DENALI

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Sunday, 29 August:  Talkeetna – Today we left Anchorage and drove north to Talkeetna.  This is a small town outside Denali which is the starting place for most climbing expeditions to Mt. McKinley.  It also is rumored to be the place which was the inspiration for the TV show, “Northern Exposure.”  It was a neat place with eclectic shops and some nice coffee houses and restaurants.  We decided to take a flight seeing trip to Mt. McKinley in the late afternoon.  We couldn’t see the mountain at all from town due to the same smoke from the forest fires ablaze in the interior.  However, the operator, Hudson Air, told us that once over the smoke we would get clear views.  Boy, did we ever see some awesome sights!  The flight seeing took ~1 ½ hours and we were within the Alaska Range very quickly.  We got terrific shots of Mt. McKinley as well as numerous other peaks and glaciers.  The pilot did an ongoing commentary which kept us informed of where we were at and the majestic sights we were enjoying.  After the flight, we headed into town for an early dinner.

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Monday, 30 August:  Denali – Today we began our exploration of Denali National Park through North Face Lodge.  As instructed by lodge representatives, we drove to the Denali Rail Station to transfer to a lodge bus that would take us on the 89 mile ride to the lodge.  North Face Lodge and Camp Denali (both part of the same complex) are located in a privately held enclave within the park.  We left the Rail Station at ~1:30PM and arrived at North Face Lodge at 8:00PM.  En route we stopped and viewed lots of wildlife from the road.  We saw grizzly bears at four locations.  Then we saw dall sheep on a hillside.  Lastly we watched beavers working on their lodge.  It was a really neat ride through incredible scenery.  We also stopped for a delicious picnic lunch along the way.

North Face Lodge provides an exceptional way to spend time in the park and to do so in small groups.  The majority of the people who visit the park do so on park buses that travel only as far as Wonder Lake and then return to the park entrance.  Limited camping is available but it too is near the park entrance.  Backpacking is allowed throughout the park but is definitely for the hardy.  We were thrilled to be in such a remote and beautiful place while enjoying the amenities of a luxury lodge.  Nothing feels better than a long, hot shower after a day of hiking!

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Tuesday, 31 August:  Denali – For our activity today we choose a strenuous ridge hike to Pica Hunt.  A group of five of us began at 9:30AM at Camp Denali and after an initial 1 ½ mile ascent gaining 1,500 vertical feet, we reached a tundra plateau.  Along the hike our guide pointed our various flowers and berries.  We also saw stone ptarmigan on one ridge.  We continued hiking until reaching the hut.  “Hut” is not quite the proper term.  It’s a beautiful wood building on a high point with incredible vistas.  It has a rainwater collection system for drinking and cooking along with propane stove.  We went inside to warm up and enjoy the picnic lunch we each made after breakfast.  We started back down about 30 minutes later retracing our same route.  We returned back to North Face Lodge and clocked in ~8 miles.  It was great to get some exercise and enjoy the setting.

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Wednesday, 1 September:  Denali – A group of eight of us opted to do a combination drive/hike excursion near the Eielson Visitor Center.  We left immediately after breakfast to have the best opportunity for animal viewing from the road.  It took ~ 1 ½ hours to reach the Center.  En route we did see two cow mouse and a sow grizzly with three cubs.  We also saw a bull mouse.  After spending time at the Eielson Center we drove a short distance to begin our 3 mile hike.  This was a leisurely walk up one canyon and out another.  Again we learned about various plants and also examined the geology of the area.  On our return drive back to the lodge we found a red-tail cross fox (red in color except for a black tail) very close to the road.  We also saw caribou and another Bullwinkle.  So great hiking and excellent animal viewing.

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Thursday, 2 September:  Denali – Today was much cooler and rainy so we opted for a 3 mile hike near the lodge.  It required full raingear.  When it wasn’t raining you still needed protection as we walked through wet willows and other waist-high foliage.  Upon returning to the lodge, our host, Pete, did a slide show presentation about the early settlers of the area.  It was fascinating and the perfect way to spend the balance of the day.

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Friday, 3 September:  Denali – We woke up to a big surprise – snow!  By the time we boarded the bus to leave the lodge, it began accumulating on the road.  As we progressed out of the park there were places at higher elevation with a 2” accumulation.  It provided another beautiful view of the incredible national treasure.  After making several stops and doing some more animal viewing we arrived back at the Denali Rail Station at noon.  We picked up the car and made the short drive to Fairbanks to begin our exploration there.

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