Denali National Park - Day 1

We woke up this morning, got our RV in order, and then did a 5-mile hike around Byers Lake at the campground we were staying at. It was a pretty good hike, but the mosquitoes were out in force and made some sections miserable. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the mountains reflected in the lake, but the clouds did not cooperate. However, other than cloudy mountains, the weather was great, which was a welcome change. Along our hike we spotted some loons and a beaver in the lake. We also saw signs of moose and bears along the trail, but luckily we had no encounters.

After a quick snack, we drove 20 minutes north to a second viewpoint in Denali State Park. It was a good view, but unlike the day before, Denali stayed hidden in the clouds. Still, it was a nice spot for lunch and run around time for Penelope. Then it was on to Denali National Park. Penelope slept the 1.5 hour drive. Once at the park, we checked in for our campsite, then drove about 30 minutes along the park road to the Savage River campground. It is a nice area with wooded, spacious sites. One of the things we noticed as we drove north today was how the vegetation changed from dense forests to sparse trees and shrubs, a sign of how far north we have come. Savage River is a great example of the taiga and tundra environments, so different from the places we usually camp.

Once at our campsite, we started a fire and cooked dinner (BBQ chicken) over the fire. No microwave tonight. The weather was amazing: clear, sunny, and warm. It was great. We ate dinner outside, walked around a little, and let Penelope roam our campsite. This did lead to Penelope turning to Katie and saying "moose poop!" as she proudly held some scat in her hand. At least she didn't burn herself on our fire. After Penelope went to bed (which took a little extra work tonight, maybe because it is so bright, maybe because we let her have some chocolate for desert), Katie and I roasted marshmallows and had s'mores and enjoyed being outside in such a pretty location on such a warm and pleasant day. As always, the sun lingered high in the sky, providing warmth but altering our sense of time. Eventually some clouds (nice clouds, not rain clouds) came in and the temperature dropped quickly since it is so dry here. That brought us back into the RV. Now it is time to rest for a full day of exploring Denali tomorrow.