Fun Times with Old man Johnson and Marieke

So, Marieke drove up to Denali giving us the freedom to drive wherever we wanted and therefore... hike wherever we wanted. Anyways we drove like thirty miles and picked a random trail behind a pizza place. The red leaves were plentiful.

Nearing the end of Summer.

So our summer working for Royal Celebrity was a success. Living the dream as we like to say.

A little lunch in Talkeetna. With Denali in the backround.


The Great One.

I think I am allergic to mosquitos.

The Great One.

So my sister Kristen and her husband Spencer flew up to Alaska and we decided to go on an epic backpacking trip into Denali National Park. We got up early and drove the whole 200 miles up there only to find that the only areas open were on the far side of the park. 90 miles 10 hours on a bus. We went for it. The bus ride turned out to be very awesome. We saw about everything the park has to offer starting with at least most of... "the mountain" elevation 20320 ft.

Spencer was all tuckered out. decided to catch some z's on the ride. Luckily my camera was ready for the drool action shot.

The first rest stop. My sis and I.


Once again. Spencer in action.

Some pretty awesome scenery and not to mention... a wolf.

Into Denali

Some Dall sheep.

A pretty epic photo. If I do say so myself.

Tourists (head shake)

So we finally made it to our destination with a couple hours of daylight left. The appeal and challenge of hiking in Denali is that there are no trails. It is strait up and dirty wilderness as far as the eye can see. We had to make it a few miles before dark so with a quick glance at a map and a compass... we set off.

First off... a river crossing.

Having a good time despite dwindling daylight and no place in sight to camp. The first night was slightly sketchy. It ended up getting dark shortly after this photo was taken and we were forced to put up camp on the side of a mountain. But... when all was said and done we actually slept pretty well probably due to exhaustion. Also... the tundra is very soft and makes for a comfortable matress.

As many blueberries as you could ever want.

Kristen and Spencer.

As you can see, the fog set in soon after we hit the non-trail the following morning. With the fog came the rain, and with the rain came the cold.

We didn't let it get us down.

Kristen and myself. Brother and sister. And with matching rain covers, how precious.

a little romance on the tundra.

Kristen and Spencer were very good sports. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into upon embarkation and it turned out to be pretty intense. But they just kept on smilin'.

Ashley and I.

A stop for water.

Our campsite for our second and final night in Denali. And the rain finally let up.

The lichen froze to the bottom of our fuel canister.

Making a feast. Potatoes, gravy, and even stuffing. These two know how to rough it.

As we went to sleep we heard the soft pitter patter of rain on the tent, and we awoke to find that it had not ceased.

We packed up camp in the rain and set out to find the Wonder Lake campground, where we would pick up the bus back to civilization. We came upon this Carribou shed. Notice Spencer's look of disgust.

Alas after hiking through miles and miles of soggy, lumpy tundra, and thick brush, in the pouring rain, we finally get a sign of relief. This folks, was a glorious moment.

We ended up hiking probably about thirty miles or so through some pretty rough bush. It was very demanding especially with the rain and fog. Luckily we made it unscathed and without bear encounter. Special thanks to Kristen and Spencer. Had a great time and it meant a lot that you guys came.

Rafting with Mary.

On this day our old friend Mary and the Nenana River called our name. We found out the easy way that dry suits not only keep you dry, but also make you look awesome.

Ash and Mary.

You can't tell with the smile, but Mary is feeling very nervous at the thought of class III and IV rapids. Not sure how we talked her into that one.

The infamous windy bridge.

The last set of rapids left the young Ashley Huffman very shook up.

Old Healy in the backround.

Very pleased that the dry suit came fully equipt, with suspenders.

It was a fun day. Thanks for being a good sport Mary.

Gull Rock.

...It all started in a little town called hope.

There is a fine line between being happy and being a sexual predator.

The end of the trail.

The morning after.

Morning a fallen comrade.

Tyler, and the Turnagain arm.

Just a last stitch effort to keep himself hydrated. Nothing more. Nothing less.

A print from the elusive black bear. We happened upon the culprit previously.

Low tide on the Turnagain.

This is the look of someone who just worked three months on the Alaska Railroad. In a dark room with a ceiling just shy of being tall enough for Tyler to stand up strait. Deep dispair.

Emotions ran high that day. Both happy and sad.

Mushrooms a plenty.

A good trip despite the rain. For all parties a success. One black bear, and a shit ton of rasberries. The end.