Observations: Week One

Observations

Week Uno

You don’t take the Denali extension for the food: pretty bland and not particularly well prepared. For most part not even mediocre. Let’s give it a D

The Expedition Leader (EL)) was competent, concerned, and fairly knowledgeable. The tour bus driver was very competent, did a good job supporting the EL, and the bus was always on time, as were the 13 on the extension. Grade: B+ 

The weather of week 1 was exceptional: sunny, clear, 60s. So exceptional that it was pretty much the only thing we heard from the locals: you are sooooooo lucky! Yes, and seeing the same mountain (Denali) over and over again started to seem like having the same conversation over and over again (kinda like being asked everywhere: is this your first time …fill in the blank…here?). Grade: A+

THB has been lucky with his health: several docs are on the Denali extension. Or, not too lucky: they’ve never met a guy with statin-induced Necrotizing Myositis. THB definitely had a bizarre episode and recovers quickly. This one is Pass/Fail; it gets a Passing grade because THB was able to finish up the first week.

Denali Mountain Peak: Pretty much always visible, the airplane ride around the mountain was about as good as it gets. (this one should probably be Pass/Fail since 70% of the visitors never see the mountain due to clouds). Grade A+

Denali NP is only seen from this 90-mile strip of road in the midst of millions of acres of protected wilderness. Even with a glib and knowledgeable tour guide/bus driver, doesn’t seem to justify a big effort to get here and take an 8-hour bus ride. Of course, some people do the 13-hour bus ride so maybe they see a bit more. Also, it’s an up and back tour on the same road, so it has the feel of being boring twice in a day. THB and DB heard that staying at the lodge at the end of the 90-mile trip was a bit better way to see more. Grade: C-

With only 13 people on the extension, THB felt there were a number of interesting cohorts. At least two were big baseball fans. Phew! Grade: B+ (side note: with the new administration, the outright hostility seems to have gone back underground; no MAGA hats, not Stop the Steal signs, no antagonistic conversations other than during one lunch on the cruise.)

You don’t see too much from the train, even being upstairs with big windows all around and above. Little wildlife and some interesting scenery. Unfortunately most of the hills are covered with the same couple of types of trees. Here and throughout the rest of the trip THB sees many millions of dead Spruce trees. Very depressing, even for a climate collapsarian.  Grade: F on wildlife, B on scenery

THB and DB were very concerned on how Covid would affect the trip. Fortunately, it was minimal on the extension, with just having to juggle when masks were required and when not. Getting a PCR test was straightforward and a real experience. Being negative may have influenced THB’s opinion. There is an offset: not too many people touring Alaska and not enough staff have shown up to work the summer season. Covid impact: Grade: B (not too intrusive)