Lake Louise in Baniff National Park, Alberta. One of the most beautiful places in the world. The area around the hotel can be quite congested but a short walk on excellent trails brings peace. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. This photograph was taken from the "front lawn" of the Chateau Lake Louise, a luxurious hotel originally built by the Canadian Pacific Railway

A weasel in the rocks around Lake Louise

So you want to take your Ford Ranger out on the muskeg? Here is what you need.

http://www.mattracks.com/

Foraker is behind tree at left extreme; Foraker is 6th tallest mountain in North America at 17,400'

Denali from South East on Park Highway

Denali (or Mt. McKinley) 20,320 ft in elevation; from the SE on Parks Highway near Trapper Creek

Denali; Photographed from a small plane from K2 Aviation in Taleetna, a flying service that specializes in putting climbers down on a glacier to begin their climb; We recommend them highly; http://www.flyk2.com/

Denali

Looking from Denali toward the SE; I believe this is the Ruth Glacier

Denali

Ruth Glacier cut the Great Gorge through the heart of the Alaska Mountain Range

Glacier coming off Denali; This glacier is formed by two other glaciers. As they merge, the lateral moraines from each of them carry dirt and rock to form a dark band in the middle of the new glacier. This glacier is moving from left to right

Photographed at twilight from Earthsong Lodge on Stampede Trail road west of Healy. I really enjoyed staying here on the arctic tundra. The proprietor is an alpine dog team guide and former park ranger. This road is in a slice cut out of the National Park. Take a look on a map

Denali from the road in the Park

Denali from the Park Road. Only about 1/3 of the visitors to the park actually see the mountain.

Denali Park

Denali Park

Grizzly scratching his back; This guy had a look of sheer bliss on his face as he shimmied up and down the tree. Wish I had had a movie camera. This was photographed from the Denali Park road bus. For Montana Grizzlies see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfqAW7HX-nc

(or American Jackal); Denali Park

From Denali Park road

Alaska Range

From Richardson Highway; The cylindrical heat exchangers move heat away from the soil to prevent permafrost thawing. The engineering of this infrastructure is truly amazing. Where it crosses the Denali fault it suvived a 7.9 earthquake on 11/03/02 without spilling a drop of oil despite rupture of the highway ~200 feet away

Largest North American bird; average wingspan is 6.7 ft, males average 26 lbs. The cygnets are gray, becoming white after one year (the original ugly duckling was the very closely related Whooper Swan). Pairs mate for life and both parents participate in raising young

Feeding Swans

Her young one was hidden behind her; Known in Europe as "Elk", is the largest deer; Confusingly, the word elk in North America refers to the second largest deer species, Cervus canadensis

Moose

Caribou (in North America) or Reindeer (Europe and Asia); Only member of deer family where both sexes grow antlers; note one of antlers has blade down nose to protect the eyes during rut jousting. Alaska has 32 herds. The Brooks Range Porcupine 150,000 member herd migrates 400 miles between its winter and summer ranges.

North American Elk or wapiti;Second largest member of deer family after Moose; This is a captive herd

A valley glacier, 27 miles long and 4 miles wide at its terminus; Near the Glenn Highway 100 miles NE of Anchorage, not far from Palmer. Quite accessible, it is a "live" glacier traveling about 1' / day. It is in a "weather hole" with many sunny days

Harbor Seal or Common Seal; Valdez harbor; Gregarious, curious animal; this one came cruising over to see what Ruth and I were doing along the shore

Kenai Fjords National Park

Kenai Fjords National Park; One of 40 glaciers coming off the Harding Icefield. The icefield is fed by 400 inches of snow each year. The icefield plus its glaciers cover 1,100 square miles; Photographed from a boat about 4 hours out of Seward

Kenai Fjords National Park; An endangered species that may be on the rebound

Kenai Fjords National Park; Taken from a boat, two ewes and lamb high above the water

Sign Post forest in Watson Lake, Yukon; In 1942 a homesick GI working on the construction of the Alaska Highway put up a sign pointing to his hometown with the mileage. Now there are more than 65,000 signs maintained by the Town of Watson Lake

A last look before heading home; Liard River in northern British Columia|