Denali

8/5, Day 6
Woke up refreshed after a night with pillows and cozily warm rooms. After coffee and a massive breakfast we got on our way.






More rain and chill, so we stopped 20 miles in at a lodge for snacks, phone calls, post cards, and warmth. The last few miles to Denali were downhill and easy. The mountains loomed large, and with the fog and dark clouds it felt like we were diving into the set of the Lord of the Rings.






We set up tents at a campground at the park entrance, picked up some food and supplies, and gathered some firewood for Saturday.






We called it a night early since we had to be to a shuttle bus for or tour at 6 am.

-AN
8/6 Day 7

An awesome day started with a scramble. Breakfast, dishes, storing food away from bears, and gathering valuables for the day by 6 was a challenge, but we caught out bus in time and were on our way. The tour was 85 miles to Wonder Lake and then back with stops for scenery, wildlife, and lunch. Our bus driver was an endearingly ornery old fellow with a voice that had just a little Sean Connery in it.








Every mile of the trip was stunning, and it's virtually impossible to describe the sheer scale of the park; vast expanses and high peaks were the theme of the day. The skies cleared for some of the first blue skies we had seen in a while, which was gladly welcomed by all. We even saw most of mt McKinley, which only 30% of visitors get to see. We saw moose, grizzly bears, caribou, sheep, ground squirrels, and a fox. The landscape was diverse: mountains, tiga, tundra, rivers and streams, ponds, and even a grass-covered glacier. The following pictures tell the story better than words can.











































































A few of us hopped off the bus and trekked around the park on foot for a little while.











After 12+ hours of bus rides, picture taking, and wandering the park, everyone reconvened at the camp site.

We ended the night with our first campfire of the trip, some roasted marshmallows, and with the company of a couple we had met that day, one of whom was an environmental studies grad student at UNC-G.

-AN

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Location:Denali, National Park