mile 6801

DENALI, what can be said about it?  One could run down all the statistics and numbers which describe this park, or one could simply say, "you have to see it to believe it".  We had an early start and after we left the visitor center at the park entrance we headed to the Savage River which is basically the limited park entry.  From there you can't use your own vehicle anymore and park tour busses take you to the various locations.  Climbing up to Sanctuary River we got a great, clear look at Mt. Denali's south and north peak (the south peak is the higher one, 20230 ft, distance between north and south peak approx. 1.3 mile), considering ourselves very lucky as the top is around 3/4 of the year covered in clouds.  Continuing our way to Teklanika River we saw our first Grizzly Bear, a mother bear with her two cubs, playing and exploring a hill side.  Following further west the Alaska Range we see impressive glaciers and mountains, and Caribou grazing in the meadows, Eagles searching for prey, and Dall Sheep climbing the steep slopes.  Not much further down the road we see another Grizzly Bear feeding on flowers and grass, unimpressed by our presence.  We continued along Muldrow Glacier which is covered with vegetation like grass and small shrubs, but just a couple of feet below the surface is solid ice, flowing towards East.  Our turnaround point was Wonder Lake, a lake formed by a glacier and just in the process of developing its own aquamarine life.  The weather has by now also turned to the usual, and the clear skies of the morning have given way to rain.  Nevertheless, the wildlife is not bothered by that, and we saw some more Caribou and Grizzly Bear, and different birds on our way back to the Wilderness Access Center at the park entrance.

Mt. McKinley

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the thing you didn't do, than by the ones you did.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore." - Author unknown

Found at a plaque in Denali National Park