Day 10: July 13, 2016
Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
The bus that you ride in Denali is key to conserving the parks wilderness character for future generations. Each bus takes the place of dozens of personal vehicles, saves on fuel and emissions, and allows you to watch and enjoy scenery and wildlife more safely. We can only drive to Mile 14.7 and since we have been here we can only drive about 9 miles, due to Bear Troubles. (More Later)
Today I am going on a bus trip that travels the full length of the Park Road to the historic mining district of Kantishna at Mile 92 (End of Park Road). Jeff is not going to go, because someone has to look after Cisco. It is a 12 hour Round Trip bus ride. I had a choice of the Kantishna Tour or the Kantishna Visitor Transportation System (VTS) Shuttle Buses. The Tour is about $200 with lunch and VTS is $62 with Toni's lunch! I pick the VTS Shuttle Bus. I figure I am probably never coming back, so I want to see all that I can of Denali National Park.
Jeff dropped me off at the Wilderness Access Center to catch the Bus at 7:45am, which I had picked up my ticket the night before. While I was waiting I observed this beautiful Window that was in the Center.
I also saw this information. Denali is a unique park on how they are trying to be Green!
I have to tell you I was leary of taking this bus ride due to the length and I did not think there would be any explaining of the park, its history, animals, now Denali Mt, and everything. Normally that is true, because the bus drivers do not have to do that. But I had the best bus driver Wendi H. and she made the 12 hour trip AWESOME. I am so happy I did it. It was a beautiful day! We saw the Mountain 1/2 the day and a ton of Critters. The landscape was just breathtaking. Wendi used to camp, 40 years ago in the very places we stopped at. So she was an old timer with loads of knowledge and stories she freely shared. She was one of the nicest people I have met and she kept us all under control. Neat Lady!!
The pictures I am going to share with you are from my phone and do not show the true beauty of the trip that I took. Many of the animals we saw, I did not even take pictures as they would not have turned out. Also, on the way back my phone was going dead due to all the pictures I was taking.
The Mountain is in the Background. I believe we are 50 miles from it here. Unfortunatly, my camera does not show it well. Re-named:Mt Denali=20,310ft
This was at Savage River CG that this ranger came on board to welcome us to the Park. This was where the Private vehicles were turned around due to Bear trouble. Also, the Savage River CG was only allowing RV and no tenters were allowed.
Animals Seen Coming and Going: I took these notes while on the road or I never would have remembered all that we saw.
When we were at the end of the road we had a few streams that the bus had to sort of drive thru. Wendi explained that they had a flood out of the road in the 2 areas we had to drive thru the stream.
At the end of the road is an Airport with what looks to be a gravel runway. Bush planes I guess.
I tried to share a little of the whole trip. If I shared everything that happened, Wendi shared and pictures I would have to write a book.
*Happiness is NATURE!
Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
The bus that you ride in Denali is key to conserving the parks wilderness character for future generations. Each bus takes the place of dozens of personal vehicles, saves on fuel and emissions, and allows you to watch and enjoy scenery and wildlife more safely. We can only drive to Mile 14.7 and since we have been here we can only drive about 9 miles, due to Bear Troubles. (More Later)
Today I am going on a bus trip that travels the full length of the Park Road to the historic mining district of Kantishna at Mile 92 (End of Park Road). Jeff is not going to go, because someone has to look after Cisco. It is a 12 hour Round Trip bus ride. I had a choice of the Kantishna Tour or the Kantishna Visitor Transportation System (VTS) Shuttle Buses. The Tour is about $200 with lunch and VTS is $62 with Toni's lunch! I pick the VTS Shuttle Bus. I figure I am probably never coming back, so I want to see all that I can of Denali National Park.
Jeff dropped me off at the Wilderness Access Center to catch the Bus at 7:45am, which I had picked up my ticket the night before. While I was waiting I observed this beautiful Window that was in the Center.
I also saw this information. Denali is a unique park on how they are trying to be Green!
I have to tell you I was leary of taking this bus ride due to the length and I did not think there would be any explaining of the park, its history, animals, now Denali Mt, and everything. Normally that is true, because the bus drivers do not have to do that. But I had the best bus driver Wendi H. and she made the 12 hour trip AWESOME. I am so happy I did it. It was a beautiful day! We saw the Mountain 1/2 the day and a ton of Critters. The landscape was just breathtaking. Wendi used to camp, 40 years ago in the very places we stopped at. So she was an old timer with loads of knowledge and stories she freely shared. She was one of the nicest people I have met and she kept us all under control. Neat Lady!!
The pictures I am going to share with you are from my phone and do not show the true beauty of the trip that I took. Many of the animals we saw, I did not even take pictures as they would not have turned out. Also, on the way back my phone was going dead due to all the pictures I was taking.
The Mountain is in the Background. I believe we are 50 miles from it here. Unfortunatly, my camera does not show it well. Re-named:Mt Denali=20,310ft
This was at Savage River CG that this ranger came on board to welcome us to the Park. This was where the Private vehicles were turned around due to Bear trouble. Also, the Savage River CG was only allowing RV and no tenters were allowed.
Animals Seen Coming and Going: I took these notes while on the road or I never would have remembered all that we saw.
1 snowshoe rabbit
2 female moose
1 griz
1 ptarmigan family
1Golden eagle flying around
1caribo big@Toklat river
1 sleeping griz bear
1 griz eating Salad(flowers/Berries) below road
1 big griz eat dead caucus
1 Gold eagle eating Squirrel
1 griz walking down by stream
2 bull moose lying down/antlers huge
1 griz field moving out/headed somewhere
1 ptarmigan family(8-12 babes/mom/pops
Going back:
3 moose (saw same 2 coming in)
2 caribou female/baby
4:00 Rain/thunder & lightening
1 caribou crosse rd in front of bus
1 griz still chewing on kill(saw coming in)
1 caribou walking on road
1 griz eating salad/flowers (saw coming in)
1 griz behind us on the road lied down
1 sheep (far away)
1 carabou lie down have pic
3 caribou (separate sitings)
1 griz up on hill
1 moose in field
We saw a number of caribou from a distance!
When we were at the end of the road we had a few streams that the bus had to sort of drive thru. Wendi explained that they had a flood out of the road in the 2 areas we had to drive thru the stream.
At the end of the road is an Airport with what looks to be a gravel runway. Bush planes I guess.
I tried to share a little of the whole trip. If I shared everything that happened, Wendi shared and pictures I would have to write a book.
*Happiness is NATURE!
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