Wildlife of Denali

It was time to leave Denali.  An early morning departure meant we might have some good wildlife viewing.

Denali was again wearing its white cloak.

The driver pointed out where he had seen a wolf eating its kill the previous day and there was the wolf, checking to see if anything had been left.  The carcass looked to have been picked clean.

Further down the road, this guy was along the road.  Was he licking his chops, expecting tourist for breakfast?

I didn't like the look in his eyes.

Down the road yet another wolf was hunting.  The driver said the black wolf was a member of a different pack.

Then we spotted this cow moose with her calf.

It was a challenge to get a good shot at such a distance.

Then we saw caribou.  It's amazing how they can hold up those antlers!

I think this one was scratching its chin.

A Dall sheep was just barely in view.  On the trip out of the park we saw four of the big five, only the grizzly eluded us.  As I have mentioned before, in this park the people are in cages (buses) and the animal roam free.  It makes it difficult to get great shots but I have never before been in a place that felt so wild, so real.

Then it was time to board this man-made critter.  After our six hour bus ride we still had a seven hour train ride.  Once in Anchorage we would grab a taxi to the airport for a 1:30 am plane home.  We had awoken at 5 am and would travel until 10:30 am the next day.

For more of the worlds critters, check out Camera Critters.

Blue Sky Over Denali

Our last day at Denali.  Our fellow travelers had left early in the morning but we had arranged to spend an extra day.  We awoke to blue skies above but that did not guarantee that the Alaska range would be cloud free.  We were going to Wonder Lake for a hike up Blueberry Hill.  Soon we would know, would "The Mountain" show itself?

As we came up over the ridge, there it was, at 20,320 feet, Denali!  Well, maybe not all 20,320 feet, it was wearing a little cloud cap, but we were satisfied.

We got out of the van at Wonder Lake, enchanted by the clear blue sky ant the great white mountain in the distance.

I pulled out the telephoto for a closer look.

Too soon, the blue sky and magnificent peak were gone again.  Like Brigadoon, shrouded in mist.

See more skies from around the world at Skywatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Denali Tundra

I've been playing hooky, off to my mountain hide-a-way where I am off the grid.  I'll try to finish with the Alaska photos before I return to my hermit life.  It's amazing how long it is taking me to finish a one week trip!

Our scheduled full day at Denali was another gray day.  Since there was no chance of seeing "The Mountain", we elected to go on a Tundra walk.

This is an amazing ecosystem, very different from anything I see in California although it does remind me of bogs I have visited in Maine.  There is a great variety of low growing plants.  We saw a variety of fungi.

There were mosses and lichen which provide sustenance for the caribou in the winter.

The tundra has a springy feel when you walk on it, rather like walking on a mattress.

There is a great variety of berries, these low cranberries were not yet ripe but blueberries were abundant and we picked and ate them as we walked along.

The miniature dogwood I have seen in Washington  but not in California.

This shot may not look like much but I find it quite interesting.  This beaver pond has been drained and you can see a feature that you would not see if it was full of water.   Do you see the pile of sticks at the left side?  enlarge and you can see it better.  I have drawn a yellow line where the beaver had his entrance to the lodge.

You can see more images of our outdoor world at

OutdoorWednesday hosted by Susan at a Southern Daydreamer.

Into Denali--Outdoor Wednesday

This was the day we would go into Denali National Park.  We left the lodge in Talkeetna early so that we could arrive at the train station in Denali before the train.  No, we weren't going to take the train but that is where we would meet the bus into the park.  They came once a day to pick up their guest and timed their trips to coordinate with the train from Fairbanks.

With few exceptions, private cars are not allowed inside the park.  There are three types of transportation, all on converted school buses.  There are tour buses and shuttle buses operated under contract with the Park Service and there are lodge buses, operated by the three lodges located at the end of the road deep inside the park.  We would take one of the lodge buses.

Since it is a seven hour journey there were several stops along the way for restrooms and for the snacks that the driver had along.  There were also stops for scenery and wildlife viewing.  And there were rules.  No one was allowed out of the bus when wildlife was in sight, you could open the window to take pictures but no part of the body was to be outside.

It was another drippy, overcast day.  I was confident, though, that the skies would clear before we left.

At the Eielson visitor center we saw this incredible piece of artwork

A four panel fiber art creation that was hand dyed, painted, embroidered and quilted.

I couldn't get it all in one shot.  It is magnificent!

The classic shot of Denali (Mt. McKinley) is looking south from wonder lake.  The driver stopped so we could get a picture.  See it?  Neither did we.

We reached our destination, the Kantishna Road House.  I couldn't believe that we had been on the bus seven hours.  Even with the clouds I found the scenery breathtaking and the trip went fast.

It is 91 miles from the depot to the Roadhouse, all but 15 are dirt road.  Passengers on the shuttle buses may get off and go hiking and re-board another bus if there is space.  Areas where wolves or bears have been sighted are off limits to hikers.

Find other view of the outdoors at Outdoor Wednesday, hosted by Susan at a Southern Daydreamer.