Flying to a glacier

Because the weather is so unpredictable around Denali (as we were told over and over again, Denali is only clear 30% of the time) we did not arrange a "flightseeing" (ugh. Neologisms) trip until we arrived in Talkeetna. We were able to get a flight with the sister company of Rust Aviation (the company we used to get to Katmai and see the brown bears) named K2. Weather forecasting is just as bad in Alaska as it is in Texas, so when the prediction was a 50% chance of rain at 11:00 AM, we were not too worried.

But small planes are still small planes. We were on an Otter.

 Denali in the morning

Our Otter

I was given a seat in the back (leg room) and Doreen was given the co-pilot's seat.

Unlike when I was in the co-pilot's seat on the Cessna, the Otter had all the controls in Doreen's seat. So she could have brought us home if she had to.

It was a spectacular flight. Here are some photos of the outbound side:

As we took off from Talkeetna, we could see the lone road that heads north to Fairbanks (AK 3) and lots of forest and scrub. In areas where there are trees, the permafrost either doesn't exist or is very deep. The grassy parts have shallow permafrost.

As we were getting into the mountains, I can tell you it was rather scary. First of all, the pilot was very laconic. At times I thought he might fall asleep. And then we were flying through mountain passes, where the MOUNTAIN WAS ABOVE THE PLANE! I felt as if I could reach out and touch the rock. I was worried that a breeze was going to slam the plane into the mountain. Good thing we got our wills done before we left! Doreen, up front, said it was no less nerve-wracking. The pilot kept talking and talking all the while heading straight into the mountain, so we could all "get a better view". She said she wished he would just be quiet and fly. I was hoping he was not depressed, or had had a fight with his wife that morning.

Looking up at rocks:

 Fantastic blue glacier melt water:

People climb these mountains:

Fantastic:

 I am sure everyone recognizes all the glaciers:

These sheer rocks are really popular with climbers:

A panoramic once we landed on the glacier:

It was not nearly as cold as I thought it might have been. Probably in the high 40s

We weren't there long enough. So I had to do a Glacier Dance.

our shadow as we took off:

Wonderful views:

The Susitna:

 The Susitna again.

a fantastic day. Even if we were ready to get back down on terra-firma.