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Denali National Park

Pictures by QT Luong

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[Climbing expedition up Mount McKinley]

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Denali, a half-day drive north of Anchorage, preserves the heart of the Alaska range. It is a park which contains an extraordinary variety of wildlife, in its vast tundra and taiga expenses, more than any other in the United States. Its main feature, however, is Mount McKinley (20320 feet, 6200m) the highest mountain in North America, and its satellite peaks, which are magnificent mountains on their own, but are here dwarfed by the big mountain.

Altitude is not everything: the vertical relief of the mountain is 18000 feet (5500 meters), and its latitude, just a few hundreds miles below the artic circle can bring some of the coldest weather anywhere, especially during the fierce Alaskan storms, when winds rage over 100mph and temperatures drop -40. For those reason, climbing Mt McKinley combines the challenges of a high-altitude climb with those of a polar expedition. Each year, about a thousand climbers seek to reach the summit, the vast majority of them through the technically easy West Buttress route, and about half of them succeed. In the spring of 1993, I set out to traverse the summit solo by ascending the technical West Rib. Thanks to favorable weather conditions, I was able to reach my goal in a total of 18 days. See pictures of the expedition. I returned to the Park in 2000 to admire the summit from the tundra. The access is made easier by a shuttle system which let you reach the heart of the Park, while eliminating private automobile trafic.

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Mt Mc Kinley and Chulitna River at sunset from Denali State Park. Denali National Park (color) Yellow aspens and Panorama Range, Riley Creek drainage. Denali National Park (color) Late afternoon light on tundra and smaller mountain range. Denali National Park (color) Mosaic of colors on tundra and lower peaks in stormy weather. Denali National Park (color) Berry plants in autumn color with early snow on mountains. Denali National Park (color) Berry leaves, trees, and mountains in fog with dusting of fresh snow. Denali National Park (color) Spruce trees and tundra covered by fresh snow, near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Hills and mountains near Sable Pass. Denali National Park (color) Group of Dall sheep. Denali National Park (color) Wide braided rivers, Alaska Range, and clouds, late afternoon. Denali National Park (color) Gravel bars of the Toklat River. Denali National Park (color) Grizzly bear on river bar. Denali National Park (color) Braids of the Mc Kinley River near Eielson. Denali National Park (color) Red tundra flat and Alaska Range in the distance. Denali National Park (color) Dwarf tundra plants. Denali National Park (color) Tundra and Mt Mc Kinley from Eielson. Denali National Park (color) Mt Mc Kinley above Wonder Lake, evening. Denali National Park (color) Wonder Lake and Mt McKinley at dusk. Denali National Park (color) Mt Mc Kinley in the clouds from Wonder Lake area. Denali National Park (color) North Face of Mt McKinley above Thorofare Pass. Denali National Park (color) Kahilna peaks and Mt Foraker seen from 16000ft on Mt Mc Kinley. Denali National Park (color) Mt Huntington and Mt Hunter at sunrise from DenaliState Park. Denali National Park (color) Mt Foraker and Mt Mc Kinley emerge from a sea of clouds. Denali National Park (color) Spruce trees at Sunrise. Denali National Park (color) Aspens in fall colors and mountains near Riley Creek. Denali National Park (color) Aspens in yellow fall colors and Panorama Range, Riley Creek drainage. Denali National Park (color) Aspen trees in fall foliage and Panorama Mountains, Riley Creek. Denali National Park (color) Aspens in yellow fall foliage amongst conifers, Riley Creek drainage. Denali National Park (color) Aspen trees in bright autumn colors, Riley Creek drainage. Denali National Park (color) Hillside with aspens in fall colors. Denali National Park (color) Hillside with Aspens in fall colors and fresh snow. Denali National Park (color) Tundra and mountain range near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Alaska Range and tundra from near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Autumn bushes, tundra, and Alaska range at dusk. Denali National Park (color) Alaska Range at dusk from near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Tundra in fall colors near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Spruce trees and tundra covered by fresh snow, near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Fresh snow on tundra and berry leaves. Denali National Park (color) Fresh snow on tundra near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Tundra, spruce trees, and mountains with fresh snow in fall. Denali National Park (color) Dusting of snow on the tundra and spruce trees near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Dusting of fresh snow and autumn colors on tundra near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Fresh snow on berry plants near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Dusting of snow and tundra fall colors near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Spruce trees, tundra, and peaks with fresh snow. Denali National Park (color) Fog and fresh snow on tundra near Savage River. Denali National Park (color) Gentle valley and river with low vegetation. Denali National Park (color) Tundra and Alaska Range near Sable pass. Denali National Park (color) Rainbow and mountains near Sable Pass. Denali National Park (color) Red bushes on hillside, and cloud-capped mountains. Denali National Park (color) Creek near Polychrome Pass. Denali National Park (color) Fresh snow and Polychrome Mountains. Denali National Park (color) Fresh dusting of snow on autumn brush mountains in fog. Denali National Park (color) Tundra in autumn color and Polychrome Mountains in fog. Denali National Park (color) Wide valley with braided rivers and Alaska Range at sunrise from Polychrome Pass. Denali National Park (color) Tundra, braided rivers, Alaska Range at sunrise from Polychrome Pass. Denali National Park (color) Alaska Range, braided rivers, and shrubs from Polychrome Pass, morning. Denali National Park (color) Berry plants, braided rivers, Alaska Range in early morning from Polychrome Pass. Denali National Park (color) Berry plants, wide valley and gravel bars from seen from above, morning. Denali National Park (color) Braided river and Alaska Range from Polychrome Pass. Denali National Park (color) Braided river from Polychrome Pass, morning. Denali National Park (color) Tundra in autumn color and braided river in rainy weather. Denali National Park (color) Tundra in fall color and braided river below, from Polychrome Pass. Denali National Park (color) Alaska Range and sky, Polychrome Pass. Denali National Park (color) Tundra, wide valley with rivers, Alaska Range in the evening from Polychrome Pass. Denali National Park (color) Tundra, braided rivers, Alaska Range at Polychrome Pass. Denali National Park (color) Tundra and braided rivers from Polychrome Pass, afternoon. Denali National Park (color) Tarn lakes, tundra, and snowy mountains of Alaska Range with patches of light. Denali National Park (color)