Alaska Trip

Redoubt volcano's ashfall, viewed from Eagle River

March 15, 2009: When Redoubt volcano began to emit steam and a little ash in early March, I photographed it at sunset from the road on the south side of Mount Baldy in Eagle River. That's Anchorage spread out in the middle distance. The bright light in the sky next to Redoubt is a plane landing at the Anchorage International Airport. The next cone-shaped mountain down the coast is Iliamna.

March 28, 2009: By now, Redoubt has been erupting off and on for a week. This day was the first that a serious ash plume had come northeast over Anchorage and Eagle River. This photo shows the same view as above, but in the late afternoon with the plume already over Anchorage and heading toward us. Eagle River is about 10 miles east-northeast of Anchorage.

March 28, 2009: This stitched-together 180-degree view shows the ash cloud in the middle, with clear and blue skies to the south (left) and north.

March 28, 2009: On a clear, sunny day -- which this was until the ash arrived -- this view is of the Alaska Range about 90 miles to the west.

About 8:30 p.m., the streetlights are already on because the sky is so dark. My camera's flash shows how much ash is falling. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says Redoubt blew up again at 7:23 p.m., so we should get another ashfall around midnight. We're also supposed to get a snowstorm. Photo copyright 2009 by Leon Unruh.

March 28, 2009: About 8:30 p.m., the streetlights are already on because the sky is so dark. My camera's flash shows how much ash is falling. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says Redoubt blew up again at 7:23 p.m., so we should get another ashfall around midnight. We're also supposed to get a snowstorm.

March 28, 2009: This is the only safe way to bring volcanic ash into the house -- in a ziplock bag.