Travels of The Mercury: Alaska – Canada Travels 2014, Denali, July 5th to 11th.

We arrive at Denali. This is the only reservation we’ve made on this trip so we’d be certain we could get into a campground. It’s a busy time of year. Before we enter the park we spend time at the visitor center.

The Denali Visitor Center.

A bear bench.

The park road is only paved and opened to the public for the first 17 miles that go to Savage River and the entry station. At that point the road becomes gravel and reservations are needed to drive further to get to the campgrounds. Once we’re there we have to keep our vehicle parked until the day we leave. No personal vehicles are allowed on the park road so everyone rides the shuttle buses that regularly travel the roads. There is a shuttle stop at the campground where we catch the bus every day to go further into the park. The drivers will drop us off anywhere along the road to explore Denali.

The entrance to Teklanika Campground.

Our reservation is for the Teklanika Campground. On our 1^st day we get to our campground and meet up with our Sportsmobile friends. We get together for a potluck and evening chats around the campfire over the next few days.

Our campsite at Teklanika.

On our 2nd day we get acquainted with Denali by riding the shuttle all the way through the park to Wonder Lake. The shuttle stops at points of interest along the way.

Our shuttle buses stop at Polychrome Overlook on the Denali road.

The spectacular scenery that is Denali.

At the Toklat River Visitor Center our bus joins a line of buses with visitors spilling out with excitement to photograph the amazing scenery. At the visitor center a row of antlers are an invitation to join the Caribou Club. We lift our antlers and become instant members.

We join the Caribou Club at the Toklat River Visitor Center.

We’re lucky to have clear weather and at the Eielson Visitor Center, which is a close as we get to Mt. McKinley, we get some good photos of the mountain. It’s a monumental sight.

Mount McKinley on a clear day.

Our picture with the famous mountain. It's amazing to be here.

The caribou and a mountain, part of the heart and soul of Denali.

The trip takes 6 hours but doesn't seem that long. We’re always engaged by the expanse and beauty of the country. A feast for the eye.

Mountains and snow every where we look.

There are only a few trails in Denali and these are short. Shuttle drivers will drop and pickup hikers anywhere along the road. Hiking is done going cross country which isn’t too hard since it’s mostly open tundra. Most people never get off the bus but for those of us who do, the opportunity to wander freely opens us to the real experience of Denali.

We hike into the tundra near Cathedral Mountain.

Hiking the tundra.

On the 3^rd day we have the shuttle driver drop us off at Igloo Creek and we hike across country on a tundra covered ridge ringed with views of mountains and river valleys.

It's wildflower season on the tundra.

Its spring on the tundra and wild flowers are abundant. On the horizon a procession of snowy peaks etch the skyline and the air smells of cold glacial water and the fragrant green tundra sponge.

The source of the Teklanika River.

From this high ridge we get a view of the upper Teklanika River and the glacier at its source.

Colorful Cathedral Peak.

Each night we attend the ranger program. Tonight Ranger Pete gave an animated and entertaining talk about bird beaks as tools. The kids get to use tools like pliers and tape-wrapped tongs to race each other picking up seeds.

Ranger Pete talks about bird beaks as tools. We have almost as much fun as he does.

Our 4^th day in Denali we leave the shuttle at Polychrome Overlook to hike over the mountain and down to the bridge on the east side where we'll catch the shuttle again.

A view from the top of Polychrome Mountain.

We ascend a steep but easy tundra slope to the top and hike over the mountain on a high ridge with magnificent views.

On top of the world in Denali.

We see a Northern Wheatear on top of the mountain. A great sighting and addition to my life list.

Steep talus drops away in every direction but we find an easy decent into a green, sunny bowl. Jim notices a large boulder below that looks out of place and turns out to be a momma Grizzly and 2 cubs sleeping in the sun in our line of travel.

Jim sees a grizzly ahead of us as we descend the mountain. What a good eye.

We anxiously debate what to do and end up climbing a couple hundred feet back up the slope and begin a contour around the bears. It's a time for stealth. This is her place of peace and security and we don't want her to know we're here . . . for lots of reasons. As we cross the talus rocks rattle down the slope and mamma raises her head and looks our direction. We sit down to become invisible and watch. She's 300 yards away and up-wind so we don't think she sees us. When she lowers her head again we carefully move on.

About as close as you want to be to a mamma Grizzly & cubs.

The slope is steep and the brush is knee deep and slick. The going is slow. Once past her and out of view we drop down to the river and work our way to the road along the rock edge. Within 5 minutes a shuttle comes by and takes us back to the campground. What an exciting hike and the best part of the day: seeing grizzlies away in the wild.

Hiking near Stony Dome.

On day 5 we leave the bus at Stony Dome and hike cross country to wander the lower slopes of the mountain. We find a nice water fall in gorge only visible after we climbed the ridge to look down on it.

A Red Squirrel munches on a wild mushroom at our campsite. Cute little critter.

Our time in Denali is at an end but we’ve come to know it a little by hiking into it and being alone in its great expanse of rugged beauty.

A train coming to Denali crosses the trestle bridge over Riley Creek.

Day 6 we depart Teklanika and return to the Visitor Center were we’ll camp at the Riley Creek Campground for 2 days.

Fun boardwalk shops at Denali.

Another carving I'd like to have in my yard.

We walk the mile to the community of Denali. This little gateway community along the highway is bustling with big hotels and rustic log shops. We see big tour buses from Princess Cruises and know they’ve come a long way from the ports to get here.

Inside the Salmon Bake. Good food!

We browse the shops along the boardwalk and have halibut fish tacos at the Salmon Bake, a fun off-beat place with good food and sloping floors. Enough beers and walking would be a challenge.

Our bike ride to Savage Creek.

On our last day we do a 29-mile bike ride on the paved park road to Savage Creek.

Caribou gets harassed by Mew Gulls at Savage Creek.

At the bridge we get our best look yet at 2 caribou in velvet grazing in the riverbed. The Mew Gulls are excited and diving at them but they graze on unfazed.