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posted: June 1st, 2023 |
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This page begins with May 3rd looking out of our West window and watching the snow disappear - this series fills the first three rows this month. Then Row 4 begins with a May 12th trip up the Elliott Highway in search of the first flowers of the season - Pasque Flowers (Pulsatilla patens). The adventure after that was a trip up to the higher mountains - Twelvemile and Eagle Summits - and was also a flower hunting trip, specifically for the Alaska Blue Anemone (Anemone multiceps). This page ends at the end of the day on May 24th. By the way, we found both species that we were in search of. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin May 3 - 16 at Home |
In this row you see photos taken from the same spot on May 3, May 6, and May 9 as the snow rapidly disappears.
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 May3_2023_ FromWestWindowRC |
 May06_1_ WestYardRC |
 May09_1_ WestYardRC |
In this row are three additional photos, all taken from the same spot on May 9, May 10, and May 11.
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 May09_2_ SouthFromPorchRC |
 May10_1_Looking SouthFromPorchRC |
 May11_1_Looking SouthFromPorchRC |
The disappearing snow series continues in this row with photos taken on May 12, May 13, and May 16. Note that on May 16 you can see small green leaves in the trees.
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 May12_1_Looking SouthFromPorchRC |
 May13_1_Looking SouthFromPorchRC |
 May16_3_Looking SouthFromPorchRC |
| End May 3 - 16 at Home, Begin May 12 |
Now we are on an adventure up the Elliott Highway. The first shot of a moose was taken as we drove up the highway. The remaining two shots show our first amazing spring flower - the Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens).
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 May12th_036_ ElliottHWY_MooseRC |
 May12_003_ElliottHwy Mile57_PasqueFlowersRC |
 May12_004_ElliottHwy Mile57_PasqueFlowersRC |
Here are three more shots of Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens). These flowers are so amazing to see after eight months of winter finally releases its grip on the world around us.
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 May12_005_ElliottHwy Mile57_PasqueFlowersRC |
 May12_007_ElliottHwy Mile57_PasqueFlowersRC |
 May12_013_ElliottHwy Mile57_PasqueFlowersRC |
Here are two additional shots of Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens) and a scenery shot at 57 mile on the Elliott Highway.
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 May12th_081_ElliottHWY _PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May12th_090_ElliottHWY _PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May12_034_Elliott HwyMile57_SceneryRC |
These three photos all show more Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens), and the center one also shows Daniel. Note the fly in the upper left corner of the third shot.
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 May12_040_ElliottHwy Mile57_PasqueFlowersRC |
 May12th_105_ElliottHWY _PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May12th_118_ElliottHWY _PulsatillaPatensRC |
Notice how steep this bluff is - the Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens) always seems to grow on these steep south facing bluffs where it's a challenge just to stand upright.
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 May12_049_ElliottHwy Mile57_PasqueFlowers_KazuyaRC |
 May12th_178_ElliottHWY _PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May12_071_ElliottHwy Mile57_PasqueFlowers_KazuyaRC |
Now we have finished at 57 mile and we are headed back towards Fairbanks. This was a stop at the Tatalina River bridge to see how much ice remained. The water is high and there is a considerable amount of ice remaining in these photos.
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 May12_083_Elliott Highway_TatalinaRiverRC |
 May12_084_Elliott Highway_TatalinaRiverRC |
Now we are at 39 mile - this is where the Upper Grapefruit Rocks Trailhead takes off. Enjoy these final photos of Pasque Flowers (Pulsatilla patens) - there will be no more until next May.
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 May12_092_ElliottHighway_ PasqueFlowersMile39RC |
 May12_102_ElliottHighway_ PasqueFlowersMile39_KazuyaRC |
 May12_106_ElliottHighway_ PasqueFlowersMile39RC |
Now we are at Whitefish Campground, at about 10 mile or so on the Elliott Highway. Notice how high the water was at some point.
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 May12_109_WhitefishCamp ground_ChatanikaRiver_ICERC |
 May12_113_WhitefishCamp ground_ChatanikaRiver_ICERC |
| End May 12, Begin May 24 |
Now let's take a trip to the mountains at Twelvemile and Eagle Summits. In Rows 12 - 15 we are at Twelvemile Summit and in search of the Alaska Blue Anemone (Anemone multiceps). The first shot here shows a smiling Kazuya, the second shot shows Mt. McManus, and the third shot shows a beautiful early Woolly Lousewort (Pedicularis lanata).
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 May24_007_Kazuya _12MileAreaRC |
 May24_009_MtMcManus _12MileRC |
 May24_010_PedicularisLanata _WoollyLousewort_12MileRC |
Here is a shot of Daniel shooting a Woolly Lousewort (Pedicularis lanata), then an actual shot of a Woolly Lousewort (Pedicularis lanata) with last year's flower stalks still standing. The third shot shows an Alpine Bearberry (Arctous alpina).
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 May24th_008_TwelvemileSummit _PedicularisLanataRC |
 May24_018_PedicularisLanata _WoollyLousewort_12MileRC |
 May24th_013_TwelvemileSummit _ArctousAlpinaRC |
Well, it appears that this wolf was eating some caribou hair to be able to make this pile of scat. The center shot shows a tiny Polar Willow (Salix polaris) and the third shot is the first one of the Alaska Blue Anemone (Anemone multiceps) - we found it.
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 May24_020_WolfScat_ 12MileSummitAreaRC |
 May24th_024_Twelvemile Summit_SalixPolarisRC |
 May24_028_AnemoneMulticeps_AK BlueAnemone_12MileAreaRC |
Here are two additional shots of the Alaska Blue Anemone (Anemone multiceps) - the second one shows only the vegetation. The third photo is another of the tiny Polar Willow (Salix polaris).
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 May24th_051_TwelvemileSummit _AnemoneMulticepsRC |
 May24th_061_TwelvemileSummit _AnemoneMulticepsRC |
 May24_040_Salix Sp_WillowRC |
Now we have left the Twelvemile Summit area and are headed to higher terrain. These two shots of Willow Creek show that there was an overflow problem here during the winter. You can't truly tell in these photos, but that ice is in the range of 5 - 6 feet in thickness.
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 May24_047_OverflowIce _WillowCreek_12Mile_EagleRC |
 May24_048_OverflowIce _WillowCreek_12Mile_EagleRC |
Now we are at the Blue Anemone place near Eagle Summit. The weather is still 100% cloudy, so we're showing only a couple more shots, plus one scenery shot.
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 May24th_092_EagleSummit _AnemoneMulticepsRC |
 May24th_113_EagleSummit _AnemoneMulticepsRC |
 May24_076_BlueAnemone Place_SceneryRC |
Now we are at the Eagle Summit Wayside and have our topper all prepared for the night. Kazuya looked out the topper window and noticed this fox checking us out. We took a walk around and found this CrowBerry (Empetrum nigrum) that was still loaded with fruit. The third shot is a scenic shot.
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 May24th_143_Eagle Summit_FoxRC |
 May24_078_CrowBerry _EmpetrumNigrumRC |
 May24_083_Eagle SummitSceneryRC |
We are still walking around and this shot shows the remaining snow on one hillside where we love to search for flowers. The final two shots show examples of the Snow Buttercup (Ranunculus nivalis), another very early blooming plant.
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 May24_1_Eagle Summit_Scenery_SnowRC |
 May24th_189_EagleSummit _RanunculusNivalisRC |
 May24th_195_EagleSummit _RanunculusNivalisRC |
Here is an additional shot of the Snow Buttercup (Ranunculus nivalis) and also a shot of an unknown cocoon that was actually attached to this rock.
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 May24_090_SnowButtercup_Ranunculus Nivalis_EagleSummitRC |
 May24_094_UnknownCocoon StuckToRock_EagleEummitRC |
| End May 24, End Page 1 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of this month's adventures. |
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