A VISIT TO THE GREAT DENALI!
Today I am recovering from a very busy Saturday! It started with a walk down one of the many paths that criss-cross the city of Anchorage. This one is near downtown which doesn't deem to deter the moose from making it home. As I mentioned yesterday I had a chance to meet my first moose family. That was very exciting but I'm hoping for another chance in to see them in the daylight.
Speaking of daylight-we are loosing 5 minutes of sunlight a day! Soon it will be dark more than it is light. And even the daylight hours will be more like dusk. Now it gets light around 8:30 or 9:00am and dark around 6:30 or 7:00. At the end of the month we "fall back" so it will get light even later!
It can be very disorienting to see the sun always in the south. It raises in the southeast and sets in the southwest-of course, the later into winter it is the lower it rises and sets on the southern horizon.
But, back to my adventures of Saturday. After walking the trail I walked downtown with another traveling provider (PA) Jane. We ate breakfast at a downtown cafe since I couldn't find the bakery I had spotted Thursday night. When afoot there is only so much walking around looking one wants to do! I treated myself to sourdough pancakes-the most delicious I've ever put in my mouth!!! And Reindeer sausage!! Ymmmmmmmm
I got back to the apartment at 10:30. That's three hours minus thirty minutes in the cafe!!!! I didn't feel too bad about the pancakes! Now time to decide how to spend one of the precious last days without ice or snow!! In fact, it was beautiful!! The sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky.
There...that made my decision for me!! I wanted to see Mt McKinnley while I was here and I had heard you could see her so well on a clear day but those were very rare. In fact when I was at the observation area I talked to a man that said to have a crystal clear view of the mountain like we did yesterday was a "one day in 364" chance (surely he was kidding).
So, into my Barbie and Ken car and off to Parks Highway I went.
My first stop of any interest was in Houston, Alaska. As far as I can tell Houston is one big fireworks stand....make that three big fireworks stands. It appears to be a "wide place in the road" that specializes in fireworks. Interestingly the name of the fireworks stand(s) in Houston is Gorilla fireworks! They do have a claim to fame-it would appear that Batman retired the Batmobile in Houston, AK.
Leaving there I continued down a very long, long road into Denali National Park. En route, I saw a sight I surely have never seen, nor ever expect to see in Texas. Along side the road there was a man on an all-terrain vehicle (not so unusual, you say).....apparently exercising six sled dogs harnessed into a team like they were pulling a sled (only there was no sled-only an ATV). They were just beautiful running along with their hair flying and the pure joy of running etched in their every move! Would loved to have gotten a picture of that but I suspect it would have lacked the spirit of the dogs and their joy!!
Then, suddenly she appeared in a break in the trees on the road-The Great Denali...better known as Mount McKinnley. As majestic and as beautiful as I expected her to be!!! I just kept driving toward her not really sure when I would stop but looking for a better place to take some pictures. Fortunately, I found a viewing area! It is the view of the mountain from about forty miles away. I spent almost an hour here just looking at the mountain and trying to taking in the majesty. There are information panels about the mountain that are full of such fascinating information!
While I was there I talked with a young man from California. His mother is a physician in Indian and was visiting him. He had done some mountain climbing in Alaska and wanted to show his mother the mountain and the northern lights. He offered to take my picture but wasn't happy with the results of the picture he took with my camera so he took one with his and will e-mail it to me. They were so nice! I've met some of the nicest people-from the homeless people downtown to these people!!!!
The next part of the trip was a nightmare!!! I continued north and next thing I knew I was on wet road with snow everywhere and temps 32 and dropping.....and worst of all, no bathroom! According to my map I should have gotten to a village but apparently it has been moved...so I drove and drove and drove looking for a turn around that had been plowed. Since by car practically sits on the ground so I was afraid to drive into any snow. I was really desparate for a loo and a way out of this mess! At last!!!! A plowed turn around-I got me and my Barbie and Ken car out of there!!!!!!
I drove back to Trapper's something or another village, a bathroom, and a $7.00 order of chicken strips (three strips and some fries)....it was, without a doubt, the most beautiful little building in the middle of no where I have ever seen.
I headed home.....this time it was a three hour trip home...with thoughts of Mt McKinnley and a place named Houston that sells Gorilla firecrackers.