Into the Park

Getting around in Denali National Park can be problematic. There is but one main road and, if followed to the end, it will take you 92 miles into the park. However, access to that road is restricted except for the first 15 miles. Beyond that point a special permit is needed and those are given to people using the campgrounds in the interior. Even then, once they get to the campground, their vehicle must remain parked until they are ready to leave.

Essentially, access to the interior of the park is via bus whether a park shuttle or tour bus. Both have a fee over and above the price of admission and in most cases, reservations are required. If you don't have reservations and you show up in Denali one day don't expect to be able to go beyond the 15 mile limit that same day!

Sue and Fred had made reservations for the Kantishna Experience, which would take them as far into the park as you can go. Several days after they made their reservations I tried to get the same tour but it was filled up! The next best thing I could get was the shuttle bus to Eielson Visitor Center, which was 67 miles in.

There are two primary reasons that the vast majority of people go to Denali – to see The Mountain and to see The Wildlife. Only 30% of those people will see The Mountain (it is hidden by clouds much of the time) but most will see some Wildlife though the most “prized” are Bear, Moose, Caribou, Wolf, and Red Fox. The further into the park you go the more likely it is that you will see them all, sometimes rather close.

Early Tuesday morning we made our way to the Wilderness Access Center to board the buses, which left within a few minutes of each other, mine following theirs out to the 67 mile marker.

A small section of the mountains in Polychrome Valley.

Grizzly Bear! One of two cubs who crossed under a bridge with their mama.

Dall Sheep. There were five of them scattered around the top and sides of this rock outcropping not far from the road.

These were the closest shots that I got. In total on the trip out and back, at various spots along the way (in other words not all at the same time), the bus I was on saw 20 bears (including 4 different sets of two cubs and mama), a moose with her calf, two wolf cubs, a lone wolf, a dozen Dall Sheep (most were “white spots” on the mountainside while others were “white spots with legs”), quite a few small herds of Caribou, and one Bald Eagle. I gave up on taking pictures since most were so far away. I did see them somewhat “up close” though with the binoculars and they were quite splendid.

Though our buses were only a few minutes apart, we didn't see the same wildlife. Sue got some terrific shots, some quite close. Please, go check out her photos! You'll be glad you did...

And, we got lucky for the second day in a row – Denali was “out” once again!

This is from about 35 miles away from The Mountain. Everyone on the bus was thrilled to be able to see this much of Denali.

I like how you can see parts of the mountain through the clouds.

The peaks are two miles apart!

Twenty minutes later, at the Eielson Visitor Center, Denali was nearly obscured by the clouds.

Gone! Denali is to the left of that center peak. I stayed at Eielson for more than an hour and The Mountain didn't come back out.

Mount Healy

After returning from Savage River, we decided to take another hike. The weather was similar to what we had left earlier in the day – cloudy skies with scattered sunshine. The trail started out easily enough leaving from the visitor center and going through the taiga forest. But this trek was more than a little strenuous with a 500 foot elevation gain in the first mile and 1200 foot gain in the second. After six weeks of no hiking, my legs and lungs were screaming “Stop!” but not wanting to admit defeat nor to be left behind by Sue and Fred, it was onward and upward.

Views like this is what makes it worth the effort! About half-way up to the top.

Sue and me on top of Mt. Healy.

The view from the top. The park entrance, Visitor Center, and Wilderness Access Center complexes are in the left foreground “beneath” the rocks.

Fred and Sue, heading back down.

A portion of the lower trail. Since the ground is frozen much of the year, the trees have shallow roots. I wonder, how many feet have trod over these roots? And yet, the tree still lives!

The top of Mt. Healy. We was up there!

While Fred and Sue fixed supper, I laid on the picnic table bench and watched the clouds pass by.

One of the Lucky 30%

Sunday afternoon (August 8th) I met up with Sue and Fred as planned. The next morning, despite gloomy, overcast weather we drove the 15 miles of the Denali National Park Highway that is open to vehicular traffic, out to Savage River. To our delight and amazement, a few miles into the park the cloud cover broke up and the sun came out as did the blue skies!

It is said that only about 30% of the people who visit the park actually get to see “The Mountain” (also known as Mount McKinley or Denali). I'm happy to say that Sue, Fred, and I are amongst the lucky few!

This was taken at the nine-mile marker, which is the first place within the park where “The Mountain” becomes visible. That white blob in the middle of the picture (behind the blue-gray mountain peaks) is Denali, about 70 miles away.

Maybe this one is a little better? A couple of miles down the road (and with the aid of the zoom lens).

A little two-mile trail at Savage River was a very pleasant walk and even though there were other people around you sensed the remoteness.

This fellow, a Hoary Marmot, was right alongside the trail. When it caught sight of us it scurried up the hill. Its coloration allowed it to blend amazingly well into the hillside along with the rocks. (This is an enlargement from the zoomed-in image. We were about 100 feet away from it.)

The Savage River Trail (photo taken on the way back, looking to the west). The hardest part of this hike was enduring the cold, stiff wind that was blowing!

Looking toward the east, where we had been.

The Savage River, looking west, from the middle of the highway bridge.

There is also a short but very steep trail at Savage River that leads up to a large rock outcropping, which also happens to provide a great view of Denali. (The Mountain is hidden from view at the river level by the nearer hills.)

Looking east down the Savage River Valley.

Denali from the top of the short trail.

Sue and Fred on the trail back down to the river.

Our second “wildlife” sighting of the day was shortly after leaving the trail parking lot. These three Caribou were in the middle of the Savage River, quite a ways away. (This is a small portion of a zoomed-in image.)

All-in-all, it was a good day at Denali – we saw The Mountain and Wildlife too!

Be sure to check Sue's blog for additional photos!