Denali

We arrived at Denali around 8:30am for a 9am shuttle to Eielson Visitor Centor. Our bus driver, Marilyn, had 30 years of experience and a dry sense of humor. She warned us that there was 'the big 4' we had to see before we left. Moose, Caribou, Doll Sheep, and Bears. If we were lucky we might see foxes, and there were wolves in the area too, but they are shy. Before we even got into 'the wild' we had seen a mouse and a caribou. It was a clear day and we could see Mckinley most of the day. According to Marilyn this is only the third time this year it was visible. Sarah E spotted a fox den, and a wolf getting a drink in the river. Tony spotted the first bear, a mother and a cub. We also saw so many caribou we stopped getting excited when we passed one, and snow hares, and arctic ground squirels. We saw doll sheep, but only at a distance. At the Eielson visitor centor we got off the bus and decided to take a short hike down to the river. Jean, Chelsea, and Alice turned back at a steep gravel incline, but 10 of us forged on, and let us tell you, distance can be very deciving in great open spaces. While on the river, we saw a bull moose at the top of the ridge above us. We all survived with only minor injuries (a backpack was dropped into the river but nothing was damaged, various scraps and bruises, and a few sunburns) We caught the 3:15 bus back, and within moments the teeniest little black and red fox ran down the hill next to our bus. We were so exicted, we hardly noticed when we pulled up behind another bus. We looked idley out the window to see what they were looking at, and there was a bear. Feet from the road. He was amazing. Jean named him 'BooBoo' Unbelievable. We watched him for 10 minutes and could have watched him for hours. We were all exhausted, and the ride back was uneventful. Lots of naps. We got back to the visitor centor around 6:30, and left with our pennies all spent around 7. We went out to dinner at a local pizza place, which Sara M described with satisfaciton as 'very unfake'. We have an hour of free time now before bed. Alice, Andrew, and Sam are playing cards next to me, I don't know what game but the point seems to be poking Sam's sunburn and making him shriek loudly. Some of the kids are exploring the stream next to the hostel, some are taking showers, and Cameron has been buried under a pile of pillows on the couch for the last half hour. We continued to be happily exhausted and it was so worth it.

Notes from the kids:
Sam has used 3 disposable cameras. Alice wants to point out she and Andrew are BFF, Chelsea says Denali National Park is a must see. Extremely awesome and cool. Sarah G is sore from falling so much on that 'short hike'. Lauren wants it mentioned that she couragously dove into the river to save the backpack that nearly drown. She was very brave. Tony doesn't have anything to share. Andrew lost his ipod for using it without permission. Sarah E (me) is having trouble uploading pictures and is giving up for the night. Hopefully tomorrow.