The Denali Experience

Riley Campground, Denali National Park – July 2 thru 6, 2014

EJ got us up early, 5:30AM to be exact. After a quick breakfast,  we were barreling down the Parks highway in the fog by 6:40. The construction delays we experienced yesterday were gone today, but the torn up spots were still there. We stopped in Healy to fuel up Big guy and the Element as it was 55 cents a gallon cheaper than in Denali.

By 7:30 EJ was cruising the campground waiting for someone to leave one of our 4 preferred sites. In the meantime, I took care of making sure Big Guys tanks were appropriately empty and full in anticipation of our 5 day dry camping experience.

Luckily our number 1 spot was vacated first and we pounced on it, leaving the Element parked there while we walked back to the Mercantile Store to get Big Guy. By 9AM we were set up and relaxing. Whew, we beat the hoards!

It had been raining but appeared to be quitting so we made a beeline for the visitor center and some coffee. A view over the Element reveals the clouds are still hanging around.

Finished with the visitor center we went into town to get the tourist thing over with. As we expected, same t-shirt designs, different attraction name. All the stores carried very similar items and we left with no purchases. However, squirrels were every where. The store owners had taken to trapping them and driving them 20 miles away to relocate them. This little fella is feasting on the remains of the bait used to capture his buddy. The buddy ended up participating in the relocation program.

Later in the afternoon we sat around with the Loosey Gooseys (part of the hoards that arrived) swapping stories while Indy looked on with fascination.

In the evening we played “Fast Track”.

On July 3rd our big experience was going on an ATV adventure. Since Denali was so crowded and the tour busses and the trains were spitting out tourists right and left, we expected our ATV experience would include numerous participants as well.

When we arrived there were about 30 people milling around and we thought they were going to be in our group. But as soon as we were off the bus, they all crowded on, the bus took off and we were left all by ourselves. Can this be? An ATV tour for two? Turns out it was.

After a brief driving test which consisted of maneuvering the ATV through two straight parallel lines of old tires we were on our way.

At our first stopping point…

Then it was EJs turn to drive.

I think she was having fun. What do you think?

This is where she got me muddy. Didn’t get a spot on her!

Now she’s going to try and wash it off.

We had a lead guide, telling stories here, and a guide who followed the lead guide. The follower is hanging his head in embarrassment.

Here we are standing in front of the “Sand Castle” along with our guides in the second picture.

EJ lets me drive back to the starting point. What a great trip. We’ll probably want to do this again!

We went back to the campground and got cleaned up and convinced some other folks we needed to go to the 49th State Brewery back in Healy.

We had some beer so good, the Golden Dahl, that we bought a half gallon to take home with us. More gatherings and games ensued and the beer didn’t last the evening.

Ah! The Fourth of July, and it’s a great day. We decide to drive as far into the park as we are allowed to see if we can find Mt. McKinley, Denali (The High One), the highest peak in North America.

Naturally we stop at the visitor center for some coffee first and see this guy trying to hitch a ride.

We drive to the end of the paved road, our allowed limit, where we get lucky and see the The High One.

Afterwards we gather for our Fourth of July pot luck, which was a roaring success.

And we even had entertainment.

It was a good day to be thankful for those who sacrificed for our freedom.

The fifth of July held another new adventure for us. A float trip down the Nenana River. After giving Mark a hard time about getting old, he and his wife Wendy decided to join us on a 2 hour float trip down the river. It was supposed to be a fairly tame trip, but remember, it has been raining a lot over the last week.

We get suited up for the ride.

Then as we are sitting in the bus that’s taking us to the launch point, sweltering in those suits by the way, all traffic comes to a halt as we wait for this huge thing to get by us.

We finally reach the launching site.

Outfitted with our life vests and eyeglass retainers we are on our way! EJ checking out the rough waters.

Mark and Wendy Pitts enjoying the ride.

We spot a moose. Apparently we snuck up on it because when we got closer it ran off.

Our Raft Master and intrepid oarsman.

Our float starts off innocently enough.

And then it got interesting.

Uh, Mr. Raft Master? Isn’t that rock wall getting a little close!?

Whoa! That’s a big rock!

And there’s another one!

Frank doesn’t look worried at all. Mr cool, calm and collected.

In a brief calm water area, our Raft Master jokingly asks if any one wants to take a dip? He previously mentioned the water was thirty-four degrees. Mark, it turns out, is just a little crazy and he jumps right in. We are all so surprised, no one thinks to take a picture until they are hauling him back into the raft like a wet sack of potatoes. Did I mention Mark is just a little bit crazy?

Our Raft Master appears to be bored and makes a phone call going down the river. Actually he’s calling to see  where our take out spot will be. Since the river is high and flowing fast they have to check the areas each run.

All too soon the float trip is over. It really was a fun spectacular adventure. EJ and I head over to the pizza place for some beer and food. It’s been another good day.

July 6th, our last full day in Denali NP. A perfect day for a hike. But first we drive out to see if we can find Denali one more time. And there it is.

Our hike takes place at the Mountain View Trailhead. Here Frank is counting to 10 as he waits for EJ.

Checking out a snow melt stream. Yep, it’s cold.

A magpie checking us out.

This is what happens when a show melt stream or river meets a glacial melt body of water. Snow melt is clear and glacial melt is full of ground up rocks and boulders.

Cabin used by the winter park patrols.

A parting view of the Denali park landscape. Tomorrow we begin moving towards Talkeetna. Rumor has it this is the town that “Northern Exposure” was based on.

On the way to Denali

Roadside Pullout MM 259.3, 22 miles north of Denali NP – June 30 through July 1, 2014

We had been hearing reports of road construction between Fairbanks and Denali that was delaying traffic. We had also been hearing that the Riley campground at Denali was full and if you didn’t have a reservation you were out of luck. We had reservations, but we also knew that on the day we were due there would be at least 8 or 9 other big rigs vying for the perfect campsite that we were. Sites for Class A motorhomes are scarce and on a first come first get basis so the competition would be fierce.

As a result, Frank wanted to be on the way and be positioned to pounce early on July 2. So we split up and EJ went to the grocery store to stock up since it will be about a week and half before we are near a real grocery store again. Frank went to do the dump and fill thing and rinse the holding tanks real good.

At the Sourdough Fuel station there was a free sani dump. Unfortunately it was located right next to the propane fill tank. I guess this guy thought I was where he needed to be while he filled his portable 20# tank.

Finally we thought we had all of our stuff together and were headed out of town. EJ was making us a quick bite to eat and discovered a bag of carrots had gone bad. Luckily there was a Safeway just ahead and it had a Starbucks in it. So we killed two birds with one stone and got a free Cinnamon Dolce Latte and a fresh bag of carrots. Now we were really headed out of town.

We stopped in Nenana to see how it had fared since we were here three years ago.  Perhaps it is the location being too close to Fairbanks and an hour or so from Denali, but Nenana seems to be slowly fading away. The artisan shops right across from the visitor center are closed as well as several restaurants. The railroad museum was shuttered although they were working on getting it reopened. Right now the only thing keeping the town going are the tourist buses going to the Alfred Starr Cultural Center. Without any additional attractions the bus traffic may die also.

I talked to the proprietor at the cultural center about all the businesses that had closed over the last three years. His story was one we’ve heard over and over again across the US. When the younger generation gets out of school, most of them move to larger cities where there is “more to do”. That leaves the older generation to keep the local businesses going and as the older folks die off, so do the businesses. He said that right now, there are only 10 people that are keeping this town going, or in other words hiring people. As these 10 die, so will the jobs.

The little town has potential. It has a quaint visitor center. Notice the sod roof.

Some interesting building art on the main street.

It is home to the annual Nenana Ice Classic. Bets are placed as far as a year in advance as to when the ice will break up on the Tanana River.

For this event a tripod (I know, it has four legs) sits upon the ice in the river. When the ice breaks up, the tripod sinks and pulls the plug on the official clock ending the contest and marking the time. In 2014 the prize was a record $363,627.00

The cultural center had some interesting artwork for sale. EJ was desperately trying to figure out where she could hang this in the RV.

Walking back to the RV we passed an outdoor ice rink which we think is operational in the winter.

We debated spending the night in Nenana as we had found a good hiding spot for Big Guy behind one of the businesses that had closed up. Instead we drove on down the Parks Highway to get closer to Denali.

EJ got a real live moose picture. Of course we were whizzing by at 60MPH so it’s a little blurry, but she got it!

We pulled into a campground because they supposedly had a good gift shop, but they closed up just as we got there. But they did have this neat float/bush plane under cover.

 

Back on the highway the road suddenly got real smooth and deserted. This will be a quick trip if the rest of the road is like this.

Uhoh, this doesn’t look good.

Uhhh, which side of the road are we supposed to be on?

Here’s the problem.

We reached our spot where we would hang out for 2 nights. Just 22 miles to go to Denali. But here we had a little solitude and quiet so we should be able to concentrate on some mental/paper work that’s been backing up.

It had begun to drizzle, but not to be fazed we had the grille going, the chairs out, adult beverages in hand all protected by the awning. This Class “C” had pulled in and the driver had been over a couple of times just being friendly. The last time he came over, he brought us 2 lbs of fresh frozen halibut. Man, we can’t wait to try that.

On July 1, we drove the Element down to Denali to check out fuel prices. Halibut man told us Healy fuel prices were better than Denali. And he was right. While at Denali, we went ahead and checked in so we wouldn’t have that hanging over our heads in the morning.

We also took the opportunity to preselect 4 sites that would be appropriate for Big Guys solar panels for the next five days. That would also save time in the morning. Then it was back to Big Guy for the night.