Hey folks! I'm going to this in one day installments, because there is a good amount to cover and because I'm tired. I got back today and have been drying out gear.
The hiking group met up at 8:30am at the Black Bear coffee just outside of the park and consisted of myself, and my friends Zach and Mark. After getting our permit from the Backcountry Permit Office we headed into the park on the 11am camper bus. While on the bus, we saw a lot of wildlife.
Coming around a corner after Savage River, we were met nearly head on by a bull caribou. This cranky fellow ran straight towards us, causing the bus driver to slam on the brakes. The bull then turned around and proceeded to run on the road in front of the bus for well over a mile. It was pretty hilarious really. Later we saw a Grizzly sow with two cubs. One cub really seemed to be mugging for the camera, sitting back and scratching his belly, while his mom and sibling devoured wild berries. Just before our stop at the east fork of the Toklat River we saw a fox too, which was my first.
Our stop was at a bridge that ran over the east fork of the Toklat. After getting down to the river bed we proceeded north for about
five miles before heading east. While heading north, we saw many interesting geological formations. The rock walls, especially on the west side of the bank, were really incredible. While hiking up the river bed we saw a bull caribou.We headed east on a tributary to the east fork and ultimately found a pretty good camping site. After pitching camp and eating dinner, we headed out on a hike up to a ridgeline on the north side of our camp. The views were amazing. The sky was absolutely clear and we were able to get some clear shots of Denali in full alpenglow. We also found a moose antler that was left behind (or removed from) by a large bull moose.
We got back to camp around midnight and settled in for our first night in the backcountry.
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