Alaska: Day 9: 7-14-93: Denali Rafting

I started out my morning at the Grizzly Bear Cabin showers. What a miserable experience! First off, I had to pay. A coin operated shower? What will the cheap bastards of the world think of next?! Though I was pretty irked about having to tramp back to my cabin to secure 3 lousy quarters, I could have lived with it if I was treated to a long, hot, soothing cascade. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a two-minute drizzle of tepid water. I've never showered so quickly in my entire life, and yet soap still covered half my body when the water stopped. Unbelievable! Well, I certainly wasn't going out half naked, soapy and sopping wet to fetch more change just to shiver under another quick trickle. Screw that! I finished up in the sink.

After breakfast, our motley crew (sans Dave, who was still sleeping off last night's melodrama) went to see a dog sled demonstration. The sled dogs (Alaskan Huskies) were handsome animals with piercing blue eyes. And boy, could they run! The highlight of the show was when the trainer unexpectedly (and quite gracelessly, for one so experienced) fell off the sled. Luckily, she was unhurt -- except, perhaps, for her pride.

-------------------------------Dog Sled Show Reenactment-----------------------------(My Photos Of The Real Thing Didn't Come Out Too Well)-----

We had signed up for a hike today, but considering the sorry state of my right knee (I was still limping), plus the fact that we only had 4 tickets, I decided to bow out and find something to do on my own. (Truth be told, I was a bit hiked-out anyway.) After weighing my two most enticing options (helicopter sightseeing or whitewater rafting), I decided upon the latter because it was $130 cheaper. Two rafting trips were offered -- one rough water, the other tranquil. Going against my typical bent, I chose the calmer option. I harbored hopes of photographing some indigenous wildlife, and I didn't want to risk damaging my camera. Besides, I could use a little relaxation after yesterday's excitement.

----------------------------------------Ready To Raft!-------------------------------------

In a word, the trip was soothing. It was another beautiful afternoon, and I soaked up the serenity as we floated peacefully down the chocolaty Nanana River. Disappointingly, there was little in the way of wildlife, but I did get to see 3 moose (1 cow and her 2 calves) lolling by the riverbank. I met many interesting people in the raft, including Scott (our guide), a geologist and his family from Florida, a local speech therapist who had spent 7 years in Germany and a friendly, though decidedly eccentric, senior couple from New Hampshire (Paul and Estelle). Paul had recently finished travelling around the world during his self-proclaimed "Second Childhood" (translation: "Mid-Life Crisis") working many unusual -- though not very strenuous -- jobs, including a stint as a volunteer on the 14th hole of the Masters Tournament (He assured me that no one got past the ropes on his watch). He met his new wife in Switzerland, where she worked for a short time as a grape picker, whilst on a soul searching adventure of her own.

--------------------------------The Nenana River----------------------------------------

Following the raft ride, I went to the Visitor's Center to reunite with the group. We took the rental car to the McKinley Chalet, where we had reservations for "Cabin Nite," an Alaskan dinner theatre production. After an All-You-Can-Eat buffet of sourdough rolls, potatoes, baked beans, corn on the cob, barbecued ribs, broiled salmon, broiled halibut and blueberry cobbler, the show began. It was a short, amusing musical comedy about the history of Alaska. I even learned a few things, such as the name of the first expedition to reach the top of Mt. McKinley (The Carston/Stuck Party), and the interesting fact that much of the Alaskan Railroad was built by women (during WWII).


---------------------------Alaska Cabin Nite Production---------------------------

After the performance, we all went back to the Grizzly Bear Cabins to take some touristy pictures. Then we walked out the back of our cabin down to the Nanana River, where we chatted and skipped some stones until bedtime.