More Alaska

I had mentioned Finland in my previous post and I have begun to get a bit fascinated by that country. One reason is that in some ways it is similar to Alaska. The capital Helsinki is in a similar latitude as that of my home, until recently, of Anchorage. The weather is similarly affected by the ocean, but Anchorage is colder due to exposure to the colder North Pacific, unlike Helsinki which is influenced more by the warm Atlantic. The Laplands also have similarities to where I currently reside. From what I have heard, dog mushing is a pastime there, as it is here. It's cold and snowy as well and sparsely populated. It's also near the Arctic Circle, like where I currently am, about 90 miles south of the Arctic Circle.

Another reason is that I am so enamored with Europe in general. I have never been there, but will someday. I have been to Canada and seen pictures of Europe. Canada seems to be sort of a cross between Europe and the States. With that in mind, the thing I notice about both Canada and Europe is the cleanliness compared to America. America seems somewhat like a crumbling empire at times, just past its prime. Alaska is a bit less like the rest of the country, mainly because of its isolation, but nonetheless I long to see other cultures and other places.

The main purpose of this post is to share Alaska with you. Unfortunately, due to my situation and being unable to access my main computer (I'm working on an old laptop right now) I can't share some of my personal photos of Alaska just yet. I do have pictures of moose, wolves, otters, and bears as well as pictures of volcanoes, Denali(the highest peak on the continent), and much more from the last five years here. I will share them when I get a place to live and get set up. If you want to help, theres a PayPal donation button on the side. I've dropped much of the ads for now as they were annoying me as much as you all.

Well on to the sharing, the best way I can for now, by links that I visit often.

• Volcano webcams of Alaska
• General Alaska webcams(all over the state)
• Denali from Anchorage(on a clear day) and Downtown Anchorage
• View from work(almost)

The last link does not do the view from that location justice. Often the camera is blasted with glare from the sun. If you were standing at that location on a clear day you could literally see for about 200 miles to the south with a spectacular view of the Alaska Range and the peak of Denali(also over 100 miles away). It does give you an idea of the weather though in Fairbanks. That camera is located on a hill, with the temperatures being sometimes as much as +30 F higher than that of the valley locations a few hundred feet lower in elevation. Alaska is quite an interesting place. I'll definitely share more as time permits.

Here's a quick pic of Denali from Anchorage, courtesy ACS archives.