Wild Lynx in Denali

Ron NiebruggeDenali, Photos, Travel 14 Comments

Wild lynx, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Wild lynx, Denali National Park, Alaska.

This is the same lynx from my post a few days ago – we were able to watch him work this field for a good 15 minutes.  He never did catch anything, but still a treat!

Wonder Lake Sunset

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Denali, Photos, Travel 11 Comments

Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska.

This was my second evening on my recent trip to Denali.  “The mountain” wasn’t out, but there was sure a wonderful light show looking North including lightening!

 

Dall Sheep in Denali

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Denali, Photos, Travel 9 Comments

Dall sheep in Polychrome Pass, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Dall Sheep in Polychrome Pass, Denali National Park, Alaska.

This is the same ram in nearly the same place as my last Dall Sheep post, but the following morning – fortunately he hadn’t moved out of that wonderful patch of foliage!

Denali Moose

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Denali, Photos, Travel 13 Comments

Bull moose in front of Mt. McKinley, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Bull moose in front of Mt. McKinley, Denali National Park, Alaska.

It is always a treat to see Denali.  It is also a treat to see a bull moose up close!  But, to see both at together at the same time – awesome!

 

Wild Lynx

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Denali, Photos, Travel 8 Comments

Wild lynx, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Wild lynx, Denali National Park, Alaska.

This was the same day as the sunset I posted yesterday, and of the sheep image I posted a couple of days ago – funny how some days everything just comes together!

This guy really scared us – as we were hiking around through the forest, he burst out of some trees just a few feet from us!  Fortunately, he only went about 20 feet and stopped which is when I captured this photo.  After that, he went to hunting and we were able to watch him for a good twenty minutes.  What a treat!

From what I have read, the lynx population lags the snowshoe hare population by about a year.  The last few years, there have been hares everywhere.  This year, there were very few.  So, I have a feeling that the days of spotting lynx in Denali are about over.  Seems like on my trips to Denali over the last couple of years that I have seen at least one lynx on each trip – but in the years before that, I rarely saw a lynx there.  If the lynx population does crash as expected, I’m going to miss these wonderful encounters.

Color on Color

Ron NiebruggeAlaska, Denali, Photos, Travel 5 Comments

Sable Pass, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Sable Pass, Denali National Park, Alaska.

It is rare that a photo captured with a dull color space like AdobeRGB doesn’t need saturation – but this one didn’t!  Between the rich colors and the incredible glow coming off the beautiful sunset sky, it was warm colors illuminating warm colors.  In a way, not unlike what you see in a slot canyon.