Denali State Park - We Meet a Lynx!

June 29th: Another rainy day in the neighborhood as we head south on Parks Highway to Denali State Park.




Hurricane Gulch and its bridge:




Cotton Grass near Hurricane Gulch:




Lupine seed pods:




We spent a couple nights dry camping in Denali State Park's Byers Lake Campground. Barkley and Granmaw keeping warm:


The next day we walked around the campground and enjoyed two trails, one to the Alaska Veterans Memorial (where it was so crowded we just turned around and walked back to the campground) and one to Byers Lake.

Wild Geraniums (the ones we have at home are smaller and pink):




Northern Starflower:




Bog Wintergreen, also known as Pink Pyrola, about 10" tall:




Probably a type of rue - possibly the female Western Meadow Rue




Twisted Stalk:






We came upon this mama bird - possibly a willow ptarmigan - frozen in the middle of the trail to the Veterans Memorial. A few babies hopped down off the bank and started walking up the path, but she stayed.




We thought she was trying to keep us away from her babies, but it turns out she was focused on somebody else. A lynx!


The four of us, including Barkley, were thrilled to see this lynx. We had never seen one in the wild before. Barkley wanted to make friends with it - and with the birds - but he keyed off Bill and knew he had to be still and quiet. The lynx was probably not thrilled with us for happening upon his hunting ground, but mama and babies (we think there were 8) were.


On the trail to the lake:










Nagoonberry:






Wild roses and irises:


Beeman's Cabin, which was built in 1959 (we couldn't find out anything about the man or the cabin):


Sue loved this little table in the cabin.


Red Squirrel: