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Birds
I have been spending a lot of time birding now that I am retired. I rarely write about it as I doubt most people are interested, and I rarely have decent photos. My highlight this week was definitely the gorgeous breeding plumage Long-tailed Ducks at Otto Lake. I don’t have a photo, so Google them…
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21 Caribou and a Baby Dall Sheep
We decided to let the weather determine what we would do Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t quite warm enough for fishing on chilly, windy Otto Lake. Therefore, we took our last opportunity this spring to drive out to the Teklanika Rest Area and had another phenomenal day viewing wildlife. Despite (or because?) of the many other…
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Midnight Moose, Pika, and 17 Caribou
C and I took a late drive to Teklanika, enjoying wildlife and the surreal Alaska twilight. We set a new personal record by seeing 17 caribou in this one trip. We saw 2 groups of 8 each, all at a distance, then the above bull caribou crossed the road in front of us. No young…
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Dry Cabin Daily Rhythm
Yesterday we arose early and spent 8 hours looking for wildlife. Unlike last weekend’s phenomenal day, we saw few animals (primarily 6 caribou and 1 porcupine). Today I am shifting gears to a theme I put off while writing about more exciting things. 2 a.m., South bedroom window If we had indoor plumbing, I…
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Alaska Big Five on May 5, 2024
We began our drive to Teklanika at 6 am, hoping to see wildlife. The day surpassed all expectations! The only easy wildlife siting was our first view of the large grizzly bear walking right down the road. We stopped and turned off the car, and he just kept getting closer and closer! About the time we…
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Denali, Susitna River, and Fairbanks
While it is warming up fast, much of interior Alaska’s infrastructure is closed for another month or more. The George Parks Highway is open pavement, but most rest areas and overlooks to the side of the road haven’t been cleared. Many people before us had trudged thru the snow to this viewpoint of the Alaska…
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Two Days in Palmer
While C was in training, I explored the Palmer area. He joined me on a trip to Reflections Lake after work today. Altogether, I saw 9 Moose, 4 Sandhill Cranes, 3 Bald Eagles, 2 Northern Harriers, 2 Merganser couples, 2 Trumpeter Swan couples, and a Ruffed Grouse. Palmer has an excellent visitor center/museum, though it…
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Aurora V, from Denali National Park
Astronomical twilight (the darkest it gets this time of year) started at 12:06 early this morning. Since it was a clear night I had set my alarm for 12:20 am. I wasn’t expecting much as the forecast kp index was only a 3. To my surprise, there was some color in the sky, dramatically obvious…
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Denali and Wildlife, Healy Week One 2024
We have been back in Healy one week and have gone into Denali as far as Mountain Vista 3 times. We saw The Mountain (and lots of beautiful lesser mountains). Yesterday we watched a mostly white Ptarmigan walk along a gravel bar, and saw a moose grazing then lie down. Today we saw fresh tracks…
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Aurora IV, April 2024
Our third night at our dry cabin in Healy, and we’ve already been blessed with the Aurora Borealis. It was relatively faint but beautiful! The dancing northern lights were all around us again – north, south, west, and a bit to the east. My new cell phone has a night setting on the camera. Now…
Me & C
Roaming: Shenandoah River to the Alaska Range
