First, the fire crews did an exceptional job and opened Denali National Park on July 10th, just one day before our reservation. Yay! And second, we saw Denali! But first, a big thank you to Greg & Helen for the awesome feature photo of this blog. Their powerful camera lens has enabled us to bring so many of the great photos to you.
The name Denali, meaning “the tall or high one” comes from the Dene people who lived in the area as long as 13,000 years ago. We’ve been told that only about one-third of park visitors actually get to see the highest peak in North America, and we were lucky to see it on the first morning after we arrived. It is so high at 20,310 feet, during the day the clouds stick to the snow, so the best time to see it is late evening (sunset is not until 11 p.m.) or early in the morning (sunrise is at 4 a.m.).
Denali is considered one of the most challenging of the highest mountain peaks to climb, not only for its technical climb, but also due to the unstable weather with it being less than 200 miles from the Arctic circle. Only one day in three is storm free. An average of 53% of the 1,000 who climb it each year successfully make it to the summit due to their age, climbing ability, and the biggest factor – the weather.
Many of you may remember the mountain’s prior name of Mt. McKinley, as it was named when the park first opened in 1917. There was much debate about naming the park and the debate continued for almost 100 years. The original proponents of the park, including those to first summit Denali, and those within the interior of Alaska, wanted to keep its Native name of Denali, but were unsuccessful. Alaskan legislators continued to propose a name change but were thwarted by Congress time and time again. Finally, in 2015, the Secretary of the Interior was able to restore the name it had been known locally for centuries. Denali.
One of our first adventures was a 5-hour bus tour, taking us 43 miles into the park on the one and only road through the park. To limit the disruption to wildlife, cars are only allowed on the first 15 miles of the road with buses to take visitors further into the park. The road is 90 miles long but a rock glacier (landslide) in August 2021 closed the road to buses until a bridge can be built. Like other areas of Alaska, the permafrost which was once stable to build roads on, is becoming unstable due to the warming climate. A contractor is currently building a large bridge over the unstable terrain and the road is scheduled to be open in 2027. Time to plan a return trip!
Once again, Greg & Helen were kind to watch Murphy so Dave and I could enjoy the bus trip together and they went on the same “Tundra Wilderness Tour” the following day. In speaking to others who have gone, you can be lucky and see various wildlife or see none. You just never know. Dave and I were lucky, thanks to one person on the bus who did a great job of spotting wildlife. After getting 20+ miles into the park, we first spotted an adolescent moose in the road. Next, we watched Dall sheep on the mountainside, with the lambs having a great time running around. The bus was equipped with a camera where the bus driver could zoom in and we could see the animals up close on monitors in the bus. I took a few pictures of the monitors, while we watched the animals, but they are blurry. We saw a caribou in the distance and then a mama grizzly bear and her twin 1-year old cubs nearby. And just when the bus started down the road, a much closer caribou was munching on grass. We also saw a Ptarmigan, a partridge like grouse that is native to cold regions. And you can’t forget the Arctic Ground Squirrel, who is a food source for many of the larger animals. It was an exciting day – seeing 4 of the “Big 5” on the bus tour; only missing out on seeing a wolf. And, the stunning landscape along the route, with the park’s vast, diverse, rugged wilderness was spectacular.
Speaking of wolves, early in the parks’ history, a scientist named Adolph Murie came to the park to access a reduction in the number of Dall sheep living in the park. Many thought it was the wolves and thought they should be eradicated. After three years of studying wolves in their natural habitat (1939-1941), Murie concluded that the wolves have a positive impact on the sheep’s population, by culling out the old, sick, and injured and leaving the herd stronger as a result. Murie and his wife championed an ecological approach to park management, against predator control programs and excessive human intrusion on wilderness areas. Murie endured backlash for his conclusion, but he did not back down. Today, many regard his work as revolutionary and courageous and Denali and many other national parks live by his tenants today.
The next blog you will get to find out what Greg & Helen saw along their tundra wilderness tour (and probably much better pictures too!).
We have several more days left in Denali. I am looking forward to sharing our next adventures. Here’s a few more pictures of the vast wilderness in Denali National Park. The park contains 6.8 million acres. Amazing.
Thanks for following along.
Denali is magnificent, Alaska is amazing Dave, and I love the outdoors Murphy.
You are SO lucky – not only because the park was reopened , but also that you got to see the whole mountain!
Perfect timing for the reopening of Denali National Park! Sounds like one could spend an entire month there and revel in the natural beauty that this amazing area has to offer. Love the wildlife pictures. Great job!!
Beautiful picture of the mountain. The fog sticking to the mountain is interesting
Love your pictures and posts.