Blogs from Denali National Park, Alaska, United States, North America - page 2

Day 2 – Alaska Today, we left for Denali. The luggage was sent on ahead on a truck since the train did not have a space for everyone’s luggage. We all boarded the McKinley Explorer, not the McKinley Express. The name gives it away. We were going to have a nice slow ride to Denali, so that we could see some wildlife perhaps, and scenery for sure. It took a while to get the scenery to show up. The tracks go through the forest, and most of what you saw were trees on both sides. Sometimes, lakes, and a break in the tree wall, which allowed us to see Moose, Osprey nests, Trumpet swans and a Bald Eagle. He flew around while we were stopped on a side track, and then landed in a tree. We ... read more

We rose early despite our tour not leaving until 8:30AM. We had to make our way up to the main entrance up the hill and we weren’t sure about catching the local shuttle to get us there. It showed up promptly and took us around the property, and eventually up the hill. We anxiously waited for Bus 10 (for tour group 10) to arrive and then we see Bus 11. Nine other tours had already departed to see the wonders of Denali! Our bus did arrive finally, some fifteen minutes late, and departed after Bus 11; but, our tour guide and driver seemed quite knowledgeable. He started by asking “Is everyone ready for a Great Day seeing the wonders of Denali!” He’d been doing this for over twenty years and said he got to go to ... read more

Friday After a quick to-go breakfast, blue berry pancakes, we hoped on our coach to Denali. We saw a moose on the way so there as much hollering from our fellow passengers!! The Denali complex is like an upmarket Butlins, but with the bonus that Denali National park is a short shuttle ride away. After a pretty good huckleberry ice cream, we got ourselves to the national park and took in a 2 hours trek, described as moderate but which was pretty steep and strenuous on my hike scale!! Apart from the stunning scenery, which we're getting blasé about, we saw a beaver and its dammed lodge and some Alaskan ground squirrels!! We ate at the lively Salmon Bake in the evening, lovely lively atmosphere, although we didn't wait for the live band who were starting ... read more

Up at 5:30 a.m. this morning, 30deg. & cloudy. The plan today is to take 4.5 to 5 hr. tour of Denali National Park, traveling 27 miles into the park. Denali national Park and Preserve was established in 1917 as Mount McKinley National Park. It was designated a park and preserve – and renamed Denali – in 1980. The mountain was officially renamed Denali in 2015. The park lies on both sides of the Alaska Range, 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The park is open all year, although visiting access varies with the change of seasons. Opening and closing dates for the Park Road or deependent on the weather (specifically, the snow). At approximately 6 million acres, most visitors will see only a fraction of the Park from the 92 mile long Park Road, ... read more

I am headed to Denali tomorrow. I need to rest today, having got back from the Aurora hunt at 5am this morning. Plus, I have to watch the Masters. Denali National Park in Alaska is a mere 6 million acres of wild land, bisected by a single road. The nation's highest peak stands there, Denali, formerly Mt. McKinley, at 20, 320 feet. An old prospector named it Mount McKinley in 1897. Denali means "the high one" in Athabaskan language. With legalized marijuana, we attach the name Denali to anyone smoking! How did it happen? "More than a century ago, two remarkable men spent the winter in a cabin not far from the Toklat River. Their experience and interaction with the wild landscape changed them. In turn, they came to have a profound influence on preserving the ... read more