Denali - August 31 - September 1

We arrived midday on the 31st, and drove in as far as was allowed (a little over eight miles), and immediately encountered two moose - a cow and yearling - crossing the road, not five miles from the park entrance.

It was an afternoon of wonderful scenery, on the fifteen miles of the park road that we could drive, from the entrance.

We decided to give Denali another day, and so we booked a day-long bus ride 85 miles into the Park, which left at 6:45 on Wednesday morning (September 1). Mike, our driver, was extremely knowledgeable.

Well, it drizzled all day - again.

(This is actually from the day before....)

It was drizzling, however, we had the great good fortune to see 8-10 bears (both solo and sows with cubs), half-dozen caribou, a dozen assorted moose (four males with magnificent racks), snowshoe hares, a red fox, 25-30 Dahl sheep (in bands of four to eight, up high on the mountainsides) - and a couple of wolves.

Well, we didn't see Denali that day, after riding in the bus for twelve hours and covering 170 miles (round-trip). However, there is a coda - maybe I can post it tomorrow. A lot of catch-up to do (did I tell you we have intermittent power and internet access in the back country?)...

There is a moose in this photo.

Comments

A New Direction

Marshall and I went to Alaska together in 2010. The vehicle that we traveled in (Marshall's Sprinter) was so enjoyable that I bought one in late summer 2011, and have begun to make frequent trips around the west. Right now, Marshall and Bonnie are in Marfa, Texas (on Facebook, check out "A Month in Marfa.") Next month, we're going to begin and post a website of postcards between artists, dating back to the early 1970s. I'm probably going to launch a new blog in the next couple of months.....travels around the west, and my work on the archives of photographers L.H. ("Ben") Benschneider, and Robert C. Bishop. Stay tuned.

Why Idaho, redux

Sometimes, I really wonder about Idaho. I mean, I drive out towards "Craters of the Moon" National Monument, about ninety miles east of where I live (and believe me, it is exactly what the name describes), and I have to go through Arco. One thing: when you go through Arco, eat at Pickle's Place. and have the fried pickles. The Park, in front of "Numbers Hill," across from Pickle's Place. The relevance is due to the long-time nuclear energy research done at the Idaho National Research Laboratory, 100 miles southeast.

Toad River Lodge, Saturday 28 August - POSTSCRIPT

A A collection of over 6,800 hats stapled to the ceiling throughout the restaurant....and growing. One of the stories associated with the place is the origin of the name....The Alaska highway was constructed in 10 months, 1942-43. One version of "Toad River" is that the engineers had to tow supplies and materials across at that particular point, and it somehow got bastardized from "towed" to "toad." There are many such strange stories and origins to the naming of places in Alaska. (I mean, why was Denali originally called McKinley? (other than his recent assassination....he never visited the place.)

In Search of Robert Service

Search This Blog