"You Never Really Leave a Place You Love.

You take a part of it with you... and leave a part of you behind." ~Anonymous

When I first stepped off of the train and into Denali National Park and Preserve, my heart hammered in my chest. I’d had a successful and easy traveling experience, but now a million questions raced through my head. What would my supervisor be like? Where was I staying and eating? What would my job be like? Would I make friends?

Three months later: it’s safe to say that my summer in Denali was one of the best experiences of my life.

John and I on my last hike into the park, near the Eielson Visitor Center at Mile 66

Yes, the first two weeks were difficult and had their challenges. But when is moving to a new place not challenging? I’m often impatient with the process of settling in, growing comfortable, and making friends. But this summer, more so even than last year, has taught me the value of putting yourself outside of your comfort zone and the rewards that can come from taking risks.

I have never been so sad to leave a place in my entire life. From the amazing wildlife and scenery, to the incredible new friendships and magical memories (shout out to you, John), my experiences in Denali have helped me to grow and have changed my life forever.

At the Murie Science and Learning Center, I helped convert over 20 science research articles from pdf’s into the more accessible Science Summary webpages, photographed multiple field trips and research adventures throughout the park, and designed an exhibit (that can now be found online!) connecting a quilt found in the MSLC to climate change in Denali. I truly feel that the work I have done for the MSLC this summer will make an impact on visitors today and in future years.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to have one of my best friends from high school come to visit! Federica arrived on August 4^th, and we spent her week here camping at Wonder Lake (when the mountain actually came out in full view!), hiking and exploring the frontcountry, and hanging out in the mountains. Thank you for coming to visit me, Federica! You mean the world to me and I look forward to future adventures around the world.

Denali stands clear and proud from Wonder Lake campground!
My first time viewing the mountain up close.

Just a few of the things I will miss about Denali:

1. The endless expanses of untouched wilderness and intact ecosystems
2. The families I became a part of, both in and outside of work
3. Hiking near my house at 11 pm because the sun is still setting
4. Weather cool enough for long sleeves and pants
5. Lucor, the beautiful sled dog that I was lucky enough to walk with for the summer
6. The beautiful silence of being settled in the mountains, miles away from another person

Thank you to everyone who has shown me support, sent me letters, or read my stories from afar. It means the world to me that you all care enough about me to follow my adventures, and I can’t wait to see a lot of you in person again soon.

Denali, I know that I will return someday to retrieve the piece of my heart that I’ve left behind. But for now, it’s on to other adventures. Senior year at Gustavus, here I come!

Until next time,

Lindsey

P.S. I was lucky enough to hold and play with Lucor's puppies at the kennels! Check them out live using the Denali Kennels Puppy Cam. Because who doesn't want to wrap up their final blog post with puppies?

The "Grand Slam" and Kenai Fjords: Tales of the Taylor Family Vacation

Caribou foraging on the tundra

Another two weeks gone! Two weeks ago, my family came to visit me in the park. Their first full day here, we took a shuttle out to Wonder Lake—a full 11 hour day of driving with a few half hour breaks along the way. Though the day started out cloudy, we ended up being extremely lucky, landing what the park calls a “grand slam” of wildlife viewing. This means that throughout the day we spotted at least one—though many times more—of the “big five” mammals of the park: bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and wolves.

Bears are often seen from the park road in the Denali backcountry, but seeing them on a shuttle trip is not a given. We managed to see nine bears overall, and three or four of those were cubs. But though the bear is an exciting sight, seeing a wolf is even more so. Since 2010, the chances of a visitor seeing a wolf in the park has gone from 30% to 4%. The current park population is 49 wolves.

In the early days of the park, wolves were thought to be extremely harmful to the Dall sheep that are iconic to this area. Many people believed that the wolves would hunt them to extinction. Adolph Murie came to the park to study wolves in the 1930s. And what he found was groundbreaking: though the wolves did hunt the Dall sheep, they did it in a way that would not substantially hurt the population, going after the sick, injured, and young. I think it is incredible Murie saved the “wolves of Mt. McKinley” by studying them. If you’re interested in learning more about the challenges Denali wolves are facing today, drop me a note and I’ll forward you the paper I wrote in my ecology class this spring.

The rest of the week was filled with exploring the park and surrounding area. On Friday we drove down to Seward, AK, where we boarded a sightseeing cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park the next morning. After over a week of rain in Denali, the clouds in Seward cleared and we were given a brilliant sunny-with-blue-skies day.

It felt like we were spotting wildlife at nearly every new cove, island, or fjord. We watched humpback and fin whales glide near the surface of the ocean, spouting water in greeting as they passed. Puffins dove over the boat and skimmed the water with fish-filled bellies. Sea otters drifted in the waves, and stellar sea lions lounged in the sunshine on large rocks.

The turnaround point of the cruise was the Northwestern Glacier in the Northwestern Fjord, a destination few tour cruises visit. For nearly half an hour our boat drifted in the glacier’s bay, allowing us plenty of time to gaze at the sky-blue ice. Fun fact: the glacier was actually named after Northwestern University in 1909 (shout-out to you, Dr. Lin J ).

A photo of me holding glacial ice!

Tune in again soon!

Lindsey