It was a fine morning when we met up with our guide, Freddie, at the day parking area at Byers Lake.Together with two English couples (Robert & Linda and Robin & Laura), one American couple from Detroit and a single guy from Chicago we made a fine-sized party of 10 (for keeping bear and moose at bay) for the hike up Coal Creek Trail.Unlike the National Park, Denali State Park has lots of rainfall and consequently has lush, green abundant undergrowth beneath the thick forest of birch, beech and white spruce.The number and variety of wild flowers and shrubs is amazing and include many that we have in the UK and some that we have cultivated for our gardens back home, for instance geranium, potentilla, spirea, lupin. As with walks we've done in other parts of the world, Freddy showed us which plants are edible - even bluebells - and which are to be avoided! The walk was just what we needed although it was not nearly as strenuous as we had expected.However, it was a really pleasant 1500ft climb to a vantage point where we had lunch and a good blether with our companions. On probably the warmest day we've had, we had to leave Byers Lake to make our way south for an easy journey back to Anchorage tomorrow.

E & M xx