Hi
Second your remarks about Polychrome Pass - a spectacular place. It’s named after the technicolor cliffs and there are spectacular views of the Alaska Range from the pass. If you’re a photographer, try to get there with evening light. (Note : there is a single shuttle that goes just to Polychrome at about 5 or 6 PM.) For the geologically minded, the volcanic rocks are part of a terrane (basically a rock island) that was carried to Alaska by oceanic spreading of the tectonic plates (and likely originated in the tropics) - they certainly
look tropical. The pass is at Mile 46 - about a 4 - 5 hour round trip.
This is a great place to see wild flowers, and it’s ground squirrel and marmot heaven. The nearby area was closed to off-road hikers when we were there because of denning/nesting animals and birds (arctic fox, wolves, black bears and several bird species). The views of the mountains are even better at Eielson VC, though. This is a great place to see Dall Mountain sheep. Remember to reserve a seat on the busses early as they really fill up in the summer. (We reserved seats a day in advance, which is
required as well for campsites.)
Be on the lookout for grizzlies, often seen asleep in the snow where they try to evade the biting flies that bedevil them. There was a sleeping grizzly right next to the Visitor’s Center on our second visit! Usually, you see them digging for ground squirrels. On our first visit, the tail end of the Barren Ground Caribou herd was migrating up the Teklanika River (a beautiful braided stream), but there were also some in the snow banks for the same reason as above (with the bears). Golden eagles are regularly seen, often flying parallel to a bus. There are moose in most areas, often males with a harem. Red and gray foxes stalk the roads, picking off ground squirrels that have left their dens to beg food from tourists. Enjoy! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />
Peace
Dugg & Chris
Our VI pics are at
http://picasaweb.google.com/papadugg/ and the 2014 pics are finally done
