Even though we were up all night shooting aurora, we decided
to get an early start because this was our longest drive – all the way from
Girdwood to Fairbanks, almost 400 miles.
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| Morning snow |
As we headed north, the drizzle turned to snow. By the time
we reached Denali National Park (which is on the George Parks Highway that runs
from Anchorage to Fairbanks), it was getting pretty white.
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| Not what we usually see in September |
Since we were making good time (and because we were
concerned that the road could close before we got a chance to visit Denali), we
took a quick drive in to the Savage River parking lot, which is as far as
private vehicles can travel.
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| Savage River outcrop |
The snow was lovely and we hoped we’d see a bull Moose
standing among the drifting flakes since we were driving through the area where
they gather for the rut. But, it was not to be. It was as if the snow had
scared everything away. No Moose, no Marmots, no Caribou, no nothing!
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| Empty |
Then, as the temperature dropped, we decided to get back on
the road to Fairbanks. I was beginning to worry that our flight to Anaktuvuk
the next day (the reason we were staying Fairbanks) would be to cancel. Years
before we had had to wait an extra day for a flight over the Arctic Circle
because of a low ceiling. This time, our schedule wouldn’t permit an extra day.
Plus our scheduled tour was the final one of the season.
We arrived at our hotel (River’s Edge Cabins) in a downpour.
We were exhausted, so we crashed. A damp, dismal day only brightened by the
memory of the previous night’s aurora.
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| Winter lights |
Trip date: September 10-21, 2015
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