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Alaska Trip : July 1-23, 2017

Part 4 - Denali

July 13 : Valdez to Denali

With rain approaching Valdez, I attempted to follow the good weather back north to Denali. It would have been great, except the smoke had blown in from the east and blanketed the entire valley. The glacier views leaving Valdez were breathtaking, and I climbed all the way up to 17000' to get a good view of Denali. The landing at McKinley National Park Airport was my first at a gravel strip.

Valdez	Alyeska Oil Terminal	pIMG_5976.JPG	Seine fishers
Columbia Glacier	pIMG_5995.JPG	pIMG_6004.JPG	cIMG_6012.JPG
cIMG_6014.JPG	cIMG_6025.JPG	pIMG_6027.JPG	cIMG_6032.JPG
Meares Glacier	pIMG_6047.JPG	cIMG_6065.JPG	cIMG_6071.JPG
pIMG_6073.JPG	pIMG_6084.JPG	Tokositna Glacier	Mt. Hunter and Mt. Foraker
Denali and South Butress	West flank of Denali	Peters Glacier	Toklat
pIMG_6188.JPG	Denali Visitor Center	Alaska Railroad Trestle - Riley Creek Bridge	At McKinley National Park Airport

July 13 : Denali National Park

The visitor center was just a few minutes walk from the airport. The park offers free shuttles 15 miles into the park to Savage River, or paid shuttles that run the entire 90 miles of road to Kantishna. I hiked the Savage River Loop Trail, and returned to the visitor center to find a moose with her two calves.

Gray Jay	pIMG_6195.JPG	Colias sp.	Bog-star
Black-billed Magpie	cIMG_6215.JPG	pIMG_6221.JPG	Coenonympha sp.
Savage River	Arctic Ground Squirrel	pIMG_6245.JPG	pIMG_6250.JPG
cIMG_6251.JPG	cIMG_6253.JPG	pIMG_6256.JPG	pIMG_6258.JPG
Black-billed Magpie	pIMG_6265.JPG	pIMG_6267.JPG	Arctic Blue
pIMG_6283.JPG	cIMG_6292.JPG	pIMG_6295.JPG	pIMG_6300.JPG
cIMG_6310.JPG	cIMG_6318.JPG	pIMG_6321.JPG	Yellow Warbler (?)
Veined White	Gull chicks	White-crowned Sparrow	Collared Pika
pIMG_6362.JPG	Mew Gull	Savage River	Gull with chick
cIMG_6396.JPG	cIMG_6406.JPG	The moose were visiting	pIMG_6419.JPG
cIMG_6428.JPG	cIMG_6434.JPG	cIMG_6442.JPG	cIMG_6449.JPG
cIMG_6463.JPG	cIMG_6464.JPG	cIMG_6472.JPG	cIMG_6474.JPG
cIMG_6477.JPG	cIMG_6487.JPG	cIMG_6493.JPG	cIMG_6499.JPG
cIMG_6530.JPG	Red Squirrel	pIMG_6550.JPG	cIMG_6551.JPG
pIMG_6553.JPG	pIMG_6557.JPG	Beware of mosquitoes!	cIMG_03098.JPG
Nenana River	cIMG_6562.JPG	cIMG_6564.JPG	pIMG_6581.JPG

July 14 : Denali National Park

Two park entry signs	pIMG_6584.JPG	pIMG_6587.JPG	pIMG_6589.JPG
Clossiana sp.	cIMG_6598.JPG	Vole	Squirrel midden
Riley Creek	pIMG_6623.JPG	Riley Creek Trestle	cIMG_6634.JPG
White Admiral	pIMG_6652.JPG	pIMG_6661.JPG

July 14 : Denali to Kenai

There were quite a few clouds around the Alaska Range, but I managed to climb on top to get another look at Denali. I stopped in Wasilla to refuel and do a quick oil change, and then on to Kenai.

cIMG_03103.JPG	Savage River and trail	Cumulogranite (Denali)	cIMG_6683.JPG
cIMG_6695.JPG	Time to change the oil	Campbell Creek Canyon	South Fork Campbell Creek
Cook Inlet	Chickaloon Bay mudflats	Swanson River

July 15 : Kenai to Homer

Just a short 40 minute flight down to Homer.

cIMG_03176.JPG	cIMG_03181.JPG	It's dipnetting season in Kenai	The cliffs just outside of Homer
Looking across Kachemak Bay	Final approach, Homer AK