Isle Royale, Voyageurs, Theodore Roosevelt, and North Cascades were great proving grounds to get me into physical shape to handle Denali. However not much exists in this country or even the planet that can fully prepare you for the sheer, awesome WILDness that this seemingly infinite landscape has in its arsenal.
To give you an idea of what I was getting myself into...now keep in mind I was not here to do the normal touristy stuff on the buses but rather to spend over a week in the Denali backcountry. Ok so here is how my Alaskan backcountry tale begins...
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Ranger Brycye: Ok man you've gone through our bear safety course, filled out your backcountry permit, got your bear resistant canister, all I need to know now is how many people are in your party...?
Mike: Oh its just me.
Ranger Bryce: *stunned, VERY concerned look on his face* Are you serious?
Mike: *Newly adopted look of concern on my face* Yes...is that bad?
Ranger Bryce: Dude, I've been working here for years and I haven't even gone out there alone.
Mike: (Inner monologue: DEAR GOD! What have I gotten myself into?!) Well hey I'm not turning back and I have no where else to go so I guess I'll just stick with the "Certain Death" option.
Ranger Bryce now w/ two other Rangers: Well we can't officially tell you NOT to go but we urge you to exhibit extraordinary caution out there. Hiking alone in the Denali wilderness is highly discouraged. Make sure you speak LOUDLY to yourself the WHOLE time, check out some bear spray, remain 100x more alert than if you had at least ONE other person, and use your map religiously...there are NO trails out there.
Mike: Roger! Will do
Rangers: Oh and PLEASE come back in afterwards to let us know you made it out alive.
Mike: (Inner Monologue: Why would they say THAT!) Ok well I appreciate the confidence boost guys! Didn't think I was going to have to need to change my pants BEFORE I even got into the wild! I'll see you guys in a week...I hope...
Well with my itinerary set I loaded onto a backpacker bus that was scheduled to take me to Igloo Mountain. Thousands of people visiting the park and I'm the ONLY sap getting dropped off alone. I was planning on staying a few days in the Igloo Mountain section of the park and then make my way southwest towards the Sunset/Sunrise Glacier for a few days. I was set!
It was more or less a 30-some mile bus ride to Igloo Mountain Campground. Originally I planned to stay one night at the campground and use it as a launching pad in the morning to head out into the backcountry. However, I was anxious to get truly "Into the Wild" so I had my pack ready and immediately got my boots in gear.
I should mention, even though it was a very cloudy morning, the bus ride WAS stunning. Commanding views of the vast landscape. I'm certain that the word "vast" must come from an old Indian word meaning "Everything Alaska." Until I got out into Denali, I didn't realize I was using the word incorrectly all these years. Surely that word can ONLY be applied to these views. And within a few posts, you'll see what I mean...
I would quickly realize that the Rangers were right...no trails! No designated places to sleep, eat, or rest. I could go anywhere, scramble up anything, and set bearings on a new course on an impulse. The land was mine! And with that I would eventually come to experience isolation and remoteness unlike I have or ever likely will again.
After about an hour of hiking I reached the top of this pinnacle/mountain. Was I at the top already? No way? Surely that monsterous mountain to the northwest isn't Igloo mountain! Thats too big! Well after consulting my map and cross-referencing that rock-behemoth with some nearby rivers, I determined that the leviathan monolith was in fact Igloo mountain. Amazing how perspective can change everything...what looked like an easily manageable mountain at first, now looked like I was on the edge of having my own David and Goliath moment. But would I have the same ending? I swear it got bigger with every step.
At the advice of the Rangers, I proceeded up the mountain talking VERY loudly to myself. At first this whole shouting to myself thing felt very forced and awkward. However over the next 3 months, living under the shadow of bear and mountain lion country, talking loudly to myself has become a habit that I now find hard to break. Oddly enough, it was here, on my ascent up Igloo that I discovered I have an alter ego. Evidently, when I started shouting, I immediately began talking in a loud, boisterous, Texas accent! Where did that come from? And for 3 months it has stuck. For whatever reason, the voice I use to deter potential predators is that of an old salty Texas ranch-hand. A very organic discovery and not at all planned...it just happened.
Very carefully, and in an expected 2 steps forward, 1 step back fashion, I slowly made my way horizontally across a very loose scree field. And wouldn't you know...it started raining. And then the rain turned into a downpour. I equipped my raincoat quickly but much of the damage was unavoidable. This was not rain...this was the air spontaneous deciding to turn into a pool!
To lighten the load off my back, I began to use my shot gun as a walking stick. Barrel up but unloaded. Was it really serving a self-defense purpose at this point? Probably not, but under such miserable weather conditions I would have DARED the bear to mess with me at that point. Based on the topography and the ground conditions, I figured I had two options of where to sleep. I chose the one that I approached first. The decision was primarily made by my stomach, which now required nourishment. My legs were exhausted and after a solid 4-5 hours of straight incline ascending I was ready to call it a day. Was I there yet?! NOPE! I probably wasn't even half way. But I think the worst was behind me...I think! The scree field seriously slowed me down. I wonder if there was an easier way up the northface of the mountain? Too late...I was now on this lush Alaskan tundra field that seemed very out of place. All around it was rocky alpine terrain and in the middle, this oasis of green, spongy earth. What foreign world was I in?
Peanut butter, dried cranberries and apricots, dark chocolate Kisses, jerky, and a fiber one bar. Boom! Dinner. This meal would more or less remain my diet for the pre/proceeding months...and I would LOVE it! Eating would eventually become more of a chore and a burden than something to enjoy. Well, with the rain in full bloom, the inside of my tent had no chance in the battle between my rain coat/pants. With the socked in weather conditions, the views were amazing still but I had no idea what I was getting myself into...what I was about to see.
Wow...I was a little long winded on this post...Not a ton of pictures on this one either. But keep your pants on! Plenty more to follow! Also, I hope you guys are enjoying the tunes that accompany the posts.
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| I hope I fare better than the last guy in a green bus in the Denali backcountry... |
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| My dusty green steed that will usher me Into the Wild (yes I plan saying that 10000 more times) |
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| Even the buses get to play dirty. Do you think the lady in the front is heading to the backcountry? Yeah me, neither. |
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| I like this one. |
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| The last hint of civilization for a while... |
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| Dead ahead is Cathedral Mountain...a neighbor to Igloo Mountain |
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| Didn't think it would happen so soon, but I already miss these mountains. |
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| Braided river...you wouldn't think it but these rivers are a serious challenge to cross in some areas. |
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| Peak of Cathedral Mountain...I'd like to try this one next time. |
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| Ok so here is Igloo peak. This is what I mean by perspective. The "peak" on the far right is the point that it took me 2ish hours to reach. In the distant back/left is the peak of Igloo Mountain. It would take the rest of the day and ALL day tomorrow to get to the summit. Super deceiving, right?! Walking along that ridge in the back is one experience I will cherish for the rest of my life....stayed tuned. |
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