ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

More from Byers Lake - an old-time homesteader told us how he was flown in there with a team back in the early sixties to build infrastructure in anticipation of the highway being put in that connects Anchorage, Fairbanks and Denali National Park. They camped all winter long, building cabins and cutting trails.

The photos barely do justice to Byers Lake...

Hiking around Byers Lake, a guide coming the other way told us that there was a fresh dead salmon on the trail and a fresh grizzly bear paw print. We found both - the paw print measured about six inches across. Bear energy surrounded us, we were traveling through their land as peaceful visitors.

We stayed two nights at the Talkeetna Roadhouse, a fantastic way to start our trip. With family-style dining down below, we stayed in a room up above, sharing a bathroom with two other rooms. There was a vent in the floor of our room, where we could see the dining room below. With breakfast starting at 7:00 am, we got an early start each day.

Half orders at the Roadhouse. The best bacon I've ever had in my life - we ordered an extra side, and I don't even eat bacon anymore. But when in Alaska... Thanks to Ojai friends Rebecca and Judy for a great recommendation.

The railroad runs through Talkeetna, the only "whistle stop" on the track, where the train will stop for passengers if alerted.

Denali is the tallest in North America at 20,320 feet. This photo was taken from about 40 miles away, and dominated the skyline. Imagine being on the California Coast, looking out to Catalina, and seeing a mountain 14 miles further, simply dwarfing everything on the horizon. Hard to even comprehend.

Denali, a native name, was changed by Congress decades ago, initiated by a local congressman who wanted to make a good impression on President McKinley. The locals want to change it back to its original name, but Congress refuses to take up the case.

We were incredibly fortunate to see this in the Denali National Forest, about thirty yards off the road. Two male moose were sizing each other up. This will escalate to a full-blown battle two weeks later as they vie for a female to spend the winter. I'll try to upload some video later.

The moose (plural) had just finished rutting, where they shed the velvet on their horns by rubbing against trees. They are absolutely enormous, much larger than a horse. Far off in the distance, in the middle, is Moose's Tooth, a 10,000 foot peak that is part of the same range Denali sits.