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Vancouver, BC
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Juneau, AK
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Skagway, AK
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Whitehorse, Yukon
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Dawson City, Yukon
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Eagle, AK
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Chicken, AK
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Tok, AK
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Fairbanks, AK
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Fort Yukon, AK
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Denali National Park
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Anchorage, AK
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Denali National Park
Pictures:
Denali Park
Ι
Husky
Homestead Ι
McKinley
Chalets
From Fairbanks we
boarded the McKinley Explorer train for a four hour trip to Denali National Park. We had a
box lunch for the trip. We
arrived at the train station which was at the Denali park entrance.
We stayed at the McKinley Chalets right
outside the park.
The afternoon was spent on an 8 hour Tundra Wilderness Tour on
the national park service bus for a wildlife search. The park guide was
pretty good picking out some animals, especially then they were up on
the hills. The animals we saw included: Bull moose (2); Bear
(9+); Red Fox (4); Caribou (11); Raven (3); White tail rabbit (too many to count, esp. on the
roadway); Spotted Magpie (6); Ptarmigan (1 with chicks); Golden Eagle
(1); and a Yellow Warbler. That's the list I had from quickly
jotting down the names and constantly keeping an eye pealed for more.
The park bus took us to the Taklat River where
there was a small interpretive center and rest rooms. After the
rest stop we returned on the only road into the park.
The next morning Kirsten and I
were off to the Husky Homestead. This is a family business that
raises Husky pups with Jeff King as the family CEO. Jeff was a 4x
winner of the Iditarod race which is 1000
miles from Willow (just north of Anchorage) to Nome. One of his
teenage daughters, who also participated and finished in the Iditarod,
told us of her racing stories and the Huskies.
Jeff King and his family design harnesses and sleds
along with dog training. There are over 200 Huskies on the
property, some boarded for other mushers.
Jeff's wife, Donna Gates King, helps train dogs and
is an award winning illustrator.
At noon we were back on the McKinley Explorer train
to Anchorage
– 200 miles in 8 hours. We had lunch on board the train with my brother and
sister-in-law.
We were hoping to see
Mt. McKinley (20,320 feet elevation),
but it was
covered with low clouds. Apparently the best
time to see the full mountain is during the winter months.
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