Today was spent hiking north to the other of the Rainbow Lakes then west to a creek that flows south out of the lake.

We were up about 9am and made our morning check in call to Denali Dispatch (we're Noatak R1 at Rainbow Lakes).  While checking the distant tundra for bear, Tyler spotted one crossing from south of our lake over toward the lakes to the west.  That's two grizzlies so far.  Breakfast was two hard boiled eggs and an apple.  We tried to lay things out to dry more, got packed up, and headed out to explore.  We went north along the tree line, but well out onto the tundra so we could see for bears, to upper Rainbow Lake.  Along the way, looking back at one point, we saw a mama grizzly and her cub coming out of the trees near where we'd walked past.  The wind was in our favor and when she caught our scent she quickly pushed back into the trees with her cub.  That's now four grizzlies.  Made us wonder how many more bears were around that we're not aware of.  This is clearly a great location for them, with these two lakes that don't freeze in the winter and offer year round access to salmon and other fish.  As we approached the thick brush around the lake, there was an obvious trail used by bears and likely other wildlife.  It was the best option for making it to the lake, but we were both a little nervous walking along this trail full of bear sign.  On the way in was sign of bear and moose.  We got to the lake edge, it was lovely but when we saw the quantity of fish in the water and along the shore, we did not loiter.  This is clearly a favorite place for the bears.  We headed toward the west and south to get down to the creek that runs from the northern lake.  We had a bright blue day with spotty cumulus clouds, which always makes for great photographing.  The views along the creek were spectacular.  We were wearing rubber boots that hit at the upper calf, which is great for the spotty wet patches in the tundra, also for wading in along the edges of the creek, even crossing some of the more shallow areas.  The further in we got the better the views were.  At one point Tyler made it to an area that I couldn't get to, his boots are a little taller than mine and mine would have flooded.  He came back and loaned me his boots so I could get over and see a stand of dead trees.  While there, he hollered to look up and I caught photos of a Northern Harrier flying over.

We headed back toward camp around 1pm, arriving about 2pm.  As the crow flies, it's about a mile, but the difficulty of tundra walking makes a mile take about an hour to navigate.  We checked on the progress of the gear that needed drying out, then had lunch by the lake.  There were triscuits, wasabi cheddar, dried apples, and granola bars.  We cleaned up the kitchen area, filtered more water, then headed into the woods to begin to break down the remnants of the old hunting camp.  On the way in, along a well established game trail, we saw cat tracks, most likely a lynx. Tyler worked on chopping apart the boards and dragging them together while I wrote and sketched by the lake.

Back at camp we had a dinner of macaroni and cheese and watched possible peregrine falcons flying, riding the thermals.  We also saw Gyrfalcon or Osprey, likely Osprey.  The lake turned to glass as we watched threatening clouds move around us and break up.  Bedtime was at about 11:30.  I'm sure I'll say it again, the sky and progress of the sun here is fascinating.  There are hours of golden hour, that time in the evening when the sun is at an angle that casts a warm glow on everything - a photographer's dream.  When the light gets just perfect, I usually have to jump on the chance to get photographs or I miss it.  Here, when the sun is at the right place in the sky, instead of dropping to the horizon like I'm used to, it glides mostly sideways, hanging in that ideal spot for a wondrously long time.

View southeast from our kitchen area.

There are some spots where the distance between the tussocks lets you see the ground below. Here there are blueberries, Labrador (tundra) tea, some mosses and lichen.

More sphagnum moss.

The view on our hike north across the tundra.  The upper Rainbow Lake is beyond these trees.

Mama grizzly catching our scent on the wind, cub to the left.

Upper Rainbow Lake.

Obvious sign that this is a bear trail.  Deep prints through the grass.

Salmon bones along the lake.

Upper Rainbow Lake.

Upper Rainbow Lake.

The bear path back out of the lake, really the only reasonable way to make it through the brush.

Looking north as we hiked south. The colors in the tundra are already starting to change as fall comes.

Panorama looking west at the length of the creek.

The creek that flows from the southwest side of Upper Rainbow Lake.

The creek.  I love the shadows on the water.

Another view.

And another view, looking a little more south.

Still another view of the creek.

The clouds were amazing today.

After wading across one ribbon of the creek, this stand of dead trees was visible.

The Northern Harrier Tyler spotted flying over me.

The creek.

These clouds!

Panorama of the creek.

This moth landed on my backpack.

Closeup of tundra plants.

Closeup of tundra plants.

Mushrooms.

More mushrooms.

Great colors in the tundra.

A vole hole with variety of tundra plants.

Tussocks tangled with blueberries and other plants. When you step between tussocks, sometimes the interlocking grasses support your weight, sometimes not and you drop through.

Tyler in the tunda showing how deep these plants are.

Looking north at the trails left by the migrating carribou.

More carribou trails.

Looking north across the tundra.

Carribou scat.

More tundra.

Mosses and grass.

Standing in the soft, spongy, wet moss.

A pile of aviation fuel cans left at the old camp site.

The first of many fires to burn the remains of the old camp.

This bee landed on Tyler during dinner.

Dinner time, looking northeast toward unnamed mountains and Kelly mountain.

As we watched, the lake turned to glass.

Relaxing after dinner.

This lake is incredible.

Looking southeast.

Panorama of Lower Rainbow Lake.

Seems like sunset, only the sun skates across these mountain tops until it's off the right edge of this image.