2019 Trip 5: Alaska: August 27

Looking north toward the Alaska Range south of Denali along the Parks Highway.

Talkeetna, Alaska. Tuesday August 27

Today was originally planned as a sort of “what if” day. So much is written about how difficult it is to see Denali that we plugged in this day in Talkeetna as a back-up. Denali State Park is nearby and supposedly would have great views of the mountain. Talkeetna is one of those cutesy towns that the tour buses and Alaska Railroad trains stop at for everyone to do some shopping.

Views along the Parks Highway

We left Healy in rain and clouds. The rain continued sporadically until we had left the influence of Denali, then the sun was out and the temperatures were in the mid-60s. Beautiful day. Our first stop along the Parks Highway south of Denali gave us a brief glimpse of the mountain but more of clouds. If we did not know where and what to look for, we would have missed it. Numerous rest areas and waysides were touted as good view points; none fulfilled the hype. Not that the scenery was to be sneezed at.

Views along the Parks Highway between Denali National Park and Talkeetna

Snow capped peaks had left us but the mountains remained. Now the Alaska Range is on our right side, or west. The Talkeetna Mountains which we first encountered over by Palmer ten days ago, have returned to be on our left side, or east. Boreal forest and tundra alternated on hillsides and valleys. Kettle lakes, blue and not gray since they are fed by rain and groundwater, filled depressions caused by glaciers. The Nenana River gave way to the Chulitna River flowing south alongside the highway. Here in Talkeetna, the Chulitna meets and feeds into the Susitna River which will meet Cook Inlet west of Anchorage.

Hiking around Byers Lake

In Denali State Park, we stopped at Byers Lake to take a hike. I am sure a month ago mosquitoes would have made mincemeat of us in this environment. Today it was bug free. The vegetation however was high and the path was overgrown and less than friendly. We cut the walk short and continued our drive to Talkeetna.

Views of downtown Talkeetna

Talkeetna has a population of under 900. The town was a native fishing/hunting region until the early 1900s when a gold rush in the area was followed by the building of the Alaska Railroad. The Spanish flu, the completion of the railroad, and the limited amount of gold emptied out the town. Nowadays the town seems to be mainly tourist stores. We pretended to be tourists who might actually spend money but other than postcards and lunch at an authentic Alaska roadhouse, the Talkeetna Roadhouse, our money stayed in our pockets.

A variation on the tourist theme is the abundance of flight seeing companies who will take you up on a flight to see Denali and the Alaska Range. By air, Talkeetna is closer to Denali than is the main park entrance. Talkeetna is currently the main jumping off point for Denali mountain climbers. They take off from Talkeetna airport and land on a glacier at 7,000 feet. Early climbers made a much longer trek from lower elevations. Today from the base camp at 7,000 feet, they ascend the mountain from what is called the West Buttress, taking two to three weeks to make the climb. Talkeetna has a National Park Service Ranger Station in Talkeetna devoted to Denali climbing.

Some of the flags flown at Denali by successful climbers; from the walls of the Talkeetna Ranger Station

Climbers pay the park service a fee of $375, have to register in advance, list their team members and be approved prior to being allowed to undertake the ascent. Team stop every few days to make camp and adjust to the oxygen level at the new elevation. In 2019, 1226 climbers were approved to attempt to reach the summit. 65% were successful, higher than the average of about 50%. The number allowed is limited and the time period is from mid-April to early July, when the weather is most favorable.

We are staying at a B and B in the hills above Talkeetna. Our room has a deck and a view of Denali which varies with the cloud cover. It is amazing to sit here and just look at it.

View of Denali from the deck of our B and B in Talkeetna, Alaska

Ed and Chris. August 27 9 PM