Landing on Mount Denali
Even you can do it!
Mountains have a special call for me. Not as something to be climbed and conquered, though the view from any mountain top is worth the effort to climb it, but as art in their own right.
I think of mountains as sculptures that have been created by nature and that have a beauty unique to them. In my opinion, nothing manmade can compete with their splendour.
Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America and the third most prominent in the world after Everest in the Himalayas and Anconcagua in the Andes. Denali is not the third tallest, only the third most prominent; prominence being how isolated it is from the surrounding landscape. As a result, it stands majestically alone.
Denali is the original native Athabascan name for the mountain. The name was changed to Mount McKinley in 1896 by a prospector trying to support William McKinley’s presidential campaign, much to the dismay of the local Alaskans. In 2015 it was officially changed back to Denali by the US Department of the Interior. Those who live in Alaska seldom called it anything else.
I lived in Alaska for fifteen years. For most of that time I could see Denali from the office windows. Almost every clear day I would look out and admire its beauty. Even 133 miles away (214 kilometres) Denali was a spectacular site.
One year, when relatives were visiting at the summer equinox, we took a flight-seeing tour of Denali from the town of Talkeetna which is 59 miles from Denali (95 km). Talkeetna Air Taxi regularly takes visitors for a close up look of the mountain by airplane. If you are ever in the area, the trip is well worth the cost.
For some flights a landing on one of the glaciers on the side of the mountain is included. It is an amazing experience!
Here’s the plane we took. Note the skis next to the tires. There is no runway on the glacier.
Once we were in the air I took so many pictures it is difficult to pick just a few to share. Here’s a closeup of Denali:
Here’s the plane on the mountainside glacier where we landed:
If one is interested, there is a cabin above the glacier where one can arrange to stay. This would be quite the isolated place to spend a few days. No running water. No electricity. Just a cabin, an outhouse, and an incredibly quiet night. I always hoped to stay there but time passed, retirement came, and I moved away. Oh well. On a clear night the view of stars must be amazing!
When we left the glacier and headed back to Talkeetna, we followed the flow of ice that leads away from the mountain. Doesn’t it look like a slow moving highway?
As the glacier ice reaches lower altitudes and begins to melt there are pools of water on top. Note the incredible turquoise blue colour. The picture doesn’t capture how intense the colour is in real life.
The beauty of the mountains and the intensity of the isolation when one is among them is difficult to ignore. I feel very fortunate to live at a time where a trip such as this one is possible. With the way climate is changing and the speed at which glaciers are melting, I feel blessed to have been able to see it while it was still possible.
Thank you to Dr. Preeti Singh for challenging us to write about our mountain experiences.
I would love to read any article of yours that touches on nature, especially about being alone in the mountains or the wilderness, so feel free to tag me if you wish. Where did you go? What prompted the trip? How did it affect you?
Thank you for reading my article. If you found it interesting, here is one of my recent pieces that discusses the challenges of being a misfit in a confusing world.
Here are some articles by writers who inspire me to write. If you enjoyed my article, perhaps you will also enjoy theirs:
The Autlaw writes a lot about autism and neurodiversity, something I am learning more about in relation to my challenges dealing with a neurotypical world. Here is one of her pieces that I find closely describes some of my experiences.
David Price’s writings are always inspiring to me. Since I’m speaking about mountains, why not read about mountains speaking?
Here’s a nice piece from Debika Kumari, a young writer who is worth reading.
Dr. Fatima Imam’s article brought back memories of some trauma’s I have experienced in my life.
Finally, since I could decide between them, here are my two favourite articles from the past week:
If you enjoyed these articles, please remember to let the authors know. We who sit alone and write can always use the encouragement.
I wish to thank the following new people who have commented on, followed, and/or clapped for my articles since I publishe my last article. It is the encouragement from people like you that makes the writing process worthwhile:
Yana Bostongirl, Vin Bhalerao, George J. Ziogas, Marie Tille, B.R. Shenoy, Judy Derby, Margie Willis, Rakia Ben Sassi, Patricia Haddock, Apoorva Mishra, Ph.D., Saipanhayden, Marie A. Rebelle
Thank you for spending your time with me.
I wish you well!