What Do Backcountry Rangers Do? - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) Posted by: Brian Moe, Backcountry Ranger. It wouldn’t be a backpacking trip in Denali without a little rain. We quickly put our rain gear on and started hiking downriver from the glacier, keeping our eyes peeled for any nice flat camping spots near a good water source. After about a mile we found one, and the rain cooperated, letting up just long enough for us to pitch our tents before it started again. We had enough time to climb up a small ridge and have dinner overlooking the glaciers in the distance. At the end of the day we had hiked 6 miles with 2000 feet of elevation gain and then loss. It rained all night, sometimes waking us up with torrents blasting our tent rainflies.