I love the far north.

It’s vast, raw, and can leave one feeling isolated and insignificant in all the right ways. There’s an unparalleled beauty to the open tundra and rugged mountains found here that has inspired poets for centuries and deep, spirited Indigenous culture and art for many millennia more.

Over the past year I’ve been fortunate enough to make two trips up to the far north: the first, last August when I journeyed to Tuktoyaktuk, and again this September when I ventured to Nome, Alaska.

Now, I have to preface this blog by stating that I didn’t do this trip alone, as is my usual modus operandi. No, this time I tagged along with Scott and Jackie Stone on their fall muskox photo tour. Admittedly, it was the first photo tour I’ve ever taken, despite having led and co-led a few of my own over the years, and am grateful for the truly wonderful experience they provided. From planning, to positioning, to their expertise in the area and to their dedication over very long days getting us where we needed to be and seeing what we needed to see, Scott and Jackie had us well covered. If this is something you’ve ever wanted to experience, they’re definitely the ones to take you!

I also want to point out that this is my full travel blog on Nome. If you just want to see the gallery of my best images from the trip, click here.

Now, Nome isn’t exactly an easy place to get to. It’s on the far west coast of Alaska, along the Bering Sea and it’s closer to Russia than any major city in the state. There are no roads that get you there. Flying in is the only option – unless you want to participate in the Iditarod.

My journey to Nome began on September 4th with two very long travel days. A quick flight from Edmonton to Calgary, followed by a flight to Anchorage where I’d stay overnight and leave for Nome early on the 5th. That was the plan, at least. Everything Edmonton to Anchorage went off without a hitch. I landed in the afternoon, made my way to my $440 Cdn a night hotel, the Puffin Inn (which turned out to be pretty modest and in a relatively dodgy part of town), crushed a pizza whilst watching wrasslin’ and went to bed, ready for my early flight in the morning.

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I woke up before my alarm and alarm is what I immediately felt when I looked at my phone and saw an email stating my 730am flight to Nome had been cancelled. Nooooo! But within half an hour I received an email confirming I’d been rebooked on the afternoon flight. Great news! But what to do until then?

Enter my unexpectedly irritating Anchorage adventure to see Akira.

For those not in the nerd know, Akira is arguably the greatest anime movie ever made. Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo and released in 1988, it’s an animation masterpiece that revolutionized the way people approached the genre and it brought anime and Japanese culture to a wider western audience. It’s a perennial fave and I was once responsible for bringing the Art of Akira exhibit to Edmonton. I seriously love this film. And it was being rereleased in theatres this weekend only. My excitement when I heard about the rerelease had quickly turned to disappointment when I knew I would be in Alaska but now I had a chance to see it! I looked up the closest theatre, saw it was only a 7 minute car ride away, booked my tickets for the 1035am showing and made my way to the hotel lobby 40 minutes before showtime to get a cab. Flawless planning.

Or so I thought.

My cab never showed.

After 20 mins the front desk called them again. And again I waited. Still nothing. So she called again. Finally at 1040, the cab arrived. Forty-five minutes after we first called and five minutes AFTER the movie had already started. I was pissed. So was the cabby because his dispatch had apparently sent him to the wrong hotel and he had been waiting there the whole time. I arrived 12 minutes after the movie had started, rushed into the theatre and was relieved to find that with the trailers and commercials, I hadn’t missed a thing, walking in right as the opening credits started. Phew. I relaxed into my seat and gladly immersed myself in the mind-melting world of Tetsuo and Kaneda’s Neo Tokyo for the next two hours.

Once it was done, I called a cab to come pick me up. Surely they couldn’t screw up a second time, could they? A simple pick up from a well-known movie theatre? Could they?! I’m sure you know where this is going. After 20 minutes, the cab still hadn’t arrived. I called again and another ten minutes passed before the cab finally showed up. I got to the hotel, grabbed my gear and took the shuttle to the airport, thankfully with an hour to spare.

Note: If you take ANYTHING from this blog, it’s that the taxis in Anchorage suck and aren’t to be relied upon to any meaningful degree.

Once I was through security and at my gate, a surprising encounter improved my mood dramatically. Waiting to board, I saw a tall, long-haired, very rock and roll-kinda guy walking my way. He looked familiar and after seeing the “Youth Gone Wild” tattoo down his forearm, it was clear why. It was Sebastian Bach, former lead singer of Skid Row and current frontman for Twisted Sister, who had played the Alaska State Fair the night before. I said hello and we had a really great chat before I boarded my plane. This more than made up for the morning lost in Nome and the nonsense with the cabs. From here my day only got better.

I had an emergency exit seat, extra leg room and my seat neighbours were fellow Nikon photographers and workshop leaders, Tom and Cree Bol, who were also on their way to Nome to photograph muskox for their anniversary. We had a lovely chat over the course of the flight and would run into each other a few times over the next few days. We landed in Nome through thick cloud and hit the ground running by being greeted by Scott and Jackie’s assistants Alyssa and Ethan who took myself and the other two participants (who had also been delayed) to the Dredge 7 Inn to meet up with everyone, get a brief run down and then off to Airport Pizza for food before heading out for our first attempt at finding muskox in Nome.

But I feel like I’m getting ahead of myself a bit. Why am I even in Nome? Why muskox? What is it that’s drawn me to this isolated part of the world, almost as far north and west as one can possibly be on the American continents?

As I said at the start of this piece, I love the north. But more than that, I’ve long been fascinated by the muskox; a creature seemingly out of a storybook, borderline otherworldly and one that reminds this scifi nerd of the banthas from Star Wars or the mastadge from Stargate. They’re a survivor from a prehistoric world that looks more at home with wooly mammoth and sabretooth cats than with ptarmigan and foxes. Don’t get me wrong, there’s other epic megafauna in the area as well; grizzlies, moose, caribou, amongst others, and all of whom I love to photograph, but long before I ever picked up a camera, the muskox is an animal I’ve dreamed of seeing. And since picking up a camera, one I’ve longed to capture with my lens, particularly in the autumn tundra.

And why Nome? Why not somewhere in Canada? Primarily, travelling to the northern parts of Canada that are home to larger quantities of muskox is quite cost prohibitive. Conversely, getting to Nome isn’t too bad. All told my flights were probably around $2000 Cdn. Secondly, thanks to programs that reintroduced muskox to the Seward Peninsula in 1970 and 1981, the muskox populations near Nome are plentiful. Nome also only has three roads in and out, each of which ends after roughly 100km forcing you to turn back, and it’s situated along the Bering Sea, offering another great perk. The town is small with a population of approximately 3000 people and reminded me a bit of Tuk. I think most northern coastal towns have the same vibe, with remnants of industry past and present everywhere. But once out of town, the industrialization minimizes and gives way to stunning landscapes. Despite being so isolated, Nome does offer the basics of most everything you’d need – although at a steep premium. Don’t expect any culinary delights while you’re in town though, especially if you’re vegetarian. I did make due with a lot carbs and beige food and have to thank Airport Pizza, where we ate twice daily, for accommodating a couple of my requests. I was grateful for the tasty meals!

Right, Airport Pizza…this brings us back to the now of our tale.

We finished eating and ventured forth for our first look at the landscape and to hopefully find our first muskox of the trip. Our cohort consisted of six others: leaders Scott and Jackie Stone and photographers Sujinder, Paige, Arlene and Cindy. The early evening was moody and wet, making the tundra pop in a cornucopia of colour, splashed haphazardly over rolling coastal foothills punctuated by sharp rock formations straight out of Middle Earth. It felt like New Zealand meets the arctic with a dash of Jackson Pollock and the thick, low lying cloud made everything feel all the more ethereal.

We drove around some of the local roads that connect various sites just outside of town, all of us straining our eyes and necks looking for signs of movement or life, pointing excitedly at various abandoned bits of far off machinery before retracting our erroneous exclamation as the mechanical detritus came into sharper view.

And then it happened…

As we entered our last hour of light, there, unromantically, just outside the dump, we spotted our first small herd of muskox. I cannot begin to express the emotion I was feeling at this moment. Stepping out of the van to gaze upon these magnificent creatures with my own eyes for the first time was both surreal and overwhelming. It felt like a dream, especially in my sleep-deprived state. I had to catch my breath and take it all in before taking any shots at all.

The dominant bull laid in the grass surrounded by a handful of cows, unwilling to give us the time of day or look in our general direction. But just on the edge lurked an interloper; a younger bull keen on making his mark. He looked right at us, his ancient eyes peering at me through my long lens, almost like he was looking right through me, neither interested or bothered by our presence. His wet, straggly fur clung to his body in the rain as he stood in a field of deep reds and orange with a green backdrop that felt more like Scotland than Nome. I fired my frames, looked at my files and smiled.

This is the moment I’d long dreamt of and it finally happened. I was so elated with the shots that if this was all I had gotten on the trip, I would have come home happy.

But this was just day one and many more incredible opportunities would present themselves. Soon the big bull tired of the interloper and chased after him in an explosion of speed. Looking at them, you’d never think them to be so fast. But these 800 pound behemoths can reach speeds upwards of 60km/h and are not to be taken lightly. As both bulls disappeared over the horizon, the cows lazily followed and our encounter was over almost as quickly as we came upon it. We drove around a little more in the rapidly waning and misty light before returning to the hotel around 10pm and tucking in for a well-deserved night’s sleep.

Nome – Day 2
Wheels up at 740am and it was a frosty start discovering that my shower had no hot water. Dipping the important bits in and scrubbing what I could was all I could muster before jumping out to warm up, make breakfast and jump in the van. We started the day driving around in the hills close to town where we saw a few muskox but nothing particularly close. I snapped a few long lens, minimalist landscape shots through the low mist and fog and continued to be amazed by the landscape before spending some time with a cow and two younger calves. Once we exhausted the area close to town we began our day’s journey down the Nome-Taylor highway.

We’ll only travel 60 miles (100km) or so but it will take us several hours with many stops and starts. The fall colour is even stronger today and popping off all along the mountains with small rivers and reflection pools abundant along the first part of the road. We’d encounter our first herd of muskox in a gravel pit and while not particularly photogenic, it does whet our whistle for more. The two bulls moved away rather quickly and despite our best efforts to photograph them, we were unsuccessful. We needn’t have worried, however, as our next encounter would prove to be one of the absolute best of the trip. As we passed along a high mountain pass, we came across another group on the edge of the ridge, overlooking an incredible valley below with mountains in the distance, providing us with incredible environmental portrait opportunities.

These muskox shots are among my favourites as their dark fur really pops against the pastel tones of the expansive background. We approached the herd slowly and cautiously to let them get comfortable with us and watched as they closed ranks into their protective formation. They soon loosened up a bit, and the cows all got into a great line for us. This was such an incredible experience. Standing high on the tundra, overlooking a vast pastel plateau in the distance and seeing these incredible creatures is something that very few will know and a moment I’ll cherish forever.

We continued down the highway, in awe of the landscape. The mountains here all seem to have rocky outcrops on the peak and are truly fascinating to see. One could spend months here just photographing the landscape alone but alas, as this was a muskox tour, we didn’t have much time for landscapes, aside from some brief stops near Salmon Lake where we played earlier in the day. We reached the end of our time on this road just after we crossed the Kuzatrin River, about 25 miles from its actual end, at the start of the Bearing Land Bridge Natural Preserve.

Heading back south we encountered the first herd again not far from the gravel pit. The two bulls had returned and after a short bushwhack we were in a great position for some shots. The older bull moved to the top of the hill where he paused to give me my absolute dream shot and by far the photo of the trip. This image is exactly what I came for and have dreamt of for a very, very long time and am so thankful to have returned home with an image I’m unbelievably proud of.

The younger bull started pushing his way around the cows, feeling a bit saucy but not finding any takers so he placed his head gently on the back of one of the females, almost as though he was changing his strategy. This is another of my favorites from the trip and I feel a tender moment not often seen amongst muskox.

We left this group with gratitude and headed back to town, right to Airport Pizza for dinner, where I was happy they made me a mushroom fettuccini instead of their usual meaty ones. After we ate we went back up the hill looking for some muskox we saw from down below and walked around rocks with only getting a shot of the calf playing peekaboo behind a boulder. These ones really didn’t want their picture taken.

We got back to the Dredge around 1030pm and went fast to sleep.

Nome – Day 3
Wheels up at 8am and another frosty shower! Today we ventured south on the Nome-Council road. 94km through some of the most incredible landscapes; from seaside ocean views to 5000ft up atop gorgeous mountain passes and deep valleys with winding rivers and incredible fall colour.

But before we got fully underway we stopped near Goldengate Creek to photograph a group of muskox near the top of a hill dominated by deep red tundra. It was a bit of a hike on the spongy ground but so very worth it. There was an older bull in the herd, tending to his cows but things got spicy when a younger bull came in to press his luck. The older bull moved to the higher ground and before we knew it, the two started butting heads. This wasn’t a major battle, more of a little sparring session but that didn’t take away from the awe of the spectacle. We could hear their heads clunking together each time they smashed and I captured some really great stuff. Some of the best of the trip. Once they finished we made our way to the bottom, stopping briefly to photograph some startled ptarmigan, and continued along the Nome-Council Road.

This was one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever been on, probably even more so than the Dempster. The wildlife was pretty much non-existent on this road, which Tom and Cree told me the night before when I ran into them at dinner, but that didn’t take anything away from the experience. We drove almost all the way to Council before turning back, and from what we were told, that’s for the best as they tend to ward off outsiders there. We did stop for a few landscape shots along the way, including at the Last Train to Nowhere, an abandoned dredge, and a few abandoned buildings, but I lament not being able to spend days on this road exploring the rugged landscape by truck, foot and drone.

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The weather got progressively worse as we made our way back to town. We got back a little earlier than the night before, went for food and a 15 minute rest at the hotel before heading back out, this time half way up the 114km road to Teller. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the vast and remote landscape was simply jaw-dropping. Each one of the three roads is incredible yet each have their own distinct feel and topography which keeps things fresh. We were on the lookout for muskox, moose, bear, fox and lynx on this road but only really encountered muskox (and a brief, last light encounter with a female moose and calf). The muskox encounter was truly exceptional however, as we encountered them in a field of vibrant yellow willows. As we approached, two bulls were chasing each other, rounded the corner and headed straight for us at full speed! Shit! We all knelt down and seemed to startle them as much as they startled us, leading them to turn around and head back to the herd. We watched this group for a while, saw the older bull chase off a stubborn upstart and then watched as they were all swallowed up by the willows, hearing their distinctive, low rumbles as the willows shook around them. It felt like a scene from Jurassic Park.

Scott returned with the van telling us he saw a young bull moose, female and calf back up the road but when we got back up there, they too had been swallowed by the willows. We drove further up the road as the soft orange light on the horizon faded. We chatted amongst ourselves on the way back and the group really felt like it was starting to gel.

We arrived back at 1130 and all fell quickly asleep.

Nome – Day 4
Wheels up at 830 for our last half-day. Yet still I woke up at 6. Oof. We drove around the outskirts of town for most of the morning looking for any critters we could find and save for a couple fleeting muskox encounters, didn’t see much. We did find a small group on top of the windmill hill and spend a bit of time with them but they bedded down and didn’t want to do anything but snooze. Who could blame them? I was exhausted too. We went back up the Teller road a bit but soon turned back for lunch.

After eating, we made one last futile attempt at the same group on the hill to no avail. We decided to quit while we were ahead and went to the airport to repack our bags and squeeze into the tiny waiting area with everyone else headed to Anchorage.

Thus began my very long journey home.

You see, I’m somewhat of a “thrifty” lad and when booking my flights, tend to opt for the cheapest, most inconvenient options. Future Shane often really hates Booking Shane. This was no exception. The first flight from Nome to Anchorage was uneventful, though I was bumped to first class, which was a nice bonus and my last taste of comfort for the next 16 hours. I had a six hour layover until my 2am red eye to Seattle. I was treated to a lovely sunset while enjoying my mediocre veggie burger and tried to snag some Z’s before the throngs arrived but the intermittent smell of jet fuel that flooded this isolated part of the terminal didn’t help. Finally on board, I slept a bit and eventually made it back to Edmonton around 11am the next day, exhausted and exhilarated from one of the best photography experiences in my life.

Huge thank you to Scott and Jackie for their hospitality, incredible tour and expertise. While I’m still very much a solo photographer at heart, I am truly grateful to have shared these moments with such a great group of people and I can say, unequivocally, that Scott and Jackie run a really great operation. While technically one doesn’t need a tour to explore Nome and look for wildlife, having people familiar with the area and behaviour of muskox, who take care of many of your logistics and daily needs, allows you to focus simply on capturing images and certainly makes your job as a photographer that much easier. I highly recommend that if photographing muskox is on your bucket list, to check out their spring and fall tours and head up with them as your guides. You won’t be disappointed.

Click here for my full gallery of images from Nome.

All images shot on Nikon Z8 cameras using the 800mm 5.6, 180-600mm 5.6-6.3, 24-120mm f4 lenses and a DJI Mini II drone.