9 Moments of Frozen Alaska Zen
Here’s a little visual respite from the hullaballoo of the holidays. As crazy as the malls and the roads may get, Alaska (even the “big city” of Anchorage) is never far from peaceful places. Here’s hoping you find a few of your own, wherever you may be.
Spruce and alder thicket at the base of the Chugach foothills.
The grass, formerly known as “green.”
Blue spruce rings a row of cow parsnip.
A Christmas tree moment.
Even dead stuff is beautiful.
This is similar to what cow parsnip looks like when it blooms in the summer – now, ice flowers.
The deep tangle of an alder thicket.
Let us bow our heads.
Little buds and green leaves taking a nap.
The cow parsnip photos — in fact, all the photos — are lovely. We’re having a little snowstorm here in NYC, and that’s lovely, too.
Same here! Alder hell is increasing up here with climate change too.
Nice photo of an alder thicket.
In his book “Coming into the Country” about exploring Alaska, John McPhee used the expression “alder hell” to describe densely intertwined thickets of alder nearly impossible to fight your way through.
When I first read the book I did not understand what he meant. But I have since moved to Alaska and have had the unmitigated joy of attempting to push through these thickets. Now I get it. And I have the scars to prove it.
Alder hell. Even more fun when interlaced with Devil’s club.
Oh, and that cow parsnip is nasty stuff.