On a jaunt to Alaska in 2018, I embarked on a self-initiated scavenger hunt in search of cairns, or inukshuks, as I learned they’re called up there during my exploration of the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.
Which, my apologies right off the bat if you clicked this hoping to learn about some new demon, spirit or beast called an Inukshuk. Which would be an interesting name for something, but nope. Nothing spooky or sinister to see here.
Inukshuks serve the same purpose as cairns: they’re stacks or piles of rocks used to mark trails, landmarks or memorials. Although, they can also be decorative as well as useful for leaving an anonymous “I was here” statement.
There’s something primitive and primal about cairns and inukshuks that call to my spirit. Every time I spot one on a hike, no matter where I am, I snap a picture. That’s why I was excited to discover a plethora of them as we disembarked from our coach and headed to our room at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.
While my husband worked, I had a field day jaunting all around the property looking for as many as I could find.
Which wasn’t hard. They were along every road and path.
Then when we transferred to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, the second lodge on the land tour portion of that year’s Alaskan cruise adventure, I was bummed because they didn’t really have any. Until I took a walk headed towards the entrance to Denali National Park and discovered a motherlode!
Here’s a photo essay of some of my favorite shots from my inukshuk scavenger hunt at both properties.
The Inukshuks of the Mt. McKinley Wilderness Lodge
There were literally inukshuks, inukshuks everywhere!
The Inukshuks of Denali
That’s why I had a hard time finding any. They were all neatly stacked and tucked away in this retaining wall that I found as I walked along the path that parallels the George Parks Highway that led from the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge to Denali National Park. They were definitely of the decorative and leaving an “I was here” statement variety.
Watch
I made a video of my scavenger hunt. You can see even more inukshuks, where I found them and get a taste of Alaska’s scenic beauty at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge and along the path that paralelles the George Banks Highway in Denali.
Check-In
Have you ever created a cairn or an inukshuk? Or have you ever used one as a guide?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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I have created an inukshuk, but not with a lot of philosophy behind it, more of a simple, “I was here.” I have come across them, too, way out in wilderness areas (Alaska, Yukon).
Oooo! I was hoping you’d see this because I wondered if you’d ever created one or had seen them or had any other info. I was wondering if you’d say, “That’s the first I’d ever heard them called that” or something too. I was hoping the park ranger wasn’t putting me on, but when I Googled it it did say that was a thing so… I just love you’re from Alaska. LOVE. IT!!!!