and 18 degrees at daylight, I once again made my "routine trip" in hopes of finding a bull moose. Driving the Sterling Highway from Anchor Point to the North Fork Loop Road at the southern terminus. It appears that the full migration of moose is now taking place into the lower Anchor River Valley. My total trip time this morning was 1 hour and 11 minutes, average speed was 16.9 miles per hour according to "Susie", my GPS and guide. Within two miles of my home, I stopped at vantage point that I have been using all fall with no success in spotting game animals. It would be different this morning at the "power lines", Mile 159 of the Sterling Highway. Sitting in the comfort of my truck, I could count seven moose, including one small bull moose with an antler spread of about 36 inches. Unfortunately, even with my zoom lens at full power, the quality of the picture would have been very poor due to the distance and lighting. I was able to make out his antlers, only with the use of my binoculars. For the remainder of the drive, I would count an additional 18 moose with a sighting of a second small bull that only yielded "spike" horns. The great thing about seeing the two small bulls, at least I now know the full shedding of antlers has not taken place. The opportunity still exists that I may get that shot of a large bull. It also came to mind this morning as I was seeing all of these moose, I have been passing up a lot of shots of "cow moose and calves" because it is so common place to see them. I have hesitated in posting their pictures on "Photo Treks" because they are common. In several ways, Alaskans take things for granted in our sport fisheries and wildlife. I thought to myself, "there are thousands of photographers out there that would love the opportunity to take a picture of any moose". Taking that into consideration, I will continue to shoot shots of cow moose and their calves. It was a good morning and I felt very privileged, even in Alaska to see that many moose in a matter of an hour and a few minutes.

"Watchful Eyes"

"Where Did Mom Go"

"Just A Peek"

"A Tree For Protection"

Countdown 365 -T17

Total Miles: 27.6 ~ Wildlife Spotted: Twelve Moose

Took a break from the New York Jets and San Diego Charger football game to do a late evening road trip in hopes of spotting that elusive "Bull Moose". The hunting trip was much better than the football game. Saw a total of twelve moose, several cows with calves. Going into the winter, the calf crop looks very strong this year. Once again, I visited the area of the upper Anchor River on the North Fork Loop Road.

"On Thin Ice" ~ Upper Anchor River

"Evening Feeding" ~ Upper Anchor River

Countdown 365 -T15

Trip Mileage: 24.3 Miles ~Game Spotted: Seven Moose

Today, I took my normal trip from Anchor Point, Alaska to the south end of the North Fork Loop Road. It was noted that the moose are moving to lower elevations into the Anchor River Valley. I did see the first moose of the winter season in the lower Anchor River yesterday. At this point, I know that my chances of getting a trophy Bull Moose is diminishing rapidly as they will soon be dropping their antlers, if they have not already commenced the shedding process. The seven moose that I spotted today were all antlerless, however, none of them appeared to be bulls that had shed their antlers. I did spend some time today in an attempt to organize some of my photos into a usable format. While working on this project, I laid out the series of "Stone Sheep" that I had taken earlier. These pictures came out of a herd of Stone Sheep in the Yukon Territory. Although, I do not know if it is "protective instincts" but the big ram was the last one to move up the mountain and away from me. He remained close to me, allowing me to take a number of shots before he followed the herd to higher elevations. Perhaps, he was just wanting to brag about his size.

"Stone Sheep Family" ~ Yukon Territory

Countdown 365 -T12

Trip Mileage: 78.4 Miles

Game Spotted: Seven Moose ~

Spent the afternoon exploring an area north of Anchor Point, Alaska in the Ninilchik, Alaska area of the Ninilchik River and Deep Creek drainage. Took a tour of the beach area a the mouth of the Ninilchik River and visited the "Old" Village of Ninilchik. Several "old" cabins and houses in this area, several of them, dating back to the date of settlement in the area. Several of them using "dovetail" technique in log cabin construction.

"Deserted Home" ~ Old Ninilchik Village ~ Ninilchik, Alaska "Homestead" ~ Overlooking Ninilchik River

Discovered a new area for photographing "wildlife". In retrospect, I should have explored this location in November and early December. I intend to spend sometime in this area during the summer months and late fall. There are a number of locations that have access from this area that has great potential as a viewing area. Access is very good to the area. I crossed Silver Salmon Creek, a tributary of Deep Creek at Mile 6 and crossing Dolly Creek at Mile 8.8 which both have an interesting potential to be explored.

"Domes" ~ Deep Creek Valley Headwaters

I left the "Domes" in my rear view mirror and continued my trip in a easterly direction to Mile 14. With daylight starting to fade, I reversed my route and and saw a total of seven moose, all antlerless except one small bull. No shot due to fading light and distance of the shot. Having never ventured this far into the area, I was surprised at the depth of the Deep Creek Valley. The valley develops into a very deep canyon for several miles before it once again expands into a valley near the headwaters of Deep Creek. A very good trip, I will return.

Countdown 365 -T10

Total Miles Driven: 49.3 Miles: Instead of watching the National League Football play-off games today, I took another local trip around the North Fork Loop Road out of Anchor Point. I have seen the highest concentration of moose in this area than any that I have found to date. Took two side trips off the North Fork Road. Ventured onto the area behind the old "Anderson Homestead". This may be a good area to watch during the summer months and late fall. At present, the snow depth is deep enough that the moose have moved down to lower elevations. I also took a side trip into Nikolaevsk Village side roads. Saw a total of four moose, two sets of cows with calves. Saw all four moose on the south end of the North Fork Road. "Looking Down On Me"

"First Winter Calf "

"Anderson Barn" ~ North Fork Road, Alaska (Approximately 45 Years Old)

Countdown 365 -T8

Total Miles Driven: 45.3 Miles:

With "spring winter" weather in the air, I once again made a local trip looking for antlered moose. Driving the North Fork Loop road once again from the north end in Anchor Point to the south end. Although, a pretty drive with the mountains across Cook Inlet providing a great backdrop, no moose were sighted.

Taking a trip into Homer, Alaska, finding blue sky and the temperature at 46 degrees, I could not resist visiting the Homer Spit to "shoot" the American Bald Eagles. The Homer Spit is a prime area for "shooting eagles". During the "Feeding the Eagles" campaign, you were likely to see several hundred eagles per trip. Now that the feeding program has been halted, the Eagles are still present although the numbers are ten percent of what they have been in past years. On my return trip, I drove the Sterling Highway through the Anchor River valley, still not seeing any moose.

Kachemak Bay ~ January 8, 2010 "Lighthouse Keeper"

Kachemak Bay ~ January 8, 2010

Kachemak Bay ~ January 8, 2010

Countdown 365 -T7

January 4, 2010 ~ January 6, 2010 Total Trip Mileage ~ 554.0 Miles

Purpose of this trip was to photograph Dall Sheep on the mountain slopes of Turnagain Arm, just south of Anchorage, Alaska. Normally at this time of the year, the snow depths on the high elevations of the mountain range force the Dall Sheep and Mountain Goats to lower elevations. En route to the area from Anchor Point, Alaska I would take side trips in search for the elusive Bull Moose that I have been searching for since November. Several side trips were taken in this endeavor, including Feuding Lane, Skilak Lake Loop Road, Quartz Creek Road, and Portage Valley at the head of Turnagain Arm. Throughout the entire trip, a total of seventeen "antlerless moose" were spotted, several in places that you would not typically see moose this time the year. Skilak Loop Road passes through the Kenai Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge. You can enter the area from either the north or south end from the Sterling Highway. In normal years, the snow pack in this area is two to four feet. The day that I visited the area, the cover was 2 -3 inches of hard packed snow. Although some sign of game were spotted, no sightings of wildlife were made. All of the area streams and rivers north of Soldotna are open and flowing freely, including those at the top of Turnagain Pass. Arriving at the head of Turnagain Arm, I took a side trip into the Portage Valley in search for moose. Through the years, there have been times that I have seen as many as 20 - 30 moose in this area on several occasions. This is a natural wintering area for moose from the mountain ranges that surround the valley. My hopes of seeing a "big" bull increased when I saw a sign that read "Moose Meadows Two Miles". Needless to say, no moose were seen in Moose Meadows on my two visits during this trip. Arriving in the area that I wanted to "spot" for sheep I discovered that the mountain range paralleling Turnagain Arm was barren of snow cover except for occasional patches. Again, normally these mountains have heavy snow cover by mid November. While "glassing" at snow spots, hoping to see them move, I did spot three sheep or goats just after sundown on Monday, January 4, 2010. I was able to get closer to them, however, they were still beyond my desired photo range and the lighting was terrible due to the pending darkness and coloration of the rocks. With my binoculars, I was able to determine that they were Dall Sheep with at least one ram. From maximum range of my zoom lens, I took a series of shots but not satisfied since they were not "up close and personal", the type I really enjoy taking. I made plans to return the following morning at daylight, hoping that they would remain in the same area. Returning the following morning, lunch and thermos of coffee prepared, I intended to "wait them out" and get the shots I wanted. "Dutch" and I would remain on Turnagain Arm the remainder of the day, seeing the sun set over Turnagain Arm. Despite the hours spent, glassing the slopes and locating "new" viewing spots, we would not see any sheep that day. Just prior to "sundown", I had to make an emergency call to "McLay Automotive Emergency Services" to rescue me since my battery was dead. Someone forgot to turn the headlights out, just don't make batteries like they used to.

Two Dall Sheep Rams And Ewe ~ Turnagain Arm, Alaska

After returning home and putting my pictures into the computer, I was pleasantly surprised. Although the photo quality is poor, I was very pleased with the size of the two rams, they were much older and larger rams than I had originally thought.

Largest of the two rams, notice how far the tip of his horns extend beyond his eye. Great ram, poor picture ~ but I will accept it.

The following morning at daylight, I returned to the same ridge, hoping the sheep would remain throughout the night. They had disappeared, but to my astonishment, a cow moose that taken up residence on top of the same ridge. I had not expected to see moose this high on the mountain at this time of the year. Again, a long "distant shot" and she blends in well with her environment. The subject is located center picture. Later in the day, I would spot two additional moose at much higher elevations, within three hundred feet of the summit of the mountain range. With binoculars, I could make out that they were likely a cow and calf. January and the moose are still on top of the mountain, who would have ever thought?

"Mountain Moose"

"Frozen Waterfall" Portage Valley, Alaska

On my return trip home, I did something that I have never done. Living here since 1956, I had never driven the extra 18 miles from the Seward Highway and visited the community of Hope, Alaska. Seeing moose on Turnagain Pass, I thought to myself that perhaps they would use that valley to winter. My thought process was good, but again the snow depths had not pushed any number of moose into the area although I did see one cow moose. Much to my surprise, the trip into Hope is a very beautiful drive and I intend to visit this area again during the summer. The community of Hope is an old Alaskan"gold town" with a very small year around population. Enjoying photographing "old" buildings, I want to shoot additional shots in this area.

Genuine "Cache" ~ Not A Yard Decoration Hope, Alaska

"Winter Creek Bed"

Turnagain Arm, Alaska "Cabin In The Woods" Hope, Alaska

Countdown 365 -T3

Weather conditions cloudy with a light snow flurries. Took another local trip, consisting of the circle route from the south end of the North Fork Road and returning to Anchor Point, Alaska on the north end of the road. Took a side trip off the North Fork Road onto Chakok Road. Potential in this area is good to see a Bull Moose in velvet during the summer months. Potential also exists for sightings of Brown Bear and Black Bear in this area once the salmon runs commence. Total driving time on this trip was 28.7 miles. Saw two cow moose bedded down at Black Water Bend on the Sterling Highway. No moose were seen in the river valley from the South Fork Bridge to the Sterling Highway. Saw two additional cow moose and a calf on the northerly portion of the North Fork Road. Total Moose: Four Cows, One Calf.

Cow Moose ~ North Fork Road, Alaska

Photo Treks

Starting out the New Year of 2010 with the "new" site, Photo Treks. It is my intention to record my daily "photo treks" whether they be in the local area or afar.

By years end, it will be interesting to see where my travels take me to find that "one" perfect shot and complete one of the items on my "Bucket List". January 1, 2010, started the year by taking the opportunity to make a short, local trip in pursuit of a Bull Moose, before they start dropping their antlers. Drove the south end of the North Fork Road in Anchor Point, Alaska. Total trip mileage was 26.4 miles. In the past week, the area from the Sterling Highway to Anchor River South Fork bridge has had a good concentration of moose moving into the area to avoid the snow at higher elevations. In the past, I have counted 6 to 10 moose per trip, including one small bull. However, on this trip I saw only two cow moose. Wanting to "shoot" something, I shot a cow.

Cow Moose ~ Upper Anchor River