In pictures: Spring’s transformation of the Southcentral Alaska landscape

By Marc Lester
Updated: June 4, 2020 Published: June 4, 2020

Hikers take in the view from Windy Point along Turnagain Arm at sunset on March 30, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

So much has been said about what the pandemic has cost us, and rightfully so. But if there’s any silver lining, it might be the uptick in the number of people getting outdoors these last few months, if the crowded trailheads are any indication.

I know I have enjoyed taking some time to enjoy and photograph the landscape in Southcentral Alaska and beyond as the seasons transform it from snow-white to vivid green. We’re fortunate to live in such a dynamic place. Here are some of my favorite scenes from early to late springtime 2020.

Backcountry skiers and snowboarders rode the slopes at Hatcher Pass Management Area on March 24, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

A cyclist crosses Portage Lake on April 3, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

A mountainside catches the sunlight in Hatcher Pass State Recreation area on March 24, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Ice pans collect on the shoreline of Turnagain Arm near Portage on April 3, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Portage Glacier under a partly cloudy sky on April 3, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

The nearly full moon rises into view over a ridge in Chugach State Park on April 6, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

A runner passes through a sunny stretch of trail on Flattop's southern route on April 26, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Ice shows cracks along the shoreline of Eklutna Lake on April 19, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

An ice-free Eklutna Lake reflects the blue sky and clouds on a calm day on May 10, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Sunlight hits the Matanuska Glacier on May 15, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Rolling agricultural land is in the foreground of tall peaks near Delta Junction, Alaska, on May 13, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Chugach peaks reflect in a pond along the Glenn Highway in Glacier View on May 15, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Sun lights part of the Glenn Highway in Glacier View on May 15, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

The Alaska Range is in view in the distance on a rainy day on Curry Ridge in Denali State Park on May 25, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

An Arctic tern carries a fish over Potter Marsh on May 27, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

A rock ptarmigan walks on the tundra near the Pioneer Ridge trail near Butte on June 3, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Tiny pink flowers grown on the tundra along Curry Ridge in Denali State Park on May 25, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Newborn moose calves stick close to one another at Arnold Muldoon Park in East Anchorage on May 29, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Flowers grow along the Pioneer Ridge trail on June 3, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Joe Mongeau, of Eagle River, casts for king salmon at Eklutna Tailrace on June 3, 2020. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Marc Lester

Marc Lester is a multimedia journalist for Anchorage Daily News. Contact him at mlester@adn.com.