Ice Floe

Talkeetna is the confluence of the Talkeetna, Susitna and Chulitna Rivers and a short walk from the end of the main street takes you to the water.   The mountain range shown in the photo above should include Denali but it's almost always covered by clouds.  This was the first time I had seen ice floe and there was quite a bit of ice.  At the edge of the water the ice was clear and about 3" thick.

Talkeetna, Alaska

While in Alaska we drove north to Talkeetna, established in 1916 when the area was chosen as the district headquarters for the Alaska Railroad..  It was very quiet the day we visited but during the summer months it teems with excitement and activity as teams prepare to climb Denali.

Nagley's Store, shown here, is on the National Historic Register and home of the town mayor, Stubbs (a cat without a tail).  Stubbs was elected as a write-in candidate on the ballot in 1997 but since Talkeetna is unincorporated, the title is only honorary.  We didn't see Stubbs.  He has a history of getting into trouble and was reportedly recovering from injuries incurred in a cat fight. Unique little place -- and the Twister Creek Restaurant serves a delicious Philly Cheesesteak sandwich with sweet potato wedges.

Iceberg

Although it was quite a distance away, we definitely saw this iceberg which had fallen from Portage Glacier.  The lake used to be full of them.

Glacier?

From the Conservancy Center we drove a bit further down the highway and into Portage Cove.  The Portage Glacier used to be visible down by the water but with global warming it has receded high into the mountain.  We did, however, see an iceberg that had come from the glacier and made it to the lake.

Reindeer

The caribou and reindeer are the same animal but Santa only uses the reindeer.  I think this might be one of his.  They can run 37-50 mph but we know they move much faster than that when pulling the sleigh.

Caribou

Caribou are still quite plentiful in the Alaska wild and large herds of them migrate between areas.  This guy had obviously shed one of his antlers and the other one will fall soon.  They grow a new set every year, each slightly bigger than the previous.  They eat lichen and live about 17 years.

What Does The Fox Say?

This pretty little red fox wasn't saying much but he certainly had a way of letting his keeper know his wishes.  He got quite impatient when the owl in the neighboring cage got fed first (dead mice).  The fox was well trained and would go into and come out of a kennel as requested by the keeper.  And when it was his turn to be fed, he even licked the container while the keeper held it.  Such a pretty little animal.

Lynx Number Two

We thought maybe one of the lynx was male but we were wrong.  This one was happy in a box built high in the cage and was busy taking in his surroundings and the silly people who came to visit.

Sleepy Time

There were two lynx who occupied a really big cage at the Center.  They were trapped in a fire when young and were carried to safety in the backpack of a firefighter.  Because they were too young to learn hunting skills from their mother, they are permanent residents at the center.  Gotta love those little tufts on the ends of the ears and at the bottom of their cheeks.

Moose

There were only two moose in the Center but I don't know their story.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and state that moose are the most often seen wildlife in Alaska.  That said, it was surprising that we didn't see any in the wild this trip despite the miles we traveled.  I've often thought that spare parts left over from other animals went into the making of the moose.  They aren't exactly pretty but they manage well (when they stay away from the highways and railroad tracks).  They are responsible for more human deaths and injuries than bear and I'd give them a very wide berth if I ever encountered one in the wild.  They seem gentle but those hooves are deadly.

Musk Ox

There were just a few musk ox in the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.  It was funny to see them run across their yard when they heard the staff vehicle approach that area.  But it was a ploy to get them moved so another staff member could go into the first area to provide something.  When they realized it was a fake call they all went running back to where they were originally.  You probably know that their wool, qiviut, is quite valuable and sells for $40-80 per ounce.  It is very soft, warm and durable.  There were some pretty knitted scarves for sale in the gift shop.  They were out of my price range but at least I got to feel that super wool.

This is one of the wood bison that will be released next year and hopefully help build the herd to it's former numbers.  They weren't too concerned about anything because it was meal time.  Handsome devil though.

Digging & Sitting

There was one Grizzly in the Center and while the black bears were very still, this guy was walking around and then stopped to dig in the snow.  He uncovered some morsel of food and then sat upright on his haunches and looked around.  I don't think I've ever seen a bear do that before.

King of The Mountain

There were two black bear in the Conservation Center in Alaska.  One was already in the den, thought (we were told) not completely hibernating yet) and the other was on a hill overlooking the grounds.  We were told that the two black bear would probably hibernate within a week, with the grizzly doing likewise the following week.  It's always a joy to see bear in Alaska.

An Itch Nees To Be Scratched

It was a good thing this tree wasn't any smaller because the bull elk was repeatedly scratching his head on it.  I'm guessing those antlers get pretty itchy before they are shed.

Wildlife Conservation

The bull elk  at the Conservation Center put on a good show.  He even bugled,  probably to announce that he was in charge of the significant number of females in the herd.

Thanks, Veterans

While in Alaska we went several places we had never been before.  First it was to Girdwood, home of the Alyeska Resort where Tommy Moe did a lot of skiing and found his way into the Olympics.  We had lunch at the Bake Shop and then traveled further south on the highway to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.  The Center takes orphaned or injured creatures, nurses them back to health and releases them back to their natural setting if possible.  Mukluk (musk ox), Hugo (grizzly bear), Venetie (lynx) and Adonis (bald eagle) are permanent residents.  This is Adonis who was shot and lost one wing.  He won't be released but instead has the duty of watching over the daily happenings at the Center.  He was mighty handsome.

Seemed a good choice of images for Veterans Day.

Alaska Characters

You've seen some of those Alaska "reality" shows on TV, right? -- where they show some rather interesting characters.  When visiting you always wonder if you will actually see some and the answer for us was a definitely!  These were actually actresses and actors costumed for various parts to perform a murder mystery in Fairbanks.  They were having a great time.  My husband became their official photographer and took several photos for them.

Let's Go To Alaska!

My husband and I recently made a trip to Alaska to spend time with our son and daughter-in-law.  We arrived on October 24 and they had just received their first snow.  We took the Alaska Rails (a first for us) from Anchorage to Wasilla on the 25th.  This was my best photo from the train, taken as we crossed the Matanuska River.  We spent most of the ride in the dining car which worked out great because there were really big windows (and the food was good, too).