NORTH POLE

Santa stands tall

Our weekend camping trip down the Denali Highway led us unexpectedly to North Pole, Alaska.  Thats right sportsfans, jolly old St. Nick hails from the 49th state.  He and the missus have a pretty nice set up with their own village and lots of Santa related stuff.  On a sad note, I checked his list while we were there and all my friends are on the naughty side of the ledger.  Coals and sticks again this year but hey, you all are used to it by now, right?

Always thought his home was more icy

DENALI HIGHWAY

Friday the 13th found us driving the Denali Highway for a weekend of car camping.  Completed in 1957 to provide motorists with access to Denali National Park, the Denali Highway found itself virtually abandoned in 1972 when the paved George Parks Highway opened, linking Anchorage and Fairbanks directly with the park. Since then the Denali Highway has served mainly as a passage into the back country for hunters and fishermen and as a byway for those seeking a peek at the way all of Alaska used to look, with wilderness in every direction.  And now that the once-rugged Alaska Highway, linking Alaska with the Lower 48, has been paved, the Denali Highway is one of the last accessible roads in Alaska that can provide that rustic, nostalgic glimpse.

Our trip began with a view of an afternoon rainbow just before we reached Brushkana Creek at mile 30.  We had camped here before so we decided to press on down the road for a more isolated spot.  Wound up driving all the way to Clearwater Creek.  A nice spot to camp next to the water.  The noise of the creek was just the tonic for one of the better nights sleep I've had in a long while. Even managed to snag some sourdough pancakes with birch syrup for breakfast

Continuing on the next day we were treated to the sight of a tundra swan family: Mom Dad and four Cygnets swimming across a small duck filled lake.  After taking a few pics we headed east again taking in the views of Maclaren Glacier, an area we hiked last summer.  Beautiful scenery and at 4200 feet Maclaren Summit is the second highest highway summit in Alaska. 

Pushing still eastward we hit new territory that we hadn't explored last summer including  Landmark Gap, a glacially-scoured cut in the mountains that formed during an Ice Age more than 10,000 years ago. The Gap was a caribou migration route and a favorite Indian hunting area in centuries past. The Nelchina caribou herd still migrates through this area. The mountain peaks visible through the Gap are McGinnis Peak (11,400') and Mt. Moffit (13,020').

Next up was the Tangle Lakes area.  The lakes are connected by the Tangle River and form the headwaters of the Delta River.   Unfortunately our luck left us just east of the lakes as we started to notice adisturbing noise coming from the right front wheel.  Didn't know what it was but it didn't sound good.  We limped the next 70 miles into Delta Junction where our problem was diagnosed as blown wheel bearings.  We were very thankful that we  made it to somewhere that repair was possible.

So repairs complete, we inspect the town of Delta Junction.  This is the official end of the Alaska Highway although many never make it this far as there is an alternative route to Anchorage via the Tok cutoff.  Nice visitors center with free coffee and some interesting statutes of mosquitos.  From Delta Junction we drive northwest to North Pole Alaska for some replenishing of supplies and then backtrack just a bit to Chena Lake State Recreation Area.  Temps are hitting mid 80s so we make like Champ and take a dip in the water.  First time for me to go swimming since I've been here.  Very refreshing!

FALL?

Air Denali

A nip in the air this morning.  Plus the colors suddenly starting to show up make me wonder if we are going to get shortchanged on summer this year.

PARTY ANIMALS

SANCTUARY RIVER

HUBBA HUBBA HP TENT

Have been wanting to spend the night at the camp on the Sanctuary River 22 miles into Denali along the park road.  At an elevation of 2466 feet, this is a very small tents only site with just seven spots.  Went in Saturday after dropping the dog at Denali Dog Daycare in Healy. 

Gnomeville

Camp was really nice with good tent sites (Site #1)  and the weather was just slightly wet. We explored the river both north and south of the bridge but a nagging head cold put a damper on my activity level.  Oh well, there will be other times.  Had hoped to hear wolves or even see them but no luck.  Lots of animal signs including moose and caribou, and a couple of persistent Camp Robbers who showed up for handouts Sunday morning.  Lots of mushrooms in the area.

DENALI

Treated to a view of Denali on the way out Sunday afternoon.  Always a pleasure to see the mountain as I know people do visit the Park and never see it. Rescued Champ Sunday.  He did not have a good time at the kennel.  He refused to say anything else.

Triple Lakes Hike Denali National Park

Wednesday brought a cool steady rain to Denali so I spent most of the day inside cleaning gear and reading.  By 5 pm, cabin fever had set in and Nancy decided a hike was the only cure.  Leaving Champ in the cabin with a full dinner bowl, we drove south a few miles to the trail head for Triple Lakes.

Most people think of wide open alpine tundra views when they think of hiking Denali National Park.  The Triple Lakes hike, like several other hikes near the park's entrance, gives the visitor a different taste of  the outdoors.  Due to its lower elevation, this area is still forested mainly spruce.  So lots of squirrels and birds abound and there is abundant shade and protection from wind and rain.  The trail is well maintained up to the third lake, although it does climb some 1100 feet in about 3 miles.  We enjoyed stretching our legs and the rain let up to almost nothing.  Nancy found several nice berry patches and I amused myself with a beaver and a busy treetop squirrel. 

We were somewhat surprised to find it was after nine when we returned to the truck.  After a quick trip to Prospector's Pizzeria and Ale House, we made it to the cabin by ten.  No surprise, Champ's bowl was empty.

Definitely want to return to this trail later this fall before we leave the Park to view the changing colors and enjoy the early fall weather that Denali gets.  Also want to maybe snowshoe the trail this winter.  Champ would get to come on that one, rules or no rules.

Denali Cabin Life

Have spent the vast majority of the summer living in a 250 s ft. cabin on the banks of the Nenana River just south of  Denali National Park.  Part of the Aramark employee compensaton package.  Its small but nice with a bathroom/shower and kitchenette arrangement.  We've made it nice and homey with a small couch and lots of hooks to hang things.  When I think of the huge places I've lived in the past, I want to laugh.  As a society we have been indoctinated to believe bigger is always better.  Bigger cars, houses, incomes, etc...Oh well, guess I'm feeling a little like Thoreau this rainy morning.  Hope it clears as we're headed to Byers Lake for a weekend of car camping.

Wrangell St Elias National Park

Just finished an interesting hike in one of our
nations largest national parks. Took a bush plane out of McCarthy and landed about 15 miles away on the Fosse, a small strip located on land just adjacent to Kennicott Glacier. On landing, the ground was so slick that the pilot calmly noted he had a hard time stopping the plane and he would not be returning (with the remaining members of our group) in the same plane. They were instead flown in one at a time in a Supercub.


We endured a rainy Sunday afternoon travelling only about a mile to a scenic campsite with a cool stream flowing through. By late evening the rain had stopped and we fell asleep hoping for good weather. This was probably the chilliest night of the trip for me, but I snuggled deep in my bag and slept fine.

Packsaddle Island

Monday broke clear and sunny with no hint of rain. We were treated to spectacular views of the distant Mount Blackburn as we ate breakfast and broke camp. Our destination today was Packsaddle Island, a nunatak about 5 miles away. Unfortunately, easier said than done. While seven of ten made it off the steep moraine and onto the glacier, we were soon turned aside by the numerous crevasses and towering seracs. Nothing to do but admire the view and turn toward our alternate destination - the land at the confluence of the Kennicott and the Gates Glaciers. No problem.

Actually, there was a problem. After travelling several hard hours crossing the medial moraines of the Kennicott, we met what we thought was our final hurdle before reaching the lakes at which we intended to camp. A steep climb up the side of a scree covered moraine. Slowly but surely we all ascended. While resting we noted that getting off the glacier might be a bit difficult. The lateral moraine was pockmarked with canyons and deep pools of water requiring us to thread our way carefully. Scouting a route with Ted around one of these "lakes" on a steep scree slope, I was really concerned about the less experienced members of our group. Somehow we all made it around and then up another steep climb. Scouting ahead, we finally saw the lakes. They were just remnants of what was shown on the map, the ground was rock strewn, but man did the camp look inviting. Guess the fact that it was midnight helped our outlook.

After the long day Monday, no one seemed to mind the off day Tuesday, especially as it rained constantly.  I slept in and then had oatmeal for lunch.  Wednesday morning the rain finally ended and we headed out.  First thing was a climb up a steep slope and then an equally steep descent onto the glacier.  In this picture. Dr. Uzma carefully scoots down sans pack.

Cool Mr. Fox

Another hard day of hiking, complete with a few tricky river crossings, put us at our last camp, just below Donoho Peaks.  Here we spent Wednesday night and another long rainy Thursday.  Enjoyed watching the bears on slopes and our last day of lazing in the tents before our push out on Friday morning.  This friendly fellow posed for us as we left his home that final day.

Root Glacier

Hiking out of the Donoho Lakes area proved to be a wet affair.  Bushwacking along game trails with lots of moisture in the brush had us soaked pretty good.  We cared not as the anticipation of showers and hot food back in McCarthy spurred us on. Here we are stopped within sight of Kennicott, about to cross the last leg of the Root Glacier.  Our final mistake after climbing on the glacier near Donoho Falls, was angling south toward Kennicott.  We should have cut straight across.  This mistake led us to backtracking about a mile over rough moraine, and then climbing another long steep scree slope to reach the trail into town.  To put a final point on this trip, there was absolutely no place to stay in McCarthy Friday night.  Seems some googly eyed couple decided that it was the place to be married.  Never have I seen the sleepy little town so full of tourists.