"If you listen to the land, you will know what to do." - Terry Tempest Williams
This is a wonderful place to listen.
A trail-less hike is walking in your own footprints, not those made by others or animals, leaving not a trace behind. We went on a ranger led Discovery Hike to remote areas along the Park Road. We chose one that started at Mile 60.5 hiking up to high ground on the tundra of Stoney Hill. The tundra above the tree line (2,700’ in Denali) is mostly spongy peaty moss with pools of water from the permafrost all covered with low wildflowers. Alerted by a passing bus about 4 bears in the direction we were headed, Ranger Tina changed course a bit to a ridge where we were able to see a mom and 2 cubs way off and a single bear by itself along with magnificent views of Denali.
The Park Road runs east to west with the Alaska Range on the left and Outer Range on the right. One of the perks of the Discovery Hikes is the folks going, 22 for 2 hikes, get a bus of their own. With plenty of space to move around and a great driver Dale who stops for animals, birds, views, and even a recent caribou kill with wolves feeding, the ride was as exciting as the hike. Driving 20-35 miles an hour with multiple stops and 3 restroom breaks, it took at least 3 hours to go the 60 miles. Many of the road photos were taken from inside the bus.
Tomorrow we drive into Teklanika CG at mile 29 where we’ll be for a week. No phone or internet so will be a while for the next post.
