A little excursion to Denali National Park
Posted by lapazfarm on July 17th, 2008 filed in alaska, nature studyWell…we were bored so we spontaneously decided to go ahead and take off for a day trip to Denali National Park, rather than waiting for the weekend. It is only a short 2 hour drive from our house, which is shorter than I thought or I’d have been there several times by now! Ed had to work so he couldn’t come along, but the kids and I really needed to get out of the house. So we did!
Anyway, we left around noon, got there around 2-ish, which was too late to catch the bus we wanted to take into the park (private cars are not allowed to drive very far into Denali Park in order to preserve the wilderness character of the place), so we made reservations for the morning bus and camped out for the night. Luckily we had thrown our tents and sleeping bags in the truck just in case.
Our campsite was lovely, right by a roaring river (actually it was Riley Creek. Apparently what I would call a “river” merits only a “creek” designation here in Alaska). And talk about lucky, the weather was windy and cool so we had no mosquito problems! We went on a short hike along the creek and spotted this…
Yep, it’s bear scat. (With Superboy’s size 11 shoe for scale.) Is it me or is this becoming a recurring theme on my blog??? Disturbing…
Anyway, we spent a lovely evening camping and exploring the great visitors center, where JBug was able to happily confirm our bear scat identification.
The next morning we were bright-eyed and bushy tailed and caught our bus to the interior of the park. Ready for an 8-hour trip on a bouncy bus through dusty, windy mountain roads? You bet!
Because it is so totally worth it when you get to see vistas like this:
And wildlife like this:
Those are grizzly bears, a mama and 2 cubs, in case you can’t tell.
The wind was brisk and cool, but we were lucky to have relatively clear skies and sunshine because the scenery was awesome!
It was good to get out and stretch our legs at the frequent stops.
There were interesting things to see all along the way. These caribou antlers are bigger than JBug!
And of course, the best part of all…
A splendid view of Denali!
Not bad for a day trip. Man, I love this place.
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July 17th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I haven’t been commenting much but I just wanted to tell you that I have been reading every one of your posts with such delight. What an amazing adventure you have been on. Thanks for sharing it with us! I wanted to ask though, is this a permanent move or only for a specific time frame?
July 17th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Gorgeous!!
July 17th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
It is a permanent move, Matilda. (Ask me again this winter, LOL!).
July 17th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
What a spectacular place! I have to think that God brought YOUR family to the perfect place — this is Nature Nirvana — Lapaz Family style.
http://tribeof3feistykids.blogspot.com/
July 17th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
What a wonderful day! That last photo is beautiful! Seems like you are really going to enjoy your stay there.
July 17th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
what a blast, you are definately in your element girl!!
July 17th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
What a fantastic adventure you are LIVING! I eye your pictures with supreme jealousy. Thanks for sharing a little bit of heaven with us.
July 17th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Wow. I’m just in awe. I can’t believe you only have to travel 2 hours to see that! I can’t imagine seeing a mama bear & her 2 cubs. (Reminds me of Blueberry Sal - though there was only one cub…) I really love that you post these photos and are sharing your experiences with us. Thanks!
July 17th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
It is absolutely breathtaking. What a gift for the kids! (and mom!)
July 18th, 2008 at 8:58 am
It all looks great. Your posts right now are so wonderful, and you sound so in love with your new home.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Your living my dream! That last photo made my heart squeeze a bit. *sigh* Beautiful!
July 20th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Oh my! What amazing pictures! I would say that the long bus trip was well worth it.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Oh Theresa, that last picture is absolutely breathtaking! What a wonderful world of beauty our Creator has made for us.