June 26, 2017

Photos from Alaska

I'm going to blame my lack of posting lately on the cumbersome nature of my blogging software and the dreadfully slow internet connection on the boat.

Excuses made.

What follows is a semi-random selection of my favorite photos from my most recent six week rotation on board. Most of them seem to be of Glacier Bay National Park. All I can say is that Glacier Bay is one of my favorite places, and also very photogenic.

A mountain goat and her very new kid.  Gloomy Knob, Glacier Bay National Park. — A mountain goat and her very new kid. Gloomy Knob, Glacier Bay National Park.

We were briefly interesting to a very blond coastal brown bear.  Glacier Bay National Park — We were briefly interesting to a very blond coastal brown bear. Glacier Bay National Park

Grand Pacific Glacier - receding. Glacier Bay National Park

Inspiration for an Icelandic yoke pattern... Glacier Bay National Park

Or maybe a yoke based on this?  Tahkatz (?) — Or maybe a yoke based on this? Tahkatz (?)

Inspiration for a fabric pattern... Innian Islands

I just like this photo.  Glacier Bay National Park — I just like this photo. Glacier Bay National Park

Humpback whale having a leisurely evening snack.  Endicott Arm (I think) — Humpback whale having a leisurely evening snack. Endicott Arm (I think)

Followers of my Instagram feed know that I became slightly obsessed by photographing icebergs. Endicott Arm

Johns Hopkins Glacier.  During the spring harbor seals give birth on icebergs at the base of the glacier.  Harbor seals are very shy, and if the pup is too young when the mother startles into the water they may not be able to re-find each … — Johns Hopkins Glacier. During the spring harbor seals give birth on icebergs at the base of the glacier. Harbor seals are very shy, and if the pup is too young when the mother startles into the water they may not be able to re-find each other. This is as close as we get to the glacier when the harbor seals are pupping. (The scale of the place is impossible to show, but we are very far away from the face of the glacier). Glacier Bay National Park

Margerie Glacier Calving,Glacier Bay National Park — Margerie Glacier Calving,
Glacier Bay National Park

One of the buoys heading into Petersburg.  An important navigational aid, but also a much fought over napping spot for sea lions. — One of the buoys heading into Petersburg. An important navigational aid, but also a much fought over napping spot for sea lions.

Generally I am uninterested in photographing people (and also too shy about it) but I loved the yellow kayaks against the craggy islands. Innains

This photo was actually taken by @ianjstrachan (on Instagram).  One of the hazards of working with so many photographers is that you never know when someone will be struck by the light or the color of something against something else, and they … — This photo was actually taken by @ianjstrachan (on Instagram). One of the hazards of working with so many photographers is that you never know when someone will be struck by the light or the color of something against something else, and they always have their cameras.

September 24, 2015

Sitka to Seattle

by Sarah Lake Upton in boats

Another summer is over and like many creatures the Sea Lion has begun her long migration south for the winter. I met the boat a little over two weeks ago in Sitka and over the course of a two week trip with guests we worked our way down to Seattle. The weather was generally proper Alaska late summer, which is to say cold and always somewhere between fog and rain.

Going though my photos just now I am amazed by how many of them I took (or rather, “made” according to the current lingo of our photo instructors, nothing has been “taken” when one “makes” a photo - I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that usage) though I do remember feeling like every time I poked my head up on deck I was struck by the need to photograph something. I am still relying on our ship’s slow and expensive internet system, so I can only post a few at the moment, but here are some of my favorites.

Steller Sea Lions

And bubble netting humpback whales (working very close to shore)

But even more than the wildlife, I found myself drawn to the colors:

Icebergs calved from Dawes Glacier

And what I came to think of as “tree portraits”.

And finally I got to take myself for a morning walk in Alert Bay, and fell in love with the green of the waterfront.

August 3, 2015

I am home.

by Sarah Lake Upton in boats

By which I now mean “I am in Worcester”. We are still opening boxes and debating where to put various pieces of furniture, and we have another load to bring down from our storage unit in Portland, but; Sam baked bread this afternoon and our dishes are in the cupboard, so we are more moved in than not.

I have many yarn-ish thoughts, and have much yarn news to share, but before I get completely sidetracked by thoughts of knitting and dyeing I wanted to share a few photos from my last week in Alaska.

Buoy coming into Petersburg Alaska, a favorite place for napping.

Mamma brown bear and three cubs, Glacier Bay, Alaska. July 2015

The face of Johns Hopkins glacier, Glacier Bay, Alaska. (The blobs on the icebergs are seals) — The face of Johns Hopkins glacier, Glacier Bay, Alaska. (The blobs on the icebergs are seals)

Glacier Bay was Friday. On Saturday I got to go diving again, and amongst many other wondrous things I finally got to see a Giant Pacific Octopus in her den. I suspect that she was much less excited to see us.