The Canyon and Tundra

This Sunday morning we awake to the long halted rain - it can stay away no longer. We have scheduled an early excursion to paddle down the Canyon River and, as we are sure to get wet anyway, we concur that we can deal with the rain today! (It is tempting to skip this outing and stay in bed with coffee and watch Sunday Morning, but we are virtuous and venture.)











We are joined by Steve (Celeste's photo buddy) and his wife, Evelyn, as it turns out this is their 40th wedding anniversary. Steve's first paddle, he's a bit apprehensive. We are blessed with the most skillful and entertaining guide, who keeps us all laughing thoroughly, as we traverse the rapids and brace ourselves against the cold and rain. Brrrrrrrrrr!!!!



The afternoon brings the much awaited Tundra Wilderness drive. An 8-hour trek into the wilderness of Denali. Only these buses are allowed, no cars. The beauty is inescapable and as the afternoon progresses, the rain begins to abate. The wildlife comes out with the clearing skies. It is a stunning environment.










Bears, red fox, moose, wolf, golden eagles, prairie dog, mountain goats, all make an appearance this afternoon amidst the incredible wonder that is Denali. Though the bus ride is long, the beauty rewarded makes it well worth the effort. A must do in the wilderness of Alaska. Seemingly, a grand finish to this great state's wealth of scenery.


Enjoy!

Hiking Denali

After our dog show, we take more of the advice offered by our trusty guide and find a beautiful trail which takes us from the kennels through lush forests with breathtaking vistas winding us back to the visitor's center.














Stunning is an understatement for what we find. The just under 3-mile trek is rewarding on every level and we are joined by another visitor traveling Denali on her own. Brave soul. We talk, gaze out over the beautiful mountains, stop and literally smell the roses this afternoon. Denali is not disappointing.

















Back at the center, a lone moose welcomes. It is the perfect end to our hike.


Dinner at the Salmon Bake is most fun, as we meet several single women travelers. Denali brings out the true adventurer in all. We enjoy our meal and head up the hill with several of our new friends for an unforgettable view and toast the magnificence with a final drink. It is the perfect ending to our first day in Denali.

Rest comes easy as tomorrow promises even more!

Denali Going to the Dogs

McKinley Chalet Resort will be our home for the next couple of days, and our best accommodations have come here in this beautiful wilderness. Our bags are already waiting as we settle in and appreciate the comfort that we will be afforded while visiting here. Yea!!!










We explore our area briefly before boarding a shuttle to the park. On board the shuttle, we meet a darling couple who are headed for a true Alaskan adventure. They plan to backpack through the true wilderness of Denali - no forged trails - for eight days! We enjoy our encounter as we question the logistics of such an endeavor. They will survive on very little out there all alone for more than a week. While we're intrigued, living vicariously is all we can really imagine.


A very helpful guide suggests a visit to the kennels of the sled dogs. Denali's history with these beautiful animals is rich and we not only enjoy thoroughly meeting the beauties one on one but are lucky enough to time an actual sled demonstration.

Honestly, we were a bit doubtful of this, but are ecstatic that we have been guided in this direction. This is a wonderful start to our exploration.