ALASKA - 2016



DENALI - Photo taken in July 1998
Two years ago, Dawn, Bob, Brandon, Sophia and I took an Alaskan cruisetour. The itinerary included a few days after the cruise at Denali National Park. Brett was invited to go as well, but projects at work prevented his being away at that time. When I visited him and Alba this past Christmas, Brett expressed an interest in finally taking that trip to Alaska. I was excited about spending time with him and Alba, and after I returned home, I gathered information to share with them. It included a 7-day cruise and land tour extension to Denali. The fine-tuning began: Brett was uncomfortable being away more than a week and a cruisetour requires at least ten days. Having already been on a short cruise, he reminded me that he dislikes the regimentation of a cruise. I asked if he would be interested in simply going to Alaska's interior, to spend several days at a lodge in the back country. There would be no internet, no television, no cell phones. He declared that would be perfect. It would be everything Los Angeles isn't. There would be few people, no vehicles and lots of quiet and fresh air.

This is what we did: 

Wednesday, June 29 

I flew to Los Angeles and spent the night.  Alba was in Seattle for the day, so Brett and I took a walk along the beach and then had dinner at recently opened 805 Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Back at the apartment, Brett finished packing for him and Alba.

Thursday, June 30

After quickly passing through security, we had breakfast before boarding Alaska Air's 5-hour flight to Anchorage. When we landed at 1:30, bags in hand, we called Lakefront Anchorage to request their shuttle service to the hotel. 








The afternoon was sunny and warm, so once we'd registered and found our room, we set out on what turned out to be a 4-mile walk around Lake Hood, known to be the float plane capital of the world.




















The walk finished, we found a table on the patio and sat down to order drinks and an early dinner. Back in the room, Brett and Alba discussed walking into town, 4 miles away, for ice cream. While they discussed the pros and cons of another walk, we all fell asleep.






Friday, July 1


We met the hotel shuttle at 5:15 AM for the transfer to Egan Convention Center where we would board the bus taking us to Denali.  It had begun raining during the night and continued through the morning. Since we had over an hour before the Egan bus would arrive to pick us up, the hotel's driver agreed to drop us a block away at the Westmark Hotel (the hotel where Dawn, her family and I stayed two years ago on our way to Denali) for breakfast. While Brett and I opted for the full buffet, Alba chose the less inclusive continental. Brett and I filled our plates with eggs, bacon, pancakes, potatoes, etc.,  and Alba brought to the table a pastry and oatmeal.  And when she had finished with those, having Brett's permission, she proceeded to help Brett clean his plate! (During the trip Alba proved to have a great appetite without seeming to add a pound to her small frame.)

Before heading to the Egan Center, Alba returned to the continental buffet to select an assortment of breads to snack on during our drive. At 7:00 AM we boarded the bus for the nearly 6-hour ride to Denali National Park's entrance.  We were met by Backcountry Lodge's (BCL) bus about 1:30. Each seat on the 50-passenger bus was filled and 6 hours and 90 miles later, we arrived at our destination where we would spend the next four days.






Although the rain had stopped around noon, the roads were wet and windows became mud-spattered. At this stop at the Teklanika River overlook as well as other stops, Sherri, our driver, squeegeed them clean. Clouds hung low over the mountains the rest of the day.











The three of us at Teklanika River, the first of three rest stops.








Days of rain had resulted in high water and heavy runoff.  This photo illustrates the merging of brown water runoff with the river's opaque gray water.

This wasn't a good day to see the animals. Dall sheep were spied high on a mountain, but binoculars were needed to verify the spots were animals, not snow. Binoculars also con-firmed the sighting of a grizzly that was difficult to see if it wasn't moving. Near the road was a herd of mother caribou and their calves. Sherri explained that when the matriarch goes into labor, all pregnant females will as well and within 24 hours all will have delivered their calves. The massive birthing protects the longevity of the herd. Some calves will be lost to predators, but most will survive. If births occurred over a longer period of time, calves could be taken one at a time, reducing the number to survive to adulthood.

It was at the Eielson Visitor Center at mile 67 that we finally had dramatic views of the scenery.











































Saturday, July 2 

Dinner after our arrival on Friday evening wasn't served until 8:00 and it was after 9:00 before we got to bed. But we were up by 7:00 Saturday morning, dressed and on our way to breakfast about 8:00. As we approached the dining hall, a female moose was crossing Moose Creek. I took a photo, but she was already into the woods before I snapped the picture. 

Brett and Alba were anxious to get outdoors and chose to go to Wickersham Dome, a moderate 3-mile hike with a steep climb.  There were several areas where the rain had created culverts along the trail. It was a quiet walk (when we weren't talking) and easily done with pauses for me to catch my breath.


A glimpse of a mountain top from Wickersham Dome




We took a break on top before returning to BCL. Brett and Alba climbed the rock formation adjacent to the Dome and then we sat for awhile hoping the clouds would lift so we could see Denali. On the return to BCL we stopped at Kantishna Air Taxi (KAT) to reserve space to fly from the Lodge to Anchorage, about an hour's flight, on Tuesday rather than take the shuttles for another 11-hour bus ride.






The afternoon was spent sitting beside Moose Creek where Brett and Alba cooled their feet in the ice cold water.

In this photo, taken on the porch of the Lodge, Skyline Lodge and KAT can be seen on the hill over my left shoulder.












A photo of BCL as seen from Skyline Lodge and KAT 


The Lodge is in the far right and center are cabins on the creek

Cairns could be found in several areas on the grounds

Brett and Alba, striking a pose, on their return to the cabin from the Lodge


Sunday, July 3 

On the Botany Trail
Rain again. It finally stopped about 10:00 AM and we headed out to take a short walk but couldn't find the trail's sign post. Returning to the Lodge, we detoured to take Botany Trail in search of the bridge we'd been directed to. It was an interesting walk, but we moved quickly because it had begun raining again. Back at the Lodge, we asked to be taken to the trail head of Eagle Point.


Once at the trail, we had to bushwhack our way through the vegetation. And although the rain wasn't heavy, it was steady. After 1/2 mile or so we reached an outcrop of rock and when we couldn't find the continuation of the path, we decided to turn back and waited at Fanny Quigley's cabin for a ride back to BCL.



















The rain continued off and on the rest of the day. Brett and Alba took a nap and then we went to the Lodge to play a board game. We tried to take a walk before dinner, but hurried back to the Lodge when we saw dark clouds headed our way. After dinner we attended a presentation by Carl Tobin, an alpinist who has climbed Denali, who gave a slide presentation of his ascent of Mt. Foraker.



Monday, July 4

I wanted to see Wonder Lake (and if lucky, Denali) and Brett and Alba wanted to walk, so we compromised. They headed out to walk the 5 miles to Wonder Lake and I took the 10:00 shuttle to the lake. At one point they had to cross a rush of water, runoff from the rain, that crossed the road.













Waiting to see Denali
When we met up at Wonder Lake, we took a portion of an easy hike, Blueberry Hill, and then sat on a mound to wait for the clouds to lift so we could see Denali. Instead we watched rain move across our field of vision and soon could see nothing but gray all around us. We walked back to the pick-up point to meet the bus for our return to the Lodge.

This is what we had hoped to see...
After lunch they took a nap and then had massages. The rain stopped as dinner ended. 

Tuesday, July 5

KAT picked us and four others up about 10:30 and delivered us to the air strip. On the plane and in the air, our pilot, Shawn, was unable to get through the pass because of cloud cover, so we returned to base and spent about an hour at KAT waiting for better weather. Loaded up again, we were able to fly to the air strip at the Denali entrance to drop people catching the train to Anchorage.






Alaska Railroad approaching Denali's depot with Park visitors














Savage River, at the end of the 16-mile public access road
into the Park


Cloud cover in Anchorage would make it impossible for us to land there, so we opted to fly north to Fairbanks. Thirty minutes later we landed, Shawn called a taxi for us and we headed to FAI, got seats on the next plane to ANC and landed in Anchorage about 3:00. Luggage claimed, we called the hotel shuttle and were back at Lakefront about 3:30. We headed to the lounge, had an early dinner, the three of us splitting a pear and walnut salad and each ordering the fish and chips that Brett raved about on our first visit. The meal was finished off with berry cobbler a la mode. After dinner, Brett and Alba walked around the lake again. I stayed in, saving energy for the long day ahead flying home. 






Wednesday and Thursday, July 6 and 7 

We had a lazy morning. Our flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 2:30, so we walked to Gwennies for breakfast. At noon we caught the shuttle to ANC. Brett had forgotten he had a pocket knife of his dad's in his pocket and was allowed to return to the terminal to send it to himself rather than have it confiscated. After passing through security, we learned that our flight had been delayed about 90 minutes. That meant that I would likely miss my Los Angeles connection to Chicago. We sat at a table at Starbucks and Brett got the original LAX flight changed to one leaving about 90 minutes later. There were no delays once in the air. We arrived in LA on time, I picked up my bag at Terminal 6, and we walked to Terminal 7 where I checked it in. We hugged goodbye, they caught a shuttle to their car and I went to my gate to wait for boarding. We arrived in Chicago at sunrise, I hoofed it to my gate and the flight to Canton arrived on time, a little after 10:00 AM on Thursday.

Afterthoughts

Not only did we have rain three of our four days at BCL, it was a rainy month for the Park. Average rainfall for Denali in July is 4 inches.  July 2016 saw almost 16 inches.  The road near Eielsen Visitor Center (at mile 67) washed out on July 30 making it impossible for those in the lodges in Kantishna to leave the Park by road.  A few days later the road was passable but traffic was limited.


PHOTOS FROM BRETT AND ALBA 

Alba wanted to see how cold the water was