Lee Petersen

Photographer and writer in Alaska. Field notes on landscape, science, and a changing North. Lots of stuff here: http://lwpetersen.com/links

SUBSTACK: Field Notes From The North: https://lwpetersen.substack.com/
WEBSITE ARTICLES AND GUIDES: https://www.lwpetersen.com/
PHOTOGRAPHY: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/

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leepetersen_at_alaskan.social@momostr.pink

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Last Notes

2026-06-15 08:41:19 UTC

I'm still sifting through 3 days of photos from hiking in the Alaska Range, but this had to be one of the coolest glacier caves I've explored yet, so I had to share it first.
#alaska #glacier #hiking
7m
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/753/224/729/585/877/original/43244936b44646f2.jpg

2026-05-07 16:38:35 UTC

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Wildflower info in my guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-wildflowers/alaska-boykinia-boykinia-richardsonii/

2026-05-07 16:36:50 UTC

A stream above the Canwell Glacier in the Alaska Range, lined with Alaska boykinia (Boykinia richardsonii) in full bloom in mid-July.
https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-guide/canwell-glacier-and-rainbow-basin/
#Alaska #hiking #wildflowers #bloomscrolling
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/534/245/895/107/445/original/8aa924e186e62f4f.jpg

2026-05-06 16:02:16 UTC

The terminus of College Glacier in the Alaska Range, and the braided meltwater stream of College Creek draining into Phelan Creek and eventually the Delta River. The debris on the glacier surface is supraglacial moraine, rock that's been carried on top of the ice as the glacier moves.
https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-guide/college-glacier-hiking-guide/
#alaska #hiking #glacier #glaciology #alaskarange
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/528/362/531/586/070/original/7fc306a88ae539bf.jpg

2026-05-06 08:33:32 UTC

February light - Fairbanks, Alaska
https://photos.lwpetersen.com/
#alaska #sunset #fairbanks
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/526/703/892/327/571/original/b550dbe343f86b53.jpg

2026-05-05 17:12:16 UTC

A little aurora on a starry and very windy night along the Angel Rocks to Chena Hot Springs Trail in the Chena River State Recreation Area.
Prints and wall art available in my aurora gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis
#alaska #aurora #auroraborealis #fairbanks #hiking
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/523/048/378/333/055/original/82e643bd0a5261ac.jpg

2026-05-05 08:24:06 UTC

Anthers opening, revealing pollen on a male willow catkin. Taken yesterday in Fairbanks, Alaska.
#macro #fairbanks #flora #bloomscrolling
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/520/996/593/536/273/original/b73de870d722c770.jpg

2026-05-03 17:37:38 UTC

Pussy willows just started emerging in the Fairbanks area about a week ago, still plenty of snow on the ground. This is an extreme close-up of a female willow catkin. The green-to-redish structures are pistils, each tipped with a branched, 4-lobed yellow-green stigma that receives pollen, usually from insects like bumblebees.
Wildflowers as Art gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildflowers-as-Art
#alaska #wildflowers #spring #fairbanks #macro #bloomscrolling
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/511/740/829/711/200/original/53b22ad71c62bccb.jpg

2026-05-03 05:08:20 UTC

The Teklanika River in Denali National Park early this morning.
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/508/907/309/549/848/original/ab6a5ac33368b8c5.jpg

2026-05-01 15:00:46 UTC

Meltwater falls off the headwall above Gulkana Glacier, eastern Alaska Range. Shot from the glacier surface. The pink at the base of the falls is watermelon snow, Chlamydomonas nivalis, a red algae that blooms in snowfields that persist in the summer.
Hiking guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-guide/gulkana-glacier-hike/
#alaska #glacier #hiking
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/499/888/724/538/677/original/8cd7cae2cc2824f8.jpg

2026-04-30 16:26:11 UTC

Aurora over the Chena River on the Angel Rocks Trail, early March. The green reflection in the foreground is refrozen overflow water seeping up through cracks in the river ice and refreezing on the surface. It's a common winter feature on interior Alaska rivers, and on this night it turned into a mirror.
Alaska Hiking Guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-guide/
#alaska #auroraborealis #fairbanks #hiking
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/494/574/059/167/208/original/412017e6a9ed478b.jpg

2026-04-29 16:27:09 UTC

Still a few weeks out from wildflower season in the Fairbanks area, but Calypso bulbosa, the fairy slipper, is one of the earliest orchids in the boreal forest. It has a short bloom window in late May. The yellow crest and red spotting on the labellum are the lure for bumblebees early in the season.
Full profile in the Alaska Wildflower Guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-wildflowers/calypso-bulbosa-fairy-slipper/
#alaska #wildflowers #orchid #fairbanks #bloomscrolling
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/488/906/028/377/384/original/be520d813f531470.jpg

2026-04-28 16:52:31 UTC

Aurora over a boreal forest near Fairbanks, early January. An unexpected geomagnetic storm lit up the sky, with temperatures around -25°F. Nothing seems to move in that cold. The air is always so quiet and still.
Prints and wall art: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis/i-xGzGWTp/buy
#alaska #aurora #auroraborealis #fairbanks
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/483/344/545/917/416/original/99af0c84b4e77c8c.jpg

2026-04-27 16:01:12 UTC

McGinnis Peak, Alaska Range, from the Black Rapids Glacier. 11,400 feet of rock and ice, photographed in early July after a fresh snowfall, about 20 miles from the nearest road. July snow at this elevation isn't unusual; the Alaska Range creates its own weather, and the upper peaks see accumulation year-round.
Prints available here: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Portfolio-Images/i-SKrGLQB/A
#alaska #mountains #blackandwhite
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/477/390/680/851/646/original/36ccbce4b36fd15e.jpg

2026-04-26 17:57:01 UTC

Frost crystals on a car window in Fairbanks. The large sectored plate crystal at the center grew directly on the glass. Frost nucleates on the surface and grows outward. The stepped ridges visible within each plate section record successive growth stages as the crystal expanded. Full resolution worth zooming into: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Macro/Macro-Portfolio/i-CKkgHBR/A
#alaska #macro #frost #ice #crystals
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/472/250/347/129/446/original/844ab52ee6116771.jpg
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/472/259/471/358/718/original/2a535c6e4d8dd865.jpg

2026-04-25 16:58:38 UTC

A sedge darner (Aeshna palmata) on very invasive bird vetch (Vicia cracca) at Creamer's Field in Fairbanks, late July.
https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Macro/Macro-Portfolio
#alaska #summer #macrophotography #dragonfly #insects
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/466/381/368/047/657/original/fd13c3397d0ee3f8.jpg

2026-04-24 14:56:55 UTC

Aurora forming a spiral loop over a snow-covered boreal forest in mid-winter, Fairbanks, Alaska.
Prints available in my aurora gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis
#Alaska #auroraborealis #NorthernLights #aurora
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/460/209/724/474/977/original/465c1e41a7a4705f.jpg

2026-04-23 16:09:01 UTC

"Tr'at'egheth No', Lower Tanana for 'from Cottonwood Creek,' commonly known as the Savage River, in early April, Denali National Park. The Alaska Range visible in the background.
#alaska #denali #hiking
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/454/840/927/462/195/original/ef7aab4beb577b8e.jpg

2026-04-22 16:12:44 UTC

Grizzly wandering through dwarf birch and willow in the tundra in Denali National Park.
https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildlife
#alaska #denali #wildlife #wildlifewednesday
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/449/187/056/381/614/original/bdc70cc85521b94a.jpg

2026-04-21 15:34:12 UTC

Otter in Valdez harbor.
https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildlife
#alaska #wildlife #otter #valdez
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/443/370/001/010/862/original/b4ae70e1cb697ac2.jpg

2026-04-20 15:27:10 UTC

A glaciated peak near the head of a tributary to the Black Rapids Glacier, Eastern Alaska Range. The bergschrunds visible on the upper ridge mark where the glacier ice pulls away from the rock headwall or stagnant ice.
https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-information/black-rapids-glacier/
#alaska #alaskarange #glacier #mountains
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/437/716/209/230/414/original/4b2bfcfded48e652.jpg

2026-04-19 16:43:39 UTC

Rainbow over the Donnelly Flats, just north of the Alaska Range in July.
Prints available: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Portfolio-Images/i-GjJDQcL/buy
#alaska #rainbow #landscape
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/432/341/037/601/709/original/7a4e26f3ae312c42.jpg

2026-04-18 17:10:02 UTC

Mid-April aurora over Fairbanks, a few years back. It's snowing pretty hard here at the moment. This feels like a good day to look back at better skies.
My aurora gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis
#Alaska #aurora #northernlights #auroraborealis #fairbanks
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/426/788/721/122/202/original/1ccd87c5e9f6e5c7.jpg

2026-04-17 16:31:46 UTC

A red fox kit pounces on its sibling.
In my wildlife gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildlife
#wildlife #fairbanks #alaska #fox
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/420/963/115/928/711/original/2206ca72ea502ed3.jpg

2026-04-16 18:02:35 UTC

I can never fully put into words how proud I am of these athletes. Not just for competing, but for who they are. They have an incredible passion for climbing and an equally incredible capacity for supporting each other. There's not a more caring or tight-knit group of young people I could imagine being around.
https://www.newsminer.com/sports/local_community/ascension-rock-club-sends-three-climbers-to-youth-divisional-championships/article_dca47b56-d937-4a4d-b214-3ba6bfebc6bc.html

2026-04-16 16:54:27 UTC

A trickle of meltwater falling through the seracs of the Gabriel Icefall, Gulkana Glacier, Eastern Alaska Range.
My guide to the area: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-guide/gulkana-glacier-hike/
#alaska #glacier #hiking
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/415/413/410/933/117/original/e0365b41ce93664f.jpg

2026-04-15 16:41:03 UTC

Golden hour in the White Mountain National Recreation Area, taken in early September. Endless ridges, autumn hues, and that perfect Alaska silence.
https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Portfolio-Images
#alaska #hiking #autumn
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/409/685/882/816/648/original/3072d790e52d84d4.jpg

2026-04-14 16:08:36 UTC

A glacier table on the Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska Range. The boulder insulates the ice beneath it from melting, while the surrounding surface melts down, leaving it perched on a pedestal. Eventually, the pedestal becomes unstable, and the rock topples, and the process starts again.
In my Glaciers Gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Glaciers
#alaska #glacier #alaskarange #glaciology
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/403/788/402/035/313/original/f045efc36d37fb72.jpg

2026-04-12 15:26:12 UTC

Aurora and moon over a Fairbanks hoarfrost-covered forest in January.
https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis
#alaska #aurora #fairbanks #northernlights #auroraborealis
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/392/419/741/998/350/original/54437dc3f1c5335b.jpg

2026-04-11 16:34:03 UTC

A juvenile peregrine falcon landed on a rock about 15 feet away at Angel Rocks and just watched me for five minutes. I watched back.
More wildlife photography: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildlife
#alaska #peregrine #falcon #wildlife #birds
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/387/000/838/595/272/original/d636c79d251fe4bb.jpg

2026-04-10 15:39:17 UTC

Aurora corona over Fairbanks, January. Rays converge at the zenith overhead, like looking up a tunnel.
#alaska #aurora #auroraborealis #northernlights
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/381/096/581/226/573/original/375a0c864f683771.jpg

2026-04-09 22:15:33 UTC

A few more photos from my first trip to Denali National Park this year.
https://www.lwpetersen.com/photo-blog/first-denali-trip-of-2026/

2026-04-09 17:26:52 UTC

The Gabriel Icefall on the Gulkana Glacier, Eastern Alaska Range. About 400 vertical feet of ice in this frame. The striations are annual accumulation layers that become folded during flow. Towering seracs form where crevasses intersect as the ice is deformed over the steepening terrain.
#alaska #glacier #hiking #glaciology
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/375/860/307/521/457/original/68da1ce3eeabf1c3.jpg

2026-04-08 16:28:52 UTC

A wave formation in the aurora over the Chena Hills, photographed from the Granite Tors Trail. The glow on the horizon is light pollution from Fairbanks and North Pole, about 40 miles away.
https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis
#alaska #aurora #auroraborealis #fairbanks
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/369/971/404/899/175/original/f12d11b409baaf06.jpg

2026-04-07 20:51:04 UTC

This morning I woke to the first images from the Artemis II lunar flyby. Then I read the worst thing I've ever seen come from an American president.
Same species. Same moment. We have to choose.
lwpetersen.substack.com/p/which-path-are-we-on
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/365/383/795/600/845/original/6e81b7ba51ab246e.jpg

2026-04-07 17:20:42 UTC

Columbia Bay in July, choked with calved ice from the Columbia Glacier. One of the largest tidewater glaciers in North America, and one of the fastest retreating.
Glaciers and Icebergs Gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Glaciers
#alaska #columbiaglacier #iceberg #princewilliamsound #glacier
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/364/544/422/889/327/original/99f8ab2fdfb988fd.jpg

2026-04-06 16:33:14 UTC

Had the entire Savage Alpine Trail to ourselves yesterday. It involved a fair amount of postholing, but that just added to the fun. Looking over the Park Road and Savage River Valley toward Fang Mountain, Denali National Park.
Trail info in my hiking guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-guide/savage-alpine-trail/
#alaska #hiking #spring #denali
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/358/678/548/598/330/original/f844fd3446c60f1e.jpg

2026-04-05 15:23:54 UTC

A calved iceberg drifting in Columbia Bay near the Columbia Glacier, Prince William Sound, Alaska.
More from my Glaciers and Icebergs gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Glaciers
#alaska #iceberg #glacier #valdez
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/352/688/297/738/536/original/4b7d622b797d3de6.jpg

2026-04-04 16:35:23 UTC

Camping on the moraine of the Black Rapids Glacier in early summer, you fall asleep to the sound of meltwater running in channels below. This is where that water goes, supraglacial streams draining off the ice surface, some of it disappearing down moulins into or beneath the glacier. A beautiful place to spend a night.
Area info in my article: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-information/black-rapids-glacier/
#alaska #glacier #blackrapids #camping
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/347/267/598/836/645/original/5de93f60f42ce499.jpg
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/347/352/461/419/646/original/f75bb0bea45188ba.jpg

2026-04-03 15:37:03 UTC

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More in my wildlife gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildlife

2026-04-03 15:36:05 UTC

Canada lynx giving the side eye in Denali National Park, Alaska.
#alaska #wildlife #hiking #denali
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/341/497/801/729/794/original/95aba93e292e7a1d.jpg

2026-04-02 16:22:11 UTC

Aurora rising over the Chena Hills from the Angel Rocks to Chena Hot Springs Trail, about 45 miles outside of Fairbanks, Alaska.
More in my Aurora Gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis
#alaska #auroraborealis #northernlights
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/336/011/933/817/956/original/bf6adfdd736fbe17.jpg

2026-04-01 19:05:13 UTC

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Proof of my space dweeb status. Graduation from Space Camp like a million years ago. I'm currently glued to the live mission coverage for the Artemis II launch. Actually hard to look away.
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/331/004/101/000/954/original/6b8f8d9a549870c2.jpg

2026-04-01 18:53:51 UTC

I’ve been such a space dork for as long as I can remember. I’m so very excited for this. I got choked up watching them enter the capsule.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3kR2KK8TEs

2026-04-01 17:51:12 UTC

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Prints available in my Wildflowers as Art gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildflowers-as-Art

2026-04-01 17:50:59 UTC

Fairy slipper orchid (Calypso bulbosa), Fairbanks, late May. One of Alaska's most striking wildflowers, and one of the earliest.
Full article in my Alaska Wildflower Guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-wildflowers/calypso-bulbosa-fairy-slipper/
#alaska #wildflowers #orchid #bloomscrolling
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/330/694/538/646/706/original/070be4b8c32a6369.jpg

2026-03-31 16:54:19 UTC

Anderson Falls, fed by the Anderson Glacier, dropping straight into Port Valdez in the Chugach Mountains. The Valdez area is one of my favorite places in Alaska.
#alaska #valdez #waterfall #summer
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/324/820/799/125/447/original/6b870ff92773e840.jpg

2026-03-31 16:40:24 UTC

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Haha. One of my coaches is a physical therapist, and he's been working with me on it. It's been steadily improving the last five days, so I'm happy.

2026-03-31 16:39:19 UTC

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Thank you!

2026-03-30 18:33:52 UTC

Glacier ice absorbs red wavelengths more efficiently than blue. The denser and more bubble-free the ice, the more pronounced the effect. This is centuries of compression visible as color. Interior of a glacier cave in the terminal moraine of the Canwell Glacier, Alaska Range.
Print available: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Portfolio-Images/i-g7szRP9/buy
#alaska #glacier #glaciercave #ice #hiking
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/319/522/534/508/589/original/337cf9dab8403288.jpg

2026-03-30 05:42:24 UTC

It's been a busy month...
https://lwpetersen.substack.com/p/staying-busy-my-march-summary

2026-03-29 17:35:24 UTC

Last night's sunset from Fairbanks. It was 18°F, practically a heat wave after this winter.
#alaska #fairbanks #sunset #borealforest
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/313/636/424/306/016/original/68fda355677b38cd.jpg

2026-03-29 02:54:27 UTC

Waiting for laundry to dry, looking through old wildflower photos longingly. Eightpetal Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala), Murphy Dome, 2024. Pollen from Dryas species is found in ice cores and used to reconstruct past ecology and climate. I have an article on this one, expanding it this summer as it's really captured my interest.
https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-wildflowers/mountain-avens-dryas-octopetala/
#bloomscrolling #alaska #wildflowers
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/310/162/469/043/067/original/e61ec337dcf56633.jpg

2026-03-28 06:31:59 UTC

Aurora threading through the spruce. October in Fairbanks.
#alaska #auroraborealis #northernlights #aurora
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/305/394/382/052/325/original/cc47a2d1942c8268.jpg

2026-03-26 18:17:58 UTC

Standing on top of a glacier cave on the Canwell Glacier, Eastern Alaska Range. The opening behind them is about 30 feet wide and 15 feet tall, and the cave extends much further back into the ice. Clear skies made for some very cold winter air.
#Alaska #glacier #hiking
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/296/843/592/058/930/original/43fe138cd68b0d5e.jpg

2026-03-26 17:46:41 UTC

More time-lapse footage from the night of March 20, taken in the Goldstream Valley of Fairbanks, Alaska. Moon just hanging out in those high altitude reds on the left.
#alaska #aurora #auroraborealis #northernlights
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/296/685/472/129/946/original/9823e503bcf44fa2.mp4

2026-03-25 16:29:43 UTC

A sliver of crescent moon in the aurora, Friday night over the Goldstream Valley. The moon was only about 3% illuminated. Thin enough that it barely competed with the aurora, but it added something to the scene that's hard to describe. In longer exposures, you can see the full disk lit by earthshine; in shorter ones, only the bright crescent.
#alaska #aurora #moon #fairbanks #auroraborealis
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/290/658/179/875/185/original/ce895a2271ab3963.jpg
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2026-03-24 21:12:53 UTC

A small icefall on a mountain glacier flowing into the Loket Tributary of the Black Rapids Glacier, Eastern Alaska Range. The crevassing where the ice flows over the steeper terrain is visible at the center; ice fractures under tension when the bed topography forces it to accelerate.
More on the Black Rapids, one of Alaska's most studied surge glaciers: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-information/black-rapids-glacier/
#Alaska #glacier #alaskarange #mountains
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/286/192/415/867/514/original/f3086be21f2511e1.jpg

2026-03-23 17:51:51 UTC

No tripod. No ND filter. Barely a place to stand. A narrow glacier meltwater canyon near Worthington Glacier doesn't give you much to work with, so you work with what you have.
This week's Photo of the Week, plus a short reflection on constraints and what they can give you in return:
lwpetersen.substack.com/p/spray-cascade-at-the-worthington
Subscribe to follow Photo of the Week and more field notes from Alaska.
#alaska #landscape #waterfall #blackandwhite
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/279/729/148/056/700/original/e457d8435da2c7d8.jpg

2026-03-22 19:09:30 UTC

Two sea otters on a small iceberg in Columbia Bay, near the Columbia Glacier, Valdez, Alaska. One of my favorite wildlife images.
Available as a print or wall art. This one looks particularly good in acrylic or metal: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Portfolio-Images/i-zhr4bf3/buy
#alaska #seaotter #wildlife #valdez
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/274/373/835/499/175/original/843823c2f34d3539.jpg

2026-03-22 16:57:15 UTC

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Always loved looking at the Sydney Laurence paintings at the Museum of the North.

2026-03-21 17:18:01 UTC

Last night over the Goldstream Valley, Fairbanks. Not super bright, but one of the more colorful displays I've seen.
More recent photos: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Recent-Photos
#alaska #aurora #auroraborealis #northernlights #fairbanks
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/268/288/222/300/609/original/0633bfab2cbd8d9d.jpg

2026-03-21 15:53:56 UTC

Twenty minutes of aurora compressed to 17 seconds. Goldstream Valley, Fairbanks, March 20, 2026. Not a huge display, but a lot of color.
#alaska #auroraborealis #northernlights #timelapse
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/267/949/937/332/634/original/60db5f3a94245611.mp4

2026-03-21 08:27:42 UTC

A little color in the Golstream Valley sky tonight!
#alaska #auroraborealis #northernlights
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2026-03-20 16:30:44 UTC

Water molecules bond at a tetrahedral angle of 109.5 degrees. That angle, repeated at the molecular level, is why every snowflake has six-fold symmetry. The hexagonal lattice structure of ice propagates outward as the crystal grows, with each arm following a closely similar thermodynamic path (small differences due to temperature and pressure over small distances).
These landed on my car window in Fairbanks.
#snowflake #macro #alaska #winter #ice #crystals
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/262/314/436/604/906/original/168096740a9e07d3.jpg

2026-03-19 20:08:30 UTC

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Subscribe to Field Notes From The North on Substack if you want to follow along: https://lwpetersen.substack.com/

2026-03-19 20:08:07 UTC

Field notes and science essays from 16 years of paying close attention to Alaska. First video compilation is up, along with a short piece introducing what I'm trying to do with this work.
#alaska #glaciers #aurora #wildlife #naturephotography #alaskaphotography
https://youtu.be/ToJerzxWCmQ

2026-03-19 16:22:20 UTC

Juvenile bald eagles getting a little snappy in Valdez, Alaska. Solomon Gulch Hatchery in early July, when there's enough food for everyone, but that doesn't mean anyone's going to share.
#alaska #birding #wildlife #valdez
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2026-03-18 16:04:25 UTC

Late February on the UAF trails, Fairbanks. -35°F, completely still. The only sounds were my feet in the snow and the occasional raven. Their wings make a different sound in extreme cold, a kind of heavy whomp you don't hear any other time. Waxing gibbous moon, a few days from full.
#alaska #winter #fairbanks
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/250/927/662/509/365/original/380a16e2e7060e3f.jpg

2026-03-17 17:28:48 UTC

Took a detour on the way home from USAClimbing Regionals in Bend. I've spent years getting to know Smith Rock through climbing footage and magazine spreads. Standing in the canyon in person was something else. The cliffs are bigger than I'd imagined, and on a still afternoon, the Crooked River turns the whole thing upside down. Sorry for the lack of posts recently, it's been a whirlwind of a week!
#smithrock #oregon #hiking #landscape
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/245/677/413/146/284/original/82fb4a6a33534829.jpg

2026-03-13 16:17:28 UTC

Alpenglow on an unnamed glaciated peak in the Alaska Range, photographed from the Loket Tributary of the Black Rapids Glacier. April light in the range hits the summits long after the glacier surface has fallen into shadow.
#alaska #glacier #alpenglow #mountains
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/222/734/072/911/850/original/0b215b099970091f.jpg

2026-03-12 16:43:47 UTC

Self-portrait on Murphy Dome, outside Fairbanks, about ten years ago. The aurora was mostly quiet that night, with a few brighter moments. Good company made it worth the cold.
#alaska #auroraborealis #northernlights #fairbanks
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/217/139/285/189/257/original/c9391da66088a875.jpg

2026-03-11 17:01:33 UTC

Aurora corona developing overhead in the Goldstream Valley, Fairbanks, Alaska. A corona forms when the aurora is nearly directly overhead and the parallel curtains appear to converge toward a single point, a perspective effect, like looking up at tall buildings from the base. One of the more disorienting and beautiful things you can witness in an Alaska winter sky.
More of my aurora photos here: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis
#alaska #aurora #auroraborealis
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/211/603/965/745/524/original/83ce3d5312d72a9f.jpg

2026-03-10 15:50:04 UTC

Angel Rocks, just outside Fairbanks, Alaska. A short hike with some great views, even in the middle of winter. These granite tors rise about 400 feet above the Chena River valley. We had the place to ourselves on Sunday!
Info in my hiking guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-guide/angel-rocks/
#alaska #hiking #winter
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/205/545/885/116/568/original/ad45203646510bfe.jpg

2026-03-09 18:06:27 UTC

The sun sets over a snow-covered trail through the boreal forest.
Fairbanks, Alaska
#alaska #landscape #sunset
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2026-03-08 16:23:22 UTC

The Windchimes, enormous granite tors on the shoulder of Mt. Prindle, in the White Mountains northeast of Fairbanks. Tors like these form when subsurface granite weathers along natural fractures over millions of years, then the softer surrounding rock erodes away, leaving the resistant core standing.
My hiking guide to the area: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-guide/mt-prindle-via-nome-creek/
#alaska #hiking #mountains
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/194/449/189/373/372/original/120c958445af9658.jpg

2026-03-07 21:33:29 UTC

Couldn't focus this morning. Made bacon. Went through old photo folders. Wrote about it in Field notes from the north: https://lwpetersen.substack.com/p/a-rest-day-a-plate-of-bacon-and-photos
#photography #alaska
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/190/017/474/148/637/original/af79d0a415611c0c.jpg

2026-03-07 17:44:02 UTC

September light through fog on the UAF trail system, Fairbanks, Alaska. The light doesn't last long like this.
#alaska #fall #forest #fairbanks
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2026-03-06 16:10:32 UTC

Altocumulus make for great sunrises. Boreal forest in Fairbanks, Alaska, early winter.
#alaska #sunrise #forest #fairbanks
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2026-03-05 17:52:52 UTC

Aurora during a Kp7 (G3) geomagnetic storm over the Goldstream Valley, Fairbanks. This display lasted well over an hour at this intensity. The faint red at upper left is atomic oxygen emitting at 630nm, high altitude emission that's often invisible to the naked eye but shows up in long exposures. The crimson edges along the lower curtains are from molecular nitrogen, though a bit oversaturated from the exposure. Taken January 20, 2026.
#aurora #alaska #auroraborealis #northernlights
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/177/686/306/261/775/original/e508df4314157ec8.jpg

2026-03-04 17:46:16 UTC

Look closely. This snowflake isn't perfectly symmetrical. They almost never are. Each arm grows simultaneously under the same conditions, which drives them toward symmetry, but wind turbulence, tiny temperature or humidity variations across the width of a single crystal, and mid-air collisions all introduce variation.
Prints and wall art in my Macro Portfolio: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Macro/Macro-Portfolio/i-664DCb5/buy
#alaska #snow #macro #snowflake #ice
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/172/058/737/208/784/original/d7d01b119a8ae6a7.jpg

2026-03-03 22:15:56 UTC

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It's rated V7 (which would roughly correspond to 5.13a if you are more familiar to the Yosemite Decimal Rating System). It took my a couple of sessions projecting this route before I stuck the dyno, but sent the whole route as soon as I did. One of those routes that is difficult at first, but now that I have it dialed, it often falls at the end of my "warm-up" session.

2026-03-03 21:50:30 UTC

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Oh, believe me, I never act my age. If I see a twenty-year-old in a suit, I automatically assume they're 20 years older than me, and wonder if I'll ever wear a suit when I grow up.

2026-03-03 21:46:38 UTC

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Lol, thanks! I feel silly climbing these dynamic things. I'm such an old school static climber.

2026-03-03 20:59:52 UTC

Me at 45 years old trying to climb like my stupid competition team kids. I'm too old for this shit.
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/167/234/264/467/588/original/417bdafe68aaff35.mp4

2026-03-03 18:42:25 UTC

Killing in the name of...
https://jonathanlarsen.substack.com/p/us-troops-were-told-iran-war-is-for

2026-03-03 18:12:34 UTC

A cow moose grazing on willows in late August in Denali National Park.
In my Wildlife Gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildlife/i-qpVJ2Wd/A
#alaska #wildlife #moose #denali
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/166/552/209/342/142/original/b720a4e385c42873.jpg

2026-03-03 16:05:58 UTC

Since the Dow is under 50,000, can we talk about the Epstein files again?

2026-03-02 21:17:07 UTC

My latest photo of the week post: https://lwpetersen.substack.com/p/aurora-from-the-tors-trail
#alaska #auroraborealis #photography

2026-03-02 18:34:26 UTC

I managed to catch a little sunlight on the first day of March, though it was a bit chilly. We now have over 10 hours of daylight in Fairbanks, Alaska. Of course, it's -42°F this morning, but it is supposed to warm up a bit.
More of my recent photos here: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Recent-Photos
#alaska #winter #sunlight
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/160/983/417/378/368/original/03881af933ab396d.jpg

2026-03-01 22:41:52 UTC

Decided a -21°F and colder evening walk was exactly what I needed yesterday. Turned into two hours in the dark. Full post with photos on Substack: https://lwpetersen.substack.com/p/chilly-evening-walk
#alaska #winter #landscape
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2026-03-01 19:23:55 UTC

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Lol. Sarcasm, dude.

2026-03-01 19:23:36 UTC

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Oh my

2026-03-01 07:05:55 UTC

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It's a real Weekend at Bernie's vibe

2026-03-01 02:07:06 UTC

I, as an American, have never felt as secure as when I learned the President was starting a war from the blanket fort at his clubhouse.
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/151/464/294/347/586/original/5568a2d70455eb47.jpg

2026-02-28 18:21:49 UTC

Adult and juvenile bald eagle sparring over salmon at Solomon Gulch Hatchery, Valdez, Alaska. The brown mottled plumage on the juvenile is distinctive; they won't develop the white head and tail until about age 4 or 5.
Wildlife viewing at the hatchery: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-guide/solomon-gulch-hatchery/
#alaska #wildlife #eagle #valdez
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/149/600/231/877/581/original/aa0c96e2f0e5e575.jpg

2026-02-27 20:31:22 UTC

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What a difference 9 years makes...
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/144/479/854/224/015/original/f373c1c8516ddbf4.jpg
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2026-02-27 20:27:53 UTC

Here's an expanded post on my hike out to the Harding Icefield in late-August. We also walked out to the popular Exit Glacier overlook, where I got a good comparison of images from 2016.
https://www.lwpetersen.com/photo-blog/late-summer-part-2b-glaciers-and-ice-harding-icefield-and-exit-glaciers/
#alaska #hiking #glacier #climatechange

2026-02-27 19:03:58 UTC

Late April aurora over Angel Rocks, Fairbanks. By 1am there's already light on the northern horizon; that's why the sky is deep blue rather than black. One of the most brilliant displays I've seen. Two hours on the rocks after midnight.
Prints: https://bit.ly/4cTlZoh
#aurora #alaska #auroraborealis
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/144/123/654/613/612/original/ae4741d312295490.jpg

2026-02-26 20:40:49 UTC

The green is atomic oxygen fluorescing at altitudes of roughly 95–200km. The pink appears when the aurora descends below about 95km, exciting molecular nitrogen, a mix of red and blue emission that together read as pink.
This expanding ribbon over Fairbanks was just starting to show that low-altitude fringe. These displays don't usually last long.
Print available: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis/i-cFnHQTh/A
#aurora #alaska #auroraborealis
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/116/138/763/874/958/057/original/807769fd70175d98.jpg