Alaska Day 4: Talkeetna to Denali NP

Alaska Day 4: Talkeetna to Denali NP

Quote of the Day: Is your oxygen mask working? 

Weather: Spectacularly clear, in the 60s for most part, -40 part of the day

It's a Covid World: Today THB feels fine, slept well, and is a stand-up straight guy again. THB lost one of his under-gloves from the Antarctica trip. And somehow the pics reverted to being in order taken.

Department of Photography: there are many pics from the big activity of the day, way too many. THB had to make a choice: spending an inordinate amount of time on his balky pc or load 'em up let the followers skim. Welcome to skimming!! Don't miss the last pic, local humor.

Up early today, short shuttle to the local Talkeetna airport and a flight around Denali, which caps out at 20,300 feet. Because it is so calm out, there were very few bumps which meant we got really close, so close most of (10 of the 13) we pretty sure we were gonna scrape the wings on the rocks.

Don't skim too much, there is also a glacier landing, with pics to prove it! Cost for this 1.5 + hour excursion: $525pp

After that adventure, back in the bus and a drop off at the RR station for 4 hour ride to our next stop, Denali Bluffs hotel, just outside the Park.

Overshoes provided for the glacier walk

First class lounge?

Masks required

Headsets so we can hear the pilot chat us up

Supposedly to wipe windows of condensation: THB thinks it is really used to wipe down your seat after losing your shit

Glacier is very brown at lower levls

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Time to put on the oxygen masks and check to make sure you're still conscious

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THB thinks those little bumps just below the shadow line is the 17,000 foot base camp. This year about a 1,000 climbers are trying to reach the summit; so far about 500 have attempted it with 

a 53% success rate (not sure about death rate)

Blue "spots" amid the snowfall

After the glacier landing at 5,280 feet

Yep, a chalet above the airport....$3k/night!

Going, going, ...

Gone!

 

Back to Talkeetna rr station

Train branding

Maybe the mate is somewhere on Denali mountain peak

Our dinner spot

THB has blackened rib-eye. Impossible to get it anything other than well done. Somehow, that is still a bit better than the overdone salmon we are getting.