We get up Tuesday morning and head to breakfast in time to hear about “luggage drama”. One of the couples in the group didn’t find their luggage in their room last night. They (Dave and Mary) seem to be handling it better than we would - probably because Dave watched them load the luggage onto the bus so it’s at the lodge somewhere. Sometime before lunch it’s found in the one empty cabin at the lodge (apparently the folks looking last night didn’t know there was one empty cabin).
Happy that we have clean clothes, we head out for our Wonder Lake hike (while some opt for far more rigorous hikes). On clear days, you can get a great view of Denali behind the lake. In the picture below, just imagine all those clouds are a giant mountain and you’ll understand how beautiful a view that would be. Despite the clouds and drizzle, it’s a nice hike. Our lodge guide if informative and fun. He also seems to have the eyes of an eagle as he’s spotting small wild blackberries right and left. Even when he’s pointing directly at them, we have trouble seeing them. Doug decides he’s likely going to die quickly if he’s ever lost in the wilderness.
Travis at Wonder Lake
Our mighty climb at Wonder Lake
After the hike, we take a short tour of the lodge property. The area was an historic gold mining district. There are still a number of historical buildings onsite. The guides are knowledgable about the history and have lots of interesting tales. There are also a bunch of sled dogs onsite and a greenhouse where they grow a lot of the produce used for meals. I’m not convinced the sled dogs have much of a life here but non of them lucked unhappy. After lunch, we wade into Moose Creek to do some panning for gold. Each of us is given a pan and a bag of dirt from a nearby river that is far more likely to have gold in it. The guide gives us hints and tips on how to make our fortune and also give us more detail on the history and methods of mining in the area. Travis ends up being the only person in our group to find any gold at all. It’s a small flake of gold, but we’re sure it will pay for the full vacation. HA They laminate it in a drivers license sized piece of plastic so he doesn’t lose it. Everyone in our group is quite excited to see his windfall. Feeling flush, we head up the road to visit the Fannie Quigley Cabin. Fannie was a frontierswoman and miner during the Kantishna gold rush. While she never made a fortune, she was renowned for her independence and survival skills. It was great to see inside a gold rush cabin and get a glimpse of life during that time.
Recorders Cabin (1905) - The recorder registered miner discoveries
Original Kantishna Roadhouse - 1919
Hickory
James
We enjoy a nice dinner and then head to bed. We’ve got an early morning departure tomorrow so we can make it out of the park in time for our train.