Armed only with a vague description from an out-of-print Alaska whitewater guidebook, we decide to launch our packrafts into a mysterious and committing canyon. We found when started our way down the wild rapids that navigating Primrose Creek in our Alpacka packrafts was both more difficult and dangerous but also more exciting than we imagined.
Kachemak Bay State Park is a wonderland of impressive crags, sharp ridges and cracked glaciers. It was one of the first places in Alaska I was able to explore back in 2007 and one of the reasons I fell in love with Alaska. In 2020 we backpacked in to Grewingk Glacier with our packrafts and paddled around the towering icebergs that splinter off in the lake at the toe of that mammoth glacier. This time, we wanted to see a new area of the park, and we were not disappointed.
All-in-all it was a super successful overnight trip in a part of Alaska that gives a taste of adventure without being too out-of-reach. I highly recommend it to any photographer (or anyone, really) who happens to be in the area. The views and the photographic compositions are hard to beat.
(A collection of photos from the location/trip. For best results, click to enlarge)
So here is a small collection of shots from or three-day trip to Kayaker's Cove. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And if you really enjoy, consider liking my Facebook or Instagram pages, or sharing this post with your friends. It is always much appreciated.
(Click for higher resolution images)
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| Cabins are available at the Hatcher Pass Lodge |
Hatcher Pass is famous as a convenient and spectacular destination for outdoor recreation. Easily accessible from some of Alaska's most populous munipalities, Hatcher Pass offers quick access to quintessential Alaska features, like deeply crevassed glaciers, cloud-scraping peaks, and endless hiking trails. With myriad campgrounds, backcountry huts, and even the Hatcher Pass lodge, options are abound for your head to hit the pillow after day spent exploring this wild paradise. It is hard to imagine a more perfect setting for an Alaska adventure.
For landscape photographers, Hatcher Pass is a dream. Steep peaks with jagged ridge abutments, tumbling streams dotted with gumdrop granite boulders, ambrosial alpine lakes and even historical intrigue at the Independence Mine State Historical Park provide plenty of fodder to frame up in your camera lens. Abundant wildflowers in the summer and endless trails curling through the rugged Talkeetna Mountain Range provide enough subject matter for a lifetime. If you are a landscape photographer visiting or living in Alaska, Hatcher Pass should be at the top of your list.
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| A random peony mid-channel in the Little Susitna River in Hatcher Pass made for a great photo subject |
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| Mountains as far as the eye can see at the Hatcher Pass summit |
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| Alpine brooks make for perfect leading lines in a landscape composition |
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