Denali, The High One

And so we get to the mountain...

As I said in the previous post, getting a good look wasn't looking...good. The entire park was shrouded in a thick grey miasma from the fires and you could barely make out anything in the distance, let alone Denali, still, I had that unyielding hope that I'd see it. I just felt it in my bones.

Score one for the bones.


When we arrived at Eielson, it was as if a great hand had pushed away the veil of cover that was obscuring the mountain. It was breathtaking to watch it be revealed. I was literally speechless. It was honestly, quite overpowering to be standing in front of such a creation, feeling the wind as it howled around us, and seeing that great cloud sweep across the sky.

I might have cried a little.

Shut up.


It was amazingly beautiful.

It even had this jazzy little lenticular cloud cap.



Thanks to my friend Dawn for lending me her DSLR!


This cloud, (I see a cheetah!) was stretched across the expanse of the horizon. It was really something in its own right. That entire morning was an incredible display of God's handiwork.

I was pretty excited. (Even if my eyes and makeup-free face pretty much scream, 'insanely tired!')

I was also pretty excited to see the wildlife...like Caribou, a lot of them. Here are two for your viewing pleasure.

I was going to post a few more pics of the various animals we saw, which is what has delayed this...uh... already delayed post, but all of those shots and subsequent pics from the Ice Hotel are on the cd that Dawn gave me.

The missing cd.

THE. MISSING. CD.

I will be tearing apart my house tonight in an effort to find it...because apparently I never backed it up on my hard drive. D'oh!

*Sigh...well, until then, I leave you with this...

For behold, He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth—The LORD God of hosts is His name. Amos 4:13

Wonder Lake

(When I first saw this, I thought it was Denali, Mt. McKinley, but it's actually a smaller peak in the range, but I am unsure which. Still I was pretty thrilled to see it. Denali was still quite hidden.)

Well, I've come to the conclusion that I will never catch up on posting. So, I'm going to try to get through Alaska and then just condense everything from the past...year? and put it into one gigantopost. I've got a lot going on right now that I'd like to keep track of and it seems the only way to do it is to give up on catching up with past posts.

So, here's an eagle.


This is a Golden Eagle, which is actually the largest breed. This particular bird followed us around a good
bit. He swooped, soared, and was generally majestic.


The surrounding scenery was stunning. (Still at Eielson.)


These antlers-bull moose-were found locked together like this. Or, in other words, these guys literally fought to the death. One of the horns had actually pierced the eye socket of the opposite's skull, which of course, would have been tremendously unpleasant for that particular moose. In the end, they starved to death. It's a bit sad, but well, that's nature. She's not always butterflies and rainbows you know. They're displayed at The Eielson Visitor Center.


As are the pelts from many of the creatures that inhabit the park. These all died of natural causes.


There is an artist in residence program at Denali. I found this tremendously cool. The above picture is a quilt piece made by one of the artists. I think it was my favorite simply because it was both simple and extremely complex. I wouldn't mind having that position.

Anyway, on we go to Wonder Lake.


We were headed out to Wonder Lake to camp for the night. Even though the smoke from the fires was heavy and obscuring the mountain ranges, the scenery was still beautiful. The lake itself was surrounded by lush foliage, berry bushes, and was just calm and lovely.

(Panorama!)

(I love lake stones.)

After wandering around for a while, exploring the lake, the land, the bathhouses, and various campsites, we pitched our tents. Actually, we might have done that first, but I don't remember, though, we probably did so that we could dump our stuff inside. FYI, you are not allowed to have any food or water at your campsite...or deodorant, toothpaste, or any other 'human smelling' object. After use, all of these things have to be sealed in the bear locker...because the last thing anyone wants is a Grizzly nosing them in the middle of the night trying to get at their stick of Secret. (Strong enough for a man but made for a woman...or a hungry bear.)

Now, I'm going to relay a little story about my good friend...my. good. friend. David. While we were out walking, we were having a conversation about some of life's issues, spirituality, walking with God, striking out on your own, and how unpleasant getting eaten by a bear must be. Well, we're traipsing along and all of a sudden there is a rustle in the bushes. All of a sudden, a girlish shriek fills the air and I find myself being unceremoniously being shoved forward towards whatever the sound is. Dave, is now located behind me (cowering...and shoving.) I look down and see this:

(Not a bear.)

The following conversation takes place:

"David, what...are you doing?"

"I, ah, haha, I thought it was a bear."

"It was just a squ- wait...you thought what? You were going to shove me INTO A BEAR!?"

Silence.

"Uh...well...don't tell anyone."

*Incredulous look.
"I'm telling EVERYONE!"

Suffice to say, I no longer trust David when it comes to survival.

(Does not want to be eaten by a bear.)

After a fine dinner of peanut butter on white bread, some apples, and a candy bar, we turned in for the night. The ground was hard and stony, even with the sleeping bag, but at least it was cold and bright all night.

("Sunset" in Alaska, in July...should not be mistaken for a literal event.)

Still, it was just the fact that we were where we were, that made putting up with the discomfort worth it.
The next morning was going to be our last chance to see Denali, which was one of my life goals...so imagine how I felt when I woke up to this:


The smoke from the fires was horrendous. Where it had been hazy the day before, it was nearly like a blanket now. However, I had faith that I was going to see this mountain...and I don't mean through a sky like grey pea soup! Honestly, I prayed, long and hard that God was going to let me see it, and I actually had complete confidence after that, that He would. Denali is visible 20% of the time. When we arrived at Eielson, a strange wind began to blow...

On The Road Again...

Well, with camp finished and a bit of free time to kill, Dave-O and myself...after a hectic bit of arranging, a sainted woman who goes by the name Dawn, and one reliable vehicle later, made our way out towards Denali. I love a good drive, especially through beautiful country...and well, Alaska is beautiful country. We'd stop now and then for a good view of the landscape, as the vistas pretty much demanded it. Of course, now and then, there was the demand for something else...the demand to 'party!' And, well, nothing says party like a dedication plaque! So, I ask you, are you ready... are you ready to party?


I SAID ARE YOU READY TO PARTY!?

(You might want to scroll past the next picture if you're easily offended. However, if you're 'ready to party,' this establishment will probably accommodate you. I think I'll pass.)


stay classy.


Moving on...So, here's the river as we cross into Denali National Park. There was rafting taking place just beyond the bend. I was immediately sorry I was not participating as I love rafting and at the time of my last planned trip, I was totally dying. Maybe next time...definitely next time. Anyway, I was taken with the place before we even got into the real park. Sure, you head in and the shops, cars, and hotel are all buzzing, so it doesn't feel much like the great outdoors, but at the same time, it does. You can see beyond all that into the total and absolute vastness that is being offered and it's astounding...even with the clutter. I was really excited to start heading out towards Wonder Lake.


We ventured up to the hotel, but I'm not showing it to you...because it's a hotel...and I'm sure you've all seen one before. The wind however, was intense due to the location of the hotel on a bit of a precipice overlooking the park! I love a windy day.

(I promise you, everyone goes gangster around me...)(Dave-O^)

We made our way to the bus station to hop on the bus we were taking out to the lake to camp. It's, I believe, around 85 miles into the park and a 6 hour bus ride. When I first heard that, I was not amused. I did not think 6 hours on a bus would thrill me in the least. However, as it turns out, the bus ride is pretty good times. The roads are, in some areas, completely scary...which is a bonus in a way. You also get a really good overview of the park via this 'tour.' Plus, given the fact that you're covering a lot of ground, you see a lot of wildlife. (More of that later.) The six hours passed extremely quickly and the scheduled stops gave you a good opportunity to get out, stretch your legs and wander around a bit. (I will say, I would be sad if all I did was a bus ride...even staying overnight wasn't long enough. It's the kind of place where a few days worth of hiking and camping is well worth any discomfort/cost.)


Well, as we get going, things start to get pretty. It's just so open, so big. I think that's what amazes me the most. Whenever I come back home from up there, everything just seems so small for so long. Even the sky seems to shrink.


(My natural skin tone is not 'hot pink!')


THERE'S A GRIZZLY BEAR IN THAT PICTURE! Even though she and her cubs were a fair distance from us, I was excited. And really, don't you want a mother Grizzly to be a fair distance from you? From what I've heard, Ursus Arctos Horribilis (fancy!) is not as approachable as Teddy Ruxpin would have you believe! (I bet they're totally soft and cuddly while they're ripping your face off.) Still, I was totally thrilled as I'd never seen one in the wild.


Inflatable hoodie! Isn't that landscape gorgeous!? This is one of the stops along the way...obviously. For someone who comes from a place where foothills are as big as you get, the mountains can be almost visually overwhelming. Awesome. (Wow...I never realized how short those "long" pants were. Oh well, I destroyed them a week later through some mishap anyway...)


I'm not sure if they were diverting the river channel, building up the bank, or putting in a new visitor station, but for some reason, the presence of construction equipment bothered me. Of course I realize that we are impacting the land...to think otherwise would be naive, but I suppose that particular visual reminder left me unsettled. Ironic that I'm musing all of this while sitting on a bus specifically designed to invade these spaces. If you'll allow me to wax philosophic for a moment, even though the area is preserved and protected, we're still marking our trails all through it. We're totally invasive, even if we are lessening our impact. Don't get me wrong, I believe the National Park system is awesome and one of the best conservation efforts ever established in the US. I'm stoked that Denali exists and that I'm fortunate enough to take advantage of it, but seeing something like that just reminds me that you'll always know when people have touched a place. (Not that it's always bad, just always...obvious.)

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." -John Muir


The first hint that something bigger lies beyond...

...And All The Salmon You Can Eat.

So here we are, the fabled salmon bake at Pioneer park. We were extremely glad for the small crowd. You see, the day before, Sarah Palin had been in town and the place was swamped. There was no chance at getting all upons that deliciousness. Thankfully though, we had other business while everyone else was Palin around with Sarah, and it was the next day we'd scheduled for eating obscene amounts of...everything.


Salmon, cod, halibut, prime rib, salads of various sorts, bread, and not pictured, desserts. It was all...very, very good, let me assure you. The salmon was great, but ohmygosh, that fried halibut was amazing. The steak was good too...and nice and rare! Let's pretend this was my only plate...because apparently its unseemly when a girl can put it away like a lumberjack who's not watching his waistline.


As you can see, we all ate to the point of discontented contentment. (I laugh every time I look at this picture. Boardy, Lena...priceless.)


Further evidence.


Now, there are some wonderful wood carvings about P.P. This is of course, a totem pole. The Native American totems throughout the Alaskan landscape inspire a sense of wonder at the indigenous peoples intricate use of storytelling through artisan craft. Often, family histories, religious belief, and stories of cultural importance are displayed upon these totems.

However...

Last time I checked, the wooden kitchen spoon wasn't intrinsic to the Inuit culture. Perhaps I'm way off base, but Pioneer Park, I think maybe you're fudging a bit on your authenticity.



However, I'll forgive you because you've got a giant carved salmon that you can ride. As you can see, Boardwalk, Jail, and Chance are all happy to have their quite respectable picture taken.


Being respectable, I find, is highly overrated.


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At some point during this trip, we ended up at a little coffee shop in Fairbanks. College Coffee is the name I believe. While I don't recall if I drank anything, I do recall that there was a rather boss musical circle that day. (Sarah, the above shot is for you...and yeah, also for me.) They played mostly in the Irish style. I nearly had a conniption when they busted out Swallowtail Jig. They were a talented group of fiddlers, pickers, drumers, and flutists. We highly enjoyed the concert and stayed a good while to listen to them.


Anytime a man wears a kilt, he gains my respect. I also seriously wanted to steal his belt buckle.


We did a lot of other things, such as go to Value Village, where I purchased a sweet hot-pink Salty Dawg hoodie. Chance, not sure she bought anything, but she made the trip in style via her dog/monkey hat and safety goggles.


At one point, Lena and I hung out downtown...where she went swimming in the town fountain. I really am unsure why I didn't join her.


I did however go swimming later in the Salcha River with Shortline and Chance. Let me just say that Alaska in July is not warm, not when you're from Alabama. No, it's not warm at all...and the water, well, it just follows suit. However, the swim was tons of fun no one lost any fingers or toes, so I'm calling it a great success!



Of course we went four-wheeling. I love the fact that this little stretch makes it look all safe. This little stretch is a lie. The Brinks (one of which is pictured here driving) are always kind enough to lend us their rides, couches, and food whenever we're in Salcha for any span of time...they're great hosts, great folks, and just awesome people. If everyone was as kind and accommodating as them, we would live in a far different and far better world.

Oh, I went to North Pole, found Santa. He wanted to go on break...I wanted a picture. I didn't get any coal this year so I guess I didn't annoy him too much. (I need a bigger Santa. There was not enough lap on this one.)

Well...there you have it. My completely odd blog about Camp Baldwin/ Salcha/ Fairbanks/ Wherever/ Whatever else. However, all tales are not told...and never will be, but there's still more. I happened to find myself in Denali one day and an Ice Hotel a bit later...so maybe I'll update again tomorrow...or three months from now. Who knows? I certainly don't.