The 2016 Utah Adventure: June 28 - Alaska Day 11

This is the final day of my Alaska Trip and it's partly sunny in Girdwood.

We are heading just down the road to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The Center is a Not For Profit facility that cares for orphaned and injured animals. They do not typically breed at this facility unless 1) to maintain a herd or 2) at request of permission from Fish and Wildlife; example part of their Wood Bison herd was recently used to re-introduce the species to Alaska. (The re-introduced animals survived the winter with only a few losses; a few fell thru the ice on a river. The animals had several young in the Spring. The re-introduction is off to a good start.)

Today we start with sleeping black bears.

And then move to the reindeer (i.e., domesticated caribou) which includes a single baby.

Reindeer do sleep with their heads resting on the ground.

Next we visit a Tundra Wolf. Still a puppy, one of the staff's dogs serves a surrogate pack mate.

Next we visit a porcupine. This animal was a pet and then was eventually surrendered ending up here.

We see the moose and a red fox.

Next stop, the Mux Ox. There are 3 babies all born last month.

Then we visit the brown bears. The center has 3 - two coastal brown bear and one grizzly. We are lucky to see the 2 coastal brown bears before they roam off into the vegetation.

Off to the Wood Bison. They are rebuilding the herd again.

We pass the Elk and head to the main building where the 2 Lynx are. The one is on a high perch (very hard to see). The other is walking around the enclosure and then takes lunch.

We also have lunch at the Center. During lunch, I go and revisit some of the animals. Like the Porcupine that was in her enclosure when we first walked by.

And the Lynx who is now has a full tummy and is ready for a cat nap.

The Black Bears that are now up and moving around.

Well that's the end of the group trip. We're off to the Anchorage Airport. Great people and a great trip!!

But my flight is not until 12:40am, I've got 8 hours before I need to be at the airport so I rent a car.
The question is how to fill those hours. Hiking is an option but without a shower handy I'd rather not.

Instead I just do a bunch of little things.

First stop is Potter Creek (for the 3rd time). It's bright and sunny out.

I see a couple of duck grooming themselves.

A couple of shorebirds.

I head over to the Bald Eagle's nest lookout. I catch a glimpse of one of the chicks thru a spotting scope and then they disappear into a nest.

But there's a female moose nearby to watch.

Next stop is the Alaskan Zoo. Yea, an odd thing to do when just finishing up a nature trip but I can't resist. Cute little zoo - nothing like the ones in San Diego or Chicago. The cool thing is, it only has animals the one can see in Alaska - moose, lynx, mux ox, polar bear, golden and bald eagles, etc.

And a moth

And dragonfly

And a closer look at a Dall Sheep (better view than the white dots in Denali National Park).

From there I continue up the road to the Flattop Mt trail head. I have plenty of time to climb to the top or almost to the top if I want to avoid the scrambling but I choose to walk the short overlook trail.

Flat Top Mt to the right.

Boy, I would spend so much time here if I only lived here.

I leave and attempt to find City Creek to watch people fishing but fail after a half hearted attempt.

With plenty of time, I decide to head back near Earthquake Park to walk around