Dawn in the mountains near Denali was muffled by clouds and light scattered showers, but there was no stopping us. Tickets had been purchased for a bus tour, so off to Denali National Park we went. We started with a film in the Visitors’ Center, and then we were off to meet the bus. (Yes, the film is well worth the short time spent to view it, as it gives you glimpses into the park’s beauty in all seasons.)
We boarded the bus and were fortunate to sit up front and talk with the driver, Dallin, who was a wealth of information. He set our expectations properly, not promising tons of wildlife and certainly not promising a view of Denali, the great mountain, itself. So often is Denali shrouded in clouds, that about 70% of the Alaskan tourists never see her. Yes, I started referring to Denali as a female. No idea why. Could it be that she’s elusive? Strong? Beautiful? Maybe. ;-) We were told that if you see Denali, you’re in the 30% club and if you see her as part of the range (no cloud cover to separate her from the other mountains), you’re in the 10% club. Yes, we became 10%ers.
True to what Dallin predicted, we did not see Denali the mountain on the tour though (we had seen her just north of Homer and we saw her later several times), but we did see Grizzly Bears, Caribou, Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Tundra Squirrels (fat little critters!), Dall’s Sheep, and more. More than that, we learned about the park, why there’s only one road in the park, that the park spans over 6 million acres, why there’s no road to Denali the mountain, how far the birds migrate (some go clear to Africa), and why 63 degrees is important.
Dallin was giving us facts in such a colorful way, weaving one into another, that when he said he was going to tell us something important and that something was 63 degrees, the bus almost gave an audible yawn. Then he elaborated. 63 degrees north.
Do you know where 63 degrees south latitude is? It crosses the Antarctic Ocean and Antarctica. That put how far north we were into perspective, and this time an audible, “ohhhhh” was heard from my fellow passengers. “And THERE it is,” said Dallin in response to our collective realization.
Many people have been inquiring about our Alaskan adventures, with some noting that they prefer to go out on their own for adventures, as opposed to taking a tour. I can appreciate that. I’m ever so glad we had our own rental car so that I could pull a u-turn (not so sure my sisters always shared my last minute enthusiasm) and take us to something off the beaten path (like the musk ox farm!). And yet, had we not taken that ever so wonderful bus tour in Denali, we wouldn’t have been able to access the park to the extent we did. Cars are only allowed just so far into the park; beyond that, it’s buses only.
So many things learned this past week but this one underscores the importance of finding people who are more knowledgeable than I am and reveling in what they can teach me. That’s true in so many aspects of life. There’s no way we would have learned the facts we did in such a cohesive way unless we were on the bus with Dallin at the helm.
Take advantage of the tour guides along the way in life, whether they’re found on your next vacation, or they’re found in business (great instructors, savvy home inspectors, real estate mentors). Don’t be afraid to make a u-turn and enjoy the journey!
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