Spring Mountainscape

Spring in Alaska. There is more sunshine. Warm sunshine. Snow is still on the ground but there is the sunshine. It makes all the difference in the world. The nights are still cold and some of the days can be brisk and bite at your skin. But sunshine warms us up and improves our spirits after the long dark cold winter. It thaws our bones.

The sun shapes what we see. It is great fun to look over the Tanana River Valley and watch the main peaks of the Eastern Alaskan Range: Mt. Hayes, Mt. Hess and Mt. Deborah. The sun highlights different parts of the mountains as it moves across the sky. It works like a kaleidoscope changing your view. The light illuminates different parts of the mountains from daybreak to sunset. The light can be a cool white, a warm yellow glow or orange and even pink before the sun sets completely. It’s worth watching to enjoy the different shapes and colors of the mountains and clouds.

The amount of mist also shapes what you see. Sometimes the mist forms clouds that look like mountains themselves. That can be a fun surprise and just adds to the drama and surprise of the view.

The watercolor above was done as the setting sun cast a warm glow on the peaks. Mt Hayes is the large mountain on the left and the twin peaks Mt. Hayes and Mt. Deborah are on the far right. The Tanana River snakes through the valley in the foreground.