TRLR8DXJ
09-26-2011, 10:54 PM
I had the opportunity this past weekend to offroad in Denali National park and Wildlife Preserve. This is a pretty Iconic part of Alaska and also very protected part. Most people only are able to enjoy this part of the state by either tour bus or air. Some are lucky enough to draw a lottery permit to drive the 90 mile road into the park at the begining of the season.
Though casual conversation this past week I found out a friend of mine was a land owner inside the preserve and he had a 1961 Mercedes-Benz Unimog he was attempting to recover and he didn't really have the means or equipment to recover it. When I found out that he had all the permits and that the state was required to give him access . I jump at the opportunity. He told me I could take the Durango in the park and travel 15 miles offroad to his cabin to help with the recovery. I was glad to help him out but, even more excited to wheel in a place the has such restricted access.
I have to say the trip was pretty epic for me. I'm pretty sure that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The weather wasn't quite cooperative for the best views of Mckinley but none the less it was awesome. The picture don't begin to do it justice.
We left Anchorage at 8:00am Saturday morning to go get the Unimog with plans to return Monday evening. But after getting to the cabin at about 6:00pm and finding that there was no way we were going to get the Unimog running and a turn of events for a couple of us work wise we knew we had to have the truck back in Anchorage by Sunday night. The plan was to drive the truck out but since it had sat since 2003. The Anti-freeze had up and disappeared along with the brake fluid. The gear shifter for the manual trans had completely seized and the starter was shot. So we cooked up some good grub for the evening and woke up early for the trek out the the Unimog in tow.
Since the truck didn't have Brakes or power we used one of the trucks to pull and the other to stop. The recovery went off with out a hitch. This wasn't really an extreme offroad trip but, it was pretty awesome to get to wheel in a place that most can only take pictures of from a tour bus.
I think some of the best moments of the trip were not the actual wheeling but the priceless stares from the people at the park watching us drive in open the road closure gate and continue on. The next best moment was when we stope to take pictures of 3 Grizzly bears 40 miles into the preserve. We had a Park ranger and a geologist pass and pull off in front of us blocking the trucks while we weretaking pictures. I deep concern why we were in the park where we were heading and what we were doing with such a "Serious Rig" in the park. After they got our story and the permit to access they had to let us proceed on but, continued to shadow us to the trail head. What a complete waste of a day for them. To travel 180 miles round trip just to see us go where we were supposed to go.
So here are the pics. Hopefully you enjoy them but they definitely don't do it justice to how big this country is!
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7862.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7863.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7864.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7865.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7866.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7867.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7869.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7870.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7871.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7872.jpg
Though casual conversation this past week I found out a friend of mine was a land owner inside the preserve and he had a 1961 Mercedes-Benz Unimog he was attempting to recover and he didn't really have the means or equipment to recover it. When I found out that he had all the permits and that the state was required to give him access . I jump at the opportunity. He told me I could take the Durango in the park and travel 15 miles offroad to his cabin to help with the recovery. I was glad to help him out but, even more excited to wheel in a place the has such restricted access.
I have to say the trip was pretty epic for me. I'm pretty sure that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The weather wasn't quite cooperative for the best views of Mckinley but none the less it was awesome. The picture don't begin to do it justice.
We left Anchorage at 8:00am Saturday morning to go get the Unimog with plans to return Monday evening. But after getting to the cabin at about 6:00pm and finding that there was no way we were going to get the Unimog running and a turn of events for a couple of us work wise we knew we had to have the truck back in Anchorage by Sunday night. The plan was to drive the truck out but since it had sat since 2003. The Anti-freeze had up and disappeared along with the brake fluid. The gear shifter for the manual trans had completely seized and the starter was shot. So we cooked up some good grub for the evening and woke up early for the trek out the the Unimog in tow.
Since the truck didn't have Brakes or power we used one of the trucks to pull and the other to stop. The recovery went off with out a hitch. This wasn't really an extreme offroad trip but, it was pretty awesome to get to wheel in a place that most can only take pictures of from a tour bus.
I think some of the best moments of the trip were not the actual wheeling but the priceless stares from the people at the park watching us drive in open the road closure gate and continue on. The next best moment was when we stope to take pictures of 3 Grizzly bears 40 miles into the preserve. We had a Park ranger and a geologist pass and pull off in front of us blocking the trucks while we weretaking pictures. I deep concern why we were in the park where we were heading and what we were doing with such a "Serious Rig" in the park. After they got our story and the permit to access they had to let us proceed on but, continued to shadow us to the trail head. What a complete waste of a day for them. To travel 180 miles round trip just to see us go where we were supposed to go.
So here are the pics. Hopefully you enjoy them but they definitely don't do it justice to how big this country is!
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7862.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7863.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7864.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7865.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7866.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7867.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7869.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7870.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7871.jpghttp://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/Dirtkid_photos/IMG_7872.jpg