Into the Wild: Hiking in Denali's Backcountry

Sunday July 3rd, 2016

A summer milestone--I finally completed my first off-trail backcountry hike. While intimidating at first, hiking off trail in Denali is an incredibly freeing experience full of wonder and problem solving. There's no "correct" path to take up the hill or cross the river, and every piece of terrain I crossed made me feel as though I was the first human to set foot there. The feeling is unlike any other.

I woke to the sound of constant rain on my roof. The morning started out with an early breakfast after packing my day pack full of warm layers, water, and food. John and I walked down to the Wilderness Access Center through the rain and boarded a Discovery hike bus with around 20 other hikers. Once we were settled in, we began to make our way into the park.

Discovery Hikes are an excellent way for visitors to hike off-trail in the backcountry if they aren't comfortable enough to do it on their own. Two hikes a day are led by National Park Service interpretive rangers. Due to the nature of the backcountry, signups must happen in person at the visitor center two days in advance to ensure that all hikers are prepared to be out in the park.

The first Discovery Hike group left the bus at mile 29, and the seven of us who remained continued on into the park. Because our hike began near mile 61 of the park road, we had a three hour bus ride before we reached our destination. Eventually our ranger began to signal to the driver that we were near our dropoff point, but as we crested the hill we approached two other buses already pulled alongside the road. After a quick scan around the area, we spotted the reason--a grizzly bear was strolling along the opposite shoulder of the road munching on plants. It was the closest I have ever been to a grizzly bear and it is the closest I ever hope to get. While they are beautiful, incredible creatures, it always best to keep our distance in their home.

Our ranger changed the route of our hike so that we were starting more than 300 yards from the bear. A few steps off the stairs of the bus, a strained groan as it pulled away, and suddenly we were immersed in the Denali wilderness.

Though the day at first seemed gloomy and clouds were low, I think it gives this place a magical feeling. The rain saturates the colors of the tundra and the mountains kiss the clouds in the sky. We started the hike with a trek across rain-soaked tundra, which can only be described as walking on a spongy water bed where your feet sink 6 inches into the ground with every step. Knee-high willow shrubs whipped at our shins and grabbed our feet as we started to make our way around a mountain known as Stony Hill.

After following a rushing creek for awhile, we began to climb the slope of Stony Hill, passing tundra flowers of all colors, including bluebells, yellow cinquefoil, and saxifrage. With burning muscles in our legs we eventually reached the top of the small ridge beside the mountain, with an expansive valley to our left and Stony to our right. Below and directly ahead of us, a herd of caribou was grazing on another hillside. The farther our eyes scanned left and right, the more we saw. Their heads turned and tails perked up as they noticed us, and slowly the entire herd of more than 35 began to move towards where we had come from. The movement was graceful and magical and it was nearly impossible to look away.

We settled on the ridge to eat our lunch with the caribou still roaming throughout the slopes around us. The rain let up and we were able to escape the wind by tucking ourselves into the hillside. Ground squirrels creaked from shrubs, and a rock ptarmigan with her three fluffy chicks scurried over the sharp-edged stones.

Our hike ended with a climb down a slippery tundra slope to the creekbed below. We sloshed through marsh that was waterlogged from the three days' rain, then fought through thickets of knee-high and overhead willows as we made our way back up to the park road. After about 40 minutes, we flagged down a green shuttle bus and began the journey home.

Hiking on trail-less terrain is like an exciting, strategic game. You never know what will be over the next ridge, what slope you'll need to slide down or what river you'll need to cross to get where you want to go. Being so deep in the wild used to intimidate me, but this hike was a major turning point in the way I view wilderness. Nature must be understood and respected, but there is no reason to fear it. Every new corner or bend made me feel like I was the first person to walk there, and that's the magic of Denali. I can't wait to get back out there again soon.