Pics from Saturday

[guppie9]

Well, every year, the NPS lets people drive the first 30 miles of the Denali Park Road without a permit. They do it twice a year. In May, before the road opens to tours and in September, after it closes. We usually make the drive down there both times, because you never know what you are going to see. I have posted pictures, in the past, of some of these trips. Yesterday, was a great day. It was kind of cloudy, so no pictures of the mountain, but definately, abundant wildlife.


Name that bird!! (If you are from Alaska, or been here much, it shouldn't be hard.)

Here is a picture of the Teklanika River. This is as far as you can drive. Actually, you have to stop about a mile short of this bridge at the rest area. We walked down to the bridge.

Can you find/count the sheep in this picture. Give me a little bit of a break...this pic was from a few miles away.

A couple caribou foraging along the Savage River.

to be continued........

 

[guppie9]

OK....this next set of pictures are my favorites. I have seen many animals in the wild, in Alaska. Grizzly bears, black bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, mountain goats, lynx, fur animals (marmots, beavers, etc.)...hell, once, I caught a glimpse of a wolverine but couldn't get my camera out quick enough. However, until yesterday, I hadn't seen one of these guys. I was excited, to say the least, especially considering the range. I switched places with the wife and was hanging out the sunroof to get these pictures. It was great!!!

Off in the brush when we first spotted him.

He came out of the brush and wandered along the side of the road. Finally, he stopped and decided to show us all exactly whose territory this was.

I cropped and zoomed another pic to get this close-up.

He crossed the road behind our car and posed for me.

By this time, he had attracted quite a bit of attention, but didn't really seem to care.

All in all, another outstanding day in Alaska!!! You may now comence being jealous!!!

 

[Moosie]

NIIIICE. Thanx for the pictures !!

On the bird.. the pnly AK bird I know is a Tarmigan with a "P". But they looked different.... ??

 

[mtmiller]

Is it a brown-headed wildfowl.

Nice pics

 

[Oak]

Is it a brown-headed wildfowl.

Nope, White-bodied Salix Muncher.

Nice pics, Gup!

 

[guppie9]

Nahhh...you're right moosie, it is a ptarmigan. They look different during different parts of the year. He is in the middle of changing over from winter to summer.

 

[Moosie]

Leave it to the 2 Bird nerds to make fun of me

 

[ashersdad]

Very cool pics. We will be up there in 3 weeks. Can't wait.

 

[JohnSWA]

Yes, I will commence to be jealous! Awesome pics and who wouldn't have said that's a Ptarmigan! Thanks for the pics and enjoy the beauty of whats to come in your native land!

 

[noharleyyet]

Awesome Guppie, thanks.

 

[BW]

Thanks for the pictures Guppy.

I can recall when we lived in Fairbanks, from '87-91. We'd drive down and drive the road back, only it seemed like we drove farther than 30 miles. It made for a long day, but was well worth it.

 

[BW]

Ptarmigan in winter....

 

[AkBearHunter]

I counted 20 sheep in that picture....how many were there?

 

[guppie9]

I have a much higher quality pic on my computer. I posted a lower resolution one here so it wouldn't take up so much space. The high-res one I can zoom in on. In that picture, I can positively identify 11 sheep with 2 others that I am not certain about. A lot of those white dots end up just being snow once you zoom in on them.

 

[ELKCHSR]

Nice pics gups and BW...

 

[Tom]

Pretty nice country there for sure, that's an understatement. So, are there neat summer jobs in Denali or do you just do one job up there all year?

 

[guppie9]

I don't work there Tom. Anyone can drive the first 12 miles, which is paved. After that, it turns to dirt and you have to be on a tour bus or a NPS bus to go the rest of the way (about 90 miles). Right before and after the tourist season (mid-may through mid-sept), they let anyone drive to mile 30 (Teklanika Rest Stop).

They do have good summer jobs, though. Tour guides, working at the hotels, gift shops, etc. Most of the businesses are only open from May 15-Sep 15. Being a teacher, I've thought about working down there for the summer, but I don't want to leave my family. It is about a 3-4 hour drive to there from my house.