“A few moments in the lull of nature gives a human more harmony in an hour than collective humanity provides in a month.” – Old Sean
Denali Drive
While in Alaska, I spent the majority of my time hanging around Fairbanks with my longtime friend Mark. But when Mark was free, we often took long road trips to other portions of the state. The grandest of these jaunts led us to Denali National Park.
Driving to Denali was a slow trip, cutting through the breathtaking landscape, often stopping at lonely outposts for food, gas and walks. Mark’s dog, Charlie, often enjoyed these as much as the destination itself, with waving fields of pink flowers available for romping. One of our best pauses involved stopping for burgers at a tiny roadside bar called Monderosa.
Hiking Denali
When we finally arrived in Denali, we immediately cut towards the mountains, driving over streams to find lonely hiking routes tucked behind dense woodlands. The roads gradually grew pocketed with puddles and disuse until we found a lonely turnoff touching the edge of a steep trail. Satisfied, Mark and I loaded up our weapons for safety, bucked Charlie into her harness and hopped out of the car.
The landscape switched between wall-like density and stunning panoramas. While hiking, we glided or clumped along the ground as freely as the brush allowed, unhindered and unassisted by the land. Mud clung to the bottom of our boots and the clear trail occasionally slipped beneath our steps.
The beauty in the deep woods was nearly pristine until Charlie romped through the underbrush, tunneling through dense foliage. Often, her long puppy legs would struggle to keep up with puppy momentum.
Overall, Danali National Park is about as stunning as places come. Mountains are a glorious feature of the horizon and the lower portions are thriving with large mammals.
As an especially welcome bonus, the high altitudes makes it difficult for bugs to thrive. It was the first place in Alaska where Mark and I weren’t hounded by a hoard of the bloodsucking insects.
We both hiked while armed, carefully swiveling our heads to ensure dangerous wildlife hadn’t approached us. During our entire hike, Mark and I chatted endlessly. Part of this comes from long knowledge of one another, but the other reason was to simply make sound. Startling wildlife with stealthy steps is a major hazard in Alaska. By talking endlessly, we were certain to alert anything nearby that we were approaching.
Off Again
After our extended highland hike, Mark and I piled back into the car, briefly stopping at a strange concrete-igloo-shaped hotel which had been abandoned to the elements long ago. We also managed to visit a nearby tourist town, eating the odd snacks and drinks they had available while kicking around on the riverside boardwalk.
Denali was the crowning hike of my Alaskan visit. With this part of my journey over, I’m continuing on my long route, heading towards China with a long layover in the Lower-48.
I’m off to Seattle for a brief moment.
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written July 27th 2019
Read more about visiting Denali and traveling the world by visiting the Leftfade Trails Destinations section.
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