DENALI NATIONAL PARK 2016

Elizabeth, Emily, Charlie, and Julie at the Teklanika Campground entrance sign.

Although Mrs. Huffy's arm was still in a sling after spending most of July in recuperation mode since her broken wrist experience when we were in Valdez, we made our annual pilgrimage to Denali National Park with our good friends Charlie and Julie Stephens. We spent our time participating in typical Teklanika activities including hiking, biking, berry picking, riding busses, visiting with other campers, and attending evening Ranger presentations.  We were only there for four nights this year because that was the longest stretch of time available when we went of make reservations.

The first day we walked on the Teklanika riverbed and tried to get on the 6:20 PM bus with our bikes.  We had intended to ride from the top of Sable Pass back to Teklanika but the bus was full of passengers and camping gear.  So, we went to the evening Ranger talk covering the topic of bears.

The crew ready for the Highway Pass hike to the waterfalls.

The next morning we caught a bus to Highway Pass where we trekked to the waterfalls.  Along the way we were entertained by several caribou as they crossed the tundra running in inexplicable directions all around us.  It made me think of the book entitled, Running With Caribou.

A caribou ran near us as we made our way toward the waterfalls.

The weather was nice so we enjoyed our time at the waterfall and ate a picnic lunch before turning back toward the road.  Julie decided to climb a hillside on our way back, much as Ridgerunner had two years previous.

Elizabeth and Emily at the Highway Pass waterfalls.

Once back at the road we flagged down a bus in short order and rode back to Teklanika.  We ate a quick dinner and attended another Ranger presentation about beavers.  We also made plans for the following day which included a bike ride from Polychrome Pass and berry picking in Igloo Canyon.

Our logistical planning worked well.  Julie and I took our bikes to Polychrome Pass on the bus while Charlie took his to Sable Pass an hour later.  Elizabeth and Emily got on a bus an hour after Charlie and headed for Frederick's blueberry patch in Igloo Canyon.  Somehow we all met up as planned and enjoyed an hour of picking blueberries together and another picnic lunch.

Fatbike at Polychrome Pass

Julie adjusts her gear atop Polychrome Pass.

Fatbike tire with Sable Pass in the distance.

Emily and some of the blueberries she picked at Frederick's blueberry patch.

Charlie picks some blueberries.

Later in the evening we attended another Ranger presentation about lynx.  It was interesting and we were able to get a good look at a lynx pelt up close.

Ranger Bill displays a lynx pelt.

On our final full day we made plans to hike Tattler Creek and ride the 6:20 PM bus to Toklat and back.  Walking up Tattler Creek was wonderful even though we picked the windiest place in the park to eat our picnic lunch.  After eating we continued up the creek where we soon overtaken by another hiker.  He was a photographer for the BLM and was looking for the dinosaur tracks that are located somewhere along Tattler Creek.  He passed us and then started straight up the side of Sable Mountain.  We stopped and decided this would be our turn around point.  But, first we determined we needed a short break.  Julie climbed the same route as the BLM hiker while the rest of us watched and rested in the warm sunshine.  On our way back to the road we enjoyed viewing a ewe and lamb Dall sheep on the side of Tattler Creek canyon.

Liz and Emily making way on the Tattler Creek hike.

Charlie ready to make a Tattler Creek crossing.

Ewe and lamb Dall sheep.

Arriving back at the camp we sat around in the warm sunshine discussing our day and other things when Stephen stopped by.  He is a retired Pediatrician from Bismarck, North Dakota and travels the world with his camera.  We enjoyed more conversation and hearing about his adventures.  Later he walked past our trailer and we invited him in for smoked salmon and crackers before catching the bus to Toklat.  One of the things we always appreciate about staying at Teklanika is the wonderfully interesting people we meet.

Stephen and his photography gear.

We all hopped on the bus for Toklat rolling through Igloo Canyon and over Sable Pass.  Just after crossing the bridge over the East Fork and starting to ascend Polychrome Pass another bus driver coming from the other direction told us of a bear only few hundred yards up the road.    Our driver crept forward and we watched as a grizzly came down a small hill onto the road

and began eating grass right in front of the bus!  After a while it walked along the edge of the bus much to the elation of us passengers as we kept our camera shutters snapping and video rolling.  It was an awesome encounter!

A grizzly eats grass along the side of the park road near the East Fork bridge.

Wildlife sitings for the remainder of the trip to Toklat included several moose on the Plains of Murie and some Dall sheep high on a mountain visible from the Toklat Rest area.

Caribou antlers along the edge of the Toklat River.

We saw some moose in Igloo Canyon on the return trip but the highlight was the colorful sunset we witnessed as we pulled into Teklanika.  The sky was on fire and the hills and clouds were lit up with alpenglow.

A faint rainbow at the top of a mountain.

Teklanika sunset.

Denali

The next morning we packed up and slowly drove out of the Park.  After stopping at the Visitor Center and Riley Creek Mercantile we made our way to Byers Lake Campground where we experienced an extremely intense thunder and lightening storm.  Two days later we were home.  We are already making plans for our next trip to Denali National Park.

Here's a video of the trip: