PART V: DENALI
We
decided to save Denali National Park for last.
For many people, Denali is what comes to mind when Alaska is
mentioned. Denali was one of the first
national parks, beginning as Mount McKinley National Park in 1917. The original park was a game refuge centered around its namesake peak.
Mount McKinley, called “Denali” by the Athabascan
people, is the tallest mountain in North America, at 20,320’. The park has grown over the years, most
notably in 1980, when it expanded to 6 million acres and became Denali National
Park and Preserve.
Aside
from Mount McKinley, the park is probably most famous for its wildlife. Large mammals there include caribou, moose, Dall sheep, wolves, and grizzly bears. We were hoping to see some of these animals
on our visit. Caribou and wolves topped
my personal wish list, as I’d never seen either animal in the wild.
Denali
used to be difficult to get to. The
Alaskan Railroad was completed in the 1920’s, connecting the park with Seward,
Anchorage, and Fairbanks. Around this
time, construction began on the park road from the railroad depot in Healy to
Wonder Lake and Kantishna. The park road runs 89 miles, staying north of
the Alaska Range the entire way.
However, it wasn’t possible to actually drive to the park until the
Denali Highway was completed in 1957.
The Denali Highway traversed more than 100 miles of the Alaskan
Wilderness, from the Richardson Highway north of Glennallen
to Healy. Even then, it was a long drive
from Anchorage, which is 180 miles west of Glennallen
on the Glenn Highway.
Denali
became even more accessible in 1971, when the George Parks Highway was
completed between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
The new highway provided direct access to the park from two of Alaska’s
largest cities. The new highway
technically rendered the Denali Highway obsolete, but I still wanted to drive
it.
The
only route out of McCarthy is back to the Richardson Highway south of Glennallen. From
there, we could take three different routes to Denali. The fastest would be the Glenn Highway to
Wasilla, and the Parks Highway north to Denali.
A more intriguing option would be to the north, through Fairbanks. However, the Denali Highway promised the most
adventure. Plus, it would be the most
direct route – if not necessarily the fastest.
ROADHOUSE BLUES
We
got up early Sunday morning even though Christy was nursing a bit of a
hangover. We had a lot of ground to
cover that day though. We had
reservations at the Wonder Lake Campground, in Denali National Park, starting
on Monday night. To get there, we had to
drive the 60 mile gravel McCarthy Road, followed by more than 100 miles of good
highway to Paxson.
From Paxson, it would be 135 miles on the
Denali Highway, with more than 100 of those miles without the benefit of
pavement. The Denali Highway would take
us to Cantwell. From there, it would be
another 35 miles on the Parks Highway to Denali National Park Headquarters near
Healy. Once at the park, we’d check in
and pick up a backpacking permit, before catching a bus to Wonder Lake. That bus ride would take another 5 1/2
hours. So yeah, it was definitely time
to get on the road.
Before
we left, we used up most of the rest of our breakfast supplies, feasting on
blueberry pancakes, eggs, and sausage.
Even with that indulgence, we made it out of camp by 9:15. I was intent on making good time back out to Chitina, but those plans were derailed when someone pulled
out directly in front of us only 2 miles down the road. This was extremely rude, as it left us in a
cloud of dust for the next several miles.
Fortunately they pulled over a few miles later, and I did my best to
make up for lost time. We covered the 60
mile gravel road to Chitina in 100 minutes, which was
a pretty impressive pace given the slow start.
We didn’t make any stops along the way, but we did dodge dozens of
jackrabbits, which constantly darted across the road in front of us.
By
the time we reached the Eskimo town of Chitina, we
were feeling filthy. The previous day’s
hike had been hot, and it felt like we were covered in dust. Plus, I hadn’t had a proper shower since
leaving Anchorage a week earlier (Christy had bathed once in Cordova). The campground host had tipped us off on
public showers at the laundromat in Chitina, so we decided to give that a try. We found the laundromat
without any trouble, arriving at 11:05.
Unfortunately, it was closed. The
sign on the door said it opened at 11, but there wasn’t anyone around. This didn’t look encouraging, so we chose not
to wait. Instead we headed on down the
road towards Kenny Lake.
Our
backup plan was the Kenny Lake Roadhouse.
In the remote portions of Alaska, roadhouses provided virtually
everything a passing traveler may need, from showers and laundry facilities to
groceries and hot meals. We had showers
there for $5. Considering how dirty we
were, I’d say we got our money’s worth.
From there, we found a short cut out to the Richardson Highway. Once on the highway, we hurried north,
driving parallel to the Alaskan Pipeline.
We made a few brief diversions along here. First we took a brief, forgettable tour of
the community of Copper Center. Later we
picked up groceries in Glennallen. Finally, we stopped at the Wrangell St. Elias
National Park Visitor’s Center. There we
discovered that there were 68 significant wildfires burning in Alaska. It turns out that this isn’t terribly
unusual. This was a surprise to me, as
I’d always thought of Alaska as a wet place.
At
the Visitors Center I was suddenly able to access the internet on my
phone. I took advantage of the
opportunity to look at the weather forecast for Healy, which is on the edge of
Denali National Park. I quickly wished
that I hadn’t. Rain was expected every
day for the coming week. Plus, smoke
from nearby fires was expected to be a major problem. We both felt dejected as we hit the road
again. We’d been looking forward to
Denali’s scenery since we began planning the trip, but it sounded like there
wouldn’t be much for us to see.
We
stopped at the Dry Creek State Recreation Area just north of Glennallen for lunch.
We were looking for a picnic table when we were attacked by a swarm of
mosquitoes. The little devils were
vicious, and neither of us wanted to put on DEET since we’d just showered. Instead, we retreated to car, and had our
picnic there. Luckily, this was the only
time all trip that mosquitoes forced us to alter our plans.
After
eating, we headed north, stopping for gas in Paxson
before turning onto the Denali Highway.
Initially the highway was paved, and we made good time as we crossed the
alpine tundra south of the Alaska Range.
Unfortunately, the weather was as promised – dark, heavy clouds hung
overhead, obscuring our view of the massive peaks to the north. Despite the clouds, the scenery was still
fantastic. Early on we enjoyed vistas
that encompassed peaks, glaciers, lakes, and miles and miles of tundra.
After
20 miles or so we reached the Tangle Lakes Archaeological District. This area includes more than 500 designated
archaeological sites. It also features a
semi-developed campground and the Delta National Wild and Scenic River. The Delta River and the Tangle Lakes is a
popular canoeing area. It’s an area that
would be worth exploring on a future trip.
Today
though, we had to keep moving. The
pavement ended at the Tangle Lakes, but the gravel road was in excellent
condition, and traffic was minimal. In
fact, we probably averaged 45 mph on the dirt portion of the Denali Highway. Most of the drive was through true
wilderness, although we did pass a few small lodges. Along the way, we continued to take in the
scenery surrounding us. I’d love to go
back and drive this road in clear weather.
At various points, Mount McKinley and some of the higher peaks in the
Wrangell Mountains are visible in good conditions. Today, we had to be content with the scenery
close at hand. Some highlights included
the Maclaren and Susitna Rivers, there glaciers
spilling down from the mountains in the distance.
We
reached the Brushkana Creek Campground that
evening. This campground, which is
administered by the Bureau of Land Management, is the second of two
semi-developed campgrounds along the highway.
At large camping is allowed almost everywhere for free, but the
developed campgrounds have facilities, and only cost $8. We were sold on Brushkana
Creek as soon as we pulled in. The
campground was mostly empty, and it features very private sites. We took one close to the creek, which is a
scenic mountain stream winding its way through an open spruce forest. Brushkana Creek and
Childs Glacier ended up being our favorite car campgrounds of the trip.
We
used up the last of our charcoal that night for dinner. We grilled beef ribs and accompanied them
with potatoes and green beans. That meal
turned out to be one of the best of the entire trip! After dinner, we spent a little time chatting
with the campground host. He was a
friendly guy from Texas, and later we gave him some leftover food that we knew
we wouldn’t use.
That
evening we took a short walk on the Brushkana Creek
Trail, which starts at the campground.
We were hoping to see some wildlife, but nothing materialized. At least the rain held off, despite the
threatening skies.
SMOKE AND MIRRORS
We
were up early the next morning. We only
had 31 more miles of the Denali Highway to drive, but I still wanted to get to
the park as early as possible. We broke
camp under light rain, and proceeded to load our packs for our Denali
adventure.
Our
visit to Denali required a bit of planning.
We had reservations at the developed Wonder Lake Campground Monday and
Tuesday night. Wonder Lake is only
accessible by park bus though, so we wouldn’t have access to the rental
car. We’d leave Wonder Lake Wednesday
morning and begin a 3-day backpacking trip.
So, we had to carefully pack everything we’d need for the next five
days.
We
had spent most of the previous evening organizing our gear, which made packing
a little easier. Packing in the rain
sucks, so we drove over to the bathrooms, where a small roofed area provided a
bit of shelter. Once I had everything
loaded, I hoisted my pack, only to drop it as my lower back locked up in
spasms.
This
was extremely alarming. I had never
experienced back pain like this before.
I lurched over to a nearby picnic table and stretched out on it. Gradually the pain faded, but I was still
leery. Was I going to be able to
backpack in the Denali Wilderness like this?
Once I felt like I could walk, Christy helped me wrestle my pack into
the back seat of the car.
In
hindsight, I think I injured my back the previous evening, while getting the
cooler out of the trunk. The cooler we’d
bought in Seward fit perfectly in the trunk – perhaps too perfectly. It was a tight squeeze getting it in and
out. The previous evening, I’d really
had to give it a good yank to pull it free.
I suspect I pulled a muscle without realizing it. My back was sore when I woke, but I
attributed that to another night sleeping on the ground.
Now
we had a decision to make. Was
backpacking in the Denali wilderness with a questionable back a good idea? Probably not. However, I rationalized that we’d be spending
two nights at Wonder Lake first.
Hopefully my back would recover by Wednesday. If not, we’d abort the backpacking trip and
find something else to do for the last few days of our trip.
The
rest of the drive to Cantwell was uneventful.
We ate bagels with cream cheese as we drove through light rain. In Cantwell we picked up the George Parks
Highway, which we followed to Healy.
Just before town, we turned onto the park road and proceeded to the
Wilderness Information Center. There we
checked in for Wonder Lake and got a reservation for the next available bus, at
2pm. There was an earlier bus, but it
was already fully reserved when we arrived.
From
there, we headed over to the backcountry office to get a backpacking
permit. Backcountry permits are handled
a little differently in Denali. Because
there are virtually no official trails in the park, all hiking is
cross-country. The park is divided into
backcountry units. A maximum number of
people are allowed in each unit each night.
These limits are minimal, typically ranging from 4 to 8 people. Advance reservations are not accepted, and in
most cases permits are issued no more than one day in advance.
There
is one exception to the rule above.
People camping at Wonder Lake can obtain a backcountry permit before
going there. As a result, hikers staying
at Wonder Lake have an advantage over other backpackers. This little loophole was one of the reasons
we decided to spend two nights at Wonder Lake prior to our backpacking trip.
Despite
that advantage, I knew there was no guarantee that we’d get a permit for our
favorite unit. So, prior to the trip, I
had researched many of the backcountry units easily accessible from the park road. The park buses will drop off and pick up
hikers anywhere along the road, which makes that portion of trip logistics
easy.
After
finishing my research, I’d decided that park units 13 & 18, which include
Glacier Creek, was my top choice. That
trip would involve starting at the Eielson Visitor Center, at milepost 68 on
the park road. From there we’d ford the
braided Thorofare River and follow Glacier Creek
upstream. We’d camp along the creek, and
spend the second day hiking up to Anderson Pass. Anderson Pass promised superb views of Mount
McKinley and its many glaciers, if the weather cleared. We’d then return by the same route the final
day.
As
luck would have it, these units were available.
However, Christy and I were both having second thoughts. Glacier Creek and Anderson Pass would be a
tough 3-day trip. Between my
questionable back, her balky knee (which was still a little swollen), and the
charming weather forecast, we thought an easier trip might be in order. It was painful passing up on our first
choice, but it was probably the right call.
Unfortunately,
our next two choices, units 9 & 10, were both booked. We spent the next 30 minutes in the
backcountry office looking at maps and descriptions and talking with the
rangers. Finally we selected unit 6, the
Upper Teklanika River. This valley
looked like a straight-forward trip. To
access the valley, we’d start from the park road and cross a low pass before
descending to the river. This would
require some bushwhacking, but that is something we are used to. Once at the river, the walking would be easy
on the gravel river bar. Upstream, we
could hike to several glaciers that serve as the source of the river. Downstream is Cathedral Mountain, which
blocks all views of the road and provides a true sense of isolation. Best of all, unit 6 is squeezed between two
wildlife management areas. Wildlife
management areas are off-limits to hikers, but their proximity suggested the
potential for numerous wildlife sightings.
After
making our selection, we completed the permit application and purchased a
detailed topo map.
Then we watched the required safety video, listened to the safety
speech, and had our bear canister approved.
This last part was a little nerve-wracking, as a black bear in the
Adirondacks of New York recently learned how to open them. Apparently the park service hasn’t banned
them yet, which would render my $80 canister obsolete. This was a relief, because I really didn’t
want to use one of the official park service cans, which are small yet heavy.
By
the time our permit was in hand, the rain had stopped but smoke was rolling
into the valley. We finished packing and
spent some time at the Visitor’s Center before parking the car near the Riley
Creek Campground in the long term lot.
We picked up the bus to Wonder Lake there, ready for five days of
adventure deep in Denali National Park.
The
bus ride was long but scenic. Along the
way, we spotted a moose, several caribou, and a bald eagle. The bus driver stopped for each wildlife
sighting so we could watch the animals and take photos. There were several scheduled stops along the
way, including a 40-minute break at the Eielson Visitor Center. In addition, the bus stopped at the Igloo
Creek Campground to drop off some guys from Sweden who were starting a
backpacking trip there. This was of
interest to us, as they were hiking directly across the road from unit 6. Igloo Creek Campground was one of the places
we could potentially start or end our trip.
As
we drove west we began to leave the smoke and clouds behind. The farther we went, the more the mountains
began to emerge. At the Eielson
Visitor’s Center, Christy watched a documentary on climbing Mount McKinley,
while I took a brief walk on a paved path traversing a short stretch of tundra.
The
last 17 miles of the drive were uneventful.
Unfortunately, light rain resumed just as we arrived at our stop. Christy helped me get my pack off the bus and
onto my back for the short walk up to the campground. Luckily, the rain passed quickly. The camping area is situated on a hillside,
quite some distance from the actual lake.
In good weather, many of the campsites feature views of Mount
McKinley. All of those sites were taken
when we arrived though. Instead, we
settled for a spot in the woods. This
site had no view, but it was more secluded and private than the other sites and
was conveniently situated near the cooking shelter, bathroom, water, and food
storage area.
We
set up camp and had a dinner of pasta, salmon, and vegetables. It was windy and chilly, but at least the
breeze held the mosquitoes at bay. As we
ate, the clouds gradually began to clear.
By late evening, the clouds surrounding McKinley began to break up. Before long, we were treated to our first
view of North America’s highest mountain!
McKinley is notorious for hiding in the clouds, and many park visitors
never see the actual mountain.
Considering the weather forecast and the smoke, we were thrilled with
our good fortune. We stayed up for quite
a while, watching the mountain as it glowed in the late evening light.
We
got up at 7 the next morning. An early
start was critical, as we wanted to catch the 8am bus departing from Wonder
Lake. Otherwise, we would’ve been stuck
there all morning, as the next departure was at 11:45. We had a quick breakfast of cold cereal while
enjoying more views of McKinley, which was most definitely out! In fact, there wasn’t a cloud in the
sky. So much for that weather forecast.
We
caught the 8am bus to Kantishna. Scott Richardson was our driver, which proved
to be fortunate. Scott was a great
driver, as he had a good eye for wildlife.
We talked with him for part of the ride.
Scott lives in Hawaii in the winter and Alaska in the summer, which is
probably pretty good strategy. We told
him about our backpacking plans, and he shared lots of useful information that
proved to be helpful for our trip.
Scott
made two key stops on the way to the end of the road at Kantishna. We paused at the Reflection Pool and at the
north end of Wonder Lake. On this
morning, the reason behind each name was crystal clear. We enjoyed fantastic views of McKinley,
perfectly reflected in the water below.
Aside from the mountain scenery, we were treated to more wildlife,
including moose, caribou, and arctic terns.
In Kantishna we passed some artifacts from the
gold mining days and stopped at a couple of private lodges. After picking up some additional passengers,
we headed back past Wonder Lake and on to the Eielson Visitor Center. We got off there, intent on doing a dayhike
before returning to Wonder Lake later that afternoon.
From
the Visitor’s Center, we hiked one of the few official trails in the park. We crossed the road and picked up the trail,
which climbs switchbacks up the flank of Mount Thorofare. Our original plan was to climb to Thorofare’s peak.
However, the wind was brutal, and we were feeling pretty abused by the
time we reached the crest of the ridge.
The view from here was superlative, and I couldn’t think of a single
reason to justify climbing higher. From
the ridge, we had a clear view of Mount McKinley, the Thorofare
River, Glacier Creek, the McKinley River, the Muldrow Glacier, and dozens of
additional peaks along the spine of the Alaska Range. And that was just the view to the south! Mountains and valleys rolled away from us to
the west and north, with only the view to the east obscured by the summit of
Mount Thorofare.
We
found a wind-break on the west end of the ridge and huddled there to enjoy the
view. By the time we started back down,
the wind actually seemed to be increasing.
Down along the Thorofare River, huge clouds of
dust were billowing. As we followed the
ridge back, the wind was literally knocking us around, preventing us from
walking a straight line. I felt a little
like that guy on the Weather Channel that always gets duct taped to a palm tree
prior to the arrival of each hurricane.
Well, except that we had no duct tape, or palm trees. Or any trees, for that matter. We were way above treeline up on Mount Thorofare.
We
hurried back down the mountain, and had a late lunch at the Eielson Visitor
Center. Then we caught the next bus back
to Wonder Lake. From the bus stop, we
walked down the road to the actual lake.
Wonder Lake is a beauty, although we had no view of McKinley from this
end of it. We hung out there for a bit,
out of the wind, before doubling back to the bus stop. Then we walked back up the road a short
distance to the McKinley Bar Trail. We
followed this path, which is also an official park trail, down through spruce
forest to the McKinley River. The
walking was pleasant, and we feasted on Huckleberries as we hiked. The area looked like it had the potential for
moose or other wildlife, but we didn’t see anything along here.
The
wind was howling down by the river, and clouds of dust
we blowing down the far bank. The
McKinley River was a sight to see though.
The river is heavily braided, and the river and its gravel bar are
probably a mile across. Some adventurous
backpacking trips can be started here, but they require fording multiple braids
of the river. Crossing that river is one
of the most dangerous things you can do in Denali, and we ruled those areas out
early on.
We
hung out for a bit before returning to the campground. That night we enjoyed more views of McKinley
over a spaghetti dinner. The wind
continued to howl, which chilled us but provided relief from the
mosquitoes. Between our two hikes, we
covered over 8 miles, and climbed more than 1000’. After spending the previous two days driving
and riding buses, it was nice to get out and stretch the legs a little. Of course, we’d be stretching them a lot over
the next 3 days, assuming that my back was willing to cooperate.
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