Alaska Day 3: Denali NP (Express Publication)

Before Denali becomes deep frozen, I'd like to e-pub my Day 3 which I have been working on for the past 7 weeks. I hope you understand this is a big project, as there is so much to show. OK, now enjoy the views through my camera lenses:

Polychrome Pass
人在画中游

（山顶上的雪，头一天还没有呢）

Reasons why I will visit Alaska again:
1) I didn't see Mt McKinley. I didn't drive the Denali Highway.
2) This trip was a little too wet.
3) Cruise could be fun.
4) I had only covered less than 1/6 of the biggest State of the US.



Today (Aug. 19, 2006)we had to get up really early (5:30am) to catch a Denali Wildness bus tour departing 6:30am from a hotel 8 miles north from our place (We got pushed to this bus late yesterday. Thanks to Cingular, we got the voicemail). I looked out from our small east-facing window, and saw an overcasting sky lit low by the rising sun. Being an optimistic person, I thought the clouds were clearing up. On our way north, we saw sunlight breaking though clouds. To me, it was a good sign.

Our tour bus was an old-fashioned school bus. Our tour guide was a school teacher. He had been driving tour buses in Denali in the summer for more than 20 years. We came a little late, and had to sit in a row where the wheel was. It got uncomfortable only after a short time.

The view kept changing as we drove into the park. It was thick coniferous woods (taiga: northern evergreen forest) at lower altitudes. Our tour guide explained to us that usually moose-sightings happened here. But it turned out to be a moose-free day. We also learned about fungus infections in spruces, and some animals that fed on pine barks in one extremely cold winter that eventually killed the trees. Our tour guide was very knowledgable, as it turned out. He kept telling us things about Denali during our 13-hour trip. His topics ranged from flora and fauna, to geology, and to local history, especially mountain climbing at Mt. McKinley. He also told us a folk story on how Mt. McKinley came to life. He loved his job a lot. I could easily see. He also teaches at Healy High School. He pretty much teaches all the subjects. He also couches women's long distance running team.

Our guide told us that we were looking for the Big Four today. They are Moose, Dall Sheep, Caribou, and Grizzly Bear. We were lucky enough that we saw three of the Big Four, and we even witnessed the encounter between caribous and Grizzly bears.

Grizzly bears: mother and cubs

herd of caribou

close encounter

run for life

close view

Denali is beautiful in its mountains and waters, in addition to its wildlife.


Braided river (it might be Savage River), Denali NP

Toklat River ?

Polychrome Pass

The road looks dangerous:



looking down from our bus:

TO BE CONTINUED...