Day 2: DNP, Of Belly rubs and hikes...

Healy, here we come!

Our day 2 started pretty slow...the jet lag from the time difference, the long flight, and the walks from the previous day had begun to kick in and we were quite sedated even at 9 am...It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for some hikes. We were told about the sled dog kennel tour that lasts approximately an hour and half  and is free. Shuttle buses take you to these kennels. 

Initially I was a bit hesitant, as I wasn't sure how well these dogs were treated...after I visited (and I am glad I did), I learnt these dogs love what they do, they get groomed and belly-rubbed every single day, and lay out in the sun sleeping or welcoming visitors...These are the only sled dogs in the United States that help protect a national park and the wildlife...mostly in winters when vehicles cannot reach into deep parts of the woods. So this was really a summer break for them! If you are an animal lover, you will enjoy this tour where you get to interact with these dogs, and let me tell you, they love belly-rubs!

Next we decided to start our hike. There are so many hikes and trails to chose from, we chose the Mt Healy Overlook. Reasons: 1. Great views from half-way point. 2. Even better views from the top. 3.The secret…you get to see Mt. Denali from the top of Mt Healy! Catch: It’s a strenuous hike (1,700 ft high, 25 % grade, 4.5 miles /7.3 km round trip, takes 3-4 hr). 

One of the breathtaking views from the top of Mt Healy

Go well prepared, wear the right shoes, take plenty of water and fruits, dress in layers (it’s very chilly and windy at the summit) and pack food so you can enjoy your victory lunch at the top! 

In the evening, we were back at the camp, sleepy as anything. and mentally recharged for the next day...Dalton Highway, here we come!

Day 1: Denali National Park

Moose on the loose

We started early on the 30th morning, as we had a scheduled shuttle bus ride at 7:30 am. The park only has paved roads for the first 15 miles after which the only way to navigate is hike/trek or buses. Pack fruits, water, cereal bars, sandwiches/easy to eat food, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and dress in layers. There are no food stores at any of the rest stops, only special toilets, called Sweet Smelling Toilets (SSTs), so please take some wipes or tiolet paper along too!

There are various kinds of buses you can take to explore the park. We chose the shuttle bus only because it offered the flexibility to actually hop on and off any time. 

During the summer months, the buses only run till mile 53, Toklat river. Our driver was very entertaining and would stop at the sight of any wildlife. We saw moose, moose and more moose! Oh and we also saw caribou and  dall sheep which seemed to love posing for the camera as they disappear behind the mountain edges. During the bus ride, if you are lucky (statistically only 15% people fall into this group) you can see Mount McKinley (Denali, the High one, named by natives), the highest mountain peak in the US. 

We could barely see it at first but I'll let you in on a secret about how to get a better view of Denali...read on! By midday we had reached the Toklat river stop, and decided to get off the bus and stretch out a bit. We strolled along the river and had our lunch, took in the fresh air, some pictures and then decided to get on the bus heading back. We hooped off at Polychrome Overlook, Mile 46, named such becuase of the multi colored bluffs. It was so pretty, but started getting slightly chillier.

So we started walking/hiking, Rahul more because he wanted to see bears up close and take pictures...(I was secretly praying 'NO!'). Looks like my prayers were answered, and after about an hr or so of walking, we got the bus back to the visitor center.

Just as we were getting registered for our camping, and getting all set to set up our camp, it started pouring outside...and by pouring I am serious..It didn't seem like we would be able to camp successfully, esp since I remembered we were so busy before we left that we didn't get a chance to seal the seams of the camp with sealant..so we will be cold and wet at the same time!

Almost as suddenly as the rain stated, it stopped and sweet sunshine smiled upon us as we hurriedly put up our tent. We started a camp fire, and settled down with some hot soup, tired but very content with the day. 

Alaska-The Grand Plan

Visiting Alaska was always a dream...it just seemed like the perfect place to go to, had a touristy zing to it. We kept thinking about planning the visit, until about a month ago in April 2011 when we seriously decided to go. Rahul had made up his mind and as we sat at Barnes and Noble, sifting through pages of National Geographic, awestruck at the beautiful landscape and wildlife, we saw our dream materializing right in front of us. Before we knew it, we had booked our tickets through American Airlines and Alaska Air (RDU -> Chicago -> Anchorage). From there on it was an interesting 12 day, 1800 mile road trip...Read on!!

View Larger Map

Rahul had planned the trip so well that in spite of reaching Anchorage 7 hours later than we had previously anticipated (thanks to the fog in Chicago), we were fine. Our baggage had also decided to take a path of its own, and we did not have our camping gear for Day 1 Camping at Denali. After reaching Anchorage at 8pm (instead of 1pm)  we realized that in summer, 1pm looks exactly like 8pm in Alaska...bright sunlight welcomed us and made our 5 hour drive to Denali National Park much easier. We checked in at a cabin close to the park for the night, and retired for the day, hoping for a smoother tomorrow.