Winging Out The Pass
In the last week of 2017 which was my very last week as a full time resident of Alaska I had the rare gift of an opportunity to shoot the 'snow fleet'. This time it was far up north in the interior as the ARRC dispatched a pair of geeps with Spreader 9 to work north winging out sidings over the course of several days. Frank Keller and I got an early start out of Anchorage and headed north on the desolate Parks Highway to meet up with the train just south of this point. We'd spend the entire day shooting the train working in subzero temps, although on the day after winter solstice a 'full day' only amounts to just over 4 1/2 hrs between sunrise and sunset here at about 63 degreees north latitude!
The 'fleet' is seen here winging out the north end of Broad Pass siding at MP 305. In just about 7 miles distant at aptly named Summit they will crest the highest point on the entire Alaska Railroad at the Northern Continental Divide (the watershed between the Arctic and Pacific Oceans). Considering that this wide valley (hence the name) is where the railroad crosses the Alaska Range, home of 20,310 ft Denali only 60 miles distant, it is utterly remarkable that the crest is only 2363 ft above sea level!
Broad Pass, Alaska
Friday December 22, 2017
Winging Out The Pass
In the last week of 2017 which was my very last week as a full time resident of Alaska I had the rare gift of an opportunity to shoot the 'snow fleet'. This time it was far up north in the interior as the ARRC dispatched a pair of geeps with Spreader 9 to work north winging out sidings over the course of several days. Frank Keller and I got an early start out of Anchorage and headed north on the desolate Parks Highway to meet up with the train just south of this point. We'd spend the entire day shooting the train working in subzero temps, although on the day after winter solstice a 'full day' only amounts to just over 4 1/2 hrs between sunrise and sunset here at about 63 degreees north latitude!
The 'fleet' is seen here winging out the north end of Broad Pass siding at MP 305. In just about 7 miles distant at aptly named Summit they will crest the highest point on the entire Alaska Railroad at the Northern Continental Divide (the watershed between the Arctic and Pacific Oceans). Considering that this wide valley (hence the name) is where the railroad crosses the Alaska Range, home of 20,310 ft Denali only 60 miles distant, it is utterly remarkable that the crest is only 2363 ft above sea level!
Broad Pass, Alaska
Friday December 22, 2017