A Bald Eagle and 4 Miles for Nachos

The last day of March was a snowy one in North Pole. So, Mike and I decided to jump in the car and drive down to Denali. The Park Road is now open to Mile 15 (Savage River). We stopped at the Murie Science Center and then were on our way Savage River. Once there, we parked the car and started to hike up the road to Mile 17. Now, if you are doing your math correctly, that is 4 miles round trip.

While walking along, we noticed a beautiful bald eagle cirlcing over head. Then, we began to smell something rather strange. Mike looked over to the side of the road and discovered a large carcass that was rather "fresh." However, it had appeared that animals and birds had been harvesting the meat for some time. It was apparent, the eagle was eyeing the free meal. After watching and photographing the majestic bird for a while, we moved on so that he could eat his feast.

On the hike, we found other fun things, such as, icicles. We broke them off and ate them, as we had left water in the car. They were just enough to wet our whistle and keep us cool.

It was a good thing that we hiked uphill for two miles, because after a quick two miles back down the hill, Mike and I promptly drove to Fairbanks and ate a plate of nachos. In my mind, I was trying to figure out if I had walked off the calories from lunch and from dinner. I'm not convinced. I think I may need to walk uphill in the snow at least 10 miles one way to work off the nachos alone!