Photo credit: Denali National Park
Denali Park had snowfall last week during the Road Lottery. Tuesday morning saw the first snowfall of the season in Fairbanks. Luckily, the snow was gone in Fairbanks by noon. Still, it caused a lot of foul language around here.
September 27: First snow of 2016
Mudslide over the Denali Park Road
After all of this rain, things are starting to give. A large mudslide has closed the Denali Park Road in The Park. The slide, at Mile 67 of the park road, is 100 feet wide and 10 feet deep. The six inches of rain in the past week, on top of what already fell in June and July, was too much for the ancient volcanic ash in the soil.
Park employees remind folks that there is no cell coverage out at Wonder Lake and Kantishna, and only a few of the lodges have a land line, so people stranded on the west side of the slide will have a much needed, if not appreciated, break from smart phones and internet.
Photo credit: James Long/DNP&P
Driving into Denali National Park
The deadline for entries for the annual road lottery into Denali National Park is May 31. My luck with the lottery has been mixed. I’ve been picked, and I’ve traveled to The Park with friends that have won, but early snow has dampened plans. One thing the Park Service is consistent about: if there is so much as a dusting of snow, they will close the road so quick that even the grizzlies are impressed by the speed.
For those of you not familiar with the lottery: The Park Road opens up to individuals for four days every September for the lottery winners. You pick a day you can travel, Saturday is reserved for military personnel, and if your bid gets picked, you get a vehicle permit for the day to explore the “Denali Park Road as far as weather allows”.
This year the dates are September 16-20. On average, there are 1600 winners chosen. The odds of winning are reportedly 1 in 6.
