In September 2022, daughter Jill and I traveled north to Alaska – a 12-day adventure from Seward to Fairbanks. Click HERE to read a short introduction to our epic trip.
This story is the fifth in a series about the sights we saw and the experiences we had as we traveled through The Last Frontier.
This story is the fifth in a series about the sights we saw and the experiences we had as we traveled through The Last Frontier.
Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska (September 8, 2022) Last evening, Jill and I checked into the Grande Denali Lodge. We had a day and a half ahead of us to explore a vast wilderness, located in the heart of the rugged Alaska Range, that was largely untouched by human hands.
Of all the places in Alaska that Jill and I would visit, it was this place – Denali National Park and Preserve – that I looked forward to the most: Millions of acres of unspoiled wilderness from the forested lowlands to the granite spires of the Alaska Range. Iconic wildlife that included some of the largest mammals in North America. Braided streams and rivers with multi-threaded channels fed by snow melt off mountains and glaciers.
This was The Last Frontier.
To come here was a dream in the making these past 12 years – since I first visited Alaska with Debra in 2010. And now, it was a dream come true!
Of all the places in Alaska that Jill and I would visit, it was this place – Denali National Park and Preserve – that I looked forward to the most: Millions of acres of unspoiled wilderness from the forested lowlands to the granite spires of the Alaska Range. Iconic wildlife that included some of the largest mammals in North America. Braided streams and rivers with multi-threaded channels fed by snow melt off mountains and glaciers.
This was The Last Frontier.
To come here was a dream in the making these past 12 years – since I first visited Alaska with Debra in 2010. And now, it was a dream come true!
We slept in this morning – not a ten a.m. ‘sleep in’, mind you, but it was close to eight when we woke. No reason to rise and shine early, as our tour started at noon.
I had a good night’s sleep and awoke refreshed. Still, I needed a morning jolt to start my day.
“Jill, I’ll shower and dress first so that you can have the room to yourself while you get ready.”
I had a good night’s sleep and awoke refreshed. Still, I needed a morning jolt to start my day.
“Jill, I’ll shower and dress first so that you can have the room to yourself while you get ready.”
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Fifteen minutes later, I walked out the door and made my way to Peak Expresso Café, located in the lobby of the main lodge. We’ve all heard the saying, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” Perhaps, but I tended to eat a light breakfast at home and on the road, and today was no different: A cup of Kalida Brothers coffee – “Alaska’s favorite!” – and a yogurt parfait. With breakfast in hand, I settled into a leather wingback chair, where I read emails, caught up with friends on Facebook, and thumbed the news headlines.
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An hour passed before I felt a presence nearby. I slowly raised my eyes…
“You found me,” I said to Jill with a smile.
“Yep. Are you ready for breakfast?” she asked.
“I just finished mine,” I replied as I pointed to the empties next to me.
“Well, I’m going to Alpenglow,” Jill said with a nod towards the restaurant to her right. “I’ll see you in the room in an hour or so.”
“Enjoy!” I called out as she walked away.
I glanced out the window. Looks like it might rain, I thought. Better check the forecast. ‘Tap, tap’ with my finger on the screen of my phone. Current temp – 49 degrees (but feels like 45 – brr!). Slight breeze. High this afternoon – 50 degrees. 58% chance of rain.
Again, I peeked through the window. It’s not raining now, and this scenery is gorgeous. It’s never too early to take the first pic of the day!
Even with an overcast sky, the view was breathtaking. The Nenana River, which formed the eastern boundary of Denali National Park, cut through a forest of fall colors, while the mountains on the horizon, part of the 600-mile-long Alaska Range, rose towards ominous, yet beautiful, clouds.
LOVED. IT!
“You found me,” I said to Jill with a smile.
“Yep. Are you ready for breakfast?” she asked.
“I just finished mine,” I replied as I pointed to the empties next to me.
“Well, I’m going to Alpenglow,” Jill said with a nod towards the restaurant to her right. “I’ll see you in the room in an hour or so.”
“Enjoy!” I called out as she walked away.
I glanced out the window. Looks like it might rain, I thought. Better check the forecast. ‘Tap, tap’ with my finger on the screen of my phone. Current temp – 49 degrees (but feels like 45 – brr!). Slight breeze. High this afternoon – 50 degrees. 58% chance of rain.
Again, I peeked through the window. It’s not raining now, and this scenery is gorgeous. It’s never too early to take the first pic of the day!
Even with an overcast sky, the view was breathtaking. The Nenana River, which formed the eastern boundary of Denali National Park, cut through a forest of fall colors, while the mountains on the horizon, part of the 600-mile-long Alaska Range, rose towards ominous, yet beautiful, clouds.
LOVED. IT!
“This afternoon’s forecast is cool and damp,” I told Jill as I walked into our room. “Best to layer.”
“I’m way ahead of you,” she replied with a wink. “Three tops AND a coat.”
Me too, by the time I was done. I stuffed a few things into my backpack, including my ‘just-in-case’ umbrella. Soon, we were out the door and on our way to the park.
“I’m way ahead of you,” she replied with a wink. “Three tops AND a coat.”
Me too, by the time I was done. I stuffed a few things into my backpack, including my ‘just-in-case’ umbrella. Soon, we were out the door and on our way to the park.
Alone in an unknown wilderness, hundreds of miles from civilization and high on
one of the world’s most imposing mountains, I was deeply moved by…the vast
extent of the wild areas below, the chaos of the unfinished surfaces still in
process of molding, and by the crash and roar of the mighty avalanches.
~ Charles Sheldon, the Father of Denali National Park
one of the world’s most imposing mountains, I was deeply moved by…the vast
extent of the wild areas below, the chaos of the unfinished surfaces still in
process of molding, and by the crash and roar of the mighty avalanches.
~ Charles Sheldon, the Father of Denali National Park
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As we turned onto Park Road, I blurted, “Jill…up ahead…a Kodak moment…we have to stop.”
She saw what I saw. “You never miss one, do you?!” Click, click. |
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A few minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot at the Denali Bus Depot. I glanced at my watch. It was 11:30. Great! We have time to nose around the gift shop.
“Dad, what do you think of this hat?” Jill asked. It was a ‘girly’ baseball-style cap – a pinkish-purple color with ‘Denali’ emblazoned in looping script on the front panel. (Oops! Was that not PC?!) “Do you wear baseball caps?” “Well, no,” Jill acknowledged. “But I think it’s cute, and I’d wear it on my trip to Hawaii in December.” “Then you should buy it.” And she did. |
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Moi? Well, baseball caps were my go-to souvenirs – I have more than 50 hats from places I’ve visited – but I purchased three earlier on our trip, so….
T-shirt? No. Mug? No. Book? Already did. And then I saw it, THE souvenir that cried out “buy me!” - a Denali National Park hat pin, which I purchased and fastened to my Alaska cap.
T-shirt? No. Mug? No. Book? Already did. And then I saw it, THE souvenir that cried out “buy me!” - a Denali National Park hat pin, which I purchased and fastened to my Alaska cap.
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Our bus accommodated 60 passengers – four seats to a row with two-seat benches on each side of a center aisle. Jill and I sat in the seventh row on the left side of the bus. Not a strategic decision, mind you – just the ‘first available’ when we boarded.
When the last person was seated, the doors closed, and a voice came over the audio system. “Hi! My name is Phil. I’ll be your driver and tour guide.” “Hello Phil!” Jill and I (and many others) called back in unison. |
A mile or two up the road, Phil announced, “Folks, I have a lot of information to share with you on our tour, but don’t worry, I won’t talk continuously. I’d lose my voice and you’d get bored if I did. I promise you long stretches of silence so that you can enjoy the beautiful scenery that we will see along the way.”
And this was what Phil did – he talked a few minutes here, five minutes there, with plenty of quiet time in between. He was knowledgeable, interesting, engaging, and informative…and hands down, the best of the guides we had on our trip!
“The story of Denali National Park began with a man named Charles Sheldon, a gentleman hunter turned conservationist,” Phil began.
(My fingers flew across the keyboard on my phone as I hurriedly jotted notes while he spoke.)
“He first visited this area in 1906 to study Dall sheep, a species native to Alaska and Canada. In time, Sheldon realized that this wilderness, along with its abundant wildlife, should be preserved in as near-pristine condition as possible for future generations. It took a decade of hard work, but Sheldon, with help from others, persuaded Congress to create Mount McKinley National Park in 1917.”
And this was what Phil did – he talked a few minutes here, five minutes there, with plenty of quiet time in between. He was knowledgeable, interesting, engaging, and informative…and hands down, the best of the guides we had on our trip!
“The story of Denali National Park began with a man named Charles Sheldon, a gentleman hunter turned conservationist,” Phil began.
(My fingers flew across the keyboard on my phone as I hurriedly jotted notes while he spoke.)
“He first visited this area in 1906 to study Dall sheep, a species native to Alaska and Canada. In time, Sheldon realized that this wilderness, along with its abundant wildlife, should be preserved in as near-pristine condition as possible for future generations. It took a decade of hard work, but Sheldon, with help from others, persuaded Congress to create Mount McKinley National Park in 1917.”
“Some of you might wonder about the park’s name,” Phil continued. “Sheldon was a proponent of the Alaska Native word Denali, which means ‘the tall one’ – a nod to the tallest mountain in North America. Instead, Congress named the park, as well as the 20,310-foot-tall mountain, in honor of our 25th president, William McKinley. In 1980, Mount McKinley National Park and Denali National Monument were combined and renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. The renaming was completed in 2015, when Mount McKinley became known as Denali.”
A couple miles up the road, Phil picked up where he left off. “This park encompassed 2.1 million acres when it was established. Over the years, the park grew to a little more than 6 million acres – nearly the same size as Massachusetts. Unlike Massachusetts, though, Denali has only one road, mostly dirt and gravel, that runs 92 miles east to west from the park entrance. No surprise – it was named Park Road. We’ll drive Park Road to a turnabout at mile marker 43.”
Our tour is only 43 miles of a 92-mile road? I wonder why. (Stay tuned for the answer.)
Our tour is only 43 miles of a 92-mile road? I wonder why. (Stay tuned for the answer.)
I dug into my backpack and pulled out a brochure I picked up at the bus depot. When I unfolded it, I found park information on one side and a road map on the other. I used my finger to trace our route on the map, from right to left. We’ll cross several rivers, including the Savage, Sanctuary, and Teklanika, and pass several prominent mountains, including Cathedral, Igloo, and Sable. But where is The Tall One? Where is Denali?
As if he read my mind, Phil explained, “The best opportunities to see Denali, located about 60 miles northwest of us, will be at mile markers 11, 17, 19, and 39. If we spot Denali, you will be members of the 30% Club – the lucky few who came to Alaska to see Denali and did.”
As if he read my mind, Phil explained, “The best opportunities to see Denali, located about 60 miles northwest of us, will be at mile markers 11, 17, 19, and 39. If we spot Denali, you will be members of the 30% Club – the lucky few who came to Alaska to see Denali and did.”
SPOILER ALERT
We passed all four markers without seeing Denali, as The Tall One was hidden by low-hanging clouds. So, instead of the 30% Club, Jill and I were official members of the 70% Club. Yes, we were disappointed, but only for a short while as there was so much more to see than North America’s tallest mountain.
Like wildlife…
Jill and I, and everyone else on our bus, were on the lookout for wildlife – moose, bears, sheep, wolves, eagles, etc., etc.
“I have a camera mounted on the bus, with a zoom lens that I can rotate 360 degrees,” noted Phil. “If you see an animal, call out ‘wildlife left’ or ‘wildlife right’. I will find and display it on the monitors hanging down every few rows. Please keep your voices to a whisper when we stop, as sounds carry a long way in the wilderness, and we don’t want to spook the animals.”
Like wildlife…
Jill and I, and everyone else on our bus, were on the lookout for wildlife – moose, bears, sheep, wolves, eagles, etc., etc.
“I have a camera mounted on the bus, with a zoom lens that I can rotate 360 degrees,” noted Phil. “If you see an animal, call out ‘wildlife left’ or ‘wildlife right’. I will find and display it on the monitors hanging down every few rows. Please keep your voices to a whisper when we stop, as sounds carry a long way in the wilderness, and we don’t want to spook the animals.”
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A few miles up Park Road, at an elevation of about 2,000 feet, Phil slowed the bus and stopped. Two cows – female moose – stood in the middle of the road 25 yards ahead of us. After a bit, both cows moved off to our right, where they meandered through the brush and then disappeared into the trees.
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“These are adult cows,” Phil observed. “They can weigh 600 to 800 pounds and stand five to six feet tall at the shoulders.”
I was seated at the window on the left side – no way for me to snap a pic. Jill, seated to my right, saved the day. She stood in the aisle with her phone in hand and took pics and shot video over the heads of passengers seated to our right. |
In my first story, about our cruise on the Kenai Fjords in Seward, I wrote that the orcas we spotted were “one of Jill’s three must-sees on our trip.” Moose was another. Jill was able to check that box, too.
It was good to be back in the wilderness again where everything
seems at peace, I was alone. It was a great feeling – a stirring
feeling. Free once more to plan and do as I pleased. Beyond
was all around me. The dream was a dream no longer.
~ Dick Proenneke, from One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
seems at peace, I was alone. It was a great feeling – a stirring
feeling. Free once more to plan and do as I pleased. Beyond
was all around me. The dream was a dream no longer.
~ Dick Proenneke, from One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
We drove in silence for a while – an opportunity to lose myself in the rugged landscape of Denali. Could I survive in this near trail-less wilderness like Proenneke did? My inner voice answered, You wouldn’t last a day! Oh, well, it was fun to fantasize, even if for just a moment.
Phil resumed his story. “We will climb – on the bus, of course! – almost 2,300 feet to a peak elevation of 4,000 feet. As we climb, we will travel through three ecological zones, from the lowlands to the subalpine. The lowlands are a dense forest dominated by evergreens, birch, and aspen. What will happen to this vegetation as we climb?” Phil asked. No takers, so he answered, “It will become thinner and thinner until it largely disappears at 3,000 feet. This is the tree line, where the temperature is too cold for shrubs and trees to survive.”
The landscape – this vast wilderness – was at times beautiful and at times stark…and often, both.
Phil resumed his story. “We will climb – on the bus, of course! – almost 2,300 feet to a peak elevation of 4,000 feet. As we climb, we will travel through three ecological zones, from the lowlands to the subalpine. The lowlands are a dense forest dominated by evergreens, birch, and aspen. What will happen to this vegetation as we climb?” Phil asked. No takers, so he answered, “It will become thinner and thinner until it largely disappears at 3,000 feet. This is the tree line, where the temperature is too cold for shrubs and trees to survive.”
The landscape – this vast wilderness – was at times beautiful and at times stark…and often, both.
I snapped this photo halfway through our tour, near mile marker 29, I believe. If so, the river that snaked across the terrain was the Teklanika, a 91-mile-long tributary of the Nenana River. (The translucent smudge on the left was a raindrop on the window I looked out through.) We had passed the lowlands and were at a point on the road where there were still colorful shrubs but few trees. The lower ridge of the mountain at the right marked the tree line – a bit of scrub up the slope and over the top of the ridge, but no vegetation above it. It was just as Phil said it would be.
I wasn’t obsessed with our turnaround point – mile marker 43 – but I wondered why we would travel less than half of the one-way distance of Park Road. Phil supplied the answer as we approached that moment we would double back.
“Up ahead is mile marker 43. Unfortunately, we must turn back there because a landslide near Pretty Rocks made the road impassable past that point. The interesting thing about this landslide, which has been active since the 1960s, is that the rate of road movement rapidly increased, beginning in 2014, from inches per year to inches per day. Last year, the pace was more than one-half inch per hour!”
Zounds, I thought, this landslide was an unstoppable force!
Unstoppable, perhaps, but not forever, as Phil revealed that park services recently announced a $25 million project to shore up the slopes, rebuild the road, and construct a bridge. In a couple of years, if all goes as planned, visitors will again be able to navigate Park Road from start to finish.
I wasn’t obsessed with our turnaround point – mile marker 43 – but I wondered why we would travel less than half of the one-way distance of Park Road. Phil supplied the answer as we approached that moment we would double back.
“Up ahead is mile marker 43. Unfortunately, we must turn back there because a landslide near Pretty Rocks made the road impassable past that point. The interesting thing about this landslide, which has been active since the 1960s, is that the rate of road movement rapidly increased, beginning in 2014, from inches per year to inches per day. Last year, the pace was more than one-half inch per hour!”
Zounds, I thought, this landslide was an unstoppable force!
Unstoppable, perhaps, but not forever, as Phil revealed that park services recently announced a $25 million project to shore up the slopes, rebuild the road, and construct a bridge. In a couple of years, if all goes as planned, visitors will again be able to navigate Park Road from start to finish.
We stretched our legs at the turnabout – a quarter hour or so off the bus. Fresh air, small talk with Phil (standing with Jill), a few more shots of the stunning landscape. I was in seventh heaven!
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And then it was time to leave. The drive back was, by and large, a rewind of the drive out…with a couple of noteworthy wildlife sightings.
“This park is a sanctuary to 14 species of fish, 39 species of mammals, and 160 species of birds,” Phil said. “There are creatures small and great, from the Willow Ptarmigan, Alaska’s state bird, to the grizzly bear, which can weigh up to 600 pounds and stand nine feet tall. Let’s keep our eyes open on the drive back. Remember, call out ‘wildlife right’ or ‘wildlife left’ when you see something.”
It didn’t take long for a passenger to cry out ‘wildlife left.’ Excellent, my side of the bus!
“What is it?” asked Phil.
“This park is a sanctuary to 14 species of fish, 39 species of mammals, and 160 species of birds,” Phil said. “There are creatures small and great, from the Willow Ptarmigan, Alaska’s state bird, to the grizzly bear, which can weigh up to 600 pounds and stand nine feet tall. Let’s keep our eyes open on the drive back. Remember, call out ‘wildlife right’ or ‘wildlife left’ when you see something.”
It didn’t take long for a passenger to cry out ‘wildlife left.’ Excellent, my side of the bus!
“What is it?” asked Phil.
The answer came back, “There’s a grizzly on the ridge at nine o’clock.”
Phil came to a full stop and manned the camera. All around me I heard, “There it is! I see it!” Well, their eyesight was better than mine, as the distance was too far for me see the bear as it walked along the elongated hill in the center of this photo. I settled for second best – I watched the bear on the monitor as it ambled through the scrub.
Phil came to a full stop and manned the camera. All around me I heard, “There it is! I see it!” Well, their eyesight was better than mine, as the distance was too far for me see the bear as it walked along the elongated hill in the center of this photo. I settled for second best – I watched the bear on the monitor as it ambled through the scrub.
We settled into our seats as Phil pulled away…but not for long, as he soon spotted a small herd of Dall sheep high up on the slope of a mountain. As he came to a full stop, he revealed, “Dall sheep at eight o’clock on the left.” Again, my side of the bus, and again I had no visual when I peered out through the window. Dang it!
I looked at the monitor; sure enough, Phil had the camera on the herd. This will have to do. Later, back at the lodge, I expanded this photo. Guess what? I spotted a handful of white dots two-thirds of the way up on the light gray slope to the left of the second tree from the right. (Got it?!) It was the herd of Dall sheep. I saw them after all!
I looked at the monitor; sure enough, Phil had the camera on the herd. This will have to do. Later, back at the lodge, I expanded this photo. Guess what? I spotted a handful of white dots two-thirds of the way up on the light gray slope to the left of the second tree from the right. (Got it?!) It was the herd of Dall sheep. I saw them after all!
We reached the ranger station at mile marker 15, where the gravel and paved roads met, and with a wave of my hand, I said goodbye.
I came here in search of the wildlife and breathtaking views I had read about. I found both in this rough-hewn landscape and left with memories that will last my lifetime!
It was half past five when we reached the bus depot. Jill and I had snacks on the bus that tied us over…but we were ready for a sit-down dinner.
As we got into the car, Jill said, “Dad, give me a moment to find a restaurant.”
Tick tock, tick tock.
A few minutes later, Jill advised, “We’re going to Moos-Aka’s. Their website says that they serve eastern European fare. Can you imagine that, here in the middle of nowhere? And, they have a five-star rating on Yelp. It’s located in the same plaza where we ate last night.”
I didn’t hear room for discussion in Jill’s voice, so Moos-Aka’s it was. I should not have doubted her choice, as we had a lovely meal.
We were seated at a table for two on the enclosed patio, and within minutes of reading the menu, Jill and I gave the waiter our order: Two bowls of vegetable soup, a meat stuffed pepper for Jill, Moussaka for me.
“That was an amazing tour, wasn’t it,” I half-said/half-asked Jill, not certain of what she thought about our afternoon excursion into the park.
“It exceeded my expectations,” replied Jill. “And I was thrilled to see moose!”
Whew!
As if I didn’t know, Jill added, “Only one more must-see to go.”
“Well, we’ve got five or six days ahead of us, including a night at Borealis Basecamp,” I pointed out, “Chances are good you will see the Northern Lights.”
(Oops! Did I spoil the suspense of Jill’s third must-see?!)
Soon, our soup arrived – to borrow from Campbell’s, it was M’m! M’m! Good! – and ten minutes later our waiter delivered our entrees. They LOOKED delicious…and WERE.
As we got into the car, Jill said, “Dad, give me a moment to find a restaurant.”
Tick tock, tick tock.
A few minutes later, Jill advised, “We’re going to Moos-Aka’s. Their website says that they serve eastern European fare. Can you imagine that, here in the middle of nowhere? And, they have a five-star rating on Yelp. It’s located in the same plaza where we ate last night.”
I didn’t hear room for discussion in Jill’s voice, so Moos-Aka’s it was. I should not have doubted her choice, as we had a lovely meal.
We were seated at a table for two on the enclosed patio, and within minutes of reading the menu, Jill and I gave the waiter our order: Two bowls of vegetable soup, a meat stuffed pepper for Jill, Moussaka for me.
“That was an amazing tour, wasn’t it,” I half-said/half-asked Jill, not certain of what she thought about our afternoon excursion into the park.
“It exceeded my expectations,” replied Jill. “And I was thrilled to see moose!”
Whew!
As if I didn’t know, Jill added, “Only one more must-see to go.”
“Well, we’ve got five or six days ahead of us, including a night at Borealis Basecamp,” I pointed out, “Chances are good you will see the Northern Lights.”
(Oops! Did I spoil the suspense of Jill’s third must-see?!)
Soon, our soup arrived – to borrow from Campbell’s, it was M’m! M’m! Good! – and ten minutes later our waiter delivered our entrees. They LOOKED delicious…and WERE.
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“Without a doubt, this was the best meal I’ve had on our trip!” Jill declared.
After dinner, we strolled the boardwalk and visited a few of the gift shops we missed last night. We were back at Grande Denali Lodge an hour later, where we posted photos and a few sentences on Facebook, talked with our significant others, and read before we turned in for the night.
This was another great day of sightseeing in The Last Frontier!
We’ll visit the Denali Dog Sled Kennels in the morning. Then, we’ll drive north to Fairbanks, the last stop on our Alaska adventure. I look forward to sharing our experiences with you.
After dinner, we strolled the boardwalk and visited a few of the gift shops we missed last night. We were back at Grande Denali Lodge an hour later, where we posted photos and a few sentences on Facebook, talked with our significant others, and read before we turned in for the night.
This was another great day of sightseeing in The Last Frontier!
We’ll visit the Denali Dog Sled Kennels in the morning. Then, we’ll drive north to Fairbanks, the last stop on our Alaska adventure. I look forward to sharing our experiences with you.