Alaska - July 2012

A 5-day land tour, starting in Fairbanks through Denali Nat'l Park and on to Anchorage, followed by a 7-day "inside passage" cruise from Whittier (near Anchorage) to Vancouver, BC, with stops in Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan.

No caption necessary
2012 8136 Mark III 105mm
No caption necessary
2012 8117 Mark III 105mm
This wheel - like those in hamster cages - is used as another way to keep the huskies in shape during the summer. It might look like he's just trotting, but...
2012 8150 Mark III 105mm
...this dog is flat out sprinting as fast as he can (and the wheel is spinning scary-fast)!
2012 8158 Mark III 105mm
The puppies have a wheel, too, but as you can see, they mostly just hang out/nap in it.
2012 8130 Mark III 105mm
Jeff with a standard Iditarod sled. Imagine spending most of 10-15 days and nights and going over 1,000 miles on one of these (the winner usually finishes in 9-10 days)!
2012 8172 Mark III 35mm
And this is what you'd probably be wearing in the Iditarod. For 10-15 days and nights (without a bath or shower)!
2012 8176 Mark III 50mm
Cheri with Jeff King, 4-time Iditarod champion.
2012 8181 Mark III 50mm
Talkeetna, a little town just South of Denali. Just a quaint little tourist town (where the dogs beg for ice cream, just like everywhere else!).
2012 0032 4mm
Talkeetna from a different angle.
2012 0045 4mm
Waiting to board the train to Anchorage (2 1/2 hours).
2012 0052 4mm
Let the boarding begin!
2012 0054 25mm
It was a really nice train, and apparently runs all the way from Fairbanks to Anchorage.
2012 0056 4mm
Our humorous guide, who talked pretty much nonstop for 2 1/2 hours.
2012 0060 8mm
Mac'n'cheese...with choice of reindeer sausage or king crab! Yum!
2012 0069 4mm
An osprey with a big nest - Traci took my camera and was able to get this shot as we raced by!
2012 0071 4mm
Leaning out between train cars...
2012 0064 9mm
Leaning out between train cars...just another case where Cheri feels a kinship with dogs!
2012 0063 4mm
A female moose at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Anchorage.
2012 8266 Mark III 47mm
Wood Bison - very similar to, but less broad and bulky than Plains Bison (which are in the lower 48, e.g., Yellowstone Park). These are at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (near Anchorage).
2012 8216 Mark III 100mm
Wood Bison
2012 8212 Mark III 24mm
Wood Bison
2012 8248 Mark III 65mm
Wood Bison calf
2012 8200 Mark III 40mm
Wood Bison calf
2012 8223 Mark III 55mm
Rescued orphan musk ox and moose (at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center)
2012 0087 4mm
Musk ox baby orphan - plum tuckered out!
2012 8274 Mark III 105mm
The two moose orphans stayed really close to each other.
2012 8304 Mark III 300mm
Moose orphans
2012 8290 Mark III 300mm
Moose orphans
2012 8319 Mark III 300mm
A pair of orphaned young moose rescued by the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
2012 8317 Mark III 300mm
Adult musk ox - built for cold weather!
2012 8386 Mark III 300mm
Adult musk ox - built for cold weather!
2012 8398 Mark III 300mm
Adult musk ox - built for cold weather!
2012 8413 Mark III 300mm
Adult musk ox - close-up
2012 8361 Mark III 300mm
Caribou/Reindeer
2012 0115 8mm
Caribou/reindeer
2012 8437 Mark III 300mm
Adult female moose
2012 8414 Mark III 300mm
This black bear was napping roughly 50 feet up in the top of a tree!
2012 8445 Mark III 300mm
Elk
2012 0093 4mm
Elk close-up
2012 0092 4mm
Entering tunnel through the mountain - originally built by the military - to get to Whittier (from Anchorage).
2012 0118 4mm
This is the only single-lane tunnel in N. America where trains and automobiles share the single lane (traffic is permitted each direction on a schedule). You can see that the tracks are inset right into the "road".
2012 0119 4mm
First glimpse of the mega-ship in Whittier, AK, on which we would begin the water portion of our trip!
2012 0126 8mm
One of the swimming pools (empty for this particular cruise). Since these same ships are deployed to the Caribbean part of the year, some of the themes are quite tropical.
2012 8985 Mark III 15mm
Another of the ship's pools, this one with a retractable roof (just like the one on Safeco Field where the Seattle Mariners play!). Shot with a circular fisheye lens, partially zoomed.
2012 8988 Mark III 8mm
A view of the retractable roof above the center pool.
2012 8987 Mark III 8mm
Rick's shot of Traci and me relaxing at one of the many refreshment stands (aka bars) on the ship.
2012 8989 Mark III 15mm
The ship's center atrium was filled with people in the evenings, when live music was always playing!
2012 0160 4mm

Alaska - July 2012

Copyright Underwater Reflections. All profits from purchases on this site are donated.