My friends first visit to Denali National Park

This is Nancy's first visit to Denali National Park, so we wanted it to be special. We left the campground around 7 a.m. and headed north.

We stopped at the North View point. We got a few shots of Mt. McKinley. It was clear as a bell. (Just how clear is a bell?) Great views of the mountains in the range. Okay, so the vegetation was a little high.

At the next stop, no trees hindering the view. Can you believe that shot!!! People spend days and weeks waiting for that view.

We arrived at the Wilderness Access Center about 8:30 and were promptly signed up for the bus to the Eilson Visitors Center. We left at 9:30 for an 8 hour day.

Today was Grizzly Bear day at the Park. We saw about 12 different bears. They are changing from their summer, blonde hair, to the winter dark brown hair. Quite a sight.

A sow with two cubs.

One of the cubs posing for us.

Dall Sheep on the mountainside. Wished I had a honking zoom camera!

Some nice scenery shots.

A few more Dall Sheep on another hillside.

A good look at a grizzly. You can see how the fur change is taking place.

This male was walking down the road. There was a car to his right and a camper truck around the corner on the left and we were waiting for him to just keep moving it and get off the road! He was a large bear!

More shots of the mountains without the snow. In the month since we were there, many of the mountains lost their snow. Don't worry, it'll be coming back real soon.

A variation of the Red Fox. A beautiful small fox. The drivers unwillingness to stop for this fox did cost him.

Running female and young cariboo, aka reindeer.

Another grizzly.

Some Dall Sheep on a far away mountain.

Nice scenery of a river that is low in water. It will pretty much stop shortly, or be frozen.

Another grizzly - kind of young, looking at mom.

Cariboo tend to stand with their back to the highway or vehicles so that they are ready to run at a moments notice. He (don't really know the sex of the animal) was getting a nice rack. Rut season is just around the corner.

We would like to have seen this one. It chose to take a break. Can't tell if it is male of female as they both have antlers.

Here is a video of a grizzly taking a stroll near the bus.

We had a great day even if the only moose that we saw was one that Nancy spotted as we were hurtling down the highway. We had dinner at the Salmon Bake at the Denali Strip Mall and then made a lazy drive back to Byers Lake.

Travel Day–Savage River Cg to Teklanika River Cg–DNP

Today was travel day to Teklanika cg. It is located at Mile 29 on the Park Road. After you cross the Savage River bridge, the road is gravel to the end of the Park Road. The bridge is probably about Mile 22 as Savage River Cg is about Mile 19.

I had asked the Gate Attendant the day before about crossing the bridge. She stated that they don’t let folks go across and head up to Tek until 10 a.m. Well, she wasn’t working the day we went because there were several 5ers ahead of Nan and myself. Nan pulled out about 9:40 and I was about 5 minutes after her.

It was a really nice drive up the road. Even though it was gravel, (dusty!!!) it was in great condition. I made several stops on the way up. Okay, I made a bunch of stops on the way up. I used the camera through the window, stopped on the road and opened my window, pulled over in the pullouts and now I have so many shots. Only so many to go up here for you folks to view, but I intend to post a bunch on Picasa and will share them when I do that.

At one point when I was pulled over, (chalet05) Anita and LeRoy passed me on their way up.

Got to the campground.

Entered the first loop and found Anita and LeRoy parking. Drove on a bit further and found a pull-thru (I think the only one in the campground) just made for Suite Pea and me!!!! Actually, I was in shock that it was still available. Then I remembered I had just met a big rig that was going out when I was coming in back about 3 or 4 miles. Lucky me!

As I was sitting up, I called on the radio to see if I was the last one to arrive and to find out where everyone was parked. Tina and Liz were still on the road. Nan doesn’t use the radio so I didn’t know where she had parked. No, I wasn’t going to risk losing this prime piece of property driving around to find her!

Nice campground.

Tomorrow is trip day for Liz and her girls, Tina and Nan. I’ll walk the Boyz for Tina.

Cleaning up the air

We are having a bit of a rain here at Denali National Park. It is like a fall air cleaning after harvest. Just sprinkles real lightly for about 10 or 15 minutes. Then it stops and waits about 15 or 30 minutes and does it again. Hope it's just for the Sunday visitors and it has no plans to continue this week.

They have a camera setup at the entrance visitor center where you can go stand and wave at your family and friends. The camera refreshes every 15 seconds. Not great pics, but it is fun. I called and talked with my brother and sister-in-law while waving to them.We got a kick out of doing that. Yes we could skype and do all the rest of that stuff, but hey, here it was waiting for us. Here is the photo my sister-in-law captured. Hard to tell anything about it, but it's me.

First the whole picture.

Then it is cropped.

Tomorrow we will go into a week of silence, unless we bring our machines out to the front and access the internet here. We have tonight here at Riley Creek Campground. On Monday and Tuesday night we are in Savage River Campground. On Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night we are in Tetlanika Campground. We are back out on Sunday.

I have a pass for the entire journey to the end of the road on the 6th. That is 12 hours from the front but we will be probably two or more hours out when I get picked up. I am getting so excited about being here!!! and getting to see all these things! I talked with two ladies today at the Visitor Center and they had seen several bears, moose, and a cariboo just walked right in front of the bus they said. I have seen all of the wild animals, but it is still exciting to see them in their natual habitat.

Okay, I'll have some stuff for you in a week or so. Hope you have as great a week as I plan to have!!