June 21, 2003
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Fading Sunset
I’m a bit late posting these. They were taken last Tuesday night around midnight, four days before the Solstice.
What my eyes saw here was much redder, more intense color on the horizon. Shooting into a light source always tends to wash out the color, but I like the busy sky in this shot I got on the highway, just as soon as I was far enough out of town and on a high enough hill to get a good horizon shot. The sun was already down; that’s just sky glow above, showing through thin clouds.
I broke the speed limit in the attempt to get to Kashwitna Lake before all the color was gone. I just barely made it, and watched the color fade from the sky as I picked my way down to the shore, leaping from high spot to hummock to avoid the mud. It has been raining and many feet had been churning up the soggy ground. That’s a cloud-decapitated mountain visible reflected in the lake.
The sky faded to a rosy glow and then to gray. I could hear frogs, ducks, loons and trumpeter swans, but saw no living thing besides mosquitoes and tourists. The parking lot is behind my POV here, and it was so full of RVs when I pulled in that I drove an obstacle course between them to get in and out. Don’t you just love my ability to ignore what I don’t want to see and record?
After the color was gone from the northern sky, I turned the camera toward the south end of the lake, where the swan sounds were coming from, hoping to catch trumpeters on the wing, but I think they were just making their version of pillow talk before settling down for those brief few moments of twilight that are as close as it gets to night here this time of year.
And this is it, as dark as it gets. I got back on the road for the last someteen miles home and by the time I got here it was already getting lighter.
It is gray, blustery and rainy here today, and I have no plans to go anywhere. I may even skip the usual Solstice Sunset walkabout, since I slept only about two hours last night… unless of course I go down for a nap soon and have lots of wakeful energy later on.
So much to do…
…so much to do.
So little motivation to do it.
Comments (10)
Nice pics… wish I was there. My sister and I are doing an Alaskan cruise at the end of August. I’d have preferred to do this earlier, but she’s in Houston, and wanted to escape the August heat!
Yeah, I’ve got to see it someday, too.
Really beautiful, SuSu…
I just can’t wrap my mind around not having and real darkness. It’s really amazing to me, for some dopey reason.
That last picture for some reason seems to pull me in. It is almost familiar.
I always love the pictures, thanks for sharing them.
Hi,
Thank you for your effort and patience in getting all of this beautiful shots. They are awesome. Thanks for sharing them with me.
Rich
What gorgeous pictures and description of the surrounding nature you’ve described here for us, Susu. You certainly do reside if some fascinating Alaskan surroundings. I enjoy getting back to nature like this, to escape the mad hustle and bustle of the big city….the pictures you paint here with the visions and sounds are so serene and peaceful. I love it: thanks so much!!
Enjoy your Sunday!!
You really do live in a most beautiful part of the world.
Wow… it’s incredible to see that light at midnight; as someone above said, it’s hard to imagine what it must be like when you haven’t been there. You’ve inspired me to take some photos of the sunsets when we go on holiday…
These are just awesome – I love looking at all you put in here. Great picture taking Susu.