June 6 Since we do not have an assigned departure time for catching the shuttle bus, Peggy and I were able to sleep in for a while longer than usual. However, I forced myself up at 8:00 so I can do my morning routine- starting the generator. Run times for generators in this campground is from 8-10:00 a.m. and 4-8:00 p.m. And the generator needs to run to recharge the RV’s batteries and to brew my coffee!
After a breakfast of french toast and sausage, Peggy and I loaded light packs and started off on a hike leading from the campground on a trail that looked to lead to a high point of land overlooking the Teklanika River. After about a 30 minute hike, we had ascended this overlook with a good view both up and down the river valley and the surrounding mountains.
After taking pictures we decided to follow the river’s braided stream bed back to the campground. Of course your’s truly misstepped on a rock which then submerged me up to my lower shin bone in icy cold water! And even though my hiking shoes have Goretex, it doesn’t prevent the water from going over the top and into the shoe! Brrrr! :o)
We walked the gravelly river bottom back to the campsite. I changed into dry socks, we ate some lunch, and decided to try and catch the 1:10 shuttle for another ride up to the Eileson Visitors Center. It is still cloudy so the chance of seeing Mt McKinley is not very good, but the opportunity to see wildlife is still available.
The 1:10 shuttle was only a few minutes behind schedule. And guess what?? No nazis today!! Chuck was the driver and there were only about 15 people on the bus. Peggy and I each got a window seat. On the drive towards Eielson we saw 3 more grizzlies, several Dall Sheep, some of which were right next to the road, a male ptarmigan, and 2 red foxes, which were unbelievably close. You’ll have to look at the photos for today to appreciate how near they were.
We arrived at Eielson about 4:00. The Visitor Center is good for mountain views, the displays inside, but especially for great views of Mt. McKinley. Yesterday was a total bomb in that regard, but today we were able to identify the northern flank of Mt. McKinley. The summit was clouded in, but just having the opportunity to see even the sides of Mt. McKinley was worth the drive up.
Coming back from Eielson we saw another grizzly, and we picked up several hikers. Four of the hikers were maybe in their upper 60’s or lower 70’s and live in the area. One might be a park ranger as does campfire programs. Anyway, every year, they walk the entire length of the Park Road, about 92 miles! Tomorrow they will start walking from the point they were picked up by the shuttle bus today.
We got back to our campsite about 7:00. We had only eaten a very light lunch and were hungry. We fixed our dinner instead of attending the 7:30 campfire program. This also gave me some time to write down our thoughts and upload today’s photos to iPhoto.
So, after my gloom and doom thoughts yesterday about how the park chooses to transport visitors around, today has changed my mood. You just have to pick the time you want to use the shuttles. If you want to get somewhere as early as possible you take the morning shuttles knowing they will be full and stopping points will be crowded.
For me, I really preferred today’s afternoon shuttle which had much fewer people to contend with. Chuck, the driver, was more than patient with stopping the bus for wildlife photos, even to the point of turning off the bus. He waited until everyone was satisfied with getting the photos they wanted before going on. Yes, Denali NP is something special. Maybe tomorrow we’ll see the summit of Mt McKinley. The third time (day) is charmed, you know!
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