Denali National Park is the home of Mount McKinley - the tallest mountain in the world. The natives called it Denali - The Great One. It is not the highest mountain, but does have the greatest increase in elevation from base to summit. The bus trip was long but we enjoyed our stop at the Iditarod Museum and the changing scenery as we went higher up. It was very cloudy out which prevented our seeing Denali, but gave us some very dramatic views of the countryside.
When we arrived at Denali National Park, we were met by a bus which would take us to North Face Lodge, which is one of the few private holdings inside the park. Shortly after we started the trip to the lodge, we stopped to view some caribou. We proceeded on and stopped again, The next time we came to a herd of Caribou, we did not stop. We felt disappointed and asked the bus driver/guide why he had not stopped. He said that if we paused every time we saw something, we would never make it to the lodge. The rule was to stop only if it was bigger or better. As we went on and continued to see more and more, we agreed that the rule was correct. We passed some Dall Sheep, Moose, Beaver. and Brown Bear along the way. Upon seeing the Brown Bear, our driver asked if we wanted to hear his grizzly story. He told us the story of how he was mauled when he was a ranger at Yellowstone National Park. The grizzly had been attacking another ranger, his girlfriend, and he tried diverting the its attention so successfully that he was attacked. The bear switched its charges back and forth between the two rangers. Both rangers survived the attack, but the driver said that his girlfriend dumped him shortly after. Later, we would see some of the resultant scars on his arms. (Years later we saw him interviewed on a television program about grizzlies.)
Again the scenery was spectacular.
We arrived at the North Face Lodge late in the evening - because of the high latitude,
it was still light outside. "Stuck" in the middle of nowhere, we were impressed
by the comfort of the lodgings. A twilight walk in the rain at 10:00 PM provided some nice
views and a cozy fireplace added atmosphere.
Early the next morning, we observed a family of Willow Ptarmigan outside the lodge and then started on a hike up the surrounding mountains. Due to the heavy cloud cover, we were unable to see Denali.
Due to a slight case of pneumonia, I did not continue on the rather strenuous hike, but
returned to the lodge. Along the way, I paused often to look at the flora.
When we rose early the next morning and got a special treat. Denali came out for five minutes. We thrilled to the view before it again became covered by clouds.
Our group now split up. Some stayed at Denali for a few more days, but we took the bus back to the park entrance. Along the way, we saw more Moose, Caribou, and Willow Ptarmigan as well as incomparable vistas.
The train ride from Denali to Anchorage was long, but luxurious. We stayed in one of the special observation cars and had an enjoyable meal in the dining car. The train moved rather slowly which gave us great opportunities to view the scenery. And surprise, Denali was out for a very long time.
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Copyright © 1996 Richard L. Becker
