Tag: Alaska Wildlife
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Wildlife Babies IV, Week 17 in Healy
On the road near home we saw a Ptarmigan and 5 chicks. We think it was a Ptarmigan as the adult clearly had feathered feet. The mother was not happy to have chicks on both sides of the road. They would run or fly from one side to the other, but didn’t seem interested in…
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Arctic Ground Squirrels
I saw about 20 Arctic Ground Squirrels on Savage Alpine Trail. I often see them on Savage Loop Trail as well. I sometimes heard their alarm call before I saw them. Then I would often see one perched on a rock calling out a warning. In the Savage area of Denali National Park the Arctic…
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Persistence, Week 16 in Healy
We have done a lot of fishing so far in 2023 to catch four fish and keep two! We have fished in ice and in mosquitoes. We have fished raging rivers, tiny streams, ponds and lakes. We fished near the Arctic Circle and down on the Kenai Peninsula. If all that mattered were fish to…
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Cousins on the Kenai, Week 16 in Alaska
We had a great time with our cousins on the second half of our long weekend off. The weather was gorgeous and they took us out on the Kenai River in their boat. It was a lovely time! C caught a dolly varden and I caught a trout. Between the 4 of us we caught…
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Sockeye and Bears
We wore ourselves out fishing for hours on the Kenai River (at the fishermen’s ferry). Thousands of casts resulted in no fish. Most people weren’t having much luck, though a few savvy people had nice stringers. Three great things about the Kenai – the color of the water, friendly summer resident David who gave us…
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Potholes and Mosquitoes, Week 15 in Healy
Alaska is not all sunshine, rainbows and wildlife. At times the wildlife hides. There are a lot of potholes and frost heaves on Alaska roads. And there are even more mosquitoes than potholes. If we had caught even one fish last weekend this post might have a different title. When C found out at 9:30…
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Utqiagvik, Part 2 Polar Bears
We hoped we would see polar bears, but knew it was unlikely. They are occasionally seen near town, but if they get close are hazed aggressively to give them a healthy fear of town. By midnight before our flight out we had tried twice to get a ride to Point Barrow, learning that the road…
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Utqiagvik, Part 1
We walked on water. The Arctic Ocean is still frozen at the coast here at Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) though this section thaws every summer. This community and area is unique and wonderful. The majority of the population is Inupiat with a deep tradition of whaling and of demanding their self-determination as a people and community.…
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Fox and Grizzlies, Week 13 in Healy
June 12 we saw this gorgeous fox on Stampede Road. Then on June 14 I watched a mother grizzly bear and her year old cub from the Park Road. Whenever they sat or stood up I enjoyed seeing them at a distance as they rolled around, interacted, and watched a raven. Mostly they laid down…
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Wildlife Babies III, Denali National Park
When I went back past the Park bus depot nearly 2 hours later no moose were visible. When C left work at 6:30, there were moose in the same general area.
Me & C 