It's a drizzly morning in Talkeetna. Doesn't much matter as we're just driving.
We make a stop at the Iditerod Headquarters in Wasilla. Sign-ups for the 2017 were held yesterday - June 25 - so we are missing the crowds.
I'm hoping to see some dogs but there are no dogs to be seen - just empty kennels.
But their doggie booties are hanging on an evergreen like Christmas ornaments.
We have some time to visit the center/gift shop. Pretty interesting (but it would have been better with puppies).
Next stop is Eagle River Nature Preserve -- I was there a week ago.
By the time we arrive, the rain has stopped. No sun but definitely brighter than my prior visit here.
We walk the Rodak Trail - I'm quite familiar with it.
No grebe or other water loving birds. But I did see a few salmon fry.
We have lunch at the Visitor's Center. I'm really we glad stopped here (even though it's a return visit me) because when I recheck the Visitor Center, I find an Alaskan Butterfly book (newly published)!!! This will definitely help me ID some of the bflies I saw in Denali. And I can report my sightings to enhance the current database. (This book is different than most as it reports sightings and not range maps so my sightings are important.)
After lunch, we head to Girdwood.
As we pass-thru Anchorage, the sun comes out - still lots of clouds though. It's low tide in the Turnagain Arm - the big mud flats are visible.
I spot a few mountain goat/Dall sheep on the rocks above the hwy.
We make one stop at Bird Point for a quick look before heading onto Girdwood.
We arrive at the resort and then in 1/2 hour meet for a walk down the Winner Creek Trail (5 miles round trip to the Hand Car). I really want to hike North Face - 2.2 mile 2000 ft trail up the mountain (just opened yesterday). But since Winner Creek is highly recommended and most of the group is going, I go as well.
The scenery is quite different than what I've seen the last week as we are now in the coastal rainforest. The trail is beautiful - various shades of green, lots of ferns, Sitka spruce - with the dapple light shining thru the forest.
The blooming vegetation includes Goatbeard, Bunchberries, Blueberries (they're almost ripe).
See Goatsbeard, blueberries (ripening), and bunchberrys.
We're a little spread-out on the trail as this is a popular trail.
At about the 1.5 mile mark, there's a T-intersection. I'm not sure where a right turn will take me but we're going left. The sounds of Winner Creek can be here now as we follow along.
We first come to an old bridge crossing the creek. The first few boards are a bit sketchy but the rest of the bridge looks safe. The water is a very pretty shade of blue!
Back on the trail, we come to Winner Creek gorge. Here the creek is funneled thru a 15ft wide gorge. Wonderful views and sounds of the rushing water.
The other side.
Soon we come upon the Handcar - metal car holding 2 people that is manually pulled across the creek.
There's quite the line of people. Only one person in our group decides to try it. I turn and head back as I want to get up the tram and I don't know when it closes for the night.
I speed back to the Resort stopping to enjoy the littler things in a forest.
Like a Robin-like bird with stripes - Varied Thrush. Lovely bird!
The small mushrooms
I still make it back to the lodge by 7:10pm and head up the tram at 7:15pm.
Boy is this steep! (I believe the tram operator said 45degrees. Can't even imagine skiing down this but people do - expert people)
At the top, I just walk around for a bit taking in the views.
Time to head down so I can get dinner.
Lovely finish to the day!
One more day -- Prince William Sound cruise in the afternoon.
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