Denali State Park

The middle of May we will be campground host at Denali State Park, Northview. We could not check out our site because the snow was still a little deep. This is the entry with the 20 MPH sign to the right. We have been to this campground in the past and the views are outstanding. We are looking forward to being there after the snow melts.

Caribou

This caribou was the only large animal we saw on the trip from Eagle River to Fairbanks. However, the weather did clear enough and we saw The Mountain (Denali) on our return trip.

Igloo

This igloo located on the Parks Highway is actually a lodge. Obviously it is not used in winter.

Fur Parka see at Museum

Prayer Shawl

Decorated Outhouse

Many Alaskans live in the bush off the grid with no electricity or plumbing. Don't think many of their outhouses are decorated like this one, however.

Carved Totum Pole in museum

University of Alaska's Museum of the North

This huge brown bear guards the entry to one of the exhibit area.

Igloo

There really are igloos in Alaska . . . we saw two on this trip.

Spinner

In the play area there are a number of spinners which are round on the bottom and loose so the rider can be spun round and round gliding over the ice in the bucket shaped ice carving.

Children's Play Area

Before the beginning of the competition many artist arrive to carve the children's play area including many slides like this one attached to the play house.

Dancing Spirits

We watched the progress of this multi-block as it was carved and the heavy equipment lifted blocks to higher elevations. Feel sure the tallest spheres were over 25 feet. It was easy to invision it with the lighting when completed to give the appearance of the northern lights dancing across the sky. I was sure it would place in the top two but alas it came in fourth.

Day and Night - Single Block Winner

The carving contest is divided into two sections . . . single blocks of ice and multi-blocks of ice. The carvers come from all over the world and compete as teams working long hours . . . many at night especially when the tempatures rise above normal during the day as they did this year. With temperatures reaching to the 40's during the day the ice breaks down and some sculptures break up beyond repair.

Firewood

Paul Hanis' Firewood. According to Paul this was one of the best pieces of ice he has ever carved. Since the blocks are cut from the frozen lake they are not always clear like this one.

Dancing Swans

Beautiful graceful lines

Reptile

At night the lighting gives a completely different appearance to the sculpture.

There are many more sculptures with pictures in progress and the finished multi-blocks which we did not get to see because our schedule made it necessary to leave before the final day.

To see more please visit www.icealaska.com

Hawk Owl

As we have discussed before the Bird Treatment Center in Anchorage does a great job of caring for hurt birds, releasing them when possible. This hawk owl was hit by a car and the broken wing (she had xrays to share with the students) did not heal properly resulting in her inability to fly. The representative from the Treatment Center brought the bird out today to share at the Junior Naturalist program.