First stop...Talketna lodge. Usually, you have a nice view of Denali and the Alaska Range. We did get a good visual our first night, but not good enough to capture with a camera. It's still a fabulous view of the Talketna valley. Gorgeous!
The running of the children! Here is Blake running down the hill at the Talketna lodge at full speed.
Cedric is running against the clock. Can he beat his previous time? Maybe he should try it again...and again...and again... LOL Tired children make good traveling children. ;-)
In the town of Talketna, we all took turns "kissing" the moose, but Uncle Steve's picture was hands down the best. He really looks like he's getting slobbered on by a moose!
Cedric and Jim at the Earthsong Lodge
An Earthsong sled dog showing his softer side.
Into the park we go! Denali N.P. was established as Mt. McKinnley Park in 1917 and was only 2 million acres. Today, Denali N.P. and preserve is 6 million acres.
We took a guided bus tour. It was an 8 hour trip that took us 62 miles into the Denali N. P.. Blake waits for the bus in his carseat.
The Bus is HERE!!!! Here we GO!
The Bus is HERE!!!! Here we GO!
Our first wildlife was a not so shy porcupine in a tree.
Here is a Great Horned Owl nest with 2 babies in it. Right next to the road! How lucky could we get?
Blake missed the first quarter of the trip, but doesn't he look cute?
Cedric and I mug for the camera at one of the rest stops.
Wendy and Steve at one of the rest stops.
BEAR 12 O-CLOCK! In the road! We are soooo lucky!
Awesome! The bear turns and heads back towards the bus. He's looking right AT us!
Then he heads down towards the river. Maybe something smells good down there. I'm sure this bear is hungry after a long winter. Spring came way late to Alaska after our April snow and cool May. In fact, the leaves had just started sprouting the day before our bus trip.
A Mama moose and twin babies goes running off into the bushes. Wendy got a good pic of one of the babies and the Mama. They were soooo cute.
DALL SHEEP 9 O-CLOCK! Right next to the road again! And there are two little baby sheep about 2 weeks old.
Everytime the "babysitter" moved, the little babies would scamper after her. They kept trying to rest, but the babysitter would keep moving. The bus driver explained that sheep would designate one of the group to be a babysitter for all the babies each day.
Just one example of the views you see in all directions all throughout the park.
PTARMIGAN! This bird still has some white feathers from his white winter coat. These birds are brown in the summer and white in the winter.
More bears! We saw a Mama bear with two 2 year old cubs. The cubs stay with their Mama for 3 years before being kicked out to make their own way in the world. These bears were a beautiful creamy white color.
Here is another picture of the baby Great Horned owls.
We saw many other animals that we couldn't get pictures of. We saw lots and lots of Snowshoe Hares, several Golden Eagles soaring and playing, a ground hog and lots of other birds and probably lots of other animals that I can't remember. I should have written them all down.
Here is a Great Horned Owl nest with 2 babies in it. Right next to the road! How lucky could we get?
Blake missed the first quarter of the trip, but doesn't he look cute?
Cedric and I mug for the camera at one of the rest stops.
Wendy and Steve at one of the rest stops.
BEAR 12 O-CLOCK! In the road! We are soooo lucky!
Awesome! The bear turns and heads back towards the bus. He's looking right AT us!
Then he heads down towards the river. Maybe something smells good down there. I'm sure this bear is hungry after a long winter. Spring came way late to Alaska after our April snow and cool May. In fact, the leaves had just started sprouting the day before our bus trip.
A Mama moose and twin babies goes running off into the bushes. Wendy got a good pic of one of the babies and the Mama. They were soooo cute.
DALL SHEEP 9 O-CLOCK! Right next to the road again! And there are two little baby sheep about 2 weeks old.
Everytime the "babysitter" moved, the little babies would scamper after her. They kept trying to rest, but the babysitter would keep moving. The bus driver explained that sheep would designate one of the group to be a babysitter for all the babies each day.
Just one example of the views you see in all directions all throughout the park.
PTARMIGAN! This bird still has some white feathers from his white winter coat. These birds are brown in the summer and white in the winter.
More bears! We saw a Mama bear with two 2 year old cubs. The cubs stay with their Mama for 3 years before being kicked out to make their own way in the world. These bears were a beautiful creamy white color.
Here is another picture of the baby Great Horned owls.
We saw many other animals that we couldn't get pictures of. We saw lots and lots of Snowshoe Hares, several Golden Eagles soaring and playing, a ground hog and lots of other birds and probably lots of other animals that I can't remember. I should have written them all down. The next day, we visited the Park Headquaters to see their sled dogs and see a sled dog demonstration. Here two sled dogs stand on their dog houses. They are watching their "neighbor" try to get on his house.
Sled dog puppies!
Steve and Cedric visit with the sled dogs.
And HERE THEY COME! Running full speed, barking and carrying on, are the Denali Park sled dogs! Sled dogs are the best mode of transportation in Alaska despite the modern developments of snow machines and snow cats.
Sled dog puppies!
Steve and Cedric visit with the sled dogs.
And HERE THEY COME! Running full speed, barking and carrying on, are the Denali Park sled dogs! Sled dogs are the best mode of transportation in Alaska despite the modern developments of snow machines and snow cats.
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1 comment:
Very cool post! Wow, you guys really are lucky to have so much great wildlife around you. I'd be in HEAVEN!!!
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