Arrival at Denali Park and Preserve
Trip Start
May 05, 2009
1
10
48
Trip End
Sep 20, 2009
Denali Park,
Alaska,
United States
Monday, May 18, 2009
Foster has a huge backpack and another bag as well which he puts in the trailer because there is not enough room in the truck. I am used to having the whole backseat to myself, but Val squeezes in my backseat so Foster can ride in the front. He is headed for the park to check-in. He starts work on the 15th.
I introduced you last year to Foster, and I described him as a mountain man. That remains the best description because he does indeed live in the mountains in a 30 X 18 railroad car. He goes "a ways" to get his water from a flowing well that flows summer and winter. He heats his place with a coal stove. The coal company delivers his 6 tons of coal as close as they can to his rail car, and he moves it in buckets across the railroad bridge and then another quarter of a mile to his place. I can't imagein how many trips back and forth that would be. He roams his mountains summer, fall, winter, and spring. He hates it when the temperature goes below minus 20 degrees because it is too dangerous to be out for long when it is that cold. He knows so much about the area he is a virtual walking encyclopedia of geography.
In the summer he works for the park concessioner. He works on the cleaning crew, and he spends a lot of his time cleaning out fire pits. He says that he "digs" his work. He always has a smile, and is quick to come up with a pun. He loves the land, the trees, streams and rivers, but most of all he loves rocks. He collects them and stacks them in various displays around his home. some of them he even draws faces on. Smiley faces. His rocks always have a smile for him. He is a simple man with simple needs, but do not be fooled, just under the surface of the grime of the fire pit lies an intellect and presence not to be denied.
Heading into the park we see Iceworm Gulch. It is still full of ice so we stop for a picture. We haven't actually seen any iceworms, but Iceworm Gulch it is nonetheless. Even though we don't see any iceworms, we do see six Dall Sheep on the mountainside just inside the park.
After we drop Foster at Human Resources, we head back to the campground at Riley Creek and set up. We are greeted by Carole and Larry Hensel, our good friends from last year. It is so good to see them again, and Carole rubs my ears and talks to me. Carole is definitely a Beagle lover. Sorry Larry, I think she likes me best. Very soon Gloria and Dennis Ingersoll stop and talk too. They have just been for a ride out to Teklanika. They tell us that today is the last day you can drive out as far as Teklanika in your own vehicle. They tell us that that have seen all kinds of wildlife, so Dave and Val and I decide to go.
We see many snowshoe hares, and ptarmigan, but only two moose out in the park. However, as we are returning to our campsite we see a mother moose and her last years calf in the Visitor Center parking lot. We pulled into the parking lot, and we got so close to them that I got excited, and gave out a beller for which I got cuffed on the ears. Ouch! Dave says, "Shut up Remington - you'll scare them away." Well deh! That's the idea.
I hear that we are moving to Savage River on the 19th. Hurray! Hurray for the 19th of May! Snowshoe hare sniffing starts that day!
Your friend,
Remington Beagle
P.S. I have had a terrible time getting this blog in. I can't get the pictures to upload, so I will try again tomorrow to get the pictures in before I send it out to everyone.
Comments
old friends...
I'm glad to hear that you have run into all of your old friends. You will have a great summer and we look forward to meeting your friends when we come up to visit. I was reading your blog aloud to Dan and he asked me why Carol was rubbing your ears, mom. I had to remind him that my super intelligent brother Remington is the author of the blogs and it was his ears that Carol was rubbing! Dan got a good laugh.