Denali National Park

I spent the entire day in Denali National Park.  The weather far surpassed the forecast.   Though the clouds never completely disappeared, they thinned enough that I regretted leaving my sunglasses behind in the car.  They even parted enough for a fleeting glimpse of Mount McKinley toward the end of the day.

I spent more than half the day on a shuttle bus riding to the visitor center in the middle of the park.   Along the way we spotted a lot of wildlife: moose, grizzly bears, & a ed fox.   On the way back, we added a wolf & coyote to the list. 

I spent about 6 hours in and around the visitor center,  mostly hiking.   First, I tackled the maintained trail up 1,000 feet for panoramic views.   Then, I desended along social trails Sunset Creek.  I tried to find a way across, but the main channel always seemed to wide, swift, & cold to attempt a crossing.  I bushwacked my way back the park road which took me the rest of the way to the visitor center.  Unlike most parks they encourage off-trail hiking here & the was my brief foray in to the wilderness.

My original plan was to camp deeper in the park, but I tanker that idea because of the dismal forecast.  Now, with the sun shining I'm kind of regretting that call.   Still, I had a great time in the park and if exhaustion is any measure I leave with a pretty good take on the park.