Walking and Waiting On Denali Park Trails: Savage River and Mountain Vista

Would the highway through the fire area allow the rest of our merry band to reach us in Denali National Park from Fairbanks?

Only time would tell, but the sky looked considerably less smoky in the morning. 

Breakfast consisted of coffee brewed in our room and sweet muffins --- banana nut for me and blueberry for Julie --- that we'd bought the prior evening at our hotel's coffee cafe.

Rather than staying in our "cabin" watching the clock while we waited, Julie and I took a shuttle bus from Holland America Denali Lodge to Denali Visitor Center.  A mama moose and her baby came out to greet us on the ride, assuring us we had made the right decision.

At Denali Center, the park's bus to Savage River was clearly marked, as our shuttle driver said it would be.

We were soon on our way riding 15 miles to the trailhead.

While not guides per se, drivers on these free buses all seem to know about the area's foliage, wildlife and history.  As nature-lovers themselves, they're happy to share unofficial commentary.

Perhaps on any given day these same drivers are on the full 43-mile route to the deepest part of the park to see more animals.  Those trips are excursions at reasonable prices.  I was hoping to do one of those tours, but we simply ran out of time, with the arrival day curtailed by smoke.

On this early morning of a holiday weekend, Julie and I had the Savage River Trail pretty much to ourselves.

Certainly, we have far more trees near our home in Pennsylvania than on this trail.  That's because the Savage River Trail cuts through Arctic Tundra.  

From a distance, these landscapes can look other-worldly, but up close we could see distinct vegetation with shallow roots as well as soil and rock outcroppings.  Colors adapt with the seasons.

To me, the river often looked like molten silver, probably reflecting the early morning sky as it changed hue.

The landscapes challenge you to observe small elements as well as the distant vistas.

Click here to see a video Julie shot while hiking along the Savage River Loop Trail.

We came across burrowing small animal that we thought might be a groundhog or a mole.  A little later, Julie noticed a sign where this mammal was identified as a Pika, more closely akin to a bunny like the many who run around our yard in Ardmore.

Over the decades recorded by humans, there has been noticeable warming as human encroachment and natural cycles have gradually warmed the permafrost.

This warming results in more trees and brush as the normally freezing soil slowly softens with warming.  That in turn changes the wildlife that can live off the growth.

This is just one microclimate where the planet has been greening, likely as a result of additional CO2 in the atmosphere.

Almost 85% of Alaska is covered in Permafrost, which not only makes it difficult for trees to plant roots deep into the ground but also makes human construction projects difficult to maintain.

Rather than a solid bedrock for a building foundation, permafrost basically flexes over the seasons.  This impediment discourages human development and undoubtedly causes lots of maintenance headaches.

After hiking the full loop at the Savage River Trail, Julie and I rode the free bus to the Mountain Vista Trail, so named because on a clear day, you can see the peak of Denali.

We hoped the sky had cleared sufficiently, but it had not.  Still, it was a pleasant hike through an area where more trees and brush have taken root in recent decades.

We heard the happy news that Laszlo, Gina and Emma were fast approaching the Entrance to Denali, completing what turned out to be about a three-hour drive.  Longer by half an hour than normal, that was not nearly as bad as seven hours forecasted the prior day.

With all of us hungry, we would meet at Morino Grill, a casual cafeteria-style eatery at Denali Visitor's Center for lunch.  I found Karsten's Beef Stew served with plenty of oyster crackers delicious and filling.  Everyone else seemed happy with their meals, too.

While not as empty as in this photo that I took earlier in the day, diners came and went.  A large table had opened up just in time for us.  I'm happy we ignored generally mediocre reviews of what turned out to be a great place for lunch.

With five miles of hiking already behind us, Julie and I definitely needed this pit stop to refuel before trekking on a longer, more rigorous trail with the new arrivals.

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