Category: Wildlife

Day 55: Wildlife but no mountain view

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Day 55: Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Our search for wildlife continued as we boarded our bus at 9:40 am. The 120 mile round trip to Kantishna and back took us all day. Our bus driver and tour guide Wayne kept us informed about each area we went through. The weather was overcast and rainy all day.

Our first two wildlife sightings were Grizzly bears. The first was close to the road, the second farther away.

Our first wildlife sighting was a Grizzly Bear
Second Grizzly sighting of the day

Next, we saw two different herds of Caribou before stopping at the Toklat River rest area. There we saw Dall Sheep on two different mountains. The Dall Sheep look like white dots on the mountain without binoculars or a telephoto lens. The pictures aren’t too good but you can tell they are sheep.

Caribou grazing in Denali National Park
We watched this Caribou herd as they moved quickly through the field
Beautiful view from Toklat River rest area
Three Dall sheep. The two rams are butting heads
Four Dall Sheep
Close up of one of the rams.

There were Caribou grazing on top of a ridge before we stopped at the Eileson Visitor’s Center for a stroll in the rain on the Tundra Loop Trail.

Another group of Caribou up on a ridge
Eielson Visitor’s Center
Wildflower on the Tundra Trail at the Eielson Visitor’s Center
Another wildflower on the Tundra Trail
Arctic Ground Squirrel, otherwise known as suicidal ground squirrels because they run out in the road right in front of vehicles.

And then there were moose.

Our first moose sighting was this cow by a pond
A big bull moose in the bushes

The Denali Park Road ends in Kantishna where several gold mines once operated. One of the mines was owned by the Quigleys. When the couple got divorced, Fannie Quigley built a cabin and lived there alone. When the national park expanded its boundaries the several privately owned lodges located there were allowed to continue to stay open.

Fannie Quigley’s cabin at Kantishna
We were on the bus for almost 10 hours

As we began our return trip we stopped at Wonder Lake where on a clear day there is a view of Mt. McKinley. In Denali National Park the chance of seeing Mt. McKinley is only 30% and the chance of seeing a bear is 90%.

A young bull moose
Moose in a pond in Denali National Park
We stopped at Wonder Lake where on a clear day you can see Mt. McKinley

Other than stopping to watch some Dall Sheep far off on the side of a mountain we didn’t make many stops to view wildlife on the return trip.

Total wildlife count for the day: 13 Caribou, 12 Dall Sheep, 2 Grizzly Bears, several Arctic Ground Squirrels, and a Ptarmigan (the state bird of Alaska) flying low to the ground by the bus. A great day!

Day 51: Denali at last

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Day 51: Friday, July 5, 2013. North Pole, Alaska to Denali. Denali RV Park and Motel, Site 5. 194 miles traveled.

With all our chores and shopping in Fairbanks completed it was time to continue our Alaskan adventure. We left North Pole behind and traveled the Parks Highway to our RV park 8 miles outside the entrance of Denali National Park. Our reservations at Teklanika River Camp inside the national park aren’t until Monday so we will be exploring different areas of the park until then.

We made it!
Denali at last

As soon as we were set up in our campsite we drove to Denali National Park. A quick stop at the Visitor’s Center to get our National Park Passport stamped and to purchase my Senior Pass or Geezer Pass as it is often called. I officially became a senior when I turned 62 a couple of weeks ago. The National Park Service offers a Senior Pass to those of us who have reached that ripe old age. For $10 you receive a lifetime pass which gets you into any national park or monument for free and a discount for camping in many of the federal campgrounds.

With that chore completed, we stopped at the bookstore to search for a guide book to the plants and animals of Denali so we’ll know what we are looking at.

It was finally time to go explore the park. In Denali, private vehicles are only allowed on the first 15 miles of the Denali Park Road. To travel beyond that point everyone must travel on a shuttle or tour bus. The only exception is campers going to Teklanika River Camp where we will be going on Monday. More about that later.

As we traveled along the highway marveling at the beauty around us we had to stop a few times when a shuttle bus in front of us stopped. If the shuttle bus stops there must be something good to see.

When the shuttle bus stopped, we looked all around to see what they saw
The shuttle bus was stopped to look at this moose

At the 15 mile mark we stopped at the Savage River overlook to enjoy the view and then turned around to make our way back to the park entrance. We were hoping to get a glimpse of Mt. McKinley. Like most days, clouds were covering the peaks. At one of the overlooks we got out binoculars and searched along with a couple from Texas and a couple from Toronto. Henry spotted the peaks above the clouds first. As he pointed out where to look the excitement grew among the crowd. One by one we heard “I see it!”.

At Savage River overlook at the end of the 15 miles
View from overlook on Denali Park Road
Beauty everywhere you look
We could see Mt. McKinley with binoculars. One of the peaks is just above the clouds in the middle of this picture

On our way back out of the park, we stopped again as the shuttle bus in front of us stopped. A moose was right beside the road not bothered by us at all.

The green shuttle bus stopped to look at the moose
Moose beside the road on the way out of the park
Moose beside the road as we were leaving Denali

Mt. McKinley and two moose on our first visit to Denali! What a great introduction to the park!

We stopped at the Wilderness Access Area to find out information about what to do when we check in on Monday. The lady helping us was from Georgia. She told us we could go ahead and check in so we did. With all the necessary parking and shuttle passes in hand we headed back to our campground.

I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to make some crab stew with some of our Dungeness Crab from Haines. The weather here is windy and cold and it was a perfect night for stew. Out of this world delicious if I do say so myself.

Day 47: Driving the Haul Road

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Day 47: July 1, 2013

If you are a fan of the show Ice Road Truckers you have heard of the Dalton Highway. If not, the Dalton Highway is the road the truckers take to get to the industrial camp at Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean. The road begins 84 miles north of Fairbanks and ends 414 miles later in Deadhorse on Prudoe Bay. The road was originally called the Haul Road because all of the supplies for Prudhoe Bay were hauled by truck to get there. The Arctic Circle is about at about milepost 115 on the Dalton Highway.

The highway is mostly dirt and gravel with some paved sections. The road follows the Alaska pipeline and was built because of the pipeline. The scenery changes as you go along from birch and spruce forest to tundra. Purple wildflowers bloomed in many of the fields.

Our first view of the Alaska Pipeline from the highway
This Arctic Circle Trading Post is a long way from the Arctic Circle
We traveled as far as Coldfoot on the Dalton Highway
Road construction for several miles on the Dalton Highway
Behind a motorcycle on the Dalton Highway
As we crossed the Yukon River Bridge we could see the pipeline
The goalpost like bars are called Headache Bars to keep tall vehicles from having access to the pipeline
Finger Rock

The Bureau of Land Managment manages a small campground and picnic area at the Arctic Circle. When we arrived two young women from the visitor’s center in Coldfoot were set up under a tent with mosquito netting. After having our pictures made, we received a certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle! We ate lunch there and decided to continue on to the Visitor’s Center at Coldfoot, another 60 miles north.

Signpost at the Arctic Circle on the Dalton Highway, Alaska
The Arctic Circle on the Dalton Highway in Alaska
Dalton Highway, Alaska
The farthest north we traveled was the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center in Coldfoot, Alaska

The visitor’s center had a lot of interesting displays including a display showing the location of the Arctic Circle all around the world. At the Arctic Circle we were farther north than Moscow, Helsinki, and Stockholm. For both of us we were farther north than we had ever been in our lives.

By the time we finished at the visitor’s center we had been gone from our campground for 7 1/2 hours and had to drive all the way back. With so many miles to go, we only stopped a couple of times on the way home.

A moose sighting on the way back
A good look at the Alaska pipeline as it goes underground
View from the highway

It started raining on a dirt portion of the road when we were almost at the end of the Dalton Highway. Henry said driving on the wet dirt road was the worst driving he has had to do this whole trip. When we got back to Fairbanks, we had to stop for road construction at 9:00 at night. Fourteen hours after leaving the campground, we arrived home and collapsed into our chairs. A long day but well worth it.

Day 38: Back in the Yukon

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Day 38: Saturday, June 22, 2013. Haines, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Pioneer RV Park, Site 55. 244 miles traveled.

Blondie and I took one last walk around Haines before we got ready to leave.

Fishing Nets in Haines
Buttercups
Our last view from the campground in Haines

After one last look at our beautiful view and saying goodby to our friends in Haines, we continued on our journey to see the rest of Alaska. There were no eagles to be seen as we passed through the Eagle Preserve beside the Haines Highway.

What a view along the Haines Highway
Along the Haines Highway to Haines Junction

We went through Canadian Customs and entered British Columbia. When we spotted a black bear in a field of dandelions, Henry pulled over to the side of the road and backed up so I could get a few pictures. That was no easy feat towing our trailer!

We finally saw a bear!
Black Bear beside the road in British Columbia

From British Columbia we entered the Yukon and spent the night in Whitehorse. There was another Titanium in the park just a few spaces from us. We rarely see other Titaniums and try to meet the owners when we can. The owners of this one were from Ontario on their way to Alaska.

Day 37: A day cruise to Juneau

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Day 37: Friday, June 21, 2013. Aboard the Fjordland from Haines, Alaska to Juneau, Alaska

There have been many WOW moments on this trip but our trip to Juneau has them all beat by far.

At 8:30 am we gathered at the dock with our friends Ted and Ruth Ann to board the Fjordland for an all day cruise to Juneau. The boat has comfortable seats inside the cabin and a nice viewing platform in the rear for wildlife viewing and photography. Our captain was very knowledgeable about the area and he and his daughter kept an eye out for wildlife. He would slow down or stop when there was something interesting to watch.

We took the Fjordland to Juneau from Haines
Aboard the Fjordland to Juneau

Our first wildlife came when we saw hundreds of steller sea lions at a rookery along the rocks.

Steller Sea Lion Rookery in Alaska
Steller Sea Lions
Steller Sea Lion
Stellar Sea Lions on day trip to Juneau
He was off by himself on the rock

There were so many whales we lost count. Some were too far off to see very much detail but we were fortunate to see some up close.

Thar She Blows!
We saw lots of whales close to shore
Humpback Whale
Whale dorsal fin
Whale Pectoral Fin on day trip to Juneau
Such an amazing sight to see their tail
Another dive
One last whale tail

We passed by glaciers and waterfalls and even a lighthouse on the way to Juneau.

We went by this waterfall
A whale went by as we got closer to the lighthouse

The boat docked a little outside of town so we boarded a bus to take us downtown. We enjoyed lunch at the Red Dog Saloon before doing a little shopping and sightseeing in the capital of Alaska. Next was a stop at the Mendenhall Glacier to see a glacier up close.

Miner’s Monument in Juneau
Lunch at the Red Dog Saloon
Red Dog Saloon in Juneau
Mural in downtown Juneau
Capital Building in Juneau, Alaska
Mendenhall Glacier
Waterfalls at the glacier
Mendenhall Glacier with the water falls on the right

After touring the Mendenhall Glacier we boarded the bus for our ride back to the dock. We enjoyed a delicious bowl of seafood chowder with smoked salmon while we rested up from our hard day of sightseeing. Whale sightings continued and our captain took us close by the Eldred Rock Lighthouse we had passed on the way to Juneau. Want to buy it? It’s for sale!

The seals came up close to the boat
For Sale – Eldred Rock Lighthouse
We passed close to the Eldred Rock Lighthouse
Another view of the lighthouse
Oystercatcher at the lighthouse
Harbor Seals lounging on the rocks by the lighthouse
Harbor Seals by the lighthouse

Our trip on the Fjordland was the Fjord Express to Juneau cruise offered by the Alaska Fjordlines. I highly recommend it. It sails from either Haines or Skagway to Juneau.