Denali - Savage River

---

After the exhausting day yesterday, we all slept in a bit. We headed to the visitor center and caught a little bit of a talk about what it is like to climb Mt. Denali. We have yet to see the mountain on this trip. Interesting that we had such beautiful views from Anchorage just the other day and now there is no sign of it with rain and a mix of sun and clouds. We found out during our bus ride yesterday that out of ~120 days in the season, it might be visible 30 times! In planning our day, we decided that we would catch the 4:00 sled dog demo, so we drove to Savage River for a hike. We caught a view of Denali on the way!! We hiked the Savage River Trail and saw a mother and Dall sheep lamb about 300 vertical feet above us, so we decided to get a closer look. The Dall sheep that we have seen so far have been white dots on the mountainsides, so these were close. We had also heard that you could get reasonably close without scaring them off. So we veered off the path and got a nice view. We made it back to the path and crossed the river on the bridge. We decided to hike up the side of the hill a bit before heading back up the other side of the river. After some rock scrambling and beautiful views, we came back to the bridge and got a real treat! Four sheep came down the side of the hill across from us, then worked there way to the edge of the river and leaped to the other side. Then they came right up past us and on up the mountain! I think this made it worth the trek up the hillside for Gabbi and Jacqui (they were complaining about hiking for the third day in a row). We tried to find a delicate balance between Danielle and I making sure that we get our fill of seeing as much of Alaska as we can and giving the girls the time they need to just play (which we all find incredibly important).

We headed back to the visitor center with minutes to spare to catch the sled dog demonstration only to learn that after September 1 they no longer provide the 4:00 show. The girls had finished their junior ranger books so they got their badges. Then, we headed to the commercial district for dinner. We ate at the Salmon Bake and had pretty tasty burritos and ice cream a couple of storefronts down. We headed to the Riley Creek campground and caught the campfire program about predators to finish off another great day! The rangers here really enjoy the work they do.

Back at the hostel, the girls continued entertaining the guests with splits and backbends, except this time the folks were not quite as responsive (or impressed). There were 2 older couples (I think from Canada) that gave me the impression that they were not looking to be entertained. Gabbi read it right and stopped, but Jacqui, being Jacqui, didn’t take the hint and kept on going. She was determined to get a smile or some kind of response. I’m not sure she ever got one….

---