Day Sixteen - Cantwell, AK

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We still had two tickets to try to sell before the green bus left at 12:30 today. We left for the park about 11:00 loaded with snacks, water, cameras and dogs. And the bus tickets. We pulled into the bus depot parking lot and began scanning for possible buyers. We saw one guy getting out of his car so Dave parked the truck and he and Mike took both tickets and approached him. Teri and I reminded them to tell him the park entrance fee was included and we just didn't need two days of the same trip, hoping that would encourage the man to buy them. They approached him looking like two men unsure of how to score drugs, talked with him a while then came back to the truck, both tickets still in hand. They had turned down his offer of only $10. They approached two or three couples, but all had already purchased their tickets (or were wary of these sketchy-looking old guys). Running out of time, they finally decided to take the first guy up on his offer. $10 would be better than two unused tickets. He only bought one, then got in his car and left. Don't know if he actually used it or not. They returned with the remaining ticket. Teri and I took over this time. An older couple parked nearby and Teri called to them asking if they would want to buy the ticket for $20. We explained the situation. The couple exchanged looks, discussed it briefly then bought the ticket. It was nearing 12:15, the time they would be calling passengers to board so they hurried because they still had to buy a second ticket. We hoped they were able to get the ticket and get to the bus in time.

With that taken care of, we drove to the Visitor Center. Dogs are not allowed on the trails of the park, but they can be in the three campgrounds, the parking lots, Park Road and the paved area between the Denali Visitor Center, Morino Grill and Alaska Geographic Park Store. We each wanted to look at the displays and information in the visitor center so we took turns dogsitting. The boys took responsibility with the boys while the girls went inside. You decide which boys are the human ones.

The visitor center had two floors and you entered on the upper floor. There was a large, circular 3D map of the park and a theater that showed two films: one showing the park through the four seasons; the other about the role of sled dogs in the park. The first was enjoyable, but the second was very interesting and engaging. It showed dogs from puppies to adults and the training that goes into making a good sled dog. In it the narrator also explained the important role dogs play in the day-to-day work that takes place from education and demonstrations from late spring to early fall to transportation once the snow starts accumulating. There are many places within the park that can only be accessed via sled and dog team. Park rangers and scientists, according to the film, look for the least environmentally impactful mode of transportation to get to where they need to go, beginning with the dog sled. The teams are used to take tools, building materials, scientific instruments, supplies, etc. to various places in the park. They are also used to take broken, used, or otherwise unneeded items out of the wilderness. Teams can be out for days at a time and dogs and mushers form extremely tight bonds because they depend so much on each other.

The lower floor had exhibits of many of the different animals that call the park home. This was possibly the only way we would see some of these animals. Did you know bear poop changes depending on the diet of the season? Makes sense when you think about it. The lower floor also had exhibits showing how native Alaskans lived before the influx of non-native settlers. Some people of native descent choose to live the way of their ancestors, hunting and fishing year round and growing fruits and vegetables. I admire their determination to keep their culture alive.

Finished with my tour of the center, I met up with the male contingency of our group at a bench in the shade of the building. They had an audience. The dogs always bring the kids and women in and Mike and Dave, both great conversationalists, turn a brief "Oh cute! May I pet your dog?" into a half-hour or more conversation. Mike told me Charlie kept an eye on the door that swallowed me whole, waiting for me to reemerge. He eventually resigned himself to the fact I wouldn't be returning any time soon. Teri joined us soon after and it was now our turn to keep the dogs from running amok. Vinnie isn't an amok-running kind of dog. Charlie, if given the chance, is. He soon got bored and began barking. It starts out as a low, kind of quiet, "Rowr" and increases in volume and woofiness if I try to ignore him. If given the chance it will become a full-fledged, loud, high pitched bark. Before that happened I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk. He cocked his head to one side as if to say, "Did you just say 'Walk'?" We walked the paved paths between the buildings, around trees, out to the parking lots and past kiosks with park maps and wilderness safety, stopping to prove "Charlie was here" in various places and approaching other visitors to see if they had any treats in their pockets. That's how it works at the dog park. This is a park, why wouldn't it work the same way here? Tank emptied, a couple hundred more steps on my health app and we were back at the bench. Ten minutes later I heard a "Rowr" again. We did this four times during the time Mike and Dave were in looking at the exhibits and watching the two films. Charlie is like a little kid sometimes, "Moommm, I'm bored. Can we go now??" "Rowr"

Once we were all together again we walked the short distance to the gift shop and did the tag team thing again. Souvenirs purchased we worked our way back out to the truck and the next destination today: Stampede Road.

Our second attempt to find Stampede Road was successful. We just hadn't gone far enough the first time. The scenery was beautiful. A variety of greens and browns set against a backdrop of bright blue. Along the road we found a Backcountry Base Camp erected by a local guide company. There was a main shelter building with a tall propane heater, an outhouse, a couple other buildings that I couldn't decipher their purpose and a nice stone fire pit with benches. all the buildings were locked for the season. I'm sure they're only open in the winter. I wonder if it's only for use by the backcountry excursion groups.

Back in the truck we continued our exploration of the road. We passed a narrow boardwalk that extended far over the grassland to what looked to be a scientific monitoring station of some sort. There were a few cars parked here, so it must be a common trail for day trips. Even further down the road we came upon a small Class C motorhome camped in a pullout along the dusty, dirt road. It looked to be an often used campsite. Continuing our exploration we next arrived at a wide area where a couple of small trucks towing flatbed trailers were parked. The owners must have brought ATVs to ride around the brush and trees of the landscape. At the far end of the "parking area" were two options for continuing. The option to the right was narrow, too narrow for the truck. We chose the left option which quickly became too narrow as well. Dave deftly backed his truck back into the wide turn-around area, did just that and headed back the way we had come. At the boardwalk a man had just gotten out of his car and was walking toward the boardwalk. We asked where the wooden path led. It ended just where we thought. He thought it was some UAF (University of Alaska, Fairbanks) monitoring station for one of their science departments.

Last on the list while we were out and about was a trip to the grocery store. We cracked the windows and made a quick trip through the small store. I noticed a common denominator with many of the products on their shelves - Kirkland brand. Many of the items that weren't Kirkland brand, were Costco-sized. They shopped at Costco to stock their shelves! I'm sure a lot of small independent stores do that, I just hadn't seen it until now. There was one item, though, that was neither Kirkland brand nor Costco-sized. It had its own display at the corner of one aisle. Fisher Scone Mix! Somebody's been to a fair in Washington. I can taste them now, mmmmm!

Provisions purchased and packed, we loaded them in the truck leaving just enough room for the pooped pups. Back at camp we all collapsed and had a relaxing evening. I spent mine trying to get another day's blog typed and pictures added, titled, arranged and rearranged so they fit the narrative.

Feel like doing a little time traveling with me? The evening and night I just wrote about I was creating and posting the events of Day Eleven - four days prior. In real time, I am typing this the evening and night of Aug 1st (Day 26). Yes, I'm that far behind. Mostly because of WiFi issues dealing with uploading pictures, partly because I've been wanting and needing to get to bed at a decent time based on the next day's schedule. The RV park we're currently staying in (and leaving tomorrow) has excellent WiFi, but (full disclosure) my motivation to sit at the laptop has dropped. But I'm writing this blog so I can look back on it later and relive our Awesome Alaskan Adventure.

Now to throw a few pictures in here to make it pretty, then go to bed.

Talk to you soon.

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