Denali's Majesty: From Sky-High Summits to Shaded Woods

We caught a glimpse of her during our flight back to Anchorage. There on the horizon in all her glory, stood the crown jewel of Denali National Park along with all her snow-capped companions that make up the Alaska Range. Glaciers cascaded from her sides, their ancient ice melting to form the rivers to sustain the vibrant landscape of the wilderness that make up ...

Denali National Park.

And just as we found on our first visit here three years ago,

Denali's Majesty

... from sky-high summits

... to shaded woods

continues to be awe-inspiring.

After no success with the mechanics in Anchorage to diagnose Baby Beest's issues, Doug took to the Internet and YouTube in order to find some answers.

He talked with a mechanic shop in Fairbanks that seemed much more willing to help diagnose and resolve the issue. Unfortunately, their first opening wasn't until after Labor Day, which left us wondering ...

Exactly how long does "summer" last in these parts??

It's starting to look a little "autumn-y" to me ...

Hoping that the recommended "head gasket sealant" would buy us some time, we started traveling north towards Fairbanks. With a number of days on our hands, a repeat visit to Denali National Park became the welcome diversion that we both needed.

We were able to easily secure a three day camping reservation at Riley Creek Campground near the park entrance, and three days at Teklanika Campground, located thirty miles down the park road. That meant six beautiful days of wilderness, solitude, and ... alas ... slow to no internet. But our newest van upgrade proved to be the "star".

Introducing ... Starlink Mini, a game changer for avoiding "computer withdrawal syndrome" when camping in the middle of nowhere.

Once campers drive into Teklanika Campground, there is no driving your own vehicle until you drive out on your check-out day. This helps minimize traffic along this important wildlife corridor. We purchased Denali's three day bus pass, The Tek Pass, which allowed us to hop on and off the park service buses in order to hike or bike anywhere along the park road up to the current "end of the road" at Mile 43.

The last half of the road (from Mile 44 to Mile 92) is still closed due to a landslide that occurred in 2021. Thankfully, progress with repairing it is being made. The new suspension bridge to reconnect the whole park road is scheduled for completion in 2027 ... Sounds like there may need to be another Denali visit in our future so that we can discover the treasures that lie beyond the "road closed" sign.

But, for now, I'm going to cherish the beauty of the section of Denali that we were able to visit. During our time inside the park, the sun broke through the clouds, and "the great one" made an appearance.

Wildlife came out to feed,

and we made massive mushroom discoveries,

all while enjoying scenery that only the "Greatest Artist" could create.

Even as rain moved in during our last three days at Riley Creek Campground, we kept the fun going with our latest hiking and mushroom discovery game entitled ...

It's Pretty, But is it Edible??

Is this a Russula mushroom which is edible

or its look-alike cousin that is nicknamed "the sickener"??

Is this an Oyster mushroom which can be quite tasty
or its look-alike cousin that is nicknamed "Angel Wings"??

Thanks to the Denali National Park Service site, I found out that this is a Royal Fly Agaric ... pretty but poisonous.

Google suggested that chasing these cute little Shaggy Pholiotas with a beer might leave you sick enough to rethink bringing this wild mushroom appetizer to your next happy hour.

During our time here, we realized there are countless reasons to pause and take another look at

Denali's Majesty.

It's the chance to photograph cute critters

or funny fungus.

It's the beauty of traveling down gravel roads

while giving your beloved vehicle a new "paint" job in the process.

It's wearing your winter gear during a "chilly" walk in the rain

while Denali's sled dogs yearn for the time when they will be able to run in the snow again.

From its sky-high summits

... to its shaded woods,

there are treasures, great and small, waiting to be discovered each time we visit

Denali National Park.

Oh, and we can't forget to make a stop at 49th State Brewing in Healy, Alaska for the "King Crabby Grilled Cheese".

It's a small price to pay for having an excellent driver and mechanic!

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