I will let you know how it goes.

It is perfect.  A brilliant ribbon of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet arches peak to peak and colors the mountainside.  The mind’s eye captures it more vividly than a photo possibly could.

An elk browsing her way through camp just feet from the motorhome.

A cacophony of bird songs and calls along a marsh walk.  The forest was so thick I never actually saw even one of them well enough to identify it.  No problem.  I love the sounds. A moose, an unmistakable shape even from afar.

Brown bears, magnificent creatures.

Snow capped mountains soaring to the clouds.  I wonder if I would ever tire or looking at them?

A black bear working his way along the lakeshore flipping rocks and munching new grass.  A moose just standing and chewing contentedly.  A black/brown wolf lopping over the hillside.  A silver/blond wolf keeping watch over the roadway.  A cinnamon colored black bear and her cubs.  She was foraging and they seemed to be playing tag up and down trees.  They were so hard to keep track of that we still don’t know if there were two or three cubs.  It was mostly cold and rainy (snowy at the higher altitude) but the critter count made up for the lack of sunshine.

Two small caribou herds live in this valley but they are apparently not real social.  I hope to have better luck seeing caribou in Alaska.

“Very aggressive cow elk.”  The Ranger said one chased his pickup truck.  They are protecting calves and it doesn’t bring out the nice in them.  This valley is prime bear and elk habitat and the local policies seem to be to give the wildlife all the room it needs to be successful here.  Lots of trails are closed.  It is a bit of a disappointment not to be able to use the trails but it feels like the powers-that-be have their priorities right.  Tomorrow we head to an area with a wildlife drive.