WE HAD A LOVELY TIME WATCHING THIS GRIZZLY/BROWN BEAR JUST AFTER WE SAW OUR FIRST BLACK BEARS-THE ONES IN DENALI ARE A LOT LIGHTER AND SMALLER BECAUSE THE RIVERS ARE GLACIAL AND HAVE NO SALMON SO THEY ARE VEGETARIAN WE SAW ONE HIGH AS A KITE ON HIGH SUGAR CROWBERRIES FROLICKING ALONG THE ROAD VERY POOHISH!!
THERE ARE ABOUT 40 DIFFERENT TYPES OF EDIBLE BERRIES THAT ALMOST COVER ALASKA!!SOME PICKINGS ON OUR HIKE UP MT HEALEY IN DENALI NATIONAL PARK
EVERYTHING IS BIG UP HERE NO NOT A SALMON NET-THIS IS FOR HALIBUT THAT CAN BE THE SIZE OF A PERSON!!
PREPARED FOR THE WORST UP THE DALTON HIGHWAY-BITING FLIES,MOSSIES AND LITTLE MIDGES CALLED NOSEEUMS!! COMBINATION OF WARM AND VERY SMOKY CONDITIONS FROM BUSHFIRES MADE OUR NETS REDUNDANT WILL KEEP FOR AUSSIE AND THE WEST COAST NZ !!
WE ENCOUNTERED A GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE I HAD A YUMMY OLD TIME!!
WOOPS SHE IS WILD BUT WAS MEANT TO BE IN ANOTHER CATEGORY ENTITLED "PLUNGING ONE'S FEET IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN"
OUR FIRST REAL BLACK BEAR INTERACTION HAVE SEEN HEAPS NOW
THIS IS A RED SQUIRREL -ARCTIC SQUIRRELS ARE IN PLAGUES ON THE TUNDRA BUT THEIR ANTICS ALWAYS CRACK ME UP
MOM CRESTED MERGANSER AND FAMILY IN MIDDLE OF SWIFT CHILKAT RIVER THEY ARE DIVERS
PUFFINS ARE REALLY CHEEKY CHARACTERS THE END OF BILL MOULTS AND FALLS OFF-ESKIMOES USE AS DECORATIONS AND MUSICAL RATTLES WE WATCHED A PAIR COURTING(PUFFINS-NOT ESKIMOES)
SAW MUSKOXEN ON DALTON HIGHWAY BUT FARAWAY THIS ONE AT UNI IN FAIRBANKS LARGE ANIMAL RESEARCH STATION FINE WOOL LIKE SILK-ESKIMOES MAKE KNITWEAR
HOARY MARMOT ON GUARD MT HEALEY
A YOUNG CARIBOU SAW A HERD IN DENALI-ADULTS WE HAVE SEEN HAVE BEEN TOO FARAWAY TO MAKE A GOOD PHOTO-SAME WITH MOOSE
THE NICE THING ABOUT THE LONG DAYS (STILL 19 HOURS DAYLIGHT IN AUGUST) IS THAT I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HOLD THE LANTERN WHILE SHE GATHERS THE WOOD!
AFTER SEEING AT LEAST THREE STREAMS WITH THE NAME NO NAME CREEK WE COMMENTED ON THE LACK OF IMAGINATION FOR PLACE NAMES. THEN WE CAME ACROSS THIS PLACE ON THE DALTON HIGHWAY. RIGHT UP WITH ANUS (ARNOO) A VILLAGE WE SAW IN FRANCE
HAD TO BE TAKEN!!
NOT EXACTLY MT MCKINLEY BUT A PLEASANT CLIMB WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS OVER DENALI NP. MT HEALEY
THE OIL PIPELINE BECAME LIKE A FRIEND AS WE FOLLWED IT ALONG MOST OF ITS 800MILES IT WAS ALWAYS THERE ZIG-ZAGGING OVER TUNDRA,THROUGH BOREAL FORESTS , UNDER RIVERS AND UNSTOPPED BY ICE AND FIRE.4 FT IN DIAMETER,12FT SLIDE ON MOUNTS FOR THERMAL EXPANSION AND SEISMIC MOVEMENT,1.5 MILLION BARRELS A DAY.TRULY A MODERN WONDER OF THE WORLD
SUN AT 3PM FAIRBANKS AT HEIGHT OF WILDFIRES .ROCINANTE AWOKE TO A COVER OF ASH THE NEXT DAY. WE DROVE ALONGSIDE FIRES .THEY ARE FAIRLY TAME WHERE THE BOREAL FOREST IS VERY STUNTED BUT THEY COVER MILLIONS OF ACRES, MOST FIRE FIREFIGHTING IS CONTROLLED BURNING TO KEEP AWAY FROM TOWNS AND CABINS IN REMOTE LOCATIONS
THE ELUSIVE MT MCKINLEY (ON THE LEFT)
RUSSIANS LEGACY-A LOT OF INDIGENOUS ARE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ESPECIALLY COASTAL AREAS.NO SEATS .IT IS DISREPECTFUL TO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD WHEN SITTING -AN ORTHODOX PRIEST TOLD ME. I WONDER IF DEAF PEOPLE ARE EXEMPT?
