June is Bustin' Out All Over

It's June 1st and day 19 of our trek. Today we do the tour of Denali and the bus leaves at 7am. I am up at 5am and our first group is off at 6:30 and then my group is ready to go. It is a clear day and that is important because last year we sat on our school type bus for 8 hours in the rain and mud. Didn't see any animals which made it worse. This year is a total reversal and the trip was an overwheming success.

Our driver, Kim, has been doing this job for eight years and she was astounded by the wildlife we got to see. Birds - Ptarmigan, Great Horned Owl (in a nest near the road), Northern Harrier, Wigeon, Golden Eagle, Magpie. Ground Squirrel, Snowshoe Hare, Red Fox, Gray Wolf, Caribou, Moose, Grizzly Bear, Dall Sheep. And the surprise - a Lynx!

The day was just perfect and we kept seeing animals like three different grizzlies each with two cubs. Moose with tiny calves and baby lambs. The lynx came near the end of the day and he just poked his head up near the roadway. It was incredible as that is the most elusive animal in the park and is rarely seen. This one walked along near the road and we got to watch him for a long while. It was very exciting.

In addition we had great views of the mountains and valleys and even saw Denali behind some clouds. I call the day - perfect!