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| Our view of Denali as we approached Talkeetna
We sat in the sun outside K2 Aviation, hoping to hear our names called. Those around us spoke of having made reservations months in advance. They spoke with foreign accents so often heard in Talkeetna. Folks from around the world want to see Deanli up close, just as we did! "The mountain" had been visable now for a number of days with a high pressure system stalled overhead. Denali is often elusive during the summer months with many visitors never seeing her. Bucky and I spent one whole summer never seeing the summit. We were surprised last April, when Denali and her neighbors, Hunter and Foraker were "out" everyday. At that time, no tourists were around to witness her looking down upon us. Carlisle and I laughed at how ill prepared we were for a glacier landing, if Lady Luck prevailed, Lisle in a sundress and me with no sunglasses.
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With surprise, we heard our names called. We quickly grabbed snow boots from a bin marked small, and headed inside to be weighed. Then we joined our fellow passengers listening to our pilot explain where the exits, fire extinguisher, survival gear and most importantly, the barf bags were located. I wondered if all K2 pilots wore Hawaiian shirts as part of their uniform. Perhaps as a spoof.....sun as hot as the tropics, snow as bright as a white sand beach!
Woody, Carlisle and James' yellow and white airplane, gave an imagined dirty look as I snapped his picture going past. He surely didn't understand why he remained tied down on such a glorious day. I knew if we had been flying him into the Alaska range, we'd have been better attired. It was then that I gave a brief thought to our laundry. It was surely done and by now had probably been thrown onto a sorting table by an annoyed customer.
The importance of the rivers that influenced the early settlement of Talkeetna is clear from the air. Soon we would be flying into glacial headwaters. In the heat of summer, the glaciers continue to melt keeping the water grey with glacial silt, resembling a river of cement. Right now, sight unseen, Sockeye Salmon swim by the thousands to their home spawning grounds. By fall, cold temperatures will lock up the glaciers and the rivers will once again run clear.
The long strip in the center of this picture is the train track running north to Fairbanks. The landing strip seen to the right is the village air strip located in downtown Talkeetna. A small part of the Talkeetna River, looking like a small lake, is seen before it takes a turn under the railroad trestle to join the Susitna and Chulitna Rivers......headed to Cook Inlet and the ocean.
Our path to Denali and into the Alaska Range was by way of the Ruth Glacier, one of the many glaciers exiting the mountains.
Carlisle and I passed my camera back and forth across the aisle, each view seemingly more spectacular than the last. I must confess that despite our pilot's detailed commentary, by the time we circled a number of times, all glaciers and mountain peaks began to look the same.....equally magnificent!
Denali was first mentioned in 1794 when spotted from Cook Inlet by explorer George Vancouver. Early Russian explorers and traders called the peak Bolshaia Gora, big mountain. The Athabascan Indians of the region called it Denali, the high one. In 1896, a prospector named William Dickey, named the mountain McKinley. Many felt the mountain should have its native name of Denali. This became reality in 2015 when the name was officially changed to Denali at the federal level. The first true summit ascent of Denali was made in June 1913 by Hudson Stuck, Walter Harper, Harry Karstens and Robert Tatum. Stuck recorded this climb in his book, The First Ascent. About 1000 people attempt to summit Denali each year between May and July, with about half succeeding. Some consider it a more difficult feat than summitting Mt. Everest.
Denali's summit at 20,310 feet making it the highest peak in North America.
Our turbine Otter's skis slid along the surface of the Ruth Glacier with barely a bump. I was quickly reminded of my lack of preparedness when I stepped off the plane. Never had snow seemed so bright. The reason climbers return to Talkeetna from their climbing adventures with racoon eyes became readily apparent.
It was impossible not to feel small in the midst of nature's greatness. This was my second glacier landing in the Alaska Range, first on the Eldridge and now on the Ruth. It was as awe inspiring this time as in the past.
Some of the most beautiful scenery was during our return to Talkeetna. Slowly the ice and snow disappeared and green reappeared, much like winter returning to spring.
This is Backside Lake at the terminus of Backside Glacier. Bucky and I hope to fly in here for the day before we leave.
It wasn't long before we were back to earth feeling delighted with our luck. Racing for the truck we hurried off to the Laundry Mat. As predicted, our clothes lay in a wet pile on the white folding table. A bit of silence accompanied our entrance. I scanned the faces looking for who we had offended. Someone here had decided that today was a day to strive for white tee shirts and socks. I was pleased that we had attempted greater whiteness. Hopefully our delay didn't darken their day!
In conclusion, I share the following shots.
