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This is Page 1 of 4 - the best of September 2016!
posted: September 30th, 2016
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This page actually begins with 8 photos of the Aurora Borealis at around 11:20 PM on August 31st. Then we jump to September 2nd at around 2:20 AM with more Aurora photos. Then we jump to around 11:20 PM on that same date (September 2nd) with more Aurora photos. After that we go to just 4 photos taken on September 3rd and then 3 photos taken on September 4th. The remainder of the page shows only photos taken on September 8th as we travelled to Eagle Summit, on the Steese Highway, and arrived there. September 8th also continues on Page 2.  Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin August 31st
  On August 31st Kazuya stepped outdoors and witnessed the most amazing display of Aurora that he has seen to date. He hollered at me to come out, but by the time I got my camera ready and my shoes on and actually got outdoors, the best part of it had finished. If I remember correctly, there is a name for this type of display, but I cannot recall it. All photos in this row were taken with a handheld camera, so you can detect motion in the shots in which you can see stars or trees. These were all taken from 20 meters in front of our house.
Aug31st_001_AuroraRC
Aug31st_001
_AuroraRC
Aug31st_002_AuroraRC
Aug31st_002
_AuroraRC
Aug31st_003_AuroraRC
Aug31st_003
_AuroraRC

  In this row the final two shots were taken by me with my camera on a tripod, but the best of the display had already finished.
Aug31st_004_AuroraRC
Aug31st_004
_AuroraRC
Aug31_4_AuroraRC
Aug31_4
_AuroraRC
Aug31_5_AuroraRC
Aug31_5
_AuroraRC

  Here are the final two shots from this date. Of course, we actually took 30 or 40 shots, these are just the best ones. Kazuya is not sure which way the first shot in this row should be oriented, it might be correct, or maybe it should be rotated 90° to the left or right. In Photoshop, when you increase the exposure enough, you can see tree branches on all sides of the photo, so it was taken while looking pretty much straight up.
Aug31st_006_AuroraRC
Aug31st_006
_AuroraRC
Aug31_6_AuroraRC
Aug31_6
_AuroraRC

End August 31st, Begin September 2nd
  Now it's September 2nd and we are being treated to another amazing display of the Aurora Borealis on this date. It was pretty amazing for at least a portion of every night this week. These shots were also taken from about 20 - 30 meters in front of our house and in the first and third shots you can actually see some light from our front window in the lower left portion of each photo.
Sept2_1_AuroraRC
Sept2_1
_AuroraRC
Sept2nd_001_AuroraRC
Sept2nd_001
_AuroraRC
Sept2_2_AuroraRC
Sept2_2
_AuroraRC

  In the first shot in this row you can again see our front window.
Sept2_3_AuroraRC
Sept2_3
_AuroraRC
Sept2nd_003_AuroraRC
Sept2nd_003
_AuroraRC
Sept2_4_AuroraRC
Sept2_4
_AuroraRC

  Here are three more Aurora shots.
Sept2_5_AuroraRC
Sept2_5
_AuroraRC
Sept2_6_AuroraRC
Sept2_6
_AuroraRC
Sep2_13_AuroraRC
Sep2_13
_AuroraRC

  In the third shot in this row you should note that in the upper left corner there is a meteor or comet or something.
Sep2_16_AuroraRC
Sep2_16
_AuroraRC
Sept2_7_AuroraRC
Sept2_7
_AuroraRC
Sept2nd_024_AuroraRC
Sept2nd_024
_AuroraRC

  These three shots were taken from 200 meters or so up the road from our house.
Sep2_17_AuroraRC
Sep2_17
_AuroraRC
Sep2_20_AuroraRC
Sep2_20
_AuroraRC
Sep2_21_AuroraRC
Sep2_21
_AuroraRC

  Here are three more shots which were taken from 200 meters or so up the road from our house.
Sep2_26_AuroraRC
Sep2_26
_AuroraRC
Sep2_27_AuroraRC
Sep2_27
_AuroraRC
Sep2_28_AuroraRC
Sep2_28
_AuroraRC

  And here are the final three more shots from this date, taken from 200 meters or so up the road from our house.
Sep2_31_AuroraRC
Sep2_31
_AuroraRC
Sep2_32_AuroraRC
Sep2_32
_AuroraRC
Sep2_37_AuroraRC
Sep2_37
_AuroraRC

End September 2nd, Begin September 3rd
  On September 3rd we walked up the road about 1/2 mile from our house and were treated to this amazing view of the Alaska Range down near Delta Junction, Alaska. Both shots in this row feature Hess Mountain (11,940 ft = 3,639 m) on the left and Mt. Deborah (12,339 ft = 3,761 m) on the right.
Sep3_1_DeltaMountains_SteeleCreekRdRC
Sep3_1_DeltaMountains
_SteeleCreekRdRC
Sep3_5_DeltaMountains_SteeleCreekRdRC
Sep3_5_DeltaMountains
_SteeleCreekRdRC

  The first photo in this row shows Mt. Hayes (13,832 ft = 4,216 m) and the second shot again shows Hess Mountain. These mountains are about 88 miles (142 km) away from this location.
Sep3_6_DeltaMountains_SteeleCreekRdRC
Sep3_6_DeltaMountains
_SteeleCreekRdRC
Sep3_7_DeltaMountains_SteeleCreekRdRC
Sep3_7_DeltaMountains
_SteeleCreekRdRC

End September 3rd, Begin September 4th
  Here are three shots of our property in the morning light as the lighting conditions change from summer to autumn. In the third shot you'll notice that there are quite a few leaves already on the ground on September 4th.
Sep4_1_AutumnYardRC
Sep4_1
_AutumnYardRC
Sep4_2_AutumnYardRC
Sep4_2
_AutumnYardRC
Sep4_3_AutumnYardRC
Sep4_3
_AutumnYardRC

End September 4th, Begin September 8th
  On September 8th we went out the Steese Highway all the way to Eagle Summit to see how much things had changed since we took our trip out there on June 23rd and 24th. WOW! Autumn is here.
Sep8_01_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_01_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC
Sept8th_009_SteeseHWYRC
Sept8th_009
_SteeseHWYRC
Sept8th_010_SteeseHWYRC
Sept8th_010
_SteeseHWYRC

  Here are three shots showing autumn colors. Here in Central Alaska the primary hardwood tree species are birch and aspen, so we only get yellow and gold colors in the trees. Sometimes some red will show up in the tundra, but only if there is a good frost early enough. The outlined area in the second photo shows the area of the third photo.
Sep8_02_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_02_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_05_06Overlay_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_05_06Overlay_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_06_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_06_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC

  Autumn colors along the Steese Highway. The third shot shows me and our rig at Milepost 57.3 on the Steese Highway - the Davidson Ditch Wayside.
Sep8_08_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_08_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC
Sept8th_042_SteeseHWYRC
Sept8th_042
_SteeseHWYRC
Sept8th_047_SteeseHWYRC
Sept8th_047
_SteeseHWYRC

  The first shot in this row shows Kazuya and our rig at Milepost 57.3 on the Steese Highway - the Davidson Ditch Wayside. The second and third shots show more autumn colors.
Sep8_10_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_10_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_09_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_09_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_12_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_12_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC

  All three shots in this row show Blueberry bushes. You'll notice that the berries have been frosted and were rather shriveled up, but they were still delicious. We ate several handfuls and they were very refreshing.
Sept8th_057_SteeseHWY_BlueberryRC
Sept8th_057_Steese
HWY_BlueberryRC
Sep8_16_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColors_BlueberriesRC
Sep8_16_OnWayEagleSummit_
AutumnColors_BlueberriesRC
Sept8th_061_SteeseHWY_BlueberryRC
Sept8th_061_Steese
HWY_BlueberryRC

  Now we have left the paved portion of the Steese Highway. The pavement ends at Milepost 80.3 or something close to that. The first shot in this row is just before Twelvemile Summit and the final two shots were taken at Twelvemile Summit (Milepost 85.5).
Sept8th_072_SteeseHWYRC
Sept8th_072
_SteeseHWYRC
Sep8_18_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_18_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_19_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_19_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC

  These three images were all taken at Twelvemile Summit. The center image is a two-shot panorama.
Sept8th_101_SteeseHWYRC
Sept8th_101
_SteeseHWYRC
Sep8_20_21_AutoPano_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_20_21_AutoPano_OnWay
EagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_22_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColorsRC
Sep8_22_OnWayEagle
Summit_AutumnColorsRC

  Here are two more shots of Blueberries. You can easily see that it was still easy to pick a nice handful of them for a snack. The third shot was taken just a short distance before Eagle Summit - our first sighting of snow so close to us.
Sept8th_102_SteeseHWY_BlueberryRC
Sept8th_102_Steese
HWY_BlueberryRC
Sept8th_107_SteeseHWY_BlueberryRC
Sept8th_107_Steese
HWY_BlueberryRC
Sept8th_119_EagleSummitRC
Sept8th_119_
EagleSummitRC

  Here are three more shots which show basically the same snowy mountains as previously. In most of these shots you can see piles of tailings - the "leftovers" from gold mining operations. The outlined area in the center photo shows the area of the third photo.
Sept8th_120_EagleSummitRC
Sept8th_120_
EagleSummitRC
Sep8_33_34Overlay_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColors_SnowRC
Sep8_33_34Overlay_OnWay
EagleSummit_AutumnColors_SnowRC
Sep8_34_OnWayEagleSummit_AutumnColors_SnowRC
Sep8_34_OnWayEagleSummit
_AutumnColors_SnowRC

  Now we have arrived at Eagle Summit Wayside. The elevation here is 3,685 ft (1,123 m). This afternoon we will be climbing that little mountain you see on the right side of the first photo. The second image is a two-shot panorama. We'll climb the little mountain on the left side of this image. The third shot was taken looking kind of the opposite direction. It shows one of the mountains which we climbed when we were here back in June.
Sept8th_127_EagleSummitRC
Sept8th_127_
EagleSummitRC
Sep8_40_41_AutoPano_EagleSummit_RC
Sep8_40_41_Auto
Pano_EagleSummit_RC
Sep8_38_EagleSummit_RC
Sep8_38_
EagleSummit_RC

  Here are three "autumn color on the mountain" shots. My, what a brilliant red!
Sep8_43_EagleSummit_RC
Sep8_43_
EagleSummit_RC
Sept8th_133_EagleSummitRC
Sept8th_133_
EagleSummitRC
Sep8_44_EagleSummit_RC
Sep8_44_
EagleSummit_RC

  The first shot in this final row shows a Moss Campion (Silene acaulis), which was in amazing bloom when we were here back in June. The center shot shows more autumn color in the small plants and the third shot shows, well, what is it? Does anybody know?
Sep8_45_EagleSummit_MossCampionRC
Sep8_45_EagleSummit
_MossCampionRC
Sept8th_137_EagleSummitRC
Sept8th_137
_EagleSummitRC
Sep8_48_EagleSummit_RC
Sep8_48_
EagleSummit_RC

End Page 1, but September 8th Continues on Page 2
Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of this adventure. Go To Page:


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