Who’s the Mayor ?

I had a bit of a ‘lie in’ today, only having to get up at 6-45 a.m. !, to pack up the tents, have breakfast, and again set off for Denali visitor centre, to choose our own walks for the morning.

I chose to walk a trail called Mount Healy overlook, http://www.nps.gov/dena/photosmultimedia/overlook.htm  and set off with David for the climb upwards through the woods, and passing all the ‘Bear aware’ signs as we walked.It was soon very quiet and peaceful as we travelled along a well maintained path, which stretched up and away from us, and not really knowing how long it would take us, and having to be back within 4 hours, we kept up a fast pace, quickly climbing up to the ridge, and overlook …phew, what should have taken 2 hours was done in a sweaty 1 1/2 hours, and we were warm !, although quickly cooled by the strong wind on the ridge. I wandered along it for a while, taking in the views, and having a snack..before we set off at a trot for the walk down to the visitor centre, and still no bears !

Back at the visitor centre, we had time to view the several different museums there, and have the biggest ice cream ever ! –even the cone was filled with ice cream, Denali blueberry, lovely

We were then collected by Ryan for the drive across to Talkeetna http://www.talkeetnachamber.org/ the famed ‘base camp’ for climbers wishing to climb Denali (they get dropped off on the Glacier, by aeroplane, from Talkeetna!) and as soon as we arrived we realised why ! The campsite, was just off the dirt road, near to the River, and rather basic to say the least, but we were right in the ‘town’, and could have gone somewhere for a shower if we really need to !

Having sorted things out we all walked around, what was really an old ‘Hippies’ village, with lots of shops bordering the dirt roads ,as the evening sun shone down

We all ate at the West Rib Pub http://www.westribpub.info/, and very nice it was too, with information on a very unusual ‘Mayor’ of Talkeetna – Stubbs http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/17/us/alaska-cat-mayor/index.html – and they said Boris was a peculiar selection as Mayor !

then it was down to the River for some late night views of the Alaska mountains,  and some stone skimming ! before bed at 10-30 p.m. in almost daylight, but that didn’t stop me falling asleep straightaway !

Another long day, Goodnight