An adage in orienting goes something like this, “It’s further than it appears. It’ll take longer than you imagine. And it’s harder than you may suspect.”
None of the less experienced girmen thought a trip across the tundra might entail the snail-like pace and danger to life and limb it did. Seriously, it looked like a golden beach dotted with spruce – a carpet spread out before the mountains. How long could the trip down the hillside and across the plain take? Denali was RIGHT THERE, and the McKinley Bar was just before Denali – piece of cake!
But, no – no piece of cake.
While not intuitive, the heat of July in Alaska covers the body like a wet blanket. The Southerner grew up in hot humidity, so the beads of sweat on her forehead and neck felt familiar. Her companions had no such familiarity. They cursed the weight of water (and having to carry it) but delighted in its presence as the day grew on.
Jen’s roommate kept them on the correct path, keeping Denali to the left and finding as much tundra as possible to maintain good visuals. The other three mainly followed, initially buzzing with stories and excitement and then, as the day’s hiking wore on them, fell silent with muffled grunts and the occasional curse as yet another something snagged their clothing, or worse, their skin.
Daylight in July shortens by several minutes daily in Alaska, but the days remain long. While the girmen hiked until the sun began to set, it was still closer to 10pm when they finally arrived at the McKinley Bar. Here, at last, was the beach they had dreamed of – at least a beach of a kind. While bits were gravelly, large river stones (baseball-sized or slightly larger) covered the ground. They were elated to have made it this far, but in camping, there is always more to do.
They needed to keep their food 100 yards from their camp (and 50 feet off the ground) and 100 yards from the area where they planned to eat. The eating area and camping area also needed to be 100 yards apart. So they looked for trees near the beach, but also a more gravelly area 100 yards away for sleep. As an added bonus, the trees provided cover for hygiene and bathroom needs.
They found something more gravelly, less rocky far enough away from the trees and within a few feet of the McKinley River. Some parts of the river were clearer and good for water purification. They set up their 2 tents and Jen’s roommate secured the food. They ate something cold, then headed to bed.
The waters surrounding Denali hummed by their tents, the voices of nature pooled together and singing their enchantments over the landscape. No other sounds drifted into their hearing. As the sun dipped below the horizon, and with no other lights for competition, the Milky Way spread out it treasures freely, with abandon. No other night had been so silent or so filled with language.
And with Mother Earth cooing over them, they floated off to sleep.
(To Be Continued)
2/26/26
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