Kantishna is located in one of the top tourist destinations in Alaska, and probably in all of America, Denali National Park. Often referred to as a town at “The End of the Road” or at “The Heart of Denali National Park”, Kantishna lies at the end of the 92-mile restricted Denali Park Road. At the turn of the 20th century, The Alaska Gold Rush brought thousands of prospectors to the Kantishna Hills. It was in these Continue reading
Category Archives: Alaska Parks
Denali Backcountry Adventure Overview
There seems to be some common misconceptions about the Denali Backcountry Adventure. We’d like to lay those to rest, and give a complete overview of the adventure. First of all, some background on the route:
The Denali Park Road begins about 240 miles north of anchorage, and 120 miles south of Fairbanks, on the George Parks Highway. The Park Road is 92 miles long, and for the most part, unpaved and fairly narrow. It is a truly beautiful route, in an environment yet unspoiled by excessive development. Continue reading
Spotting the difference in Alaska Birds
Alaska is home to a wide variety of birds and with 471 species positively identified, Alaska is a popular destination for birders the world over.
Let’s start with the Gulls. Quick differences in Arctic Terns (the longest flight migratory bird) and Bonaparte’s Gulls – The Gulls have black heads and bills, whereas Arctic Terns have black heads and orange bills. The distinguishing plumage between the Herring Gull is black primary feathers (the wing tips), whereas the Glaucous-winged Gull has gray to white primaries. It is important to keep in mind that these two species interbreed and hybridize in Alaska
Mew Gulls are common on the Kenai Peninsula and in Denali National Park. They can be easily distinguished from other gulls by their small size and their yellow to yellow – green legs.
Let’s move on to the Eagles. Golden Eagles are typically seen in mountainous areas, whereas, the Bald Eagle remain along coasts, rivers, and lakes. Rarely, if ever, are Bald Eagles spotted in Denali. The younglings of the two are a little more challenging. In Golden Eagles, look for two distinct, small white patches on the underside of the wing. An immature Bald Eagle has a mottled white and dark underside on its breast and wings.
Ptarmigans are often spotted while visiting Alaska. The Willow (the Alaska state bird) and the Rock Ptarmigan are found in lower elevations of tundra, especially in shrubby areas of Denali National Park. The male Rock Ptarmigan does not possess the reddish colors to its summer plumage like the male Willow Ptarmigan. The White-tailed ptarmigan is usually found in the tundra above tree line, and often on high, rocky slopes. It can be distinguished from other Ptarmigan species by its white tail, which remains white in all seasons.
I hope I have stirred your curiosity to learn more and to visit Alaska’s birds….Only 461 to go!
The Weather Monster
Weather is unpredictable. It’s a cure of the modern world; we can plan for everything except the changing winds. We try to predict whether or not the weekend will be clear and sunny, or hazy, or rainy, but the truth is that we have a very limited view on weather patterns. For instance, today started out clear, sunny, not a cloud in the sky. It was only supposed to hit 65 degrees out. The day was predicted to take a down turn around noon, when a colder front from the ocean would come in and create clouds, and a little rain. Did this happen? No, it didn’t. It’s 2 PM and there are still no clouds in the sky and it’s a balmy 70 degrees. Continue reading
Alaska, to scale.
So, ever sense I last went down to the ‘Lower-48’ a few things have bugged me about the way Alaska’s size is portrayed. I was asked ‘Why is it so cold, you are so close to Hawaii!’, ‘How come Google Maps doesn’t have images for Barrow and large chunks of Anchorage?’, ‘Is there a bridge to Russia?’. The answer to these questions have led me to believe that the way Alaska is put onto maps has made most people unaware of the vast scale of the state. I will explain these questions and more, with help from a few scale comparisons. Continue reading