Awoke to gray skies and drizzle. Hard to get up this morning but we have our
pancakes with real maple syrup and butter, bacon and sausage and we set out for
a hike on the local trails. There are
openings of blue sky and sun ringed by low dark gray clouds. Bear bells and hiking sticks intact and we go
off jingling down the trail off of our campground. This is the area where the sick bear was that
had to be shot. We are in a meadow of
low growth bushes that have been thoroughly munched by moose and scat all
around. We view Savage River, it is
clear and not glacier, and the beautiful mountains all around. Don’t see any animals and it’s disappointing
but glad not to run into them. One of
our fellow campers tell us one of them was chased all around the campground by
a moose with a calf. No harm but hairy
time. Blueberries, low bush and high
bush cranberries are growing everywhere.
People are out picking and the bears are eating them too. We haven’t had time to pick and that’s too
bad but we have so many things in the time we’re here. We head up to the shuttle bus stop outside
our campground. A free service and we
don’t have to move the RV. It shuttles
us down to the bus and RR depot
where the Alaska RR brings visitors in. Most are with the Princess Cruise Line
with their double decker cars and outdoor viewing platforms. A train pulls in as we arrive. We see three moose on a distant hill on the
way down on the bus. We visit the Denali Book Store and find a few items. They have almost no stock left for the NPS
Centennial very disappointing. Denali
Park is 100 years old next year so another celebration at this park. We stop off at the café and sit outside under
the eave for a snack. Then we head down
to another bus that takes us to the Denali Kennel for their sled dog viewing
and demonstration. (We meet a couple
from Wooster, Ohio, about 40 miles from Hudson and a couple from Melbourne,
Aus.) A mother moose and calf are 10
feet from the bus and we get lots of pics on the way up to the kennels. We are allowed to view and pet the dogs that
are willing. Big dogs compared to the
Greyhound physiques of the race dogs.
These are working dogs that work through the winter often in 40 below
hauling freight, patrolling the park and
breaking trails in deep snow. An Alaskan Husky is not a pure breed, but a cross breed of Siberian Husky
and Malamute. Their color and markings
vary, many with the opaque blue eyes of a Malamute. A litter of four puppies are sleeping in
their house. The names of each new
litter are taken from a new theme each year.
This litter have celebration names for the 100 years NPS . We are given a demo of the team in action
pulling a cart with wheels. We are
always impressed with the intelligence of these hard working dogs. Bus back to the Visitor’s Center to see the
exhibits and watch the movie. A walk
over to the Murie Science Center for interactive computer activities, a wolf
skeleton, dinosaur finds and to view the beautiful Denali handmade quilt, three
quarter inch blocks depicting the satellite view from space of this huge
park. It’s larger than a King size. Bus back to the RV. Dinner: cheeseburgers, brats, tater tots, veg
and dip, blueberry cheesecake. Walk down the road to the Ranger Program on
wolves. Ranger is from Erie, Pa and is
the same one as at the dog demo. He is an excellent speaker and gives a nice
program. It’s spitting rain and the wind
is colder as we walk back to the RV. We
decide to have a showdown game of rummy.
We have to stop since it’s getting late but Minde is in the lead. As we play a couple from California walk
by. They have brought their Pomeranian
dogs with them in the campground. But as
we looked closer they were also walking
Siamese cat on a leash. We’re in
the wilderness without TV, this is better than TV. Going back the Wilderness road tomorrow and
it is a big day. Time for rest. We have
no cell phone or Internet connection up here.
It’s hard to let go of it but we are finding peace, light conversation and enjoying each
other and the silence.! Night
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