ROF= Ring of fire Odyssey MEF-H = Marine Expeditionary Force- Hargus
AK= ALaska RT journey
Friday July 21, 2017
Denali 1 to Denali.
Driving down Highway 3 from Fairbanks, stop at Nenana.
Before heading down to Denali check out the town and train station.
The bridge across the Nenana River.
The metal pylon is placed on the river ice in winter and the town, anybody, can make a $5 bet on the day, and minute, when the pylon will break through the melting ice next spring.
Nenana River Gorge about 5 miles north of Denali gate.
The town around the Denali gate looked touristy like Panama City, a clutter of businesses and motels for the tourist industry.
Denali gate entrance.
Denali Visitors Center you make reservations to go into the park.
Denali is a commercial Enterprise now, run by tourist industry contractors.
Near the visitors center is the Alaska Railroad train station. This is the Alaska Railroad pulling into station. The tour buses are lined up for passengers from Anchorage.
This is starting to get really ALaska good.
Into Denali is somewhat like a drive into a surreal Jurassic Park unique scenery. You go into the Alaskan wilderness and see phenomenal sub arctic tundra wilderness, absolutely beautiful.
At sanctuary River you pass a ranger checkpoint, only reservations past that point but you can hike trails there. Dirt roads from here on.
The landscape of the mountains and Valley going into Denali is absolutely phenomenal.
Into Denali Park at Mile 29 is Teklanika River camp. This is the furthest point for car traffic, RV traffic. This is the farthest camp for an RV in Denali. The rest of the road into Denali is on Commercial tourist industry buses - school buses. You must make reservations to go on any more past this point. You cannot drive your own vehicle past Teklanika.
The teklanika camp has about 50 sites, campsites and No electricity, no water, just a spigot near the camp toilets. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring, but no utilities hookup. That’s good. You get serious campers. Rarely boisterous loud music playing ect...
We walked around the campground and out a trail to the Teklanika River, a braided river in this beautiful valley.
A braided River is a small stream, 3 to 20 ft wide, 2” to a foot+
This is an erosion river basin valley with a few stream braids running through year round. In the Fall rainy season the riverbed is swollen and water is all across a quarter mile. the river is a quarter mile wide and foot+ deep during rainy season, and flood zone.
This Valley is a beautiful site with sunset at day's end.
You never drink twice from the same stream.
Just because you wander doesn't mean you're lost.
Uncle Hargus: Last of the Independents
Have Bear,
Will Travel
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