Coming Home to Michigan

After our last posting, we were traveling in areas that had no internet access, so we will have several posts from home to show some of the activities and scenery we saw as we traveled back. Besides some text we will try to post some more pictures in a few batches. We hope all that saw the pictures we selected from our travels to and from Alaska this summer enjoyed them. It again was a journey that we felt fortunate to take and share a summer with our cousin Ron. this time to make it even better.

Ron and Dick on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Wow its cold here! And windy! 

Another strange snow machine found at Coldfoot. 

Most of the work at the oil rigs at Deadhorse is done in winter. A wide variety of snow vehicles are found north of the Arctic Circle. 

Coldfoot is an important stop for gas on the way to the Arctic Ocean. Its the only place to get gas. 

Driftwood washes onshore on Prudoe Bay from the Mackenzie River Delta on the Arctic Ocean. 

We encountered forest fires on the Dalton Hwy. Fireweed is the first thing that comes in after a fire.  

Arctic grayling fishing was great on the trip to the arctic ocean on the Dalton Hwy. 

The lever room in Gold Dredge 8, where the dredge is operated. 

Gold Dredge 8 North of Fairbanks 

This burlwood mosquito is about the same size as the real ones. Four foot tall. 

The burlwood duck 

Dick and Joan next to the burlwood mosquito, near North pole Alaska. 

Susan Butcher, many times iditerod winner, waives at our riverboat from the bank. 

Reindeer (domesticated caribou). No one could count the points on these antlers. 

Yup-ik girl modeling the winter parka. The hood is called the sun and is lined with Wolverine fur. 

Sea Lions at very close range. Charter fishing Capt. Bob May took us right up on these cute little Sea Lions playing in the kelp. 

The barber shop quartet. Sea Lions at very close range. 

This Kodiak Island Hallibut picture was omitted by accident on the last upload. Dick's was 122 lbs., Ron's 107 and Waynes 95 lbs. Three big ones. 

Mr. fox enjoying the grandour of the Alaskan landscape as he trots off down the road. 

The sly old fox, looking for a meal,. 

Female caribou. Small horns and shedding. Not as photogenic as the bull 

Mama Moose and baby out for a swim. Actually mama was feeding and baby was swimming. 

We came accross this mama bear and cubs in Denali park. 

This Grizzly took a nap right next to the raod. No one in our party was willing to kick him in the butt for an action shot, so this is all we get. 

This is a wild wolf, even though he is wearing a radio coller as part of a study. This is a rare sight as we didn't have the locater equipment to find him