Mike and Bert in front of our hotel in Fairbanks ready to start their 500 mile bike ride to Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean.
Grizzly bear eating a freshly killed moose in Denali Park. There were three others helping him with the feast.
In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear conflicts, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is advising tourists, hikers, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while traveling this summer.
We advise that people wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that are not expecting them. We also advise everyone to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a grizzly.
It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear dung and grizzly bear dung. Black bear dung is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear dung has little bells in it and smells like pepper.
Bull moose at Denali Park.
Seals at Kenai Fjords National Park, off the coast of Seward.
Colored starfish in Kenai Fjords National Park.
Cabin in Wiseman (Boreal Lodging) where we stayed for two nights. Wiseman is at mile 188 on the Dalton Highway.
The Alaska Pipeline snaking its way from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. Also our SAG (support and gear) wagon, a Kia Sorrento that served us well: no flat tires and no broken windshields!
Our campsite about 20 miles north of Happy Valley. Note the convenience of the bathroom facilities, the absence of other campers, and the absense of bears (and to our delight, the absense of mosquitoes).
Caribou along the Dalton Highway on the North Slope just south of Prudhoe Bay.
Bert taking the Arctic Plunge and officially becoming a member of the Polar Bear Club. The air temperature was 35 degrees F. The water temperature was also 35 degrees F.
Herd of musk ox along the Sagavanirktok River south of Prudhoe Bay.
Female musk ox at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Research Center. Isn't she cute?
For more information about our trip, see Mike's travel blog.