July 20
48 Miles
4500 feet elevation gain
Today had a bit of everything. Rain, sun, clouds, views, and lots of climbing. The Park Road is a roughly 93 mile road into the park. The road is only open to private vehicles for the first 15 miles, after which only tour buses, NPS vehicles, or those with reservations for one of the campgrounds along the first 40 miles can drive the road. We got up early to avoid too much traffic for that first 15 miles. Right about mile 15 is when the scenery really gets good, and it just seemed to keep getting better and better. We saw some Dall Sheep, we saw tons of Willow Ptarmigans, but no bears.
The Alaska Range is absolutely beautiful, and although the day ended in clouds we were treated to plenty of great views. We met a trio of cyclists riding to Argentina, who have also hiked the PCT, and we leapfrogged with them for most of the day.
At mile 43, the road is closed to all traffic while repairs are made to the road destroyed by the pretty rocks landslide in 2021. Repairs are nearly complete, and next summer the entire length of the road will be reopened. But for now, cyclists are allowed to take their bikes down along the gravel bar below and around the destroyed section of road, to rejoin it on the other side.
It’s roughly a 5 mile push before rejoining the road. We are camped towards the end of this off-road push. It’s flat and rocky, and we’ve had multiple stream crossings.
Our socks and shoes are wet, and it’s raining, so everything will be wet in the morning. Tomorrow we’ll rejoin the road on the side where the tour buses can’t go.
This is making me so jealous. What an amazing mountain range. And a great way to spend your birthday. Happy riding, happy birthday wishes.
Can you explain the “pretty rock slide” and also “leapfrogging.”
You forgot to mention that you family didn’t even forget your birthday this year!
Well leapfrogging is exactly that. You pass them, they pass you, you pass them later. Like leapfrog.
The pretty rocks landslide is a landslide. It’s been going very slowly for decades, but melting permafrost accelerated the flow so that the road was no longer stable, so they closed the road and are building a bridge around it.
Well this wasn’t my birthday, and does it count if my in laws beat you all to it? LOL