Denali by Land

16/08/2011 1 galleries 0 Maps North America LU Luigi

Hikes in Denali N.P. – first steps

#Road trip #Mountains #Wildlife #National parks #Glaciers #Nature

1 Anchorage Area 2 Flying Denali 3 Denali by Land 4 Denali by Bus 5 Fairbanks 6 Arctic Deadhorse 7 Dalton Hwy I 8 Dalton Hwy II 9 Central Alaska 10 Mt. Elias N.P. 11 Chugach Mts 12 Seward 13 Kenai 14 Sterling Hwy 15 Anchorage

Alaska map - complete itinerary · Wilderness Access Center

Alaska map - complete itinerary · Savage River

Alaska map - complete itinerary · Mt. Healy Overlook

Alaska map - complete itinerary · Denali sled dog kennels

Denali: Savage River, Mt. Healy and sled dogs

We are now in the Interior. Wake up at 7 and breakfast in the same restaurant as last night, where some pancakes with birch syrup serve to say good morning. Today we treated ourselves well, but we will pay for the luxury a little later in the day. In a few minutes we are at the WAC (Wilderness Access Center) of Denali to try to understand something about the complex system for entering the park, trying to optimize the two days we have available.

Curiosities

Why is access to Denali so regulated?

Denali National Park is also famous for its controlled access system. Much of the internal road is not freely accessible to visitors with their own vehicle: you mainly enter with authorized buses and shuttles. This management serves to limit traffic, reduce environmental impact and increase the chances of observing wildlife in an environment that is as intact as possible.

The laziness of breakfast makes us miss the shuttle to Savage River by a few moments, the last point reachable by car and destination of a trip. We go back to get the car and with our own vehicle we travel the 14 miles that lead to the checkpoint beyond which you enter the restricted area of the park and only authorized shuttles pass. This time luck and bad weather help the lazy ones, so much so that there are few vehicles in the Savage parking lot and we manage to do the planned loop.

We walk the Savage River Loop Trail (3.2 km) along the river which is essentially flat and then climb 300 m to a panoramic point, Savage Rock, from which there is a nice view of the river and the valley surrounding it. In the distance we see Dall sheep grazing on the mountains. The sky is overcast but at least we are free from precipitation.

Curiosities

Who are the Dall sheep?

Dall sheep are one of the symbolic animals of the Alaska mountains. They are recognizable by their white coat and their ability to move confidently on steep slopes and harsh environments. Spotting them from afar, often as small light dots on the mountainside, is one of the classic satisfactions of a day in Denali.

In the meantime we stop to see the kennel where we will return in the afternoon. After a quick look at the Visitor Center with its interesting illustrations about the park and a lunch consisting of bread and cheese eaten standing by the car, we go to do the second hike of the day at Mt. Healy Overlook with 600 m of elevation gain (8.9 km) and a beautiful view of the valley of the park that we will travel tomorrow and of the perpendicular one of the Nenana River. Thanks to some clearing we can focus well on what is below but beautiful days are another thing. The vegetation consists of alders at the bottom, then birch vegetation begins and ends with the usual mosses and lichens typical of the taiga at the top.

Curiosities

What is the taiga?

The taiga is the great belt of cold forests that crosses the northern regions of the planet. In Alaska it represents one of the typical landscapes of the interior: woods, shrubs, mosses, lichens and an environment marked by very long winters and a very short growing season. When the vegetation lowers to leave space almost only for mosses and lichens, one clearly perceives how much the climate conditions the landscape.

By 4 PM we are back at the kennel to see the sled dog show, an American thing where the only serious thing is the sled dogs, true heroes of the rigid Arctic winters. The park rangers still use them today to move inside the park when snow is king and motorized vehicles would not be able to function due to the low temperatures. This is how the kennel combines a practical function with a folkloric one.

Curiosities

Why does Denali still use sled dogs?

In Denali, sled dogs are not just a tradition to show to tourists. In winter they are still part of the rangers' real work, because they allow movement on snow with a much lower impact than motorized vehicles. This is why the park is one of the few places in the United States where sled dogs still retain an authentic operational function.

Alaska map - complete itinerary · Healy

Ridgetop Cabins above Healy

Tired after the intense day, we go to sleep in Healy, actually another 5 miles beyond, climbing another mile on a steep dirt road until we reach a place where you wouldn't expect two permanent residents with 5 cabins to rent during the summer. We are out of everything and the only noise you hear are vehicles speeding far away on the valley floor Hwy.

Joyce tells us how John worked in the coal mine nearby, while she was employed for 15 years at the agency that manages the park. They are currently retired and the only activity is running the Bed & Breakfast. They try to gather food and money during the short summer season and then live quietly during the winter, where they say it is not difficult to get around because temperatures do not go above 0° for quite a while and therefore there is no ice formation. The snow remains in its natural state for months.

Everything we see was built with their own hands on the crest of a hill where the forest is king, and this explains the reason for the name Ridgetop Cabins. We thus find ourselves in the most distant little house, completely immersed in nature.

A presence in the woods

After dinner I go for a walk beyond our location and hear footsteps moving through the vegetation a few meters away. I try to understand what it is but I cannot make out the animal's silhouette. I back away calmly so as not to disturb or worse alarm the quadruped moving nearby, lest it be a bear. The next day, talking with Joyce, she tells us that it was most likely the female moose that occupies that territory and that at this moment has two calves. It is therefore better to stay away because in such a situation they can become aggressive.

Curiosities

Can moose be more dangerous than bears?

It may seem surprising, but in certain situations moose can be very dangerous, especially females with calves. They are enormous, strong and unpredictable animals if they feel threatened. In Alaska caution is not only for bears: even a close encounter with a moose requires distance, calm and attention.

The statistics say that every year moose kill more than bears, but these probably also take into account road accidents, where at night moose represent a real danger for motorists. Our experience in eastern Canada in 2004 is still well imprinted in the mind and probably will remain so for a while.

Bullet-riddled signs and Alaskan character

We notice that almost all road signs have been riddled with gunshots; in the following days we will learn that this is a typical trait of the Alaskan character, hunters accustomed to shooting at everything, if only for practice. This seems anomalous in a State where there is a strong sense of belonging and respect for what belongs to the public sphere.

Curiosities

Why is the relationship with guns so deeply rooted in Alaska?

In Alaska the spread of firearms has deep roots and is linked to hunting, the isolation of many areas and a very marked culture of self-sufficiency. In many remote areas the rifle is not seen only as an identity symbol, but also as a practical tool. Precisely for this reason some behaviors that elsewhere would seem incomprehensible are perceived here with greater normality, even if they remain debatable.

Overnight

Healy – Ridgetop Cabins