Denali National Park and Preserve
We made our way to Cantwell RV Park about 27 miles south of Denali National Park. The trip from Talkeetna was about 3 hours driving time. The trip was through a vast wilderness. We saw a Moose and enjoyed the changing environment, up, up, up.
The weather has been wet and cloudy. The temperatures have been in the low 50s. We decided we should be in a campground, plugged in. Cantwell RV Park has sites with power and water. The environment has permafrost. The water lines are above ground and are collected and stored for the winter. The environment feels harsh.
Hiking several trails in Denali National Park, we found the earth off the trail is covered with about 6-8 inches of plant material that is spongy. The muskeg is the wetland complimenting the arboreal rain forest full of ferns, fungi and berries growing well in this acid soil. We found blue berries at their peak. We easily picked a bunch of blueberries along our hike on the trail to Mount Healy.
We enjoyed walking and hiking and drove out to the 15-mile personal vehicle limit. No vehicles are permitted beyond the check point unless you are camping. From the checkpoint it is an additional drive of 15 more miles to a camp site with a minimum stay of 3 days. No Driving is permitted within this area of the Park during the stay. Everyone else coming into the park must travel by the Park shuttle buses.
Arriving at Savage River, we hiked the Savage River Trail. This trail is located at the checkpoint into the camping area. The sun came out, and the hike was beautiful. One trail is a 2 mile, round-trip easy trail. The Savage River runs rapidly between the two sides of trail, with a bridge at the end of a mile to cross over to the next mile. The other trail, from this location, is a moderate/strenuous, 4-mile, round-trip hike. The air was cool and the sun was warm. There is no way this hike could have been better. The scenery is awesome with sloping, lust green mountains with stunning, contrast of huge rock and boulder formations. On our return drive from Savage River Trail hike, we encountered a Moose and several Caribou with calves. We had been hoping to see a Ptarmigan. Stopping for the Caribou, a Ptarmigan and several chicks popped out of the undergrowth. Yeah !!!!! We were able to take one good picture of the family.
We hiked up Mount Healy. It is a moderate/strenuous trail running uphill and becoming quit steep near the top. It is about 1700 foot gain in about a 2-hour hike. The base of the trail is tundra, rising up into forest, becoming thicker to the tree line, topped with rock and boulders. Alaska is wet with much of the treed areas rain forests with a variety of mushrooms, fungi and low growing acid loving plants. The floor of the forest was covered in different colored berries; blue berries, soap berries, cranberries, timber berries, red currents and salmonberry. We purchased a book at the campground with information about Alaskan berries, both edible and poisonous. Berries are either red, orange, blue or black. Most are edible. We spoke with several local folks out picking berries. The ground was littered with berries of all kinds, ready to be picked. We stopped and picked a couple of quarts and ate a bunch. The blue berries are smaller than New England type blue berries with more tartness. After our hike, these berries were promptly stored in our residential refrigerator freezer, in our rig, to be ready to whip up a batch of gluten-free muffins or blue berry pancakes. Yummy!!!!!The last time we picked berries was in Montana at Glacier National Park. We were also hiking, the Huckleberry Trail. So, go figure, we picked Huckleberries enjoying them, as well, in homemade baked morsels.
We took a drive to the front of the park, which is the commercial section just outside of the park. The first day driving from the South into the Park, we had seen buildings clinging high in the mountains to the North of the Park. We decided to explore this area, driving up to the Grand Denali Lodge. This road is amazingly steep and narrow. However, arriving at the top we were rewarded with a huge view of the Park and the surrounding mountains. The lodge is the big green painted building seemingly hanging on the side of the mountain. The weather between Cantwell and the Park was a big surprise. Most mornings we would wake up to some form of rain and cloudy conditions in Cantwell. Each morning, driving through the mountain passes to the Park, the rain would mostly dry up, with the sun appearing for our hikes in the Park.
We took time to go to see the sled dogs at the park. The Park has a great presentation explaining and showing the dogs work in and out of the Park in the community. The team of caretakers are very capable with training and caring for these wonderful dogs. The presentation started with a wheeled sled, pulled by a few of the dogs, came roaring around a track. The dogs were happy. To them, they were working. They are called Alaskan Huskies, however, are not registered as AKC or Sport. They are a powerful, loving and sturdy breed of their own. We were able to get up close to pet them, since the dogs love people to pay attention to them. After the public presentation, and after the majority of visitors left on the shuttle busses, a litter of 2 week old newborn puppies were disclosed in the enclosed box mama and babies were in. Cathy particularly loved interacting with the dogs. She misses having a dog or 3. She loves big dogs, Mastiffs. However, traveling the way we do, a 180-pound dog is more than we both want to deal with.
Since we had strived to drive each road and hike several trails, having seen so many animals up close along the road side and in the fields, we decided we would not sit on a bus for the shortest 6 ½-hour tour or the longest 12-hour tour. We have already ridden 9000 miles, so sitting on a bus was not appealing. Shuttle reservations were cancelled. We felt satisfied.
What an awesome trip this continues to be. Alaska is about fishing, hiking and wilderness. It is easy to get away to be in the tundra or the mountains to feel very remote. Road construction is everywhere, however, these folks have to get it done quickly. The Season is short. The leaves were just beginning to show some yellow the beginning of August. It seems like summer is beginning to wind down for this area. Alaska is on WOW!!!!! On to Fairbanks.
