Close Encounter

Well, we had our first close encounter today with a Grizzly Bear. Three of us, Mary, myself and a friend named Juanita took a hike to check mail and go to the park visitor's center. The trail goes through a campground and down by a creek and under the railroad trestle. Just as we rounded a bend under the trestle there (right in front of us) is a huge bear walking on the trail...it was about 30-40 feet away and lumbering right toward us.

I can tell you - all three of us were in shock...trying to remember NOT to run...make some noise...and back away. We sort of did those things...but we didn't waste any time getting away from the trail (no time for pictures!). We scrambled through the brush, along a social trail and up a bank and found ourselves on the railroad tracks. After a sigh of relief that we had put some space between us and the bear, we looked down the tracks and there it was about 100 feet away and heading right for us. That got us moving again, but after a short distance it turned and went into the woods.

By this time we were right by the train depot so we felt a bit more safe. There had been warnings about a bear in the area the last week or so, but we never thought we would be close enough to be concerned. For all of our other bear sightings we were safe and sound in a bus...it is very different when there is nothing between you and the creature. Just a reminder that we are living very close to the wilderness and, of course, that is why we came in the first place.

From Mary: It was an exciting encounter to say the least, what Ron omitted to say was MY
first reaction was to do circles like a cork screw in the same spot before my brain registered that what i needed to do was just back away... when really all i wanted to do was turn my back to the bear and run!

In the few seconds i had before putting any distance between us i was able to take in just what a magnificent creature this was........ no sign of aggression, but very large, at least 300 pounds, light blond thick coat, huge paws......... my camera was very accessible and how i wish i had had the courage to remain still and just get a photograph.

Mary's Glacier Landing

We are now finding the weeks blending into one another and realize it has been nearly a month since we did a posting so, hopefully without boring you, I will attempt to catch you up.

On July 8th I was fortunate enough to experience a glacier landing which Ron had enjoyed earlier..... it was simply marvelous. The only detraction was the presence of smoke in the air (it is estimated that there are presently fires covering 600,000 acres, the closest one was about 30 miles away) and depending on the direction of the wind it was either clear or very smoky for about a week. During that time I did feel sorry for the visitors, for not only were they unable to see any of the wildlife in the Park on their organized bus tours but they were also deprived of seeing any of the magnificent scenery, not to mention those folk who had asthma/allergy problems.

Our days off are usually spent taking a long walk on one of the trails nearby. Last week we went to an area called Savage River after catching a bus to the trail head some 12 miles into the Park...... It made a nice change to walk along the riverbed, even though the weather was threatening and somewhat ominous. We had our first really close up look at the Ptarmigan (state bird) which until this point had been quite elusive. We also witnessed the Mew Gulls attacking and successfully chasing off a coyote that was preying on their youngsters that had not yet developed their wings. We then ventured off into the tundra where few had been before us; it was just like walking on a soft springy carpet of moss. After a while I began to feel somewhat uneasy as this was territory where moose and bear preferred to hang out and eventually our wanderings brought us to a very steep bank which we managed to haul ourselves up ONLY by clinging to the short stubby bushes. I can say I was greatly relieved when we eventually made it up to the road because we had reached a point where to turn around and retrace our steps was not an option. A "campers bus" passed by shortly which picked us up and within minutes we saw a moose and her youngster plus several large caribou with enormous antlers which are now turning reddish and fuzzy.

Yesterday we did a 9-mile walk beside three lakes, so peaceful (only sound was the buzzing of bees) and the scenery just lovely, but strangely enough very little sign of wildlife, only the odd squirrel. Our feet and legs were protesting toward the end, so we waited for the van that runs every hour and treated ourselves to a half way decent pizza and a beer at a place some 17 miles away from our resort.

We are planning a mini trip (hiring a car) Aug 11/12/13 and driving to Seward, which is about an 8 hr drive south passing back through Anchorage first. We are booked into a lodge for a couple of nights and plan on taking a 9 hour day cruise through the Kenai Fjords National Park to the massive tidewater glaciers hoping to see whales, puffins, and sea lion colonies. By then the season will be nearly over and the temp much cooler but hopefully not snowing, which I believe we will experience before we leave in mid Sept. In the meantime we have Patrick's visit July 31-Aug 3rd to look forward to.

I would say we are in a routine now, my work days vary, some starting at 7 am and others not until 3 pm but at least I am now getting 8 hour shifts with a total of 40 hour/week. The time goes by quickly, my first experience really in retail, which has been a bit of an eye opener. My co-workers are for the most part our age. We are known as " The Silver Fox" group! which I suppose sounds better than " The Geriatric" group. Whenever we are not in uniform we are always mistaken as guests, which brings me to mention that last week Ron and I were chosen as a select few to do a 3 hour photo shoot, posing as guests in various locations to be used as “stock photos” for their brochures, web sites, etc promoting this resort. So once again Ron gets to add this to his "acting resume".

Lynx Encounter - (Click Lynx for more photos)

Coming across the Lynx was the highlight of our day in the park...we have included a few more photos of that day....click to see.

Happy 4th Of July - Latest Adventure

Happy 4th of July........

It is a beautiful 73 degrees here with more of the same expected for the next 5 days.

Our employee dining area is decorated in red, white and blue...... hot dogs and hamburgers on the outdoor grill........ there is going to be a hot dog eating contest along with other games later today, so an effort is being made to include us in this national holiday.

So, we are still here ......... having fun..... but thought it time to say hi and update you with our activities.

Our 4 day visit with Andrew and Kate just flew by all too quickly, as we knew would be the case, but we managed to pack in quite a bit. Unfortunately the weather went a little cooler and Mt McKinley was hidden in the clouds the whole time. During one of our work days they took a bus tour into the Park and managed to see some of the "Big Five" animals (bear, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and wolf) however, during our days off with them we went river rafting, hiked several trails, the most memorable being a rather steep (at least for Ron and myself, sore feet, blisters and lost toe nails) hike to what is called "the look out point, on Mt Healy. As soon as we reached our destination point the weather changed very quickly as it can in the mountains, and we thought it best not to be in the high open area with the possibility of lightening so we scurried back down a short distance to the cover of some trees while the storm passed....... however the views were wonderful and well worth the effort.

We ate out at several of the restaurants which made for a nice change from the cafeteria style food we had been eating so far, and now we are back into our work routine again....sigh.

I am making a job change, however, starting today I will be working 8 hour shifts in the gift store instead of 6 hour shifts as hostess in the cafe. I have to say I am looking forward to this change as I am sure I will find the time passing by much quicker and will enjoy chatting a bit with the guests (one can't fit in too much of a conversation just escorting guests to their tables).

This past Tuesday Ron and I took the 12 hour bus tour to the end of the Park Road, which is only 92 miles. Our overcast gloomy weather lifted and although Mt McKinley remained mostly hidden we had a magnificent day. We had 15 sightings of bear alone, some way off in the distance but on one occasion a momma bear and her two cubs were alongside our bus on the road. But the image that plays over and over in my mind is the one of a large moose which we observed for quite some time, standing in a lake foraging under the water (she kept her head submerged for a good 25 seconds each time) then just seeing the water cascading off her head, flattening those small ears briefly, while munching on roots, before repeating the process almost as though in slow motion, really was quite magical and having binoculars we felt as though we were right beside her.

We also had several sightings of caribou, one magnificent creature just trotting along the road toward our bus (I was fortunate enough to be just one seat back behind the driver).

After our long day sitting we decided to exit the bus from a drop off point some 3 miles from our lodgings and walk a bit and are we glad we did for we were privileged to a very rare sighting of a Lynx just a matter of 10-15 feet away. We observed her stalking, catch and eating a small mouse. She knew we were watching her but did not seem too concerned. We came home feeling very tired but knowing we had had a very special memorable day........ THIS is what it is all about, THIS is why we are here.

We are hoping to have a 3 day get away in August to Seward as we have heard this is a very pretty area to see, and while there take a Kenai Fjord Tour and hopefully see whales, puffins, visiting the tidewater glaciers, but before then Patrick will be visiting us for a few nights at the end of this month.

With summer once again with us we are enjoying having the windows and door to our room open, yes the mosquitoes get in, but they are not too bad here compared to being near the lakes in the Park.

Ruth's Glacier Landing - click the photo for more

Ron had a flight to Mt. McKinley to land on a glacier. We departed from a small strip in Healy (11 Miles north) in a 9 passenger Beaver. We flew south down the Nenana river valley passing over our resort and the Denali Park entrance. We continued SW over the Alaska Range and toward Mt McKinley. The views were fantastic and the vistas grand. The flight took us past multiple smaller glaciers, gigantic granite spires and braided glacier river valleys.

The landing site was tucked into an upper corner of the massive Ruth's Glacier. The surrounding peaks appeared to be close enough to touch, however, they were 3-5 miles away. We got out and tromped around in the snow, took some photos and basically stood in awe at the scene. Everything is on such a grand scale it is difficult to take it all in and even more difficult to describe. I did take a few photos and although they look good they do little justice to the actual thing (click the photo above for more).

The weather on the return was bit dramatic with thunder storms causing us to divert around lighting and rain. The thermals over the Alaska Range put several of our heads into the overhead...no damage and we returned safe and sound.

Mary's First Park Visit - new photos added - click photo below

We are now settled in to a routine ~ our living situation is much improved due to the fact that the motel style unit we live in now has the water connected and we only have to share the bathroom/laundry facility with 14 other "golden oldies" (yes we are in what is called "the mature unit!") generally we are not out partying till all hours of the night, so sleeping is not a problem either.

I have discovered a "beauty/spa" salon which our competitors (Princess Lodging...just a 10 min walk away) provide, and treated myself to a WONDERFUL massage yesterday after work....... I will definitely plan a repeat of this treat again next month :)

We have have found another employee dining hall which provides meals mainly for the Denali Park employees but where we may eat also. It is a 4-5 mile round trip which we walk, but the food is usually better. Another well kept secret we discovered is "The Spike" which we stumbled upon close to this particular dining hall........ it is a couple of old railroad cars turned into a bar........ so Ron has found his "local in the woods" ~ this is definitely only known to employees NOT the tourists.

Well, I had my first real look at Denali Park last Monday when we both took the 8 hour round trip bus tour. It was a perfect day weather-wise and we had the most spectacular views of Mt McKinley which typically is only seen 65 days during the 105 day season that the resorts are open. The grandeur of the scenery is impossible to describe or even capture on camera ~ trying to record Denali in photographs is like trying to go to a party through a keyhole.

We did see some Dall sheep and caribou way off in the distance, however one would need a powerful camera lens to capture any decent photographs. I was hoping to see a bear, but did not on this trip ~ there are estimated to be 3oo-400 bears in the entire park and they have a unique way of naturally keeping their numbers small ~ they mate in the spring, however, the fertilized egg is "retained" and not implanted until late fall, and then ONLY if the bear has managed to eat enough and gain sufficient weight/fat to sustain herself and her cubs until the following spring. This way bears are naturally limited and do not exceed sustainable numbers.

On the other hand, the Snowshoe Hare has a "boom and bust" cycle ~ currently Denali is in a "boom" cycle where we are told there are around 2,000 hares per sq mile! During the "bust" scenario they only number 50 per sq mile. There are currently so many that they are eating all the available food and there will not be enought to sustain them through the winters.

The Golden Eagle, of which we saw many, have a wing span of 7 feet and are capable of lifting 14 pounds in weight, as the new born Dall sheep weigh only 11 pounds the eagles are quite a threat to the new-born lambs.

Our closest encounter with the wild life during our bus tour was with a wolf who nonchalantly sauntered along the road, stopping to rest on a patch of snow giving us all the opportunity for a good photo.

We have decided that our next trip into the Park we will take the Hikers bus rather than the packed tourist bus, it will actually take us all the way to the end of the road, which is 93 miles, we only travelled as far as mile 62 this trip, but it did offer us the closest one can get to Mt McKinley which is 30 miles. (I over-heard one guest complaining that the road did not go right to the base of the mountain~ to which I privately thought "and then he would want an elevator to take him to the summit ". Denali is not the tallest mountain in the world but it does have the largest vertical rise (17,000 ft) from base to summit. There have been 3 climber deaths that we are aware of in the last month.

Ron really enjoys being in the midst of the hustle and bustle the front desk position has to contend with, despite having learned to keep quiet regarding the inefficiency in which it is operated. I find my time passes much more slowly as a hostess, however, feel I can now do my job with my eyes closed and backwards, whereas initially it was challenging.

While greeting folks yesterday in the restaurant, in walked Dr Silver an obstetrician I had the privilege of working with 10 years ago in Colorado Springs ~ what a small world. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Andrew and Kate (18-21st) and hoping for the weather to remain at the amazing 70 degree blue skies and sunny which has been the pattern for the past 2 weeks.

I hope to get some more photos of the Park posted soon.

Into the Park - click the moose for more photos

Well, Ron finally made a trip into Denali Park for a “Tundra Wilderness Tour”. I boarded a bus one afternoon with about 40 other folks for a 100-mile roundtrip (8 hour) ride half way up the one and only road that goes into the park. Our driver/narrator (Dave) has been conducting these tours since 1982, I suspected that he was one of the most experienced, but he says he is not even in the “top ten” of the 140 drivers that they have working this year. In any case, he was a wealth of information about the park history, animals, plants, geological history, and anecdotal bits he has picked up in his 27 years working in the park each summer.

There are on average 9000 bus trips into Denali each season (May – Sep)…that does sound like a lot but the human footprint on the park is really quite minimal. Since 1980, when President Carter enlarged Denali to its present 6 million acres, vehicular access to the park has been strictly limited. It requires special permission for private vehicles to be on the road. So, the 400,000 visitors that come each year are bused into the park and monitored very closely to ensure that they do not bring food or any other items into the park and leave them. It has enabled the park to remain extremely pristine.
The objective of our tour was, of course, to see as many of the animals as possible. And, in particular, what are referred to as the “Big Five”…. Moose, Bear (Grizzly), Caribou, Dall Sheep (very similar to the Big Horned Sheep in Colorado) and Wolves. We indeed saw all of them except the wolf and in addition we saw plenty of golden eagles, snowshoe hares and one very large marmot. The bears we saw were a mom with her two cubs. They were eating along a hillside and mom was keeping the two cubs close by. Even though they were some distance away you could almost feel the massiveness of them as they moved. Interestingly, the coloring of the grizzlies (in the sunlight) is more of a silver color than the dark brown/black that we think of. The most unusual creatures are the Caribou (Reindeer), they have hooves that are way out of proportion to their legs. Their hooves are large … like snowshoes…so they can move around easily on the snow. Very weird looking as they run along the road.

Most of Denali Park is well above the treeline and consists mostly of tundra with miniature plants, lichens and the occasional wild flower. The bears seem to like the edge of the tundra where the low scrubs give way to the treeless rolling tundra. The saying here is “The bear you don’t see might be a bear that has never seen a human.”

The vast natural beauty of Denali Park is quite something to see! Although Mt McKinley was not in view that particular day, the views of the other peaks in the Alaska Range were spectacular. From a point along the road called “Polychrome” (for the multi-colored hues of the earth) the view was incredible. Multiple peaks interspersed with Glaciers and ribbons of braided rivers.

All-in-all it was a great 8 hours. Mary and I plan to do another similar trip soon but starting early (5:30am) in hopes of seeing even more animals. As one of the Holland America Tour Directors here is fond of saying when asked how he is doing, we are “Living a Dream.”