Apr
01
2010Got some time to finish up the ice sculpture photos and post up some more selects. If you are saying “what? What ice sculptures?” You should click here to read part uno - CLICK FOR PART 1 -. So… on to more pictures and a little bit more story. Almost being in Alaska for a week now, I can tell you this was the most fun I had while taking pictures here. I mean… how often to you get to go photograph the location where the world’s best ice carvers come to compete?! Again, these pictures don’t give these guys nearly enough credit because of all the melting that had taken place before I showed up.
Mar
31
2010This afternoon I headed for the Chena hot springs resort. It’s a joint roughly an hour out of Fairbanks. You really start to understand how large the state of Alaska is and how spread out the residents are when you drive on a highway for a good hour and can count the number of cars you pass going the other direction on both of your hands. Beautiful land and a lot of it!
Mar
31
2010Already knew when I started this post it would be a two-parter. Have way too many pictures and not enough time to go through them right now, but I wanna stay true to my word and post a couple photos a day while I’m up in Alaska. That handsome devil with his chin resting on a ice block is me! My bud Brian and I walked through the ice festival carvings here in Fairbanks with our DSLRs. It is thee location for this stuff and where the world’s best carvers come to compete. I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I didn’t see it in person. Absolutely amazing ice sculptures, some almost 30 feet tall! Granted we walked through the park after the festival was over and the sculptures had been there for weeks. Another unfortunate issue with the ice is that Fairbanks has been surprisingly warm this last week, with temps rising above freezing in the later afternoon. So the ice has melted a bit and the sculptures lacked the once amazing detail from when first carved. However, one benefit we had going for us was that since the event was over we were able to walk in and around the sculptures that are normally roped off.
Mar
29
2010Is it just me, or has airport security gotten a little out of control up here in Alaska? First you want me to take off my shoes, then my laptop has to come out of the bag, you give me the stink-eye while I walk my barefoot ass through the metal detector like you are waiting for me to yell the word ‘bomb’, and check my ID 47 times before I buckle my seatbelt on the plane. But this next move is truly over the top. Bears… yes, bears. Bomb-sniffing bears are now patrolling Alaskan airports. These two jokers were at the Fairbanks airport greeting people at the baggage claim.
In all seriousness, these things are huge! I know bears are big and all, but geez. It was impressive enough to see these things encased in glass boxes, I couldn’t imagine one out loose. The polar bear, the largest MEAT EATING land animal, true story, just looked it up on wiki. You survival dudes are crazy thinking I’m gonna lay my butt on the ground in the fetal position, crossing my fingers he doesn’t swallow me whole. So… what is the logic here? So I can make it easier for me to fit in his mouth? Bite-sized Matty, served on a platter. I’ll be running… fast and in the opposite direction. I don’t care if he catches me, at least I won’t be laying on the ground messing my pants. I’m hear to tell you, if I mess my pants it’ll be while I’m running at full speed, thank you very much. According to wiki, CocaCola has been lying to us all these years. Apparently polar bears do NOT drink their pop, nor have the ability to flick the cap off the bottle, how depressing.
Forgive the poor pics, they were taken with my iPhone, the glass doesn’t help either. Got in really late last night and settled into the hotel. Got out really later today and got some pictures of the local ice sculptures. Got some really awesome stuff! I’ll be posting those tomorrow evening, or night… cause I’m an hour behind all you PNW’ers right now. See ya tomorrow!
