Denali

These pictures were taken in and near Denali N.P.
I've seen lots of Moose Crossing signs including some in New England. This is my first Caribou crossing sign. We did see Caribou inside the park, they are larger than I supposed. This sign was near Paxson.
It was cloudy and sometimes lightly raining when these pix where taken.
It's a pity as the vegetation was so lush and the colors don't come out so fully.

This is a raised area left by a glacier, it is called an esker. The glacier had a river running under it and where the river went it eventually filled with river rock and debris. It's 30-40 feet high with water on each side. Lots of ducks nest in these lakes, including the Long-tailed Ducks.
And many Lesser Scaup which are normally an ocean bird.
This is on the Denali Highway between Paxson and Cantwell, if you call a gravel road a highway. It is probably the best long gravel road I've ever driven, quite smooth in most places.

I saw several porcupines and each time when I stopped to take a picture they would scurry into the bushes. I don't know what their hurry was, it wasn't like I planned to pet one. But I saw this one down the road a piece [and on this 135 mile gravel road I never was going very fast]. So this time I stopped to get all set.
Well the porcupine was moving towards me and just kept coming. Obviously they do not see well. Eventually he was UNDER the car. Great, and what do I do now?
The porcupine, me and the car remained undamaged.

We all know that everyone goes to Alaska to see birds.
This is the Alaska state bird, a Willow Ptarmigan. In the winter it would be almost all white. I also saw a Rock Ptarmigan.
Some people, including those near Wonder Lake, would say the state bird is the mosquito - and they are pretty good sized ones.

Lots of these braided rivers where glaciers formerly flowed. The river bed is full of silk and small pebbles and now it cuts new channels weaving back and forth across the plain.

I saw this mommy on a rock outcropping just above the roadway. There are two cubs, one is attached to the front getting some breakfast.
When I came upon black bears they always walk or scurry away.
Brown bears stay where they want to stay.

This guy was eating small shrubbery and lichen like stuff. Ripping it up with those big claws and teeth.

A small herd of Dall Sheep in Denali. Beautiful. Way the heck up the mountain. Not great quality picture as it is pushing the limits of my lens.

And this wonderful Gyrfalcon photo pushes those camera limits beyond their ability. The bird looked great through the Leica bins but only so-so here. It was a terrific find - the world's largest falcon. One of it's favorite meals is those ptarmigan.
Also in Denali.

Finally this young wolf in Denali. He was more curious than anything. If he strays out of the park without any more smarts than he showed here, then he will make a nice coat for someone.
Long legs.
I saw a beautiful fox earlier but it wasn't such a dummy as to stay around and pose.