Mile 15292

 After a pleasant evening at the 49th State Brewing and an even better night of sleep at the campsite in Healy, AK, we drive down to Denali Canyon for breakfast.  This resort town is booming like never before with more lodges and resorts popping up everywhere.  Denali must be good business.  

Denali Canyon, Denali Princess Resort

Rafting on the Nenana River

 We don't hang around any longer than needed, fill up with gas and are off into the Denali Park.  It is always nice visiting the park, and we take a trail hike at the Savage River.  Even though we don't see any big wildlife, a red fox is crossing our way (twice), and Elke finds some Dall Sheep in the mountains.  Unfortunately "the great one" remains hidden in the clouds, but the mountains visible are still impressive. 

Searching for wildlife, searching for 'the great one'

Then and Now pictures, a tribute to the restoration of the park

 We continue to the Savage River crossing, the end of the open to public road, and return to the park entrance.  The visitor center here is very informative about the park, the wildlife, and the park's history and definitely worse a visit.  We return back to the George Parks Highway and continue South to Cantwell, AK before ending in Talkeetna, AK.  But before reaching our destination for today we make another stop at the Denali State Park, but also here "the great one" remains hidden in the clouds.

Not to be seen

 We cross several times the Nenana River and then the Chulitna River, both showing their source being the glaciers in the mountains by the sediments they carry.  Arriving late afternoon in Talkeetna and securing our campsite at the River Park, we stroll around town.  It's a humming and buzzing town with everything tourists can wish for, from souvenir shops, to outdoor and adventure organizers, to restaurants and shops, farmer market and "flea" market.  And the tourists are flocking in by the bus loads.  

River Park, municipality camping

Talkeetna, AK

 We watch it for a while, have a beer in the Denali Brewing Company and then return to the river.  With the sun standing lower, the temperatures dropping, the clouds are clearing and finally Denali shows both its peaks.  A nice picture to end the day.

... and here he is, Denali, "The Great One"

"I, as an Alaskan, don't agree with that.  And as a Native person, I especially don't agree with that, because it's trying to erase our identity.  It's trying to take away, this is the greatest mountain in North America, and it has a Native name, and to erase that identity is a way in which we are trying to be erased as Native people."  -  Sam Alexander, an associate professor of Gwich'in at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, on the renaming of Mt. Denali to Mt. McKinley following the executive order issued by President Donald J. Trump on Jan. 24, 2025