Arriving at Denali NP

July 10 - 12    Days 32 - 34

We finished up at Tatlanika Trading Company cleaning up the RV, doing laundry, and I helped the owner install a new router for wifi access at his business.  This was a neat place with all the amenities needed for the traveler.  It is worth noting that everyone seems to decorate with moose antlers.

The owner, like many others up here, has his own plane.  Right behind our RV is a grass landing strip he has on his property for his own use.

When we arrived at Denali NP, for some reason I was expecting quite a grand entrance, but the sign was not as magnanimous as I was expecting.

Once we checked in and claimed our campsite, we rode our bikes to a couple of popular places such as the Visitor Center and the Wilderness Access Center, the place where you catch the bus to go back into the park; all 6 million acres.  The farthest you can venture into the park is 92 miles in, but we choose the 66 mile route and made reservations for the next day. You cannot take your personal vehicle, but you can bicycle or hike all you want.  We did not want to hike or bike for 92 miles, one way.

The next day we caught the 6:30am bus.  The speed limit is 25mph for the buses, so 66 miles takes a while.  I was not able to get a picture of everything because we were not allowed off the bus for photo ops.  However, we did see 7 grizzly adults, one grizzly cub, five caribou, snowshoe hare, porcupine, and arctic squirrels.

But the big siting was seeing the top of Mt. McKinley.  According to the park, only 30% of the visitors get to see the top of Mt. McKinley.  We are part of the 30% Club.

This alone was worth the bus trip.

OBSERVATIONS (and other unscientific data):
There seems to be a common thread amongst Alaskans.  It seems that true Alaskans:

• decorate with moose antlers
• own at least two ATV (all terrain vehicles) so at least one of them is in working order
• have an ATV trail alongside the highway
• own at least four snowmobiles
• own at least one four wheel drive vehicle
• have a way to haul your ATV's
• have a mosquito repellant coil smoldering at their entry door
• wear short sleeves when the tourists wear at least three layers
• do not even notice mosquitoes 

It was interesting to witness, while our banks advertise home loans and car loans, the banks up here advertise ATV loans.