June 23 - Alaska Day 6 - Denali

Well this is our first full day in Denali - very exciting.

It's was supposed to be a sunny day today (according to last night's weather) but now the forecast is cloudy (10% chance of rain).  Oh well. :(

After breakfast, most of the group heads out for a hike to Quigley Ridge. It's a little over 4 miles with one steep section - I believe the elevation gain is around 1500ft most in the first 2 miles (then you're on the ridge).

Our guide is offering an extension up to Wickersham Dome for 9 mile day. I'm sticking with the shorter hike as I would like to get to Wonder Lake in the afternoon.

I know I can probably go to Wonder Lake tomorrow but the current forecast is for rain so I want to fit in what I can today.

Cloudy start to the morning which is OK as I'm hiking - clouds make it cooler. I think there are 10 people plus the lodge guide. We start up a mining road not far from camp. After parking the van, we start up a steep hillside on a footpath. The pace is slow and the scenery is incredible!

There are so many wonderful flowers on the entire hike! Here's just a few:

Bear's supposedly love this flower

Alaska Poppy

Paintbrush

Death Camas (I believe)

And great views as the entire Alaskan Range (including Denali) is in full views (yes, it's clearing up).

That's Denali (Mt McKinnley)

Some of the hike is just thru flowers and other parts are thru alder (they're really just overhanging the trail so it's really not bushwhacking).

We finally arrive on the ridge and take a break.

Camp is somewhere down there.

I take this time to go butterfly hunting and actually find a butterfly that is a lifer for me -- an Old World Swallowtail. (lifer)

This is the only one I see.

We continue on enjoying a flatter walk along the ridge. The views are awesome!

Along the way, we see a Willow Ptarmigan in the brush.

We make one stop looking for some Hoary Marmots. No Marmots, just a Ground Squirrel.

We move onto the last rest stop before start back downhill to the car. There are more Whites flying and a few Sulphers. I catch up to a White -- it's darkly veined. The locals call it an Arctic White (lifer) but after some research, it is now considered part of the Mustard White family. (The Mustard Whites in UT are totally white.)

After the break, we continue onto the point where we leave the folks taking the longer trail and head down an old mining road.

There's three of us plus the lodge guide heading down.

The left side of the road is a little wet so there's some good flowers on the way down including Shooting Star.

These look like Spring Beautys.

I also get more looks at this Mustard White.

I see additional Sulphers and a Brown Bfly (an Alpine or Arctic) but never get a good look.

Moose travel this road as I find scat.

There's an old mining shack above the road.

We're almost back to the van when I see a flash of orange. It sure looks like a Grey Comma.

Awesome morning, awesome hike, incredible to see Denali two days in a row! And butterflies!!!! I've satisfied two of my dreams: hiking in Denali and seeing Alaskan Butterflies!!

Back at the lodge, I head down Moose Creek to the lunch building. There are Mustard Whites flying along the Creek.

On the way back to my room, I see an Arctic resting on the gravel. Quite surprised to see it there. I believe it's a Jutta Arctic. (lifer)

At 3pm, I (with several people from my group) take the lodge bus to Wonder Lake - it's about 5 miles from the lodge. I was hoping the sun would still be still out but it has clouded up.

There was a moose/calf seen here this morning. And a grizzly a few days ago. I'm hopeful for some sighting.

We get let off about 1/8 mile from the lake and walk the road. I'm still seeing Whites and a few Sulphers flying.

We get to the lake and head off to hike Blueberry Hill. The hill is about 500ft to the top.

Wonderful views of the lake and the Alaskan Range. Denali and the higher peaks are now covered in clouds.

And then head down stopping at the lake's pier.

There is a couple of Grebes on the lake

The wind blowing so there are no reflections.

I head back to the road to check the roadside for bflies. I find what appears to be a Greenish Blue.

And a few Arctic Whites on the way back to the car.

Again, I see a Sulpher but can't catch up. (Someday, I'll catch up hopefully.)

Very nice 2-hour side trip before heading back to the lodge.

The butterfly day is not quite over as I see a Persius Duskywing resting on the rocks outside the main building.

A perfect ending to an awesome day!