...a hike along the Teklanika River

Mrs. Hufford scans our intended route with binoculars. Always a good idea to avoid "surprise" wildlife encounters.

Stopping for a water break.

Mrs. Hufford photographs a cluster of moss campion.

We stopped for a break and ate some frosted animal crackers for energy.

On one of our afternoons in Denali National Park we took a hike from Teklanika Campground downstream to the road. It was a pleasant afternoon although we could see some clouds gathering in the distance. Later they resulted in a 30 minute hike delay for rain. We stood under trees and waited until the downpour passed. Then we were on our way again. We just ambled along enjoying he scenery and each others company until we found a spot where we could access the road without too much trouble. We went through the trees and bushes eventually making our way the road and back to the campground. It was a wonderful afternoon and a great day for...a hike along the Teklanika River.

...Denali flowers and a lynx

White flowers at the very edge of the Teklinaka River.
Bear flower.

About to burst forth and bloom.

A sub-arctic pinwheel.

A lynx slinks through the woods.

Okay...I know...it's been a while since we returned from our Denali trip and this is just the second post. It's been busy around here. With tending to the yard, swimming lessons, monitoring the run of salmon, and so on, I haven't taken the time to update this blog as promised. I will try to do better. I promise. Really.

So, these are some of the flowers we saw on our trip. All of the photos were taken along the Teklanika River bed. At certain places along the river the ground was carpeted with these blooming beauties. It was nice.

You might also notice a blurry photo that doesn't look like a flower at all. It isn't. If you look closely you can make out the back side of a lynx going through the bushes. Laura and I were walking along the edge of the river on our last night of the trip when I looked up to see this guy coming straight toward us about 10 yards up the trail. It spun a circle, looked at us again, and then walked into the woods, around us, and back onto the trail. In my excitement I had a difficult time holding the camera steady and waiting for the shot. The entire encounter lasted less than 30 seconds, but it really made the trip worth it.

It was great to be in Denali National Park during this time of year to see the...Denali flowers and a lynx.

...Denali National Park 2010 (1)

A grizzly walks near Primrose Ridge.

A wolf scans the bushes from the edge of the road near the Toklat River.

A bull moose in the bushes near the Savage River.

A caribou walks down a ridge near Polychrome Pass.

A sow and cub look at each other in Igloo Canyon.

As most of you know, the Hufford family takes an annual trip to Denali National Park. We just returned and had a great time. We camped at Teklanika Campground, about 30 miles inside the park. We saw tons of wildlife including bear, wolves, caribou, moose, Dall sheep...and a lynx! I will make several posts including some photos from our trip. I just wanted to get started with some wildlife pictures. More are forthcoming as are the details of our adventure. So, get ready for several installments of...Denali National Park 2010.