August 8

Awoke to mostly white clouds and blue skies, breezy and warm.   Catch the bus at our campground stop.   We wind our way into the park with caribou walking right past our bus, see a mother grizzly and two cubs on high ground, Ptarmigan, Dall Sheep rams, marmots.  The mountains in this area are almost like dessert with eroded sides bearing various colors in the rock.  There is little snow in these mountains and a few high glaciers.  The rivers are still running high, some braided glacial and some snow/rain run-off, there has been record rains in the area.  The bus driver was very knowledgeable and described all the flora, fauna and geological features.  They have found dinosaur tracks and some bones in the Igloo Creek area so there will be more archeological digs.  It’s a warm day for the animals.  We do not see wolves, they are here but their population is low.  There is affect by the hunting for them around the park for sport and fur and the wolves don’t know about boundaries so they get killed.  When one wolf gets killed it can kill the whole pack due to their inner support system.  There is legislation in the works to try to slow the killing of them by the NPS.  The road is not bad considering it’s gravel and dirt, better than the Denali Highway.  There is only one road in and out and it’s narrow. There are very hairy twists and turns without guardrails and hundreds of feet drops.  One our way in we are treated with views of both the north and south summits of Denali, the largest mountain in North America and considered one of the world’s tallest.  It is glacier covered and bright white. Most of the climbing season is over, hundreds go per year from around the world.  The mountain is so massive and ice covered that it makes its own weather.  Only 30% of visitors who come get to see it.  After the weather we’ve been having this is unexpected and very nice for Minde.  We end at Eilsen Visitors Center.  The air is cool and thin but the sun is intense and  hot.  One of the great viewing areas for the mountain, but it has disappeared already.  We eat our packed lunch on the stone patio overlooking the valley.  It’s a LEED building and very nicely done.  We visit the Center and then take a short hike down the valley.  Bears have been sighted but none for us now.  We take a different bus back.  We see more caribou and it’s still a sunny day.  We walk back from our bus stop and fix dinner.  More hamburgs and sausage, mac and cheese, broccoli.  S’mores for dessert.  We try making sweet potatoes over the fire.  They come out pretty well and save for another meal.  Minde and Pat go to the evening Ranger program and learn more about wilderness designation for America’s lands.  Minde wins rummy and we turn in earlier than last night. Heading south toward Anchorage tomorrow with a few more RV nights.  Leaving the Park behind and our adventures to more adventures.  Night!