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Denali

The Interior: Denali National Park

Our trip to the interior was much more exciting than the cruise. First there was the problem with getting to the interior. The night before we were to leave, heavy rains washed out the railroad we were scheduled to take (the only one to Denali) and the

highway (also the only one to Denali). After several hours of uncertainty--this is where escorts like Courtney really earn their keep--we were hustled to the airport, given a moment to repack our bags (remember that the new rules were in effect), and loaded on to a plane bound for Fairbanks. When we arrived we were taken to a hotel to wait and then boarded a bus for Denali. Amazingly, we were there for dinner. Something hot--it was 45 degrees and raining. Needless to say, our planned helicopter sightseeing was cancelled.

The next day we had an early 8-hour tour into the park. It was right around freezing and still raining, but as we entered the park the rain ceased. The scenery was magnificent and the animals were active.

The views of the mountains are unbelievable

Our first grizzly, high on a hill

What is that back there?

Is it really a wolf?

Yes. Wolf sightings are fairly rare.

View from Polychrome Pass, with fresh (overnight) snow

Dall sheep are usually described as "those white dots on the mountains"

Another grizzly, eating berries in preparation for winter

Mt. McKinley, on the "clearest day in four weeks"

A bald eagle? Not common in Denali

When we got back to the hotel, they told us it had rained all day there. The next day Pat was scheduled to go horseback riding. There was freezing rain and the horses wisely decided after 15 minutes that they were not going to walk around in a big circle for 90 minutes when they could be at home. So the ride was called off. Chuck's chuck wagon lunch went better, but he was the only guest to brave the elements and go.

The next problem would be getting the train out of Denali and north to Fairbanks. While the tracks south of Denali had been repaired, the train stopped at every questionable point along the way and was, therefore, about three hours late getting to Denali. Leaving around 7:30, we pulled into Fairbanks around midnight--4 hours late. On the plus side, it was dark and we saw the Northern Lights.