Denali National Park: Alaska

Mt. McKinley from Denali Road

The summer sure does keep us busy. From BBQ's to weddings, and hiking and camping locally to road trips across the country. We have been very blessed to be able to do some traveling this year and one of these great lands we were able to visit was Alaska.

Alaska is an untouched land full of wonder and awe. It is a place where the beauty is surreal. No matter how much reading and research is done, you cannot fully be prepared for the experience that awaits you. Although this will be the first of a few posts on Alaska, there will still be a break in the amount that can be gathered from a simple blog on what the experience itself is like.

Caribou

As we flew in Alaska, the time read one in the morning, but the outside told us it was six o'clock pm. As we landed we made our way to our luggage, found our rental car, made our way to the hotel and slept as best we could with excitement running wild in our minds of what the next few weeks would hold. As we woke the next morning we hurried about as we knew our first destination was awaiting us: Denali National Park.

looking west in Denali

As we entered Denali National Park, we went straight to the Visitor's Center to settle the feeling of being overwhelmed by the amount of things to do, how to go about doing them and where you need to be in order to experience them! Our first day in the park we spent getting acquainted with the area and our surroundings. We went for a fifteen mile drive into the park (that is as far as you are allowed to take your personal vehicle in order to keep the park preserved). On the drive we saw our first caribou and the beginning of all the mountain ranges in the park. We also did some hiking around on some of the shorter trails! As we left we knew we needed a tentative plan for the next few day, so that night we made that plan.

approaching McKinley in the plane

The next morning we got to experience the park in a way that many visitors do not. We had the privilege of doing a flight tour of Mount McKinley and its mountain range. This is one of my most favorite things we did while in Alaska if not my most favorite. We boarded a eight passenger plane as our pilot told us about the safety precautions. As we left the runway you could already see how secluded and surrounded by nature you were. We flew over rivers, brush, trees, glacier runoff and one highway. In fact I remember as we flew over the highway the pilot said "Its interesting to think the next highway west of this one is in Russia."

As we approached the McKinley range you could see the glaciers carving away at the rock, creating these beautiful white valleys surrounded by these magnificent, rugged mountains. As we got closer to McKinley we started to get a better idea of just how big the mountain is. Mount McKinley sits at twenty thousand three hundred and twenty two feet high. As we flew up to and around McKinley the plane went silent in awe of the mountain that sat in front of us. So prominent, so extreme, so massive, and so incredible. We happened to be there during its one hundredth anniversary of the first summit and as we watched some of the climbers at base camp I imagined what it was like to be down there with them. Needless to say, its almost impossible to imagine.

laying on the glacier

As we started to make our way away from McKinley we were landed on a glacier, Ruth Glacier, that was flowing off of McKinley. This experience took my breathe away. Our pilot dropped the plane down onto the glacier, had us put on some glacier shoes and exit the plane. As we stepped onto the glacier we knew how lucky we were to be walking around ON the McKinley range. The ice was slick, the air was crisp and the sun was shining brighter than ever. We got to play around on the glacier for about thirty minutes and then we were told to re-board. As we flew away from the mountain, McKinley stood strong and defined behind us. We would never see McKinley the same.

A view from the Mt. Healy Trail

Over the next few days we hiked different trails, road the bus into the park, met the parks sled dogs, and just sat and took everything in. We saw mountain goats, a lynx, grizzly bears, caribou, moose, a wolf, and plenty of birds! Truly incredible! A place we will never forget and will surely return to!

Grizzly Bear in Denali

Lastly, one of the coolest things about Denali was that we got to see it
at the beginning of our trip when there was still snow and a few weeks later at the end of our trip when summer was in full bloom, which allowed us to get a view of "two seasons" in Denali, both of which left us speechless!

State Forest State Park, CO (Winter)

State Forest's Clark Peak and Surrounding Range

State Forest State Park, well let's start with the name, who thought that was a good idea? It's confusing, are you a state park, a state forest, something else? Besides the name, I have nothing bad to say about State Forest. A backpacking trip through this state park sealed the deal for us on that one. This state park offers both summer and winter recreation opportunities and we took it upon ourselves to have a winter excursion.

backpacking into the yurt

What could be more fun than backpacking with friends into the back country to spend a few nights in a yurt that's heated by a wood stove. Not Much! Our weekend was filled with laughter, snowshoeing, wood chopping, hiking, card playing, wildlife, no sleep and a bit of cold. I definitely can't speak for everyone but  its an experience I will, I am sure, relive. It snowed the entire first day we were there but then cleared into blue skies for the remainder of our trip!

the yurt

Our yurt was only a couple mile hike in and it accessed several nearby trails to mountains, rivers, and lakes. We were able to see a moose(cow) on our hike out and what a big creature it was. She was galloping down the trail we were hiking on because she had been spooked by some snowmobiles. It jumped off the trail before it reached us.

Grand Teton National Park, WY

The Grand Teton with a Buffalo Herd in front

The Grand Tetons just outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming are truly one of my favorite mountain ranges in the US. No matter what direction you are coming into the area from they are awe inspiring. Although I know they are popular for rock climbing and backpacking among other forms of recreation we were only able to spend a few short days there and so opted for other options.

There is an unlimited amount of things that you can do in the Tetons but I will focus on the things we actually did. We were there during the fall months so we got to see some of the foliage change although at the end of the season so many of the trees had already lost their leaves. Still a beautiful time to go. Jackson Lake is the biggest lake in the park and it is vast and scenic. We were able to spend some time on the East side of the lake, there is a few nice stretches of beach. I am sure the lake is full of boats during the summer season. It was extremely windy the day we were there so we limited our time at the Jackson Lake beaches.

Jenny Lake

Teton Park Road allows you to access several points in the park. We used it to do most of our touring. A hike up Signal Mountain gave us a wonderful view of the valley to the East. I had my husband stop at a lodge near Signal Mountain to let me do a bit of shopping for souvenirs. We did some hiking around String Lake and Jenny Lake. Near String Lake we spotted bear scat! Both String and Jenny Lake have and amazing blue and green reflection. On the South side of Jenny Lake there are some nice walks that are easily accessible if you have very limited time. If you have more time, you can access longer hikes from this same area to a waterfall or other lakes.

The Black Bear we got to see

Grand Teton National Park is home to a variety of wildlife as well and we were really lucky in our sightings. We got to see a moose on our first day in the park. It was right around the dusk hour that we spotted her on a hill feeding on some grass in the park. On our last day in the park we got to see a bear. I've seen bears before but in this specific venture I experienced something that I never had before and that was that the Ranger had us stand fairly close to the bear. So close in fact, that at one point he removed his bear spray because the bear was walking within about 8 feet of the crowd we were in. The bear just went about its business of feeding on berries and we all eventually moved on.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO

Looking out over the Canyon

This past weekend we went backpacking in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This park just put me in a state of awe. It is not like any canyon I have ever seen. The rock is really dark, the deepness and sharpness adds a lot of character. You look out over the canyon and you feel like you are trying to figure out an optical illusion! What an experience!

A view of part of the canyon on the hike down

Hiking Down

We happened to win the lottery for a permit into the canyon for a backpacking trip. Depending on where you access the canyon from you don't have to have a permit but we came in from the Red Rock Canyon trail. Its a good hike down into the canyon, but we knew that and were prepared. With lots of water in our packs and plenty of snacks we made our way down to the bottom of the canyon. The trail was filled with rocky edges, plenty of steep sections and lots of poison ivy! It is also filled with beautiful views of the canyon, a creek that is calm at points and rushing at others, lots of luscious trees and plenty of rocks to sit and take everything in.

The river and sun streaming through

What an experience! Lots of bonding to be had as you work your way to the bottom of the canyon. After a few hours of hiking we made it to the bottom. A gorgeous river and sunlight streaming through the canyon walls greeted us upon our arrival. We quickly set up camp, made some dinner and, and relaxed as we watched the sun set in the canyon. I don't think any of us had a problem sleeping! The morning greeted us with a crisp canyon air and lots of sunlight. We made our way down to the river and hiked a little around the area, although with the river rushing like it was, there was not too much space along the bank to walk. When it was finally time to make our way out of the canyon, we packed our gear and headed out. Even though we were hiking up, the time seemed to slip by as we made our way out of the canyon!

Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM

San Miguel Mission

We spent a long weekend down in New Mexico exploring Santa Fe and Albuquerque. It was a nice break from the cold weather in Colorado at the time. It wasn't summer down south but warm enough to get a break! Santa Fe was amazing. The architecture is incredible. They use a lot of the rust colored adobe in New Mexico and it was apparent all over Santa Fe. Santa Fe is so full of history and stories. We walked the streets for hours taking everything in. The downtown area is structured around churches. They have the oldest church in the US, The San Miguel Mission. It is a simple looking adobe church but beautiful. it was built in 1610.

Miraculous Staircase

Wind Art

As we continued to walk the streets we also checked out The St. Francis Cathedral which was beautiful and the Loretto Chapel which is most famously know for its spiral staircase that was built without nails. Quite a miraculous feat. Both of these churches were just as incredible as the San Miguel Mission. Once we were finished at the churches we continued walking the streets because besides being a religious city it is also a city known for its amazing art. I personally enjoyed all the wind art that was hung through the streets. Santa Fe was also full of fun little shops and restaurants. The fact that I love coffee also allows us to explore cafes here and there and Santa Fe did not fail me in this area!

Adobe

El Pinto

After we left Santa Fe, we made our way to Albuquerque. Albuquerque is also well known for its art, food and historic district. The famous Route 66 runs straight through their downtown. They also have several shops and galleries that you can walk but it has less of the adobe architecture than Santa Fe does. We went to a restaurant called El Pinto and it was a lot of fun. It had New Mexican food and the atmosphere was great. The service was good. We got seated in the patio area and they had lights strung overhead. We opted for the queso appetizer and I must say it was one of the best if not the best queso I've ever had.

One of the Petroglyphs

While in Albuquerque we also got to visit Petroglyph National Monument. This is not like your normal National Park. It was much more open and smaller as a whole. There was still plenty of hiking that left you with great views of the area. It was interesting to learn about the Petroglyphs and how long they had been there and what they were used for. This monument fits the area as Petroglyphs are a form of ancient art. This was a great trip!

Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor, ME

Cadillac Mountain Sunrise, Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor Maine go hand in hand. This area of the US is absolutely gorgeous. We had the privilege of spending a week there in the fall. The fall I would suggest is possibly the best or at least second best season to spend out there because the East coast gets amazing foliage. Acadia is no exception to that rule.

lobster dinner at a local restaurant

We stayed right on the ocean so we were blessed to see the tides change constantly, hear the busy harbor in the morning & night, hear the water crashing into the docks, see the sunrise first thing in the morning over the water and a short walk got us straight into the heart of Bar Harbor. Bar Harbor is a cute, quaint, little town full of life. There were so many local little shops, restaurants and tourists scurrying about. We found that lobster and blueberries could be found on almost every menu in town or put into most items like candles & soaps, or at least at the joints we visited. We found ourselves soaking    up every minute of this new life we found ourselves in.

Canoeing on one of the lakes

Acadia National Park has plenty of activities to keep anyone occupied. Cadillac Mountain is the first place to see the sunrise in the US in the later fall, although as warning the mornings on Cadillac Mountain or not for those looking for solitude. Sand Beach is nothing short of a soft sand, sunny beach with clear blue water from a look above. Thunder Hole is a perfect example of how quickly tides change in the ocean. It will go from a quiet and peace pool to crashing water several feet into the air when the water breaks on the rocks.

Although you won't necessarily find solitude on top of Cadillac Mountain, Acadia offers so many different places to walk, hike, bike, or ride a carriage, finding that place isn't too difficult. Several of the small ponds and lakes offer nature walks, canoeing, and even tea on the grass!

Carriage Ride

It doesn't end there, Bar Harbor located on Mount Desert Island in Maine also offers history is the form of things like lighthouses and carriage tours. The carriage roads are especially neat because you get to see a part of the park only accessible by a  non-motorized vehicle. They also take you over and under bridges that were built by hand long ago when they first made the roads. If you are ever out there, I highly suggest going on one of these rides.

Sunset on Cadillac Mountain

 Cadillac Mountain is not only for sunrise but beautiful by sunset as well. Looking out over the Atlantic it seems you can see forever. This made our last days extremely hard knowing we had to part this peaceful place. We will forever remember our time there and we will hopefully return someday but in the meantime we have new adventures awaiting us! Maybe we will just have to venture to a different part of Maine......

Parting Ways with the Atlantic

Onto our next adventure......Cheers for now!