These are in no particular order just as we thought of them. The highs come first.
Getting up close and personal with two California grey whales, mother and baby, off the coast of the Baja Mexico.
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| From John and Carols Blog |
We were able to touch both mother and baby who seemed happy to be with us. A very special moment.
MukTuk kennels near Whitehorse in British Columbia is the home of a famous sled dog racer and his 140+ sled dogs. We were able to go for a walk with some and Carol really enjoyed meeting the puppies.
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| From John and Carols Blog |
Manuela, a carpenter from Germany, who is now a musher at heart, showed us round and we are following her progress as she works with her sled dogs and aims to complete a qualification race this year with her sights set on the Yukon Quest in 2010.
In southern Utah we drove through the most spectacular canyon scenery.
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| From John and Carols Blog |
Called Canyonlands the red rock is interspersed with bands of yellow and grey and sculpted by wind and water into the most amazing shapes.
In North Yellowstone we hoped to see a wolf or wolves in the wild but knew how we would need to get lucky to get more than fleeting glimpses at great distance in high mountain meadows.
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| From John and Carols Blog |
However we did get extremely lucky. We were treated to a view of the Slough Creek pack on a kill no more than 150 yards away from the front of the RV. They had killed a pronghorn antelope the day before in a riverside and meadow. We saw them coming, bouncing down the trail from the high meadows, chasing a coyote off the kill then breakfasting at leisure with time off for a snooze and a bit of play with a pack mate.
A visit to Joshua Tree National Park enabled us to drive through and appreciate the three desert types on show. The subtle changes in attitude, altitude and rainfall creating growing conditions suiting particular vegetation. The most spectacular being the expanse of Cholla cactus wa walked around very carefully.
These plants spread by dropping parts of themselves which then get picked up by animals brushing past and when they drop off some will root and grow another cactus, a clone of the parent.
As a contrast we were in the snow in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park when we walked through the groves of the largest living things on earth. The General Sherman tree is 275 feet high and is thought to be between 2300 and 2700 years old.
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| From John and Carols Blog |
It was a very sobering experience to touch something that had seen that many cycles.
Outside El Paso at a small state park we met Shadow.
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| From John and Carols Blog |
As a wolf hybrid his possession is forbidden in many US states but we saw only a big friendly animal.
At a facility in Oregon where rescued animals were rehabilitated we saw these two female wolves. Carol was able to get down in a corner where the electric fence was low and the wolves came to speak to her and allowed Carol to touch them.
Lake Powell is a giant and very controversial man made lake in Southern Utah / Northern Arizona.
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| From John and Carols Blog |
We rented a speedboat from Waweep marina and headed up the lake past giant red walls of sandstone to a hidden gem called the Rainbow Arch. To get there we had to thread our way through some twisting slot canyons, park at a little marina and then hike to this natural wonder. It is sacred to the first nation people and we were only allowed to get so close but not to walk under the arch.
Driving up to Alaska on the 1,522 miles of the Alcan Highway.
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| From John and Carols Blog |
We saw bears walk across the road, swam in a natural hot spring in surroundings
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| From John and Carols Blog |
straight out of a Indiana Jones movie and at Hyder we saw a big old grizzlie catch and eat a salmon.
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| From John and Carols Blog |
THE LOWS
John is finding that he can not cope with the conditions of many of the animals kept for exibit to the public and will try to avoid captive animals in the future.
Carol is against any animal being caged or trapped in unnatural conditions. If they have to be in captivity they shouldn't be too aware of it. It was a honour to be able to get close to the two white wolves who managed to find a gap next to the electric fence to come forward and make contact. they wagged their tails and licked carol's hand. The feeling that came across was " I don't want to be here but I bare no malice, I am resigned"
Carol feels ashamed for the members of the human race that put these animals where they are, and helpless for having to leave them there, and others like them.
The worst of all lows was losing Charro. He never complained even when he was sometimes in pain,
he was always willing to go and smell new places, or just lie in the sun with company.
His trolley was a godsend, and he accepted it so easily, knowing that this was a lifeline , and that he could maintain his freedom still, and accepted the situation with dignity. He saw more places in his lifetime than most dogs, and had lots of memories. Now he is one of our most precious memories.
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