MACLAREN — Winter isn't here yet, but it's close. I spotted three lonely cranes a couple of days ago in a Delta hayfield. All the ducks are gone, other than a spare mallard or two. Ptarmigan along the Denali Highway have turned mostly white.
Caribou are finally on the move too. The lake at Milepost 50 is frozen all of the way across. Snow has reached the road along the Maclaren Summit.
It hasn't always been this way. A couple of years ago I struggled to drive from Paxson to our place at Maclaren on Oct. 7, needing four-wheel drive and a shovel to make it. In the mid-1990s, I drove out to Mile 42 looking for enough snow to run a team of sled dogs. Last year, of course, most of Alaska didn't get much snow.
Whether one is a hunter, a snowmobiler, skier or any other type of winter enthusiast, the wait for snow has begun. When most of Alaska is still brown, the Denali Highway area will be locked in winter. To be sure, this isn't the only place in Alaska with early snow, but it remains one of the most accessible.
Fewer services available
The Alaska Range foothills are benign enough for snowmobiles, the lakes have fish and it is a relatively easy drive from Anchorage or Fairbanks. But come prepared. There isn't much in the way of services along the way.
If you're coming down the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks, Delta Junction is the last place for gas and groceries. Paxson Lodge is closed and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. I had some German tourists in my yard on Tuesday who thought they would drive down to Paxson for dinner. Unfortunately, nobody's cooking.
Should you drive through Glennallen, Meiers Lake Lodge at Mile 170 of the Richardson Highway remains an option. Meiers is open this winter and under new management. There is a plowed parking area at the beginning of the Denali Highway at Paxson, but little else. Come prepared to start your vehicle in the cold. No power is available on the Paxson end. In emergencies, there is a state highway maintenance shop north of the old Lodge.
Parks Highway drivers headed for the Denali can get gas and a few groceries in Cantwell. There is an Alaska State Troopers post in Cantwell too, but travel along the Denali by auto is not recommended after the state maintenance stops at the end of September.
There are a few services along the highway. Alpine Creek at Milepost 68 is open all winter. Maclaren Lodge, at Mile 42, will re-open in February. Gracious House, at Mile 82, will have folks around in February too. Should Nelchina caribou still be lollygagging along the road when the hunting season re-opens the third week of October, expect hunters in trucks to push the season.
There has been enough snow to move the caribou, but they don't seem to be in a hurry. Groups of breeding animals are scattered across most of the highway. Earlier this week, I spotted groups of animals from Milepost 7 to 90, and while there is movement toward the east and south, many of the animals were laying down or feeding on the edges of swamps.
Month of transition
October is the month of transition. Caribou are moving toward wintering grounds and changing their feeding habits. Ptarmigan are switching from a diet of predominately berries to willow buds. Without a salmon stream to provide late feeding opportunities, grizzlies are headed for their dens on the slopes. The last of the trumpeter swans are leaving Paxson Lake.
If you're a hunter coming to the Denali, be prepared to switch to winter mode too. The swamps may not be frozen hard enough to support an ATV. In fact, don't trust any lake or pond until mid-November — or later. Below-zero temperatures are common in the Alaska Range by mid-October, so make sure you have good gear that can withstand cold and wet conditions. Slushy snow and sleet can lead to hypothermia.
But don't let weather or lack of services make you hesitate. Late fall and early winter camping can be pleasant. Darkness reigns by 8 p.m., delivering a perfect opportunity to camp under the aurora.
John Schandelmeier is a lifelong Alaskan who lives with his family near Paxson. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.