PHOTO TRAVEL BLOG

Flying High In Alaska

An unexpectedly fabulous experience

Clouds and mountains by the author.

Bob had been there previously and knew of our impending trip to Alaska. Either by relating his own experience where he took two flights around Denali or by directly suggesting I take a flight, he encouraged me to get on board.

By the way, the annoying and tedious addition of “Image by the author” is not ego-driven. At least not completely. Attribution of EVERY STINKIN’ IMAGE is required on Medium, even when they are all one’s own. And a global note will not suffice. Oye!

Intrepid explorers Mike and the author in a selfie.

Our captain instructed us and two other passengers in the finer points of unpressurized aircraft fashion.

Get it? Got it. Good! Photo of our captain by the author.

And we’re off. With minimal chatter to an invisible controller, the captain revs up the engines and we quickly ascend.

If the captain ever really looked at all his dials and gauges, the author taking this photo never saw him do so.

There is some logic behind a bit of trepidation regarding a ride in a small airplane over inhospitable terrain. However, after a few moments of unexpected yaw, the fears vanished in favor of fascination.

That there was a pair of humming props that each felt more than powerful enough for the task did not hurt. Also, the pilot related that his other job was flying Blackhawk helicopters. That expertise may be unrelated, but the thought that he could also make heavier-than-air eggbeaters fly was reassuring.

Ascending photo by the author.

A mid-May flight provides ample visual contrast. Enough snow and ice have melted to expose the dark rock below. The variegated effect amplified the sensation of depth.

Distant Denali in this photo by the author.

80 miles away, the peak rises above the surrounding mountains.

More mountains along the way in this photo by the author.

The engines purred as we gained altitude over terrain of improbable return.

We were blessed with a beautiful day. Photo by the author.

There were just enough clouds to enhance our perception of height.

This photo by the author looks down onto a glacially-fed river between the mountains.

We were blessed with great weather.

Upon hearing that a Denali flight was on the agenda, one of the locals said, “So you’re trying to join the 30% club? You know that only 30 percent of the time the weather allows you to see the mountain, right?

We were happy to join the club.

Denali peak photo by the author.

Our pilot did a fine job providing a view from both sides of the plane.

The author took this photo much closer to the peak.

Right there. It’s the highest point in North America. 20,310 feet above sea level. Photo by the author.

Flying around Denali is an experience that’s hard to share. Communicating the thrill of seeing the mountain up close is difficult. One may think, “I’ve flown many times, and higher than 20,000 feet,” but it is not the same. With commercial flights, there is little connection between the passenger and the earth below. Here, one can feel the presence of “The Tall One.”

The peak ridge photo by the author.

This photo was taken by the author as we finished our clockwise tour and began to descend.

Looking down at other peaks and the glacier below. Photo by the author.

The author captured a final look near the peak.

Alaskans will say, “Denali is not the highest mountain, but it is the tallest.” The distinction comes from measuring base to summit difference. The vertical rise of Denali is approximately 18,000 feet, 3,000 feet taller than Everest.

Alaskans will also tell you mountains submerged at their base don’t count. Hawaiians may differ.

The window frames the massive mountain in the author’s photo.

The many peaks over 10000 feet in the Alaska Range are puny by comparison. Photo by the author.

Glaciers fill the lowlands. Photo by the author.

This may be the Brooks Glacier flowing down the mountainside. Photo by the author.

More Glaciers. Photo by the author.

The ice from higher glaciers combines to form the huge Muldrow Glacier. Photo by the author.

Much lower, it appears the glacier carries rocks of no small size. Photo by the author.

On the way back, our pilot related several stories about the mountain. One was about an early climb that went awry in a storm and a flag placed on the second-highest peak by mistake. A good story, but perhaps that is all since verification is difficult.

Another was about a climb in the 60s where a group of inexperienced climbers teamed up with a group one short of the required 4 to ascend the mountain. Many reached the summit, but only five of the twelve climbers lived through the experience. The worst blizzard to hit Denali in many years made conditions unfit for life for those highest up.

Knowing when you must turn back may be the most important skill in mountain climbing.

The danger of climbing has not subsided. The same day these photos were taken, a climber fell to his death on the popular West Buttress Route to the summit.

The author’s hyper-zoom of climbers on the mountain.

No, this is the author’s photo of a photo in the Princess McKinley Lodge. It is included to convey the overwhelming size of the mountain.

The natives say “Never point at the mountains,” since we are insignificant next to them.

The pilot took us lower near Polychrome Mountain, named for its coloration. Photo of other mountains by the author.

To the north, the Alaska Range gives way to a broad plain. Photo by the author.

The bus was between the two lakes (the one on the right is partially obscured) in this photo by the author.

Below and between the two lakes was the site of the bus where the life of Chris McCandless of “Into The Wild” fame ended. The pilot told us of two schools of thought regarding his demise. Some embrace his legacy as that of a man who lived without regard to convention. Others deride him as an unprepared and overconfident fool.

The choice is yours.

The bus was removed by helicopter since the locals were forced to rescue numerous other unprepared and overconfident fools on pilgrimages to the site. The movie prop bus is available for viewing at a brewery in Healy.

Stories at an end, it was time to land and take one last photo.

Guess which one is the pilot, and which ones were overdressed. This time the photo is not by the author but is taken with the author’s phone.

Thanks to the anonymous photographer, and thanks to Bob for the encouragement!

Bonus video! This is where we flew.

Author’s video of our pilot showing our route.