To Meet a Mountain

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I've only got a couple weeks left in Denali, but lately I've been feeling much more spontaneous than usual. Yesterday this newly rediscovered spontaneity took me thousands of feet into the air to finally meet up with the mountain I have been working under for the last several months. 

I called the air taxi company in the morning, intent on asking about flights for the next day, but instead they said they had a spot open on the noon flight and to be there in an hour. I threw together a quick lunch and snacks, grabbed all the camera gear I could stuff in my backpack, and made it down to the bus stop just in time. 

A ten mile walk

I've done it. I've successfully hiked all 18 trails on the east end of Denali this summer, saving the 9.5 mile Triple Lakes Trail for last. 

Vista from the first summit of the trail

I got a late morning start yesterday, catching the 9:30 bus to the trail head, and set off into the warm, sunny morning. Counting for steep elevation changes, lunch, and short breaks, I estimated I could average about 2 mph walking speed and make it to the end of the trail by 2:30-3pm. Thus, roughly every half hour, I could assume I had walked a mile if I didn't stop to take pictures for too long.

Denali Canyoneering

There are few things in this world more exciting than picking a place on the map, and going there. And that's exactly what my friend and I did last weekend for two full days out on the west side of the park.

The day started out a little iffy with the weather; it rained a few times over the course of our 4-hour bus ride into the park, but by the time we got to our hiking destination, it had begun to let up. As the bus slowed to let us out on the side of the road, I could feel all the other passengers staring at us: two girls heading into the backcountry alone with impending variable weather conditions. I couldn't help but feel a little hardcore, even though this would be just an easy hike.

Into the canyon!

The Lynx

When I first caught a glimpse of it, I thought it was someone's dog off leash, walking out of the dwarf birch by the bus stop just as the bus pulled out. But the tawny creature that prowled out of the bushes was far too catlike, and it took me only a second to realize that I had finally set eyes on one of the most coveted species I've been wanting to find in Alaska: The elusive lynx. 

It was 9:30am and I had just arrived at work when it caught my eye out the window of the Savage River check station. I grabbed my camera and ran outside just as 3 buses rolled up and my coworker went out to greet them. It took me only a matter of seconds to get to the bushes where I had seen the lynx disappear, yet there was no sign of it at all -- not a sound or a rustle in the bushes, no visible tracks or trails.