The last two days of this fantasy voyage began this morning. We packed up the car and made a final stop at the Denali Visitors Center for a ranger walk to Horse Shoe Lake, created by a beaver dam years ago. The dam separated the lake from the Nenana river.
The view from the park to our Lodge just outside. The ranger made some strong comments about the human footprint on this pristine area. We felt a little guilty, but remembered the views of the park from that perch.
Up at 4:15 am for breakfast and making our way down to catch a 6:30 bus for a 90+ mile round trip into the park and back. Good thing we got up early since the Jeep’s windows were totally frozen over (Sept. 4th after all). Lots of scraping with credit cards – and blasting defroster.
We made it to the old, refitted school bus. It was perfect, with large windows that could be opened for good photo opportunities. It was only about 3/4 full so we could easily move to get vantages from both sides as we rolled along. We were very lucky — as the sun came up it exposed a rare day for the park with high clouds in a blue, blue sky. Nothing was obstructed.
Our driver/guide, Krista was outstanding. Besides being a skilled mountain driver, she was a fount of knowledge about Everything Denali. And, an amazing wildlife spotter….
Only a few miles into the park and this huge bull appeared. It was rutting season and the bulls’ antlers were on full display. Autumn colors were bursting in the sunshine (Krista said this kind of weather happens only about 5 days during the summer season).
The panoramas were astounding. What lucky creatures to be in this beautiful and protected environment.
Our first view of Mt. McKinley that literally has its own weather system on any given day. And we see it over the snow-cover that was deposited two days ago. The road we were on was actually closed for that day.
Down below, a great view of the braided rivers left in glacial valleys.
We stopped a little more than half way at the Eielson Visitors Center for a walk on the valley floor. I can’t tell you how fresh the air was. The Center was beautifully designed, unobtrusively set into the rock and giving this unmatched view of McKinley….
…. Both peaks in full view. The Center had a great film about climbing Denali — the physical and technical preparedness. Climbers here do it without oxygen, and it takes weeks and quite a bit of luck to accomplish.
Arctic squirrels are pretty common here. This big guy greeted us at the visitors center.
We also had a great, and pretty funny bear sighting. This two year old grizzly was trying to knock over the road sign when we came up on him. He then used it as a back scratcher. You could almost hear him say, “Ahhhh”.
As the bear padded away in the fresh snow we continued on. Dall sheep were high up on a slope, almost invisible against the snowfall (Krista has great eyes). We saw a cloud of migrating sand hill cranes (the same as you see in Florida in the winter) and bufflehead ducks swimming in kettle ponds (formed when large chunks of glacial ice fall onto the ground). Saw a few caribou way off in the distance.
The end of the road…the Kantishna Roadhouse where we had lunch, did a short nature walk and heard an informative and entertaining talk by a native dog sled musher whose father had been a multiple winner of the Iditerod. He’s preparing to do the race himself soon.
He put together a team of his dogs to show how much they love the work. Don’t think husky anymore. The latest breeding techniques are actually using greyhound.
The trip had taken us out of the park and into the Denali Preserve where more access is allowed for fishermen and other sportspeople. Fall colors are in.
The tundra in bloom….
Delicate and magnificent.
And a counterpoint to the massive rock and ice McKinley, here doubled in Reflection Pond — one of the kettle hold ponds left by falling chunks of glacier.
As we boarded the bus for the ride back someone got on the bus ann0uncing that there were two seats left on the 4-passenger single engine, high-wing Cessna leaving for the park entrance. Josh and I jumped up. When would we ever be here and have a day like today for this incredible flight?
We were so glad we did as we took off and climbed quickly to pass over the Alaska range.
Flying over the glacial “rivers”…
…with wings looking ready to touch the peaks.
We caressed the twin peaks of McKinley from a view few people will ever have…
…and were welcomed in for a landing only minutes later…in another part of the world. What an experience. We shuttled back to our hotel and had to wait almost four hours or so until Marsha and Linda would join us for our excited description of the amazing flight.
They were just as enthused about their trip back where they had sightings of more moose, bear, and Dall sheep including a ram with a full set of curved horns.
We truly hope all of you will experience this special place…on a day like this.
Breakfast at the Roadhouse. Holy Macke… er, Halibut! Never have seen such a pile of food (good food) on one table! Too intimidated to even take a photo. I guess when you’re ready to trek to the McKinley base camp, you need something really substantial.. Unfortunately, we were just climbing into the Jeep.
The skies had cleared after last night’s rain and mist. This was our first sight as we drove through the Denali Preserve, just before reaching the park itself. All these vistas are part of the Alaska Range of mountains.
The highway rolled on for a hundred or so miles, but fast road with views like these. It took us through dark green and white spruce forests, punctuated by streams and lakes, and gorgeous snow-capped peaks. The grasses were just starting to change into their Fall colors.
It’s the only substantial road in this area, and it’s amazing that there was almost no traffic, even on this beginning of the Labor Day holiday.
This part of the world does close up rapidly in mid to late September. And, the snows have already begun.
We made it to the Visitor Center in mid-morning, just in time for a Ranger walk that combined both the history of the area and a fascinating look at it’s flora. We joined a group of 7th & 8th graders from a school in Fairbanks — wouldn’t it be nice if we had a place like this in Bordentown for field trips.
Our ranger was quite a character, and was adept at handling the kids, even giving a younger loquacious one a “job” to keep him from dominating the conversation. He talked about the effect on the area by hunters, trappers and railroad builders, and the continuing friction between factions wanting to preserve the land and the inevitable people wanting to develop it.
A little drizzle started, so he quickly put on the silly plastic hat covers all rangers are issued. You’d think they’d get some waterproof hats by now. We pulled up our raincoat hoods.
He also gave everyone cards, each describing an indigenous plant including its medicinal qualities. Marsha was one of the first to spot her’s, yes the Kinnikinnick (often used as a tobacco substitute or as a tea inducing a laxative affect).
Forest, glacial streams, suspension bridges. A lovely, quiet walk before we would get into the most rugged parts of Denali tomorrow.
The park has between 400,000 and 500,000 visitors in the summer months. In the winter (coming up quickly) there may be only 4,000, and many fewer rangers. Winter dog sledding, skiing and snowshoeing keep visitors happy then.
Had our first moose sighting at the visitor center which had some great exhibits. From there we drove up to out hotel, the Grand Denali Lodge. It’s built on a high bluff overlooking the park with a switchback access road (with no guard rails) and loads of ironic signs, taking your mind off the “treacherous” drive. It was worth the climb as…
…this was the view from the Lodge.
We ate in the bar area of the hotel at a window with this view. The food and beer were excellent (locally brewed beers are a good, key aspect of life in these parts).
Wake up was to be around 4 am tomorrow for breakfast and 6:15 am bus departure for our 13-hour ride through the park. Even so, we asked the desk to wake us if the Northern Lights appeared (a service the hotel provides).
Of course, our phones rang at 12:50 am. Linda and Josh answered, threw on some clothes and saw an hour’s worth of changing green and blue. I reached for the phone, knocked the radio, my glasses and eye phone to the floor. Rolled over and slept ’til 4. L&J were a bit tired, but could live with that having seen something very special. (Next night they didn’t call).
