Thursday, June 28
We were up early today to pick up our tickets for our 7:15
departure on the park bus to Wonder Lake.
The highlight of the eleven-hour round trip was the variety of wildlife
we were able to see – up close, personal, and from the safety of our
bus! Moose, caribou, Dall sheep, ptarmigan, golden eagles, and grizzly bears of
every size and family configuration had us calling out to our bus driver for
frequent stops and lots of photos.
The bus also made frequent rest stops
and we were especially struck by the views and short trails at Polychrome Pass
(reached by a one-lane road that switchbacked – no guard rails, of course -- up
and down a mountain) and high in the tundra at the Eileson Visitor Center. The weather changed throughout the day, from
low clouds and fog, to periods of sun, then light rain. As a result of that,
and of the varieties of ecosystems on the Park Road, the views were dramatic
and constantly changing.
By the end of this long day of
mostly sitting, we couldn’t figure out why we were so tired! We have bus tickets for a shorter trip
tomorrow, too, and are not sure whether or how we’ll use them. There is only
one road into the park, and private vehicle traffic is restricted to its first
fifteen miles, so it’s pretty much the only game in town, or in this
wilderness, anyway! We’ll see what the morning brings…
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