There’s a quiet kind of magic in Hatcher Pass after fresh snow. The red lodge feels like the only warm heartbeat in miles of white wilderness, tucked deep in the Talkeetna Mountains. A reminder that solitude can be grounding, not lonely.
#Alaska #HatcherPass #Winter #SnowyLandscape #NaturePhotography #RemotePlaces #Wilderness #mountainviews
Autumn Pika
A Collared Pika savors the final days of autumn as the Alaskan tundra erupts into a riot of colors.
Sitting Pretty
When the tundra looks this stunning, you have to sit extra adorably to compete. This is the September image from my 2026 calendar, which is now for sale! I've been creating a calendar for friends and family for the past three years. After three years of refining my photography and searching for the right print shop, I'm ready to offer a calendar for sale to anyone who would like to hang my art on their wall. Go to jfsf.art/2026-calendar or tap the link in my profile to purchase.
Chonked Up For Winter
Psst! You’ve got a bit of Star-Tipped Reindeer Lichen on your nose. Up… up … up a bit more. There you go.
Autumn Pika
As the tundra erupts into a rainbow of fall colors, a Collared Pika pauses to contemplate the passage of time.
Alpine Doordash
A Short-Tailed Weasel pauses in a talus field while carrying a Northern Red-Backed Vole back to its den up in the Alaskan alpine tundra. Compared to the amount of time I've spent, I've seen far more weasels in alpine environments than anywhere else. I'm guessing it's partly because they're much easier to see on talus or tundra than in grassland, and partly because there's abundant prey and relatively few predators. Someday I hope to find an alpine weasel burrow.
Collared Pika
I’m heading back to Alaska for one last shot at these little guys before the winter. There may also be some moose.
It’s amazing just how short the growing season is in the Alaskan alpine. When I visited in early July, the tundra was just starting to turn green. Now, just over two months later, and I’m hoping to catch the tail end of the autumn colors.
Explore the sweeping beauty of Alaska’s Talkeetna Mountains with Independence Mine Alaska Panorama by Dan Sproul. This panoramic winter scene captures the historic Independence Mine at Hatcher Pass, framed by rugged snow-covered peaks.
🖼️ Available as wall art, prints, and more:
👉 dansproul.com/featured/independence-mine-alaska-panorama-dan-sproul.html
#Alaska #LandscapePhotography #Panorama #DanSproul #FineArt #WinterLandscape #TalkeetnaMountains #HatcherPass #NatureArt #AlaskaPhotography
Hoary Marmot Portrait
A Hoary Marmot pokes its head up out of the talus.
Talus Reverie
A Collared Pika surveys its alpine home.
Hear Ye!
Her Fuzziness Petunia IV, Princess of the Pikas and Tyrant of the Tundra, brings these tidings to her subjects: “Squeak!”
Rock Ptarmigan Surprise
A Rock Ptarmigan pops out of its bokeh-filled alpine habitat.
Castle in the Clouds
A Collared Pika watches as clouds roll into its alpine home.
A free pro tip for anyone getting into alpine photograph: check the cloud ceiling height before setting out. On this day, I had 30 minutes of dramatic fog rolling in, followed by hours of dense enveloping whiteout fog. If I’d checked the forecast, I would have gotten going earlier to enjoy more of these dramatic conditions and less of the whiteout.
https://jacquesfortierart.com/2025/07/22/castle-in-the-clouds/
Marmot Scene
I’m at a bit of a loss to caption this one. The best I came up with was “honey, come quick; the marmots are being weird again!” What’s your caption?
Snowy Pika
A Collared Pika stands guard in front of a late season patch of snow. Very important note: this is an elusive “pika in front of snow” shot and not a hackish “pika in front of boring sky” shot. Careful fieldcraft and discerning composition were required to achieve this particular white background!
Ptarmigan Scene
A Willow Ptarmigan surveys her summer home.
I didn’t believe the hype about ptarmigans, so when this ptarmigan bum-rushed me as I walked by on the trail, I only had myself to blame. We eventually made a compromise where I took glamor shots and she briefly stopped trying to knock me over.
