Moose and Denali Sled Dogs

Friday, September 1, 2017

David and I ran errands and drove by one of Anchorage’s not too uncommon sights.

We met Sydney for lunch and when she got off work we went yarn shopping for a poncho she wants and I would love to make for her. Starting projects is so much more fun than finishing! And the problem with projects like this is they quickly get so big they are no longer easy to take along for “wherever” knitting. Still, it looks easy and fun.

Evening brought a cold, windy rain and we ducked in and out of local art galleries on our way to meet friends of theirs for a super delicious dinner and another evening of interesting conversation.

Saturday, September 2, 2017

David, Sydney, and I drove to Denali National Park. It has six million acres and one 92 mile road. That is it. Just one road, the first 15 miles are open for public driving and we drove them, catching a view of most of Mt. Denali, formerly Mt. McKinley. Apparently the mountain is often shrouded in clouds so we felt lucky.

It is autumn color and varying landscape and incredibly beautiful. 

We stopped in at the sled dog kennels and watched a demonstration. Much of the park has wilderness designation and they avoid motorized vehicles off the road. Sled dogs are used extensively in the winter months. There were puppies and they, of course, were very cute.

We shared a small cabin north of the park at Earthsong Lodge. Jon Nierenberg is the owner, a former park ranger, a pilot, and owns the concession for Denali National Park winter dog sled tours. We enjoyed visiting with him and may want to come back for the winter tour. I slipped out at 2:30 am for a peek at the northern lights but there were low clouds and just a faint green glow. It was very cold and something was rustling in the bushes so I didn't stay out long.