Denali

Let's race!

Our recent travel Glenallen-Denali-Wasilla

Date: 5/30/2013                                    Time Zone: AKDT [Alaska Daylight Time]

Location: Denali National Park AK

Travel Leg of journey: 17                        Day of journey: 24

Miles traveled today:            352                        Miles traveled since departure: 5249

Percentage of travel completed: 47.7%

U.S. states visited today: AK

Critters observed today: mystery small mammal, porcupine

Today we traveled the road considered by many to be the most scenic in Alaska, the Glenn Highway from Glenallen to Palmer. It certainly was the most scenic roadway that we had seen so far, and that is saying a lot. We passed more snow-capped mountains, frozen and ice-free lakes, and rivers raging like a teenager’s hormones from the continuing snow melt that is flooding rivers throughout the state. The streams and rivers are called “bank full” when in this stage. We passed debris that had been carried by the torrents: whole trees, the roof of a small structure, an entire shack placed precariously on a small ice-encrusted island. We saw our first glacier, then several more along our way. Alas, the critters were not as impressed as us, as most stayed in hiding all day. We skirted the major towns of Palmer and Wasilla and then took the Parks highway north to Denali National Park, the largest in North America. We soon had glimpses of the majestic Mt. McKinley in the distance almost 80 miles away from us. It is massive. On clear days it can even be seen in Anchorage, 130 air miles from the peak. We passed through the small village outside the park, already starting to become crowded with all of the tour buses, mostly from cruise ships, disgorging passengers for extended trips into the park. The village was a typical national park clustering of gift shops, outdoor adventure outfitters, ATV rentals, kayak stores and aerial sightseeing tours. I went into one, The Fur Gallery, thinking it was a topless bar, but quickly became disappointed at the offerings there.

We stayed in a small park outside town that offered good wifi, TV and cell phone service, the basic food groups for RVers. We dropped anchor here for 4 nights to relax and see the park.

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Date: 6/2/2013                                    Time Zone: AKDT [Alaska Daylight Time]

Location: Denali NP, AK

Travel Leg of journey: 17                        Day of journey: 27

Miles traveled today:            n/a                        Miles traveled since departure: 5159

Percentage of travel completed: 46.9%

U.S. states visited today: AK

Critters observed today: see below

Today we ventured into Denali National Park. We both had wanted to see this massive place in more detail, but were a little intimidated by the length of time the trips take. No personal vehicles are allowed beyond the 15-mile mark. So to see more, you must use one of the tour buses available. We chose one operated by the park service that went to the 66-mile mark, an 8-hour roundtrip. We lucked out and had an excellent driver/narrator who really knew the park, and her job, after 13 years of doing this. This trip turned out to be perhaps the best investment in time of our whole trip! The critters here are plentiful and not shy. This is due to the Park Service mission statement here to keep the wilderness wild. We were instructed on how to help do this by not speaking above a whisper when stopped to view wildlife, and to not expose body parts out of the windows. And even not to eat any snacks at the rest stops so as not to expose the critters there to an easy supply of food or even crumbs. It didn’t take long to start seeing the spectacular critters here. We had already seen 3 huge moose hanging around the visitor center browsing on the newly budding trees. They can easily strip a small tree in minutes. And they need lots of trees since the top out at about 1500 lbs. We also observed the following beautiful creatures:

1 porcupine

18 caribou

6 moose

3 ptarmagin [a grouse, the AK state bird]

31 Dall sheep

1 tundra fox

1 snowshoe hare

5 grizzly bears

The grizzlies drew the most awe and were the most spectacular; 2 sows with their cubs in 2 separate settings. There are an estimated 600-800 grizzlies in the park, but few black bears. The grizzlies prefer the tundra areas where they browse on grass, roots and small mammals. They occasionally are treated to large mammal carrion. These great animals max out at about 600 lbs., far less than the 1000 lb. plus weight of the grizzlies near the coast of Alaska that feast on migrating salmon throughout the summer. We were thrilled with our experience in the park. To have come all this way and not take this opportunity would have been something we would have regretted later, for sure.

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Date: 6/3/2013                                    Time Zone: AKDT [Alaska Daylight Time]

Location: Wasilla AK

Travel Leg of journey: 18                        Day of journey: 28

Miles traveled today:            207                        Miles traveled since departure: 5366

Percentage of travel completed: 48.8%

U.S. states visited today: AK

Critters observed today: moose

Today was a short jog back to civilization in the Wasilla/Palmer area. It was all we could do today to not act as if the views along the way were anticlimactic. We had seen such stunning landscapes and animals as never before, that this may prove hard for us the rest of the way. We are about halfway into our planned mileage for the trip. Denali was as far north as we plan to go. We now will settle down here and in Anchorage to prepare for visits from our children, Jessica and Stephen, and their families. We plan to explore more of this great state with them and enjoy even more interesting activities. This blog will continue, but less frequently for a few weeks.

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