Denali to Um... Where the Heck Am I Again?

Today was a casual travel day for me - The drive is a long one, but thank heavens it is interesting, if for nothing else the signs.




The only goal being to drive south from Denali, south past Anchorage to the tiny town of Portage. There I had an AirBnB reserved for one night, the following day to drive down to Seward for a couple of nights.

Along the way I stopped to kind of pay my respects to Eklutna, a little Russian/Native town Ila and I visited in 1997 on my first trip to Alaska. Eklutna is quite the same, and yet, quite different. I could feel how much older it has grown in the last 22 years.

There was a tour in progress, but as I took it 22 years ago, I passed on a redo. 

The entrance is a little souvenir shop and gateway to the cemetery

St Nicolas - a Russian Orthodox Church, active since the early 1830s

The area was the center of numerous Athabaskan villages. Over the years, the Athabaskan traditions mingled with those of the Russian Orthodox missionaries. The Athabaskan culture for their dead morphed into one that buried their dead, then built Burial Spirit Boxes over them. The brilliant colors and symbolism of ridges on the boxes and patterns, were unique to families. 

The boxes are purposefully allowed to decay - instead of being kept up - because ashes to ashes and dust to dust.

The decorations on the Spirit Houses denote family ties

On this visit I did not enter the graveyard but did view the highly colorful Spirit Boxes.
After revisiting Eklutna, I wended south past Anchorage, stopping briefly at a favorite spot of mine.

Cook's Pass, a great place to see wild Beluga Whales, the ice cream chunks of the sea!

It faces the Cook Inlet, and it is a spot where in 2000, I spotted what looked like 'ice cream' chunks floating past. The pass is infamous for its Beluga Whales that swim pass.

'Ice cream chunk', swimming by

My 'ice cream chunks' were in fact, Beluga Whales swimming by but I couldn't believe my luck that I was seeing real wild Belugas.  I've stopped at the pass several times but never again saw any wild Belugas at Cook's Inlet. I guess it was beginner's luck working for me.

The 'view' from my window. 

Arriving in Portage, I found the AirBnB I reserved. It serves as a popular Ski
lodge in the winter, but this time of year it serves the oddball tourists who visit out of season. You know. Those like me.  After checking in to my cute & somewhat tiny room 'with a view', I took off for a little exploring.

Overturned gallon jugs made for chess pieces in the park

I enjoyed an excellent meal at a Thai Restaurant, run from a little tent and a building of some sort -  next to the park. Not much ambiance to spare, but the food was excellent.



So all in all, with the driving I had to do, it was a low key day, rest up day. I have myself signed up for two days of pelagic wildlife touring out of Steward.

Lovely array of pansies from Eklutna

Denali National Park

Mount Denali - so magnificient it looks more a painting than a photo

Cow Moose's tracks

I didn't knock myself out getting up early today. I rose, had breakfast, then got overexcited before driving off because there were moose tracks next to the car, and many summer coated Snowshoe Hares bouncing around. I found the cow moose who left the tracks by car and wished her a good morning. She rudely ignored me.

The Bus Depot and visitor center

Inside - the big depot

When I got to the bus depot in Denali I had to make up my mind which route I would take. I ended up choosing the same one I took with Ila in 1997 - the drive to the Elisson Visitor Center.

The bus took off around 1PM and it is a whopping 8 hour round trip. It was sunny when we pulled out of the bus depot... then it was rainy... then sunny... then rainy... that was our day. And what did I care?

Early view from bus window - rain, rain, and more rain

Just as quickly followed by a 'just kidding about the rain', Rainbow

Oh well! I was glued to the window looking for animals, and the first we found were way up on a hillside - Dall Sheep. 

Finding animals, means searching for polka dots on hillsides

Dall Sheep

Between animal spotting there were sweeping vistas to admire

Dozens and dozens of Caribou roamed the flats and meadows

Some were more in a 

hurry than others.

And others were in no hurry whatsoever.

This group was bedded down on some nice soft snow

Of the 'big five' animals seen in Denali (Moose, Dall Sheep, Caribou, Bear and Wolf), the animal that probably gets the most press and excitment are the Grizzlies. Today a sow Grizzly (left) was seen with her big ole' baby (right).

They were up on the meadows, the mom snoozing while the cub dug and foraged in the grass. I learned long ago they do eat grass and can get plenty of calories from the veggie part of their diet.

There was also a brief viewing of a HUMONGOUS male Grizzly, who crossed the road and climbed up a cliff. I got plenty of photos but was frustrated from shooting pix through the bus windshield.

We had a few stops on the trip for potty breaks and such. One was at a cold, windswept area.

Moose and Caribou antlers were out for some 'Show & Tell'

Scads of little Mew Gulls were everywhere, marching and flying about.

Four hours in and the bus arrived at Elisson Vistor Center

Denali has the "Big Five" of large animals, that are Moose, Dall Sheep, Caribou, Bear and Wolf. Throughout today I saw four of the big five, but as in 1997, I still saw no wolves. Will have to come back again.

If Denali has a 'little five' here is one of them now... an Arctic Ground Squirrel

There are loads of instructional and inspirational stuff to look at in the visitor center, but for me the best was a display of  downright gorgeous quilts.

Four massive quilts making one spectacular tableau

I loved the wildflowers & herbs as well as the wildlife displayed

Loved the detailing of the birds displayed

This quilt explained how herbs were used for dyes

Of course I made a pie crust promise to sew such a quilt for myself

Look at that Long-tailed Jaeger & wildflowers - to die for!

I was so bowled over by the quilts, I made a pie crust promise to myself - I would make such a quilt for myself. You remember pie crust promises - easily made, easily broken.





When I could tear myself away from the quilts, there were other things to look at - the magnificient scenery

Huge windows, even more huge vistas outside

After the Elisson Vistor Center the bus headed back. I birded along the way, but it wasn't easy because my GPS was non functional. Still, I enjoyed what birds showed up, like a huge Golden Eagle.

I wasn't tired, but was ready to call it a day when we got back to the bus depot. I headed back to my AirBnB, stopping to do a little window shopping in Healy. I made sure to get back in time to enjoy the eleven PM 'alpine glow' which my AirBnB host said was a not-to-be-missed event. He was right. 

Lovely sunset with 'Alpine Glow'; the glittering of light on distant hill