Denali National Park and Preserve, and Mt. McKinley a.k.a. “The High One” named so by the Athabaskan Alaskan natives that have used the Denali area for roughly 11,000 years, since the retreat of the last great ice sheets. There have been artifacts found at archaeological sites within the park revealing hunting and gathering activities occurring some 3,500 years ago.
Denali is best known for its mountain scenery and wildlife but in 2006, well preserved tracks of an ancient bird were found. One of two newly discovered prehistoric birds found in Denali have been named Magnoavipes Denaliensis, which roughly translated means “damn big flying Denali reptile”, or something to that effect according to the Museum of Nature and Science of Dallas, TX.
Off the subject but appropriate to interject right here and now, something that has been a pea under my mattress for the short time we have lived in Alaska. Texas claims “Texas size” everything, meaning everything is bigger in Texas. For some unknown reason, Alaska must constantly make fun of our claim and I am seeing signs of it across gift shops and stores across Alaska. Couldn’t Alaska find their own claim to fame? Texans were part of the US for years longer than Alaska. Come on Alaska…resign yourself to the fact that Texans were part of the good old USA first so we get to keep our claim and you go find one of your own!
We arrived in Denali via Princess Cruise Line passenger train and stayed in the Princess Wilderness Lodge for two nights. The train ride up was comfortable and the commentary was amusing and informative all through the four hour ride.
We passed several things of interest on the way. The University of Alaska, where the premier Alaskan museum is located, and its agriculture center with programs researching new methods for growing plants, flowers and raising reindeer in artic weather. A quick view of the secret and well-guarded Clear Air Force Station, Alaska, with Phased Array Radar System screens showing above the tops of the trees.
Half way through our trip, as we approached a long bridge over the Nenana River, our train tour guide recounted a comical event that happens every 4th of July in the town of Ferry. When the railroad bridge was built across the river, residents began driving their cars across rather than driving the legal access crossing 9 miles down the road. The railroad tried to deter the crossing by installing spikes, to no avail. The residents placed boards across the tracks and continued on their way. The railroad conceded to a walkway across the tracks but animosity continued. Now, every 4th of July, the residents demonstrate their frustration by mooning those on board, in mass. Bet that train ride is an eye opener to the unsuspecting.
Specialty drinks were served upstairs in the passenger seating area while meals were served downstairs in the dining area. Our “let’s try it” drink was a yummy, Moose Kiss (Kahlua, Irish Cream, Amaretto and coffee topped with whipped cream, chocolate and a cherry) and breakfast downstairs was a plate of perfectly prepared salmon benedict.
The ride was wildlife uneventful with only one moose rear end showed through the trees. The scenery, however, was breathtaking, especially when I walked out on the back of the swaying train car, leaned out over the rails, brisk cool air whipping around my face while I took some shots of the passing scenery including one of the front of the train. Absolutely the best part of the train ride!
After arrival we went directly to our room. The term “Lodge” is misleading. This is not a Disney or Yosemite type lodge, rather a somewhat downscaled attempt at a lodge but still nicely decorated, only missing the “wow” factor. The rooms, located in small clumps around the lodge, are cozy and sparsely furnished with just a bed, table, 2 chairs and a bathroom. The window looked onto mountains but were hard to see through the trees. John kept asking them to clear cut the trees so we could have a better view. As usual, John was snugly garbed in his long sleeved shirt and a coat while I wore a short sleeved T-shirt.
We scoped out the area and our room, took the bus to the visitors center to watch the movie Seasons of Denali and wander through the full scale exhibits depicting most of the wildlife.
The weather had cleared so we walked a short trail and spotted an area where a moose had rubbed against a tree to help shed its winter coat. As directed by the massive amounts of brightly colored signs, we talked loudly making statements to the effect of “Hey Bear, we are not food” approximately every 30 seconds. That is the proper procedure for walking through any of the trails in the Denali wilderness, per park rangers. One thing Denali has over Texas…huge determined mosquitoes! The only reason I wore a coat during our visit was to keep those darn mosquitoes from biting.
At night, if you can call it night as the sun is shining, we went to a hokey but enjoyable Dinner Theater. Totally reminded me of a cruise ship performance, probably because the lodge and restaurants are owned by Princess Cruise Lines. Dinner was served family style sitting at long tables. The salmon was good as was the beef. The sides missed out on good and the desert was not edible. The theater part was a musical of the first explorers and the first group to scale Mt. McKinley. We enjoyed the music and the singing, and typical to cruise theater, persons in the audience were drawn in to participate. At the end of the day, we walked to our room in daylight, drew the shades and slept lightly until 5am, our wake up time for breakfast and the five hour Natural History Tour of the park.
The bus system in the park consists of old school buses that are painted dark green or white and refitted with new covering on the seats. Only Princess buses have any smidge of comfort and they only run from the lodge to the visitors center, the train depot and back to the lodge. You get used to sitting with your body braced by your hands and feet to keep from bouncing around.
The bus tour was led by a 13 summer seasoned veteran who seemed to enjoy talking, almost non-stop throughout the five hours. He did impart a great deal of information, some already covered by the visitor’s center, some new. Because our tour desk staff person wrote down the incorrect time, we were lucky enough to join his tour as ours had left. We took a seat in the back where the bounce over bumps can toss you in the air several inches and the bus left bouncing down the road. Always on the lookout for wild animals, everyone on the bus was told to yell out “stop”, and using the system 3, 6, 9 or 12 o’clock, shout the appropriate animal loudly.
We got pictures of moose on the side of the road and stopped at Savage Cabin, a shelter used for decades by rangers conducting winter park patrols and had been used previously by park road builders as a cook station.
Our next stop was a turn out area with awesome views in the background while we listened to a five generation Athabaskan Eskimo. She told stories passed down from her relatives about life before Denali became a park. Her childhood days were spent cooking, hauling water and cleaning. No refrigerator, no indoor plumbing, no transportation other than a horse and her two feet, one room home and a fire pit for warmth. She joked about how her great-great-grandfather would scoff at her life now. All the modern conveniences including indoor plumbing, refrigerator, washer and dryer, a truck, a four wheeler but she still hunts and gathers off the land. Hunting in the park is allowed by permit given to those whose ancestors inhabited the park before it was opened to the public and restricted for sustainable use only.
In the afternoon we took a shuttle bus to the Denali sled dog demonstration. The ranger giving the demonstration gave an excellent and amusing talk before showing us how the dogs were hooked up and how they ran the small course, each dog visibly enjoying every minute. We were told that the dogs are lifted off their front feet from kennel to gangline as their strength, force and excitement over the prospect of pulling the sled could knock over the ranger, possibly injuring the dog, the ranger or both.
Mushers are still used in the winter in the park for a variety of reasons. They provide companionship to the rangers, don’t require machinery to pull them out of mud or snow, never break down, rarely sink into water, no need to clear roads for them to do their job, spare parts not needed, gasoline and oil need not be brought into the park, dogs are ecofriendly to the land (their poop is used to fertilize the beautiful blooms that surround the kennel area) and they are protective of their ranger. Our first introduction to the dogs was a walk through the kennel with a number of dogs available to pet and love on until the demonstration began. Mother and pups were in one kennel but mom laid protectively across the front door so it was hard to catch a peek. The whole experience was the highlight of our trip.
The Boreal Forest, a circumpolar band of deep green that stretches through most of Alaska, spans from mile 1 of the Denali Park road up through mile 15, then turns into tundra up the mountains until rocky outcropping take over. Most of the moose butts that we saw were partially hidden by the tall skinny spruce. Only a few times did a moose venture out of the forest and stand in a clearing. We were lucky enough to see those brave souls several times as we made our way up the mountain.
That evening we ate at the Salmon Bake Restaurant just a short stroll from our room. Starter was a crisp yummy coconut crusted Halibut with mango salsa that John and I shared and an excellent seared King Salmon fillet in a beautiful eatery with a breathtaking view from the window by our table. No hokey-ness here, just excellent food with service to match.
Sleeping a few more hours than yesterday’s 5am wake up, we only had a half day to explore before catching the train to Fairbanks so we caught the inner park bus to the visitor center and a loop shuttle bus to Savage River in hopes of getting a clear picture of Mt. McKinley. We were rewarded with an excellent picture of a mother Grizzly and her cub, some caribou looking like dots resting on the creek bed rocks and a crystal clear awesome view of Mt. McKinley. Turn around was at mile 17 and another awesome view. And all of it for free!
As with a cruise, our bag had to be out in the hall by early morning and it was picked up and put on the train to go back to Fairbanks. We were booked on a Holland America Cruise Line train back to Fairbanks. The seating on the viewing car upstairs was more comfy but the dining area food below was not as good as Princess. Go figure…they are owned by the same corporation.
Back in Fairbanks, both of us with lingering allergies, mine turned into the dreaded bronchitis. The rest of the week was ours to relax and recoup. John worked a few hours Saturday while I let my medication kick in and we both worked Sunday. Next week we will attempt to have our RV frame repaired.