Lee Petersen

Photographer writing Alaska hiking, travel, wildflower guides and other junk. Living in Fairbanks, Alaska. Lots of stuff here: http://lwpetersen.com/links

WEBSITE ARTICLES AND GUIDES: https://www.lwpetersen.com/
PHOTOGRAPHY: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/
SUBSTACK: https://lwpetersen.substack.com/
OLD MASTODON ACCOUNT: https://mastodon.social/@leepetersen

Public Key

npub1342pxmjfus57xhscrx2gukpfvp4tp98huagm3ewd60skxzwpmsxqadnnjq

NIP-05 Address

leepetersen_at_alaskan.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsg64qndey7g20rtcvpn9ywtq5kq64sjnm7w5dcuhxa8ctrp8qacrqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds8mc2gk

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relay.damus.io

nos.lol

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Author Public Key

npub1342pxmjfus57xhscrx2gukpfvp4tp98huagm3ewd60skxzwpmsxqadnnjq

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Last Notes

2025-08-14 19:18:01 UTC

When I first moved to Fairbanks 15 years ago, I lived in a dry cabin with no running water. One morning, I stepped outside to find a bison in my outhouse. It was… a weird day. (We don't have wild bison in this part of Alaska, it had gotten loose from someone's yard).
#alaska #bison #onlyinalaska
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/115/028/715/351/689/388/original/525aa8b442a624d1.jpg

2024-08-30 17:16:09 UTC

Prickly saxifrage (Saxifraga tricuspidata) on Murphy Dome in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Info in my wildflower guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-wildflowers/prickly-saxifrage-saxifraga-tricuspidata/
Prints or wall art in my Wildflowers as Art gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildflowers-as-Art
#wildflowers #Alaska #BloomScrolling
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/113/052/081/876/251/335/original/3ffe6cbc20b591b1.jpg

2024-08-27 16:12:51 UTC

Caribou in the tundra near Stony Hill in Denali National Park in early September when the tundra had turned yellow and red.
More of my wildlife photos here: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Wildlife
#Alaska #fallfoliage #wildlife
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/113/034/853/016/947/019/original/8ef447ad779ce5ff.jpg

2024-07-08 20:52:40 UTC

Atmospheric Optics Photo #6: Paraselene. This was a cool night to watch the aurora since there were also plenty of ice crystals in the air to create the atmospheric optical effects of the moon dog (paraselene) and 22-degree halo. There's a bit of a partial paraselenic circle as well (moon equivalent of a parhelic circle).
#atmosphericoptics #Alaska #auroraborealis
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/112/752/837/915/161/387/original/8acf48d3365ef81e.jpg

2024-07-08 15:10:50 UTC

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Thanks!

2024-07-08 15:04:03 UTC

Atmospheric Optics Photo #5: Parhelion. A bright parhelion (plural parhelia) is sometimes called a mock sun or sun dog. It's another atmospheric optic effect from the refraction of ice crystals appearing on one or both sides of the Sun at or near the 22° halo.
#atmosphericoptics #parhelion #Alaska
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/112/751/461/188/051/631/original/b8fda83a3885fdbd.jpg

2024-07-08 02:27:52 UTC

Sparrow's-egg lady's slipper (Cypripedium passerinum) - the latest addition to my Alaska Wildflower Guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-wildflowers/cypripedium-passerinum-sparrows-egg-ladys-slipper/
#bloomscrolling #alaska #wildflowers
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/112/748/501/921/329/831/original/09e0d25aef8e1b83.jpg

2024-07-07 21:35:43 UTC

Atmospheric Optics Photo #3: Light Pillars. Light pillars form when the light from artificial light sources reflects off plate-like ice crystals in the air between the light source and the observer.
More info and photos on my website here: https://www.lwpetersen.com/atmospheric-optics/light-pillars/
#atmosphericoptics #lightpillars #alaska
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/112/747/336/103/513/054/original/3a41dd372e4850ae.jpg

2024-07-07 17:39:04 UTC

I'm sharing some atmospheric optics photos today. This first one is known as fata morgana, or a superior mirage. This occurs when light rays bend as they pass through layers of air at different densities, causing the resulting object image to be stretched out or inverted over the horizon (often in many layers). This photo is of the Delta Mountains from Fairbanks, Alaska. Nearly 130 miles away, this part of the Alaska Range is normally barely visible from town.
#atmosphericoptics #Alaska #nature
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/112/746/411/708/593/957/original/97c0f11fba488427.jpg

2024-07-07 01:34:59 UTC

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Haha, I guess!

2024-07-06 20:27:49 UTC

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One deep channel that we, unfortunately, couldn't step across. A bit over the knee and fast!

2024-07-06 20:20:58 UTC

Here are a few photos from yesterday's very rainy hike on the Gulkana Glacier, when everything disappeared into a whiteout. It was very type-2 fun. Check out my blog post for more photos and story (link below)!
https://www.lwpetersen.com/photo-blog/rainy-day-on-the-gulkana-glacier/
#Alaska #hikingadventures #hiking #glacier
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2024-07-05 17:36:10 UTC

Early summer things - Fairbanks, Alaska. Pretty scenes. Pretty flowers. Less pretty wildfire smoke.
https://www.lwpetersen.com/photo-blog/early-summer-summary-2024/
#Alaska #summer #blog #wildflowers

2024-07-05 16:03:51 UTC

One of my favorite aurora shots. A striking pink edge swept across the sky like drawing a curtain of vivid green light filling the night. Taken on February 1, 2015, in Fairbanks, Alaska. It's hard for me to believe this was almost 10 years ago!
More in my aurora gallery: https://photos.lwpetersen.com/Galleries/Alaska-Photos/Aurora-Borealis
#auroraborealis #Alaska #northernlights #nightsky
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/112/734/707/574/992/671/original/906c2650b4419007.jpg

2024-07-04 20:59:08 UTC

Rocky Mountain pond-lily (Nuphar polysepala) is an aquatic, yellow-flowering species in western North America, including Alaska.
This is the latest addition to my Alaska Wildflower Guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-wildflowers/nuphar-polysepala-rocky-mountain-pond-lily/
I had a goal of publishing three wildflower articles yesterday. Instead, this one took over 8 hours, and I have just finished it now. 😅
#bloomscrolling #wildflowers #Alaska
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/112/730/194/339/966/062/original/c53df60ddd24f233.jpg

2024-07-03 15:24:47 UTC

An unnamed snow-covered peak with small glaciers and icefalls flows down into the Loket Tributary, a large glacial tributary that feeds into the Black Rapids Glacier in the Eastern Alaska Range.
Area info: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-information/black-rapids-glacier/
#Alaska #mountains #Glacier
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/112/723/234/490/887/159/original/54ca227f84a453fb.jpg

2024-07-03 15:24:47 UTC

2024-07-02 22:13:30 UTC

I've officially moved my newsletter subscription from Substack to my homepage to centralize everything. Wildflowers, hiking, photography, science, whatever. You can now subscribe directly at:
https://www.lwpetersen.com/subscribe/
Thanks for your support!
#Newsletter
#Photography
#Science
#Alaska
#Wildflowers

2024-07-02 19:31:11 UTC

The tiny yellow trumpets with silvery outside of Elaeagnus commutata, commonly known as silverberry or wolf-willow. This plant has numerous traditional and modern uses, including being used as a nitrogen fixer for soil.
This is the latest addition to my Alaska Wildflower Guide: https://www.lwpetersen.com/alaska-wildflowers/elaeagnus-commutata-silverberry/
#Bloomscrolling #Alaska #wildflowers
https://alaskansocial.files.fedi.monster/media_attachments/files/112/718/528/815/164/186/original/2513d3681b08807a.jpg

2024-07-02 17:07:53 UTC

Happy Tut . . .
#dog #Alaska
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2024-05-16 23:06:35 UTC

My latest blogpost on our weekend climbing trip, and other climbing things that have been taking up a lot of my time this spring (mostly in a good way): https://www.lwpetersen.com/photo-blog/spring-bouldering-and-other-climbing-stuff/
#Alaska #climbing #bouldering