Denali

This National park was established in 1917, at 2 million acres.  Then in 1980 President Carter signed legislation that increased the park to 6 million acres.  The main road thru the park ends at Kantishna which is 92 miles from the Parks Highway, better known as Alaska Highway 3.  However, private vehicles are only allowed as far as mile 29 which is Teklanika River Campground.  We stayed there for 4 nights then moved down to Riley Campground near the entrance for 5 nights.  The day we drove in was wet, leaving the trailer a muddy mess.  The next day we took a bus to the Eielson Visitor Center at mile 66.  Just our luck the mountain was in the clouds so we didn’t get a chance to see all of it that day. 

This might be Denali in the background.  We took about a hundred mountain shots, but I’m not posting all of them, tee hee hee.

We did see Moose on the way and a Grizzly was beside the road eating bushes.  We also saw a few Caribou and LWD’s on the side of a mountain (LWD’s are little white dots for the sheep which were too far away to see)!

On another day, Jon and I rode the bus back to the Savage River, while there we were treated to the sight of a Ptarmigan and her clutch of chicks.  Looked like she was teaching them how to take a dirt bath. One little fellow was rolling around like it was having a grand time.

That evening there was a potluck at Dennis and Carol’s rig.  Mark N shared some of the Halibut he had caught.  Man oh man was it good!

Here’s our group, enjoying the food. 

 

The evening of June 30 the rain started again and lasted all night and on into the morning of July 1st.  I had booked a discovery hike with a ranger that day, so bundled up and headed out with borrowed hiking boots and walking poles.  The hike was somewhat strenuous for me but fun anyway.  I was the oldest person on the hike!  Here’s me and the Ranger at the end of a great hike!

 We left Teklanika on June 2nd, parked at Riley and left for an off road trip in side by side ATV’s.  What a blast!  Since it had been raining there were puddles to splash thru, Jon really enjoyed himself on that trip.

Thanks to my friend Kim for these photos.

Here’s our group at one of the overlook stops.

Because of the rain, we couldn’t cross this river, the horses could though but we had to take another road. (click on the photo for a close up)

 We’ve been to the visitor center, the wilderness center and the science center.  We were at the train station when a train came and went. 

We’ve been into “town” or glitter gulch as some of the workers call it, for dinner and gift shopping.  This was taken from the hotel overlooking the area.

We also visited with the working sled dogs and watched a demonstration.

I went on a Ranger led hike to Horseshoe lake where beaver used to live but haven’t been seen in 13 years.  The dams are still there and so is their bank lodge.  According to the ranger, the beaver ate themselves out of house and home. This was taken from above the lake, the beaver dam is to the left.

What looks like a pile of sticks next to the bank is the Beaver den.

 

Can you find the squirrel?

There was some really pretty lichen growing on the forest floor.

Here’s a close-up.

Saturday we drove back out to Savage River in search of critters but didn’t see any.  We did see the mountain!  It was finally out of the clouds, these photos just don’t do it justice.  It’s that white area sort of in the background, click on the photo to enlarge it.

 

Tomorrow we leave for Denali State Park, Byer Lake campground for two nights.  Hopefully we will have internet service again.