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"My own personal trail to Alaska can be traced back to a chance reading of an obscure little article in the Sunday newspaper in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. The article described the Volunteer Vacations program run by the American Hiking Society, which allows people to volunteer for various trail building, restoration, and other projects for numerous agencies across the United States. Being unemployed at the time, I figured I had plenty of time to spare, so I sent in my application and was assigned to a backcountry footbridge-building project in the remote southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. |
I enjoyed the work so much that I worked on a Volunteer Vacations project the following summer, this time helping to build a trail in the Chugach National Forest in Alaska. That was a two-month, 12,000 mile life-changing trip for me -- the day after arriving home in Missouri I knew I had to return to Alaska. So in the Spring of 1984, armed with just enough money for gas (one-way) to Alaska and a three week supply of Ramen and oatmeal, I packed the car and headed north, this time as a summer volunteer trail ranger for the Chugach National Forest. Well, one thing led to another and I started college that Fall in Anchorage, and I've been here ever since!"
"I've always had a keen interest in photography, made more intense and fulfilling by my move to Alaska. As an amateur photographer and member of the Alaska Society of Outdoor and Nature Photographers, I have traveled Alaska in search of the perfect shot. From the frozen but awesome icescapes of the Juneau Icefield to the forests and mountains of Southcentral Alaska, to the icy shores of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the windswept beaches of the Aleutian Islands, I have amassed a collection of over 6,000 images of Alaska. Recently, I've begun exploring the unique capabilities of high-definition, widescreen video as a way to capture the spirit of Alaska and its wildlife."
"Professionally, I am a Cartographer specializing in Geographic Information Systems for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, Alaska. Although it is a full-time job, it has fortunately allowed me to continue my volunteer activities, namely as a surveyor and faculty member with the Juneau Icefield Research Program. If you'd like to see some of my photographs of the Juneau Icefield, please visit the Photo Gallery at The Crevasse Zone."
- Scott McGee
http://www.alaskaphotos.biz/
For more McNeil River State Game Sanctuary photos
from photographer Scott McGee, click here. |
