Spaulding Meadows, Juneau, Alaska – Image 2807

Spaulding Meadows is my go-to place when the snow is fresh and the skies are clear. Once again, I return and keep returning to Spaulding meadows for more and more images. This evening image of the Juneau area is shot up in the upper reaches of Spaulding Meadows from Auke Mountain. It is the only place I know that gives such a sweep of the Juneau waterfront with the airport and valley in the foreground moving along the Mendenhall Flats to the downtown lights in the far distance. To get this shot I cross country skied for almost 6 miles up a 1,900 foot climb. Then I waited for the approaching evening, shot until it was dark, and skied back down my tracks with a headlamp. This image illustrates the month of December and the cover in my 2013 Juneau Alaska Calendar. Enjoy the photo and thanks for visiting.Camera body: D700, Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm f/4 /digital capture/ISO 200 © Mark Kelley