It was a cool , no make that a cold wet day when we took our tour of the Denali National Park. It is also half way through our trip, in 6 weeks we will be home. It is home to Mt. McKinley the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet. We are told that about 20% of visitors will see the whole mountain about 50% will see half the mountains and the rest will see only the base. We are in the third group. We are a bit disapointed but discover that the park is about much more than just the mountain. Private vehicles are only allowed into the first few miles of the park road, we take the tour that takes us as far as the road goes that is 92.8 miles about half way into the park. A bout four hours into our 12 hour tour in started to snow on August 4. UGH It was pointed out to us in several places that fall colours are showing already,
After we see the road ,we are glad someone else was driving. Our driver was in his 17th year doing this tour and was very knowledgeable, when not at Denali he is a high school science teacher in South Carolina.
This is our best view of Mt. McKinley. Luckily for us they sell post cards with a picture perfect view.
The attraction today is animals. Here a grizzly bear enjoys his lunch of caribou. The caribou was taken down by two wolves the day before then the bear chased off the wolves and took over. After the bear leaves the wolves will return and eat everything except the antlers. The smaller animals will finish them over a few months. The wolves eat the velvet from the antlers first.
Here we are at the end of the road, there is still a lot of park left beyond this point but is closed to human traffic. They intend to keep it completely natural for the animal population. At this point nearly 100 years ago there was about 100 resident gold diggers. We see the cabin of one lady who lived here until her death in 1948.
It was a cool , no make that a cold wet day when we took our tour of the Denali National Park. It is also half way through our trip, in 6 weeks we will be home. It is home to Mt. McKinley the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet. We are told that about 20% of visitors will see the whole mountain about 50% will see half the mountains and the rest will see only the base. We are in the third group. We are a bit disapointed but discover that the park is about much more than just the mountain. Private vehicles are only allowed into the first few miles of the park road, we take the tour that takes us as far as the road goes that is 92.8 miles about half way into the park. A bout four hours into our 12 hour tour in started to snow on August 4. UGH It was pointed out to us in several places that fall colours are showing already,
After we see the road ,we are glad someone else was driving. Our driver was in his 17th year doing this tour and was very knowledgeable, when not at Denali he is a high school science teacher in South Carolina.
This is our best view of Mt. McKinley. Luckily for us they sell post cards with a picture perfect view.
The attraction today is animals. Here a grizzly bear enjoys his lunch of caribou. The caribou was taken down by two wolves the day before then the bear chased off the wolves and took over. After the bear leaves the wolves will return and eat everything except the antlers. The smaller animals will finish them over a few months. The wolves eat the velvet from the antlers first.
Here we are at the end of the road, there is still a lot of park left beyond this point but is closed to human traffic. They intend to keep it completely natural for the animal population. At this point nearly 100 years ago there was about 100 resident gold diggers. We see the cabin of one lady who lived here until her death in 1948.
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