# 3 from Polychrome to Wonder Lake

The chance of seeing wildlife in Denali Park is very high. The combination of open country and the animals not being pursued is said to be the reason. There is only a 25 to 30% chance of seeing Mt. McKinley while in the park, however, there is a 95% chance of spotting a bear. And you are more likely to see a "blond color" grizzly rather than a darker brown bear.

We did not see any wolves in the Park. Below is an Arctic Fox. He will turn white in the winter.

Wolves are social animals that live in packs of six or seven members. The fox tends to be a loner. Wolves weigh from 85 to 145 pounds. The are meat eaters and will eat tiny animals like voles and ground squirrels all the way up to caribou and moose. The wolf may vary in color from near-white to tan, gray or black.

Viewing Wonder Lake from the ridge above at mile 85 (left). If conditions are right, you can see Mt. McKinley from here. No such luck for us.

Wonder Lake is a good stopping off point for tent campers and hikers. It is very serene and quite there. The camp sits on the ridge allowing access to better viewing all around you.

Northern Monkshood (below)

Northern Goldenrod (below)

Wonder Lake is a four-mile stretch of water resulting from previous ice ages when glaciers swept the Alaska Range sweeping across the valley of the McKinley River to this ridge. One glacial advance left the terminal moraine that dammed water, forming Wonder Lake.

Wonder Lake views

The new Visitor Center, Eielson is at mile 66 complete with an observation deck atop the center building is a good place on a warm, sunny calm day to spend time looking for wildlife and enjoying the scenery. Pretty windy both times we were there. Also, as you can see by the tails to the left, the area is another good spot to spend some time hiking.

At the Eielson Visitor Center:
According to the sign (abov above), if Mt. McKinley were visable, another words if it was a clear day, you would see the mountain straight out in front of you. I understand folks who took the bus a couple days after us saw parts of the mountain. Assurance that you really can see the mountain from within the park!

Heading back towards camp now.

Caribou sighting at the newest, temporary Visitor Center, Toklat River mile 53. Currently the center is housed in a large round canvas tent like structure. It is a good place to pick up books and educational materials, if so inclined.

Whitish Gentian

The Toklat River at mile 53 stop.









Best of all at the Toklat River stop we sighted Dall Sheep. A great find! The Dall Sheep live in the high, alpine tundra on ridges where they eat grasses, lichens and moss. The sheep live in bands and generally in favored specific areas which makes them easier to spot on distant slopes. A female Dall weighs less than 150 pounds; the rams less than 300 pounds. The rams are distinctive with the large, curling horns which grow to a "full curl" in eight years. The McKinley Park was originally begun as a game sanctuary to protect the Dall sheep, among other wildlife.

More from Denali Park in log #4

BBFN, Karen and Don