7/20/2014

It is moving day again, this time it is a 240 mile trip up the Parks Hwy., from Anchorage to Denali, AK.  We will have mountains out the windshield all day, and Mt. McKinley will be the centerpiece.

We get going about 900 am and since we are camped on the north side of town, it isn't long before we are out of town.  It being Sunday, there isn't much traffic either.  We pass through Wasilla and the Lowes we picked up our little refrigerator 11 days ago...it is working just fine.  Our ice maker is doing its job & so is the fill-in refrigerator.  76 miles in we stop & get some decent pictures on Mt. McKinley after waiting for some clouds to clear.  We are still a long (137 miles) ways away and it is still pretty imposing.  We continue on our way and make several more stops for lunch, pictures & fuel.  Fuel is about $2/gal cheaper here than Canada ($4.11 here), not too bad considering where we are.  When we stopped about 25 miles from Denali, clouds had almost blocked out the mountain, so we move on.

5 miles from our destination, one of our fellow travelers who are about 2 minutes in front of us strikes and kills a female moose with their motor home.  It does a lot of damage to the motor home too.  We are first on the scene and we check on them, and thankfully, they are OK.  Their vacation has taken a hit, but their well-being is what is important.  We continue on our way and go get settled in at the campground, then go back in our car to see if their is anything we can do for them.  The tail-gunner has arrived, so we head back.  The worst thing is the air has all leaked out and they have no brakes, so our Wagon Master goes and makes some repairs so they can drive the 5 miles to the camp ground...at least they have a place to sleep.

We settle in for the night, figure out dinner and get some sleep...tomorrow morning we leave early (740 am) on a tour of Denali National Park...which will last until 4 pm.  That should be very interesting.

Steve & Barb Larson

Our first view of McKinley

A later shot of McKinley...rare to see it this clearly

From about 100 miles

One deep hole...Hurricane Gulch

North Point peaking out above the clouds

The road to Denali

Moose zigged instead of zagging

Duane's wounded motor home

Our cramped camp ground...and rain to boot