More Alaska Ice and Snow Art! Anchorage, Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 27 Comments

Alaska snow sculpture at Fur Rendezvous 2016

While the sun had obviously impacted this snow sculpture of a native Alaskan, I felt it carried a certain power. It reminded me of the fate of so many Native Americans, fading away while continuing to struggle for existence, possibly even regaining some of their lost heritage.

Alaskans believe in global warming. “It’s only snowed here twice this winter,” my friend Nancy Babb Stone groused when Peggy and I joined her and her husband Bart for dinner at their home in Anchorage. Many years earlier Nancy and I had taken a small, sleepy non-profit and turned it into a major player on health and environmental issues in Alaska. It was great to see her again. We spent a fair amount of time reminiscing.

The winter, or lack thereof, was cutting seriously into Nancy and Bart’s winter sports activities they told us. It was also melting the snow at the Fur Rendezvous’ snow carving contest. Peggy and I, along with our son Tony and his family, had been there twice to check out the sculptures. I was afraid if we looked away for a few minutes they might dissolve into large puddles of water. Even in their semi-melted forms the snow sculptures were fun, however. I was particularly attracted to the snow monsters.

City destroying snow sculpture monster at 2016 Fur Rendezvous snow carving contest.

This city destroying nightmare reminded me of a Japanese radiation-enhanced movie monster from the 1960s.

Calvin and Hobbes snow monster at 2016 Fur Rendezvous in Anchorage, Alaska

I looked at this huge mouth ready to consume a screaming snowman and something clicked in the back of my mind. I had seen this monster before…

This cartoon at the side of the sculpture confirmed my suspicion. Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes was a master at creating snow monsters.

Thankfully, it was colder at the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks. As I mentioned in my posts on the competition, the ice park also included a kids’ play area and the pond where the ice for carving is located. The carvers have nicknamed the pristine blue ice that comes out of the pond, Arctic Diamond.

It wasn’t the purity of the ice that captured the attention of our 3, 5, and 7-year old grandsons, however. It was the fact that the park was full of ice slides, things to crawl on, over and into, and fun ice sculptures. The kids couldn’t get enough. They were given special permission to stay up late. We shut down the park. “Would you like us to leave lights on for you?” a park attendant asked at 10:30 p.m.— and was serious. I really couldn’t imagine that happening anywhere other than Alaska.

Ice steam engine at the Kid's Ice Park in Fairbanks, Alaska 2016.

A favorite of mine at the ice park. Note the ice smoke! The boys were exploring the rail cars.

Ice sculptures, such as this train carved out of ice, are lit up at night at the Fairbanks Ice Park.

The train lit up at night.

Tony and sons come barreling off one of the slick ice slides on a plastic sled peggy bought for the purpose. Yahoo!

Tony, Connor, and Cooper come barreling off a slick ice slide on a plastic sled Peggy bought for the purpose. Yahoo! The kids survived the day and night; the sled didn’t.

Granson Chris and I tackle another slide at night, without the sled.

Grandson Chris and I tackle another slide, this time at night and without the sled. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

The slides could be quite bumpy and Peggy had just slid over a large one. Ouch! Our daughter-in-law Cammie had loaned her the "marshmallow" jacket.

The slides could be quite bumpy and Peggy had just slid over a large one. Ouch! Our daughter-in-law Cammie had loaned her the fluffy but warm “marshmallow” jacket that made her look a bit like a sumo wrestler.

Another slide was connected with this dragon assaulting a castle.

This mammoth lit up at night fronted for another slide.

And this wooly mammoth as well.

I really liked this snake dragon…

And this whale.

Peggy and I have always wanted a log cabin. But this one may be a little cold! (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Our furthest north adventure was at Chena Hot Springs, about an hour from Fairbanks. We spent two nights there, and, I wish to report, it was ‘put on all your spare clothes’ cold, dropping to a minus 10˙ F at night. Our adventures in ice carving continued at the Aurora Ice Museum, home to Steve Brice, 15-time world ice carving champion, and his wife Heather Brice, six-time world ice carving champion. Both had participated in the Fairbanks competition.

The road to Chena Hot Springs. I kept looking for moose. There were plenty of tracks but I didn’t spot one.

Dinner and service at the rustic Chena Hot Springs Lodge were excellent. Here the family wishes me a happy birthday. “Are you really that old, Grandpa!?”

Our exploration of ice art continued at the Aurora Ice Museum.

This fish with its huge lips was amusing.

This carved ice fish with its huge lips was amusing. Pucker up.

I thought this carved ice head of a seahorse was rather elegant.

Here we are toasting out of carved ice glasses at a bar made out of ice, while sitting on ice chairs. We had hoped to be toasting Tony's appointment as a commander at the US Naval Academy in Connecticut. He did receive the appointment, but not until after we had returned to Oregon.

Here we are toasting out of carved ice glasses at a bar made out of ice, while sitting on ice chairs (fortunately fur covered). We had hoped to be toasting Tony’s appointment as Company Officer for cadets interested in aviation at the US Naval Academy in Connecticut. He did receive the appointment, but not until after we had returned to Oregon.

Chena had great food and friendly people, but the lodging left a little to be desired, especially for the $200 a night price tag. I’d go with second-hand shabby as a description of our room, which they never got around to cleaning at the end of our first day. I could have lived with this except for the lack of sound-proofing.

Whenever anyone came in or went out the door banged. If they lived upstairs, the banging was followed by a mini-earthquake clomp, clomp, clomp. Again, it would have been tolerable had it stopped, say around ten. But on our second night, it went on and on— until one a.m. The lovely Peggy slept through it. I got out my sound maker and turned it on high. No luck: slam clomp, clomp, clomp! I put the sound maker three inches away from my ear: slam, clomp, clomp, clomp! I put a pillow over my head: slam, clomp, clomp, clomp! every 15 minutes, like clock work. I begin to contemplate doing things that a peace-loving guy like me doesn’t do. I begin to hallucinate. Our hotel was drug central for Alaska and people were carefully scheduled to pick up their illegal stash every 15 minutes to avoid running into each other.

The next day a friend suggested another possibility. It was a cross-cultural lesson. Chena Hot Springs occasionally provides views of the Aurora Borealis. Asians, and particularly Japanese, so I was told, believe that a child conceived under the Northern Lights will have great gifts. Our hotel was pretty much packed with people traveling from Asia. What if every 15 minutes or so, one of the husbands would go outside and check to see if the sky was dancing while his wife waited patiently for the great moment? Had I known that, I would have sat in my doorway and wished the guys good luck!

NEXT BLOG: Queens, dogs, and a very large colon in the Fur Rendezvous Parade— and an exciting Outhouse Race.

The Word Ice Art Championships… On the Road to the Olympics

March 12, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 35 Comments

"Ancient Fish" at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska

The detail in the “Ancient Fish” or coelacanths, earned it top billing on my post today.

Aaron Costic had a dream. He wanted to become a chef. His skills at ice carving were so impressive, however, his instructor encouraged him to participate in ice sculpture competitions. His skills brought him to the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks and then on to winning a gold medal in the Winter Olympics at Torino, Italy in 2006. This year he and his team-mate carved “Concentration” in Fairbanks, the sculpture I featured in my first blog on the competition.

Participation in the Winter Olympics speaks to the popularity of ice carving. It isn’t considered a sport at the Olympics but is seen as a Cultural Olympiad event. The first competition was at the Calgary Winter Games in 1988. On years when the Winter Olympics are held, the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks is considered a qualifying event.

Many of the best ice carvers in the world come to Fairbanks. The art I have included in this series certainly speaks to the talent of the carvers. It was exciting to be at the competition. I only wish I could have been there to see the sculptures lit up with colored lights. Even more, I wish I could have been in Fairbanks for the multi-block competition. Ice Alaska – Facebook includes photos of both if you are interested.

Today I am going to wrap up my photos of the 2016 World Ice Art Championships. In my next blog I will look at the Children’s Ice Park in Fairbanks, the Aurora Ice Carving Museum in Chena Hot Springs, and the snow carving contest connected to the Fur Rendezvous in Anchorage. In other words, I am not quite done with ice art!

"Don't Leave Me Now" Ice Sculpture at the 2016 Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Ice Carvers from Thailand (Is there ice in Thailand?) put the finishing touches on their graceful sculpture titled “Don’t Leave Me Now.”

"Don't leave me now" ice sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska

“Don’t Leave Me Now” lit up by white lights on the night of the ice sculpture judging.

"First Breath" ice carving sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

This beautiful sculpture reflecting the sky was called First Breath. It would have been an icy one.

"First Breath" ice carving sculpture at 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

“First Breath” ice sculpture lit up at night.

"6 H" ice carving sculpture at 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Dean De Marais uses his chainsaw to put finishing touches on the ice sculpture known as H^2.

"H^2" ice carving sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

H^2 prepares for takeoff at night. Or maybe it is landing.

"Son of Sun" ice carving sculpture at 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska

“Son of Sun” was created by carvers from China.

"Son of Sun" ice carving sculpture at 2016 World Ice Art Championships.

“Son of Sun” at night

King Fisher ice carving sculpture at 2016 Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

A fisherman displays his prime catch in “Kingfisher.”

The model that “Kingfisher” was based on.

"Snapped" ice carving sculpture at 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

There was quite a set of chompers on this fellow titled “Snapped.” I’d give him a wide berth. But there was another reason for his wide open jaws besides hunger…

"Snapped" ice carving sculpture at night at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska

A snapping turtle had him by the tail!

" Mission on Mars" ice carving sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

A futuristic “Mission on Mars.”

"Destinee" ice carving sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Two carvers from France created “Destinee.”

Renewed Embodiment ice carving sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fair banks, Alaska.

A carver adds a touch of color to this huge bear titled “Renewed Embodiment.”

" Star Gazing" moose ice carving sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Carving Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Where there are huge bears, there are likely to be moose. His title: “Stargazing.”

"Hard to Handle" ice carving sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The title to this sculpture, “Hard to Handle,” seems something of an understatement.

This boy seems to have hooked into a whopper! It is my last photo for the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

The 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska… Part II: The Artists

March 10, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 30 Comments

Anne Marie Tabardo takes a break from carving “Alice” at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

Anne Marie Tabardo looked up from carving Alice with a smile that was guaranteed to melt an icy heart, or cold art for that matter. A collection of ice carving chisels rested on the ground next to her. A seriously long one was poised in her hand. It was obvious that she was having fun with her sculpture. A tall tree of ice towered over her and the diminutive Alice, who was apparently ready to dive into the rabbit hole. Off to the right were what looked suspiciously like fly agaric: magic mushrooms. I suspect they are quite common in the land of hookah smoking caterpillars. I wondered if the judges would give Anne an A for authenticity, or even recognize the mushrooms.

Alice ice sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Alice, the tree, and magic mushrooms. Had the mushrooms been real and available, some people may have spotted a white rabbit with a pocket watch as well.

Ice Art Sculpture "Alice" at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska

Tree limbs looking like fingers added to the Wonderland feel of the sculpture.

Anne hails from the United Kingdom where these same hallucinogenic fungi were recently found on the grounds of Buckingham Palace. An official was quick to assure everyone that the mushrooms from the garden would not be used in the kitchen. The Queen would not be prancing around the palace.

Prior to becoming involved in ice art, Anne worked at Madame Tussaud’s and The British Museum creating replicas of famous people. She has a degree in fine arts from the National Art School in Sydney and at the City and Guilds of London Art School. Her father, Juan, who runs a florist shop in Sydney, Australia, flew in to Fairbanks to help with the sculpture.

Ice Alaska, the organization supporting the ice art competition in Fairbanks, includes brief bios on most of the carvers. Some, like Anne, are art school graduates. Others came by their profession by less direct routes. For example, Chris Foltz, one of the carvers of Soul Catcher, is executive chef at the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute. Ice sculptures are often on display at fancy group dinners such as those found on cruise ship. In these cases, ice carving skills are a plus for chefs. Both of the artists for Spark come from culinary backgrounds. Tajana Rauker from Croatia studied culinary arts in Krk, Croatia. Her partner in carving Spark, Ted Wakar, is an executive chef at Ford Motor Company.

Day time view of ice sculpture "Soul Catcher" at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska

The ice art sculpture “Soul Collector” was still being worked on. A tarp had been put up to protect it from the sun.

Ice art sculpture "Soul Collector" lit up at night at the 2016 World Ice Art Championshipsin Fairbanks, Alaska.

“Soul Collector” at night.

Close up of ice sculpture "Soul Collector" at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships.

A night-time close up.

"The Spark" ice sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships

This sculpture, “The Spark,” was carved by two people with culinary training.

The Spark ice art sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships at Fairbanks, Alaska

“The Spark” at night with an ice block “?” held by ‘ice tongs’ in the heart. Translate: Is this the One?

Ice carving artists are often involved with related art activities such as wood carving. Ben Firth, who along with his brother Barnabas, was responsible for carving Conflict, also carves antlers, sculpts in bronze, and works in pencil and watercolors. His art is sold out of the family’s art studio in Anchor Point, Alaska. Ivan Loktyukhin, is another multi-talented artist, who has won numerous prizes for his wood carving and metal sculptures as well as ice art. Ivan holds a degree in Architectural Design from the Russian Pacific National University. Along with Vadim Polin, Ivan was responsible for creating Yahoo!

"Nature of Conflict" ice art sculpture at 2016 World Ice Art Championships held in Fairbanks, Alaska.

A close up of the “Nature of Conflict” ice sculpture during the day.

"Nature of Conflict" ice art sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships.

And at night. A chess game was in progress at the bottom.

Ice Sculpture "Yahoo" at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

“Yahoo!” seemed to be an appropriate title for this unfinished ice sculpture of a woman riding her ostrich. (I showed her missing legs in my last blog.)

Yahoo! ice carving sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska..

And here she is at night, going all out with legs attached!

Head of ostrich included in the ice art sculpture "Yahoo!" show at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships.

I couldn’t resist this close up of the ostrich’s head.

Another artist who caught my attention was Lkhagvadorj Dorjsuren (AKA George) who was the first person from Mongolia to carve ice. He won his first contest in Finland where no one spoke his language. One of his dreams is to start a competition in Mongolia that would draw tourists. Sign me up! He and his partner Enkh-Erdene Ganbataar, (aka Eggi) created the rather humorously named sculpture AAAHH BaaMMM Beee Beeem. (Yeah, I don’t have a clue, either.) George, working with Altankhuu Khishigdalai, also helped create The Beginning of Time.

"AAAHH BaaMMM Beee Beeem" ice art sculpture at 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

AAAHH BaaMMM Beee Beeem during the day…

A"AAHH BaaMMM Beee Beeem" ice sculpture during the night of judging at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships.

And at night.

"The Beginning of Time" ice art sculpture ice art sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships

George and Altankhuu from Mongolia working on “The Beginning of Time.”

The Beginning of Time ice carving sculpture at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

“The Beginning of Time” shown at night, my last photo for this post.

I have only been able to cover a few of the participating artists. If you are interested in learning more about these artists or others involved check out the Ice-Alaska website. NEXT BLOG: I will finish up my blogs on the world ice art competition.

The Spectacular 2016 World Ice Art Championships … The Alaska Series

March 8, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 46 Comments

2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

Title: Concentration. This ice sculpture won first prize for realistic portrayal at the 2016 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

I’ve been teasing you this past week with re-blogs from a trip Peggy and I made to Alaska three years ago. Today marks the start of a short series on the trip we just completed. Welcome aboard!

We joined our son Tony, his wife Cammie, and three of our grandkids: 7-year old Connor, 5-year old Chris, and 3-year old Cooper. (That was a trip within itself— grin.) Tony flies helicopter rescue missions for the Coast Guard out of Kodiak, Alaska. If you ever watched the Weather Channel series, Coast Guard Alaska, you have an idea of the type of work he does.

Our son Tony, his wife Cammie, and our grandchildren Cris, Connor, and Cooper (left to right). We are on the Alaska Railroad here. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

We began our adventure at the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous where the sled dog races caught my attention. I have never seen dogs so eager to run. Even my old Basset Hound Socrates woofing in slow pursuit of a fast rabbit failed to show such enthusiasm. (I used to tell Soc that the only chance he had of catching a rabbit was if it were rolling around on the ground laughing so hard it couldn’t get up.)

I am going to do a post on sled dogs but I thought I would start today by introducing you to Luke Skywalker, a sled dog we met at Chena Hot Springs outside of Fairbanks. Jabba the Hut was located in the next doghouse.

We also watched firemen, college students and a group of Mormons get in the spirit of racing— but instead of hauling sleds, they were hauling outhouses. And yes, someone had to sit on the pot. An Alaskan style parade we viewed had so many princesses that the announcer joked that anyone with a tiara could join. Peggy and Cammie practiced their princess waves.

Practicing princess waves at the 2016 Fur Rendezvous

Cammie and Peggy practice their princess waves. All they were missing were tiaras. A grumpy Alaskan apparently wasn’t amused.

Our 12-hour trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks on the Alaska Railroad was a highlight. We had a beautiful day with views of Mt. Denali, moose, and a pair of wolves. The route has to be one of the most scenic train trips in the world and the engineer stopped frequently to allow passengers an opportunity to enjoy the view. (Thus the 12 hours.)

Alaska Railroad on the way to Fairbanks.

Our trip by train took us from Anchorage to Fairbanks through very scenic country. The journey will have its own post.

Equally impressive, but in a different way, were the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

I am going to start with the ice carving competition simply because it was so spectacular. We really had no idea what to expect. There are both single block and multi block contests. What we saw was the single block contest with the blocks cut out of a local lake. Each block measured 3 by 8 by 5 feet and weighed approximately five tons. Teams of two people were given 60 hours to complete their masterpieces. A variety of tools were used in the process ranging from specialized chain saws to chisels. Most sculptures started with several parts (legs for example), all of which were ‘glued’ together using an icy slush. It isn’t unusual for an art piece to fall apart. Imagine that after 60 hours of work! I heard one artist comment to another, “You owe me a dollar. It’s still standing.”

A pair of very cold legs wait to be attached to an equally icy body of a naked woman riding an ostrich. Sketches on the upper left provide the artists with directions for their sculpture.

We made two trips out to the Fairbank’s Ice Park. (There is a lot going on there besides the contest. A dozen or so ice slides kept the boys and Peggy busy. Even Grandpa was brow-beaten into two bumpy rides, one on his butt and one on his belly.) On our first trip to the park, we watched the competitors as they scrambled to complete their work. That night we returned to view the finished works of art when the actual judging was taking place. While the sculptures are normally lit up by colored lights, only white light is allowed during judging. As I made my way through the exhibition, I could understand why. Given the number of truly impressive ice sculptures, I am going to do two or three posts on the competition. Let me know your favorites.

The sculpture, Concentration, at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

We were able to visit the park while the artists were finishing up their work. This photo of “Concentration” provides a perspective on the size of the sculptures.

A full view of the sculpture Concentration at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

A full view of “Concentration” at night on the night of the judging.

A close up of the sculpture "Concentration" at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

And a closeup to provide an idea about the detail the artists work into their pieces— right down to the dimple on the knee.

I thought this sculpture titled “A Beautiful Noise” was fun during the day.

Here it is at night.

"Still I Rise" sculpture at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

“Still I Rise” has his feet worked on. Hands and chains have yet to be added. I thought the green against the pure white provided a great contrast.

Night photo of sculpture "Still I Rise" at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

Chains broken, “Still I Rise” is freed to soar off into the heavens.

The "Jellyfish Hunter" is carved at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

The “Jellyfish Hunter” receives its final touches before judging. Note the size of the scaffolding.

The "Jellyfish Hunter" lit up at night at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

Lit up at night, the “Jellyfish Hunter” has caught its jellyfish.

A close up of the Jelly Fish Hunter at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

A close up of the Jellyfish Hunter— a magnificent creature indeed.

The "Stuck Up" sculpture at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

“Stuck up,” a fun title for a fun sculpture captured here during the day lit up by the sun.

“Stuck Up” by night.

The "North Wind and Sun" sculpture at the 2016 Word Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

“The North Wind and Sun” almost silver reflecting the cold north sun. Temperatures were in the teens, however, balmy for Fairbanks in the winter. (I’ve been there at -35 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Occasionally the thermometer reaches a minus 50.)

A final view of the North Wind for this post. My next blog will include many more of these beautiful ice sculptures.

Gone Fishing with the Big Bears of Kodiak…

March 7, 2016February 24, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 34 Comments

“Now where did I leave that fish?” A big Kodiak Bear looks for salmon on the Frazer River of Kodiak Island.

Kodiak Bear fishing in the Frazer River on Kodiak Island, Alaska

“Are you down there?” The submarine approach to finding fish.

Peggy and I are off in Alaska as you read this blog. Since I won’t have time for blogging or reading blogs, I decided to repost a few blogs from the trip we made to Alaska three years ago. If you have been following me for a while, you will have read these blogs previously. I will try to respond to comments. –Curt

I hadn’t been fishing for 40 years. That changed this last week. I’ve now been out fishing for salmon three times and halibut twice. Kodiak Island will do that to you. Ask the bears.

Peggy and I hold up a string of Salmon that we caught along with our son Tony and his wife Cammie. Peggy caught the majority, as she is quick to tell everyone. (grin) (Photo by Cammie Lumpkin.)

On our trip out to the Frazer River on the south part of Kodiak last week, we watched the large Kodiak Bears land fish after fish. It was all about eating sushi. Catch a live salmon and down it on the spot. Move on and catch another one. Sushi can’t get any fresher. And these are large fish. No wonder the big bears reach the size they do.

Another thing we quickly noted was that the bears used different fishing techniques. Some behaved like submarines. Walking through the river with their heads under water, they would catch their fish like a diving duck. Other bears chose to chase their fish down, charging across the river on the tail of a desperate salmon and then pouncing.

Kodiak bear chasing salmon in the Frazer River.

A Kodiak Bear discovers a salmon and takes off in pursuit.

Across the river he goes. “You can run, Mr. Salmon…”

Pounces!

Kodiak Bear with salmon dinner on the Frazer River.

And catches dinner.

She wanders off…

And settles down to eat.

I’ll conclude with this photo of a solitary bear fishing the Frazer Ri

I Promised You a Moose: Alaska Wildlife…

March 4, 2016February 24, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 28 Comments

This Alaskan Moose looks like he was put together by a committee. But don’t let his humorous looks fool you. Experienced outdoorsman in Alaska worry more about moose than they do about bears. They are the bane of the Iditarod. Moose think the sled dogs are wolves.

Peggy and I are off in Alaska as you read this blog. Since I won’t have time for blogging or reading blogs, I decided to repost a few blogs from the trip we made to Alaska three years ago. If you have been following me for a while, you may have read these blogs previously. I will try to respond to comments. –Curt

Several years ago Peggy and I took off a year to travel North America. Peggy declared we were on a moose hunt, a photographic safari. Moose are everywhere in the far north, right? I’ll be darned if we could find one. There were no moose in Maine, there were no moose in Minnesota and there were no moose in Canada. We finally found one near Denali National Park, but that was it.

This time we spotted three in one week of driving up the Alaska Highway. These large, ungainly, friendly looking animals can be quite dangerous, especially if they have a calf. As for the bulls, those racks on their heads can weigh over 50 pounds.

Our visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Girdwood, Alaska on the southern end of Turnagain Arm had several waiting to be photographed. We also found some magnificent elk, several musk ox, and a herd of buffalo.

Check out the mouth on this moose. They are designed to strip leaves off of trees and are as tough as leather.

This moose turned to eye me and furnished a profile shot.

Roosevelt Elk have been reintroduced to Canada. These magnificent animals can weigh up over 1000 pounds.

These are cow elk with their distinct rear ends.

This elk calf was shy but Peggy caught it with her telephoto lens. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Peggy also captured these Caribou with their antlers. Once, when I was backpacking across the Alaska Range I came on a herd that was quite curious about me. They would come bouncing up to about 20 feet away and then go dashing off.

Peggy also captured these Caribou with their forest of antlers. Once, when I was backpacking across the Alaska Range, I came on a herd that was quite curious about me. They would come bouncing up to about 20 feet away and then go dashing off.

Wood Buffalo being reintroduced to Alaska.

Wood Buffalo are also making a return to Alaska and Canada. We saw several along the road on our trip through the Yukon. Peggy caught this one napping. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

I like this face shot I captured.

We both took photos of this buffalo calf.

Musk Ox thrive on the North Slope of Alaska wearing their thick fur coats. We worked hard to capture a photo where they weren’t shedding. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

An Alaskan Porcupine. The soft-looking fur is actually quills that the porcupine is more than ready to share. They are painful and extremely hard to remove.

I’ll conclude this blog with a photo of a lynx chowing down. Nice kitty. I consider lynx to be among the most handsome members of the cat family. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Encountering BIG Brown Bears and other Alaskan Wildlife…

March 1, 2016February 24, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 34 Comments

I met my first Brown Bear in Katmai National Park, which is at the beginning of the Aleutian Peninsula. He was coming along a trail I was walking down. He and I had a discussion and then I slowly backed away. Never run from a bear.

I met my first Brown Bear in Katmai National Park, which is at the beginning of the Aleutian Peninsula. He was coming down a trail I was walking up. He and I had a discussion and then I slowly backed away. Never run from a bear unless you are hiking with someone slower than you are. (grin)

Back in the 1980s, I spent three years living in Alaska and dedicated as much time as I could to wandering in the woods. Along the way I met most of the wildlife Alaska is famous for. A grizzly bear stalked me on the Kenai Peninsula. I went to sleep listening to wolves howl on a winter cross-country ski trip in Denali National Park. Even more entertaining, a pair of Dahl Sheep had a head-butting contest in my campsite in Chugach State Park.

You don’t have to disappear into the vast wilderness of Alaska to encounter animals with big teeth, claws and antlers, however. Our friends Edith Barrowclough and David McElroy reported that both a black bear and a moose wandered through their yard in Anchorage over the weekend. They have also seen a wolf and a lynx in the area.

Our friends David and Edie. Edie went to high school with Peggy in Port Clinton Ohio. She now works as a CPA in Anchorage. Her husband, David, is a bush pilot working on the North Slope and a published poet.

Our friends David and Edie. Edie went to high school with Peggy in Port Clinton, Ohio. She now works as a CPA in Anchorage. Her husband, David, is a pilot working on the North Slope and a published poet. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Peggy and I stayed with them for four days. Every time Chula the Dog barked Peggy darted outside in hopes of spotting something large and furry. All she saw was the neighbor’s dog but we did end up seeing our share of wild animals. David and Edie insisted on taking us to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center at the southern end of Turnagain Sound. The Center serves as a wildlife sanctuary and is designed to duplicate the animals’ natural surroundings. They have done a good job. The photos in this blog were taken there.

Our trip down Turnagain Arm to the sanctuary was a trip down memory lane for me. It was one of my favorite drives when I lived in Alaska.

A shot of the railroad tracks running along Turnagain Sound. The V in the mountains on the right is where the town of Hope is located. Hope was the starting point for 100 mile backpack trips I led across the Kenai Peninsula.

Salmon fishing on the Bird River in Alaska.

We stopped off at Bird River on our way down Turnagain Arm. The dots on the river are people fishing for salmon. Three days later we would be fishing for salmon on Kodiak Island.

Black bears are smaller than their cousins. I once woke up with one standing on my chest in Yosemite. I screamed loudly. You may have heard me. This guy was about to join his companion in the cave.

Here he goes.

Our first view of the Brown Bears was of one playing in the water throwing a moose bone into the air. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Alaska Brown Bear playing with moose bone.

Here he catches the bone with one paw while pointing out his skill with the other. He didn’t have to persuade us.

My, what big teeth you have. And no, we have no intention of taking away your bone. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

One wet Alaskan Brown Bear, up close.

Check out the claws on this guy.

My grandson Connor insisted I include this head shot I took of one of the Brown Bears. The bear was sitting up.

I though I would conclude with this photo because it emphasizes just how big Alaskan Brown Bears become on their diet of salmon.

I thought I would conclude with this photo because it emphasizes just how big Alaskan Brown Bears become on their diet of salmon. A large male can weigh up to 1200 pounds.

Fire in the Night: The Man Burns… Burning Man 2015

February 26, 2016February 24, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 26 Comments

Intense flames engulf the Man at Burning Man 2015, reminding me of the power of fire.

People were cooking bacon over the smoldering ashes of the Man, symbolically reminding me that life goes on. Regardless. Others were collecting remnants of the tall sculpture: pieces of metal that refused to burn in the conflagration, even bits of wood and ash. These were souvenirs meant to be put up on the mantle or stored away as memorabilia. I stopped and watched for a few minutes before moving on. It was my last day at Burning Man 2015 and I was sure there was art lurking out on the Playa that I had somehow missed. Plus there were several sculptures that I wanted to revisit, to admire one last time.

Burning Man at night is a different world from Burning Man during the day. There is fairytale magic in the air as Black Rock City comes alive and colorfully lit mutant vehicles, bicycles, and Burners make their way though the temporary city, parade up and down the Esplanade, and move out into the desert. Dragons, ducks, ships, a rhino, an octopus and a myriad of other creatures breathe fire into the night. Acres of dust are turned into gyrating dance floors while shows ranging from burlesque to circuses entice burners in. Even the art takes on a different persona— some pieces shoot out flames, some burn, and all are lit up in ingenious ways. As wild as each night is, the burning of the Man exists in a class by itself.

Sixty thousand people plus and several hundred mutant vehicles gather in a huge circle around the Man. Music booms out into the night, a thousand fire dancers work their twirling magic, fireworks light the sky, and the Man burns, at first standing tall, arms outstretched, and then eventually falling— as Burners catch their breath in anticipation and then yell together in celebration. The deafening sound echoes out across the desert and then is absorbed into the night.

I like to wander around the night of the burn, as opposed to sitting in the dust for two hours. My tailbone doesn’t have the same sense of humor it once did and I enjoy the night look of mutant vehicles. I catch glimpses of the fire dancers as I go, but stop to watch the fireworks and burn. Here are some of my photos from 2015.

People perch on El Pulpo Mechanico at Burning Man and watch as the Man burns.

This one-eyed, toothed monster was one of several hundred mutant vehicles at the burn. I like his yum sign up on top.

A seahorse was accompanied by a jelly fish and other ocean life.

A very unique bicycle built for two.

Splendid tail feathers.

Sharp teeth, and I suspect, a fiery breath.

Exotic bug? It's dome back made a good viewing station to watch the Man burn.

Exotic bug? Its dome trailer in back made a good viewing platform to watch the Man burn.

Fish mutant vehicles at night Burning Man 2015

No doubt about this water creature. Fun fins.

I am thinking bee here. And it looks angry.

My search for unique mutant vehicles stops immediately when the fireworks start.

I stop wandering when the fireworks start. The Man’s head can be seen on the right between the two columns.

The fireworks can be intense with dozens of explosions going off at once.

Red spotlights set the man off against the fireworks. We were standing on the side instead of in front of the Man, so we had a side view. His arms are always raised to announce the beginning of fireworks show. Immediately following the fireworks, the Man begins to burn.

Ghost-like, the man’s head appears out of the flames.

And then disappears.

Don Green took this photo that shows the burning platform and the Man’s arm, no longer held aloft.

I caught a pair of rabbit ears in this shot. The Man has become a skeleton of his previous self.

And eventually, even that is burned away, leaving one center pole and the metal structure.

And finally, he begins to fall, bringing an to the burn.

And finally, what remains begins to fall as 60,000 plus people cheer.

This marks the end of my 2015 Burning Man series. I hope you have enjoyed viewing it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

I’ll be out of touch for a couple of weeks as Peggy and I head off to Alaska to visit our son and his family. They’ve urged us to come up and join them at the Fur Rendezvous in Anchorage and the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks. We will be taking the train up to Fairbanks from Anchorage. Altogether, I suspect there will be some good blogs to come out of the experience. To fill in the blanks while we are gone, I am reposting some blogs from our trip up to Alaska three-years ago. —Curt

Burning Man Walkabout 2015… Part 2

February 24, 2016February 23, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 23 Comments

The options of what to do at Burning Man seem overwhelming. For, example, do you need a hug?

The Colonel from Kentucky was giving away fried baloney (his spelling) sandwiches on a slice of white bread and shots of Kentucky Bourbon. The elephant with his missing tusk was back. You could pick up “a long uncomfortable hug,” at the Hug Deli. Lamplighters marched by carrying 12 lamps each. A man in a mask was wearing a doctor’s smock and flowery underwear while playing a saxophone. And my friend Don was climbing everything in sight to take photos of the city. (The truth here is that Don just likes to climb things.)

It was another typical day in Black Rock City. Every hundred yards or so offered another adventure. Each day, we checked out the Burning Man’s 160-page activity guide. Will we do something cerebral and go listen to TED talks or join the Billion Bunny March to Protest Humanity. The options seem limitless. Do I really need to learn how to spank Peggy? I don’t think so; neither does she. Here are some more photos for you to enjoy, including Don’s Black Rock City overviews.

The Burning Man activity guide listed close to 1600 ways to get into mischief or learn something new.

Tom decided he needed a hug from these people who were celebrating their daughters birthday. Judging from the look of the wife, I think it fell under the title of long uncomfortable hug.

Tom decided he needed a hug from these people who were celebrating their daughter’s birthday. Judging from the look of the family, I think it fell under the title of “long uncomfortable hug.” But Tom was having fun. They did tell us, however, where to go to get a baloney sandwich and a shot of Kentucky bourbon for breakfast.

The Kentucky Camp was offering the Kentucky bourbon and baloney, naturally. The Colonel gave me a wave of greeting.

The Kentucky Camp was offering the Kentucky bourbon and baloney. The Colonel gave me a wave of greeting.

This guy was quite pleased that baloney was on the menu.

Camps at Burning Man have mastered the false fronts of the Old West. Free drinks were offered here at night, as they are by numerous camps.

Buildings can be quite elaborate, such as this one put up by the Burners from New Orleans…

And the Firehouse, a production of the North West Burner’s Camp, Do More Now.

One of my favorite buildings is this ‘mobile home’ pulled by a tractor. You never know where it will show up. This side features a 50s style kitchen that cooks and gives away cookies. The other side is a free bar.

I always stop and pay homage to Ganesha, the Hindu God/elephant that has lost his tusk. (Photo by Don Green.)

There are lots of opportunities to volunteer at Burning Man. Being a lamplighter is one. Each evening you can find this folks making their rounds.

There are lots of opportunities to volunteer at Burning Man. Being a lamplighter is one. Each evening you can find these folks making their rounds in a solemn procession.

This fellow seemed to be serenading the lamplighters as they went by. I found his costume amusing.

This fellow in his flowery underwear was serenading the Lamplighters as they went by. I found his costume amusing. (Sorry my photo was a little fuzzy.)

Don Green, who provided a number of photos for this blog series, works on his bike, Trigger. A bit of trivia: When Roy Rodger's horse, Trigger died, he had him stuffed. Trigger now resides in Bransom, Missouri.

Don Green works on his bike Trigger. A bit of trivia: When Roy Rodger’s horse Trigger died, Roy had him stuffed and mounted, which provided a new definition for mounting a horse.

We arrived early at Burning Man. You are allowed to camp anywhere that hasn't been marked off and to take up as much space as you need. My van is on the right and Tom's trailer is on the left.

We arrived early at Burning Man before the crowds. My van, Quivera, is in the center. Tom’s trailer, Walter, is just to the left of it. (Photo by Don Green.)

Spaces quickly begin to fill up. (Photo by Don Green.)

And become crowded. (Photo by Don Green.)

And became crowded. (Photo by Don Green.)

A shot of Don's looking out across the Playa provides a view of the afternoon dust storms.

A shot of Don’s looking out across the Playa toward Black Rock City provides a view of the afternoon dust storms, which were rather mild at the time.

A shot of the Man before he burns on Saturday night. Surrounding buildings have all been taken down. NEXT BLOG: (and final Burning Man post for this series) The Man burns.

A final shot of the Man before he burns on Saturday night. Surrounding buildings have all been taken down. NEXT BLOG (and my last Burning Man post for this series): The Man burns. (Photo by Don Green.)

A Walkabout Tour of Black Rock City… Burning Man

February 22, 2016 / Curt Mekemson / 30 Comments

The fun of going on a walkabout at Burning Man is you never know what will come up next, such as King Kong wearing a tutu.

The fun of going on a walkabout at Burning Man is that you never know what will come up next, such as King Kong wearing a tutu…

I am about to wrap up my series on Burning Man 2015 so I thought I’d take you on a walkabout tour of Black Rock City. It gives me a chance to slip in the photos I liked but couldn’t fit into the stories I was telling. This post and my next will primarily be photo essays. My final blog will be on the celebration surrounding the Burning of the Man.

This jet was hosting a DJ.

Dancing and music are an integral part of Burning Man. The event attacks some of the top DJs in the world who spin their tunes for free at Burning Man.

Dancing and music are an integral part of Burning Man. The event attracts some of the top DJs in the world. They spin their tunes for free at Burning Man. The size of the speakers equates with the loudness of the music. The major dance venues are relegated to the outer limits of Black Rock City, which is a good thing.

Large camps along the Esplanade are common along the Esplanade, Burning Man's main street.

Large camps are common along the Esplanade, Burning Man’s main street. This devilish clown had great character.

As did this, um, bounteous beauty.

I caught this guy ogling her.

Several million photos will be taken at Burning Man each year and this is how we photographers like to view ourselves with fancy equipment, standing tall...

Several million photos are taken at Burning Man each year and this is how we photographers like to view ourselves with fancy equipment, standing tall. Note the professional handling of the camera.

This is more the reality… lying in the dirt, posed under a woman with a whip.

Or butt up in the air while eating Playa dust… all for the sake of art.

I prefer my models posed on the same level I am. Being a nature lover, I couldn't resist these bunnies.

I prefer my models posed on the same level I am. Being a nature lover, I couldn’t resist these collar wearing rabbits. Or are they supposed to be bunnies?

It always pays to look up. You never know what may be flying out of the sky.

It always pays to look up. You never know what may be up in the air, such as this flying motorcycle. (Photo by Don Green.)

This heavy equipment was up in the air as well. Now you know how all of the large sculptures and buildings are put up.

This is another way the equipment was used. The large block is being raised into the air to toss a burning piano that is affixed to the other end of the tower. I’ve included a video by Don Green of the toss as my final entry of the day. NEXT BLOG: We will continue our walkabout tour of Black Rock City.