Rocky Mountain National Park (or An Ode to Mountains)

I love mountains. When I was a kid, I thought I lived near some nice mountains. Then I went to Europe in college and stayed at a hotel on the summit of Mt. Pilatus in the Swiss Alps. Those were Mountains compared to what I had grown up with. But it wasn't until I drove through the Big Horn Mountains on my first cross-country trip that I really found out what mountains were. And now I am addicted to them. So Rocky Mountain National Park was a much-anticipated stop, which did not disappoint.

See? Mountains everywhere you look. It's like God took two-thirds of Colorado and crumpled it up like a piece of copy paper and then tried to smooth it back out again, only you can't really smooth paper back out; thus, the many ranges and peaks of the Colorado Rockies were formed.

Mountains so tall that nothing grows on top of them. Mountains that are, well, rocky.

And mountains that are covered with snow. Even in July.

Bear Lake was probably my favorite place in the park. I went later in the day, finishing up my short hike around the lake just before sunset, so it wasn't too crowded. The altitude kicked my butt a little, even though I had just slept at 8,000 feet in Yellowstone a few days before. I just love how the blues were so blue and the greens were so green, especially against the stark gray of the mountains. And how the mountains stand so proudly and resolutely above the rest of the world, like sentinels watching over humanity and nature.

RMNP also has some cool wildlife. Here's a Stellar's jay, which is so brilliantly blue and beautiful.

I also saw a TON of elk. At the top of Trail Ridge Road, which runs over the mountains at a top elevation of around 12,000 feet, I saw about ten bull elk grazing in a field.

This guy was my favorite, even though he wouldn't pick his head up for me.

Up at the Alpine Visitor Center on Trail Ridge Road, a huge herd of mamas and babies congregated.

On the other side of the mountains, I saw several moose grazing along the banks of the teeny, tiny Colorado River, more like a stream at this early stage of its journey.

Another thing I was really looking forward to was seeing tons of wildflowers. I didn't see tons, but the ones I did encounter embodied everything I love about wildflowers; they were sweet, colorful, delicate yet hardy, bringing a mini-party to the harsh mountaintop.

I definitely plan to return to RMNP one day, hopefully earlier in the season so I can see even more flowers. And one day I'd like to come in the fall to hear the elk bugling. It's really a beautiful place.

Grand Teton National Park

Located in Wyoming in between Yellowstone National Park and the town of Jackson, WY, Grand Teton National Park is truly stunning. The park is linked to Yellowstone by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. As you head south out of Yellowstone to drop into the Snake River valley, you are treated to glimpses of the jagged Teton peaks.

The road then turns and begins to follow Jackson Lake, providing views of the Tetons in profile. I don't think any picture can truly do justice to the majesty of these mountains, which tower over Jackson Hole with (Hole being the early settlers' word for valley) with elevations ranging from 11,000 to 13,000 feet.

Another stunning view of the Tetons:

The view of Mt. Moran from the Oxbow Bend overlook, with the mountain reflected in the Snake River.

This is the view from Signal Mountain. If you visit the Tetons (which you should if you're in Yellowstone, even for a day), take the time to drive up Signal Mountain Road. The views of Jackson Hole are stunning.

Another view from a turn-out on Signal Mountain.

This is Jenny Lake, which is amazingly blue up close. You can hike around it or take a boat across, which I will definitely do the next time I'm out there.

Below is the Chapel of the Transfiguration in the Menors Ferry Historic District. The view from inside is amazing as well, but I didn't really get any good snaps.

These last two shots are from Mormon Row, where the early settlers tried to make a go of it. Unfortunately, the land wasn't right for farming, but their buildings remain as a testament to their pioneering spirits. 

The View From The Top

Taken today at the summit of Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts. Can't wait to experience a beautiful autumn day in Vermont tomorrow.

Yukon Gold

The drive from the Alaskan border to Haines Junction involves some of the most beautiful scenery combined with some of the most horrific road conditions. A long day and a half in the Yukon, but still totally worth it.

A trumpeter swan in a pond just over the Canadian border. Apparently, swans like the cold, because there are five species common to this area.

Burwash Landing is located along the shores of Kluane Lake, which is absolutely beautiful. The area was developed because of the Yukon gold rush, as you can see by the "world's largest" gold pan sign. We may not have struck it rich in gold, but if eye-popping scenic views could be traded for case, I would not be working anymore!

Kluane Lake. It is so beautiful along here that you just want to sit and enjoy the view forever.

Kluane Lake is located in Canada's Kluane National Park & Reserve. This area, along with Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in the US, are home to many of North America's highest peaks, including Mt. Logan, which straddles the US-Canadian border; the area is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. I've seen several of those in my travels now, and if you're near one, stop and check it out. It's always worth it.

The mountains overlooking Kluane Lake. I think these are called the Pelly Range. Or maybe the Ruby Range, but basically they are an extension of the northern Cascades.

Miles Canyon, where the Yukon River narrows just upstream from Whitehorse. Again it's amazing how clean and beautiful the water looks.

The suspension bridge over Miles Canyon. It was pretty scary and wobbly, but I'm proud to report that I made it across. Almost makes me want to go back and try the Hell's Gate bridge again. Almost.

The views on the other side of the bridge were so worth walking over it. We went on a (short) hike until the sun started to sink in the sky. Which of course was a beautiful sight itself.

There's just something about pine trees that makes my heart happy. Not that I don't like other kinds of trees, but that northern, scrubby pine, clear water, crisp air landscape is so peaceful. We liked Miles Canyon so much that we decided to stay in Whitehorse for the night. We did so at Robert Service Campground, a tent-only campground that was one of the best we stayed in. Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures.

After we pitched our tent, we went exploring around Whitehorse a bit, taking in the sunset over the Yukon. And making a much-needed Wal-Mart stot, where we were surprised to find pretty good prices for the middle of nowhere Canada.

The next morning we continued down the Alaska Highway, stopping briefly in Teslin to check out the Teslin Tlingit Native Heritage Center, which was a "must-stop" for me. Of all the native art and culture I experienced (which actually wasn't much, although it wasn't nothing, either), I think the Tlingit culture is my favorite, so I was excited to see how the inland groups lived compared to their coastal cousins. (Although I still haven't been to Sitka and some of the other coastal regions where the Tlingit live).

These are some Tlingit totems. I love the colors and the style of the animal representations.

Well, that concludes our brief time in the Yukon. The Yukon Visitor's Center in Whitehorse has an amazing video about other places to go, and someday I'd like to see Dawson City and drive the Dempster Highway to Inuviak.

Up next will be our exploits in British Columbia, including driving through an active wildfire, seeing dozens of black bears, driving to the top of a glacier, and enjoying Vancouver's Stanley Park.

Leaving Alaska

Despite what an awesome (albeit slightly indirect) trip home I had, it was really hard to leave Alaska. It was great that Tasha was with me for so many reasons, but those first few days, her presence definitely prevented me from turning around and going back to Wasilla. Saying good-bye to my dad (and Susanne) was pretty hard. Witness my red, teary face!

Anyway, once we got going, it wasn't so bad. And I obviously came home, so that was good (although how long I'll stay is anyone's guess). Our first few days were mostly a lot of driving. The scenery along the Alaska Highway is beautiful, but those frost heaves are killer. That first day, we only made it to the Alaska-Yukon border, because we left late (of course!), go stuck in construction, stopped at Fred Meyers (always good for an hour or so), and visited a few places, too.

A big polar bear (the only kind of bear I have yet to see in the wild-but Churchill, Manitoba is so on my list) at the Santa Claus house in North Pole.

Another shot for my collection of "the biggest ______ in the world" things. This one is a vintage Santa, proudly displayed in North Pole.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline suspension bridge over the river....I think it's the Tanana, but I saw so many rivers I kinda lost track.

Rika's Roadhouse, which was (and still is, in a way) a stop along the old dogsled route from Fairbanks to Valdez.

A sunflower from the garden at Rika's. Check out the bee in the center of the flower, doing his pollination thing.

The other end of the Alaska Highway. I officially drove the entire thing-without getting a flat tire or eaten by a bear.

Gorgeous mountains (I believe they're the Wrangell-St. Elias range) along the Alaska Highway south of Tok.

The international boundary between the US and Canada. Apparently they clear the trees and brush along the boundary once every ten years-sounds like a fun job!!

Up next, the rest of our (mis)adventures in the Yukon!

The Great One

The Denali bus ride was definitely one (of the many) highlights of my time in Alaska. I have so many pictures from the park that it would be impossible to share them in just one post, if only because it takes my slow computer forever to load them. So I'll start today with some shots of the mountain itself, from all different places in the park.

Because Denali is such a high mountain, it makes its own weather and is often all clouded in. In fact, only 30% of park visitors usually get to see the peak clearly. This July, it was visible only one day from the Eielson Visitor's Center. So we were incredibly lucky to have some great views of it for two days in a row!

This was my first view, from along the Parks Highway near Nenana.

An even better view from another spot along the Parks Highway. Isn't amazing how, despite the fact that there are mountains all around you, Denali just dominates the sky?

This may have been my favorite view. I took this from Savage Campground at about 6 am. The way the clouds were, and the spruce trees, against the clear, stark white of the peaks, it was this breathtaking sight. The photos I took don't even come close to doing justice to the beauty of the acutal scene.

I love this shot for the juxtaposition of the colors. You can see the green plains in front of you, leading up to the rocky mountains, which are dominated by the snow-covered peaks of Denali itself.

I totally forget where this is, but it's not far from Eielson. Our bus driver told us this was a pretty iconic shot, with the road in the foreground. You can see that by this point, around 11 am, the mountain was already starting to cloud over.

The view from Eielson, with no zoom, from about 35 miles as the crow flies from the mountain.

This shot has some zoom, and I love again how it shows the different elevations.

A close-up of the summit.

That's me :-). I was a little frustrated because I was taking shots for everyone around me, most of which came out really nice, and this is the best of the ones people took for me. It was windy and of course it's hard to photograph a white mountain against a light sky, but still, I was disappointed. However, that didn't last long, because I was mostly overjoyed to have seen such natural beauty.

Up next (by this weekend), my Denali wildlife shots. I will warn you now, most of them are grainy and blurry, but you can still tell what kind of animal it was. So stay tuned!!!