I was able to return to Denali to do a patrol with a couple of rangers that I worked with for many years. I joined them for a patrol from Purkey Pile (on Boulder Creek at the far western edge of Denali Park) all the way back to Wonder Lake. We drove out to Kantishna and then flew out to Purkey Pile. We started hiking almost immediately and continued hiking for eight days. We crossed big rivers, hiked across broad tundra plateaus and suffered through dense brush. One night the bugs were so bad we used headnets and then a few days later we got snowed on. We got a little bit of everything on this trip. The weather wasn't great but it always seemed to be just good enough. We did get incredible views of the mountains on a couple of days but it was usually only for a few minutes and then the clouds would move back in. The trip took us eight days and I think it was about eighty miles long. I was really lucky to be able to go back to Denali to do one of the trips I've always wanted to do.
Mt Foraker from the west.
Alonzo packrafting across the Swift Fork of the Kuskokwim River.
A brief break from the brush.
Hiking along through the brush and rain.
Mt Foraker with our tent.
Alonzo with Denali in the background.
The weather did not always cooperate. I used a compass on this trip more than I ever have before.
Alonzo, Jess and myself above Iron Creek with fresh snow behind us.
Denali from the McKinley River Bar, near the end of the trip.
1 comment:
Wow. Awesome pictures!!!
Post a Comment