Dates September 3–10, 2005
Leaders John Shaw, Jack Dykinga, Len Rue, Jr. and Cliff Zenor
Fee $3,795 from Anchorage, Alaska
Deposit $800
Limit 30
Special Terms and Conditions Apply
Our Denali National Park in Autumn Photo Safari has been a perennial favorite among our clients. Now, this great tour just got a whole lot better!

For Autumn of 2005, we've reserved the entire North Face Lodge in Denali National Park for our group of 30 enthusiastic photographers! Strategically located 90 miles inside the borders of the park, North Face Lodge is a unique wilderness retreat that offers outstanding views of Denali and is an excellent base for unparalleled access to Denali's most photogenic sites. We'll have exclusive run of the lodge, enjoying the freedom and camaraderie that is unique to an all-photographer's getaway! Our lodge operators are the only park concession able to provide private photographic access within the national park on a daily basis!

Not only have we secured the park's finest accommodations and transportation for our group, we've assembled a great team of photo leaders for this unique adventure: John Shaw, Jack Dykinga, Len Rue, Jr. and Cliff Zenor. In addition to their extensive nature photography credentials, these leaders have spent considerable time photographing in Denali and can share with you their individual perspective on capturing the many facets of the park with your camera. Throughout the tour, you'll have access to their expertise on nature and landscape photography, as well as their knowledge of the park's wildlife and natural history.

Autumn in Denali offers the chance to photograph Alaska's greatest park cloaked as comparatively few see it. During any season, the park offers some of the most striking vistas found in Alaska, but at no time is the vast tundra more colorful than in early fall. The air is crisp and the tundra flashes spectacularly with red and gold. Snow dusts the high ridgelines and animals scurry about accumulating last-minute calories for winter.

Our accommodations at North Face Lodge are far from the centers of tourist activity and within easy photo access of the great mountain itself, Mt. McKinley or Denali. In autumn the mountain tends to be less eclipsed by clouds, and stunning images can be made with reflections in lakes and ponds. The tundra also provides an endless variety of macro subjects: dwarf willows and birch trees only a few inches or feet in height will be in full fall hue, punctuated by the bright colors of wild blueberries and bearberries. By September, most mammals have put on their heaviest and most photogenic coats in preparation for the coming winter. Moose and caribou will have lost their antler velvet and their mottled midsummer pelage. We will have three full days at this wonderful location for scenic, wildlife and close-up photography.

The spectacular 90-mile drive into the backcountry will also provide us with a broad sampling of the exciting photo opportunities this remarkable park has to offer.

Join John, Jack, Len and Cliff on this memorable photographers-only tour to majestic Denali National Park in the spectacular season most people miss. Even if you have been there in the summer, you'll return from this Photo Safari with new images of—and a new appreciation for—the park in all of its dramatic fall splendor! This trip may also be taken in conjunction with our Brown Bears of Katmai National Park in Autumn tour September 10–15.



Day 1
We meet in the lobby of our Anchorage hotel for orientation and dinner. (D)

Day 2
Drive to Denali Park with stops to photograph whatever interests us. If the weather is clear we should get some spectacular views of Mt. McKinley as we approach the park. (BLD)

Day 3
We drive the length of the park to its peaceful backcountry area. Many photo opportunities for wildlife work present themselves along this stretch of road, as we hope to see grizzly bear, Dall sheep, caribou, moose and wolf. In reality, the wildlife in this park, though spectacular, is occasionally distant. The prize here is to place these animals in “Robert Bateman-like” landscapes, a haiku in a greater image. Between the Eielson Visitor Center and Wonder Lake we approach within 30 miles of Denali that, at 20,320 feet, is the tallest peak on the North American continent. (BLD)

Days 4–6
These three full days we spend in pursuit of the exceptional images of autumn in Denali Park. During our stay we’ll travel deep within the park to some of its best photo locations.  The vast tundra landscape should be in blazing fall color. We venture out daily to photograph Wonder Lake, Mt. McKinley and animals in the area. Moose and caribou can be very common and accessible here. We’ll also have photographic access to many elevations, up to the subarctic tundra and to the snow line. Some hiking is required. (BLD)

Day 7
We have an early departure to the park’s entrance. On the return drive to Anchorage, we’ll stop along the way for fall color and other photographic opportunities. (BLD)

Day 8
Participants may depart at any time today.

About Our Backcountry Lodge

North Face Lodge lies in the shadow of Mt. McKinley and just two miles from Wonder Lake. The Lodge has a spacious public room with stone fireplace, dining room, patios and covered porches—all with incredible views of Mt. McKinley. Wonderful home-cooked meals are provided in a comfortable and casual atmosphere. Rooms have private baths and are decorated in the manner of a cozy and up-scale North Country guesthouse.





Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris, Inc. P.O. Box 655, Vashon Island, Washington USA 98070
Phone: (206) 463-5383   Fax: (206) 463-5484    Email: info@photosafaris.com
Copyright © 2008, Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris, Inc.