Category: Alaska

Plane Views: Anchorage to Nome

This is Part IV (the final part) of my series of “Plane View” pictures taken during my trip from Cape Town, South Africa to Nome, Alaska. Part I is here, and Part II is here, and Part III is here.

After we reached Anchorage, my husband and I had three nights to recover from jetlag (and do some work, kayaking, and shopping) before our flight up to Nome. Thus, we were rested and able to enjoy the views on the flight to Nome although cloud cover kept us from seeing the best views of Nome. Perhaps when we fly out next month the weather will be clearer, and we’ll be able to see more.

Enjoy the pictures! As usual, please feel free to comment on any interesting geological features which you observe.

Flying out of Anchorage:

To Nome #1.
To Nome #2.
To Nome #3.
To Nome #4.
To Nome #5.
To Nome #6.
To Nome #7.
To Nome #8.
To Nome #9.
To Nome #10.
To Nome #11.
To Nome #12.
To Nome #13.

Middle of Flight:

To Nome #14.
To Nome #15. A rainbow in the sky!

Flying into Nome:

To Nome #16.
To Nome #17.
To Nome #18.
To Nome #19. About to land!
To Nome #20. In Nome at last!!!

 

Plane Views: Minneapolis to Anchorage

This is Part III of my series of “Plane View” pictures taken during my trip from Cape Town, South Africa to Nome, Alaska. Part I is here, and Part II is here.

By this third flight, my husband and I were starting to become fairly tired. However, we managed to take some excellent pictures out the window anyway, particularly as we approached Anchorage. Enjoy! Feel free to comment on any interesting geology you see!

To Anchorage #1. Somewhere in the Dakotas, we think.
To Anchorage #2. Golden stream.
To Anchorage #3. A meandering stream flanked by oxbow lakes, sparkling golden in the late afternoon light.
To Anchorage #4. Are those kettle holes dotting the landscape?
To Anchorage #5. Kettle holes?
To Anchorage #6. Interesting river features.
To Anchorage #7. Another view of the meandering stream.
To Anchorage #8. ALASKA at last!!! So beautiful!
To Anchorage #9.
To Anchorage #10. A mountain peeking through the clouds.
To Anchorage #11. Surreal scenery.
To Anchorage #12. Snow-covered mountaintops.
To Anchorage #13.
To Anchorage #14.
To Anchorage #15.
To Anchorage #16. Just gorgeous!
To Anchorage #17. A braided river in the valley.
To Anchorage #18. Another view of the valley with the braided river.
To Anchorage #19. More gorgeousness.
To Anchorage #20. Approaching the city.
To Anchorage #21. Almost ready to land!

I’ll try to post Part IV (the last part) sometime in the next several days, work schedule and internet connectivity permitting.

Whale Carcass on the Beach in Nome, Alaska

Here’s a bit of a biological interlude. I’m currently spending about two months in Nome, Alaska working for a marine gold exploration company as I explained before. I’m really loving my job so far, but I can’t share pictures or information related to my work. However, I can share some pictures from the town and surrounds. Currently, there is a giant whale carcass on one of the beaches here in Nome. I find the dead whale disgustingly beautiful, if that makes sense. I imagine the carcass will continue to decompose. Perhaps I’ll take pictures of the carcass again in a few weeks. Can anyone identify the whale species?

Whale on Nome beach #1.
Whale on Nome beach #2.
Whale on Nome beach #3.
Whale on Nome beach #4.

Off to Alaska…

Jackie and I in front of the Chapman's Peak Nonconformity in Cape Town, South Africa, May 2011.

I have an announcement to make: in a few days my husband Jackie and I will be flying from our home in Cape Town, South Africa to Nome, Alaska. In Nome we’re both going to be working for AuruMar, a South African based marine gold exploration company. We’ll be working in Nome for about two months. I am very excited about this opportunity to travel to Alaska and gain experience working in industry, and I’m even more excited that my husband and I will be going into the field together. We’ve spent far too many months apart over the last 5 years, and usually it’s one or the other of us hopping on an airplane, not both.

I will not be blogging about my work in Nome (or any of my industry work), but I will probably share a few pictures from Alaska when I return. If you’d like to learn more about gold exploration and mining in Nome, I’ll refer you to AuruMar’s official news releases. If you’d like to learn more about independent/amateur gold mining offshore of Nome, I’ll refer you to The Discovery Channel’s reality TV show “Bering Sea Gold” (called “Gold Divers” in some countries).  This TV show probably skews, scripts, and edits “reality”, but I’ll recommend the show anyway. The show does have some great underwater shots of gold-bearing sediment!

I’ve set up “Monday Geology Picture” posts and a few other things to autopost while I’m away. However, I won’t be able to check my blog regularly and respond to comments and such. I look forward to interacting with everyone when I return!