Boarding buses at 6am, carrying coffee and hot cocoa to cut the 43 degree temps, we were on our way. Dave (the bus driver) leading the way was ready to give us a trip of a lifetime. In the old school bus turned tourist bus, we bumped and squeaked down the road. At first its not much to see. A visitors center and a lot of cars going here and there. The tree line in Alaska is 2000 feet so as we slowly pulled away from the tourist center the tundra began to appear. Green, gold, yellow. Fall just starting to peak out. Snow had fallen 2 days earlier, coating the peaks and tundra half way down. All was still. Time seemed to stand still. Nature surrounds you. It soothes you.
Denali is managed different. Only buses are allowed in and very few cars. Its a lottery system to get in. Only a hundred or so a year. The road is gravel after mile 11. Its small and winding. Nature and wildlife always has the right away and the buses stop frequently. At first you think there will be nothing to see. Another bust like the rest of the days here, and then slowly things start to show up as the miles tick past.
A female grizzly began chasing a ground squirrel about 100 yards in front of our bus on the road. She chased it as it went into its hole. Now two feet away we watched as she dug it out for almost 15 minutes, finally snagging it and carrying it off daintily in her mouth, breakfast burrito. The guides call squirrels bear burritos. She was so close we could almost touch her.
The scenery surprises you at every turn. You don't think it will get any more beautiful, and then it does. All said and done we were on the bus or at the lodge at mile 93 for 14 hours. The final tally of animals?
2 grizzly bears
3 moose
3 caribou
lots of Dall sheep
Squirrels and birds
Cozy in our cabin after a 10pm soak in the hot tub (still daylight outside), we sign of anxious to get out tomorrow and do some hiking in Denali. Out of the bus and face to face with the greatness that exists there.
Until Then..
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