more Denali

We were real lucky to see a mom grizzly with two cubs, maybe 3 months old - the 2 out of focus fur balls to the right of mom. The other wildlife were the snowshoe hares - a HUGE population explosion evident by the heavy gnawing on the willows above snowline and the numbers everywhere!, Dall sheep and Arctic ground squirrels and a mom moose with a young one. The other special sighting was a Golden Eagle being chased by a Gyrfalcon - an arctic bird larger than the peregrine. We have not really seen Mt McKinley but other views of the Alaska range leave little more to be desired.

Denali NP

We have spent 3 days in the park and had the most clouds since the start of the trip - to say nothing of the cold, daytime only in the 50s, if that with strong breezes! None the less we have had a full experience. The sled dogs are used for winter patrol, access and research in the Park. They maintain a 30 dog kennel and were a joy to visit, pet and learn about.

We've hiked several of the developed trails around the visitor's area and taken the tour bus into mile 51, Tolkat which is as far as the road is open so far. The rest still needs to dry out. We could see why the road is not open to the general public - some STEEP in places. Along with caribou and moose, we were very lucky to see this Willow Ptarmigan. We had a steady rain on Fri night at Savage CG which turned into about 1" of snow by morning. The best thing to do was to curl up with a good book - #4 for Charlie!Fortunately, we did have partly sunny weather the day of our tour so, did bundle up and walk some on the way out.

On May 24-24, we traveled NW of FBKS along the Chena Hot Springs road through state recreation land (camping, fishing, atv-ing, snowmachining, hiking, picnicking, etc) ending at Chena Hot Springs Resort. Interesting facility-they just came on line with new technology converting hot water (165) with the infusion of cold water (50) and refrigeration to produce electricity. We did the tour but I didn't really understand the process. They were going broke powering the facility with diesel.

They have been using thermal to heat and grow hydroponic veggies. In the tomato hot house the vines have been growing for a year and they just wind them around the bottom and readjust the growing part upward. Tomatoes year round! In fact they say their winter tour business supports them, not the summer trade. I'm not sure who comes here for very long when it is -40 all day with only 3 hrs of daylight - they say the Japanese!

Just filled up with gas here at the local Fred Meyer store - $2.42. We have paid up to $2.75 and expect it to be much more in NOME! There are 2 huge F Meyer stores here, 2 Safeway, a super Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot -- yet the city is very 'user friendly', probably about the size of Rutland. Headed to Denali now with the weather clouding over after 20+ days of spectacular sun.

Art work

While we are not collectors of artwork, we can appreciate the effort and there is much talent on display here. We enjoyed talking to the carver who created the fisherman at the left. He is carved from moose, caribou antlers, whale, seal and walrus bone, tusks etc, pieces chosen for the colors and textures... he was really a 'bargain' at $950. The detail on that Meerschaum pipe included the man's face!

Museums

I think we have visited almost every museum in Fairbanks, most which are conveniently located in Pioneer Park and all excellent - Pioneer Museum, Air Museum, Train Museum, Steam Paddle Boat which plied the Yukon River for 25 years, etc. I tried to get Charlie to climb aboard this snowmachine in the Ice Museum, but he said it was too COLD! There is a big carving festival in Feb, but this museum is the work of 4-5 persons created and opened for the tourist season - which has begun! We are back in FBKS after a couple of days NW of here and there were 8 tour buses in town! They say bookings are down, but there is so much connected to 'making it' in the brief 3-4 month tourist season. And the mosquitoes are now VERY WELCOMING!!!

Fairbanks

Thursday, May 21
We arrived in Fairbanks today with the temperature reaching into the high 70s. Most of the museums seem to be opening this Sat. Our evening meal was a salmon/roast beef/halibut buffet for $13.00, normally $31.00!!! They run this special this week before the big opening. It was all outside with great ambiance. Temperature at 11pm as I write this, is 65 and it is dusk!! Sunrise is at 4am!

Quartz Lake Recreation Area

The state operates many fine recreation areas open to many recreational activities. These introduced rainbow trout were coming to the shoreline to spawn, but the eggs would not develop in the silt bottom lake. These fishermen were catching the trout and stripping eggs to make roe sacks which they were using very successfully for bait. The take is 10/p/day all year! I was MOST delighted that these guys taught us a lot about AK fishing, but also shared one meal of fresh salmon for dinner!

Rika's Road House

Fortunately we were able to get good accommodations and help at Rika's Road House outside Delta Junction. This historic roadhouse was one of many along the Valdez-Fairbanks that was in business from 1903-1950s and is now a very informative historic site along the Tanana River.

The AK pipeline goes across the river here on a bridge.

Rental vehicle problems

We've had a real problem with our rental car.....

Denali Highway (E access)

The Denali Highway runs E and W connecting Paxson and Cantwell. It had been cleared of snow and opened 2 days before we drove in the 21 paved miles from Paxson. The views of the Alaska Range to the north were spectacular. I was in quest of any of the 3 species of Ptarmigan, a member of the grouse family. As we stood looking at the first information sign, there was a loud squawking to our rear and a male Willow Ptarmigan landed almost at our feet. A female was over the bank in front of the sign. Not sure if we were in his territory, or whether he was so intend on impressing the female that he didn't care about us, but he performed a spectacular strut and then flew off. Now that's what I call a life bird to really count!

This is the view from Paxson Lake campground. The ice was just pulling away from the edges and there were lots of ducks close in for viewing. Charlie identified his first Wandering Tattler all by himself without me around. Another lifer for us both and a good bird to get.

Moose # 6

We have seen moose in the front yard of a house in Homer, moose along the roadside, moose at a distance, but this was the best sighting so far.
This big bull was maybe 150' from our vehicle - and SOME BIG! His antlers are just clubs so far; be was very much aware of us and easily disappeared in the scrubby black spruce swamp. While watching the moose, 3 Pintail Ducks flew into the open water and out again, but were almost overlooked in the excitement of seeing this guy in a natural habitat.

SNOW

We've been bragging about the fabulous weather so far. Well, yesterday, May 14, started out as very overcast. Nonetheless, the views of the mountains, the Matanuska glacier, Dall sheep high on the hillsides, and lots of waterfowl, including Red-throat ed Loon calling and in breeding plumage, attracted our attention as we drove E on Glenn Highway. That night it began raining lightly around 8pm. I awoke at 4am thinking the rain had stopped! Not really. It had only changed form!
The mountains are socked in and it looks like an all day rain. We are expecting clearing skies on Sat.

Pinnacle RV Park et al...

Traveling east from Palmer to Glennallen on Thursday, May 15, we were enticed to stop at a cafe/RV park/animal farm/tourist attraction because of the old machinery, et al displayed. This garden, with the creative 'boot hill' in the background, has yet to get its flowers! When I asked Charlie what was his best sighting of the day (same one when we saw the moose), he said, "the 1928 Case steel wheeled tractor that still runs!" The woman owner said she won't let the boys run around with it because it makes too many divots! Heck, most yards are the black gravel/native grasses variety with little 'manicuring!'

Besides RV hookups, the place had llamas, alpacas, ducks, chickens, turkeys, pigs, 4 kinds of goats. There were many old tractors and farm machines as well as 'bicycles', stoves and other antiques galore. We chatted a long time with the owner, both she and husband former truckers. They are definitely having great fun with this venture. We did too! She makes the best homemade cookies!

Salmon rule!

Fishing, fishing, fishing! I'm not sure why anyone comes to AK who doesn't fish! This local was caving, shirtless, the day before when it was in 50s. This picture was taken at 8:30am and the temps were probably in the low40s. It's been great fun talking to the locals!

AK Native Heritage Musuem, Anchorage

Tuesday, May 12 we traveled from Portage Glacier, though ANK on our way north. The day was spent at the fabulous ANHM which has extensive displays, performances, videos and living recreations of the 5 major native tribal groups which many of the smaller tribes fit into. It was exceptionally done. Charlie is trying to spin a native yo-yo after I successfully failed! He did as poorly! Native dancers perform at the Museum daily. The history and story of this totem pole was well explained. The most interesting was talking to the young interpreters, all natives of the tribe they were explaining, but all having grown up in today's world... more or less.

We came away with the thought that if everyone still practiced the basic teachings of native cultures - RESPECT for elders, earth and its being and self, the world wouldn't be in such a state today.

Homer Scenery

This is the view you get coming into Homer looking to the mountains W of the peninsula across the bay. The Redoubt volcano is also visible across the bay from the N-S road running along the coast. A fine plume of steam can be seen coming out the top. A significant 'dusting' of ash is very visible around here. It really can be quite a hazard as its composition is minute crystals which we viewed at the fabulous Pratt Museum in Homer -definitely a place to visit here.

Heading N. today, Mon

Top End Real Estate in Homer

This is Charlie's idea of 'Home Sweet Home" with lots of potential projects at hand! Hey, the view of the bay and mud flats is superb! As near as we can tell, the gray boat has been a residence.

Tufted Puffin!

YAY!!! Another lifer!

Homer Shorebird Festival

For the past 3 days we have been in Homer, on the W side of the Kenai Peninsula. The terrain is much different here - broad 'plains' of wetland and scrub Sita Spruce - we left the mts and snow behind. The festival has apparently been uncharacteristically beautiful weather, sunny, albeit cold and windy. However, the Fri am boat trip out into the bay to Gull Isl and beyond was as good as it gets!! Glassy clear waters, sun and great bird and otter activity to observe. There were 100s of Red-necked Phalaropes on the water and we had 1 bird each of Surfbird and Wandering Tattler and Red-faced Cormorant - all lifers for me.

Have done forest birding, shorebird birding, gone to lectures and Inuit folklore presentations. One more day here and we will head N.

Seward Footnote

One has to have a lot of balls to decorate like this!

Aren't the mountains spectacular!

Seward birds

Among the birds we saw, were these rafts of thousands of Common Murres. Other highlights included Mew Gull and Black-legged Kittiwakes on nesting cliffs.. literally trying to balance egg laying and chick rearing on the narrowest of spots!

Resurrection Bay

After a cold, rainy night at Portage Glacier, we headed to Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. Despite the light, steady rain, we decided to take the boat trip out on Resurrection Bay. It was great for wildlife viewing even though the snow covered peaks were in the clouds. This rock is covered with Black-legged Kittiwakes with Steller sea lions to the right.

We were in awe of the goats on the steep cliffs, females coming down low to soon 'drop' their kids. We saw Dall porpoises, a humpbacked whale, harbor seals and sea otters as well.

Sun, Snowcovered mountains and Birds

Our arrival in ANK went without a hitch; we picked up our RV and set off to super WALMART for vitals and a place to overnight. Tried to make it dark inside our RV, but resorted to an eye mask for me. Charlie didn't need a thing! I think it's getting dark around 11pm, but not really sure. Light again around 5am. Nights have been cold!! But the first 2 days were in 60s and sunny, an unusual stretch warm weather for 14 days that ended last night!

We walked a lovely wooded park/botanical garden in ANK on Tues. The leaves are just starting to pop and a light covering of ash from the recent volcano eruption covered the leaf litter in a dusty gray. With no rain since the 'ashing,' the gray remained when the snow melted. Besides a few birds, we crossed paths with a female moose no more than 20 ft away, unconcerned about us - and us with no camera in hand!

Later we tried to go to Alaska Native Heritage Museum, but it does not open until this weekend so we'll hit it at the end of May.

We ended our day at Potters Marsh.