Bus Safari through Denali
After taking the scenic train up to Denali from Anchorage, Heidi and I were ready to get deeper into the wilds of the park and check out some of the animals and hiking opportunities. It is an unusual set-up in Denali. There is just one road that winds through the park and you are not allowed to drive yourself. You have to get on either a tan tour bus, or a green jump-on jump-off safari bus. If you get a green bus you can have it drop you off wherever you want and set off on a hike. The freedom to go anywhere definitely embodies the Alaskan spirit, but makes you think twice when you are hiking through bear country.
On day 1 we took the green bus as far as we could. Wendy, our driver, was great about giving narration along the way as well as stopping and pointing out wildlife. We were looking for the Big 5; Moose, Caribou, Bear, Wolf, and Dall Sheep. We got pretty lucky and saw four out of the five. The wolf was the elusive one but we knew that going in.
Moose Calf!
Moose; the biggest deer
Our first sighting of the big 5 came before we had even entered the park proper. Just outside of the visitor center we spotted a moose only a few feet off the road, chomping away at some six foot tall willow. She continued to eat there while we took pictures from the safety of the bus. We had been warned that it was moose calving season and that a protective mother moose could be just as dangerous to run into as a bear. We did see a mom and baby at the very end of our day, again back near the visitor center.
Dall Sheep
Grizzlys playing?
The weather was misty, cold, and sprinkling rain. This turned into freezing rain and snow as we drove farther up into the high elevation tundra. The views were still beautiful even though we couldn't see all the way to Denali Mountain, some 70 miles away. We stopped for more moose sightings, a grizzly bear, lots of sheep, some far off herds of caribou, and a couple of beautiful ptarmigans, the Alaska state bird. We took the bus as far as it would go this early in the season, which was about 50 miles in to a place called Tolkat. Here we jumped ship, tossed on our hiking boots, and set out to explore the exotic winter-esque landscape. We bushwhacked, crossed streams, followed river beds, all while surrounded by a panorama view of snow capped mountains. On the way back to catch a return bus we even spotted another grizzly moving across the same river bed we were walking on...a safe distance away.
View of the 'Great One': Denali
Adventure Hiking
Day 2 we wanted to devote more to hiking. We spent the first part of the morning checking out the national park sled dogs which was a blast. You can read about that here. Then we jumped on a free shuttle that goes 15 miles into the park to a place called Savage River. From here we set off on a well manicured river loop trail, but instead of looping back we continued on a small trail that went farther and farther into the valley. It was a beautiful and secluded place. The only movement around us was the constant flow of the river and groups of Dall sheep playing on the cliffs above us. We walked in the rain for a bit but then even that passed leaving the valley with misty dew clinging to the rocks and vegetation. Looking back on our time in Denali I honestly see why it draws so many people to adventure here every year. The vastness is quite overwhelming, and the landscape a bit foreboding, but there is a draw here which is easy to see.
Secret Valley all to ourselves
Check out the entrance to Denali on pinmapple.com here:
[//]:# (!pinmapple 63.69118 lat -148.81461 long Entrance to Denali d3scr)
And as always, keep traveling!
-Dai Mar