High Sierra Topix

I did a Heli-in backpacking trip to the Yukon in September, right at the height of Fall color. In addition to some amazing Aurora we were also treated to great Fall color. This is looking West toward the Tombstone Range.

Tombstone Range, Yukon by David Young, on Flickr

Those Tombstone Peaks are stunning- nice photos! Is this an area where we can take our dogs? We're going to be traveling in Canada before long. Thanks, Ian.

Thanks, Ian. It was a great trip and one I am hoping to do again. I've been thinking about going in September 2019. The fall colors there are spectacular. If I do go I will be hiking in on the Grizzly Lake Trail and then over Glissade Pass. I have a handful of other photos from there on my Flickr page in my signature.

The park has a PDF with a lot of good info: www.env.gov.yk.ca/camping-parks/documen ... AL2017.pdf

It looks like dogs are allowed if they are on leash. I think the leash requirement is more to protect the tundra than because of the Grizzly's. Once past Grizzly lake there are no established trails but there are use trails between some of the lakes and they ask that you stay on flagged routes and hardscape whenever possible. They are pretty serious about protecting the tundra. When I went in the beginning of September (2014) there had been an early snow and then a melt which made the ground soggy. When we went to pick up our permit they were cancelling all existing permits and they were helicoptering out people who were already camping in the park because the soggy ground made the tundra more susceptible to damage. I was with a commercial group and for some reason they let us continue with our trip. I know that they have also helicoptered out a large group who were backpacking without permits. So I would take the leash requirement to heart.

Oh, and if you do go, take a tripod. The Northern Lights there were just jaw-dropping amazing.

Alexandrite Lights by David Young, on Flickr

Hey, thanks for both the inspirational photos and the information on Park policies. How long did you leave your shutter open to create that image of the aurora? I spent a winter north of Fairbanks, and learned to love the Northern Lights, but never captured them with a camera.

That shot was 10 seconds at iso 3200 and f2.8. Most of my shots from that night were from 5 to 10 seconds. Longer than that and the streaks of light lost their definition as they danced about and looked "smeared", so I kept the shutter speed relatively short. I thought that I had taken a longer exposure for the land and then blended that with the sky, but looking at the files the land and the sky was captured in one shot. The nearly full moon was just peeking over the tops of the mountains to the right which lit up the mountains and also gave that red color to the clouds on the right.

Sunrise, Walden Pond

Some photos from day hikes on our trip to the Italian Dolomites 2nd week of September this year.

Odle Mountains at head of Val di Funes: Marmolada from the Viel dal Pan: Tres Cime:

Fantastic Phil,

We've long wanted to get deeper into the Dolomites. It looks like you saw them in fine weather. I recall Gaston Rebuffat describing the climbing on Tres Cime as "climbing on air." I guess because of the extreme overhanging nature of the cliff, they spent so much of the climb in etriers. Have you figured out a way to travel with your dogs (?), or are you a sad, dogless family?

wildhiker wrote: ↑Thu Oct 11, 2018 10:44 pm Some photos from day hikes on our trip to the Italian Dolomites 2nd week of September this year.

Odle Mountains at head of Val di Funes:
IMG_3466.jpg

Marmolada from the Viel dal Pan:
IMG_3532.jpg

Tres Cime:
P1160515.jpg

So jealous, the Dolomites are high on my "to do" list. A list that seems to be getting longer, not shorter...

Harlen wrote:

Have you figured out a way to travel with your dogs (?), or are you a sad, dogless family?

Our family is dogless, but not sad, so travel is straightforward.
-Phil