On our drive to Teklanika Campground we saw 11 Ptarmigan dust bathing and getting digestive gravel for their crops.  Mom and Dad work together raising the 9 chicks. It was the start of a wonderful 4-day/3-night experience.

For the Denali Big Five seen during our 3 night stay: around 50 Dall sheep sitings, 16 Caribou, 12 Grizzly Bear sitings, 1 Bull Moose and 1 Wolf. We definitely sited the same individuals more than once at times. For example, either 5 or 6 individual grizzlies in the 12 sitings.

Wildlife babies besides the 9 Ptarmigan chicks included 3 Grizzly cubs, 3 young Arctic Ground Squirrels, 2 Spruce Grouse chicks and surely some of the 50 white dots moving about were Dall sheep lambs.

I hoped to see a pika and a marmot. No luck on the marmot yet, but with persistence saw a sunbathing pika near the East Fork Bridge. Adorable! We saw a large porcupine and a small red squirrel. Also saw lots of Arctic Ground Squirrels. The most interesting behavior was the alert mother nervously watching her 3 kids play, and the Arctic Ground Squirrel pulling a squished relative off of the road. (According to the bus driver he would likely cannabilistically eat it.)

Birds included 3 Golden Eagle sitings, Mew Gulls, Ravens, White-crowned Sparrows, Gray Jays, Ptarmigan and Spruce Grouse.

Besides the wildlife were brilliant wildflowers, rushing rivers, gorgeous colorful mountains, and fascinating rocks. Oh, also mosquitoes and rain, but this IS Alaska.

*Photos with an asterisk by Elton or Sharon Yordy