Alaska Day 3

    On the third day we had booked a bus tour that went 92 miles into Denali National Park, farther than any other buses or tours got to go. It took about 5 hours to get to the Denali Back Country Lodge where we would eat some lunch and pan for gold. We caught the bus from our cabin at 5:30 AM.

 

   Right after we left the Cabins, we saw a few Moose right off the side of the highway.

    Doll Sheep. These were way up the mountain but we zoomed in so we could get a better shot.

   Mt. McKinley. The bus driver told us this was or best chance to get a shot of the mountain as it is normally lost in the clouds. He was very excited that the clouds parted so that we could a good view of it.

   A gray wolf just wandering down the road.

   We stopped after a few hours for a potty break near this stream. It was so cold but Dave had to run down to it first thing. We collected rocks for the boys here.

   There was a bookstore there also. We got a few books about animal tracks and postcards fro the boys. We tried to send each boy their own postcard everyday while we were gone. I think they ended up with 4 each, we tried.

     A Moose's rack.

    A red fox. It had been hunting right off the side of the road for a mouse that was trying to hide.

    Another rest stop. I loved how you could just see miles and there was nothing.

   Two Moose skulls stuck together. The story was these 2 moose got into a fight and one of the horns stuck into the others eye; which killed one. Since they were stuck together the other died from starvation soon after. This stop had a big museum where we got to touch a bears pelt, moose, and a badger. It also showed how the Alaskan wilderness we explored. The rest of the tours had to turn around here and go back so we only saw 2 other buses the rest of the trip.

    Three bears right off the road. They were really big, it was a Mom and 2 babies.

    Elk, as seen through the binoculars. Thanks to Dad and Dee who let us use their really good ones.

      The Back Country Lodge. Seriously we hadn't seen anything bus, truck, anything for over an hour and then right over the hill was this place. After we had a REALLY good lunch, there was a list of things we activities we could do. The thing I was most looking forward to doing was panning for gold, so that's what we did. The Mosquitoes ate us alive!

    We had 2 hours after lunch before the bus headed back to wonder and check everything out. Dave had heard, when we first got to Denali a girl talking about how she flew in a Cessna around Mt. McKinley and how awesome it was. Dave wandered into the office while we were waiting to load the bus and checked the prices. Apparently it wasn't that bad because when he wandered out he had tickets. I don't like flying on big planes and he is holding tickets to a 6 seater. He told me that he had been planning on doing it since he heard that girl talking but didn't want to tell me so I wouldn't worry. That was nice because at that point I was crying and searching for my Xanaz. While I was very nervous to go on the plane, I really didn't want to ride a bumpy bus for 6 more hours.

   Me waving goodbye to the bus, the only other way back home.

    Yep. That's the plane.

   Dave inside, the lady behind us had a bench seat for 2. Dave and I could not have fit back there together, so even though it was a 6 seater, it really wasn't.

    Connie, our pilot. He is giving us the run down. We had to wear head sets so we could hear him and because it was so loud once we got going.

   These are called kettle ponds. They are just melted snow and ice and mosquitoes.

    This is what we flew trough for a good portion of the time. There were 3 planes in the air together trying to circle Mt. McKinley about the same time. Connie kept talking to them  so we wouldn't get to close to either of them, and they were saying how it probably wouldn't be visible at all. Connie talked to us a lot about the plane and the mountain. He told us that small planes have to stay 12,000 ft because they don't have oxygen so it's not safe. After a few minutes of thinking we weren't going to get to see the mountain, he turned around to face the 3 of us in back and handed us a pack of gum. He said 'I think we can see it if I go above this cloud layer, but that means going above 12,000. So put some gum in your mouth and chew.'

   We are not that close to the mountain, but we really are!

    We are at 12,300 and still climbing. I'm not sure if it was just me, but I really started to have a hard time breathing. I was nervous, but Dave was having the time of his life.

The Glacier on the side on the mountain, he said one person dies every season trying to climb it.



 Mt. McKinley. How many people get to be this close to this mountain? It was breath taking, really amazing.

   As we started to descend back through the clouds, we noticed a plane really close to us. We then saw the rainbow surrounding it. It turns out it was our shadow, how cool is that!

    Denali. Notice the river, you will need that next post....


 

I didn't have to use it!!

    I really was excited I made it.

   Mark, the shuttle driver for the Cabins told us that since we had some time to kill we for sure needed to take a picture by the Denali sign and then took us there and took our picture. He was great!  He took us to 'town' and we wandered around for a few hours and had some great salmon for dinner, then signed up to go WHITE WATER RAFTING early the next morning before we caught a bus back to Anchorage. Flying around Mt. McKinley was a spur of the moment add on, but it was so awesome. I'm so glad we did it.