Alaska 10, Denali National Park

We got to visit one of America's largest nature parks, Denali.  It is 6 millions acres, bigger than the state of Connecticut. 

Although it has the highest mountain in the United States, it was planned to be a refuge safe environment for Dall Goats and Dall Sheet.  Their furs were in demand.

This month is the 100th year anniversary  of Denali Park.   

click to make the pictures seem larger than life.

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Over and Below: Mount Denali may be party hiding in these clouds in front of us, our guide said.

This young native maiden was there to give us a brief language lesson of her tribe.  Before she spoke one of the guild said she had one request:  No videos.  I took her picture and she turned her head sideways and laughed.  We jest!

But then she got to business.  She is a college student, in Anchorage I think she said.  She is studying her tribe's history to hand down.

Anna's moose picture

It seemed that we were warned  to stay away from Moose.  We were told moose are very territorial, especially   females.  A bear doesn't want to be around you any  more than you want to be him/her.  But a moose will try to harm you to insist that you get the hell away.

And then we were sitting waiting on the tour bus to pick us up to take us back to the motel when Anna looked up and saw what she thought was a statue of a moose.  It moved.  She took its picture and took everybody's advice and moved.

I stood there and it got closed closer.  I took its picture at less than 15 feet away.  It kept strolling towards me.  Now, what do I do?

It strolled right by me.  I don't think it even noticed me.

Sometimes it pays to be invisible!  

My moose picture (same moose)

Alaska Part 9, A Scenic Train Ride

On August the 9th in Whittier, Alaska,  we departed the ship Island Princess (disembarked?) and took all our belongings (that meant we would not be back) and loaded up on an Island Princess scenic train and spent about nine hours on the tracks going to Denali Wilderness Lodge, where we spent two nights.

I don't have much to say about the RR trip except that the conductor and a people router person were most helpful getting our stuff on the train.

Sit back and enjoy the views. 

Last look at Island Princess

Above and Below:  Sarah Palin's childhood home 

in Wassilla, Alaska

Allen Moore,  winner of one of the annual Alaska Dog Races came aboard to give a little talk  His wife Aliy Zirkle also is a winner of  one of the dog races.  I'm not quiet sure if either has won the Iditarod, but, if not they came in close to first and keep trying.  I think she was giving a similar talk in another train car.

Aslaska 11, Talkeetna

People who know say Talkeetna is the inspiration of the TV series NORTHERN EXPOSURE.  

In Alaska it is illegal to gamble.   But you can drop moose dung from airplanes at numbers on the ground.  If the numbers you hit are winners you win the jack pot.

We had lunch here

Just beyond Main Street three Rivers meet.  We were by rushing waters when some lady who just brought her daughter down said, "Look!  Denal!"  Over and Below

I noticed they seem to make no big deals out of their funeral homes.  The funeral homes do not warm and comfortable.  I think most of the funeral homes in this area have a front porch or veranda with rocking chairs.  I wonder if it has anything to do with the bodies are held until the ground thaws out to be buried.