Though it was only early September, the autumn colors were already out around Anchorage.  This was my first trip to Alaska; I traveled there for a few days as a guest of my father, who was on a familiarization tour of Anchorage for an upcoming conference he was planning.

Much of the fall color in Alaska comes from this plant, called fireweed; it seemingly grows everywhere.

A patch of fireweed.  This set of pictures was taken outside of Anchorage during an all-terrain vehicle trip alongside a lake formed by a glacier.

Color emerging.  Besides the ATV trip, this day included kayaking out on the nearby lake.  Despite all the time I have spent over the years photographing fall foliage, this was my first time ATVing and kayaking.  I’m definitely a fan of kayaking now; ATVing is fun, but noisy; I’d rather take walks and see the color up close.

More fireweed.

A crystal-clear day.

More fireweed.  The red of fireweed and the yellow of aspens and birches are the dominant colors in Alaskan foliage around Anchorage.

Golden fireweed.

Before autumn arrives, fireweed has a cottony tuft on top of it, which disappears as the weather turns cold. I saw cotton tops occasionally on the plants along roadsides closer to the city. 

More fireweed.

I had been planning a foliage trip to New England this year, as photographing the autumn colors has now become an annual ritual for me.  However, I saw enough color on this Alaska trip to keep me happy for another year.

Fireweed ablaze.

Just a little more color.  By the time foliage appears in New England, all of this has already given way to snow and winter in Alaska.