As was typical in their growing up years, this campsite also was near water, sort-of. It was a small hike down to the creek, but on the way back, the discovery of blueberries made it fabulous!
Breakfast had always been a specialty of Dad's, so it was still given to him to fix.
We saw the road we would be traveling the next day on the 3-D map at the Visitor's Center. I was glad I took the photo since I referred back to it often on the trip! The trip had quick results on the wildlife viewing. The bus driver's told us that our command to stop and look was a simple "STOP!" It happened quickly, and it was a sign of things to come.
Did I mention we were in a fairly typical school bus? The seats were much nicer and the ride was pretty smooth, but still...we drove on this road in a bus. Oh, and there were other buses going the opposite direction that required one bus to stop while the other passed. Yeah, no guardrails, steep grade down to the abyss. In a bus.
Back to the wildlife! We saw so many bears. There were sows with cubs several times, and a really pretty Toklat (blonde) boar. I took many buffalo pictures, but refrained from sharing. If you don't know what buffalo pictures are, ask me or any of my family!
My eyes, as usual, were glued to the binoculars. Dad followed suit, especially when we tried to see the Dall Sheep. I tried to take a picture, and though you can see the white blur, it just didn't do it for me. We did see many sheep on several occasions, and we had some close encounters with the caribou. A couple of them chose to walk the road in front of us. This one paused for a nice photo op. I think he was posing.
Wow! What a sight! Never mind the slight crease to the left of the mountain.
O.K. Seriously, the clouds were pretty heavy, so despite all the wildlife sighting, there was no mountain sighting. The picture below is what we actually saw. I was standing where my height dictated to see the mountain where it was outlined on the window. Can you see the slight outline of the peaks? The picture below this one is what we were supposed to see on a clear day. Oh well.
We capped our Denali trip off with a moose steak dinner cooked on charcoals. As much as this may amaze y'all, this was my first time cooking on charcoal. I did have a bit of help, and it turned out perfectly. My mouth is watering again. Apparently it is supper time again...
The weekend was deemed a success, as it didn't rain until the last night. Fortunately, the tarp kept the table dry for our breakfast. The trip finished with a visit to the kennels and then back home.
