#NaturePorn Tuesday: Alaska Edition (Pt.1)!

Denali Viewpoint South, Alaska.

Detail view, Denali South Overlook. Inversion layers FTW!

Word to the wise: stating aloud for the Universe to hear, "I'm going to sit down and quickly pull a few pics of my awesome Alaska camping trip for the blog" is pretty much begging to be properly, full-on stumped, Matlock-style, for several hours.                                                                                       It's impossible to pick just a few! There is so much natural beauty in Alaska that it's almost hard to take a bad picture -- everywhere you point the camera, there is something awesome to capture. So today's installment of #NaturePorn Tuesday is going to be ... well, Alaska-sized!

Alaska, eh? All photos in this post are by the author (with an occasional
 one from my better half possibly mixed in).

I could blather on about how in Alaska it feels like the sky is taller, the vistas wider, the greens greener, and the wild, wilder. But I'm pretty sure most all of that's been said many times over. So, instead: some gorgeous pics.                                                                                         

Add caption

(I could also blather about what a pain Blogger is when trying to get text to flow inline with images, but suffice it to say I'll be changing platforms soon. In the meantime, apologies for the choppy text.)

Don't assume that any one type of sight or activity will be your focus, unless you are limited to one breakneck day of sightseeing. Even then, you'll quickly realize you aren't sure whether to photograph the water, or the mountains, or the wildlife ... and since you're probably mortal, you'll wind up trying to catch it all. Just make sure to be present, and not lose yourself behind the lens. It's easy to do, with canvases like these surrounding you!

The road north from Anchorage to Denali. Sometimes it's hard to
tell where the mountains end and the clouds begin in Alaska.

Yours truly, capturing the photo above.

There are many wonderful things to see in Alaska by boat and by rail, but if you want to get out,
camp, and find some quiet, you'll need to rent a (preferably 4WD) vehicle. Many Alaskan roads
and highways are gravel, and become dangerously mud-slick in the regular summer rains.

Alaska's gravel roads can lead you
right to breathtaking campsites. 

There's an eagle-sized mosquito
biting me in this picture. But
I'm smiling, because it's an
*Alaskan* mosquito!

View from tent door: yup, Mr. Porcupine's sayin' hi.

Mr. Porcupine was probably our first wildlife sighting, but he was soon in very good company.

MOST. BALD. EAGLES. EVARRRRRRRR!

Moose. Everywhere. And 0-60mph in like 3 seconds. Whoah.

Of course, the Alaska Railroad is a very relaxing way to take in some stunning vistas not accessible to automobiles.

Stay tuned! More Alaska #NaturePorn on the way. In the mean time, watch for more Alaska photos on The Naughty Environmentalist's Instagram, and your several-times-daily dose of environment and outdoor news at TNE's Twitter feed!

New: #NaturePorn Tuesdays!

*clears throat, does best stuffy Grand Maester Pycelle voice*
"Aherrm, attend, ahhhhermm, attend!"
"We have Decided and thusly Decreed that each Tuesday henceforth Shall be Knowne throughout the Seven Kingdoms as '#NaturePorn Tuesdays.' And there will Be much Rejoicing -- on theInstagramme, the Twitter, and everywhere betwixt and between the Wall and Dorne!"

Is it Dorne? Outside Meereen, or Yunkai? No ... Sedona, Arizona.

Photos by Kade BP Hutchinson.

The rocks that launched a thousand thousand postcards ... welcome to Red Rocks State Park.

Traveling north of Sedona on US-89a is cooling
in the summer, and stunning in the fall.

Without question, the most fantastic view from any Starbucks, anywhere. :-)

Photos of the Day: NOT #StarWarsDay, I swear!

These locales locales look truly otherworldly -- but they are all places I've had the fortune to visit and photograph.

Setting of another sun, on an alien desert? Nope. Sol over Sedona, Arizona.

Spider Rock, Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. Reputedly home to the Navajo goddess
Spider Woman. Hey, she had some serious powers. Maybe a Jedi ...?

Alien code? Nope. Pictographs on Newspaper Rock, Canyonlands National Park, Utah.

Evil alien, frozen in stone by his enemies? Nope -- amazing rock formations
in the Valley of the Gods, Utah.

Monument Valley, Utah.

Valley of the Gods, Utah.

"I Am Ten Thousand Cathedrals Rolled Into One." [Photo & Video]

One of my favorite posters, a large, gorgeous photograph of the Grand Canyon that I bought at the park, had this quote by Alfred Bryan written across the bottom: "I am ten thousand cathedrals rolled into one."

Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson. South Rim, GCNP, near "Duck on a Rock."

The poster made the hairs on my arms stand, and goosebumps tingle all over, because for me it is so deeply, profoundly true. What are all the architectural works of man compared to the awe-inspiring grandeur of the Grand Canyon, or Zion Canyon? Nowhere do I feel more humble, more spiritually connected, than in the presence of these sights. This feeling -- it's what moves me write, to work to protect our precious wild spaces.

Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

Unless you were a Boy Scout and had the fortune to attend Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, you probably have never heard this song, "I Don't Mind." The group is a collection of Philmont alumni singing simple, but especially in this case, powerful songs. The album is called Sawin' on the Strings.

Here's to Nature, and the Great Outdoors!

Urban Nature: Spring Has Sprung on the High Line [photo]

New Yorkers and tourists alike enjoy a bit of nature and open sky this weekend on the High Line.

Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

Even in the City - perhaps most especially there - even short walks in the outdoors decrease stress hormone levels significantly.

Naughty Environmentalist is on Instagram!

New and improved ... By filters, yay!

Follow it!

http://instagram.com/ecokade/

Cheery Cherry Blossomness!

I'm sure I'm not the first to post one, but this is the first cherry blossom tree I've seen blooming in the District this year -- so I'm bloody well taking a picture! ;-)

Scott Circle, Washington, DC. Immediately before a storm that
will probably annihilate nearly every last bloom. :-/ 

Outdoorsy much?

If so, consider subscribing to the National Parks Conservation Association (@NPCA) newsletter, "Park Lines."
Like most of you, my inbox looks about as cluttered with commercial bulk mail crap as my snailmail box -- but Park Lines is completely worth your time. So is their blog, http://www.parkadvocate.org.
Just from this week's newsletter, there are four pieces that I want to pass on to you.

First up, an adorable slideshow called 12 of the Quirkiest National Park Animals.

Next, a warm 'n fuzzy story about a most excellent victory for Grand Tetons National Park, called "Filling in the Gaps at Grand Teton: 1,280 Reasons to Celebrate."

Here they pass on some wonderful news about a beloved seashore on Lake Michigan, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Finally, "Feeling Small Again: 5 Tips for Visiting National Parks with Kids" should provide some great pointers for those of you with chirrens runnin' 'round.

"But will they try to get me to join?" you ask? Yes, they probably will, but even as a poor grad student I found this to be the most affordable and rewarding membership I ever found. The magazine and schwag are really fun, it's a wonderful cause, and it's hard to beat $25 for membership.

So go sign up for the newsletter at the very least -- and then go outside and get some park time!

[All photos in this post are courtesy NPCA.org.]

Very cool! Want a more meaningful Spring Break experience in Tijuana?

If so, head to TRNERR.org. The San Diego Refuges (@SanDiegoRefuges) say that you can learn about available

Photo: TRNERR.

volunteer opportunities on the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve website. When you find your bliss, sign up right there on the spot!

Alternative Break!

I say horse ... you say carriage.

I say spring ... you say break!

Some of my favorite Spring Break memories weren't from beach keggers, though -- they were from field trips and volunteer trips.

 University of Colorado Boulder has one such program officially instituted: Alternative Break. Spring Break on San Diego's beaches, helping their wildlife refuges? Sign me up!

Winter gone; boycott over. See? [Spring pix!]

Despite the fact that it is related to actual physical injury, I must make amends for my absence. So: pictures! Well, pictures first. Non-fluff to follow also.
Since Spring has finally sprung for real, let us sit back a moment and enjoy it.

The Grand Canyon (South Rim),
seemingly resisting Spring's push.Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

One moment it seemed like the storms would never stop rolling through ...

Weather patterns change quickly over the
Grand Canyon (South Rim), Arizona.
Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

But then the veil began to lift, curling away.

Kanab, Utah's best street EVARRRR. PS, as an earth scientist,
I can guarantee you building this street was anything but easy.
Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

From then on, the path got much "easier" ...

... And soon it was nothing but blue skies.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on Utah 12, near Escalante.
Mountains in the far left distance are the La Salles. Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

Captain Obvious, the Mysterious Camouflaged Lizard,
clings to the wall of a slot canyon called Coyote Gulch in
the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

A meadow near Telluride, Colorado, blanketed with wildflowers galore.
Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

Life starts creeping and seeping up through every available nook and cranny ...







































... Eventually exploding  in a wondrous profusion of color and activity.

Even the most unlikely, desolate places can be transformed ...

Goblin Valley, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah.
Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

Capitol Reef National Park shows off some of its colors.Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

... And it doesn't matter how lofty or grand the setting, the tiny living motes bring meaning and beauty to the scene.


































The views from the top of the world can make you giddy...

Alpine lupine festooning meadows below Mount Sneffels, Colorado.
Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

Grosvenor Arch, near the Arizona/Utah border, just northwest of
(some of) Lake Powell. Photo: Kade BP Hutchinson.

... But never forget just how "worth it" it really is to get out and see as much of this world as you can.

Some eye candy from Mother Nature to tide you over

Quick check-in to apologize for the long absence; there was a nasty, nasty manuscript I edited that was due in the wee hours this morning. Now that's done, I expect I'll have one if not two new posts for you over the weekend.

In the meantime, some visual distractions!

If you've never heard of TreeHugger.com, they're lovely, and they have a photo pool over on Flickr that's really gorgeous. I have a few photos up there, and hope to add more soon.

These two are the scenery I wish I'd be seeing on Monday, if I really must endure more snow:

- A blustery crimson-and-alabaster morning near Monument Valley proves this area is amazingly haunting even in the vilest weather;

- Bryce Canyon shows off its white coat with its usual grace.

And these, by contrast, recall much more pleasant, warm memories. Enjoy! :-)

- At somewhere over 100 degrees in the sun, it was profoundly pleasing to take a dip into this huge, bracing pool underneath one of the Southwest's most stunning waterfalls, in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument'

- the humbling grandeur of my current all-time favorite park, Zion National Park (I think that peak is Angel's Landing);

- Sedona, Arizona, never camera shy, showing off its famed "Snoopy" and other lovely sunset sights from the well-trodden airport overlook -- and others from near the beautiful steel-truss bridge on US-89A.