7-9-04 Talkeetna and Denali

I probably could have slept much later today but around noon the sun was heating things up pretty good in my truck. I grabbed a shower in the gas station and breakfast at the diner next door and headed up the Talkeetna cut off to check out the ranger station there. The ranger station is the base for all expeditions to Mt McKinley and all climbers must check in there. The question of the day and I think most days was "when are the clouds going to move so I can see the mountain" (McKinley). And the very patient rangers explain about how the mountain is so big and tall that it make it's own weather, Over and over and over again. I commented that I had gotten so shots of the mountain early that morning and people didn't believe me, so I had to show them. It turns out that from Talkeetna the clouds you can see in my pictures are covering the top of McKinley and that being about 70 miles north gave me a better vantage point.

I was more concerned with the weather up in Denali National Park. I was hoping to drive up that way and get tickets for the first bus of the day in to the park, and the forecast was looking good and the smoke was even blowing back to the north. So I set off to Denali to get my tickets and find a camp site to park in. Upon arrival at the visitor center I was treated to the site of over 200 people standing in line to get tickets for the park buses that can go in to the park, private vehicles can only go 14 of 70 miles in. Turns out most buses were sold out for the next day and the day after. I quickly decided to forget getting too far in to Denali on this trip, next time I will be earlier or later in the summer when the crowds aren't so bad. And I think I might even put in to the lottery to get an all access pass for my truck next fall when the give out a limited number of private vehicle access passes. I did go the 14 miles in and back that are allowed and saw some great scenery but few animals.

Today's Map

This was the best sighting of wild life I saw in the park, it's a quail of some kind. I also saw a beaver swimming in a very distant pond but didn't get good shots of it, Some crazy lady that was stopped there was convinced that what we were seeing was a bull moose swimming in the pond. The pond wasn't that big and I tried to explain that moose don't yet have there full antlers at this time of year, but there was no reasoning with her.

This area had signs that said closed due to wild life activity. I stopped a few times and spent allot of time looking through my big lens for Wolfs. I had found out that when you see one of those area signs it often means there are dening (with pups) wolves in the area. I also Had learned that this area did indeed have dening wolves. But no luck, I didn't really expect to see any as they are very reclusive, epically so when they have pups near by.

Evening light on the Alaska range

As I was about to exit the park I came across this moose calf that seemed disoriented and was wandering around the traffic circle near the visitor center can calling for it's mother. I was on the look out for the mother because if she thinks her baby is in danger look out! But even with the calf calling constantly no mama. Puzzled I left, stopping to let the rangers know what I had observed.

I left the park and about two miles out I spotted this moose standing in the river. I suspect that this is the baby's mother and that while crossing the river the baby got swept down stream. I should note that while I had traveled a few miles, straight line distance to the calf was much less. I hope they found each other.

And Lookie here Denali again! at the same spot as last night / this morning but it does happen to be 4:00 am again.

Another view from farther south

And this time I drove down to the vantage point in Talkeetna and got some great shots there as well. Two days in a row very lucky!

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