Off to Denali

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Off to Denali! We got an early start today (It was my flex day) and headed north. It was overcast, so there wasn’t a whole lot of scenery. It took us just over 4 hours to get to the park. Our first stop was the visitor center to see the displays and pick up the junior ranger books for Gabbi and Jacqui. To our surprise, not only were the junior ranger books free (unlike Acadia, Rocky Mountain, and Yosemite), but they also had a great backpack full of activities, guidebooks, and equipment that the girls checked out to use while we were there. We then took an afternoon hike up Mt. Healy. It was about a 4.5 mile round trip with some blueberries and raspberries along the way. Danielle, especially, loves to stop and pick berries. We’ve learned, with her help, to identify and enjoy some new ones (crowberries are often mixed in with the blueberries). We caught our first glimpse of wildlife in the park with some Dall sheep in the distance.

After our hike, we headed back south to the Denali Mountain Morning hostel. We started our dinner cooking while we waited for the hosts so that we could check in. Gabbi and Jacqui weren’t quite sure what to do with all of the people cooking and eating at once. Danielle said, “and you thought Nonni’s kitchen gets crowded!” After a short time, they were entertaining all the guests (whether they wanted to be entertained or not). After we ate, we got our things into the Coffee Grinder cabin nearby and all collapsed after a long day.

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