I can haz moose now?

[tikistitch]

OK, so, sated with plenty of fish chow-dah and beer, will try to write something relatively coherent regarding Denali experience.

The initial impression was not great - we're staying at some kind of cruise line-built "chalet" that actually looks more like the Disney version of a woodland lodge - all that's missing are animatronic bears playing the fiddle. BTW, what's up with all the DEAD STUFF in Alaska, anyways? Is there some kind of state law that every single room must include taxidermy? We're gonna be out of sorts when we get back to Casa de Tikistitch and there are no more stuffed moose heads. We mean, there's taxidermy at the friggin' airport when you arrive!



Anyways, the park itself is so overwhelmingly overwhelming, that it kind of overwhelms anything else in the universe. We saw a map somewhere that superimposes an outline of Alaska over the other states and, well, it pretty much takes up the entire continental United States. Consider that the vast majority of that is owned by the US gummint, and a big chunk of that is this park and you get the picture.



Most of the park doesn't even have roads. What roads are there are pretty restricted, so to tour the park, if you're not a diehard back country dude, is you get on a schoolbus. Yes, a schoolbus. A crowded schoolbus. 'Cause, besides all us chubby tourists, you got back country dudes with all their gear, and photographer dudes with all their gear.



Little-known fact: you need at least 500,000 lbs of gear to take picture of Denali. IT'S TRUE!!!!!

Anyways, once you all squooge onto the bus and get into the back country, and go miles and miles, and then miles and miles, and then the road goes gravel, and it goes down to one lane, and it winds through some mountains, and then suddenly, someone will scream OMG MOOSE and all panic!!!



We got bumped with telephoto lenses. A lot.

But, then you get some kewl shots, like Mr. Tiki's psychedelic moose!



But, we've kinda taken up too much time, and are clogging Intarnets.

Here's our Flickr photo pool:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/guspamalaska/

...with more of Mr. Tiki's kewl photos and our silly photos. We need to see if the mocha stand is still operating this late at night.

Comments

[blythou.livejournal.com]

Psychedelic moose, aaahhhhhh !

[twotone]

Hee, awesome!

The sight of all those telephoto lenses makes me nostalgic for the nature/photography cruises that Daniel's parents took us on. I keep expecting to see Daniel's dad in your pictures!

[avalonjones.livejournal.com]

MOOSE ON THE LOOSE!