We awoke by alarm at 5:00. I peeked out the windows and saw an almost-solid cloud back to the east and clear skies to the north and south. I decided to go back to bed because I've been falling behind on sleep and the cloud bank would probably prevent spectacular color at sunrise. J had been planning to stay in this morning anyways.

We woke up again naturally around 7:45. Now there was an almost solid cloud layer everywhere I could see from the RV windows. We don't have a window out the back which was facing Mt. McKinley, and except for the cab windows, we don't have a window that faces out the front either. I processed three images for yesterday's blog entry and started working on the blog entry itself.

Had lunch around 12:35. Finished the blog entry and took it live. Finished prepping the RV to move, then hooked up the Jeep. We left at 1:13 and headed west on the Denali Hwy.

We stopped at the Tesoro gas station in Cantwell right at the junction of the Parks Hwy. Gas was expensive, so I only got about 1/4 of a tank of gas for the RV and J filled up the Jeep. Sometimes the pumps are spaced nicely so we can fuel both vehicles at the same time, and this was such a case. We left at 1:33.

Denali National Park

[You may view a Denali National Park brochure with map in PDF format here.]

We entered Denali National Park, while still on the Parks Hwy, around 2:00. We reached the Wilderness Access Center around 2:10 and went inside to pick up our permits and bus passes. We're going to camp in the RV for three nights at Teklanika River, which is as far into the park as most people are allowed to drive: mile 29. We'll have a Tek Pass that'll let us ride any of the shuttle buses (like school buses) from there as far west into the park as we want to go, and as far back east as Sanctuary River at mile 23. Plus, we'll have a guaranteed seat tomorrow on the 8:00 bus to the Eielson Visitor Center at mile 66. After three nights at Teklanika, we'll get on a camper bus that will haul us and our camping gear out to Wonder Lake, which is practically at the end of the road at mile 85, where we'll camp for five nights. Then we'll take the camper bus back to Teklanika where we'll spend one night before leaving the park. J will probably return to the RV for at least one night while I stay out at Wonder Lake.

While standing in line to pick up those passes, I saw a notice on the board behind the desk that said it's not possible to purchase an Annual Interagency Pass there. Huh — that's very odd. Our Annual Pass expired at the end of July, and I had booked the camping permits using a rate that didn't include daily entrance fees because I was going to buy an Annual Pass when I picked up the permits. I hopped out of line and spoke with a general information person, and discovered that the Annual Passes are sold at the Denali Visitor Center, about another mile into the park — stupid! I left at 2:20 and J stayed behind to look around at the exhibits.

I went to the Denali Visitor Center, purchased the Annual Pass, then returned ...

To the Wilderness Access Center around 2:35 — what a way to help the environment! We started to check in at the desk, and were quickly informed that we couldn't do what we had planned to do, namely leave the RV unattended at Teklanika while we were out at Wonder Lake. The person I spoke with on the phone when I made the reservations said it would be just fine. J and I stepped away from the desk to talk about options, and we decided to more or less go ahead with our plans, but "J would stay with the RV at Teklanika." That was the official line, but just between you and me, she was going to ride the camper bus out to Wonder Lake, which is strictly legal with the Tek Pass, and then "maybe decide to stay out there with me." :) The nice part about this change of plans, is that I got some money back because we'll only be using one reserved seat on the camper bus (mine), and J will go for free using her Tek Pass. We left at 3:10.

Dump Disaster

We went to the Riley Creek overflow parking area to drop off the Jeep because only one vehicle is allowed to go to Teklanika. After getting everything we needed out of the Jeep, we took the RV to the dump station near the Riley Creek Mercantile. I must not have gotten the hose far enough down into the drain, because after starting to dump the black tank, there was a puddle of black water (water that had been through the toilet) forming around the drain and getting onto the sole of my shoe! I usually step lightly with my heel on the drain cover to hold the hose in place, and the black water, sludge actually, was rising up around the ball of my foot! I quickly let out an expletive as I stepped back out of the puddle and then shut off the black tank valve! I reseated the hose into the drain and then held the drain cover down with my vinyl-glove-covered hand as I finished dumping the black tank and then dumped the gray tank. (The gray tank holds all of our waste water that doesn't go through the toilet: the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, and the shower.) I was going to wash down the spilled black water, so I went over to the flexible-pole-mounted hose that's there for that purpose. I pulled the end of the hose over to near where I'd be using it, then I gently opened the valve. It was like taking a shower! The hose was frayed where it attached at the top of the pole, and it was spewing water all over me! After letting out a few more expletives, I shut off the water, then changed my body position so I was no longer under the "shower head." I carefully turned the water back on, and washed down all of the spilled black water without any more excitement. We filled up the RV fresh water tank, then went back to the Jeep at 4:30 so we could pick up some things that we had forgotten.

We started driving out to Teklanika around 4:35. The fall colors were starting to arrive — right on schedule. :) We went through the Savage River checkpoint around 5:10 at mile 15 which is as far as most people who aren't camping at Teklanika, or closer to the entrance, are allowed to drive west into the park. After going by Sanctuary River, we stopped to watch two caribou with huge racks. We just watched because they were a bit too far away to photograph from the road, and we didn't want to bushwhack over to them and risk getting escorted out of the park on our first day there.

We reached Teklanika Campground around 5:55. After circling to find a good spot, we chose Site 9, then leveled and set up camp. I got some of the camping food arranged, then put some REI Ultra Seal Waterproofing Treatment on my boots.

We had dinner at 7:15 of leftover Best Chicken Ever and some fresh broccoli. We finished off the blueberry crisp from yesterday for dessert, and it was still most tasty!

Did some computer work before going to bed.

Correction

Mt. McKinley is only visible, on average, for about one (1) of every five (5) days.