For one week this autumn I hiked and biked more than 100 miles through and across the largely deserted western half of Denali National Park. Early snow, vibrant tundra colors, a couple of clear days and lots of wildlife made for an incredible experience to see Denali as few can.
It is late fall and the search for food is relentless. This large grizzly has been foraging on autumn's last berries and is now searching for ground squirrels and other rodents that burrow in these hills.
A river slices through this autumn valley.
A lone caribou keeps watch atop Stony Overlook.
A large, healthy porcupine stocks up on autumn food as winter draws near.
One of the most inspiring vistas in any season, the Gorge Creek, Thorfare River bar and surrounding mountain ranges below Eielson Visitor Center are especially dramatic when cloaked in fog and autumn's colors.
Clear skies allow the early morning sun to paint massive snow-covered Denali a golden hue, rising in the distance more than 50 miles away from Savage River.
A cow moose feeds in the still waters of Wonder Lake just before sunrise, below Denali's towering peaks.
Last night's storms have cleared and a clear morning reveals the first snow of the season has arrived as the autumn tunda reaches its fiery peak.
A red fox slides between the branches as it stalks an unsupecting ptarmigan.