Forgotten highlights of Denali.

Hello again from Denali.

It occurred to me that I should explain my use of the term and I think it's the same use as the locals.  Denali is the name the native people gave to Mt McKinley thousands of years ago.  It means "the high one".  The locals and the rangers now call the mountain Denali instead of Mt McKinley.  The National Park is Denali National Park, sometimes shortened to Denali.  There is also a town called Denali.  It all sounds a bit confusing but hopefully sorts itself out in context.  And, by the way, there is also a place called Glitter Gulch somewhere close by and that is where the shops and restaurants are but I didn't visit Glitter Gulch so I'm not sure exactly where it is.

However, there are a few little gems (for me) that weren't included in my previous post.  Firstly was my "Tai Chi Studio".  

Tai Chi Studio

It was a quiet little verandah outside the office at the Denali Education Centre where we stayed.  It overlooked the Nenano River, as did our cabin, and there was the constant sound of the glacial water rushing past.  I can still hear the sound when I think of it and it still gives me great pleasure.  It was wonderful to go there to do Tai Chi.  I would close my eyes and listen to the river and the other sounds of the National Park across the way, feel the warmth of the sun and start my bow.  Just beautiful.  I tried doing the set with my eyes closed but I didn't get very far....  Besides it was such a magnificent scene to be a small part of.

Another little gem I found was an inukshuk by the Nenano River.  I became enchanted by them when I was in Canada.

The little inukshuk.

They are rocks piled in certain ways and are/were made by the inuit people to communicate among different groups important things for survival in the harsh climate of the arctic north.  They tell of such things as the directions for safe trails across the ice and snow, where supplies have been stored or where a safe haven can be found in inhospitable places.  An inukshuk was the symbol used for the Winter Olympics in Canada and it's message to visitors was "Safe passage, shelter and food".  So I was delighted to find this spontaneous little inukshuk on the river bank.  I don't know its message but I'm sure it was a good one.  This little section of the river will one day become a billabong but Nan had a much more scientific name for it (which of course I can't remember).

Salmon fishing.

As we sped along on the train trip from Anchorage to Denali, we passed a campsite out in the middle of nowhere.  It was your typical rough, temporary campsite.  One of the men was standing casting out into the river and swirling close by were hundreds of fish - salmon.  Guess they had plenty of Omega-3 that weekend.

Looks can be deceiving.  I'm not really an alcoholic!

Free time on an Elderhostel trip is scarce but we did manage to find a very pleasant spot to reflect on the wonders of each day.  

A message from above.

More Alaskan wild life.

Another puzzle.  It has a large wing span.  It's migratory.  The males fly faster than the females.  It has a large appetite for man made food.  What is this Alaskan wild life frequently seen in the skies in summer?

The Kenai Peninsula is next, I promise.

Carmel