Beaver! Dams and harvesting

8/12/10

Walking the shops at Rainbow Village

We decided to look through the shops where we were staying. Mostly local crafts and arts. We bought a print from a gentleman, and local fudge. Hey, we're helping the local economy if not our waist lines!
We saved the afternoon to take a hike to Horseshoe lake. They told us at the Visitor Center that there were beaver ponds and that the hike was a nice one. There aren't a lot of formal trails in Denali, you can actually walk anywhere,but there are a few, Horseshoe Lake being one of them. So we loaded the dogs into the truck and headed for Denali and the Horseshoe loop. Dogs aren't allowed on the formal trails but they stay in the truck; sometimes in the back and sometimes we leave them inside. This trail starts at the train tracks. So we got to see the Alaska train headed to Fairbanks as we started.

Bosco at the start of the trail.

Kathy at the lake!

We didn't realize the trail was such a drastic change in elevation. It moved steadily down hill until we reached the lake. What a beautiful place. The beavers had obviously been working hard. Saw one swimming in the lake; also spotted a Merlin, a falcon, working the area. We sat by the lake in a couple of places and then started back up the hill. I walked in the lead; our hill climbing techniques are vastly different. I speed up then stop to rest while Bosco hits low gear and keeps on trudging. As I topped one rise I saw the most astounding sight, so I froze and told Bosco to get his camera out and come on up. Coming down the trail ahead of me was the biggest beaver I've ever seen with an Aspen branch in his mouth. He seem to think I was just an obstacle in his way. His body must have measured 3 feet not counting the tail, this per Bosco. He was at least 250 yards uphill from the lake and he had slide trails down the hill that he used. We decided he had a pregant wife who only could eat hillside Aspen. This wasn't his first trip down the hill as his slide area had been used before.

Horseshoe Lake

The determined beaver