We saw Denali again! First on Friday morning and then again early on a crisp Monday morning. It was 43°, but with the wind chill it was 34° And this is their summer!
So majestic in the distance. I also included some other of the gorgeous wilderness that embodies Denali National Park.
We left off our last blog with Greg & Helen going on the same 5 hour “Tundra Wilderness Tour” that Dave and I enjoyed the day before, thanks again to their helping with Murphy. Did they see any of the “Big 5”: Grizzly, Moose, Dall Sheep, Caribou, or Wolf? Or, did they, as their bus driver said, “It is a good day if we see one.” By the pictures below, you can see that they saw four, just as we did. So exciting!
Seeing pictures of the Dall Sheep reminded me, they are the reason Denali National Park was established in the first place. In 1906, Charles Sheldon, a hunter and conservationist, was alarmed at the loss of local wildlife, and most prominently the Dall Sheep, as there was unrestricted hunting. After several years of lobbying, the national park was created in 1917, first encompassing 2 million acres and later expanding to 6.8 million acres. And on June 7, 1913, four men became the first party to ever summit Denali and one of the four, Harry Karstens, became the first superintendent of the park. I can see why they fell in love the vast, rugged wilderness and wanted to protect it.
Here’s a link to a short movie which captures the beauty of Denali. Just click below.
Denali is also the only national park which has its own sled dog teams. Created in 1922, Harry Karstens, as the first superintendent bought 7 sled dogs for patrolling the park’s recently created boundaries. The sled dog patrols have continued since, to bring past and present together, while they work in protecting and preserving the unique character of Denali. We were able to visit the sled dog kennels and see a brief demonstration. We learned they have a breeding program at Denali, breeding for freight hauling Alaskan huskies. The dogs are active sled dogs between the years of 2 and 9 and then they retire. The park has a summer program where volunteers are matched with dogs which they walk on a daily basis. Often there is such a tight bond between the husky and its walker, they retire to the volunteer’s house (if they live in a cold climate). The dogs that were chosen to lead the sled pulling demonstration were so excited and the rest in the kennel sure wanted to join them with their barks and howls. I wish I could have captured the Alaskan Huskies exuberance in the pictures.
Denali’s visitors center also shows a short movie on sled dogs. They are amazing, as are the mushers. It is a tough life. Just click below for the short film.
Greg and Helen were hiking machines during our visit to Denali. Two days in a row, they did strenuous hikes. The first was a day long guided back country hike through tundra, which has a thick layer of moss and lichen covered by small bushes, which makes footing difficult. Sometimes they had mounds to climb and deep holes to avoid. While they hiked, they would call out national park names to ensure the local wildlife knew they were there. They hiked over a pass between two hills, along a braided river valley, hiked atop a cliff and then hiked and partially slid down a steep slope with loose stones to arrive at the pick-up point. Helen noted as they were “bushwacking” (hiking through the brush), it could be thigh high or a times even higher. Such an adventure! The second day they hiked the Savage Alpine Trail where the first mile is a straight 1500’ of climbing and then three long downhill miles and they even added on two miles to see the Savage Cabin (where early travelers camped). I was a bit jealous that I could not join them on either, but I came down with a bad head cold and Dave was nice in hanging back with me. Great job G&H!
Another interesting fact about Denali was how important the railroad was in the beginning. For the park’s first 40 years of existence, with no real roads to the park, visitors arrived by train and still do today. Dave and I stopped by the train station to watch an incoming train and saw tour groups ready to board. The train runs between Fairbanks and Denali and then on to Anchorage. We noted Princess Cruise line had its own train cars, a hotel, and buses to the Denali area. Princess also has a hotel in Fairbanks. We also saw groups of visitors from other cruise lines as well. I hope they were able to join the 30% club and see Denali in the distance.
The Denali Visitors Center has a webcam pointed at the Resting Grizzly sculpture. The four of us posed in front of it, but I messed up and since there was a delay, I did not take the picture at the right time. Oh well…it was fun watching us on the public webcam.
We have just arrived in Fairbanks, ready for more exploring and will share our adventures on Sunday.
Too little time in Denali Brenda, 43° in July? Dave, and how come I can’t go on the trails Murphy?
Another awesome experiences shared. Thank you
Following your blog has been wonderful experience…all pleasure without the exercise! Stay safe!
Reta