Down by the river
Trip Start
Jun 24, 2009
1
3
11
Trip End
Jul 04, 2009
Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Day 2 Denali - we did a 13 hour extended tour into the National Park (85 miles in) on a bus that would stop any time anyone saw something and let us out (if safe, if not we would just put the windows down) to get pictures and saw blond grizzly bears, golden eagles, caribou, a lynx, Alaskan ground squirrels (very cute), snowshoe hares, other birds, moose, Dall sheep, etc. They took to where they had their own site inside the park with cabins etc and we got lunch and panned for gold - it was fun but I didn't find any :-( actually I don't think anyone we were with did... Some people choose to to take an air taxi back and try and get a close view of the mountain ( I mention this because it seemed not everyone got all their options explained when they booked the tour to them - so be sure to ask if you are interested, some didn't know you could fly back and some thought that was the only way, they didn't know they could stay on the bus...)
Day 3 Checked out Denali Visitor Center and then hiked ourselves with bear bell and spray :-) We were armed and dangerous....no need to worry, the bear bell must have worked, no bears attacked. Got to walk and go check out the area where the sled dogs are housed and pet them. Saw awesome views, birds, squirrels, and heard wolves howling.
Took an ATV tour and (first time riders) and did the sunset tour- fabulous! No one else signed up so we got a private tour. Went up a couple thousand feet in elevation, up to the "Sand Castle" - large mountain of deposits from the glacier that locals call the Sand Castle and it is different every time the weather changes or rains come. Great views - see pics (they are better then me telling you..)
Day 4 Woke up again today with really bad leg cramps??? ouch - what the heck??? this is new...text message to mom for help as soon as we get back into an area with coverage planned. Packed up camp and hiked everything up to the car and off to Homer to be there by 10am tomorrow for our kayak trip, also want to check out this Salty Dawg on The Spit we keep hearing about.
