The Crown Jewel of America
“This place, the land is more ancient and pure; it’s like a concentrated tonic for the soul. If you take too much, it can infect you, and if you don’t take enough you have missed it completely and your efforts were in vein.” Danielle Rohr.
Tuesday 8/16/22
“Denali is six million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road. Travelers along it see the relatively low-elevation taiga forest give way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in North America’s tallest peak, 20,310′ Denali. Wild animals large and small roam un-fenced lands, living as they have for ages. Solitude, tranquility and wilderness await.” Excerpts from the NPS website .
“Of the top 11 highest mountains in the United States, 10 are located in Alaska and the last, Mount Whitney, is part of the Sierra Nevada range in California. Rising 20,310 feet (6,190 meters), Denali is the United States’ highest mountain. Denali is also the highest mountain in North America and is the third highest mountain of the Seven Summits after Mount Everest and Aconcagua.” Excerpts from the Geography Realm website.
Denali is one of the most striking features on the entire planet. At 20,310 feet, it is the crowning peak of the Alaska Range and the highest mountain on the continent. It towers three and one-half vertical miles above its base, making it a mile taller from base to summit than Mt. Everest. Denali’s base sits at about 2,000 feet above sea level and rises over three and one-half miles to its 20,310 foot summit. Everest begins on a 14,000-foot high plain, then summits at 29,028 feet.
Denali means “the Tall One” or “The Great One”. Denali was changed from Mt McKinley to Denali in 2015.
We arrived at the park and found out we lost a day of camping here because we got the date mixed up. So instead of having 3 nights at the Riley Creek campsite, we now have only 2 nights and one full day to explore this end of the park before moving on to the Teklanika campground. Oh well… if we had left as planned, we would not have met Pato & Cathy.
The weather is cloudy with a high chance of rain made it hard to do any hiking. We decided to hop on the bus and go to the Visitor center for the afternoon. On the way back, we saw some moose roaming on one of the path and visitors stopped their cars right in the middle the road, got off their cars and ran out to take pictures, a total disregard for other travelers on the road being blocked. I bet the Park Services get really frustrated with some of these inconsiderate tourists.
Wednesday 8/17/22
The morning started off a bit dreary, cold and windy. Since we only have one full day at Riley Creek, we decided to go for a hike regardless of the weather and temperature. The Horseshoe Lake Trail is a popular one for visitors, and rightly so. There were so many “Kodak” moments along the 2 miles loop. It’s going to be difficult to decide which picture to post on our website as all the scenes are unique and beautiful in their own way.
Did you know: the State flower of Alaska is Forget Me Not and the state bird is Mosquito!” Just kidding!
While the weather was a little overcast, it actually made the hiking more comfortable. When we got down to the river, as we stood still to gaze at the lake, the spruce, the blue sky and the beautiful reflection of the sky on the crystal clear water, the sound of the birds chirping, the light wind rustle on the tree tops, and the scent of nature overtook my emotion. It feels good to be alive, and to be so fortunate to be here and now inhaling the crisp air inside the park. This overwhelming sensation just hit me and in that moment of awe, I was tearing up in the middle of God’s country, a feeling that I can’t explained, the same feeling I had when I went on a guided tour in Norway. This song echo in my heart as we hiked back to our campsite:
” Oh beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee…”
We went back to our base camp for a quick snack and headed downtown for more sightseeing. Our first stop was the Three Bears Gallery, and there we discovered an impressive artist, a painter and a photographer, Shane Lamb. His paintings of Denali were so realistic; we weren’t sure if they were painting or photograph at first glance. I was in awe with his aurora pictures printed on metal. They look surreal! I was having a really hard time deciding which one to get, then all of the sudden, this man came by with the name tag “Shane!” I was starstruck… and asked: “you’re Shane?” He smiled and nodded. I complimented him that all his pictures are so amazing, I can’t decide which one to buy. Then he explained one of them named “Heaven’s Romance” to me, and I was sold. I bought another one named “Reign of the Green Dragon.” I was so happy to have met the artist in person and had him explain these pictures to me, the inspiration and that magical moment of image captured.
Afterwards we visited the Princess Lodge just across the street. I love cruising with the Princess cruise line, and have heard of their Denali Lodge as part of their Land and Sea package. It was more than a lodge. It’s like a village with various cabins nestled in a small town full of shops and restaurants. Definitely worth a visit if you have the chance to be in Denali. Oh yes, the price is about $300 – $400 per night depends on which day you book.
That was it for a full day of wanders and wonders! And we achieved almost 13,783 steps, ~ 5.89 miles today! Yeah!
Thursday 8/18/22
We got up earlier than usual, just brushed our teeth and go so we can get to the Teklanika River Camground before 11 AM to ensure we can get a good campsite. The road from Riley Creek to Teklanika is incredible. Before this trip, I heard a lot of good things about Denali but didn’t know how amazing it is. The Park Road opens up to a full 270° panoramic view of the tundra and the Alaska Range in the distance. As we passed the Savage River, I think we saw the Denali peak blending in with the white clouds. I took a picture while BAT was moving and zoomed in to determine if it was a snowcapped peak or just clouds, and sure enough, it was the peak, whether it was Denali, we’re not sure.
We arrived at Teklanika and got a great campsite that will enable BAT to get a decent amount of solar charging for our daily consumption. After lunch, we hopped on the Tek bus and rode back to Savage River for a hike around the river. It was a beautiful 2 miles loop hike around the river with plenty of photo ops.
While riding on the bus, we spotted a brown bear around a meadow and a caribou. The bus driver stopped on the side of the road for passengers to take pictures, the caribou decided to flash us with his rear end. Then the bus driver moved the bus to another angle so we can get a better view of the caribou, but the caribou also changed his position and gave us the rear view again. 😁
A total of 8,694 steps today, ~ 3.61 miles 👍
Chasing the Aurora, Take II
During the bus ride, the driver also told us that there’s a good chance of the aurora sighting tonight with clear weather condition and Kp factor of 5. And the best part is there’s no light pollution in the park! That means I don’t have to go anywhere but stay cozy inside BAT and wait for the magic to happen. I watched a Netflix movie while keeping an eye out on the night sky. 11Pm – it’s still light outside. Midnight – the sky is darker, but more clouds. I saw a bright light at an angle, poked my head outside and it was a bright moon, hmmm… I took a sample picture from my cell phone just to verify if there’s any aurora activity as the Visitor center mentioned that your camera can see more vivid colors than your eyes can. Nothing yet…
12:38 AM, I took another sample picture and saw colors around the moon, salmon pink and green shades. I decided to wake Paul up so we can go outside with a proper tripod and get ready for the light show. This time, I geared up in warm clothes while Paul is still trying to wake up. I took a couple of pictures with the Canon camera and this is what I got below, is this it?
It wasn’t the beautiful aurora that I was looking for. I was very disappointed but was so determined to wait some more.
1:15 AM, It’s Paul’s turn go gear up and go outside to take pictures. He came back and said: “you should go to bed because there’s nothing out there but the moon…” I replied “No, I can’t give up. I’ll wait some more!”
1:30 AM, Still nothing, 1:45 AM, nada! Well, wasn’t meant to be again. 2:00AM, one last peek out the windows and then I’m really gonna go to bed. That’s it for the aurora haven. No more chasing the aurora on this trip, but it is still on my bucket list.
Friday 8/19/22
Today is chores day. We gave BAT a deep cleaning inside the living unit, very much needed after a few thousand miles on the road, especially all the dirt roads we’ve been on. As I was scrubbing the sink around the drain, I detected an odor and showed Paul the fan shape drain that I can see after scrubbing. He noticed a screw in the middle of the drain and decided to unscrew it just to see what we can see. OMG, when the drain funnel came off, we saw quite a bit of mildew in there. No wonder there’s an odor! We have been treating the gray tank religiously after every dump, but never in our wildest dream, would we have known of this condition. It was disgusting, but Paul was man enough to step up to duties and I was just playing assistant. I declare success today as this odor has come and go, and we had no idea what else we can do to clean and treat the gray tank after trying several different products, including cleaning the drain pipe catcher/basket weekly. Now we can relax and enjoy a nice clean cabin. Phew!
Saturday 8/20/22
Another exploration day in Denali. We took the bus ride deeper into the park. At the end of the ride, we were allowed to explore on foot along the ridge to the Polychrome Overlook as there’s no vehicle allowed into the park after the Riley Creek campground.
The weather is 50°F and quite windy today. Luckily, we dressed warm so we’re ready to conquer a new height. As soon as we got off the bus, it was like walking into the magic kingdom. NO – not Disneyland, just sheer magical & natural wonderland. In the distant, the snowcapped Alaska Range stood tall with low clouds flirting on the mountain top that cast a very dramatic landscape. In the foreground, the tundra is colorful with the last part of the summer bloom, blended into a premature autumn color harmoniously creating a tapestry of red, purple, orange, brown and green mixture of the everlasting spruce trees. Somewhere in the middle, an expansive river bed carving the valley into several branches of little creeks with stilt color water. Can he design a more perfect scenery than this? I’m at a loss for words to pack all these senses into words.
Here’s a borrowed passage from a writer that best described Denali and his associated feelings well articulated when he encountered Denali:
“A feeling of resignation started coming on and I was about to leave when something very strange happened. The image before me appeared to transform as though taking on a new meaning. And in that moment sheer joy followed upon realizing where we were. We had set foot in the living room of the Creator! If ever there was an understanding that had the power to transform physical reality into greater beauty, this was it! I quickly rescanned the landscape to validate this newfound sense of appreciation for its perfection. And indeed, the room now seemed bigger, the design more exquisite, the colors brighter, the purpose – grander… “John Gobins so eloquently captured.
It was a 3 hours round-trip hike from the bus stop to the junction where the park closed the highway due to a massive landslide that was no longer repairable. Every few step was a Kodak moment, every few steps was a different viewpoint and you think if you don’t capture this moment, you will have missed out. Denali truly is an immersive experience that you have to be there to see, to touch, to hear the sound of nature, and to feel exhilarating for being part of this magnificent embodiment & surrounding.
I may be leaving foot prints at Denali National Park, but Denali will forever be imprinted in my heart so uniquely experienced in my life and most mesmerizing….
Sunday 8/21/22
We’re leaving the Denali National park today, my heart grew a little heavy while taking in the last 29 miles of the park. Within a four day period, the park has transformed into an early autumn wonderland. Our bus driver said within 2 weeks, it will turn color completely and within 3 weeks, all the leaves will have fallen off the trees. What’s the rush Mother Nature?
The massive tundra is now decorated with a pallet of green, yellow, orange, amber, and brown expertly blended but randomly laid out across the land. My emotion is running high, trying so hard to retain this imagery – a massive dose of enlightenment for the soul.
We stopped by the gift shop to pick up a couple more souvenirs and take in more water for BAT. We met up with a beautiful and very friendly family that we met at the bus stop in the park. Brycen serves in the US Air Force and on vacay with his family. The kids are sweet and well mannered. THANK YOU for your service Brycen. 🙏
Julie, Lydia, Kacey, Josiah, Everley, Isaiah, Brycen
The weather is gloomy and overcast today. Low clouds are hovering below the mountain tops and the gray sky makes this area looks mysteriously composed. A ribbon of clouds dangling across a mountain drifted off onto the highway created such a stunning effect. All I can think of is a warm & cozy fireplace and a cup of hot chocolate, looking through the condensation window while the rain drops dripping down.
We arrived at the Denali Viewpoint North in the late afternoon to camp for the night. Unfortunately with the rain and the clouds, there was no visibility of Denali. Not sure if tomorrow is any better as the weather forecast is about the same as today.
Monday 8/22/22
Another misty and rainy day today. Our journey to Anchorage will be 160 miles ride. The birch trees along the road are dotted yellow, signaling the start of autumn.
We camped at Cabela’s for the night. Looks like a very popular spot for RV & trucks as the RV parks in town is about $60/night.
Tuesday 8/23/22
It’s laundry day and we found the bestest laundromat in the country, the Quantum Laundry Lounge in Anchorage. OMG, this is the nicest, cleanest, and most advanced laundromat I’ve seen across the country. Machines are new, accept credit cards, and the staff is super friendly and helpful. The layout is ergonomically set up, washers are on the bottom and dryers are directly on top. And of course, a coffee bar and lounge right inside the laundromat. Best laundromat experience I’ve ever had.
We met a lovely young couple from Germany while doing our laundry, Andre and Julia are traveling through Alaska. We exchanged info re places to go and things to see in Alaska. They are well traveled worldwide for such a young age. I’m glad to see that more and more these days since they have more energy and stamina to travel the world in their youth and not stuck behind a cubicle doing the 8-5 with only two weeks of vacation a year.
Tonight, we’re dining out at Texas Roadhouse restaurant. The restaurant is packed! Luckily, we had reservation so we didn’t have to wait long. It was great value.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 8/24, I will be flying home leaving Paul behind, unsupervised to continue wandering around Alaska. It would have been a 3,000+ miles ride home, which is quite taxing for my back so Paul will heroically, man handle BAT all the way home. To all our dear friends that we’ve met on this trip, good bye until we meet again…
Endless Trail Expeditions 