| On
the ride to Wonder Lake |
We left the Northstar Inn at 4:50 and the mountains were just
beginning to lighten up. Adam gave us a ride.
Later that day we thought he wanted to give Maria a
ride, too.
|
This is our bus. We sat in the back. At 5:15 am, we had individual
seats. It was very nice. |
This grizzly bear is in his blond summer coat. Perry almost got off
the bus and stayed with it. He is glad he didn't because he got better
pictures on his hike. |
I'm not sure if this is a moose or a caribou. |
Diana does Antler Aerobics, a workout program popularized by Maria.
It consists of lifting antlers until you get winded.
These things are heavy.
|
Maria loves antlers. |
Aren't they cute!
They found these lying on the ground and acted like
wild animals for the rest of the morning.
|
Oh heck... what is
there to say? These two are incorrigible. Give them a pair of antlers
and they start battling for supremacy. Since moose and caribou don't
wear pants, nobody wins here. Go on, guys... bang your antlers together
until one of you drops. |
This is the start of Antler Aerobics. Maria had a good time with
them. I have several other pictures of her exercising. She has good
thighs. |
Just the two of us with the Widelux camera we borrowed from Janet
Matthews' father, Walter.
Oh yeah, there is Mt. McKinley in the
background.
|
This is what happens when the 400mm VR gets confused when the moose
wanders behind a bush that is only fifteen feet from the bus.
If you look at the next photo, you will see what they
look like without a bush in the way.
|
Hey guys, smile! |
A gull by any other name is still a gull. This one was in a tree at
the visitors center. He wanted food. I made him a star.
He'd rather have food.
|
Another cariboose. That's my term for a big wooly mammal with horns
that I can't identify. I know it's either a caribou or a moose.
Until somebody e-mail's me, it will be known as a
cariboose.
|
This guy is either a Jaeger or a Yeager. If it is a Yeager, it's
named after Chuck Yeager, the test pilot.
If it's a Jaeger, I don't have any idea what it's
named after.
Diana goes with Jaeger. I go with Yeager.
You pick.
|
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|
Mt. McKinley Views
These four views were taken at different times of the day from different
angles. We mostly saw the North Face which is not climbable. Every single
person who lives or works in the area told us that these type days occur
only two or three times a season. We had magnificent weather. The views
are spectacular. |
The view from the road. |
The view from the curve. |
The view from the visitors center. |
The view from Wonder Lake. |
Perry gets ready to head into the tundra. He has a sixty pound pack
full of photo equipment. He wants me to carry his macro lens back to the
hotel. It only weighs two pounds and I think he will need it. |
Another "Perry the Photographer" photo.
I sure hope he publishes a book someday. I'll get a
photo credit on the dust jacket. I have the best "Perry the
Photographer" photos every taken.
Everyone's a winner.
|
This sheep was sitting there at 9am. He was also there at 3pm. He
didn't move the entire day.
It is a Dall Sheep.
|
This is the Visitors Center map.
The center is named after a famous bush pilot. That
doesn't mean he flies for the President. That means he flew into the back
country, known as "The Bush".
|
| On
the Ride Back |
We saw this bear from the road and watched it for about five minutes.
It played in a stream and then scooted up the hill. |
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There is a lone caribou under the bridge. We made a rest stop here and
this little fellow was eating lunch. I got the bus on the bridge to show
the location. |
Here is a close-up of the caribou under the bridge. |
Here is our Dall Sheep at 3pm. I swear this is not the same photo we
took at 9am. You will just have to trust me on this. |
