Inside Denali NP

July 13-17 Days 35-39

It is pretty windy here in Denali and the park claims there are an average of 105 days per year that they have hurricane force winds somewhere in the park.  This is very believable, because we rode our bikes ~8 miles today, part of which was downhill.  The unusual part was that we had to pedal going downhill because the wind was so strong.  We also went to the sled dog kennels.  The 24 Alaskan Sled dogs we saw belong to Denali NP and are used to haul supplies to the ranger cabins in remote areas of the park.  These are not racing dogs that are used in the Iditarod Race.  These are larger, stronger dogs used for pulling heavy loads; about 80-100 pounds of freight per dog.

They keep them in shape by training them in the summer with a summer sled.

Even the sled dogs have log cabins for their houses.  Not only here in Denali, but at other sled dog kennels.

We have attended the ranger talks in the evening to gain a better understanding of the park and its inhabitants.  Nearly every talk starts with reminding the visitors how to act if you encounter a bear, moose, or wolf.  It is interesting to note that most visitors are injured by moose not bear.  As a matter of fact, yesterday an rv started to back into a campsite where he did not see that a moose calf had already laid down.  To his surprise, the moose cow attacked the rv by charging it.

It started raining in late afternoon and lasted all night and most of the next day. We were determined not to let the rain interfere with our visit so we donned our rain suits and hiked on some trails to see how the rain impacted the rivers and streams.  Even though it was raining, the scenery was still stunning. 

On Wednesday, July 16^th, we moved from Riley Creek Campground just inside the park, to Savage River Campground about 13 miles in.  After we selected our campsite, we hiked to the river, which again, did not leave us disappointed.  

On our way back, we saw a porcupine that took refuge in a black spruce tree when he saw us.

The day started out cloudy, overcast, gloomy, and little bit rainy.  But when the rain stopped ~9:30, I suggested to Bonnie that we go the Savage River Alpine Trail across the road from the campground and hike for a few miles.  The trail started in the black spruce tree forest, which are somewhat uninteresting, but then emerged above them, giving us a wonder view of the valley.

Even with the clouds, the view was so much more than any camera could possibly capture.  There was a natural rock garden with wild flowers that just seemed like it was part of a botanical garden.

We kept going until we reached the summit in the alpine area where we had lunch

with lots of rodents, artic ground squirrels, who wanted to be our friends.

When we descended on the other end of the trail, 4 miles later, we decided to take the Savage River Loop Trail, a 2 mile loop that went along the river towards a canyon

then back the other side.  Shortly after we started this loop, we saw a couple of large caribou.  It is difficult for them to hide because their antlers are so big.

When we reach the end of the loop, we flagged down a bus to take us back to the campground.

OBSERVATIONS (and other unscientific data):
 From what we have seen in Alaska so far, it appears that most residents lead a "minimalist" lifestyle.  There is nothing about their houses, cars, trucks, ATV's, boats, or snowmobiles that suggests they are living well above their means, unlike so many in the lower 48.  Now I'm sure a lot of that is dictated by the high cost of goods up here.  None the less, they do not seem to be extravagant with their homes, etc.  There is certain to be some of that up here, but when I compare it to the lower 48, it is totally different.  Very refreshing!  A few things that are clearly obvious is they use local materials for building; no brick up here.  But something else that stands out is there are few well groomed lawns and lots of junk scattered around their property.