We spent our last full day in Alaska back in Denali NP. Since we had gone so far down the park road the previous day (requiring lots of time on the bus) we decided to only go as far as the Eielson Visitor center so that we could have more time to hike. We didn’t see as much wildlife this time, but it was a great day for landscapes since the wind had blown the clouds and fog out of the valley.

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There was some impressive landscapes as the clouds passed over the Alaska Range

We shortly forgot about the mountain as Katharine pointed out a grizzly cub running along side the road from the bus.  It was definitely picking up a scent in the wind as it ran down the hill into the braided stream.

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We came around the bend and suddenly Denali came out in full view. It was windy out but well worth getting out of the bus to take a few photos in the cold.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, 34mm, f/9.0, 1/200 sec

On our way back towards the park exit we got off the bus to hike some more in the open tundra. This time we didn’t see any bears though. We also took advantage of Nathan’s tripod and remote shutter.

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Again, berries were everywhere, blanketing the ground.

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Once we were back on the bus, the last animals we saw were a moose and her calf.

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Our last day in Alaska was a perfect end to an amazing trip full of wildlife sightings, amazing mountains, and some great hiking. We can’t wait to go back!!

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