The displays and short video here give a good insight into dog mushing in general, as well as the lifestyle and the commitment it takes to train for and run the Iditarod itself. Pushing northward towards the beacon of North America's highest peak, Mt. McKinley or Denali, we'll enter into the great Alaska Range of mountains and cross over the divide between the vast drainages of the Yukon to the north and the Matanuska-Susitna Rivers to the south. Just north of the tiny town of Cantwell we'll duck into a gravel pit off the road to find the trailhead of our afternoon hike. Starting in the treed lower elevations, we'll soon climb into the transition zone, with dwarf willows and patches of tundra alternating. We'll follow a bench on the south side of the valley of the Yanert River that gives great views across and up the impressive valley.
Small ponds are frequent, with chances good of happening upon a moose feeding on aquatic plants.
In the morning we'll make the last few miles northward to the entrance of Denali National Park. A stop at the Visitor's Center will better acquaint us with Denali, and it is here that we will board a Park Service bus to travel into the Park, as the vast interior is closed to private vehicles. The round trip is a full day, and opportunities are some of the best anywhere for wildlife viewing. And then there's the scenery . Photographic possibilities are excellent, as the bus will stop at any desired location at the group's request.