MUST DO in Denali National Park | Wildlife, Hikes, Park Bus, & History [S1-E15]

get ready to immerse yourself in the rugged  beauty of Denali National Park home to North   America's tallest peak this park is a treasure  Trove of captivating Landscapes Rich history   intriguing geology plentiful wildlife and  countless opportunities for unforgettable   sightseeing come along with us as we show  you our favorite spots for sightseeing   hiking and photographing Denali we'll learn  about the park history and gey and even see   how it transforms in the winter we'll take  you on the bus tour into the park the only   way up to a certain point because well this  happened and we might even share with you   our favorite free RV camping spot get ready to  dive in and experience Denali National [Music] Park let's begin by zooming out here is the  great state of Alaska and here is denalii   National Park and preserve spanning roughly  6.1 million Acres it's about the size of New   Hampshire and the third largest national park in  the United States that's where we're headed now   now here's the thing some of our favorite  spots to see and photograph Denali aren't   actually in the park itself they are on the  way to the park so that's where we're taking   you first our journey starts here on the turn  again arm near Anchorage and we will end here   just outside Denali at this awesome free RV  camp spot sit back and take it in cuz this   is a heck of a day for a drive across Alaska we  got time on our side we're in a state of home I   need you are my I want you to know that every  time you're away I long for you much find my way I saw you walking the line and  the truth may come us a surprise   that with you are [Music] feel  you will be the last one to think about time flies when you're driving  through incredible scenery before we know   we're pulling into excellent sightseen  spot number one the Denali Viewpoint South the last time we were here it was a winter  wonderland buried under feet of snow and we were   the only ones here it is so interesting to  see the difference between those two seasons   wow definitely a completely different place in the  summer and there it is Denali the tallest mountain   in North America formerly called Mount McKinley  Denali soes to an astounding height of 20310 Ft   above sea level there's a saying around here that  those who see Denali are part of the 30% club that   70% of visitors never even see the mountain as it  is so often shrouded in clouds everyone here today   is now among those lucky few and we are so happy  that our two guests just joined the [Music] club   in kukan an athabaskan dialect native to the  region Denali translates to the tall one A   fitting name for this Majestic Peak Mountain  elevations are traditionally measured from sea   level to Summit but if you measure from base to  Summit Denali actually stands a mile taller than   Everest if you're a photographer this stop is a  must for capturing that perfect shot of [Music] Denali there are two viewing platforms here  the upper one provides a sweeping view of the   Chula River and we are very curious to see how  different it looks compared to its winter form it   is so cool to be here at such a different time  of year completely different world incredible Denali is the Crown Jewel of the Alaska range  stretched out before us today in its full Glory the Alaska range curves like a giant CLE  across the face of Alaska glaciers snake out   of the heart of the range like Medusa's hair  drastically shaping the landscape carving deep   u-shaped valleys and fueling sediment Laden  rivers that braid their way across the land   bre rivers are actually quite fascinating they  form this way because the river is constantly   seeking new Pathways around the gravel bars  that it itself creates why are so many rivers   in Alaska chalk full of sediments Alaska is a  land of glaciers and think of a glacier like   a giant Mill chewing up and pulverizing the  land in its path sending all of that gravel   sand and silt Downstream curious what this  landscape looks like in the winter [Music] [Music] we're back on the highway headed to that  second great sightseen spot it's a short   28 M and half an hours drive up  the road welcome to the Denali   Viewpoint North another spot completely  transformed from its snow lateen winter version this spot provides another Stellar  Panorama of the Alaska range which is part   of a fascinating story so Earth's crust is  broken into fragments called plates here in   Alaska the Pacific Plate is sliding beneath the  North American Plate this is called called the   subduction zone now throughout Earth's history  the Pacific Plate has had hitchhikers on its back   large blocks of crust called terrains when they  hit that subduction zone They don't slide under   but rather plow into the North American Plate  eventually fusing to it this has happened over   and over again each new terrain plowing into  the last piling up like groceries at the end   of a checkout line This is the story of Alaska's  life terrain after terrain conveyed North by the   Pacific Plate each new arrival crushing into  its northern neighbors and adding to the great   squeeze fault systems form where they shove up  and over each other tilting and buckling in a   slow motion car crash that thrusts an impressive  array of mountain ranges straight into the sky   that is the skinny on how this the 10th tallest  mountain range in the world formed and continues   to uplift today fueled by pressure put on by the  latest actor in this story the yakatat trrain who   is currently as we speak in a head-on collision  with Alaska of course this doesn't answer that   key question why is Denali in particular so tall  the answer is really cool and we'll get to that   when we're there in the park so let's get over  there [Music] already we are off to that awesome   free RV spot that we mentioned before the sun's  going down and we do got to sleep after all the   spot is tucked here just just 17 M south of the  park entrance and right within the spine of the   Alaska range we're on our way as we Drive North  we take in this midnight Sunset it is mid July   which means the sun rises around 4:00 a.m. and  sets at midnight in fact the nights never really   get dark anymore just a couple hours of Twilight  and then the sun rises again we finally arrived   to a 1500t stretch of pavement just off the  highway hugging the Nana River there's just   enough time to park our old schoolie and  take in the last gasps of this blazing [Music] Sunset Denali National Park here we come  fun fact did you know that there's only   one road going into Denia National  Park more on that in a bit our first   order of business is to stop at the Denali  Visitor Center and we're so glad that we did wow The Visitor Center is really well put  together and we learn so much like the sheer   amount of wildlife that call the park home  animals like doll sheep and moose even wolves   and Caribou we wonder what we'll see out there  especially when we go far into the park on the   Denali bus we also learn here that between 1903  and 1921 23,000 o of gold were mined from the   cantia hills deep within the park The Visitor  Center is also just the perfect place to bring   the little ones to get them excited and pumped  for what they are about to see out there in the park into the park we go on that one  single road construction of the Park   Road was started in 1923 and completed 15  years later it stretches an impressive 92   mi into sheer Wilderness transitioning  from 15 Mi of nice two-lane pavement   to 16 Mi of two-lane gravel to 61 M of  rustic single track gravel road but get   this you actually can't drive past mile 15  why you'll see in a bit in the meantime want   to see something trippy just look at the  difference 4 months make in Alaska [Music] [Music] unfortunately Dave isn't feeling  well and isn't able to join us for these   days in the [Music] park last time we were  here we were post holing it through about   4 ft of snow May maybe even more than that it  was crazy we were here for a picnic and we are   here for a picnic again in a very different  world it's a completely different world so   cool to see the two seasons and to be able to  compare them like this we are at the Mountain   Vista interpretive Trail and picnic area we  love this spot accessible to all this is a   great place to catch some incredible views and  learn a little something along the way here we   brush up against more history of this park and  the stories it holds the park was established   in 1917 as Mount McKinley National Park since  its Inception it has grown in popularity among   visitors tourists began arriving by rail in  1922 the park road construction began in 1923   and while that was underway Railway tourism  grew as Savage Camp became the gateway to the   park it offered accommodations meal service  and a growing menu of Tours Savage Camp was   located right here now it's an Open Meadow  surrounded by 360° of mountain views and   the ever tantalizing chance to see one of the  wildlife rock stars of Denali Denali National   Park is home to approximately 1,800 moose these  animals are big standing 5 to 6 and 1/2 ft tall   at the shoulder weighing between 700 and, 1400  lb Mose breed in late September and early October   and the mam give birth about 8 months later  in late May and early June we are here in mid July I guess we don't [Music] that Mountain Vista really is  a must stop the loop trail is short   and sweet the views are sweeping and it is  so beautiful that such a conscious effort   was made to provide a Wilderness  experience that everyone can enjoy this is right where we had our  picnic in the winter time it's   really cool to be right in the same [Music] spot our next stop is right up the road and  one of the most popular trails in the park it   is also right at mile 15 and where the Park Road  officially Clos cles to us or more accurately to   our car we luck out and get parking just like  we did at Mountain Vista though it's actually   recommended to take the free shuttle to both spots  because space is so [Music] limited expect to   encounter grizzly bears in this area say at least  300 y away from the Bears at all times nevero we are headed out to do the  Savage River loop trail along   a beautiful classic braided River let's head on out now this Trail tells quite an earth history  story the plot twist written into the land so   let's read this landscape together start by  taking note of the gentle sloping walls of   the valley they are anything but steep notice  how the river is braided and look at the U   shape of this Valley if you've been traveling  with us for a while you know exactly what this   means but now watch how the river changes  we start to find rocks that look really cool   shimmery and layered Anthony comes up with  the best name for them shiny glitter wrinkle rocks [Music] suddenly the valley looks quite  different its walls are Steep and the   valley as a whole has taken on a vshape  gone is the lazy braided River it is now   focused and fast one single Channel cutting  into the valley floor and the wrinkle rocks   are everywhere they were once horizontal  sedimentary and Volcanic layers now they   look like this there's only one recipe  that will deform Rock like this bending   it instead of breaking transforming it to a  new type of rock altogether heat pressure and time oh wow Anthony look at the wrinkle rocks  at those FRS over there The Savage River Loop   is leading us through some of the oldest  rock formations in North America they are   by far the oldest in the park and the  only reason we can see them is thanks   to the erosive power of Savage River and  that uncanny shift in Valley shape that we   noticed earlier a glacier once reached all  the way to the start of the trail carving   a classic u-shaped glacial Valley but this  part of the valley hasn't seen a glacier in   2 million years allowing plenty of time for  Savage River to slice decisively downward   carving the classic vshape of river valleys  and exposing this ancient Rock for us to explore fun fact now that you are well versed  in the history of Alaska's terrains you may be   fascinated to know that the Rocks exposed  here are part of the Yukon Tanana terrain   which plowed into the North American Plate  about 225 5 million years ago the terrain   itself formed in an ancient ocean Basin when all  the continents formed a super continent called [Music] rodinia it's the next day and we're back for  more this time we're going as far into the   park as they are letting us go did you know that  the majority of Denali National Park can only be   accessed by the park shuttle bus system it is  the longest continuously running shuttle system   in the National Park Service since the very  beginning buses have been used in the park as   were personal vehicles but over time the narrow  rustic Park Road got more and more congested so   in 1972 travel Beyond mile 15 was restricted  to buses only since then the only way to get   past the barricade at mile 15 has been on the  park bus and we're in in we keep our eyes out   for wildlife after all Denali is home to 39  species of mammals 169 species of birds 14   species of fish and one amphibian want to know  the one thing you can't find here not a single   reptile our first sighting is a tarmigan  we've always been curious what they look   like all three species of North American  Tagan live in Denali and The Willow Tagan   is the Alaska state bird we're not sure if  these are Willow Tagan or not but they are so cute good timing this is our one and only pit stop until our   final destination after this point the  two-lane Gravel Road will narrow to one [Music] lane we're not back  on the road for 5 minutes before those little white dots on the mountain  side are doll sheep these impressive Cliff   climbers thrive in rugged Alpine settings  that demand sure footing as they navigate   sheer Cliffs with remarkable agility as  we drive further into the Wilderness the   landscape captivates us all we are all  eyes fixed to the glass just taking it [Music] in [Music] then quite suddenly we are here we are at the East Fork River at Mile  43 of the park Road and from here we can go   no further because about 2 miles up the road  something Monumental has been happening this   is the pretty rocks Landslide it has been  known as an active slide area but it was   stable with only minor cracks in the road  requiring maintenance every few years or   so but in 2014 that all changed the rate of  slide had been a couple inches per year but   between 2014 and 2017 it increased to inches per  per month by 2018 in per day and by 2021 65 in   per hour this was the movement from July 2021  to April 2022 the slide is underlain by icer   permafrost and Frozen clay Bedrock after that  but Alaska has warmed significantly in recent   years and the permafrost is in trouble needless  to say the park road has been closed since 2021   the park service is currently working on a bridge  solution and hopes to reopen the road by [Music] 2026 so for the time being the East Fort River is  as far as buses can [Music] go the bus we came in   on heads out we'll catch another one back that's  how the green buses work Hop On Hop Off you can   meet them at official bus stops or you can just  flag them down along the road the tan buses are   narrated tours that are not Hop On Hop off they're  great if you want a guided experience but not if   you want independence to hike in sight seat  at your own pace we relish the opportunity   to go at our own pace so we stay to explore  the area and see what we can see out on this   braided River take me back all the way back to  them days running around in a gown and a crown Barefoot oh the things you can do with rocks  you can throw them you can study them and you   can even balance them finding the center of  gravity we spent Summers catching fireflies   and Winter's on our skat [Music] one big  smile across my face we used to dance our as we commune with this magnificent place  so important to the athabascan people who have   called it home for Generations we can't help but  wonder why was Denali ever named McKinley the   mountain was first called McKinley following an  article published in the New York Sun by a local   prospector who was a fan of then president  elect McKinley the name stuck among the US   public despite push back from most alaskans and  even founders of the park in 1980 the park was   renamed to what it is today and finally in 2015  the mountain itself was officially given back   the name that it always had Denali and speaking  of the tall one let's come back to that final   question why is it so gosh darn tall see this  Ben in the Denali fault system now look at the   location of Denali this is not a coincidence  imagine all the pressure put on by the yakatat   terrain plowing into Alaska the Rocks right  here are literally backed into a corner and   have nowhere to go except up what's more Denali  is different from its Mountain neighbors while   they are made a softer rock that erods easily  Denali is one huge hunk of hard crystallin Granite   it was once a magma chamber that that cooled  slowly beneath the Earth all the pushing and   shoving of Alaska's ongoing terrain car crash  has uplifted this Granite Beast into the sky   while glaciers in the freeze thaw cycle make  quick work of its neighbors Denali is loathed   to be brought to its knees by erosion so it  stands tall currently rising faster than it [Music] erodes it's amazing what you can experience in  one little patch of this massive place a   caribou neighbor saunters by and we spot many  Antarctic ground squirrel these hearty little   guys hibernate for 7 to 8 months during which  time their body temperature drops below freezing   the lowest ever measured in any mammal they  are out inforced now fattening up as quickly   as they can soon our ride is here slowly making  making its way to us on that single track gravel   kudos to the bus drivers of Denali by the way  we know what it's like to drive a big rig on   narrow roads and it ain't always easy as if  to send us off with a bang we are blessed   with two final sightings Caribou are native to  Alaska and the state is home to 32 herds seven   of those herds number 30,000 to 325,000 the  rest of the herds are smaller with 3,000 or   less the Denali herd has around 1,760 Caribou  according to the park Service as we drive back   we lament that we never saw Bears they must be  enjoying the peace and quiet on the other side   of the pretty rocks but we do see a bull moose  nice and up close it's a good thing we're in   the bus because these creatures while Majestic  are fast and aggressive when you get too close what a pair of days in Denali National Park  we have seen and learned so much about this   unparalleled place and its awe inspiring mountain  now if only we could get a little closer maybe   even see it from the skies and with that little  clue left hanging in the air we leave you here   and we will see you next time on Art we there  yet hey guys if you enjoy this video be sure   to give us a like subscribe to our Channel send  us a comment below and for exclusive content and   a behind the scenes view of the art we there  at Journey join us on patreon see you over on [Music] patreon

Channel: Art We There Yet?

Views: 19,769

Keywords: art we there yet, denali, savage river loop, savage river loop trail, savage river hike, denali bus, travel vlog, denali national park alaska, things to see denali, things to do in denali, denali national park hiking, alaska, denali wildlife, denali national park things to see, denali park road, denali national park, savage river, denali hikes, what to do in denali, Discover Denali, art we there yet bus, art we there yet project, mount mckinley, mt mckinley

Id: ELtxatW3a0s

Length: 26min 47sec (1607 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 19 2023