The wild places of the Kenai Peninsula are best visited by boat, but unfortunately a kayak is hard to come by after Labor Day. As a result I decided to head north again. I stopped for several hours yesterday along Turnagain Arm watching for belugas, and a group of four passed just twenty yards out from the rocky point I was sitting on. Unfortunately no more whales came by before it got too dark to see, but four whales at twenty yards was nonetheless a special experience.
Today it snowed while driving back towards Denali, and now that I’m here the mountain peaks are white and most of the trees are completely bare — I’m hopeful that winter will stay away for a bit longer, since the park road opens an additional fifteen miles in five days, weather permitting, and miles twenty to thirty are prime spots for wolves. Until then I’m going to head north of Fairbanks and perhaps drive just a bit of the Dalton Highway — that road is notorious for killing cars, so most likely I won’t be going too far.