Hiking through birch forest on the Granite Tors trail near Fairbanks. Even at noon, the angle of the sun feels very low relative to what I'm used to. The morning was brisk with some ice on the trail. I really get the feeling that once we pass the equinox, we really will be racing towards winter!
A gust of wind sends birch leaves flying like gold coins - the pattering sound of leaves colliding with each other and the ground is delightful!
Once we arrive at the burn perimeter, the view of the Chena River valley opens up below.
We left the main trail to explore some farther tors that are visible on the next hilltop. We followed some moose trails and found a couple shed antlers! Thus followed a few minutes of weighing the thought of carrying a heavy antler ~8 miles back to the car. We compromised by carrying the smallest antler... Notice that it takes two arms to lift the antler above my head - it's that heavy! (no, I am not that weak...)
Looking back at the scrub/tussock we walked through.
A giant rock thumb!
The birch are starting to reach their peak color
Bouldering on the tors - the granite is VERY gritty and will cut your hands (or clothing) to pieces.
The Alaska Range was visible on the horizon. It's been rainy for a few days so I haven't seen these mountains in a while.
On the descent from the ridge top we walked through a burn area that had HUGE cranberries - so we had to stop and pick them! We got an entire gallon in about 30 minutes.
Larch trees in the bog
It may be a while for art images to appear again, as I am working on a sewing project that is competing for my time with class work and lab work. Hopefully soon...!
No comments:
Post a Comment