7-13-2013 Denali with the Kids

Today we all went for a sightseeing excursion in the Park. We drove to the Savage River which is 14 miles into the Park in pursuit of wild life and a little hiking.

We were not disappointed. While Elizabeth and Jonathan were hiking along the path, a caribou came running down the river at a full gallop.  It nearly ran into some tourists before turning around and heading back up stream.  The kids were very excited and got some great pictures. They were so enthused and watched the caribou for quite some as it fed along the river.  Jonathan was ready for some more caribou to come by, but we did not see any more at the time but will be in search for many more sightings this week.

They did get to a little bit of the north side of Mt McKinley. There were a lot of low lying clouds that obscured their view of the north face.

We headed over to see the dog sledding exhibition. We got there in plenty of time so we had a chance to visit the dog kennels. They have many sled dogs and it is quite fascinating to see how gentle they are.  Except the one the scared the bejesus out of Emorie!  The dog got so excited that it jumped up on the kennel and started barking.  Emorie was not prepared for such a welcome and got quite startled.  After we got her settled down we watched them harness the dogs to the sled and perform and practice run.

Ranger Suzie said that we had just met some of the federal government’s happiest employees. The dogs are utilized to haul supplies to various locations in the Park during the long winters, watch for poachers and people using snowmobiles in the Park. They retire the dogs after nine seasons and then put them up for adoption. There are some very strict requirements for you to be qualified to adopt one. You have to live in a similar environment as the dogs are accustomed to as well as being an outdoor enthusiast.  So you Dallasites who are interested better plan on moving to a much colder climate.  The dogs average about 3,000 miles a season.  During the summer the Park employees adopt a dog to care for. They are required to take the dogs for a walk a minimum of 3 nights a week for at least 1 hour.

After the dog sled exhibition was over we headed to the 49^th State Brewery for some of the local food and fun.

Emorie Wallace is 7 months old today!!

Emorie is adapting quite well. We are keeping her on her normal schedule. The first night with Nana and Grandpa she slept 10 hours. That was very thoughtful of her. You know us old folks need our rest, too. We are really enjoying having the kids being here and looking forward to sharing this journey with them.