When I first arrived in Anchorage, AK, it was the end of April. Mounds of snow were still visible around town. The mountains still covered. We even had a couple of days of snow in May. Winter keeping its hold on Alaska despite the spring calendar.

The first trip up to Denali, the rivers and lakes were still mostly iced over. Slowly thawing as May progressed.

Soon chunks of ice were all that remained. Jutting up against each other in the rivers like giant pieces of styrofoam.

Then the rivers were flowing deep and wide. Swiftly without the ice to slow them.

As Alaska woke from its winter’s slumber, the trees became green. Next, ferns sprouted abundantly from the earth amongst the trees. With each trip up, a new layer of green grew.

Next, ponds of water appeared that weren’t there before. These form when the permafrost melts slightly.

Not to be outdone by the greening of the forest, plants and grasses begin growing in these swampy areas. Lilly pads grace the ponds and lakes. Numerous in numbers. Yellow flowers begin to blossom from them.

With the sun shining all day and into the night, plants grow quickly. I note this when several plants along the rail that looked like rhubarb (They aren’t. It just looked like that to me), were five feet tall or more and now had full, large expanses of white flowers.

The lupine are in bloom and the fireweed have begun to blossom as well.

Alaska cannot stop showing off its vibrant colors.

Below are some pictures to highlight the changing seasons. Note especially the spliced together photos from Hurricane Gulch. How quickly the scenery changes in one month!