Land Ho. Monday September 12. Okay, I admit I do take some dramamine
because we are going to be on a bus all
day. You never know - better safe thank sorry.
Ray did check around midnight for the Northern Lights. Alas, too much
cloud cover. We never did see them.
2 pm tour bus for the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Book this now........wow, what a splendid
day.
Justin, our tour guide, was studying for his masters in biology. He's been
studying wolves. His gig as a Denali bus driver is a bonus for us - the man
knows his park, the animals, and he sought to give us the best experience
possible.
The National Park system of the USA is a treasure and funds should not be
cut. That's my political statement of the day. In Denali they maintain a
natural eco-system. No interference.
What lives. What dies. That's how it goes. No hunting or thinning of herds.
It's maintained naturally. Regulated
buses run during the day. The park shuts at night. Only a certain amount of
certified photographers are allowed in per day. It is controlled for a good reason - try to NOT interfere
with mother nature. I was very
impressed.
Denali is the size of Massachusetts.
Again the scale is mammoth and it's reassuring to know there is so much
wild still not developed. Trust me - go see and you'll be glad.
Caribou had migrated already. We could see the tracks. One lumbering
grizzly sought berries. His huge paws
dug furiously and found a yield. Justin stopped the bus and we watched
him. He dug, strolled, walked in front
of our bus, and proceeded to continue his search for food. The whole bus stayed quiet
as we snapped pictures. He was SO big
and just freaking amazing.
Altogether, in our seven hour day
(which flew by), we saw eight grizzly,
eight moose (they are humongous), grouse,squirrels, bear cubs, an eagle,and a rainbow.
Wow
Book this trip now