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Published: September 30th 2017
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Geo: 61.2181, -149.9
We had been cautioned by just about everyone to be careful about bears. We were advised to make lots of noise, preferably by talking, so the bears would know we were coming and, hopefully, get out of our way. Well, I don't talk well when hiking - concentrating too much on breathing I guess. So I decided to use a bell. Not the little jingle bell things they call bear bells, which we were advised were not very effective, but a real, very loud, cow bell. This is a historic cow bell, actually used to cheer on the Chester High Red Cyclone football team of Chester, SC, back in the late 1950's. It has also seen some time around an actual cow's neck. Anyway, I clanged all around Alaska with this thing hanging from my backpack. Must have worked because we had no close encounters with bears anywhere on this trip. The only time I took it off was on that Polychrome Ridge hike in Denali where we could see pretty much anything that was nearby and I did not want to scare away the other wildlife.
Here's a picture.
Below is some brief info about the parks and then a brief description of our itinerary. The rest of the pages cover each day of the trip.
Wrangell St. Elias, Kenai Fjords, and Denali are the only three of eight national parks in Alaska accessible by road.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve - The largest U.S. national park. At 13.2 million acres, it equals six Yellowstones. Mt. St. Elias, at 18,008 feet, is the highest in the park and the second highest peak in the United States. Four major mountain ranges which includes nine of the 16 highest peaks in the United States meet in the park. All road access into the park is via gravel roads. Easiest access to the interior is by air.
Kenai Fjords - Exit Glacier is the only part of the park accessible by road. Kenai Fjords National Park sits at the edge of the North Pacific Ocean on the lower portion of the Kenai peninsula. The Harding Icefield crowns the park and is the source of at least 38 glaciers. The park size is 600,000 acres.
Denali - At 6.2 million acres, Denali is the third largest NP in the US after Wrangell-St. Elias and Gates of the Arctic; all three are in Alaska. It was established as the first national park to conserve wildlife, mainly Dall Sheep, in 1917. It supports a diversity of wildlife including grizzly bears, caribou, wolves, Dall sheep and moose.
Our Itinerary:
Wednesday, 7/28/2010 - Dpt GSP 11:15, Arrive Anchorage 6:25 PM. Drive to overnight @ Palmer - Colony Inn.
Thursday, 7/29/2010 - Drive to Slana and hike along the Nabesna Road, then to the Chistochina B&B in Chistochina.
Friday, 7/30/2010 -Drive to Valdez (2+ hrs), stopping briefly at Wrangell-St. Elias NP visitor center, Worthington Glacier, Horsetail Falls, Bridal Veil Falls. Overnight Valdez.
Saturday, 7/31/2010 -Be at ferry about 7 a.m. for 8:00 AM sailing of MV Aurora to Whittier, arrives 1:45 PM. Drive to Seward. Hike to face of Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords NP. Overnight Seward @ the Taroka Inn.
Sunday, 8/1/2010 - To Kenai Fjords NP, Hike Harding Ice Field. Overnight again in Seward @ the Taroka Inn.
Monday, 8/2/2010 - To Denali NP. Hike an entrance trail and/or see the visitor center displays & film. Overnight near Denali, in Healy @ the Denali Park hotel.
Tuesday 8/3/2010 - Toklat shuttle ( leaves @ 9:30 AM) to see wildlife and Mt. McKinley. Hike near polychrome overlook. Overnight again in Healy @ the Denali Park hotel.
Wednesday 8/4/2010 - Hike the Mt. Healy trail and see the visitor center displays. Overnight again in Healy @ the Denali Park hotel.
Thursday, 8/5/2010 - Drive to Anchorage for flight home - Depart Anchorage 7:30 PM, Arrive GSP 9:32 AM, Friday.
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