Kantishna Roadhouse – at Mile 92, Denali National Park

Sunday 25 June

This morning was clear, with sun breaking through the clouds & it was time for some activity – after all, this place is all about the hiking. Not a strenuous or moderate hike, but a gentle Wonder Lake hike for me.

Wonder Lake is quite large and about 3 miles south of us. There are many photos on display in the Roadhouse showing that on a good day you can see Mt Denali reflected in the water. This morning, although the Lake looked like a mirror, Mt Denali was well-hidden. But I do have some nice photos of a duck enjoying a morning swim!

I’m rapidly realising that the size of the National Park means that animals are often a long way from us – of course that can be good or bad. When I was hiking down the road this morning & on the track beside Wonder Lake, I was comfortable being alone, knowing that anything large (bear, caribou) that doesn’t want human contact is unlikely to cross my path in this area.

And interestingly, I realised that although I was looking at where I was putting my feet, I was also looking for things that might crawl or slither out from the thick bush onto the path. But there are no snakes or lizards in Alaska! So I put that concept away, and took more photos before finding a rock to sit on to enjoy the bird songs and the glorious view.

By the time I got back to the van, the clouds were becoming quite thick, and for the remainder of the day we’ve had rain off and on. Perhaps we won’t see Mt Denali in the evening light tonight.

I’ve met some very interesting people, and enjoyed dinner this evening with four. Towards the end of our meal, one of the guides came in to confirm the arrangements for those leaving tomorrow, as well as the evening’s entertainment (a short performance from one of the guides in the upstairs library), and the 8:30pm ride down to Wonder Lake to see if Mt Denali was visible.

I decided to go back to my cabin, read and then make the decision just before 8:30pm.

The sky was clear and sunny – just a few puffy clouds. The driver, Snow, offered to drive me to a closer spot that they use for people who can’t walk the distance. After a fairly active day, this was great. And as we drove towards the Lake, there was Mt Denali rising high above and 40 kms behind a forest of green trees. We could clearly see the north face with its fresh coating of snow. This face is known as the Wickersham Wall, a 14,000ft vertical wall named after the person who first tried to climb it, and failed. It was a glorious sight – took lots of photos from Wonder Lake and the Reflecting Pond, further along the road – a real treat!

Now it’s 11pm & the sun is still shining on my curtains – time for some zzz’s ahead of a more relaxing day tomorrow.

Monday 26 June – “there’s gold in them thar hills!”

After another goodnight’s sleep, I woke to a beautiful morning – not a cloud in the sky as far as we can see. But we’re in a small valley surrounded by a large mountain on one side, and others a little further away.

This really is a very large property with cabins for around 50 people, as well as accommodation for guides, kitchen & cleaning staff and so on. The Moose River borders one side, fed by water high above us. It then meets up with other rivers, finally leading into the Yukon River that starts in British Columbia, flows via the Yukon, into Alaska and then empties into the Bering Sea.

I decided to take a walk along the “Nature Trail” that starts amongst the birch trees opposite my cabin and follows the Moose River for 2 kms or so. It was a very nice walk, despite the mozzies! I walked for about an hour all up, looking at plants, watching for wildlife on the other side of the river, and talking out loud to myself. No, I haven’t gone loopy yet – it is a way of ensuring that I wasn’t going to come across a large critter, unexpectedly.

After lunch I decided to try gold panning – after all, it was gold that brought so many people into this area. We donned rubber boots and headed down to a nice part of the river. And I found a flake, which has now been neatly trapped on a laminated card! It is quite tiny, so I won’t have to declare it on my return to Aus – but it’s a nice way to finish my 2 days here.

Tomorrow is an early start – bag out by 5:20am, breakfast at 5:30am and on the bus at 6am for the 92 mile ride back to the Park entry, and the railway station. Then it’s on the train back to Anchorage.

It’s been a wonderful few days, a great break in an amazing part of the world – but it will be great to not have to cover my skin with bug-cream!