Hinking in Denali: Where ??? How ??? When ???

[lilmiss]

This goes out to all the hikers outthere :D ...

We are two regular hikers and used to hiking uneven ground, but never been to the " wild " ( meaning we have done tons of hikes in nature, but not in such deserted area ).

We will be in Denali end of may / beginning of June 2010. We want to take the shuttle to Eileson and on the way back, would like to do short hike approx. 2 hrs. Next day we are again on the shuttle, but won´t be going that deep into the park -looking for longer hike, maybe 4- 5 hrs.

Since there are no trails- which area would you recommend for hikes ? Which areas offers great landscapes, vegetation or wildlife ??? Any ideas on planning these hikes ??? What would you recommend packing ??? Which maps equipment would you use ???

Are mosquitos an issue in May/ June ??? Would you recommend bringing a head net ???

Thx for your help...all info is appreciated....

[Glaciers]

We're staying at Teklanika Campground this weekend and have been looking at hikes in Denali. I found this online from the Denali Guidebook which may help. Any other info from folks who have done any of these hikes would be good.

 

http://www.denaliguidebook.com/dayhike_comparison_table.htm

[lilmiss]

We're staying at Teklanika Campground this weekend and have been looking at hikes in Denali. I found this online from the Denali Guidebook which may help. Any other info from folks who have done any of these hikes would be good.

 

http://www.denaliguidebook.com/dayhike_comparison_table.htm

Good link...would be interested too !!!

[frugaltravel]

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g143022-c116883/Denali-National-Park-And-Preserve:Alaska:Take.A.Hike..html

 

I found this online from the Denali Guidebook which may help. Any other info from folks who have done any of these hikes would be good.

 

http://www.denaliguidebook.com/dayhike_comparison_table.htm

 

I think that is directly from Ike Waits' book.

[Glaciers]

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g143022-c116883/Denali-National-Park-And-Preserve:Alaska:Take.A.Hike..html

 

 

 

I think that is directly from Ike Waits' book.

 

This is great info. Thanks. Need to get the book now.

[PennyAgain]

I've done a lot of hiking, much alone. The problem you get in Denali is that it is so vast you need to plan to be in an area with some sort of landmarks. I'm of the 'travel light, eat little (and not cook) and purify water' opinion. It is OK to walk the road, but very dusty. Late May will have areas of snow. Yes to the bugs in some areas. Yes also to issues with bears and moose.

 

Privacy for toilet issues can be a major headache as the trees are few and the shrubs are short and sparse. Just when you think you are completely alone, someone or some animal will surprise you. Happens every time! We've walked nearly the entire road one bit at a time.

 

I carry a head net even if I don't think I will need it. I hate bugs especially the little ones you can barely see. My pet hate is the type of person who decides to tag aong when I don't know them at all. I will double back and even hide to get away from them.

 

We always carry a survival kit in case we get stuck out overnight when we don't expect to. Learned a hard lesson about that years ago at Exit Glacier. Even if I am only going 200 paces off the road, I make sure that I don't get confused. Lots of people get confused.

[msd360]

This goes out to all the hikers outthere :D ...

We are two regular hikers and used to hiking uneven ground, but never been to the " wild " ( meaning we have done tons of hikes in nature, but not in such deserted area ).

We will be in Denali end of may / beginning of June 2010. We want to take the shuttle to Eileson and on the way back, would like to do short hike approx. 2 hrs. Next day we are again on the shuttle, but won´t be going that deep into the park -looking for longer hike, maybe 4- 5 hrs.

Since there are no trails- which area would you recommend for hikes ? Which areas offers great landscapes, vegetation or wildlife ??? Any ideas on planning these hikes ??? What would you recommend packing ??? Which maps equipment would you use ???

Are mosquitos an issue in May/ June ??? Would you recommend bringing a head net ???

Thx for your help...all info is appreciated....

 

There actually are many trails in Denali accessible from the park road. We stayed 3 nights at the end of the road in Kantishna at the transition of June - July, and hiking was the order of the day. Didn't do any off-trail hiking. The highlight was the McKinley Bar trail near Wonder Lake (quite a bit further in than Eilson). This is a relatively flat 3-mile up and back hike that takes you through tundra and taiga terrain to the McKinley River 18 miles from the base of Denali. If the mountain is out, I strongly recommend this hike. See my Alaska gallery for pictures of this hike and some of the flora. Mosquitoes were there, but not intolerable. I am told they are much less of a problem in May. Some on our hikes wore nets, we did not. Long pants and long sleeves are advisable, even though it was quite warm.

 

A bit of trivia I learned while in Denali, "Eileson" is pronounced "AY-ell-sun".

[PennyAgain]

Can't imagine any other way to pronounce Eileson! I've never stayed at Kantishna. Out of my price range. Sure looks like a nice place. Glad you got to do it.

 

We got run out of the Wonder Lake campground one 'self drive' weekend when it started to snow...a lot. It is a grand place to be on a clear day.

[lilmiss]

I've done a lot of hiking, much alone. The problem you get in Denali is that it is so vast you need to plan to be in an area with some sort of landmarks. I'm of the 'travel light, eat little (and not cook) and purify water' opinion. It is OK to walk the road, but very dusty. Late May will have areas of snow. Yes to the bugs in some areas. Yes also to issues with bears and moose.

 

Privacy for toilet issues can be a major headache as the trees are few and the shrubs are short and sparse. Just when you think you are completely alone, someone or some animal will surprise you. Happens every time! We've walked nearly the entire road one bit at a time.

 

I carry a head net even if I don't think I will need it. I hate bugs especially the little ones you can barely see. My pet hate is the type of person who decides to tag aong when I don't know them at all. I will double back and even hide to get away from them.

 

We always carry a survival kit in case we get stuck out overnight when we don't expect to. Learned a hard lesson about that years ago at Exit Glacier. Even if I am only going 200 paces off the road, I make sure that I don't get confused. Lots of people get confused.

 

Thx...yes I already thought about the getting lost issue...any more tips on how to avoid that !!!

[lilmiss]

Can't imagine any other way to pronounce Eileson! I've never stayed at Kantishna. Out of my price range. Sure looks like a nice place. Glad you got to do it.

 

We got run out of the Wonder Lake campground one 'self drive' weekend when it started to snow...a lot. It is a grand place to be on a clear day.

 

Way out of my price range too...I have to cancel my cruise if I want to stay there !!! That is not going to happen :D

[PennyAgain]

Get the guide information/maps etc for the suggested trails. We went severly off road and off trail but have a professional guide in the family. No, I don't ever recommend him on CC. He is plenty busy.

 

You can hear the shuttle buses quite a ways off from the road. Be wise and you will be fine.

[dk4537]

We're going to Denali after a northbound cruise 8-14-09. We'll be spending 2 days there and I really want to maximize our time. I picked up a book by Kris Capps, "Denali Walks." You can order it on line from the Alaska Natural History Association www.alaskanha.org. It looks pretty helpful. I'll update you when I get back.

[PennyAgain]

Alaska Georgraphic is an absolutely fantastic organization. Thanks so much for posting the link. The books they publish are keepers for life. I've moved so often that I have lost some along the way, but intend to rebuild my collection.

 

Don't lend them to anyone.

 

My old Dad had an expression for every situation. About hiking which he always called 'walks', he often said "divide your time in thirds. Use 1/3 going away from your start point and 2/3 to return". Sounds somewhat silly but over the decades I've often found it to be very true.

 

Many people get in trouble by not paying attention to time and distance. If a trail is marked as taking 3 hours, don't do it if you only have 3.5 or even 4 unless you are super fit. Most of us are not.

 

Have a ball!

[frugaltravel]

We're going to Denali after a northbound cruise 8-14-09. We'll be spending 2 days there and I really want to maximize our time. I picked up a book by Kris Capps, "Denali Walks." You can order it on line from the Alaska Natural History Association www.alaskanha.org. It looks pretty helpful. I'll update you when I get back.

 

Thanks for the info. It appears that this book describes the formal trails in the park.

 

However, I still think the book by Ike Waits is the hiker's Bible for hiking inside the trailless park.

[lilmiss]

Thanks for the info. It appears that this book describes the formal trails in the park.

 

However, I still think the book by Ike Waits is the hiker's Bible for hiking inside the trailless park.

 

I second that...just received my copy of Denali by Ike Waits....very good description of the hikes and what to expect !!! This will be very helpful !!!

 

I also have the Denali Walks guide, which only features marked trails, the book is not bad, but not what I was looking for.. if you are looking for real hikes off the beaten path buy the Ike Waits book !!!

[Glaciers]

Many people get in trouble by not paying attention to time and distance. If a trail is marked as taking 3 hours, don't do it if you only have 3.5 or even 4 unless you are super fit. Most of us are not.

 

Have a ball!

 

 

We stayed at Teklanika for one night last weekend. Went hiking around the campground, river bed and the general area. We also hopped off the bus at East Fork Toklat River and went down to the artists cabin as well as up on the north side of the road. We didn't anticipated the mushy tundra. We also didn't anticipate how long it would take to get a shuttle back to the campground. The first two shuttles were full and we got the last two seats on the third one. There was a slight wind and very few bugs.

[dk4537]

Thanks Penny my pleasure. Great advice from your father... I'll surely put it to good use.

 

Thanks Frugal and lilmiss...I"m sure my wife won't mind a little more research material.

[PennyAgain]

That mushy tundra may have actually been muskeg. There is an old Alaska expression that it can be hard to get around until the muskeg freezes.

 

I always walk with emergency supplies and a light weight shelter even if it is only a huge trash sack. You can make a bivy sack out of large trash sack. It is better to sleep in one of those than to be eaten up by bugs and chilled half to death.

 

We used to have a boy in the family. (now all grown up and a professional guide) who would take a couple cans of beans and walk out of the kitchen door and be gone for days. He taught me to make a trash bag shelter. There was absolutely no keeping him in the house when he wanted to go out for a long walk. His mother gave up trying!

 

When he was about 12 he and another boy rode bikes to Wonder Lake and camped out along the way. A boys' playground. Now he earns a nice living guiding.

 

I knew I had gotten up in years when I heard him tell a friend that he had HELPED me on a rough hike. I was so depressed. He didn't GUIDE me, he helped an old woman!

 

Charming!

[tranceFusion]

Ok, so is there anywhere along the shuttle to Eielson (or at Eielson) where we can get off and go for a bit of a walk being reasonably certain to finding our way back to the road? I don't want to stay on the bus, but I don't want to spend the night in the brush either..

 

Also, we were thinking about doing a hike near the park entrance the night before.. are there trails at the entrance?

[frugaltravel]

Ok, so is there anywhere along the shuttle to Eielson (or at Eielson) where we can get off and go for a bit of a walk being reasonably certain to finding our way back to the road? I don't want to stay on the bus, but I don't want to spend the night in the brush either..

 

Also, we were thinking about doing a hike near the park entrance the night before.. are there trails at the entrance?

 

Tons of places to hike inside the park. Find a place that has tundra (flat, low growth) vs. the forests or the taller willows.

 

This link will give you great ideas from woman who hikes extensively by herself in Denali every year - this year alone she has already backpacked/hiked in Denali for 5 weeks.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g143022-c116883/Denali-National-Park-And-Preserve:Alaska:Take.A.Hike..html

 

Just be bear-aware and bring enough food, snacks and water and you will be fine. You can always stay within sight of the park road if you want and you will see the buses traveling in both directions.

 

The entrance area trails and descriptions can be found at http://www.nps.gov/dena, Things to Do, Day Hikes.

[Glaciers]

That mushy tundra may have actually been muskeg. I knew I had gotten up in years when I heard him tell a friend that he had HELPED me on a rough hike. I was so depressed. He didn't GUIDE me, he helped an old woman!

 

Yes, thats what it was. Had only been on it once before in the fall when it was frozen.

 

Ok, so is there anywhere along the shuttle to Eielson (or at Eielson) where we can get off and go for a bit of a walk being reasonably certain to finding our way back to the road? I don't want to stay on the bus, but I don't want to spend the night in the brush either..

 

Also, we were thinking about doing a hike near the park entrance the night before.. are there trails at the entrance?

 

The nps.gov site that frugaltraveler noted is very good. Lists several hikes near the entrance. Since there's really no designated trails within the park, we purchased a gps and set a waypoint at the area we exit the road so we can find our way back. At the very least you should take a compass with you.

 

There are a few areas in the park where you are not allowed to leave the road. Part of that area currenty is along Sable Pass. There is a wolf den there and the park doesn't want the wolfs to become to used to humans so they have limited hiking in that area. All shuttle drivers explain where they are and most areas are also well marked.