Chapter 1: 2010 "Quest Denied"

Summary: 

·        2010 Hike from Wonder Lake to McGonagall Pass (Attempted)

·        Left the Denali park entrance on camper bus:  2:10pm, Sunday Sept. 5.

·        Bus arrived at the Wonder Lake campground at 7:40pm on Sunday, Sept. 5.

·        Hike began at 7:45pm on Sunday Sept 5.

·        Hike ended at 7:45pm on Wednesday Sept. 8.

·        Totals:  15 miles hiked in 4 days.  3 nights total in backcountry.  3 different campsites (1 north of McKinley River, 2 south of McKinley River).  1 night at Wonder Lake campground.

The hike as seen in Google Earth

 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2010

I awoke really, really early in Anchorage. I left the Courtyard hotel before 5am and began the drive to Denali.  It was 9am when I arrived at the Back Country office to secure the required permit, watch the required videos and safety talk.  Being alone on this hike, it was easy to secure and reserve Unit 20, which has a quota of 4 total people able to camp in the unit.  I spent some extra time talking to the Rangers about crossing the McKinley River and the route to McGonagall Pass.  I bought the two topo maps that would cover the intended hike.  Having the required permits, I walked across the street to buy a camper bus ticket. 

After all of that was done, it took me nearly an hour to complete packing of my backpack and ensuring I had what was needed.  Since I had rented most of my gear (in 2010 only), I was not very familiar with the MSR Hubba 1-person tent, nor the Kelty backpack, nor the flimsy sleeping pad.  But it was packed and ready to go.

I walked to the Denali Visitors Center, where I called Linda and said goodbye for what we both knew would be for a few days.  Unfortunately, Linda’s aunt had died on the day I left, so she (with Lauren) would be travelling up to central Illinois for the funeral.  Saying goodbye on that phone call was a little uncomfortable for both me and Linda.  There would be no way to let her know I was ok until calling her when I returned.  I had investigated renting a spot-locator which sent ‘OK’ text messages when you press a button (or a “Send Help” text message if you pressed another button).  I decided against the spot locator and/or a satellite phone.  Once I had assured her I would be ok, we finished the call, and I walked back to the rental car.

Arriving back at the rental car in the long-term parking lot - - alongside the cars of other backcountry campers - - I became a little nervous realizing that after ALL the planning, ALL the thinking… this was it.  It was time to catch the bus that would take me ‘Into the Wild’.  Hmmm.

Ok. [Breathe]

All set? [Wow – this was really it]

Wait… exactly what personal belongings should I take on a backcountry hike?

Cash? [No need, but I brought $100 anyway - - not sure why],

Wallet?  [Nope, left it locked in the car],

Cell Phone? [No, certainly no reception where I was going].

Lock the rental car [make sure to put the keys someplace safe in your backpack].

Pick up the backpack and mount it up [Sheesh… really heavy].

Do you have water in your bottles and Camelback?  [No, but I can fill them with potable water at Wonder Lake].

What have I forgotten? [blank thought]

Walking away from the car alone was a little nerve-racking, but it was also very exciting, even invigorating.  I would be pushing myself to do things I hadn’t experienced before and I was wondering how I would react.

Following the dinosaur tracks on the sidewalk that the NPS has painted took me to the “bus-stop” near the Denali Science Center. 

My ‘Alaskan Adventure’ had begun.

I walked up to the bus-stop, set my backpack on the ground, and nodded to a friendly guy standing there. Little did I know at the time, but the 5hr bus ride would pass very quickly because of this guy. Brian was one of the most memorable people I’ve ever met. I would love to make contact with him again to find out how he’s doing and what his next adventure is.  As soon as the bus pulled away, Brian and I began chatting. He started the conversation by making an unbelievable claim.  He told me he was in the process of riding his motorcycle “Tip-to-Tip”… that is, from the northern-most tip of Alaska - - all the way to the southern-most tip of Argentina. 

“What? You can’t do that”, I said incredulously, shaking my head.

“Sure you can”, he replied with a smile that made me like him immediately.  

He went on to explain that he had left his home town of Denver, Co a week earlier - - had driven his BMW motorcycle to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska… he camped-out each of the nights along the way. The very next day he started what he said would be a 14-month journey that would take him south through Alaska, through Canada, south to Washington state, then Oregon, on to California, into Mexico, south to Guatemala, through Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and then finally Argentina.

“What makes you think you’ll actually be able to complete this?”  I asked (rather snidely).

“Well, I’ve already done it on three different continents… completely around the coast of Australia - - then from Japan to the eastern coast of Asia (I took a boat from northern Australia to Japan, then onto the mainland – with the bike), then I rode my motorcycle from China to Ireland”.  He paused and seemed to await my reaction.  He looked directly at me and initiated an awkward pause, knowing he had trapped me.

I said it again without thinking:  “You can’t do that” (not realizing that you actually could, with a boat trip or two).

He smiled again in a way that made me realize he was playing with me. I liked this guy. His level of self-confidence was absurd.  Who does a trip like that? Brian’s sense of adventure was far past anything I would contemplate and that made me like him, even envy him a little.  Meeting Brian on the bus was one of those moments that made me glad I had undertaken this trip.

As it turns out he was telling the truth.  Some might call Brian a modern-day drifter, an adventurer, a wander-er, even a bum… yet he looked a lot like… well, like me. He was well-spoken (ha!), well-educated (ha!), nice-looking (ha!), and well-dressed in the best North Face, etc, gear.  He had the lightest-weight binoculars I have ever seen. We talked a lot about camping gear, his BMW motorcycle, tools, what tent he preferred, the best sleeping bags, etc.

I had a great time listening to Brian’s incredible stories of adventure and travels.  He really was travelling from the tip of Alaska to the tip of Argentina! By motorcycle!  He had a route planned but no firm timetable. He would stop wherever he wanted to for the night and camp in his one-person tent.  He decided each day how far he would drive, or, in the case of Denali - - if he wanted to take any side-trips.  We talked a lot about security in Central and South America.  He seemed to have a pretty good plan and my pessimism turned to belief and amazement.

By the end of the bus ride, I can remember wondering who was crazier: him or me.  Items which tilted the vote to me:  bears, rivers.  Items which tilted the vote to him:  drug cartels, robbers.  I concluded that we’re both pretty crazy.  Maybe that’s why I liked Brian so much.  It was also at that very moment that I came up with a personal slogan for my 2010 hike: 

“It’s ok to be crazy, it’s not ok to be stupid”.  

Yes, that would be my motto. Crazy is doing this hike in the first place. Stupid would be attempting anything that I should have known I wasn’t capable of.  In Alaska: crazy can be memorable but stupid is usually deadly.  Crazy is temporary, stupid is forever.

“So, what are you doing here by yourself?” he finally asked me. “I’m hiking from Wonder Lake Campground to McGonagall Pass - - it’s a semi-famous hike that retraces the route of the first successful climbing team - - without the technical aspects of actually climbing the mountain” I replied. Brian was very interested and said he would remember it. He said that he might be interested in returning one day to Denali to do the hike himself.

Brian did give me his web site: www.brianconcagh.com [2012 note]: For the next year, I periodically checked Brian’s web site and tracked his location on the “Where am I” page. On August 23, 2011, he made this post to his web site: Well ladies and gentlemen, I’m coming home. It has been an amazing 14 months! From Colorado to the top of Alaska and all the way south through Mexico, Central America, south America to the tip of Argentina and then all the way back up to Colombia! Bike and I are flying to Miami, Florida Thursday! Then ride to St. Louis, Missouri to see the family!     I have seen and experienced so much! Amazing people, cultures and countries!!!!! The adventure continues! Brian

I knew Brian for exactly 5.5 hours but I certainly enjoyed meeting him.  Brian should definitely write a book (at least a blog!) about his travels, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one day he does.




Brian Concagh

The five hour bus ride passed quickly and before I knew it the bus was pulling up to the Wonder Lake Campground.  I hopped off the bus, wished Brian all-the-best, fetched my gear from the back of the bus and I proceeded to the bear locker to stash a bag of food and extra clothes for when I returned.  Finally, I filled my water bottles at the campground.  The Wonder Lake Campground is a culture unto itself.  It’s a tent-only campground 85 miles from the park entrance, so there’s no electricity and no hot-water, but it seemed to be full of international (as well as American) hikers and backpackers.

So, as I walked out of the campground, I left Brian and the other campers behind… they were all busy setting up their tents and preparing for the night. I still had a 3 mile hike ahead of me and it was nearing 8pm. I walked very quickly down the McKinley River Bar trail. The actual hike to the river bar is completely different than any other portion of the hike to McGonagall Pass - - firstly, it is the lowest elevation on the hike, but more interestingly it passes through the Tiaga (also known as a Boreal Forest).  Through this Tiaga – there is an ecosystem of wet tundra, open grass fields, sedge wetlands, and a dense spruce forest.  I found the trail to be excellent - - although wet at times.  There were several bogs and marshes that had boardwalks carefully placed over them. Before you reach the end of the Tiaga, you can hear the mighty rushing waters of the McKinley River.  Another 100 yards or so hiking, the forest stops and the river suddenly appears before you. At first glance, the river doesn’t look very daunting, but upon closer inspection, you can see that the entire river bar is over a mile wide.



Leaving the Wonder Lake Campground.

I made it to the river bar by 9:15pm or so - - just before dark.  I found a spot to set up my little tent in Unit 14 and I settled in for the evening. The first night was very quiet with a nice, steady, calm rain coming down on my tent. But that first night was also filled with that little nagging voice in my mind:  “there is a very thin piece of nylon protecting you against any predator that might be walking by”. 

Regardless, I slept pretty well the whole night.

When I awoke, it was well before dawn.

It was Labor Day, 2010 and I was in a remote area of Alaska completely alone.

My first campsite, at dark.

 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2010 – LABOR DAY

The first time you unzip your tent and have a look around in the morning is an exciting time for me.  I didn’t know what to expect.  I did know that it was pretty cold and wet.

For the first hour I was awake, I had coffee and “breakfast” (Granola bar).  I also walked around a little and surveyed the area. The north side of the McKinley River bar is kind of desolate and barren looking.  Looking around this area – to my north I saw the Tiaga Forest that I had passed through the night before.  Looking south I saw the river bar, with the bushy Tundra beyond, and finally I could see McGonagall Mountain.  Looking west – all I could see in the distance were clouds.  Looking east – mostly cloudy, but I could also see an opening of clear skies.  Just beyond McGonagall Mountain - - and barely visible due to the cloud cover - - was the Denali Alaska Range.  I could faintly see snow-covered mountains, and just barely – Denali herself. 



My first views of Denali came around 6am on Labor Day - 2010.































After a couple hours, it was becoming a gorgeous day at Denali as the clouds were lifting to reveal an awesome sight.   Waiting another hour, the view southward (toward the mountain) was completely clear!   It was the first time in three trips I had seen Denali with my own eyes and I was not disappointed.

 



Stunningly clear day at Denali - Labor Day, 2010

Clear day at Denali - Labor Day, 2010

I was in a fantastic mood, so excited.  I knew I had a huge hike ahead of me (I did not know how hard it would be), and that I would probably not be in such a good mood later (I expected a long, difficult hike).  So, I decided this would be a good time to make a video explaining “why” I was doing this hike. Several lines from this video have become family quotes repeated to me at the most inopportune times:

• “got the body… got the body”
• “this is not so much a test of my manhood as it is a demonstration…”
• “I’m not going to try anything I’m not capable of, but I’m capable of an awful-lot, don’t misunderestimate me.”

So, after a couple hours of making short videos, I set-off to find a place to cross the river.  Since I had heard so much about the river, I tried to be prepared for any mishap.  I carefully packed my backpack so that clothes and camera were packed within plastic bags within my backpack.  I unfastened the belt strap and the sternum strap so that if I fell I would be able to wiggle from under my pack.  Since the water in the McKinley comes from a melting glacier the water is completely murky - - a thick-looking, greyish-white color.  However, this also makes the McKinley more difficult to cross because you cannot see the bottom.  I chose to use (and highly recommend) trekking poles - - extended 9”-12” longer than you are used to.  This way, you can “feel” your next step.  I found this method to be pretty reliable.  After about the 3^rd or 4^th braid, the channels became deeper – several braids crossing my knees.  It takes time to learn to where cross the braids at a spot that you feel is best. You literally learn to “read” the river.



The McKinley River








So, I was able to cross the river in about 2 hours. Reaching the other side of the river, I happily stopped to have some lunch as it was near 1pm. 



Caribou tracks in McKinley River bar.



Lunch time along the McKinley River
 









After lunch I was faced with a dilemma… where to next?   I was about to make the first of two mistakes that doomed the 2010 hike to McGonagall Pass.  I knew there was a trail on the south side of the river, but I didn’t know how to find it.   The NPS description of Unit 20 states:

“The unmaintained 'climber's trail' is very difficult to find on the north side of the McKinley River Bar and is not maintained. Hikers should travel from Wonder Lake Campground via the established McKinley Bar Trail. The start of the unmaintained 'climber's trail' is across the river and about 1 mile upstream (i.e., east) from where the McKinley Bar Trail meets the McKinley River. Many hikers find it easier to find from Turtle Hill; so if you have trouble finding it along the river, head for the summit of that small hill”.

 

Well, I thought I had walked a mile upstream, but I had lost my bearings about where the bar trail meets the river.  The mistake I made was to turn around and walk downstream for nearly another mile.  This searching for a trailhead took about 2 hours and it was very frustrating. Finally, I remembered the last sentence:

“if you have trouble finding it along the river, head for the summit of that small hill”.

It was a big mistake to follow this advice and the NPS should clarify their recommendation. “Bushwhacking” in Alaska – especially in the brushy tundra regions of Denali is really, really hard. 

As Hank Leukart puts it:

In the wet, lowlands of Denali, even without much underbrush, “mystery mattress” hiking can be four to six times slower than hiking on a trail. After an especially wet and squishy day in Denali’s lowlands, my brother complained, “I feel like I just worked out on a Stairmaster for six hours straight.” I have no interest in spending six hours on my gym’s Stairmaster to test this theory, but I’m confident it’s accurate.

With Turtle Hill barely visible, I was bushwhacking straight toward the mountain.

This view looks over the area hiked without a trail.

Regardless, the hike to Turtle Hill covers 1,000 feet of elevation gain, plus the wet, mushy hiking conditions.  After hiking like this for about 2 hours, I literally stumbled across the ‘trail’.  I wasn’t even 10 feet away from the trail before I could see it.  I was thrilled to find it, but more than ticked-off that it had taken so long to find.  I was exhausted from the “Stairmaster hiking”, and it was already about 5pm.  I decided to stop hiking and camp right there for the evening.

Look closely - a lone Caribou visisted me at dusk.

I made camp on the knob of a small hill. The campsite overlooked several ‘kettle’ ponds and the view was absolutely spectacular.  I cooked some Raman Noodles and sat down to eat.  To the east I noticed a Caribou walking toward me only a couple hundred yards away.  He was grazing on the lichen that surrounded us. In all, I think I watched him for over an hour.  Slowly, he walked over to the pond (pictured below right) for a drink. I could see the reflection of the Alaskan range in the pond.  It was one of the more exhilarating moments I’ve ever had in the wilderness.  Eventually, the Caribou walked out of my sight toward the mountain - - I sat there completely content for another hour. One of my favorite memories of this hike was the complete silence and peace that you can find hiking alone. 

John Muir wrote: “When one is alone at night in the depths of these [places], the stillness is at once awful and sublime. Every leaf seems to speak.  The sense of utter loneliness is heightened by the invisibility of bird or beast that dwells there… In that zone below the ice and snow and above the darkling woods, where the sunshine sleeps on alpine gardens and the young rivers flow rejoicing from the glacial caves – perfect quietude is there, and freedom from every curable care.”

Memorable camp site - near this kettle pond.

I finally turned in for the night just before dark at about 9:30pm.
 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2010

It rained softly again that night, lighter than the night before, but again softly coming down on my tent.  I stayed perfectly dry all night long. The next morning, I made a breakfast of oatmeal and fresh blueberries – most excellent.

Now that I had found the trail, I told myself today would be much easier.  I started hiking again, still heading toward Turtle Hill.  It took probably about an hour to reach the base of Turtle Hill and I was excited to have reached it.  I’ve always been a sucker for challenges, and Turtle Hill seemed to be an easy challenge.  I would “climb” it without the trail, have a look around at the top, then descend back down on the other side of Turtle Hill to the trail.  I was about to make my second mistake in as many days, a mistake which would eventually cause me to turn around. I scrambled up Turtle Hill with my full backpack.  It was invigorating and had some great views of Wonder Lake.  I spent the better part of an hour there taking pictures and making short videos.  

On top of Turtle Hill

Once I was ready to resume the hike, I looked off in the distance, attempting to re-locate the trail.  I was pretty sure I saw it about 200 yards away to the south-east, but I couldn’t tell if it was ‘the’ trail, or just one of the many animal trails that are formed naturally.   When I arrived at the spot, the trail was no-where to be found.  Once again, I found myself bushwhacking through the spongy, wet, brushy tundra.  I soon became dejected and needed to sit down to rest.  The only place to sit was the tundra itself, or on a rock somewhere.  I spent two hours bushwhacking, draining my energy to nearly complete exhaustion. 

I remember thinking: “Sure, the Alaskans boast of Denali being the “trail-less wilderness”, but I like trails”.



I called off the hike at this point - with McGonagall Pass some 9 miles in the distance.

After two hours, once again, simply by pressing onward, I stumbled upon the trail.  Frustrated that I had lost the trail once again, I was ready to call it quits. It might not seem like I accomplished very much, and frankly, I was disappointed in myself that I didn’t make it further [especially reading this now in 2012].  But I was mentally exhausted more than I was physically exhausted.  I decided to make camp, sleep exactly where I was, and begin the trek back to civilization the next day.

I pitched my tent near another kettle pond and slept well.
 

I camped near this kettle pond.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

 

I arose early and skipped breakfast.  I wondered if it was possible to make it back to the river bar or even to cross the river all in the same day.  It seemed that I had lost my sense of distance due to the bushwhacking on the previous day.  I felt like I was miles and miles away from the river.  This was probably due to the fact that I hadn’t actually been hiking on the trail for more than about 3 hours over two days. The rest of my hiking had been across the tundra, without the aid of a trail.

I packed up camp, looked off in the direction of McGonagall Pass, and said goodbye to my hike. The completion of this hike to McGonagall Pass would have to wait for another day, but I was fairly certain that I would be returning to complete this journey.  My failure to reach my goal was simply a matter of making two crucial and fundamental mistakes, both having to do with losing the trail.  This was something I could easily fix.  However, it’s not even an easy task to reach Wonder Lake.  I had no idea if I would ever return, but deep-down I knew I wanted to.

The first part of Wednesday’s hike was to return to Turtle Hill, which involved a fair amount of elevation gain.  However, being able to stay on the trail was a monumental benefit to my weariness and morale.  I reached Turtle Hill, and once again scrambled to the top for pictures.  I departed Turtle Hill, this time being much more careful to stay on the trail.  From there, it was pretty easy.  One time I lost the trail again – but this time I retraced my steps backward to where I knew the trail was, and tried a different route.

I reached the river bar by about 2pm but I found that the river was much higher than it was on Monday.  Apparently, the warm sunny day on Monday melted the glacier quite a bit and the rains on Tuesday made it even worse.  I scouted out the river but it did not seem very likely that I could cross.  I searched for a crossing that looked passable for a long time.  Finally, I spotted one location where I thought I could cross.  There was one braid that I nearly lost my footing, I could feel my feet slipping off of the boulders on the bottom.  I probably should have turned back and tried another spot, but I pressed onward.  I continued crossing the river while the current pushed me downstream, slipping and sliding.  Finally, after an hour or so, I came to the end of the braids.  I was across.  I cannot say that it was easy.  And I cannot tell you how painful it is if you stay in the water too long.  The ice-cold water doesn’t numb your feet and legs, it makes them ache with pain.

The river was much higher on the return hike.

The next task was to find the McKinley Bar trail by walking westward along the north side of the river bar.  I hiked for about ½ mile or so until I found the NPS signage.  I felt like I was back in civilization, even though the campground was still three miles away.

After another hour or so, I made it back to the trailhead at the road.

After 4 nights in the backcountry, I'm back at the trailhead.

I retrieved my extra bag of food and clothes at the bear locker, fixed a meal, and sat happily at a picnic table (the simple pleasures of life).  I camped that night at the Wonder Lake Campground.   The next morning I caught the 6:30am bus back to the park entrance.  The bus ride seemed to take forever, and we didn’t see any wildlife on the return trip. We pulled back into the parking lot, I walked to the rental car (yes, I still had my keys).  I called Linda and Lauren.  The first minute that we talked on the cell phone was one of the more memorable moments during the entire trip.  When Linda answered the phone and heard my voice, she screamed for nearly a minute.  It was a phone call that I will never forget.  It was good to be “back”.

I returned my bear can to the backcountry office and then headed immediately to the Subway in McKinley Park (known as Glitter Gulch by backpackers and hikers).

So, the 2010 hike was over.  I did not complete the goal - - in fact, I wasn’t even close.  After going home and realizing how far I was from McGonagall Pass I was disappointed.  Not so much in my physical limits, but mostly because of the fact that I had made two tactical mistakes which cost me the hike.  Mistake 1: not finding the trailhead at the river bar.  Mistake 2: losing the trail at Turtle Hill.  Those two mistakes were preventable, having a GPS and a well-laid out plan would have helped. I returned home and had a wonderful time telling Linda and Lauren the stories of the trip, and showing the pictures and videos.   When we watched the videos together for the first time, we all laughed at them: they thought it was hilarious to think of me talking to myself for most of the time.

Yes, I finally told my mother.  She said she was glad she didn’t know about the trip in advance.

If you’ve actually read this far, you deserve to see this video summary of the whole trip. Each day in Denali was certainly a lovely day:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkIXiiaXe_c

 



Stunning View near the park entrance

Click on this link to continue to Chapter 2: 
Chapter 2: 2011 - "The Return"