The Traveling Widower

Tag: Mt-Dinali

  • I Can See Denali From Here

    A person wearing a headset and a hat looks out from the cockpit of an aircraft, with a panoramic view of the landscape below, including forests and lakes.

    August 3rd, 2026

    Yesterday, as we approached the Anchorage airport I looked to the North and could see Mt. Denali (Oops…someone renamed it back to Mt. McKinley) clearly – such a beautiful day. I wish I could have scheduled my fly around that day. I knew the weather was not going to be iffy today, but it seemed sunny in Anchorage, so I headed North to Talkneeta, for the flight tour with K2 Aviation. I was really excited – I was going to pass thru the town of Wasilla, former home of Sara Palin. Remember her? She of the famous quote about Russia – “I can see Russia from my back porch”. Well, maybe that was Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live who said that. It was hard to tell them apart.

    A woman in a red blazer smiles while standing at a podium with microphones, in front of a blue curtain and an American flag.

    At any rate, I passed through the town without stopping to see her former residence, and motored on to Talkneeta – a really cute village right on the huge Susitna River. K2 was a major tourist attraction, it was packed with people waiting to take their flight – there were at least a half dozen 8 passenger DeHaviland Otters on the runway.

    View of an airstrip with several parked red and white planes, a cloudy sky, and people walking nearby.

    And then I found out that my “Grand Tour of Denali” was cancelled – the peak was socked in and the winds were too dangerous at high altitude. Crummy buttons! I was offered a shorter, lower elevation flight instead, which flew around the lower peaks and over many of the glaciers. What the heck, I was there after a 2 hour drive. 

    After waiting a bit, the pilot called out our group of 8, and we headed out to the plane. I got dibs on the copilot seat, and crammed in – a bit roomier than the float planes, but still difficult to get my big feet past all the control handles. 

    The flight was fantastic – the glaciers were incredible, the peaks we flew around were all around 10-12,000’ and incredibly jagged, and we had this nice gray layer of clouds just above. Interesting lighting. I thoroughly enjoyed the flight. The pilot was also our guide, so unlike the float planes, they kept up a conversation throughout the flight. I’m glad I decided to stick with it, even if I did not get to see much of Denali.

    If I get back to Anchorage earlier in the summer, I’d do this again, but try for the high altitude version – they have one flight that flies over the top of Denali – that’s over 20,000’. They provide oxygen for the passengers.

    Here’s a bunch of photos.

    Aerial view of unique geological formations featuring deep, circular depressions filled with blue water surrounded by dry, rocky terrain.
    Aerial view of a winding glacier surrounded by jagged mountain peaks under a cloudy sky.
    Aerial view of jagged mountain peaks with snow-capped summits and a winding glacier below, under a cloudy sky.
    Aerial view of a glacier winding between rugged snow-capped mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
    A dramatic mountain landscape featuring snow-covered peaks under a partly cloudy sky.
    Aerial view of a snow-covered mountain peak with rocky cliffs, taken from an airplane wing against a backdrop of clouds and a glacial landscape.
    Aerial view of rugged mountains with snow and a glacier flowing through a valley, surrounded by clouds.
    Aerial view of rugged mountain peaks with rocky terrain and patches of snow under a cloudy sky.
    Aerial view of a winding glacier surrounded by mountainous terrain under a cloudy sky.
    Aerial view of a glacier winding through a mountainous landscape, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and dramatic cloud formations.

    Now if I had only spotted a moose on the way back to the airport.

    Peace