Prep day at Denali

I dodged the blood-draining mosquitoes while breaking camp this morning. Argh, nasty buggers! I figured it was a preview of things to come and I made sure my 98% Deet concentrated spray would remain accessible. I was soon back on the road to Denali. The rain fell occasionally, just like it had been doing for most of my time in Alaska (excluding the southeastern section of the state.) I intended to spend the day exploring the area around the Denali visitors' center and planning for a two-night backcountry camping trip.

There were no drive-in camp sites available at Denali's Riley Campground. This fact, together with the facts that I was having a very difficult time finding an open slot on a Fairbanks-Barrow flight/tour and was denied camping sites near Seward two nights previous drove home this point: This is high-tourism season. Places will get booked and spots will be reserved earlier and more often. Until this point, I was more of a 'big picture' guy, not worrying too much about the tactical issues of where exactly I would go, eat or sleep. I would need to adjust my approach slightly and do a little more advanced planning. Also, I was again constrained by time, as I would pick up Matthias in Calgary on July 24th. I had a lot of ground to cover before then!

Back at the Riley Campground, I got one of the last walk-in sites and was thankful for it. Next, I visited the Backcountry Information Center to learn more about the backcountry camping process. The backcountry is divided in 87 units. A limited number of backpackers are allowed into those units at any one time. I told the ranger that I wanted to explore a unit that might have a view of Mt. McKinley (at 20,320 feet, it's the highest peak in North America) and that had a good water supply, because I did not intend to carry a lot of water with me into the backcountry. I decided on Unit 12, roughly a 20-square mile area of land that would dip down from the road and then on up into a glacial valley. At most, only 5 other campers would be allowed in the area at that time. The ranger reviewed the park rules with me and then I watched a safety video including information on how to cross streams and rivers and avoid grizzly bears. Then I received my bear-proof canister in which to keep my food and other items that might appeal to a bear or other creatures.

I would stay for just two nights in the backcountry. The backcountry permit was free, but in order to access Unit 12, I had to buy a ticket on the camper bus that would bring me out there on the way to its final destination, Wonderlake, about 85 miles to the west. The bus driver would drop me alongside of the road at about mile-marker 65 and I would hike in from there.

I walked around the visitors center and learned about the furry local inhabitants and history of the park, then drove 15 miles to Savage River, the last point on the road to Wonderlake after which only buses are allowed to travel. I returned to camp to fix dinner and prepare my gear for the next day. I really didn't want to forget anything important for this camping trip, so I made a packing list and checked it twice before crawling into the tent for the night.