Glaciers and Mountains and Flying

Today was my reservation with Talkeetna Air Taxi.  My plane was scheduled to take off at 8:30 am.  Waking up at 6:30 I noticed that there was no sun to be found only clouds as I walked the dogs and waited for the TAT office to open up and get a flight update.  They had told me that the benefit of scheduling early in the morning is that if the weather does not cooperate they can often fit folks onto later flight as the skies clear up.   As it happened it didn't matter if the sun wasn't planning to show itself here in Talkeetna apparently the "range" was clear and the flight on schedule.

The plane seats ten passengers and as advertised everyone has a window seat.  The pachage I had signed up for included all the glaciers and peaks on the south face and pass across the great wall of the north face of Denali and a glacier landing near the base camp for the hikers planning to ascend to the peaks.

We got to everything as advertised except that even though the south face of the range was blue and mostly clear when the pilot took us up to the ridge to peak over to the other side he said that it was too misty and cloudy for any decent views or flying. (And we got some money credited back since the flight that included the north view was extra $$. Nice company.)

First we had to get above the low cloud cover in Talkeetna.  I now know what flying blind through clouds looks like. Glad that the pilot had instruments.  I have read how pilots can get totally turned around in fog and clouds....I am thinking of some of the theories regarding John Kennedy Jr's crash.  But we made it quickly through and there they were the mountains.

Did I mention that I got to ride up front with the pilot.  Hey, he asked and no one else raised their hands, so I did....quickly!   I traded places with someone else on the short flight back after the glacier landing.

The pilot was very good at identifying the different peaks and ridges and talking about the different ascent routes the three highest peaks.  Yes, I got to see Denali from the glacier but I have to tell you that once you are up that high I can't say one mountain is more wonderful than another.  They all looked pretty marvelous to me. I will not try to identify the photos by name for the most part. 

It also really didn't matter which side of the plane you were sitting on, the pilot carefully would turn so the folks on the left got the mountain view, etc and then would swing back and lift the wing so the folks on the right could see.  And, well, the lady in the front just tried not to drool or touch any of the knobs and buttons.   (I did not take a picture of the pilot just sitting there.  It was after we had cleared the clouds and he had the nose of the plane headed towards the range.  Honest, he was flying...no hands, Ma, style....just cruising along.    Who am I to tell him how to fly the plane....

Leaving the clouds below us.

Still a few clouds around "The High One."

And then it didn't matter where you looked, it was all so wonderful.   

The colors...

Let us not land on this part of this particular glacier.

The edge of one of the glaciers up next to the side of a mountain.....green, green, green.....

The end of this one as it drains into a lake.  I noticed the sides of the valley and wondered how many years back that the glacier still filled this valley.....

Just flying around your everyday mountain peaks....

This is what the pilot called an ice fall.....

The picture does not show the perspective of size, but even without that just take my word for it, we don't want to fall in these....

This is a peak of what the north side of Denali was going to look like.....

Just a bit too misty and cloudy, so we when back to the sunny side.....

And we saw more snow waiting to either slide down the mountain.  The pilot said that July is really the tail end of the climbing season on the range because of the snow and ice conditions.

And that is not a cardboard tourist prop behind me.   

The snow covered peak behind us on the glacier was Denali. You can see the blown snow as it rises above the shorter peak.

This is what the base camp looked like from the top of the runway.  The park service always keeps it supplied with emergency food and equipment.   You too can apply for a hiking pass, only about $250. I think the pilot said.....well and you might want to get a package deal with one of the companies for equipment and an experienced guide for $$$$$.

Short side bar here.   We all heard the recommendation to use the bathroom facilities before we left the office, but bladders being bladders some even in the young do not cooperate.....  When the young lady asked the pilot if there were any facilities as she was stepping down from the plane he said that all he could recommend is having someone hold up a blanket to give her some privacy a little away from the plane.   She and her partner stepped behind the plane and he held what looked like a large coat.  Most of the the other passengers didn't seem to notice what was going on....which was a good thing on the whole but the other passengers were busy taking their photos standing in front of the plane.   As long as they don't start wondering later what odd feet placement and all going on on the opposite side of the plane.....  That girl must have been desperate.

The top of the runway with a view of the base camp (those little specks) off to the right....

Now look again and more closely at the colored markers set out for the runway.

I don't recommend hiking there, either....

Denali in the background above us.....

After standing around on the glacier we headed back eventually following one of the glaciers out of the range.

We watched as the glacier melted before our eyes and the gravel began to rise, but still underneath is ice...

These boulders are the size of houses...just so you get an idea of perspective here.....

...and the glaciers flow into the rivers and we fly back to Talkeetna. 

...on the way back we flew below the cloud cover and saw a moose out standing in his pond and a bear making his way along the side of some woods...