We hiked and explored a ridge and the surrounding subalpine area from our Teklanika River Campground for several hours. We did not follow an existing hiking trail. We carry a compass, map, gps, and take care to note unusual landmarks as we travel. We also always carry emergency gear while day hiking. The importance of continuing these behaviors was reinforced for us while at this campground. The evening before we arrived, another camper had gone out for a day hike, separated from his hiking companion and was still missing as we went on this hike. Park rangers were driving along the park road with a siren sounding in hopes the hiker would hear it and use it to find his way back to the road. They also had a helicopter out. The hiker was missing for over a little over 48 hours. Luckily he was located and was in good condition. We heard that he took a wrong turn and ended up in the next river drainage over.
View from the ridge
We climbed the ridge and worked our way across the top. The route up and along the ridge was primarily the following of game trails, which other hikers had also clearly used. At the ridge top, we were afforded great views in all directions.
Another ridge view
Subalpine area of Denali NP
The ridge
At the far end of the ridge, we dropped down into a subalpine meadow filled with scrub brush that was about thigh high. We tried to follow game trails which wove through the meadow like the route of someone who’s a little tipsy. The ground was somewhat challenging to walk upon. I can best describe it as spongy. When you step on it, the ground is both cushioning and sinks. The ground is not level. If you step in the wrong place, you will sink in a hole at least knee deep and some of these had pools of water. There are small patches that sit slightly higher, like small domes. It reminded me of a Dr. Seuss world.
Area at the back of the ridge
We started heading toward the next high spot
Throughout the area, we saw lots of low blueberry bushes. They were already turning blue, but not quite ripe. We also saw patches of lichen (a staple in the caribou’s diet), lots of moss and other short vegetation. As we headed lower into the valley, we realized the water was pooling more and more reminding us of a bog. We decided to head uphill to another ridge and find our way back out to our campground.
Wild blueberries
The brush on the return ridge
Many mushrooms were spotted on our hike
Our footing continued to be wet and soggy except for several high spots. We crossed a small creek and a short time later could see the road through the trees. Between us and the road lay about 50 yards of wetlands. We made our way through pools of water, stepping on patches of vegetation which would either support us or dip several inches or even a couple of feet into water. We were glad to have on our waterproof hiking boots and gators, which kept our feet fairly dry. We were even more glad to reach the solid ground on the other side.
