Day 34 - Tok to Moon Lake

Short and Loony

Today was an easy start with another hot shower (take 'em while you got 'em) as we were not going far today. Ellen started off to a good day with another life bird, actually a flock of about 70 White-winged Crossbills.

There were a few stops before leaving town.

After breakfast it was back to the Three Bears Outpost for fishing licenses (not cheap for non-residents...I'll have to catch a lot of fish), then on to the visitor center and public lands information center to stock up on brochures and other info (Speedy is looking like a library these days.)

Then a little provisioning at the Three Bears Market (a grocery store and more...need a chest freezer, kitchen stove or 48" flat screen TV?). Not the same place as the Outpost, but probably related.

Finally a stop at the Burnt Paw, a dog-themed gift shop that was not what Sally expected, but we did run into two more Roadtreks, one almost identical to Speedy and the other the same model as Harry and Sally's. Everyone seems to be interested in our boxes.

Finally finished with Tok, it was on to Moon Lake State Recreation Site about 20 miles out. It is a 15 site campground on a nice lake with lots of birds (and a couple of Moose). When we arrived we had the place to ourselves. A few more people came in, including a young Australian couple bicycle touring Alaska, but it is still mostly empty.

We took  a pair of sites at the end of the campground right on the lake and spent much of the afternoon looking at the ducks and a handsome Pacific Loon swim by. We had a chance to get out Ellen's new Zeiss spotting scope to get a good look at the ducks. It still impresses us at how bright and clear it is.

We ended the day with another dinner outdoors next to the campfire, only to be driven back into our respective vans by this evening's rains.

Two life birds for Ellen today. White-winged Crossbills at the Tundra RV park this morning and Bohemian Waxwings this afternoon. And we had excellent views of the Pacific Loon. Although not a life bird, this is the first good view we've ever had.