July 18: A Hundred and Twenty Miles of Dirt Road

Sunday July 18, On to Denali National Park: We spent half a day slowly driving a little more than a hundred miles, on the dirt road heading west to Denali. There were a few caribou along lakesides and bogs. We finally came to the paved Parks Highway that connects Anchorage and Fairbanks and joined the RV’s, trucks and tour buses heading to the National Park. A few more miles and we turned into the park.

Our friends, Barbara, Tom and Jenny, had arrived in Anchorage from Zurich the day before. They rented an RV and had made good time getting to Denali. Our reserved campsite just opposite theirs was waiting. I was riding my bike, exploring a little trail near the campground, when I came upon the 3 of them returning from a walk. So great to see them again, after 2 years! Jenny, their 13 year old, rode my bike back to camp to find our kids, while we walked and talked.