Category Archives: animals

The Great White North

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North to Denali

The farther north we went the easier it was to see that spring hadn’t really sprung yet. The scenery was spectacular but it was snow and ice. As the Denali Express rumbled over a trestle bridge we could look down into the steep chasm below. This was pretty rugged country.Trestle bridge shadow

raindeerA pair of caribou raced across a frozen river as we passed by. At one stop some mushers came on to talk to us about dog sledding. About that time someone spotted a coupled of grizzly bears fresh out of hibernation. They were just tiny dots in the distance. After the first excitement of the train ride wore off it began to get a bit long. Lots of people used the time to nap. The 9 1/2 hour trip seemed endless. Probably because it stretched to 11 hours before we pulled into the station in Denali.

 

Off the train and onto a bus

We all tumbled off the train and were immediately loaded onto a bus for the short trip to the Denali Princess Wilderness lodge.  The accommodations weren’t bad. And even if the weather was cold we had the warm Alaskan welcome to shake off the chill.

We didn’t have long to linger in the room because dinner was being served along with a stage show. The waitstaff were also the performers and they were amazing. After the show it was time to head to bed. The sun was just setting this far north but we had an early morning tour. We were going into the National Park. Hopefully we’d finally see some animals. Our park adventure was a half day tour. Turns out the best tour would have been the all day trip but once again we relied on our travel agent when selecting the excursion. 

Into Denali National Park

Our Tour Bus Awaits

In the morning after a huge breakfast at one of the resort restaurants (which were not included in the package) we climbed aboard another bus for our trip into Denali National Park. We began to see a little more animal life. There were a couple of moose and some caribou but no bears. We really wanted to see bears. When the all day tour returned they said they has bears surround their bus. Clearly we should have taken the longer trip. 

 

Glacier Bay to Prince William Sound

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Magarie GlacierGrand Pacific Glacier

At the head of Glacier Bay next to the spectacular Margerie Glacier is a dirty black line of ice. This is the remains of the Grand Pacific Glacier. This granddaddy of them all is now receding at the rate of 30-60 ft per year. At one time it was this glacier that filled the area that is today Glacier Bay. As The Grand Pacific receded it left behind the U shaped trench to fill with water creating the magnificent Glacier Bay we see today.

Grand Pacific Glacier

Prince William Sound

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Grand Pacific Glacier marks the end of Glacier Bay. It was time to turn around and head out to more open sea. Prince William Sound is part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is located to the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Out here the ocean is more open. It’s not as protected as the bays and straits we’ve been traversing so far. We’ve been told to stay alert and watch for abundant wildlife. Resident marine mammals include humpback, sei, fin, minke, and killer whales as well as Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and sea otters, all of which reach some of their greatest numbers in Prince William Sound. Even land animals can be seen on the narrow beaches. Some of the most common are black bears, grizzlies, moose and mountain goats. But I wouldn’t see any of them.

 

Along with open water come the waves

By now I considered myself a seasoned cruiser. I’d never been on a ship this large that rocked. I’d even told my sister that she wouldn’t need Dramamine. But Prince William Sound did me in. Seas were running 4-6 ft. Not huge but large enough for a pronounced rocking motion. It was actually pretty gentle, up and down from peak to trough and up again. If it had been a wild ride I’d probably have been ok. My adrenaline would have kicked in. Instead this gentle up and down motion sent me heading for my bunk. I spent the afternoon napping and  fighting the nausea of sea sickness So I missed the pod of orcas that passed the ship in the middle of the sound.

Orca

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Ports of Call

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Ports of Call on our Alaska Itinerary

If Vancouver is the first port of call, then we have 4 additional stops on our journey to the Big Land. There’s Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Anchorage. Three other locations of interest, although not ports, were Glacier Bay, Prince Williams Sound and College Fjord.

Port of Call, Ketchikan

It was raining in Ketchikan as we embarked on our shore excursion to Saxman Native Village. Here we witnessed a Native  American Ceremonial Dance and watched experienced totem pole builders carve their next creation. We learned that being on the bottom of the totem pole is not necessarily a bad thing! It’s the most honored position. We spotted out first bald eagle too.

 

 

 

Then there was Juneau

Juneau is the capital of Alaska but conducting business can be a challenge. There are no roads. Juneau can only be accessed by boat or plane! I have fond memories of Juneau. Although it was cold and still raining off and on, we did get a glimpse of blue sky. We took a very chilly boat ride looking for whales but the Stellar Sea Lions were the stars of the day. We saw a lot more Bald Eagles too!

While in Juneau we also hiked up to Mendenhall Glacier. It was an easy walk and the the glacier is beautiful. It’s well worth the hike.

Skagway, Alaska

Skagway, Gateway to the Yukon! Our excursion in Skagway was the White Pass and Yukon Railway. Seated in vintage train cars we followed in the steps of the Klondike Gold Miners. We were allowed to stand on the platforms between cars so we could look down into deep mountain gullies as we crossed trestle bridges and clung to the side of mountains. It was still raining and cold and it got colder the higher the train climbed.

At the end of the line a bus was waiting to take us across the Canadian border in the Yukon territory.

Denver is a Rocky Mountain High

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Denver, the Mile High Airport

We finally arrived at Denver International Airport. As we made touch down I began to feel a bit antsy. I didn’t know if I’d be able to make my connection since we got such a late start out of Jackson Hole. Once we got the ok to activate our cell phones an alert came through that my connecting flight to Boston was, in fact, delayed by 3o minutes. I was so relieved. But the  relief was short lived.

Denver airport

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Watch Out for the Fuel Truck!

We were on our way to the gate when we were brought to a halt. There we were on the tarmac just waiting. After about 5 minutes the pilot decided to share  the problem with us. One of the fuel trucks had broken down right in the middle of the runway !  We had to wait until they got a tow truck that could move such a large vehicle. The minutes ticked past and so did the boarding time for my connection.

Mad Dash To the Gate

Finally we got the go-ahead to move to the gate. The plane  couldn’t unload fast enough for me. I felt like I was on the longest jetway in the world! Once in the terminal I didn’t waste time looking for signs. I asked for directions. It was much farther between gates than I expected but as I hustled up to the attendant I saw a flight delay to Boston posted. Breathing hard I gasped out to the attendant “Is That My Flight!”

Terminals

Time to Relax

Turns out it was. The attendant and the other folks in line thought it was hilarious that I was so happy for a flight delay. It seems the connecting flight couldn’t land in Denver because of the same fog that caused us to be delayed in Jackson Hole. They were re-routed to Colorado Springs. They just got the ok to come on to Denver. We had to wait for them to arrive. I could relax and catch my breath.

Epilogue

The flight from Colorado Springs eventually arrived and we all got boarded. The flight to Boston was uneventful. I finally arrived home. A bit later than planned but safe and sound. Traveling is fun but coming home is pretty nice too.

Rocky's happy to see me

Happy Trails

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Happy Trails to you

Roy Rogers always signed off with the song Happy Trails to you, Until we meet again. That’s a western song, right?  It’s my last full day in Jackson. Happy Trails to me. My Wyoming adventure is coming to a close. I stayed by the condo most of the day doing laundry and packing. I like to take things a little easy the day before a long plane trip. My flight had been changed from 10:30 am to 6:30 am so I’d be heading to the airport in the wee hours of the morning.

TepeeOne Last Wildlife Search

As the afternoon rolled around I decided to drive up to Dornan’s. It seemed appropriate to finish where I started. I went to Dornan’s for lunch when I first arrived so I thought I’d do a little souvenir shopping there to wrap up the trip. They were having a big end of the season sale. Of course it was also a chance to take a last look around for wildlife. It was getting cold and there were occasional snow flurries when I headed out.

Mule Deer at Moose Junction

Did you get my best side

One animal that had been rather scarce were the mule deer. I’d only seen 2 my whole trip. There had been more bears than deer. On a whim I turned down Moose -Wilson Road when I arrived at Moose Junction. I’d no sooner made the turn than I spotted a deer right near the road. I drove past and pulled over. I got my camera and started to walk back to where I’d seen the doe. I really didn’t expect her to still be there but she was. She didn’t seem to be that afraid of me, wary maybe but she didn’t go running off. She even seemed interested in the sound of the shutter as I snapped some photos. She has two rambunctious youngsters with her that only showed themselves long enough to check me out then disappeared back into the brush.

Curious Deer

It’s Cold Out There

Mule Deer Doe

I stayed there by the side of the road as long as I could before the cold wind got to me. Leaving the deer behind I checked the bog overlook- no moose and the shrub where the little bear had been but that was empty too. As I drove back to Dornan’s I noticed the deer had gone. At least I had one last wildlife encounter.