Denali

Our plan was to stay near Denali National Park and Preserve for as long as we needed to in order to view the mountain. Of course, we also wanted to see as much wildlife as possible. We had a reservation in the park for five days and had two unscheduled days between leaving Fairbanks and then. We did this because we had mail sent and weren't sure how long it would take. Good news, the US Postal Service came through in three days. We knew we would encounter road construction, or reconstruction as they call it here, so we covered the CRV to protect it from flying stones. Good thing we did, as we encountered several miles of reconstruction gravel on the Parks Highway. We spent those unscheduled two days in Healy, just up the road from the park campground so we had one of our shortest travel days ever, nine miles, the day we moved into Denali.

Here is what they mean by highway reconstruction dodging heavy equipment while driving on gravel.

In Healy we checked out the 49^th State Brewery which was very good. Out front they have the bus from the movie, Into the Wild, that was based on the book by John Krakauer.  It is a great read about a young man who wanted to live in the Alaska wilderness.  I will not tell you how it ended.

The park was established in 1917 as McKinley National Park, in honor of the Ohio senator and US President. The native Athabascans of Alaska had always called the mountain Denali,"the great one". The park was originally intended as a preserve to protect the Dall sheep from over hunting. In 1980 President Carter tripled the size of the park and renamed it Denali, though the official name of the mountain is still McKinley. Denali is a wilderness park so public vehicles, with a few exceptions, are only permitted to drive the first 15 miles of the 92 mile park road. All access to the interior is by foot, on bicycles or the park buses. There are only 17 miles of developed trails within the six million acre park.

As I said, we really wanted to see “the mountain.” Mount McKinley, at 20,320 feet, is the tallest mountain in North America. When we were leaving the 49^th State Brew Pub it was clearing a bit so we drove into the park and this is what we saw, just enough to tease us. Remember only 30% of Denali visitors ever see it at all.

The next morning we drove the nine miles to Riley Creek Campground in Denali under skies that were more sunny than cloudy. So as soon as we were set up in a spot we drove out to the same viewing stop again and sure enough we could see both the north and south peaks.  The view is over 70 miles away but still impressive.

On Friday we had a reservation to take the eleven hour shuttle bus trip to Wonder Lake, 85 miles inside the park. It has the closest view of the mountain in the park. We opted for the shuttle bus rather than a tour because it is much less expensive and you have the option of getting off and catching a later bus if you choose. We awoke to overcast skies and dim prospects of getting a closer view of the mountain but still hoping to see the wildlife. Not two minutes into the trip we saw this moose along the road. The first of the big five wild animals we were hoping to see.  Next we saw number two of the big five, a wolf. Unfortunately, I was not quick enough to get a picture before it ran into the woods.

A bit farther into the wilderness we saw number three, this group of Dall sheep high on the mountain. They are the nine small white dots. You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

Later we got up close with more Dall sheep.

And more.

And the two of them together.  It sure was great getting a real up close look at these majestic animals.

Not all the wildlife was part of the big five. This is the Alaska state bird, the ptarmigan. The ptarmigans are one of only a few birds that are in the park year round. In the winter their feathers turn white.

Then number four of the big five, the caribou. We saw several groups of them grazing on the tundra vegetation.

Their new racks are still in velvet. They had a rack at the visitors center you could pick up. I could not believe how heavy they are .

The road going over Polychrome pass was very steep and narrow. They call it Poison Pass, because one drop will kill you. At the top of the pass the view of the old glacial moraines and mountains is beautiful.

The clouds began to clear a bit and we were treated to an even closer look at the mountain. It is amazing how it dominates the sky.

More wildlife, a snowshoe hare, with its summer coat. They are another animal that turns white in the winter.

Someone on the bus yelled stop and we got to watch this red fox stalking some prey. All the animals seem like the buses have no affect on their behavior.  The guide asked that everyone be very quiet when we stopped to see the animals so they do not associate the bus with humans.

Another even closer look at the great one. We were now close enough that I did not need to use my telephoto lens.

By the time we arrived at Eielson Visitor Center clouds were beginning to cover the top of the mountain. We had had our best look and it was wonderful, especially when you realize that only 30% of visitors ever see it and we saw it three days in a row. WOW!!!

Since I did not get a picture of the wolf I had to settle for this one at the visitor center.

These Arctic ground squirrels are everywhere. They are always begging for food and the park service really does its best to let people know that a fed animal is a dead animal. They will not make it through the winter if they become dependent on humans feeding them.

While we had great views of the mountains, much of the park road is across the open tundra. This far north the tree line is about 2700 feet, so it is great for seeing animals.

Another moose with now cloud covered Denali in the background. This was near Wonder Lake so we did not get that close up view, but it is still beautiful.

Finally, number five of the big five, the grizzly.  This mother and two cubs were on a kill so they had been in the same place for a couple of days.  They are beautiful animals.

The same family in the same spot on the return trip, still eating and protecting their kill.

And then, just down the road from the mom and her cubs, this bear casually walked down the road past the bus and into the woods.

We were just a few feet away and the bear did not react to our presence.  

The trip into the wilderness was fantastic.  We saw the mountain and all the animals we had hoped to see.  It was a long but very rewarding day that we would recommend to all.

Fairbanks

We knew there was a lot to see and do in Fairbanks so we decided to stay for a week to explore and get caught up with some chores.  Even that was not enough time, as there were a couple of stops on our list that we did not get to visit.  Another reason to return.  Someone asked about seeing critters on our Arctic Circle tour.  They told us before we left that it was not a wildlife tour and we should not expect to see animals.  I don't know why that is the case.  We did see one moose, but I did not get a picture.

It really has taken some getting used to having daylight 24 hours a day.  This is what the Chena River looks like at 11:30 PM.  It never gets dark.  I'm really glad we covered the windows in the bedroom, it sure makes falling asleep a lot easier.  In the morning when I wake up I have no idea whether it is 4 AM or 8 AM. 

We explored a few of the sites in downtown Fairbanks.  Left is the "Unknown First Family," a tribute to the native people.  Center I am under the arch of antlers and Nanc is checking out a common Fairbanks parking lot item, an outlet to plug in your car in the winter.  Right is a statue honoring the connection between Alaska and Siberia during WWII when US planes were flown through Alaska to the USSR as part of the lend lease program to arm them against Germany.  I guess you really can see Russia from here:)

We always check out the visitors center when we arrive in a new place.  In Fairbanks it is much more than just tourist info.  The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center has many exhibits about the native cultures, the changing seasons, the economy and even live entertainment.  There is also an Alaska Public Land Information Center with information about all the different public land agencies, BLM, park service, forest service and Alaska state parks.  The people working there were all very helpful so don't miss this stop.

Another must see is Creamer's Field, an old family dairy farm that is now a wildlife sanctuary.  Creamers is a major stop for migrating sandhill cranes and many water fowl.  Most of the cranes had headed on north, but we did see a few.  We also discovered the they have a huge population of native mosquitoes.  There is a saying in Alaska, "There is not a single mosquito in Alaska, they are all married and have large families." 

Another day we did a 60 mile road trip to Chena Hot Springs to soak our bones.  There are indoor pools and whirlpools, but we chose to spend all of our time in the outdoor hot springs.  I loved the fountain in the middle of the springs that spouted cooler water.  Who would believe that Nanc would be lounging by the pool on a sunny but 65 degree day?

And, as you can see, there were very few people in the water.  There is a ice hotel and bar at Chena Hot Springs, but we opted to only do the hot not the cold.  There is also a RV park at the Springs, so we decided when we return to Alaska we will definitely spend a few days here so we can take advantage of all it has to offer. 

The Museum of the North is another great stop in Fairbanks.  We saw a movie about winter in Fairbanks and it sure reinforced the fact that we do not want to be here for that season.  They have dioramas showing all the different animals of the state.  I guess this has to count as our first grizzly since we have not yet seen one in the wild. 

The museum's Gallery of Alaska has great exhibits on the state's native cultures divided by the regions of the state, from the Southeast coastal groups to those on the Arctic coast.

There is also a display of prehistoric animals.  Many fossils of mammoths and other ancient animals were uncovered during gold mining when miners were using powerful hoses to wash away the surface soil to get to the bedrock where the gold was found.

Of course no exhibit on Alaska history would be complete without a display on mining.  Each of these tray sections holds one ounce of various sizes of gold.  I would be happy just to find one of those nice nuggets like the one on the right.

Another day we took a ride on the Riverboat Discovery on the Chena River.  The cruise gives you a look at several different aspects of life in Alaska starting with the boat.  It is a real stern wheel driven boat that can operate in the very shallow water of the state's rivers.  After leaving the dock a float plane did a take off and landing right by the boat.  Float planes are such a big part of Alaska's aviation that there is a lake at Fairbanks Airport to accommodate them.  

NOTE: If you take the riverboat get a seat on the left, that is where you will see most of the action.   

The tree covered boat on land is an old riverboat and in the water is what is left of the barge it used to deliver supplies to river villages.

The next stop was at the home of Iditarod winner Susan Butcher.  Susan died from Leukemia in 2005, but her husband Dave Monson and their daughters continue to train and race dogs.  For summer training they hitch the dogs to an ATV.  They were so ready to run the ATV was tied to a huge stake to keep them from taking off. 

The dogs cooling off in the Chena River after their run. I was surprised how small they were.  When we got off the boat at the native village we could get a closer look and even a lick from the dogs.

The tour stops at a Chena Indian Village for an up close look at how the Athabascans lived in the past.  They have a small herd of reindeer, tame caribou (who knew?) 

These are the kinds of shelters the ancient, nomadic Athabascans would have used.  The ones covered with boughs would have been temporary shelters for a hunting party.  The one covered with fur was for use in the winter.

This is the type of home they built after their contact with Europeans when they began to settle in more permanent villages.  The high structure was for storing food and furs.

This is a modern fish camp.  The wheel in the water scoops up the salmon as they swim up stream.  This young native guide demonstrated how they fillet and then dry the fish.  Some are left out to dry in the sun while most of it is put in the smokehouse for a couple weeks.  I asked her about the new modern smokers and she said her family tried one, but the fish did not taste as good.

Our two guides were Athabascans who are doing this as a summer job while attending college.  Here is one modeling a beautiful fur coat that took several months of daily sewing to make.  The tour of the village was very neat.

The Discovery went as far as the Tanana  River, the largest glacier fed river in the world.  The river will get deeper throughout the summer as the glaciers melt.  As the glaciers freeze up in the fall the water will recede and get clearer.  There were two people sitting on the island by the boat and two eagles perched on a branch on the far island. 

We had a great time in Fairbanks, even checking out a very good local brew pub, Silver Gulch.  We have now moved south to Denali for a week.  We are hoping to do some hiking, get a closer look at the mountain and see some wildlife.  But right now the forecast continues to look bleak.  That said, we have discovered that if you don't like the weather wait a few minutes and it will change.  Quoting our friends Mark and Renita, clear skies.

Arctic Circle

Two things we wanted to do for sure while in Alaska was a trip to the Arctic Circle and to see Denali. We got a chance to do both in one day even though they are nearly 300 miles apart.  We took an excursion to the Arctic Circle on the Dalton Highway with the Northern Alaska Tour Company.  It was great to be able to sit back in a comfortable seat, enjoy the scenery and learn about Alaska from our driver Alan.  It was a perfect, clear day so we had fantastic views of the surrounding landscape.  

We were only a few miles north of Fairbanks when this beautiful view of Denali came into sight.  Even though we were about 140 miles away it was still quite impressive.  We sure hope for a closer look when we head south, but the weather forecast is not promising, so this may have been our best look.

We could see many of the towering peaks of the Alaska Range.

We have been seeing these variations in the colors of the vegetation along our whole route north.  We learned on this trip that the dark color areas are black spruce, a scrub tree that only grows in the poorest soil above the permafrost.  The lighter areas are aspen, birch and white spruce that grow in the better soil where there is better drainage.  It makes for some interesting landscapes.

Our first stop was the Arctic Circle Trading Post.  This family business started when the daughters began selling lemonade to the truck drivers on their way to the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay.  While the business has grown it is still off the grid, with the only power being a small generator. The only bathroom facilities are the very lovely on the outside, but real old fashion on the inside outhouses.  An interesting stop run by interesting people.  

Ninety miles north of Fairbanks we turned onto the Dalton Highway.  The Dalton was constructed as a support road for the oil fields on the North Slope and Trans Alaska pipeline that carries the oil 800 miles south to Valdez.  From here to the Arctic Circle is 115 miles, making it a total round trip of 400 miles.  Even though the public is now permitted to use the road, that is why we chose not to drive it in the CRV.

And here is another reason.  While the road has been paved in a few southern sections most of it is dirt.  That said, it was much smoother than the section of the Alaska Highway we drove from Destruction Bay to the US border in the Yukon.

And still more reasons.  If you have ever watched Ice Road Truckers, top left is Roller Coaster and bottom right is a 2.5 mile long 9% grade.  We did see a few private vehicle, but most of the traffic was big rigs moving stuff up and down the road.  Our driver was always in CB contact with the truckers and would wait or slowdown for approaching traffic on bad sections.  They still flew by in a blur.  We stopped at the top of Roller Coaster and it took a truck 15 seconds from the time it went over the top until we could see it starting up the other side.

More beautiful distant mountains.  We did get a view of the Brooks Range to the north, but the picture was not very good.

The Dalton has the only highway bridge over the Yukon River in Alaska.  The pipeline is attached to the bridge.

We stopped for lunch and dinner at Yukon River Camp, an old work camp for the construction crews.  This woman, who lives in the wilderness a few miles up the river, sells her handmade crafts from this little building.  This is also a drop-off point for supplies that are delivered to river villages by barge, there only summertime access.  In the winter the river freezes and can be used by snow machines. 

The road and the pipeline snaking across the tundra.  We were above the tree line here and could see for miles in every direction.

We made it and were given the red carpet treatment by Alan as we were welcomed north of the Arctic Circle.  This is the farthest north we have ever been, how cool.

Here we are at the Arctic Circle, 66 degrees 33 minutes north of the equator.  Alan did a great job and had us back in Fairbanks before night fall, that would be in September.  Even now two weeks before the summer solstice it is never dark.  Sunset is at 12:25 AM and sunrise at 3:16 in Fairbanks.  It is twilight the rest of the night.  Each day will be about 7 minutes longer until June 21. 

The Trans Alaska Pipeline parallels the road for most of the trip.  The pipeline was built in the 1970's at a cost of 8 billion dollars.  380 of the 800 miles are above ground because the hot oil traveling underground would melt the permafrost and cause the pipe to break.  The vents on the top of the supports vent any heat that builds up to prevent melting.  The supports contain a chemical that keeps the temperature at 32.  The pipeline zigzags and rides on a Teflon pad to allow for movement from expansion and contraction or an earthquake.  There are 150 gate valves that can be closed if there is a break. While everyone knows about the great oil spill caused when the Exxon Valdez hit a reef, there has never been an engineering failure along the pipeline.  The pipeline is really an impressive accomplishment. 

The tour also made stops to learn about the forest and the tundra.  Alan plugged a hole in the tundra and Nanc is reaching down to feel the ice.  When you look at the tundra from the road it looks smooth, but when you walk out on it, it is just clumps of organic material and almost no soil.  If it burns the ice will melt and a new lake will form.  The trees of the forest above the permafrost have very shallow roots because of the ice.  They can easily be pushed over.  The cut in the center is for the fiber optic cable that is being laid all the way to the North Slope.

While it was a long day (5:30 AM pick up - 10:30 PM return) it was well worth the time and money.  Alan was a great guide who taught us a lot about the history and culture of Alaska.  Throughout the trip we watched videos on gold mining, permafrost, pipeline construction and native culture so there was never a dull moment during a very long day.