DENALI
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| Griz and cubs. Animals are THE big draw on the road tour into Denali. |
As we drove up the long dusty road into Denali NP our driver/guide often stopped to show us the sights; all passengers were invited to call out when they saw wildlife and to add its location -- "Stop! Squirrel, two o'clock" was heard.
The grizzlies, she reminded us, were in
hyperphagia, eating everything in sight as they prepared for winter, consuming 30-, 40-, even 50,000 calories a day. And, she said, they've not been anywhere near a cruise ship buffet.
She went on to relate the story (tour guides in my experience are just full of ... stories) about a Denali Park Ranger who suddenly came face to face with a grizzly and in the shock of the moment, fearing for his life, forgot everything he had been taught about bear encounter survival tactics. No, he did not run. He burst into song, rendering a full-throated rendition of You Are My Sunshine at top volume. The bear apparently didn't care for his singing, and it wandered off.
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| Mountain Goats |
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| Moose |
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| The mountain itself was the real point of it all of course; at 20,320 feet elevation the tallest in North America |
Breath-taking. Majestic. Awe-inspiring. Adjectives are inadequate.
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| Caribou |
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| Two days later we rode back to Anchorage on the dome train |
We spent several fun days exploring Anchorage and finished off with a delightful dinner at
Simon and Seafort's Saloon and Grill, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
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