Revealed
View of the Alaska Range, including Mount Foraker (17,400 ft/5304 m), Mount Hunter/Begguya (14,573 ft/4442 m), and Denali (20,310 feet/6190 m), from Talkeetna, Alaska
Having not had the opportunity to see Denali (the tallest peak in North America) on my previous trip to Alaska, it was high on my wish list for this trip. Unfortunately our helicopter flightseeing tour was canceled due to fog, so my hopes rested on a trip up to the town of Talkeetna. After two days of clouds and snow, the weather was not looking promising; as we drove out of Anchorage, the sky remained gray and occasionally spitting icy flakes.
For much of the drive through miles of snow-covered boreal forest, past small communities and long stretches of nothing but snow and trees (and the occasional moose, which thrilled both my daughter and I), the forest blocked the view toward the mountains. As we turned off the highway toward Talkeetna however, the trees began to thin out and I could catch an occasional glimpse of the the Alaska Range, and what I thought was a hint of blue sky. My hopes rose - perhaps there would be a chance to see Denali after all.
Then the road turned and suddenly, ahead of me I could see it, the glorious Alaska Range, bathed in brilliant sunshine, laying just underneath a thick layer of clouds! My next thought was to hope that the clouds would not descend again before I reached the overlook pullout above Talkeetna. Luck was on my side however, as Denali and the other majestic peaks remained in clear view not only from the overlook but long enough to marvel at an unobstructed view from down in the town. (The snowy foreground here is actually the Talkeetna river, frozen and covered with deep snow.)
It was an absolutely breathtaking sight to witness, and I stood there with a mixture of awe and reverence as the view and the moment soaked deeply into my soul. It is a memory that I will carry with me for a long time.
Revealed
View of the Alaska Range, including Mount Foraker (17,400 ft/5304 m), Mount Hunter/Begguya (14,573 ft/4442 m), and Denali (20,310 feet/6190 m), from Talkeetna, Alaska
Having not had the opportunity to see Denali (the tallest peak in North America) on my previous trip to Alaska, it was high on my wish list for this trip. Unfortunately our helicopter flightseeing tour was canceled due to fog, so my hopes rested on a trip up to the town of Talkeetna. After two days of clouds and snow, the weather was not looking promising; as we drove out of Anchorage, the sky remained gray and occasionally spitting icy flakes.
For much of the drive through miles of snow-covered boreal forest, past small communities and long stretches of nothing but snow and trees (and the occasional moose, which thrilled both my daughter and I), the forest blocked the view toward the mountains. As we turned off the highway toward Talkeetna however, the trees began to thin out and I could catch an occasional glimpse of the the Alaska Range, and what I thought was a hint of blue sky. My hopes rose - perhaps there would be a chance to see Denali after all.
Then the road turned and suddenly, ahead of me I could see it, the glorious Alaska Range, bathed in brilliant sunshine, laying just underneath a thick layer of clouds! My next thought was to hope that the clouds would not descend again before I reached the overlook pullout above Talkeetna. Luck was on my side however, as Denali and the other majestic peaks remained in clear view not only from the overlook but long enough to marvel at an unobstructed view from down in the town. (The snowy foreground here is actually the Talkeetna river, frozen and covered with deep snow.)
It was an absolutely breathtaking sight to witness, and I stood there with a mixture of awe and reverence as the view and the moment soaked deeply into my soul. It is a memory that I will carry with me for a long time.