July 7, 2009

July 7, 2009

Experiencing Denali National Park is a difficult and time-consuming process. To prove that, we spent the entire day on a school bus again taking it west, this time to the end of the road at Wonder Lake (mile 85). A longer déjà vu of yesterday; but not quite. While the sky was clearer than yesterday I wasn’t prepared for what I saw as we approached yesterday’s stop at Stony Hill Overlook. Staring us in the face, clear as a bell, no clouds in the sky, was Denali, “The High One”, the fleeting Mt McKinley. Definitely a special treat. Denali is normally obscured by clouds four out of five summer days. But somehow, the couple drops of rain last night and a breeze in the right direction must have blown the smoke out of the park. I now feel complete with the park and can leave Denali content. Mt McKinley is impressive to look at. It is 20,320 feet high, soaring high above the valley below. Plus it is a massive peak, one big hunk of snow-covered rock.

Denali and the accompanying Alaska Range are so high, they block much of the rain clouds heading north. As a result the north side is an arid treeless tundra. We would have liked to stay at Wonder Lake and maybe hike out to the “dirty” grass-covered glacier, but we have a long return bus ride ahead of us. Seeing the interior of Denali requires a huge commitment of time and effort (and camping). On the way back we stopped at the same scenic spots as yesterday, but with sunny smoke-free skies, the colors are much more dramatic. Back at camp, we strolled the Teklanika riverbank before dinner.