Alaska at last!

July 10, Denali National Park, Alaska

On the road again, and we’re in Alaska!  Unexpectedly, it’s quite different from the Canadian north, and I suppose that’s just a reflection of how our two countries differ.  Alaska is definitely more populous, and even the smallest dot on the map has services and often even a coffee shop!  The parks so far are much busier, and on the July 4^th weekend every private campground was jammed with celebrating families.  The tone on July 4 was considerably wilder than our July 1 festivities – we arrived in Chicken, Alaska, pop. 238, to find about 1000 people at a BBQ in a field, 200 campers jammed into a parking spot, and crazed bikers making exploding oil cans in front of the tiny café/bar.  Lawless doesn’t begin to describe the scene!  We found a quiet lake to stay at a few miles down the road, far from the madding crowd.   

The scenery is just as wonderful, but forest fires are burning all over the state, and some of our driving has been through dense smoke, limiting the sightseeing.  From Fairbanks one afternoon we had a clear view of Denali (the mountain formerly known as McKinley) 200 km away, but next morning we could barely see across the campsite.  We decided not to head to a popular hot spring resort due to fires in the area, and heard the next day that all the residents had been evacuated when the wind changed suddenly.  Lucky us! 

My only other complaint about Alaska is the complete lack of recycling!  I can forgive the absence of composting, given that most of the state has permafrost, but having to throw wine and beer bottles into the garbage is beyond forgivable.  There is no deposit on any drink containers, no returnables, and no recycling except aluminum cans.  (You know that fine print on the bottom of all our glass bottles – that somehow excuses Alaska from charging a recycling fee!)  For a state with massive climate change challenges – loss of boreal forests, retreating glaciers, permafrost regression, insect invasions, and increasing wildfires – there seems to be very little public acknowledgement of the need for change.  Everyone drives massive trucks, leaves them idling when they go into a shop, burns tons of wood and coal for heating, and throw absolutely everything in the garbage.  I’m pretty amazed at that disconnect. 

But the place isn’t without redeeming value, thankfully.   We’re now in mid Alaska, in the massive Denali National Park, encompassing the highest peak in North America at 20,320 ft.  The park is stunning – scenery so varied and spectacular, abundant wildlife, hiking from valley floors to glacial peaks.  There is only one road, 92 miles in length, and you can only travel it by park bus.  This keeps the wildlife protected and also surprisingly accessible, since they are seldom disturbed by people and unafraid of the familiar bus traffic.  Hiking is accessed anywhere along the road, although most park visitors seem to go no further than the Starbucks in the parking areas.  That leaves most of the park wonderfully empty and untraveled.  We have booked to tent camp at the most distant point of the road tomorrow - there are 4 or 5 accessible campsites along the road, as well as the entire park to backpack in. The weather has been very wet this week, so we’ve got fingers crossed for improvement soon!  Photography has been severely limited lately – smoke, rain, low cloud, and my incompetence combined.  We’ve seen bears, moose, caribou and ptarmigan at close range, but most of my photos seem to look only like willow thickets.  Aaargh!  Will try to do better and have more to entertain you with once we’re back in civilization. 

 

Posted July 10, Riley Creek Campground, Denali

 

Top of the world highway, most northerly border crossing from Canada into the US, all above the tree line.

 

Forest fires lend an unreal air to the clouds.

 

Great entertainment - water bombers picking up from the lake in front of our campsite.

 

Low clouds cover the top of the Alaska range.  Denali should be straight ahead!

 

Use your imagination, and a magnifying glass, and you will see 3 moose in the pond.

 

The park patrols in the winter with sled dogs and  maintains a large kennel.  They breed their dogs for friendliness, long legs for deep snow, strength for towing heavy loads, and apparently sloth!  They are the happiest sled dogs!

 


One of the large braided rivers draining the mountains in the park.  Amazing geology and beautiful river rocks.  It was very difficult not to fill my pockets. 

Even I could photograph this big grizzly along the side of the road!