Denali National Park - Zone 28 - July 2, 2000 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Denali National Park - Zone 28 |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Alaska |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | July 2, 2000 |
| Duration: | 1 day |
| Trail Conditions: | Fair to Good |
| Trail Traffic: | None |
| Trip Weather: | Sunny, Partly Sunny, Partly Cloudy, Cloudy |
| Trip Winds: | Light to Moderate |
| Trip Precipitation: | Rain |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 61-70, Low: 41-50 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | 7/02/00: (Denali Lodge, 5.5 miles) – Decided to rise early by 8:30am and hike out today. There’s little chance we can make it to the bus In the remaining time anyway. Did a dry breakfast so we could get on the trail within an hour. Spent most of the day climbing over the ridge to 3800’ and to a pass that dropped us back to the Teqlanika River. En route we loaded up on water from a drainage stream (which was a fortunate find) and did some sled riding on a patch of snow near the ridge crest. Rode 2 and 4 at a time down the steep slope. The tarp covered Thermarest worked like a champ on the snow. The trick was to bail off before the large puddle at the base of the snow bank. It collected the melt water from the snow and was a soakfest for anyone that hit it. All said, the sled riding was a big moral booster. The climb to get here was tough, but on the open grass it was nothing like the canyon hiking. Mixed up some Kool Aide, Iodine, and snow and had a great slushie about 30 minutes after we left the snow bank. We finally made it to a pass that gave us a view of the Denali Park Road and the Teklanika River after another 45 minutes of hiking. We were thrilled of course, and estimated that we’d be standing on the road in an hour. So after a few pictures, we hit the trail. Unfortunately, the alder and bush were 6-8 feet tall at the lower elevations and extremely difficult to push through – even with the downhill aid of gravity. The Joker and I took turns breaking trail and bruising our shins. Moose tracks were everywhere (and so were the mosquitoes). After about an hour of hot, jungle style bushwhacking we eventually made it to the Teklanika River and the spot we had stopped two days earlier to discuss the climb up the canyon wall. It would have been tough either way. Except for the river crossing, the final mile to the road was fairly easy. A ranger stopped to check our permit as we waited for the park bus. He asked where we had hiked during the last few days and we told him we had been in the canyon. The ranger said he had only been in there once, in 1987, to search for (and eventually find) the body of a missing woman. She was an experienced backpacker, but had gone solo and somehow fallen, injured herself, and drowned in the river. Apparently, it is very rare for anyone to go in the canyon. We had to split our group up to catch a ride out this evening. The first bus had only two seats (which we filled immediately) so the rest of us caught a second (and much less crowded) bus back to our cars. We returned the bear canisters to the Visitor’s Center, and then headed across US 3 to some cabins situated above a Myrtle Beach style vendor area near the entrance to the park. Ate some pizza, drank some beers, and played Euchre to cap the night. Rain rolled in this evening, but we were undercover by that point. We are headed to Seward for some halibut fishing tomorrow. |
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