We got a late start on Friday, so we didn't start hiking from Little Coal Creek (the north trailhead on the map) until 6:30 PM.

Linda on the ascent. This hike is one of the most popular in Alaska because you only climb a couple thousand feet up, and then you spend most of your time after that on a ridgeline with great views of Denali National Park.

After the climb, it was easy going for a long way.

A great thing about Alaska - you can start hiking at 6:30 PM, and still have sunlight at 9:30 PM.

We searched and searched for a campsite with a decent view, but (*sigh*) this is all we could find. [Yes, that mountain is Denali.]

As we started setting up camp on Friday night, it looked like we were going to be treated to a spectacular sunset over the Alaska Range.

Sun goes down over Eldridge Glacier.

Indeed the sunset was amazing. This panoramic doesn't quite do it justice.

Sunrise on Denali at 5 AM on Saturday. I took this picture right from our tent, then went back to sleep.

After a brief scare when we thought a marmot had run off with our cooking stove (it hadn't), we cooked breakfast and hit the trail for a long day.

That damn mountain is everywhere...

Kleiner enjoys the view.

We should have brought a frisbee for this field! Right after crossing this field the trail drops about 1000 off the ridge into a wooded area called 'Bitch Creek.' The name speaks for itself. It was a nice change of scenery, but the scenery up on the r

We passed a short section of cool rock formations.