One of my favorite salmon spots within an hour or so of Anchorage. Downstream there mass hundreds of anglers when the silver and reds are running. Up here as long as you have something to cross the creek in it’s much quieter. Of Course you have to share it. The “tundra tire” on this Cessna almost hit my truck as he had a bit of a downdraft when he came in over the trees, he pulled around to park. BTW the guy flying this plane had won it in a raffle and this was his first flight in it.
Winter runs of King salmon in Kachemak bay get many people out onto their boats in December and January for a chance to hook the prized fish.
Ravens are great and have pronounced personalities, I love watching them. I’ve also tried to photograph ravens. They live all around me, yet due to the jet black of their feathers it is not easy.
One of my jobs is as a fight and sports medic. I run medical teams for MMA, Judo and other extreme sports and adventure races.
Light snow covers the ground in eastern Washington state in late december.
These rare hawks, the only true raptor indigenous to hawaii are call Io (Buteo solitarius). This hawk and his mate I saw often, as his home was near mine. Even once landing on my lani railing to say hello (oh, how I wished to have my camera in hand that day)
Volcanos are amazing. Here the lava exits a lava tube that originates from the Pu’u O’o vent and enters the ocean
I had been driving through the jungle for half a day in this crappy 4×4 rental SUV and once the stress of river crossing after river crossing and through one mud bogg after another with nearly bald wheels I stopped for lunch. What I found was a hidden surf spot at the southernmost point of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica.
Half way up Mauna Kea on the saddle road crossing the big island of Hawaii there is a trail to the south of the road between mile 22 and 23. 9.8 kilometers down the rough Pu’uʻŌʻō trail to the right side is a Puka (Hawaiian for lava hole) about 100 feet around and 30 feet deep. This is the main entrance to the Emesine Lava Tube. This lava tube is nearly a mile long and a great hike. Bring boots, flashlights and a helmet is nice. Don’t forget sunscreen for the hike out. It’s sunny and at nearly 8,000 feet in elevation.
Info update. You now need a permit to go in the lava tube. Contact the Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources at 808-587-0166.
Whatever that is. 40 miles from Anchorage is the off road mecca of day adventurers, a spot to try out a new rig, fish, shoot and have outdoors fun (there are rules), the Alaska version of going to the beach (there’s sand, really). Here there is a 100 square miles or more of river floodplains, dunes, forests with the Knik river running down the center, a sharp valley of Alaskan ridge lines, capped by a glacier of the same name. Called Knik River Public Use Area (KRPUA)
One of the greatest, most inspirational and courageous groups I have ever trained with were PJ’s. Every thing, every skill, anywhere on earth every different civilian emergency medical and rescue services have to do, the “Jay’s” have to do while being under enemy fire. I have a friend that works in a PJ equipment shop and another that just retired after nearly 30 years of service, much of that with the rescue squadron. Each PJ has their own gear for being able to do advanced paramedic skills anywhere on earth from the sides of mountains to glacial cravvasses to raging surf while being shot at with a hundred pounds of gear. All their gear is kept in special lockers that can be loaded on an aircraft and sent anywhere in the world with less than an hours notice. Amazing folks. My friend left on his first deployment this weekend. He has strength of character and is well trained, I have faith I’ll see him on the other side in 6 months.
Costa Rica; in the garden of a lodge I was staying in Tortuguero park
For many years I was a member of the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group. As a group we worked directly under (and for) the Alaska State Troopers for cases of wilderness search and rescue, avalanche response, mountain and glacier rescue. We needed to be able to be on the road or in the air within 45 minutes for travel anywhere in the state. In addition to search and rescue duties we did a great deal educational with other SAR teams and public safety outreach. We trained tirelessly and at great expense both emotionally and physically in rescue rigging and wilderness search and rescue.
Michelle was born and raised in Alaska. On her first snorkel on her first day in Hawaii she met this young turtle who weaved in and around us for the hour we were in the waters off Kekaha Kai state park.
This squirrel is always hanging around when I work on my rig. Here he munches some peanut butter I put on the top of my snorkel.
This is one of a pair of sister Cheetah I met as little kittens and watched from the inside as they were raised and trained to be be around people to help raise awareness of cheetahs, Africa, conservation and all that sort, by my friends at Safari West
Driving on Hwy 2 in Costa Rica up to Cero de la Muarta – incidentally means “the Mountain of Death”.
There are men in this day and age that still strive to learn the way of the sword. Truth be told, I am one. I own a folded steel katana with silk and rayskin handle with a dragonfly tsuba. I am competent in kenjutsu BUT I am NOT the guy in the photo.
Really my best guess of where this idyllic farm and river are is about 100 or so miles north of Burns, Oregon. Where hwy 395 meets 26.
Alaska is a land so vast it staggers the mind. The only way to see most of it is by small plane and even that has it’s risks.
Often times things in Alaska mean something different than they do in the lower 48. Here some folks wanted to make a picnic of the afternoon. They flew about 100 miles west of Anchorage were not too many will bother their afternoon. There are no roads, towns, cell service or anything else you don’t bring with you.
See what I did there? It’s not a stormtrooper wearing a miniskirt, it’s a Stormtrooper stuck in the pocket of a mini skirt!
A Biplane sits, strapped down to the tarmac waiting to fly with many of its friends at Merrill Field in the dead of winter. This day was well below zero degrees.
Near Alaska Milepost 90 sun and rain mix on the road. I have driven the Alaska-Canadian Hwy almost 20 time and it has never been the same twice.
Watching a school a fish below a snorkeler pauses to take in the underwater world around her.
Seen in Abbotsford BC, Canada. Many years later we still don’t know what this sign meant.
A young male elephant cools off in the dust near the border of Kenya and Tanzania east of Amboseli National park
A candid moment in east Africa. Like kids everywhere they can’t wait for their parent to be done with what they are doing, not that they know what will be next.
A fine summer day for a flight across Cook Inlet to the Alaska range
One evening at the mouth of the Kasilof river. We had been dipnetting all day and had just finished out dinner of whatever and Guinness. It was approaching 11pm as that is evening during July in Alaska.
What words can be used to describe what you see here? A comet over the Talkeetna mountains of Alaska. The frozen Knik river in the foreground. The light northernlights. The mild glow of the city of Palmer. It was close to 10 below that night. My jeep spun around 3 times on the black ice of the off ramp from the Glenn to the Old Glenn hwy as I searched for a vantage point to take this photo.
I spotted this [captive] guy (because no one ever sees them in the wild – really) up in the rocks chilling in the shade
Kristy Berington from Kasilof wearing bib number 20 in the 2013 Anchorage Iditarod start. (interesting fact, she has a twin that also was in the race)
In their summer colors the Horned Puffin is a beautiful bird. Puffins are found in the north and penguins are found in the south, some people don’t know.
I have hundreds of thousands of road miles on 4 continents behind me. This was right outside of Anchorage. This car was being towed behind an RV (pretty standard up here). Not sure what went wrong, be it went very wrong.
Here in northeastern Washington state, barbed wire is the time honored tradition to keep your cattle and horses over there and my cattle and horses over here. Just after sunset we call it a day inspecting and repairing fences, there is always more to do on a ranch.
Like many adventurous Alaskans I make it a habit to go anywhere any time someone asks. When you live in Alaska and someone says “hey, do you want to go flying?” You always say “yes”.
Deep in the Alaska range this cluster of peaks pushes up through the lower clouds.
I spent much of my year long stay in Hawaii at or under the water. I found turtles to be remarkably friendly.
The eagle was kind enough to wait for me to circle all the way around his tree to capture this photo
12-31-2009
I drive up about the Campbell airstrip to capture this image.
Helo drops water onto fire near Sutton, Alaska just off the Glenn hwy.
I see many strange things here and there. Here what appears to be the Blues Brothers working to remodel a store front.
You’ll notice red hair and the bright jacket, maybe even the adventure time, one of a kind Land Rover LR1 in the background. Of course firearms fans will notice it’s a SCAR clone made by ISSA – a MKII. A fun plinking gun made to look all scary and stuff.
Girls play in the street at Alaska’s Bear Paw festival. A rare 80 degree day brought out a fire truck to let it rain in the street of the festival.
Local fire crews work to extinguish a apartment complex fire.
I live within one mile of the gate of a major airbase and nearly under an alternate flight path. I get to see our military’s great aircraft in action from F22’s to EWACS. Tragically I was outside when a C-17 lost power after take off and lost all souls on board. The impact, over 3 miles away was both heard and felt. A friend was on the that aircraft on the previous flight a few hours before.
As medics for MMA cage fights our seats are, where you could say, we see all the action. Here the ring girls pose with a title belt.
Late sunset along Tunragain Arm Alaska. The red sky reflected upon the Alaska railroad.
Woman with red hair at the Anchorage Museum Rasmuson Center
PJ rests and checks gear after a live fire training operation
Being the leader of the contracted medics for the iditarod start in Anchorage has it’s perks, being prepared for the worst often means I have a seat for the best view.
Days old jellyfish with a sibling and their reflection in the surface
MMA fighters prepare to enter the “cage” at a Alaska Fighting Championship fight.
The wildfire at Funny River rages on the Kenai peninsula and throws smoke across Southcentral Alaska prompting air quality warnings. I took this around 7pm. Sony NEX-6 210mm F18 near 1/2000
This is probably my favorite stretch of pavement in mainland USA. It’s Hwy 50 in Nevada just before Jct. 93 east of Ely
I took this photo in 2000 on a solo drive across the US.
Since I can’t write about our patients at the fights where I volunteer as a medic, allow me to present the nice ring girls of our local octagon cage fighting circuit.
While driving a friends new car back to his house a woman lost control on the ice in the oncoming lane, fish-tailed, over corrected, hit a bolder in the median and shot in front of me into a light pole. I pulled around and did a rapid trauma assessment, as I did her car erupted in flames. She was uninjured other then a seatbelt bruise and being shaken from the crash. Temperature was around 10 degrees and I did not have my EMT kit. I am glad she had no real injurys. I had her stay warm in my friends Jeep while we waited for AFD and APD which took about 30 minutes. All was fine in the end other then the toasted car.
