Saturday, June 7, 2008

Alaska Sunday IX

Deadhorse

(Scroll down 1 post for Camera Critters Sunday)

I have been under the weather today, so the post will be brief. Here are just a few photos for your viewing pleasure. Your regular tour guides, Troy and Martha, will be back next week for a better episode.

For a previous post on Deadhorse and some interesting fact about the “town” see the previous story VII here.

Doug Taron should appreciate this, I finally got a butterfly in the net for a close look and ID. It was windy and they were hard to catch.


Troy Nets a Butterfly


Driving into Deadhorse, I couldn’t find the local car wash. One interesting fact about the 4Runner: The Navigation system quit working at about 70 degrees North. It lost sight of the satellites. My Magnetic compass worked OK after I reset it by 25 degrees. If you hike across the tundra or in the Arctic NWR, don't forget to reset your compass. I also had a hard time telling direction by the Sun, since it doesn't set.


The 4Runner needs a Bath

I cleaned off the dirt covering "Texas" on my plates.
Workers kept asking "You drive up here from Texas?"
The reply, "Yep, shore did pardner!"
They kept telling me good things to see,
such as the bear below.


I just realized, or I can’t find any photos of the inside of our accommodations. I am looking for a missing DVD! I may have to go back and re-photograph all of this. Martha says that would be OK, she misses Alaska.


Home for 4 Nights (days) – Whatever
The Sun, She don’t set.


One of the birds we wanted to see on their breeding grounds was the Snow Bunting.

He sang day and night
Yes, I went out and checked about 2:30 in the AM


I got Martha’s photograph in the Arctic Ocean. It was a balmy 60 degrees that day and the water temperature was up to 34 degrees (Fahrenheit that is).

Martha is coming out
Her feet and hand color match the shirt.


We saw a Brown bear cool off in the water, and then go dig a hole in the sand to find a cool place to sleep for a while. That's probably the Phillip Smith Mountains of the Brooks Range in the background.

A cool bed

Yes, that's as close as I got.
They can run faster than me on open ground.


Check the side bar for previous, and better, episodes and photographs. This adventure will continue next week, "through landslides and flash floods, back to Coldfoot".


Alaska Sunday is a collection of photographic remembrances of our driving trip from Texas to Alaska.
18,000 miles, 16 weeks, 16 western states including
Alaska and four Canadian Provinces
.
No chronological order, just anything of interest that got in front of our cameras.


Photos by Troy and Martha

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23 comments:

Duncan said...

Wouldn't I like to be there on the tundra with you Troy, just magnificent.

Max-e said...

This looks like a fantastic road trip and I imagine you have covered many miles. My wife and I love to get in the car and drive where the road takes us. We need lots of time though, because of the many stops for photos. the furtherest we have driven is about 2,700 kms to Kariba and many friends think we are totally mad for covering that distance 0 oh where is their sense of adventure

Aisha said...

Troy and Martha, you guys are amazing photographers! I just love your photographs.

Pappy said...

Looks like a great adventure Troy and Martha. I know you had fun. I'll bet Martha didn't linger long in that 34 degree water. :)

Michele said...

Beautiful photos... just seeing Martha in that water sends shivers up my spine!
Rocky Mountain Retreat

Daryl said...

I hope you are feeling better soon ..

:-Daryl

John B. said...

This series really makes me want to visit Alaska. I'm not sure I would go in the water, though.

Cicero Sings said...

Our vehicle looks like that most of the winter! When we are at "The Coast" (Vancouver area) we know a fellow northerner by the dirt on their car.

D was in a weather ship in the arctic years ago, but has traveled a lot, camping, on holidays, doing explores like you. Since we've been married, we've been too busy to go on explores ... D works in the summer ... the best travel time ... and the rest of the time we are trying to get our yard in shape and must needs travel to "the coast" to visit my Mom in the home.

Shelley said...

The vastness of the land and the tundra is just breathtaking in your photos. I keep bugging my husband that we should be the next "Troy & Martha" and head for an adventure soon in Alaska. Love, love your blog!
Shelley

cedrorum said...

Great post and great photos. This post brought back memories for me. My sister used to live in Wasilla and we would visit here there and use that as a homebase. Everyone should see Alaska once before they die, it is a magnificent other worldly place.

Keanan Brand said...

Awesome photos! (came over from Texican's blog) Makes me wish I had access tobetter equipment.

My little brother called the other day, and informed me he had purchased not one but two new cameras. I enthused with him, but I have to admit to a little jealousy.

Thanks for sharing all these amazing shots (I like the bugs).

Diederick Wijmans said...

Great photos you are showing us, Troy and Martha! I especialy like the very first one of the landscape and the sky. Beautiful colours.

abb said...

What an adventure - I hope someday to be able to follow in your footsteps.

Anonymous said...

How amazing this had to be visiting Alaska!

Stacey Olson said...

Great Post once again.. We had the same problem when we went to Alaska last summer.. hard to tell direction because the sun doesn't set.. Beautiful place, I would like to visit it again some time.. maybe somewhere new..

Sheena said...

YOU HAVE A VERY WONDERFUL SITE FULL OF BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS! :)

Anonymous said...

Brrr ... guess Martha got those feet real cold ...
And that car, wow ... poor lad really needs some water! :)
Great series.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Troy: Wonderful stories from your Alaska trip. That was one long drive. Thanks for sharing the wonder.

Anonymous said...

Incredible photos, as always. Feel better soon!

AphotoAday said...

Great post...
All very interesting...
Hope you finally got the 4Runner washed...

Anonymous said...

What a magnificent series of photos, of a truly beautiful area. The land looks vast and endless in the bear photo especially. Beautiful! What a great adventure this must have been for you!

Doug Taron said...

So what kind of butterfly was it? Sorry to be late getting to this. I had very limited Internet access in Colorado and I'm way behind on my blogging and blog reading.

Kathie Brown said...

Poor Martha! Did she do that just so you could photograph her! brrrrr....!

I'm finally getting caught up. Gus is working today. Sure like that little snow bunting. I saw a small flock of these when I lived in Maine!