Denali Park Alaska, Aug 23rd
Carlo Creek Alaska at the Panorama Pizza Pub, mile marker 224.17563 of the George Parks highway…hey, same place I was last night. Took the tour of the Denali park and needed a place to stay that although the hostel didn’t have a bed for me, Seth set me up with a tent…cheaper and saves me setting up and tearing down my own tent. Today’s tour took me thru some of Alaska’s most beautiful county in search of the tallest mountain, Mt McKinley, wait, Mt Denali…well, more on that later. It was a cold and thankfully not rainy ride to the park, but it always looks like rain and at the Denali visitor center, their summer forecast is overcast with a chance of rain and apparently it’s been the same every day this summer. Watched the video on the establishment of the park and building of the road and had to decide what bus tour I wanted to take and their all going to take some time. The next shuttle to leave for the farthest point, or at least close to it, Wonder Lake leaves in 15 minutes, but it’s an 11 hour round trip that won’t put me back here until 10:30 that not sure I want to take that tour today. Did find out I can drive 15 miles into the park although the farthest point is 90 miles in and takes a lot of time going that far. Well, bus has to make a number of stops and they always stop for Wildlife for people to get pictures of. Well, for me, not only do I want to see the wildlife, but I want to see the tallest mountain and today might be the day because it looks like the clouds are trying to break, but around here you never know. Well, before I got up to the front desk, Wonder Lake was taken off the board since the bus was full and the next bus tour was to Fish Creek, Mile 63 and an 8 hour round trip leaving at 2:00. Ok, gives me plenty of time to drive the 15 miles and decide whether to take a bus tour or not.
I got some of my best pictures riding the 15 mile stretch and was following a couple of guys from Michigan and talking with them at every photo stop. They both drove up and one of them is flying home tomorrow since the other is in the army and stationed at Kodiak that they decided to drive up and do a little site seeing and even like they said, some unbelievable sites to see. Well, the weather looks like it might be breaking that was thinking although it might be worth saving the bus tour to share…ok, have talked about that before, figured you never know whether I’ll get another opportunity like this that I might as well go for it and take the bus as far as I can since it’s the last tour of the day…sorry honey, but I did save Wonder Lake and Kantishna for you. Even the ranger said today is one of the better day’s weather wise that I just might be able to see the mountain. Ok, did get a couple of shots of the mountain peaking out, but you have to look really close and for me, it helps being able to zoom in, but caught a glimpse of Mt McKinley, I mean Denali in pics 8946 and 47…right in the middle of the picture. Ok that looks promising that the tour will be the thing to do. Oh, and for the little rodent eating one of its own, asked the ranger if they kill each other that it’s survival of the fittest, but apparently they eat road kill…poor guy, this is the last he gets to eat her.
Our bus tour guide Don is from south Minneapolis and the entire back of the bus ended up being from Minnesota. Talked to three guys, 2 from the cities visiting their friend from the North Pole and I feel really bad for missing those pictures when I drove thru the North Pole on my way to Fairbanks, but believe me, there is a town called the North Pole and like the guy from there said they’re milking Santa for every thing he’s worth. Well, the older gentleman sitting behind me is from Hibbing so when I told him I go there every year for the Last Chance Bonspiel, he knew exactly what I was talking about…but hey, the Last Chance is probably the biggest thing to happen in Hibbing since Kevin McHale. Well, the one problem with taking the bus is not being able to take pictures of the scenery whenever you want, because they only stop for wildlife…I suppose if you asked they would stop more often, but for an 8 hour round trip the way it is, do you really want to keep stopping?
Kept hearing from buses coming back from the earlier tours that the mountain isn’t visible that although it is clearing and the range can be seen, the tallest mountain itself is being evasive. Oh, and for the name of the mountain…it was first named by the Indians as Denali which meant the tall one (I believe it was tall, if not the ‘big’ one) but when the Europeans came over, they gave it a different name and no I don’t remember the name. Well, the way it was named McKinley was before McKinley even became president and it had to do with setting our currency either by a gold standard or silver, which McKinley had a lot to do with. Ok, so the park was first name Mt McKinley park but the name eventually changed back to what the natives called it Denali and they’ve been trying to change the name of the mountain, but because McKinley was from Ohio, the Ohio congressman always votes no for changing the name that to most of us, we think of Mt McKinley whereas the Alaskan’s and natives have always called it Mt Denali…and that’s the rest of the story.
You can see by the pictures that saw some Caribou, Ptarmigan and Moose, but kept looking for the grizzlies that would really be worth seeing and Don’s suggestion on what to do if you encounter a bear would be pretty tough to do, but don’t run, just stand there waving your arms making noise, even if they do charge you and if they get within arms length, get the first shot in and cold cock him in the nose…ok, maybe not the punch, but at that point roll up into a ball and play dead. I think the hardest would be standing your waving your arms making noise when they charge you than anything.
Well, decided I still needed a room for the night and wasn’t going to make the trip to Anchorage today, but also didn’t want to drive late tonight that time to head back. Remember, every bus coming back said you can’t see the mountain that I’ll save it for my return trip to share so took the first one back I could…at least the one at the latest potty break, and check it out – a brake pedal on the floor to flush. It was fortunate I took the bus I did because 4 hikers joined us and I made some new friends. Shellie sat next to me and her husband Hoyt close by, that she was telling me how they are retired and making a trip from Phoenix Arizona during the hot time of the year…well, hot there, but cold and rainy here. They are touring some of the country and doing this Alaska trip with their friends Wayne and Ruth. Had a great time talking with them and they have a blog site that their family and friends are living vicariously thru them even though I told her my friends and family are living precariously thru me…ok, close enough to the same meaning that we can use both. Anyway, like Shellie said, at least I’m living life and enjoying it by doing something that everyone would love to do, but few would ever consider doing. You only have one life to live that you might as well make the most of it and do with it what you can while you can…some save their entire lifetime to do a trip like this instead of just doing it...and I’ll tell you, Alaska, the last known frontier is definitely worth doing as soon as you can. That reminds me of Kathy suggesting I take the shuttle buses so I can get off and hike instead of the old grey hairs…that’s those people who have saved their entire lives for a trip like this instead of doing it when they were still young and healthy enough to enjoy it. There’s only so much time to life that you might as well live it to the fullest when you can…and now is my time. Denali park pictures.
I got some of my best pictures riding the 15 mile stretch and was following a couple of guys from Michigan and talking with them at every photo stop. They both drove up and one of them is flying home tomorrow since the other is in the army and stationed at Kodiak that they decided to drive up and do a little site seeing and even like they said, some unbelievable sites to see. Well, the weather looks like it might be breaking that was thinking although it might be worth saving the bus tour to share…ok, have talked about that before, figured you never know whether I’ll get another opportunity like this that I might as well go for it and take the bus as far as I can since it’s the last tour of the day…sorry honey, but I did save Wonder Lake and Kantishna for you. Even the ranger said today is one of the better day’s weather wise that I just might be able to see the mountain. Ok, did get a couple of shots of the mountain peaking out, but you have to look really close and for me, it helps being able to zoom in, but caught a glimpse of Mt McKinley, I mean Denali in pics 8946 and 47…right in the middle of the picture. Ok that looks promising that the tour will be the thing to do. Oh, and for the little rodent eating one of its own, asked the ranger if they kill each other that it’s survival of the fittest, but apparently they eat road kill…poor guy, this is the last he gets to eat her.
Our bus tour guide Don is from south Minneapolis and the entire back of the bus ended up being from Minnesota. Talked to three guys, 2 from the cities visiting their friend from the North Pole and I feel really bad for missing those pictures when I drove thru the North Pole on my way to Fairbanks, but believe me, there is a town called the North Pole and like the guy from there said they’re milking Santa for every thing he’s worth. Well, the older gentleman sitting behind me is from Hibbing so when I told him I go there every year for the Last Chance Bonspiel, he knew exactly what I was talking about…but hey, the Last Chance is probably the biggest thing to happen in Hibbing since Kevin McHale. Well, the one problem with taking the bus is not being able to take pictures of the scenery whenever you want, because they only stop for wildlife…I suppose if you asked they would stop more often, but for an 8 hour round trip the way it is, do you really want to keep stopping?
Kept hearing from buses coming back from the earlier tours that the mountain isn’t visible that although it is clearing and the range can be seen, the tallest mountain itself is being evasive. Oh, and for the name of the mountain…it was first named by the Indians as Denali which meant the tall one (I believe it was tall, if not the ‘big’ one) but when the Europeans came over, they gave it a different name and no I don’t remember the name. Well, the way it was named McKinley was before McKinley even became president and it had to do with setting our currency either by a gold standard or silver, which McKinley had a lot to do with. Ok, so the park was first name Mt McKinley park but the name eventually changed back to what the natives called it Denali and they’ve been trying to change the name of the mountain, but because McKinley was from Ohio, the Ohio congressman always votes no for changing the name that to most of us, we think of Mt McKinley whereas the Alaskan’s and natives have always called it Mt Denali…and that’s the rest of the story.
You can see by the pictures that saw some Caribou, Ptarmigan and Moose, but kept looking for the grizzlies that would really be worth seeing and Don’s suggestion on what to do if you encounter a bear would be pretty tough to do, but don’t run, just stand there waving your arms making noise, even if they do charge you and if they get within arms length, get the first shot in and cold cock him in the nose…ok, maybe not the punch, but at that point roll up into a ball and play dead. I think the hardest would be standing your waving your arms making noise when they charge you than anything.
Well, decided I still needed a room for the night and wasn’t going to make the trip to Anchorage today, but also didn’t want to drive late tonight that time to head back. Remember, every bus coming back said you can’t see the mountain that I’ll save it for my return trip to share so took the first one back I could…at least the one at the latest potty break, and check it out – a brake pedal on the floor to flush. It was fortunate I took the bus I did because 4 hikers joined us and I made some new friends. Shellie sat next to me and her husband Hoyt close by, that she was telling me how they are retired and making a trip from Phoenix Arizona during the hot time of the year…well, hot there, but cold and rainy here. They are touring some of the country and doing this Alaska trip with their friends Wayne and Ruth. Had a great time talking with them and they have a blog site that their family and friends are living vicariously thru them even though I told her my friends and family are living precariously thru me…ok, close enough to the same meaning that we can use both. Anyway, like Shellie said, at least I’m living life and enjoying it by doing something that everyone would love to do, but few would ever consider doing. You only have one life to live that you might as well make the most of it and do with it what you can while you can…some save their entire lifetime to do a trip like this instead of just doing it...and I’ll tell you, Alaska, the last known frontier is definitely worth doing as soon as you can. That reminds me of Kathy suggesting I take the shuttle buses so I can get off and hike instead of the old grey hairs…that’s those people who have saved their entire lives for a trip like this instead of doing it when they were still young and healthy enough to enjoy it. There’s only so much time to life that you might as well live it to the fullest when you can…and now is my time. Denali park pictures.
posted by Dalej Webb at 3:33 AM
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