Denali National Park

As we were driving to Denali National Park, the skies were totally clear, and we could see Denali off and on for about ninety minutes of our drive. We passed the south side scenic viewpoint, but it was only after we passed it that I realized what a gorgeous photo I could have taken there. If I could go back in time, I definitely would ask Paul to turn around. We stopped at the north side scenic viewpoint, but it wasn't nearly as pretty so I didn't take a picture (mistake #2 that day). I have a memory of how beautiful Denali looks, but I don't have a photo because then the clouds started to come in, and it was hidden the rest of the day. The next morning the weather cleared. It was a sunny day, but even on a clear day Mt. Denali is often covered in clouds as it creates its own weather. They say that only 30% of people who visit Denali National Park see the mountain. We saw the mountain on two occasions on this trip, but neither time were we in the park when we saw it. Another guest who took a bus tour told us that the driver said that in the previous 100 days he saw Denali 4 days while in the park. So, it seems the odds are more like 4%. If by some miracle the skies are clear as we drive back down toward Anchorage tomorrow, I will definitely ask Paul to stop so I can take a picture. 

Our first stop in Denali was to get lunch a Denali Doghouse. Paul liked his chicken tenders, and the kids liked their hotdogs. I made the mistake of choosing a bowl of chili. It's scary to think how much we paid for 3 hotdogs, a small container of chili, one order of fries, and an order of chicken tenders. Second, we hiked the Horseshoe Lake Trail. We were hoping to see a beaver as many live in that area, but we only saw MANY beaver dams. Third, we took a 5-hour bus tour into the Tundra Wilderness. They provided us each with a box of snacks and a can of water. We had packed sandwiches to eat on the bus tour. During the trip we saw 7 caribou, several Dall sheep (way up high), one moose, several willow ptarmigans, and an Arctic ground squirrel. Some people on our bus also spotted a red fox, but I didn't see it. On our way to our Airbnb, we made a quick stop at a grocery store. Our Airbnb was a log cabin. It had electricity and running water, but it didn't have Wi-Fi or a shower. We also didn't have much cell service there. The last couple of roads we took to get there were unpaved and had LOTS of potholes. The owner of this cabin is also a Christian. He met his wife through YWAM. 

The next morning, we returned to Denali and took the shuttle to the sled dog demonstration. We were able to meet and pet some of their sled dogs before the program began. After we returned to the Visitor Center via the free shuttle, we ate lunch in our vehicle. Next, we took another free shuttle to the Savage River Loop trail. During that hike we saw three marmots on the ground and more Dall sheep (that were very high up). The weather was gorgeous on our second day in Denali. It was sunny and the skies were clear, except right around Denali. During our drive back, we saw two more caribou. After the shuttle returned us to the Visitor Center, we went on one more hike in that area. Other people who were at Denali around the same time as we were didn't see any caribou, but they saw grizzly bears. I would really have liked to see a grizzly bear (or any bear for that matter) and a beaver, but I'm thankful I was able to see seven caribou and two marmots.