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Summer News...
Natural Wonders of the Boreal Forest
Dear Friends,
More than 100 million acres - much of Interior Alaska - is covered by boreal, or subarctic, forest. Until you've visited the heart of the Interior, the location of Denali West Lodge, you haven't been to Alaska, or so our guests tell us. While I may be a little biased, I have to agree.
The boreal forest of the Interior is dominated by white and black spruce (cone-bearing evergreens) and groves of cold-hardy deciduous trees such as birch, aspen, and poplar, as well as patches of high brush, alder thickets, and wetlands.
Summer days and evenings provide perfect weather for exploring the forested areas surrounding the lodge. Last night, as our motorboat rounded the end of the spit, we surprised a huge cow moose, which lifted her head to investigate the noisy apparition. In search of greener pastures, she trotted across the marshland toward the obscurity of the woods.
After the moose disappeared from view, we turned our attention to Mount McKinley and Mount Foraker, looming on the horizon. Just a scattering of clouds around their tops tonight. Sometimes, on hot sunny days, it's easy to take these indescribable views for granted. But, soon enough, the gargantuan mass of sparkling white ice on the mountains creates its own weather, hiding their summits in clouds.
At the mouth of the Muddy River, we entered the habitat of beaver, muskrat, ducks, kingfishers, owls, black bear and more critters in one place than you can imagine.
Particularly in the evening, beavers can be seen on the sandy banks, trying to decide which willow, birch, or alder would make the tastiest meal. Or what stick will be flexible and strong enough to qualify as construction material for their riverside homes. Off in the swamps, they build dams in order to keep enough water in front of their lodges so that the ice won't freeze to the lake bottom and lock them in and away from their collected food supply. They amass huge piles of sticks in front of their lodges, to ensure a plentiful supply of food during the winter. Don't worry; we don't serve sticks at Denali West Lodge, unless of course we get a special request.
We stopped along the way to forage for blueberries. As we picked our way through the patch we found, all of a sudden, a whir of wings exploded from under my feet. My heart leaped into my throat, until I realized that it was just a duck and the poor creature was more shocked than I, and not at all happy about having to momentarily abandon her nest of seven white, speckled eggs. We left the nest alone.
The Muddy winds around bends so sharply that, in places, the river doubles back on itself, creating "cut throughs" and easy shortcuts. Twenty miles upriver, the water did precisely that, and along the banks we spied Leonard Minke's cabin, well known by locals. Leonard lived there and trapped for many years. Now that he's gone, locals use it as a hunting shelter in the fall. It has been there so long it has become just another aspect of the wilderness.
Although another bend of the river beckoned us, the gas gauge had other plans for us, and we turned back towards Lake Minchumina and the Lodge.
Nearing the lake we rounded a corner to behold the spectacle of Denali and Sultana. 11:30 PM and the sun was finally setting. The evening sky was clear enough to allow the sun to turn the clean white snow on the peaks into a pure pink and purplish alpenglow. Perhaps the view is the reason the beavers chose this particular spot to build their own home. Almost as good as the view from the hilltop location of Denali West Lodge.
Looking forward to meeting you,
Tonya Schlentner