Denali, the High One

Up at 5 A.M. in order to catch the green bus for the Eielson Visitor Center, 66 miles into Denali National Park!  It was chilly and we were all grumpy until we were settled in the bus and ready to see some wildlife and the highest mountain in North America.  Some of us slept  (Jackie) except when we all got excited about seeing wildlife. It was a clear day so our hopes were high, and we were not disappointed.  It was worth getting up that early to see the sights we saw.



Of course the landscape was beautiful everywhere we looked.  The first animals we saw were Dall sheep grazing on the mountainside, and then a lone Dall sheep cavorting over a meadow.



Next came the bears.   One grizzly was on the mountainside quite a bit away, and the second was just below us down a steep slope.



Then we spotted some caribou.



We had a few peeks at Denali, and it was looking clear, but we knew it could change at any moment.     We stopped a few times for potty and photo breaks, and a few miles before we reached the Eielson Visitor Center our driver told us to close our eyes.  When he said to open them again, there was Denali, in all its glory right in front of us!  What a sight!  I will never forget it.  We have been here 3 times and this is the first time Steve and I have seen in from only 23 miles away.  We took MANY pictures and cannot decide which ones are the best, so I will only post a random few.  It was a wonderful experience, especially since it had been 12 days since the mountain had last been visible.




On the way back to the Visitor's Center, a caribou decided to take possession of the road.  Obviously he knew he belonged there and we didn't.




It was a wonderful day, capped off by a birthday dinner for David at the Canyon Restaurant and ice cream on the boardwalk near our RV's.  None of us stayed up late after our early start and exciting day.