Day 18 Mt. Denali Park

Monday, July 1


We had a leisurely ride from Trapper Creek to Mt. Denali, about 130 miles.

After settling in the Denali RV Park, about 7 miles north of the Park entrance, we decided to scope out the surroundings in preparation for a bus tour into the park tomorrow. The weather was mostly overcast with some sun breaks, but the clouds were still too low to see Mt. Denali (Mt. McKinley). The mountain is so huge that it makes its own weather and there is about a 70%-80% chance that it will be obscured from view.

We visited the Wilderness Access Center where we bought our bus tickets to Toklat River, about 53 miles into the park - 15 miles are paved and 38 are gravel.   The tour will take approximately six hours, plenty of time to sit some more and let John and June take time to see the views since they have been doing all of the driving.  It is suggested to take a lunch because there are no snacks along the tour.  I sure hope everyone does but I see possibly someone purchasing tickets the same day and does not have any food with them.  Maybe I'll take extra OREOs.

There is a free shuttle that will take you 15 miles into the park but the wait time was about 20 minutes so we went to a holding area and found STARBUCKS.  Yup, we are in the US of A and they have Starbucks in Denali Park.  While enjoying our break, three young adventurers from Italy sat near us.  Let me show you their cameras.

I'm not going to show you want we have been using.  Much too embarrassing.  OK, it's like a gnat

and a bumble bee.  Can you feel me now?

Aboard the free shuttle to Savage River our hopes of seeing wildlife dissolved.  The animals must have been napping. Hopefully they will be more hospitable tomorrow.

Savage River turnaround - end of the paved highway

 



 

Park Ranger on her way to the Dog Sled Exhibition

We did see one wildlife creature (Alaska's State Bird- the mosquito - just a joke)

June is making sure Anna doesn't miss a thing.

 

Hey Anna!

Who can this be, all bundled up looking like Nanook of the North?

 

On our way back to the RV park we saw old faithful "Harley Davidson" in his bright orange signature sign.

And another faithful sign,  SUBWAY

OH! this is for the man who has everything.  Now if any man is embarrassed right now it is because his wife or mate is standing near watching his expression, SORRY FELLOWS, I just couldn't help myself - sort of like a loin cloth back in the day.

NOW EVERYONE CAN REST ASSURED THAT ALL IS WELL AND NO, JOHN OR JUNE DID NOT BUY A LOIN CLOTH, THIS TIME hahahahahahahaha

Well to clean things up a little, here is a closing picture of a rainbow taken by John

Rainbow view this evening from the RV park - only John's eye can see!!!!!