Denali National Park

Jack & Ede Reisland
	"I was pregnant, and Jack had to cut ice steps so I could get up to the school from our cabin. I'd sit on my bottom and slide down to go home." Who they are: Alaska residents since 1958. School teachers; ran the Denali Grizzly Bear campground; homesteaded next to Denali National Park. Jack worked as park ranger and naturalist. Don't miss: The Denali Highway, for a taste of how things used to be

When did you come to Alaska and why?

Ede: When we were young, and it was 1958. Big oil recession at that time. Jack was looking for a job, and I was teaching school, back in Ohio. I found a magazine with a teeny, tiny ad in the back, about teaching in the territory of Alaska, and wrote in out of sheer boredom. Growing up in Ohio, I never so much as slept in the backyard. They called, and I told them I wouldn't come unless there was a job for my husband. They had a one - room schoolhouse in Suntrana, which was 16 miles from Denali National Park [then McKinley], and they said my husband could be the custodian. Twenty - four students enrolled that year, so they called up the governor and said they wanted Jack to be a second teacher. They set up a partition and we taught on either side.

What were your first years in Alaska like?

Ede: We lived in the school, and there was no running water. We had outhouses and honeybuckets for the students, which the custodian [Jack] had to take care of. The second year, enrollment went down so Jack went to work in the coal mine. Jack: They pulled all sorts of tricks on me, fooling this young guy who's supposedly the engineer. They'd pretend like the ceiling was caving in and run off. I'd be working away and the miner with me would be sitting in the coal car, half asleep, instead of looking out for my welfare. Ede: Later, we moved out of the school into a cabin. I was pregnant, and Jack had to cut ice steps so I could get up to the school; I'd sit on my bottom and slide down to go home.

What did people think about you moving to Alaska?

Ede: Oh, our parents were a little upset. It was still a territory, and nobody had heard about Alaska back in the '50s. After the first year of teaching we were seriously thinking of moving back, but mid - packing we both stopped and looked at each other. NO, we didn't want to go back. That broke everybody's hearts, but it was the right thing to do.

How did you get started with your campground?

Ede: We were so close to the park and just loved that area. Pristine, beautiful. We staked some property on the outskirts under the Homestead Act, so we had to put up some kind of a business. Little by little, that's what we did.

Why did you name it the Denali Grizzly Bear?

Ede: There were grizzly bears around, and we were always scared of running into them. Jack would say, "Well, let's go down to the grizzly bear." So that's how it got its name. Jack: The kids would get up in the morning and run out in their pajamas to pick blueberries. We'd always remind them, off - hand, "And watch out for the grizzly bears." And really, other than Mt McKinley, that's what the tourists want to see. So what better name than that?

Had any bear run - ins at your campground?

Ede: We've only had one bear situation, in all these years. Somebody shot the mother, leaving two black bear cubs behind. One of them came into the campground and turned out to be a nuisance. The bear would jump on the dumpster until it would open. He'd jump in and rummage through, with trash flying everywhere. Then he'd poke out his head to see if anyone was coming. All of these tourists were standing there, taking pictures. The park service finally trapped this bear and took him about 50 - 60 miles down the highway, but a few days later he came back. Eventually he disappeared.

What was the Denali area like in the 50s?

Jack: The road ended at the park. The Parks Highway, going north - that's all new. If you didn't come in via the Denali Highway, you didn't come in, unless you took the train. The railroad would take your car up the day before, and by the time you got there, your car would be unloaded - just 50 cents for a ticket, plus an extra $25. Then you could drive your car anywhere in the park, because there wasn't much traffic. Ede: Jack took an old cabin apart in Fairbanks (where we'd moved), shipped it down on the train, and then rebuilt it again at the Denali Grizzly Bear. That's where we spent our summers. The trip down would take us two days. It was a wilderness area, quiet and peaceful. The few people that you did see - when you did see them - were so friendly. You had to depend on yourself, or depend on a neighbor. We all became fast friends to this day. Some would fly in on their planes and just land on the road, because there wasn't any traffic.

What changes have you noticed in the park area?

Jack: Some of the biggest changes we've seen are in the canyon area. A lot of people call it Disneyland of the North, or Glitter Gulch. When we first visited west Yellowstone, we thought, we hope that Denali Park doesn't evolve into that. Other than the gambling and dancing girls, it's gotten to the point where it's worse. There's the big hotels, buses of people, gift shops, and really... it's a hodgepodge of architecture. Maybe they should have gone all Alaskan, or all modern. But they didn't. Some of the old rangers would roll over in their graves. Ede: Well, it's the influx of people. People want to see everything, and they make their mark, too.

What remains there today that reminds you of the old Denali?

Ede: When you get on the bus, you're still back in the old Denali Park. I'm sorry that people can't see it the way we were able to, but it would be a complete madhouse if everyone was allowed to drive. Jack: You would get a taste of what it was like if you go back out the old Denali Highway. It may take you eight hours because the road is so rough, but you'll love every minute of it. Beautiful scenery and more animals out there. A little bit of Alaska still remains in those old roads.

What's better about the modern - day park?

Jack: You can get there faster, but whether that's better, I don't know. Ede: You can eat out. When we first moved to Suntrana, I ordered food from a Seattle company and it would come up by train. We would put in a whole year's order, whatever you thought you'd need–from Halloween candy to Easter jelly beans. No fresh vegetables, all cans.

What should I do in Denali?

Ede: Number one, get into the park.Get on the bus - and get your reservations ahead of time. Don't be dismayed if it's raining, the animals are still there. Not only that, it might be pouring where you are, but 10 miles into the park, the sun is out. When you get back go rafting, helicopter or airplane flightseeing, horseback riding, hiking... .And have a good night's stay at Denali Grizzly Bear. Jack: Whatever you do, take mosquito repellent. If you have the time, take the Denali Highway. Drive out maybe 50 miles, and then turn around and come back. Or drive all the way over to the Richardson Highway, and you're on your way down to Valdez

How long should I spend in Denali?

Ede: My suggestion would be three days. One day to get there and get your reservations. Day two, take your bus and go into the park. All you'll want to do afterwards is eat, drink, and go to bed. The third day, take a morning flight or go horseback riding or rafting - which can be done rain or shine because you're going to get wet anyways. Jack: Three days if you're into wildlife photos; if you're really into wildlife, you might want to take more. In the evening, go to the ranger programs, slide shows, which are really interesting. Take in the dogsled demonstration. Take a nature walk with a ranger - those can be enjoyed whenever.