A back-country photographic journey in Alaska has always been on my bucket list. A typical tourist-type land and cruise vacation was not what I had in mind, however this was my only option for making this trip in 2024. The difference in the two is the ability to photograph on a photographer's schedule (location, time, and lighting) compared to having to acquire photos on the tour's schedule. Many of our sightseeing opportunities were limited due to several large forest fires. That said, we did have the opportunity to view some of nature's true beauty. The one word that kept coming to mind while there was "vast." Everything was on a grand scale, and it took hours to travel the distances between habitated areas. Wildlife was sparse in the middle of warm summer afternoons, and color and lighting was hit and miss. We did have the opportunity to add several national parks (Denali, Wrangell-St. Alias, Glacier Bay, and Ken Fjords) to our National Parks list. The Alaskan state and national parks, like the parks in the lower 48 and Canada, are another feather in the cap of National Treasures. I hope you enjoy viewing the variety of photos I have chosen to share.