As I mentioned a few postings ago, the weather during our stay in Healy, AK didn’t afford us a view of Denali (it snowed 6 inches), but we lucked out in that we sawcDenali from a float plain we took a few days later to Port Alsworth on the Katmai peninsula from Anchorage. As wonderful as that view was, we were determined to get a more up close and personal experience. So when the weather cleared on August 24, we made last minute plans to do a flight seeing trip out of Talkeetna to view Denali.
Denali means “the High One” in Athabaskan. It is the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet and the third highest of the Seven Summits (the tallest peaks on all seven continents). The peak is visible only 30-40% of the time, so we were determined to see it.
Placing great faith in the weather report, we waited for the right conditions and drove an hours and a half from Palmer to Talkeetna and boarded a 4 passenger plane to do the grand tour of the south side of Denali. Mary’s scopolamine patch was firmly plastered behind her ear and afforded her a rewarding experience. Even the view of the mountain on the approach to Talkeetna was breathtaking.
Again, the scenery was jaw dropping – glaciers, glacial pools and snow-covered peaks delighted us for the 75 minute flight.
Denali Peak
Ruth’s Glacier
This experience was right up there with the trip to Katmai to see the bears and the trip to Twin Lakes to see Dick Proenneke’s cabin. An experience we will remember for the rest of our lives.