"Life is lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back through the valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale.” Jill Savage

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Denali National Park

The question is not what you look at but what you see.
- Henry David Thoreau

These are moose antlers. They are really really heavy. The moose grow them about a pound a week. I didn't know that these 'racks' are dropped once in year in spring time.


This sign has nails around it. Keeps the bears from breaking it and I believe they scratch their back on it.


This is a caribou - we waited until he crossed the bridge and then we went over it.


The last stop my bus made - this is the ranger station.


My bus. Rode about 50 miles into the park. Saw 7 bears (4 brown and 3 white), 2 foxes, snowshoes rabbits, Ptarmigan (the Alaskan State Bird), eagles, moose, Dull Sheep, caribou, and more. People would spot movement out of the bus - the driver would stop - he had a telescope and would check it out - and then display it on the computer screen in front on me.


Okay - there were a lot of fires going out there - 39 - started by dry lightening - they don't have thunderstorms like we do. So if you can use your imagination look back towards the right and you will see Mount McKinley (to the lower 48 states and Mt. Denali to the Alaskans.) They are trying to officially change it to Mt. Denali.



I just received an email with a video commemorating the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Where were you? Do you remember?

4 comments:

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

I was just a little girl 40 years ago. Even at that age, though, I didn't like anything to do with druggies.

Alaska is so unusual and beautiful. Truly the last frontier.

Chatty Crone said...

Me either, didn't have anything to do with drugs. I was 15 and I actually remember 1968 quite well -more than I actually remember Woodstock! It was one of the best of times and one of the worst of times for me - a year that kind of defined me.

Alaska is really the last frontier in the US for sure.

Buttercup said...

Love your pictures of Alaska!

I was going into my sophomore year in college and waitressing 6 days a week to pay for it. I thought it would be fun to go, but I couldn't give up my job. My college friend, Lucy, did go and I listened to her stories about a thousand times.

Chatty Crone said...

I'm driving my family nuts with my stories and probably my blogger friends - but I'm almost done. Thanks for 'bearing' with me and my memories.