In a matter of days Denali National Park witnessed the arrival of autumn, an early blast of winter, and the frenetic feeding of Denali's great wildlife, including bears, moose, carribou and even porcupines.
In the quiet blue hour before sunrise, Denali rises in a glowing white dress some 20,000 feet above a bank of fog that has drifted from nearby Wonder Lake. In 30 minutes the fog will obscure the mountain for much of the morning before being replaced by the daily shroud of clouds that frequently obscures Denali's highest ridges.
Darker than most Denali grizzlies, this large grizzly pounces on unsuspecting prey.
The highest elevation on the Denali Park Road, Highway Pass offers sweeping vistas and is home to one of the Park's most dense populations of grizzly bears. Less frequently, wolverines also can be seen on this Pass. On this gorgeous autumn afternoon, the tundra has turned crimson and gold and the surrounding range shows off its first snow of the season
The winds of fall have brought change to the high tundra and the surrounding Alaskan range that slices through Denali National Park. The calendar says fall but everything says it is now winter's time.
The first snow of the season has arrived in Denali National Park even as Fall's tundra blazes in its robe of vibrant reds and yellows. In just a few days the cold will take its toll and the tundra will turn a dull brown, until it emerges some 7 months later when the long winter releases its persistent grip.
For a few days in early September the Denali tundra blazes red, orange and yellow, even as the first snows of fall are but a day away from reaching the valley floor.
The first snow of winter -- in early September -- has begun to fall. In the whisper of falling snow, a large bull moose follows close behind his young son as they make their way across a large stream rock bed.