Haines, Alaska
Apr 30 - May 5, 2012
* Maximum 11 Participants * Register Early *
Instructors:
Joe Ordonez and
Oliver Klink
Join our small group (maximum 11 participants) and two instructors for a photographic trip to Haines, Alaska. In early May, spring arrives in Haines, and everything seems to happen at once. This is a life time experience to experience the rebirth of nature after a harsh winter. For photographers, this is a great time to be in Haines. The biggest challenge is how to focus, there is so much to grab one’s attention.
Spring is a time of intense energy in the Chilkat Valley. The sun shines brightly, and each day is five minutes longer than the previous one, as if in a hurry to catch up from the short days of winter. The air is filled with the sweet scent of the freshly opened leaves of the cottonwood trees. There is plenty of snow still on the mountain peaks, but each day the color of the valley is turning from a dull brown to a bright green. In one week’s time, you can easily see and feel the distinct transformation.
It is really the arrival of the fish that mark the spring migration. The herring, smelt and king salmon all arrive around the first week of May. The runs are not counted in the hundreds, or thousands of fish, but in the millions. In their wake, the Stellar Sea Lions follow, porpoising in the water, their giant heads bellowing out loud roars from their haul-outs. Humpback whales feast on the fish, and orca come sporadically and unpredictably to feast on harbor seals and sea lions. Bald eagles perch on the cottonwood trees along the river, and a variety of gulls gather on the river flats by the thousands, their incessant and strident cries echoing through the valley. The local Tlingit Natives are there, as well, hauling the smelt out of the river with their dipnets, as they have done for centuries.
On land, when the wind shifts from the north to the south, each day brings a new type of shorebird or duck. Golden plovers, killdeer, whimbrels, godwits, along with thousands of small Western and least sandpipers scurry along the mudflats. Something startles them, and they simultaneously take off and turn in flight, acting as if they were one organism. The sunlight hits them just right, and they blink on and off as they turn before landing again. Snow geese, pintails, widgeons, white-fronted geese, and other birds line the riverbanks. Trumpeter swans begin courting, their necks rising and falling in rhythm. Northern harriers course along the shorelines and meadows, looking and listening for voles and other small mammals.
This is the time of year when the larger mammals have their young, and the bear emerge from their winter hibernation. Mountain goats are found at lower elevations, awaiting the snowmelt and fresh green grass to grow in the upper reaches of the mountains.
A new type of wildflower blooms every few days, depending on the location, amount of snow from the previous winter, and the temperature. Other plants, like the fireweed and twisted stalk, are just emerging. This time of year they are not only edible but delicious.
The local folks are in an especially friendly mood. Fresh fish is on the table, the days are long, and there is energy in the air. The cruise ship tourists haven’t arrived yet, and everyone seems to have time to stop and chat. Campfires appear on the beach, and the gardeners are out weeding and planting until late in the evening.
We’ll photograph at many places and we’ll leverage our local knowledge to show you the best there is to photograph in Haines. Among places on our list to visit are Sea Lion Rock, Chilkat river and Chilkoot lake, Chilkat summit, White Pass and historic Skagway, dozens of alpine lakes, Lynn Canal, and much more …
This is a spring trip you don’t want to miss. This workshop is a combination of wildlife (no guarantees to see all the species mentioned), landscape and macro.
See you in Haines on April 30.
- Meals
- Travel Insurance
- Transportation to Haines
