It didn’t disappoint

Feel free to read the day by day account that follows of our days in Denali National Park.  The short version, it was a wonderful stay.  We hiked.  We relaxed.  We critter watched and people watched.  We met great people both visitors and staff.  We got rained on, quite a bit actually for July.  7 good weather days was about right.  We got out into the back country on our own a bit, had ample opportunity to wildlife watch from the buses, and checked out ranger programs.  It is a make your own entertainment sort of place, perfect for us.

Wilderness and wildlife

We settled into site 38 at Teklanika Campground at milepost 29 of the Park road, Denali National Park.  It turns out this is the very same site we were in 5 years ago.  It is a short walk to the river so we can easily check for moose and other critters from here.

Out to Kantishna

92 miles each way on a school bus on gravel road.  Sounds like a fantastic way to spend the day, right?  Believe it or not, it was great fun.  Wendy, our bus driver is chatty, informed, a great wildlife spotter, and has an instantly likeable personality.  It made for a wonderful first day in the park for us.  Our camp is at milepost 29 so we trimmed a bit off of our ride compared to others who left from the entrance of the park.

Bears, lots of bears. 12 sightings in total.  11 adults and 1 cub.  The grizzlies here are mostly a very light blonde and the color really stands out against the lush green tundra.  Moose were out too; one had a fantastic set of antlers.  Dall Sheep made a showing as did the caribou.  A bull caribou, not to be outdone by the moose, sported spectacular antlers as well.

At Kantishna they have just rebuilt roads from some major flooding only a week ago.  One of the wilderness lodges even had to evacuate guests for a day.  I am sure that was exciting.  There are lodges and a campground but not much else.  We can say we have been there now but not much reason to go back other than to try for one of the spectacular pictures of Denali in the reflection pond.  Wendy claims odds are pretty slim of finding Denali out and no wind to disturb the surface of the pond.  Photographers spends days waiting for just the perfect shot.  Maybe we will buy the post card.

Close to home today

We picked our way across the wide gravel bars of the braided Teklanika River just beyond our camp site.  The heavy rains have created many flowing channels to wind our way through. It is a quiet walk with no animal sightings.  They have been here though.  We find moose and bear tracks and scat on the sand bars.

The Ranger talk “Bird beaks as tools” is very entertaining.  The Ranger is really into how the beak tells the story for any given bird.  Before he finishes his program the grey jays/camp robbers are here to harass him.

Geode Mountain

The terrain is deceiving.  From our roadside starting point what looks like a wide smooth plain is actually a treacherous field of puddles and tussocks with dozens of little creeks cutting through it.  This we learn is “wet” tundra.  It is awful to hike.  Add lots of rain so all the willows that we bushwack through are wet.  I am soaked thigh high before we reach higher ground.

A willow ptarmigan and chicks scurry across in front of us.  Bones dot the landscape;   first moose vertebra and skull, vole skulls, ultimately moose and caribou antlers.  There is certainly a lot of life out in this ick.

High ground means steep ground.  We climb the soft tundra slopes to a tundra covered shelf with a great view of the plain.  I wring the water out of my socks.  Lovely!  I left them off during lunch but they didn’t dry they just got cold.  A lone caribou follows us a bit, Kent dubs him Carl.  Carl moves off.  A herd of caribou move across the plain.  Carl is back.  We rest and have a bit of lunch while part of the group scrambles to the top of Geode Mountain.  I am content to survey all that lies below and the polychrome glaciers that fill mountain valleys above us.  We trudge back through more wet tundra.  Carl is watching again.  Wet with sweat from the heavy exertion I make it to the road.  In moments a bus comes into view.  A bit gamey myself, I plopped into a bus seat next to an unsuspecting visitor just minding their own business watching for wildlife.

Discovery hike (disco hike as the rangers call them) across 3.5 miles of wet tundra.  It was an adventure and not without great moments.  However, it is not something I plan to sign up for again.  I ended soggy and exhausted.  We napped upon return home.

We saw moose on the bus ride out.

A not-so-dry “dry” tundra walk

It rained all night.  I slip my feet into soggy boots from yesterday’s hike.  I have wet socks before we even leave the motorhome. Ick!

We are set up for a Tundra walk.  It is not the clumpy puddle strewn stuff of yesterday.  It is “dry” tundra, at least it would have been had it not been raining for days.

Ranger Tina is our fearless leader.  She is dressed in multiple layers and lots of wet weather gear.  First hiccup, the hike route has to be changed to avoid flash flooding danger.  OK, that sounds like a good plan.  We set out.  The rain sets in.  It spits, pours and even seems to sleet a bit.  The wind builds to a near gale force….it is VERY cold (41F) and wet.  That’s the not-so-good part.

The good parts.  The tundra is wonderfully and amazingly spongy to walk on.  Flowers peek out everywhere in magnificent color combinations.  We study toadstools and scat as we watch clouds blow in and through covering and uncovering the hillsides and mountains.  Two bull caribou prance across the tundra for us showing off their antlers.    Tina is full of stories and excitement for the whole adventure.  We later meet her husband Ranger Bob.   Denali Park is lucky to have them as part of their face to the public.

Critter count from the bus today:  9 bears-3 mamas each with two cubs.  One set of springers (this years cubs).  A set of yearlings and a pair of third year cubs big as Mom.  Lots of Dall sheep with some close enough to actually see that they have legs even without binoculars.  Herds of caribou, including an adorable young one.

We end the day with a 2 hour ride with wet feet on a bus with a crappy heater.  I really hate having wet feet!  We hit the furnace button when we get home and make a big cup of hot tea.  The motorhome is full of wet clothes and boots.

No regrets though…

A day off

It was cold and rainy all day.  I rested my wet weary feet and worked on planning for the return trip south.

While we were tucked away, high elevations got a new coating of snow.  July 20^th.  That seems awfully early to be thinking end of summer.

Mountain hunting

Today’s forecast is the best for the next few so we set out to see the illusive Denali.   It is cool with thin grey clouds but looks promising.

From the Eielson Visitor Center the alpine trial cuts switchbacks across the steep slope.  Clothes are shed as we climb.  First hats, gloves, fleece, windbreakers; ultimately we are in shirt sleeves when we reach to top.  Along the route we keep checking the mountain.  We are rewarded with some beautiful partial views but she never shows herself entirely.

We hang out to absorb the views of two sprawling valleys below.  Two cow caribou and a calf circle past us.  Moose are grazing in the valleys far below.  Arctic ground squirrels are every where. Kent gets a fleeting glimpse of a marmot.  A distant form in the sky moves to glide just below us.  It is a graceful Golden Eagle.  The lower trail takes us to overlook the braided McKinley River.  It is running many channels as a result of all the rain.  Amazing.

Titled “Seasons in Denali” a fantastic four panel quilt hangs in the visitor center.  Story is that a local woman created it starting with white cotton.  She dyed, stained, painted and embroidered to bring all the critters and scenes to view.  It could hang on my wall any day!

Bus rides today brought us a mama grizzly and her cubs, a close up a lone male grizzly, and lots of caribou some of whom preferred the road for easy travel.   There are some great drivers on these routes.  Many seem to truly love their jobs and their enthusiasm for the place is contagious.

Recreating our 30^th

The sky is a light grey and there is a bite in the air but it’s a good morning to start off on a hike.  It is a short bus ride to mile post 37 and the bridge at the foot of Cathedral Mountain.

O yeah, I remember this.  We begin zigzagging to take it easy on the knees and pick independent paths to take it easy on the fragile vegetation as we climb a steep tundra covered slope.  There are more than a couple stops to catch our breath as we climb 1500 ft or more.  At every stop there are views that take it away again…rolling tundra dotted with blossoms backed by stark rock mountain tops and snow covered peaks.

We continue climbing.  A high altitude, steep ridge-side, rock scramble…actually more of a cautious picking through rocks to assure sound footing.  Piles of “chocolate chips” tell us the Dall Sheep spend time up here.  They are surely laughing as they watch us struggle with the climb.

We had a couple false starts as Kent recreated (or very nearly recreated) the ranger led hike of 5 years ago.  We found the very same lunch spot on the top of the mountain.  A cozy sheltered spot protected from the cold wind whipping around the mountain top provided the perfect place for a tundra nap in the toasty sun that warmed all it touched.

The trip down includes a bit of scree scramble for old time sake and a lot more tundra zig zagging.  We did it.  1500 ft elevation change across amazing terrain.  It is a spectacular place to celebrate an early anniversary and embrace the joy of just living.

Wildlife viewing was pretty slim today: one bear and some caribou including a great bull caribou regally posing.

Must have used up our fair weather allotment

Two rainy cold days in a row.  We are doing puzzles and playing cards.  I am glad we allowed plenty of time to enjoy this park.  We’re done at least for now with wet, cold exploring.

Healy Alaska, there are not a lot of places to eat out.  We found a fair one.  If you are a small batch custom brew lover this is the place for you.  They had 15 or 20 made on site beers from pale ales to stouts.  I enjoyed the home made root beer.  The pub is laid out to be quite the party place with outdoor games and lots of speakers.  The rain put the kibosh on the outside festivities today but we enjoyed some pretty good food: fish and chips (Alaska halibut), seafood gumbo and hummus with mushrooms.  It was a nice evening out.

We are on the watch for them.  Supposedly many live here and hunt the sweeping valleys.  The Ranger program this morning says to watch particularly on polychrome pass…we will get there once we move into the park tomorrow.

“If loons invented the music of being alone, cranes invented the music of being together.  None of us is alone in this world.  We take this journey together.”  Ranger Heacox

I have often heard the lone song of a loon on a quiet lake and the cacophony of sandhill cranes gliding overhead on their way to feeding grounds.  Both are powerful, enchanting messages.

Bred for size (big and powerful), height (tall to work in deep snow), big feet with close toes (good on snow and hardy paws), thick coat (able to winter outdoors at -40), fluffy tails (protect their little noses when sleeping at -40).  We met the national park’s sled dogs at their kennel today.  They were pretty lazy since it was a sultry 65F and their ideal temp is -10F but Lucor did get up and sniff my fingers hoping for a treat.  The dogs pull about 3000 miles every winter to deliver materials to back country and to run patrols.  They get the summer off except to show off for visitors.  Visit the kennels if you come to Denali.  The dogs are great and their handlers obviously love what they do.  The dogs seem to love it too.  Even in the heat they clamored to be chosen to pull the practice sled for us.

Horseshoe Lake is a beautiful quiet oxbow lake long ago separated from the Nenana River.  A huge beaver dam arcs across one end to hold the waters back and the whole thing is perched on permafrost.  Without them both this lake would likely not exist.  We had a beautiful day for a ranger guided hike and learned lots about native plants, permafrost, and large scale changes brought on by fire, man, and changing climate.