Mt McKinley Lodge:

This is Friday and we are at this location praying for a glimpse of Mt McKinley after two days of gray, rainy weather preceded by a couple of days of smoke thta obscured everything. The smoke was from 470 forest fires that have been--or still are--burning in Alaska.Near us, 70 are still burning.

What we can see is beautiful--wilderness at its most stunning. What we can't see due to the above just tantalizes us. But it is clearing and shortly we will be taking a flight tour of MT McKinley that was cancelled yesterday. Today's river rafting tour was also cancalled. I am making up for these disappointments by eating King Crab and fresh halibut--food for the gods.

We did get to go white water rafting and had a blast. Had to wear "dry suits" in case we fell in, and just getting those suckers on was an adventure. We did, of course, get sopping wet with glacier-cold water so it's a good thing we had them on.

No bears or moose yet. But we have learned a few wilderness tips: Stand your ground, wave your arms (so you look bigger and more menacing) and speak reasonably to any stray grizzley bears you encounter. DO NOT RUN! They are accustomed to chasing down their prey and you do not want to look like prey.

If you encounter a moose, however, run like h*** and zig zag as you do so. These aggressive herbivores can also run but they don't turn corners well--and they don't like humans invading their space. Go that?