Day 16: Denali National Park, Alaska

Daily Miles Ridden: 25
Cumulative Miles Ridden: 4,708

This Day's Route: Healy [1] to Denali National Park visitor center [2]; rode park shuttle buses 85 miles to Wonder Lake [3] and another 85 miles to return to visitor center; returned to Healy [4].
Map 16

Weather: Sunny and warm with no clouds in the sky for most of the day. Very pleasant, temperatures were in the 70 degrees F.

I spent the entire day in the park, riding the shuttle buses to Wonder Lake and return, and enjoying several stops along the way.

The day started out with me being rather rudely awakened from a sound sleep. THUMP! THUMP! Somebody kept tossing things against the tent! I quickly pulled some clothes on and hurried outside to confront the smart-aleck. I looked all around but didn't see anyone, although the ground around the tent was littered with small green pine cones. THUMP! Another one had just hit.

The last one came from above, so I looked upward. The guilty culprit was caught in the act. I had a good laugh and then departed camp to begin the day's activities.

It was a short ride to the park.

The early morning ride was exhilarating. I knew this day was going to be special.

I stopped for breakfast just outside the park and had blueberry pancakes with reindeer sausage. A sack lunch and canned drink were also purchased for later in the day.

Then it was time to enter the park to catch the shuttle bus.

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