A River Runs Through It

On a recent trip to the Interior of Alaska, I got a roadside view of the Matanuska River winding its' way through the valley of the same name towards the Gulf of Alaska.

Waiting their turn

In the not too distant past, purse seiners would compete in a survival-of-the-fittest battle for returning salmon in Sitka Sound. Occasionally, they would agree to take turns, as shown here this summer off Long Island.

The Table is Set

I've been told that there is an old Tlingit saying that "when the tide is out, the table is set". At the mouth of Indian River, along the Totem Park trail, a Tlingit settlement thrived for years until the Russians drove them away. The river still hosts thousands of returning salmon every summer, treating locals and visitors to a close-up view of the cycle of death and new life.

In search of Gold

The Pioneer statue in front of the Sitka Pioneer Home was erected in the late 40's and has stood there as a symbol of the independent spirit these hardy people brought to Alaska. It took two shots to get this image.