Hidden Bay, Alaska (image heavy)

[NorthernFocus]

As one can gather from many past posts, we spend a good bit of time during summer boating on Prince William Sound. In addition to providing access to marine wildlife and a fishing platform, the boat a good means of transportation to get out into the bush. One of our favorite places to go hiking is in a location called Hidden Bay. So named (presumably) because access is via a narrow entrance that it tucked away behind a group of rocky islets. Once inside it forms a nice bay surrounded by glacially scoured granite hills which rise to about 1500ft(450m).

The area is purely wild with no established trails etc. When the ice age glaciers receded they left bare granite behind. It is so flat/smooth in places that it appears like concrete. After 10,000 years there is but a thin layer of moss covering much of the area and still a lot of exposed rock. Though steep, it makes for excellent trekking up above trees with open vistas all around. One has to be watchful of clouds/fog setting which can cause one to get disoriented and make getting back down troublesome. Particularly because it's also broken by canyons and crevices, many containing streams or ponds and most of which are impassible. So one can't simply walk in a straight line from point A to point B

This set of images which are reasonably representative of the area were shot in 2011 with a D7000 and 16-85mm DX lens. They were lying around un-processed so I worked them up real quick and here they are. As always I recommend viewing the images in the light box.

1) This little fall is the bottom of a creek that supports a run of salmon. We anchor in this wonderful spot which we can only enjoy due to the small size of our boat. Believe it or not, the salmon make it up the fall and continue up a steep falling stream to a couple of lakes in the hills above. For their efforts when they arrive they will spawn and die. The same story plays itself out every summer in hundreds of similar creeks around the sound.


2) This image is three hand held frames stitched together. It was shot from 100ft(30m) or so above the surface of the bay as we climbed up the steep hillside.


3) Looking down at our boat from about the same elevation as the previous shot. The falls are just outside the right of frame.


4) This is another image stitched from three frames. Shot from 300ft(100m) or so above the bay.


5) This is a shot(also stitched) of the first lake that feeds the stream. In the distance you can see another fall that's coming down from another much larger lake above. The larger lake is the main spawning area.


6) Where there's not moss, there's lichen. Here is a bit of both.


7) One of the best aspects of our hikes is the opportunity for nutritional benefit.


8)


9) This is one of my favorite plants, Canadian(aka dwarf) Dogwood. The leaves, flowers, and berries look exactly like those of the dogwood tree, but this is an annual plant that grows as ground cover often in large patches. The natives call it bunch berry.


10) This is Alaska cotton. It grows in boggy areas. The ground here is solid granite so anywhere there is a depression turns into a bog/pond because the water can't drain into the soil.


11)

[rpcrowe]

Absolutely beautiful! I would love to travel there to photograph and fish!

[Rebel]

Awesome images Dan! I love #2, #4 and #5!

[bnnrcn]

Great, great, great images !

[Mike Buckley]

Wonderful series and narrative! How in the world can you take such enjoyable photos and then wait four years to post-process them?

[IzzieK]

Wonderful series and narrative! How in the world can you take such enjoyable photos and then wait four years to post-process them?

He has to stay inside his house 6 months of the year....

[IzzieK]

Dear Dan...you should write a travelogue book of Alaska. Your pictures are amazingly informative and almost step by step in going to places over there. 'Always look forward to your travel shots...

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[deetheturk]

Wonderful series Dan, what a beautiful part of the world you live in!

[GBO25]

Absolutely beautiful. I especially like that waterfall. A genuine thanks for showing us.

[John 2]

I do envy you Dan. Being amongst all that natural beauty is almost secondary to taking photographs (almost). A beautiful record of a beautiful part of the world.

[Barbara Ponder]

I agree with Izzie! These could be a book or brochure for Alaska travel. AMAZING photos of an beautiful state. And to think you left the beauty of Houston with all it's elegant chemical plants for that!!!!

[KimC]

What a beautiful series of images!

[NorthernFocus]

Glad you all enjoyed the post. I do like sharing our view of Alaska with others. Maybe I should try for a job in the Bureau of Tourism

I'm on the road yet again. But this time on holiday with my bride. We flew to Seattle this morning and then tomorrow night leave here headed for Spain. And hopefully sunshine... warm sunshine

[Barbara Ponder]

Glad you all enjoyed the post. I do like sharing our view of Alaska with others. Maybe I should try for a job in the Bureau of Tourism

I'm on the road yet again. But this time on holiday with my bride. We flew to Seattle this morning and then tomorrow night leave here headed for Spain. And hopefully sunshine... warm sunshine

Have a WONDERFUL time!!!

[purplehaze]

I thoroughly enjoyed this thread, Dan, especially the panos; thanks for sharing.