Continued from the previous page.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

I was finally able to get on a return shuttle bus on standby at 4:45 PM. If I'd been able to hike the trails and stream beds below the visitor center after I came down from Thorofare Ridge -- which was my original plan -- this is about the time I would have been leaving the Eielson area anyway, so for me the delay for the bear lockdown wasn't that big of an inconvenience.

Although the 65-mile ride back to the Wilderness Access Center was significantly more pleasant regarding seating than the trip out to Eielson in the morning, it was less enjoyable in terms of some other passengers.

After the long bear lockdown I think everyone on the bus was fairly tired and/or cranky. Some had to wait over two hours on the bus. The lucky ones got to wait in the visitor center -- although they missed seeing the grizzly bear running through the parking lot and devouring a ground squirrel!

Here's the route again for reference to photos below, this time going east:

Our driver was young JJ, who’s been driving these buses five days a week every summer since 2008. There have been bear lockdowns at Eielson before, so he wasn’t surprised.

JJ did his best to get us back to the entrance as quickly as possible -- not that he was adverse to getting overtime pay; he knew some people were in a real big hurry to get back since his bus was two or three hours behind schedule and they had other things planned.

So once again I got gypped as far as scenic/wildlife photo ops and stretching/bathroom breaks. Almost all the landscape photos on this page were taken out the windows while the bus was moving. Most are in sequence going eastbound.

Last view of Denali, from Stony Hill (not such a good picture facing the sun)

Still a little bit of snow that hasn't melted on the nearby meadows

Stony Creek area

Further delays were caused by day hikers wanting off at four remote places (unscheduled stops are allowed on shuttle buses), backpackers getting off at the Igloo and Sanctuary tent campgrounds, and a woman who had to go to the bathroom in the middle of nowhere.

That was comical to the rest of us as she scrambled through the willows trying to get out of camera range!

I felt sorry for her though. It could happen to anyone, including me.

 
There was still a fair amount of snow in the area called Highway Pass.

Above and below:  There was less snow near the road as we dropped in elevation going east.

All the window seats on the right side of the bus (the side on the return with the best views) were already taken by original passengers on this bus when I boarded.

I was able to score a seat in the third row by a window but for the first time in six outs/backs I was on the less-scenic side of the bus and across from several middle-aged photo-Nazis with long zoom lenses who wanted to completely hog the windows on the “good” side of the bus.

On the return that included not only the best scenery but also two grizzly sightings, one right under their windows at the side of the road. They were the only critters we saw on the way back.

These four pictures are at or near the Toklat River rest area.

 

 

When I saw how selfish and rude these guys were to other passengers I exhaled and (mostly) chilled out so I could enjoy the colorful scenery on my (north) side of the road.

BEARLY THERE

Without binoculars or a seat on the other side of the bus I couldn’t even see the first bear ‘way down in the riverbed below Polychrome Pass so I didn’t miss much that time.

But I would have liked more than two measly shots at the grizzly that was digging for roots or a ground squirrel right next to the bus on the right side of the road.

Here's his picture again:

I finally got assertive after these guys took numerous rapid-fire shots at close range and blocked the windows so no one else could take "their" spots. One man  grudgingly let me take one measly shot (above), then pushed me aside. The bear was looking the other way so the picture isn’t all that great.

I watched as the bear got up on the road but this is the best I could do over the rude man's shoulder:

Headless bear, because I couldn't get closer to a window . . .

The bear walked in front of the bus to the other side of the road and disappeared into the brush. All I could get from my own seat was this shot of its butt when it was about 100 feet away:

I wasn't the only passenger having trouble seeing the bear or getting pictures. Even though we were  near the front of the bus the driver didn’t help us out any.

So much for courteous bus riders. I tried not to let this incident ruin my return trip but you can see I'm still irritated about it.

MORE COLORFUL TERRAIN

The softer hues in the landscape were magnificent as the sun dropped a little lower during this late afternoon ride between 4:45-7:45 PM. The mountainsides and meadows just glowed with color and interesting shadows.

Somewhere between the Toklat River and its East Fork

Above and below:  scenery between the Teklanika and Savage Rivers

It was still broad daylight when we got back to the entrance area a little before 8 PM. Sunset isn't until about 9:30 PM but each day loses several minutes of daylight this time of year.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Another thing that distressed me on the way back from Eielson was my inability to get a phone signal until we were about four miles from Riley Creek Campground near the park entrance. I was afraid Jim was worrying about me.

I was relieved when he told me he didn’t expect me before 7:30 PM. That’s about when I called him so he wasn't concerned yet. He knew I wanted to hike for several hours and the bus rides are long. He's also used to me seriously underestimating how long it will take me to complete my hikes (and trail runs previously).

My bus got back to the Wilderness Access Center at 7:45 PM and I was at the camper soon after that. It felt like a very long day because so many things had occurred, plus scenic sensory overload.

Teklanika River from the bridge

Teklanika River from the deck at the rest area

Despite all the whining I've done about the bus rides out and back, it was a mostly a good day for me.

• I got to hike the Alpine Trail again. It was much different this time than it was two weeks ago because of the rapid progression of the autumn season and the early snowfall. I was lucky with my timing. Lots of folks were cheated out of the opportunity to do any hiking at Eielson this afternoon -- or even get off their buses to see the visitor center.

• The scenery was fantastic the entire route. It was so beautiful with the snow on the lower mountain peaks that had no snow the last two times I traveled along the park road.

• I got to see Denali for quite a while, an unexpected bonus. In fact, the bear lockdown gave me even more time to enjoy the mountain from inside the visitor center and out in the courtyard.

• I got to see a beautiful red fox and several grizzly bears, including one just a few feet from me along the side of the road.

• I got to learn about bear lockdowns. Who knew?? I haven't seen anything about them in any of the park literature, park website, or other visitors' blogs I read before this trip or while doing research for this entry.

• I was in the company of some very nice people on the outbound bus to Eielson. It's fun meeting people from all over the world.

That's the good. Consider the negatives I've mentioned to be fair warning to other potential visitors to the park.

(You're welcome.)

Savage River rest area and trailheads

Savage Rock(s)

Earlier in August I hiked the west end of Healy Ridge and the "bowl" to the left;  a trail is under
construction through that bowl to link the Savage River and Savage River Campground.

Each bus experience is different because there are so many variables -- weather, season, people involved, wildlife.

If you have the opportunity to go to Denali and ride a bus, just prepare yourself mentally for about anything. Hopefully all will go well, as happened on my first two rides, and you'll have a memorable experience for all the right reasons.

 

 

I was pretty hyped up about my day and needed to relax as I ate warmed-up chicken chili for a late supper. Jim and I had fun sharing our very different adventures with each other.

I'm glad Jim’s day went better than mine. He was probably more tired than I was from the physical exertion of cycling the hilly park road for 46 miles. I hiked only about three miles (tough ones, though). What wore me out was being on the buses so long and the uncertainty re: when I’d get a ride back home.

We got to bed before 10 PM and slept soundly overnight.

Next entry:  enjoying more vibrant fall colors while hiking the Savage River Canyon and ridge

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