Exploring the area around Denali

     Today Arik, Amanda and Matt took a strenuous hike to the top of Mt. Healy.  They waited for a while to leave in the morning because it started to rain just as they were getting ready.  The hike gave them some great views and reminded them of the hike they took at Glacier Park last year.  They were really worn out tonight.

     The rest of us took a drive on the old Denali Highway which was really just a gravel road.  It used to be the primary method for getting from Anchorage to Denali.  We took the truck so that we would have 4-wheel drive, but road smoothed out quite a bit after the first few miles and was really good hard pack most of the way.
    We didn't see much wildlife, but the views were spectacular.  The road kept climbing until it was above the tree line and looked out over a huge valley along the Nenana River.  The river flows very fast and we have seen a lot of rafters enjoying it.  There were warnings at some of the put-in places that the water was only 48 degrees and had Class IV and V rapids.
     It was a great drive for taking pictures.  We stopped at a remote campground for a picnic lunch and met the campground 'Host."  Someone who must really enjoy solitude.  We also stopped at a little cafe for a piece of pie.  As we had our pie a big tour bus from Carnival Cruises drove in.  The waitress turned the blackboard around to display more expensive prices for the tour bus.  Despite the remoteness of the area, the Denali Highway is a common destination for tours.
     It was a great drive for taking pictures.  When we got back we had to disconnect the trailer and drive to the dump station.  Then it started to rain and we were all outside in the rain.  So soon there were 8 wet people in the RV waiting for dinner.  Yikes!