Wild Ride on the Little Su

Hello all trailbuds,

Hurray!! Summer is here and that means more adventures of the green kayak. Canoe or kayak, it's a boat and that means water fun. Whether you prefer to canoe endless lakes or like Destiny and Buford, kayak the many lakes and rivers both for adventure and seeking out waterfowl. Kayaking is a great way to to excerise the upper body and get away from it all for some peace and solitude on the water. Another kayak I hadn't thought much about until I actualy saw it in use, is a little short sporty kayak used for running fast rivers especialy in the spring as melting snows make their way down out of the mountains running into a river in one of my favorite state parks. On this paticular day I was sitting on the edge of the Little Su River observing a pair of harlequin ducks resting on a rock in the middle of the river. Eventualy spooked off as a young man walked by along the roadside dressed in a short style wet suit. I knew right off what he might be doing as I found out through conversation with him, kayaking the fast Little Su River. Really!

And he was about to start just a little ways up from me. Umm this ought to be interesting as the ducks had flown off, why not get some pictures of someone actualy kayaking down the Little Su while it's high from melting snows. Thus the show began and for the next couple of hours I was able to observe and photograph a young man enjoying himself in his kayak on one of the wildest rides I have ever seen. The entertainment was so good following this kayaker down the river taking only pictures from the edges, then quickly hopping into the truck and speeding down to another spot to catch him before he passed me. When the run was over I had asked the young man if he was tired? No, he replied and I had offered to take him and his kayak back up the river to start again. This time I was more than ready to capture twice the pictures from the first run down. Watching this young man at work, how he picked his path through the rocks and the white water was amazing. I had watched from shore how he started down twisting and turning dropping down hitting the splashes, the power of the river engulfing him and spitting him out.

This looked totally fun, though this type of kayaking is only for those who are a bit of a risk taker and adrenaline junkies. Both runs down through the rocks and white water was just stunning since I have never watched anything like this before. The results of shooting very rapidly captured intimate moments that even in a blink of the eye and you would have missed how this young man rode, bobbed his way in an out of the white water. When the river is this high in the spring it is considered a class 4 river to run.

Somehow I could see myself doing this type of kayaking but then reflect on memories of the way I choose to kayak on a calm lake early in the morning, maybe listening to the call of the loon and the sun rising - feet kicked up on the kayak deck just drifting along soaking in my surroundings. I would have liked to capture more of this kind of kayaking and may do so in the future. At one point in my life I did have a canoe - Oldtown 17 foot and it had to be a green canoe! This canoe took me on many adventures and I wish I had it here with with me today. Most of the people I know who have had a canoe then a kayak don't go back to the canoe, simply said the kayak is much nicer to ride in, with good lower back support from the seat and you are able to pack some gear both in the front and back of the kayak for that weekend adventure get away. Thinking on the shorter, sportier kayak, where you must think quickly while bobbing down the boiling, churning white water avoiding rocks and drops that could turn you over and make for a not so pleasant kayak adventure. Umm, I think I will just stick with my style of kayaking adventures, cruising the lakes and rivers and still getting some darn good photos along the way. If you have never been in a kayak or tried one you just don't know what you are missing, as it is very popular here in Alaska. Next will be sea kayaking, trying for pictures of seals and floating sea otters and well whatever the sea adventure produces (whales). Give it a try I'm sure you too will like it as much as we do over the summer months. Well it's off to the next adventure, Denali National Park to work the road for 10 days of adventure seeking out the wildlife that roams through out the park. I hope all your summer adventures are just the best, taking pictures along the way to record and share with others who are not as lucky as you!

Hey see you down the trail somewhere

Buford T. Porcupine

Scouting Signs of Spring

Hello all springtime trail buddies.

I thought winter was just never going to leave us up here. When spring finally did arrive, everything was just a buzz with activity. It only took about a week for the buds on the trees to start popping and turning green. Much of April was spent scouting out old locations, and of course timing is everything right now. Trying to be in the right spot at the right time is a difficult thing to accomplish when there are so many places to look! While scouting along the Little Su (a river that flows out of the mountains), I suddenly came across a great find – a pair of common mergansers resting on some ice along the river.

I pulled the truck over and exited quickly, grabbing the “big lens” and took off on a fast walk to get whatever pictures I could. It has been my experience in the past with these ducks that the only time you get to see the male is strictly in the springtime. The male, as well as the female, are very skittish and don’t really like the company of the two legged variety, whether you want to just watch them through binoculars or take photographs of them. Many times they will fly off well before you even get remotely close enough to get a good shot. So one just has to use all their instincts and sneak up to get as close as you can before being detected. When I have been in my kayak I still encounter the same problem, trying to float in as quietly as possible before they fly off. Well, as you can see, I was successful this time and was extremely happy with the end results.

Another scouting adventure led me up into the mountains. Though there was still a lot of snow on the ground, I was hoping that a few of the beaver ponds would have some openings in the ice. Turns out, my timing was just about right! Approaching one of the beaver ponds by way of the bumpiest road that one could possibly find, I could see a pair of ducks. As I drove closer I was ecstatic to find they were Barrow’s Goldeneye ducks.

These ducks are bottom-feeders, diving underwater to capture prey on the bottom of lakes and ponds. A good practice to get in is to research the wildlife that you are going to photograph. This will let you know where to look for them, their behavior and other important things that you might like to know. Also knowing how to photograph the Barrow’s Goldeneye is a big advantage. I drove past the beaver pond and turned the truck around and headed back toward the pond so I could shoot from the truck window. Now, like I said, this type of duck is a bottom-feeder, so I took a few shots from the truck window for identification purposes then I would watch and wait until they would dive underwater and I would move quickly as possible from the truck to get in closer for a better shot. Once the Barrow’s Goldeneye returns to the surface, if you have planned and worked it just right, you should find yourself in a much better position. I find these ducks are much more acceptable to people than the common mergansers, but restricting your movement is still a good practice. This pair of ducks performed wonderfully for me as I continued to record their every movement. After some time well spent observing each other, the show was over and the ducks flew from the pond. I, too, left – grateful for the opportunity they had given me.

So back to the truck and on down the road I went, searching for more signs of spring. Moving into higher elevations, snow still covering most of the ground with some signs of brush poking through the snow, I once again came upon another great photo opportunity. When scouting, it always helps if you drive slowly and listen to the sounds of nature. As I rounded a bend in the road, there to my right was a pair of Willow Ptarmigan just off the road.

This is the time of year when the males are chirping for the females to try and find a mate. Both the male and female still had their winter plumage with signs of spring feathers coming through. The male was still mostly white, the neck had changed to brown and he had the red eye patches above the eyes. The female, was a little further off the road, but still within good shooting distance was still dressed in her white winter plumage with a few brown feathers coming out around the neck. Once again, I had the opportunity to record more signs of spring. Slowly moving from the truck and laying my lens across the hood to photograph this wonderful sight. I chose the male first, shooting off several frames. Then angling toward the female – which I actually found more interesting, took many shots of her. Then it was time to really work these birds; I went back for the tripod, mounted the lens and shot to my heart’s content. After about 20 minutes with these birds, the male pushed toward the female, moving her back, too far for me to get anymore good shots and eventually flying off in another direction. I always tell myself, “Count your blessings”! The fact that I even got to see the ptarmigans was amazing, as I didn’t see any all winter long.

Well, the sun is getting high in the sky and the light is getting too flat for me – time to head home. I slowly made my way down off the mountain, riding alongside the swollen Little Su (from the melting snow), searching for maybe another waterfowl opportunity or signs of any other birds. Bouncing down the rough weathered road that had been covered by many months of snow and ice, I reflected on what a wonderful morning I had just encountered on my scouting adventure. With the longer hours of light that comes with the spring, I always seem to get up early. As was the case on this day, I rose at 4am and was out of the cabin by 5am to go on my early morning scouting adventure. The early mornings are a great time to get out and listen and watch whatever wildlife I can find. I hope all of your springtime adventures are keepers like mine. In the end, the memories in the pictures you bring back to share are well worth the effort and knowing that those people who can’t get out and get into the wild will appreciate the work you have done (they may not be as dedicated to getting up at such crazy hours as I am!!)!

Hey, take care all, see you on down the trail somewhere…

Buford T. Porcupine