Continued from the last page.

Here are some more scenes from my bus ride back to the Teklanika River Campground. It was easier to take pictures since I had a window seat again:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wayne was a very good bus driver and I tipped him well when I got off the bus at the Teklanika River rest area.

I decided to walk on the road and river bed the remaining two miles to our campground instead of waiting ten minutes at the rest area for folks to stretch and go to the bathroom.

 

Note the gold and orange leaves on the aspens -- and it's only August 11!  By now it appears to
be raining to the south, where the bus drove through the mountains half an hour earlier.

The next two pictures show the taiga (sub-alpine forest and wetlands) between our campsite and the riverbed:

 

My river walk was enjoyable, a nice ending to a great day of hiking. Jim was already back and talking to a couple he met while cycling.

JIM'S BIKE RIDE

After I left this morning Jim went on a scenic 24-mile bike ride.

Instead of trying to catch a camper bus westbound to Polychrome Pass or Eielson and riding back, he decided to just ride his bike out and back from the campground. He made it to Sable Pass (2,600-3,900 feet elevation range, with lots of ups and downs). The two miles up to the pass were hard but he made it OK by stopping to rest several times.

He thoroughly enjoyed the ride, not only because of all the great scenery but also because of an unexpected treat that awaited him at Sable Pass:

When Jim got up to the pass a bus was stopped, letting out a 50-something couple with their bikes. They originally planned to ride out and back but were able to catch a bus with room for their bikes at the Tek rest area so they took advantage of it.

The highlight of Jim’s and their day was watching a large blonde grizzly bear and her two darker brown cubs walking across the road in front of the bus, then going into the willows.

Jim and the other fella continued to watch and take pictures, while the woman went farther down the hill for safety. If I'd been there, I can guarantee you I'd have stayed with Jim -- the recommended 100 yards for safety but close enough to take pictures!

 

 

At first, the mama remained mostly hidden behind shrubs and trees (above). Jim was able to get about a dozen pictures of the two cubs separately or together while they were feeding and playing nearby in this location:

 

 

Then the trio moved farther up the hill to forage for food.

Bears have to eat pretty much constantly during the summer and fall to put on the weight necessary for hibernation during the loooooong Alaska winter.

 

I loved looking at Jim’s pictures. I’m so glad he got to see the bears close up.

One of his concerns about riding the park road has been dust, especially dust from the large buses. They are supposed to slow down to 10 MPH when passing pedestrians or cyclists on the dirt part of the road (past Savage River at 15 miles) but they still kick up a lot of dust.

Jim didn’t have too much of a problem with that today, nor did we when we went on a short ride yesterday.

So it was very comical on my bus this afternoon when Wayne stopped for a westbound cyclist slowly chugging up the long approach to Polychrome Pass. As we waited for the tired cyclist to pass, Wayne dryly remarked, “Those bikes kick up so much dust!” I cracked up laughing.

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One of Jim's pictures of the colorful hills between Tek and Sable Pass

Jim and I had fun sharing our stories when I got back about 4 PM. We both had a great day out and about in the park.

OUR LAST EVENING AT TEK

After supper we went to the amphitheater to hear the scheduled ranger talk about bears but soon learned she was ill and another ranger would be talking about the human history of Denali – the historical figures who played a role in the park’s development and how modern visitors continue to shape the park's goals.

It was very interesting. She got the audience to participate a little more than Jim preferred but it was a good talk and it made me think more about the people we've seen at Denali the past week. 

When we were in the plane on August 8 flying over the “front country” of Denali National Park on our way back to Healy the pilot, Trent, commented on all the Winnebagos down in a campground. I’m not sure whether it was Riley Creek or Teklanika River but he’s right – the campgrounds are occupied by at least 50% rental Winnebago C-class motorhomes! Most are about 24’ long and fit into the majority of the RV campsites in the park.

The next most common set-up we’ve seen at Denali is trucks with camper tops. Many Alaska residents visit other locations in the state in those.

There were a few more medium to large privately owned 5th-wheels, travel trailers, and Class A motorhomes in the Bear Loop at Riley Creek CG than anywhere else because more of the sites are larger in that loop and it's the only place they’ll fit.

 
Valley view on Jim's route

Most Denali visitors have just one, two, or maybe three weeks to spend here. Many fly and/or take a cruise ship to Anchorage, rent an RV (apparently most are these Winnebago models), and head for their chosen destinations. Denali National Park is one of their favorites – an excellent choice!

In addition to lots of North Americans who come here, the place is also swarming with Europeans, Australians, and Japanese this month.

I think it is common for Europeans to take about a month’s vacation in the summer. Even more foreign visitors reportedly visit in September when plane fares are lower. It’s amazing how many languages I’ve heard while here.

Most of the visitors I've seen are adults. There are still some kids in the park but fewer and fewer each day because it’s getting closer to the time when school starts.

 

Above and below:  two more of Jim's photos of colorful mountains along the park road

Although we’ve met some retirees and a few full-timers who are camping in the park, I think many of them stay outside the park in private campgrounds where they have hook-ups. And there are thousands of folks who come here and stay in motels and lodges, not the campgrounds. Each time on the bus I could see dozens of tan tour and green shuttle buses packed with people. They didn’t all stay in the campgrounds.

In other campgrounds in Alaska where we've stayed so far -- from military to private to National Forest Service -- we've seen many fewer rental RVs. Most of their occupants appeared to be residents or visitors (usually retirees) with their own campers.

Anyway, Jim and I had a great time on our hike, bus ride, and/or bike ride today. This is our last night at Tek and we'll kind of miss it. Tomorrow we're going back to Riley Creek Campground near the entrance. We have reservations for three more nights there and may extend it even farther if we can.

We love Denali National Park and don't want to leave!

Next entry:  relaxing Day Eight at the park

Happy trails,

Sue
"Runtrails & Company" - Sue Norwood, Jim O'Neil, and Cody the ultra Lab

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© 2012 Sue Norwood and Jim O'Neil