D60 - 06/27/24 TUNDRA WILDERNESS TOUR

 

Today Tim and I took the Tundra Wilderness Tour. The Tundra Wilderness Tour is the most popular tour of Denali National Park! This six hour tour takes visitors from Mile 0.75 here in the park out to the Murie Cabin at about Mile 42.5 near the East Fork Bridge at Mile 43. We saw the same incredible scenery but got a narrated history of the park road, and some of the best opportunities to view the park’s wildlife inhabitants without either one of us driving.

Guess what? We saw it again!! Three days in a row! Clouds were beginning to form around it. But we saw it. Now the one thing I was trying to figure out and had answered for me today was how far away is the actual Denali mountain from the vantage point that we are seeing it? Eighty miles (80)!! Now that tells you the volume of just how massive this mountain is. Words and pictures do it no justice. The perspective of what your naked eye sees and what the camera captures is not the same. Then we went around the next turn in the road and it was gone. Just like that! 

The Murie Cabin that I mentioned above, where the bus turned around at today, is a historic cabin used by Adolph Murie. Adolph Murie, the first scientist to study wolves in their natural habitat, was a naturalist, author, and wildlife biologist. This cabin is within site of the wolf track that we saw two days ago. Murie authored many books including, The Wolves of Mount McKinley, a field study of the relationship between wolves and Dall sheep in Mount McKinley National Park (since renamed Denali National Park).

The tour today was informative and interesting. Had planned on taking it on our first day in Denali but when our plans changed we couldn’t change tours. What was so great was hearing from someone who has known the park for many years and knows where the wildlife might be. Our driver also told us many personal stories of his adventures in the park. Loved having the luxury of searching for wildlife without driving. We saw some moose, an eagle and even caribou chilling on snow patches. 

Looks like our sunrise and sunsets are expanding. One minute earlier/later each way! So fascinating to monitor that and so glad I decided to keep track of it on this Epic Adventure. 

Tim and I are still planning out our day for tomorrow. There could possibly be another bus in the works. LOL Things to consider are weather, logistics of getting to where we want to be and Jett. 

Sunset: 12:17 am

Sunrise: 3:40 am

Wildlife viewings:

Moose (2)

Caribou (2)

Dall Sheep

Ptarmigan Family 

Golden Eagle

D59 - 06/26/24 RILEY CREEK

Our three nights out in the wilderness at Teklanika came to an end. We have moved our basecamp today to Riley Creek Campground just inside the gate here in Denali National Park. Nice campground. No services/hookups. But we do finally have cellular service. 

The Park Road coming back to the entrance was not as dusty as when we had entered. GUESS WHAT? We saw it again today. Denali!From several different vantage points!! Obviously you can see it from more than one location in the park. And it can be seen from up to 200 miles away. 

Along the way we did not see any wildlife other than multiple families of ptarmigans. The chicks were so small. Mom and dad out on the road defending them from the predator (us). Most wildlife will be in a cool spot this time of day waiting for the sun to get lower in the sky. It was 80* when we arrived at Riley Creek but was still in the upper 60’s when we departed Teklanika. 

The Riley Creek check-in went smoothly. We had reserved a larger site. It was slim pickings to find one. But finally found a nice site on the third and last loop. After we got settled and made dinner Tim and I took the Riley Creek Loop bus to the Visitors Center. Spoke to Ranger Brian again. He’s everywhere. We ran into him yesterday at East Fork. Saw the ancient spear he spoke of on display there. Toured the Center.  Got my National Park Stamp! Shopped. Hopped on a bus back to basecamp. Just in time for it to rain. Guess the Ranger Program and our campfire will wait. Finally was able to get Jett out for her final walk after the rain. She met some kids playing ball and another family with a dog named Millie! 

I feel yet another bus in our future for tomorrow! 

Sunset: 12:18 am

Sunrise: 3:39 am

Elevation: 1,610’

Miles from home: 

4,722 miles

Miles driven: 

6,327.3 miles

Wildlife viewings:

Ptarmigans 

Seagull

Robin