DENALI - MEL HIKED THE TRIPLE LAKES TRAIL; WE ALL HIKED THE HORSESHOE LAKE TRAIL; MUSIC OF DENALI DINNER SHOW; HIKED THE SAVAGE RIVER TRAIL ONCE AGAIN - Thursday, July 13 - Friday, July 14, 2023

Thursday, July 13, 2023

What a gorgeous day with partly cloudy skies, a temperature of 54 degrees and good friends to share it with.

In the morning, Mel walked a portion of the Triple Lakes Trail on an out-and-back hike (about 2 miles roundtrip), starting at Riley Creek Campground through the boreal forest. He then followed the McKinley Station Trail to Hines Creek and then continued on until he came to the fork in the trail that pointed to the Triple Lakes Trail. About 1/2 miles along the Triple Lakes Trail, he reached the suspension bridge over Riley Creek. At that point he had already crossed a wooden log bridge over Hines Creek and seen the Riley Creek High Railroad Bridge over Riley Creek. Now after walking across the suspension bridge, he turned back to return to where he started. 

Below is the trail sign for the beginning of the Triple Lakes Trail as it joins the McKinley Station Trail.

Soon, Mel came to the wooden log bridge that crossed over Hines Creek.

It is also here where you get your first glimpse of the Riley Creek High Railroad Bridge (aka Alaska Railroad Bridge). He crossed the wooden log bridge and continued on the other side of the creek. 

Overhead in the distance, Mel could see the railroad trestle. The Riley Creek Bridge (aka Alaska Railroad Trestle) that was looming high above was manufactured in Pennsylvania and shipped north on 24 rail cars loaded with 600 tons of steel via the Panama Canal. It consisted of seven steel towers decked with 30-foot and 60-foot steel plate girders. When finished in early 1922, the creek crossing would measure 900 feet in length.

The Riley Creek Railroad Bridge crossed Riley Creek. Continuing along the trail that followed close to the river, Mel then crossed the Riley Creek via a suspension bridge.

The Riley Creek Suspension bridge was completed in 2010 and was built in a unique "Denali" way. Most of the resources that were needed to build this bridge were brought in by the sled dog team. As was the traditional way to travel and do work in this area, sled dogs support the wilderness character of Denali. Denali National Park and Preserve purposely has few trails, but the ones that have been constructed get special considerations to add to this wilderness landscape in thoughtful ways.

The suspension bridge was really cool as it crossed over Riley Creek! 

With one final look at Riley Creek (see below), Mel decided he had gone far enough and began his journey back to Riley Creek Campground.

At noon, Brian, Karen, Mel and I started our walk from Riley Creek Campground to the start of the Horseshoe Lake Trail.

Above is the GPS of our two hour and 45 minute walk on the Horseshoe Lake Trail (which was 4.64 miles). Horseshoe Lake Trail is one of the best trails in Denali National Park because you get a wide variety of habitats, have a chance of spotting wildlife, and there are great views.

We began by hiking along the railroad bed before crossing over to ascend up a short hill and begin the official trail.

After a short, stair-step hill upward, we soon began to see beautiful views.

Karen stops briefly before descending a steep hill.

Shirley, Mel and Brian follow down the steep descent.

More gorgeous views from the Horseshoe Lake Trail.

And then the trail leads upward again. I am really glad that I have my walking sticks with me.

The beautiful Horseshoe Lake and its reflection.

And then the moment we have been waiting for -- our first glimpse of wildlife, a moose and her calf.

Continuing along the trail, we came upon a beaver's dam and lodge. The interpretive panel indicated that beavers create ponds with their dams (see below) that provide food and homes for many other wild animals.

As we continued to follow the Horseshoe Lake Trail, we leave the Horseshoe Lake behind for a bit and the trail takes us out to the Nenana River (see Mel above as he walks out to the river).

Above is a selfie of me with Mel in the Nenana River.

Above is what we think is ligonberries, which are also known as lowbush cranberries but aren't cranberries at all.

As is our tradition at beaches wherever we go, Mel begins to write in the sand.

Oops Mel -- it's really the Nenana River not the Tenana!

We continue on along the trail until we come to a wooden log bridge.

Above Mel, Brian and Karen pose for a picture.

Above Mel and Shirley pose for a picture on the bridge.

Another beaver's dam along the Horseshoe Trail.

A beaver dam is a dam made of logs and mud, built by a beaver. A dam is something that blocks or slows down the flow of water in a river or stream. A lake or pond is created behind a dam. Beavers don't live in dams, but instead build dams across streams to create a pond where they can build a "beaver lodge" to live in. These ponds provide protection from predators like wolves, coyotes, or mountain lions.

Beavers build their dams out of trees and branches that they cut using their strong incisor (front) teeth! They also use grass, rocks, and mud. A beaver lodge is built out of twigs, sticks, rocks and mud and has an underwater entrance. Inside the lodge, beavers have a safe place to sleep, raise their babies, stay warm in winter, and hide from predators.

Beavers use their long incisors to cut through hard objects like the trunk of tree. But how do the beavers get their downed trees to the water? Beavers or "loggers" often make and use roads or canals to help transport the wood from a distant area to where it is needed in the pond. 

Beavers normally drag branches to the water any which way they can, and after one drag over uneven ground, some vegetation is batted down, making it easier to again drag over the same ground. After a few round trips, a groove develops and that's where water then rushes down after it rains. Over many years, the water washes the soil away and an ever-deepening groove develops. 

It may seem like a lot of work to gnaw through the trunk of a tree two feet in diameter. But there is big reward, for once a beaver has managed to fell the tree, it instantly has a great quantity of branches that provide first its winter food and then raw materials for home and dam construction. After the tree falls, the beaver chews off the branches, usually leaving the trunk to rot where it fell.

We then spotted another moose and her calf in the Horseshoe Lake.

Mel, Karen and Brian climb up on a big rock.

Brian and Karen continuing along the trail.

Mel pauses to wait for me.

We continue to see trees that are gnawed by the beavers.

On the way back as we neared the end of the trail, we found a nice wooden bench (see Shirley and Mel above and Karen and Brian below).

  

And now from the trail, we can see the railroad tracks again so we know we're almost back to where we started.

Another wildlife spotting -- a squirrel eating a nut in the tree (see below).

The trail end is near as we make our descent down the steps toward the railroad track.

We spotted another moose down by the railroad tracks.

It is almost as if the moose knows that the sign below is there close to the trail.

That was a simply splendid hike around Horseshoe Lake! We had such fun with our friends, Brian and Karen. We got back at the campground around 3:15 p.m., which gave us a little time to relax before we needed to get ready for the dinner theatre tonight.

We concluded our wonderful day with the "Music of Denali," an all-you-can-eat BBQ dinner and musical comedy show. We left the campground at around 6:45 p.m. and headed over to the McKinley Chalet Resort to pick up our "will call" tickets.

This musical performance told the story of the first brave and adventurous men to summit Denali. After picking up our tickets, we had time to walk around before the theatre dinner show began. 

The sign above indicates, "Gateway to McKinley National Park," which was styled much like the original early entrance to Denali (shown below). Until 1932, the boundary of Mount McKinley National Park lay a few miles west of the first original rustic log arch spanning the Park Road and served as the Park's iconic gateway.

The interpretive panel below explains how the Nenana River that we can see from the arch here, joins up with the Tanana River some 60 miles away and carries the glacial silt into the waters and streams turning it a cloudy gray or milky white.

The Nenana River is above and a view of Denali Square is below.

Denali Square is a gorgeous outdoor entertainment and lounge area. We had to walk down four flights of stairs (shown below) to reach Denali Square.

Karen, Brian and Mel pose in front of the Denali Square sign.

The map of Denali Square is above.

The open-air plaza in Denali Square is shown above and below.

The interpretive panel above tells about the benefits of the "Midnight Sun" and how it helps the plants and vegetables grow bigger and stronger.

We finally get to the Gold Nugget Saloon where the dinner theatre is to be held, and begin the waiting game as the doors are supposed to be open 15 minutes prior.

The interpretive panel above tells how big game and the driving of the golden spike, along with the completion of the Alaska Railroad really opened Denali to the public.

The sign below shows what we are going to have for dinner (served family-style) -- house salad with raspberry vinaigrette, biscuits, Alaskan salmon, smokehouse BBQ beef brisket, mashed potatoes, corn and pea medley, and house-baked apple crisp with whipped cream. 

From about 1924 until the early 1930s, the Mt. McKinley Tourist & Transportation Company used a Fageol Safety Coach to haul visitors into Denali National Park. The 1924 Fageol had a 218-inch wheelbase, a 72-inch width between the tires, and could carry 22 passengers. Each bench seat had its own door, disappearing window, interior light and adjustable side and ceiling vents.

The interpretive panel above told about early tourism in Denali. Following the completion of the Alaska Railroad in 1923, many of the first visitors rode 12 miles on horseback to the tent camp near Savage River. In 1925, the Mt. McKinley Tourist & Transportation Company transported tourists by automobile to Savage River Camp.

The sign below tells how the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum in Fairbanks rescued the deteriorating 1924 Fageol after it had set outside, unprotected for over seven decades in 2014.  The museum took steps to stabilize it and preserved it for display.

It was now time to go inside the Gold Nugget Saloon located in the middle of Denali Square at the McKinley Chalet Resort. The dinner theatre takes place in a timber-framed dining hall with communal long tables, not unlike what would have been used in the remote roadhouses of the past.

We were ready to kick back, laugh and enjoy a good meal with our great friends, Brian and Karen Burk. The evening began with introductory music from the piano player.

They then began serving the house salad with raspberry vinaigrette and warm buttermilk biscuits family-style. The salad was very good and the biscuits were nice and flaky.

While we were being served the main course with the side dishes, several of the performers (who also functioned as the servers) either sang a song or played a musical instrument. 

Above is our server Walter singing a song. Then the main courses (Alaskan salmon and smokehouse BBQ beef brisket), along with the side dishes (mashed potatoes and a corn and pea medley) were passed around family-style on large platters or in big bowls. 

As it was "all-you-can-eat," you could have more of whatever you wanted. Once everyone was finished, we were asked to put our silverware in the tin cup meaning we were finished. And then dinner wrapped up with a hearty serving of the house-baked apple crisp topped with whipped cream. 

The apple crisp was really good too. The servers cleaned  the tables quickly and then the show began. Performers took to the stage for the evening's feature entertainment. It was a side-splitting musical comedy about the legendary adventures of the first men to reach the summit of Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley), which was the highest peak in North America. 

At 20,310 feet high into the vast blue sky, Denali, which means "The Great One," features two significant summits and five glaciers that flow down from the mountain's steep slopes. Through clever lyrics set to engaging music, the performers tell the entertaining story of these early explorers, including Alaskan native Walter Harper, the first man to reach the main summit.

We were allowed to take in the indomitable pioneering spirit of this determined group who bravely made their way through the Alaskan wilderness to reach new heights. And according to Robert Tatum, one of the mountain climbers of the first successful expedition (along with Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, and Walter Harper) to scale Denali on June 7, 1913, "it was like looking out the windows of heaven."

We were definitely along for a rollicking ride while they experienced the thrill of discovering gold and the unforeseen dangers that faced them when climbing the mammoth peak. There was plenty of spirited audience participation with the clapping of hands or singing along.

Above is Brian and Mel, while below is Shirley and Karen.

I was not allowed top take pictures during the show, but we could take pictures of the performers after the show.

The show got over at 9:45 p.m., and we decided to drive out to Savage River to see if we could see the aurora borealis tonight. We were there until about midnight, but it wasn't to be seen. Driving home the sky was a little pink (see below).

Another wildlife sighting-- we saw a porcupine on the road on the way back to our campsite.

We got back to the campsite at 12:50 a.m. and went to bed.

Friday, July 14, 2023

This morning was another sunny day, and so we decided to ride the free shuttle bus to Savage River with Brian and Karen. We set out at 11:00 a.m. and walked over to the bus depot to wait for the Savage River Shuttle.

Of all the easy trails in Denali that we did, Mel and I think the Savage River Loop Trail is one of the best. It provided beautiful scenery and tranquility, besides the last time we had hiked this trail, it was very windy. The trail follows the Savage River through a canyon and across a footbridge over the river and then returns on the other side to the Park Road.

Shirley, Mel and Karen pose in front of the trail sign with their walking sticks in hand.

Karen and Brian pose in front of the trail sign with their walking sticks in hand.

The beautiful fireweed in bloom in the Savage River Canyon.

Wildlife alert -- above are some baby ptarmigans, which are a member of the grouse family, while below is an arctic ground squirrel.

The Savage River and canyon as we near the bridge.

Above Mel, Brian and Karen pose on the bridge, while below Shirley, Mel and Karen pose on the bridge.

Brian and Mel hike up the and off the maintained area of the path.

Karen and I watch Mel and Brian scale the rocks from below.

Below is a picture of the bridge that Mel took when he was high up on the ridge (note you can see Karen and Shirley sitting on the rocks on the other side).

Mel and Brian make it down safely.

Mel and Shirley at the end of the Savage River Loop Trail. After our hike, we jump on the shuttle bus and head back to Riley Creek Campground. We arrived at 3:00 p.m., and have a quick lunch. We then all hop on our bikes and ride down to the national park sign for pictures.

In the pictures above and below is Mel and Shirley with their e-bikes.

In the pictures above and below is Karen and Brian with their bikes.

For dinner tonight, we had steak and Caesar salads. Since this is the last night we will be at Denali and able to spend with Brian and Karen, we went over to the motorhome to visit. As we left, we said goodbye to our great friends -- Brian and Karen Burk and of course Kenai.

So long until our paths cross again!

Shirley & Mel