This morning we board a helicopter to view Denali from the air.
The girls are jittery because it's a little windy. I don't know why,
our pilot did say that he stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
The sunglasses are covering up the fear in their eyes.
Here Bill is taking our picture, while the pilot is asking us about dental records.
Up, up and away!
There is our train, heading back to Anchorage.
Gwyn is looking for the air sick bag and we just took off.
Not good!
This is the tundra trail, the only road heading into and out of the park.
The buses must have spotted somthing. This is the trip that we will be taking
this after noon, if we survive this one.
Now we turn south toward Mt McKinley which rises up over 20,000 feet
and is the tallest mountain in North America.
As you can see the mountain is socked in. We are getting
tossed around by the updrafts so it's getting a little hairy up here.
The pilot says that if we can make it over this mountain it should smooth out.
If we don't, put on your coats and snowshoes.
As we clear the top, the girls start breathing again.
Heading back to base.
Setting it down easy.
We survived !
Before we left, we met the young pilot and I had asked him if this was his first flight.
He said jokingly, no my second. When we got off the helicopter Sue told us how scared she was
because that was only his second flight. She felt a lot better when we told her he was just kidding.
Heading into Denali National Park.
Because we had the time wrong, we ended up in the back of the bus.
But it was great, because we all got to sit together.
Our first caribou walked right up toward the bus.
Where is my jacket? It's cold out here!
See the moose? I don't !
Dall sheep heading up a ridge.
More dall sheep.
Our first grizzly.
Mom and cub foraging for food. Any volunteers want to join them for lunch?
Less than one third of the people visting the park get to see
Mt McKinley because of the clouds that always surround it.
We were blessed!
Pic of the day !
These bighorn sheep were working on their tan.
They were right next to the road sucking up some rays.
Bill and Gwyn herding the sheep.
A blonde grizzly and her cub.
Mom looking for lunch.
Don't you think the grass on the other side of the road looks better?
Can't wait till I shed this coat!
A couple of carbou grazing.
Bear den. Anybody want to stick their head in to see if anyone's home?
That wraps it up, see you tomorrow, heading to Seward!
Ralph , Prilly, Sue, Bill, & Gwyn