With my Pleasure-Way Plateau TS parked at the Talkeetna Camper Park, I was ready to do fun things in Alaska. The Talkeetna Camper Park is found at 22763 Talkeetna Spur Rd, Talkeetna, AK 99676, just off the Parks Highway, and this town dead ends at the convergence of three rivers, the Susitna, Chulitna, and Talkeetna. The Chulitna River was an important transportation corridor for Native Alaskans, mountaineers, and gold seekers. Talkeetna has been known as the “Gateway to Denali” for mountaineers who aimed to summit Mount Denali.
I walked to the downtown area in less than 10 minutes and saw such an interesting scene with early Alaska character, log cabins, and historic storefronts. Bring extra cash for all the beautiful photography, like that of Ron Caldwell’s landscapes, and the aurora borealis photos of “Aurora” Dora Redman, in addition to handmade Alaskan wooden spoons, and arts and crafts. Don’t forget all the homemade ice cream and difficult-to-resist food! The halibut sandwich at the Homestead Kitchen was such a delightful treat!
A short walk to the river bank offers its own precious surprise, a view of Mount Denali and the mountain range, with the three rivers converging below. Locals informed me, sitting on a rock for hours with telephoto lens in hand, that less than 10% of tourists to Alaska see Mount Denali in her supreme magnificence, totally naked from under the clouds and fog. I was one of those lucky 10%!
However, the piece de resistance was the K2 Aviation Company, found just an easy 2-3 blocks from the Talkeetna Camper Park. I took a two-hour tour with seven other tourists on a Beaver Otter, flying up and around the Denali Range, with a climactic landing on Ruth Glacier. Because I was traveling alone (much to the surprise of the pilot), he asked if I would like to sit in the co-pilot’s seat next to him! OMG! I did not hesitate for a split second! From the time we air lifted to the time we landed safely, I took more than 300 photographs.
The mystical, wispy cloud formations gracing the mountain tops made me feel on top of the world.
Sitting in the co-pilot’s seat made it possible to photograph mountain peaks between the propeller blades of the Beaver Otter.
Landing on Ruth Glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve was other worldly! The upper reaches of this glacier are approximately 3 vertical miles below the summit of Denali. According to Wikipedia, the glacier’s Great Gorge is one mile wide, and drops almost 2,000 feet over 10 miles with crevasses along the surface. The distance from the top of this glacier to the bottom of the glacier is more than the height of the Grand Canyon. It still amazes me that climbers trek 20,310 feet to reach the summit.
All in all, words cannot express my feeling of happiness and gratitude for such an amazing experience. The sun was rapidly setting, but it did not seem cold standing on Ruth Glacier before departure. I’m hoping more of you can have this incredible experience in Alaska.
