Three Septembers at Eklutna Lake

When I lived in Alaska once of my favorite places to go for a relaxing walk or a hike, especially in the fall, was Eklutna Lake.   Located about forty miles driving distance from Anchorage, Eklutna Lake has a well developed trail system that can accommodate anything from easy walks along the shoreline to difficult hikes into the mountains.  I usually brought my camera along, and recently I was looking through photos that I had taken there, and decided to reprocess a few of them.  I'd like to share a couple of those reworked photos, with a few thoughts...

The first three photos were taken in September 2008, a few months after I'd bought my first DSLR (a Nikon D40).  I was still learning how to use that camera, mostly pointing and clicking and flailing away at the point...  I took these photos while walking on the multi-use road (four wheelers, bikes, walking) that winds along the left side of the lake.  This first one was taken heading out from the parking lot...

The next photo was taken somewhere along the road (I don't recall exactly where).  I do remember thinking that the "window" in the trees where I was standing, as I looked at the trees on the side of mountains in distance, made a good frame for a photo...

While walking back to the parking, I was able to zoom in on a distant mountain, and capture the first dusting of snow in the upper elevations.  Two seasons caught in one photograph, the coming of winter and the fading of autumn...

In September 2010 we had an unusually warm spell, so I took advantage of that on a Saturday and hiked the Twin Peaks trail.  This trail goes up and up and up, approximately 2.5 miles where, once you reach the top of the ridge, above the treeline, you're rewarded with panoramic views of Eklutna Lake and Knik Arm.  I took this photo of Eklutna Lake while sitting on the ridge, enjoying the warmth of the sun, a snack, and resting for a bit before heading back down...

This last photo was taken in September 2012, while walking along the shoreline on another sunny fall day.  I came across this pile of trees, obviously stacked for a bonfire that never occurred.  Later I decided that this would make a good a subject for a black and white photo...

Going back through these photos gave me a chance to once again think about enjoyable days at one of my favorite places, and to use the knowledge I have now to bring out the best in the photos I took while there...

First four photos were taken with: Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Last photo was taken with: Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-300 DX VR

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