April 20, 2023 - Mt. Denali Sightseeing Flight in a Bush Plane
Part Two
Looks like we're headed through that narrow gap in the mountains.
   
And we're in!
   
Robert said each side is a 5,000 cliff.  That's taller than El Capitan in Yosemite.
   
Nothing but sheer rock out the side window.
   
Emerging out into the huge Ruth Glacier.
   
The view straight ahead heading east..
   
We make a left and head north up Ruth Glacier.
   
Beautiful.
   
Continuing north.  Notice the aerial traffic just left of center.
   
Getting pretty close to that snow and rock on the right.
   
We emerge into a big open area called the Don Sheldon Amphitheater.
   
Denali from the Amphitheater.
   
Zooming in on Denali from the southeast quandrant.
   
 
   
Looking down we see a couple of things.  The old Don Sheldon chalet is on the left tip of that little snow covered hill down there.  To it's right is the New Chalet that you can stay in (if you can pay the price, which is considerable).
 
To the left of that hill you can just make out the "runway" and three planes.  At lower center, you can just make out three hikers.
   

A good look at the chalets.  The new, big one on the right, is complete with helipad.  Don Sheldon bought the land and constructed the old chalet and outhouse in 1966, before Denali was designated a national park.  Sheldon had to fly all the construction materials either strapped to the side of his Piper Super Cub or inside of a Cessna 180.

It was Don Sheldon's dream to build what is now the new Chalet but he died early and it was his kids who finally made it happen.  It costs $3,000 or so per night to stay in the new chalet with a three night minimum.  I believe David said a world-class chef is on-site when guests are there.
   

From another angle.
   

And yet another angle.  Here is the interesting story of how the new Chalet was built:  Link.
   
You can really see the runways in this shot.  Planes always land uphill, and then takeoff downhill.  The two big turbo-props are positioned for a downhill run.
   
I told David he has a nice view from his "office".  Beats working in a cubicle.
   
 
   
 
   
We enter a long final straight-in approach for landing.
   
Now on short final.  Hard to judge your distance above ground.
   
Should be touching down soon.
   
We made it!  Here, I'm happy to be standing next to David, our bush pilot.   He said we're standing on about 3,000 feet of glacier ice.
   
Beau, Maggie and moi.
   
A great shot of us standing in front of the Cessna 185 with Denali in the background to the left.
   
Three other planes from the other Air Services at Talkneetna.  All are big de Havilland Turbine Otters.  Each can seat 10 passengers.
   

There's those three hikers.  Notice the interval between them.  You can't see it in the photo, but they are roped together.  The interval is so that if one falls into one of the 1,000 feet deep hidden crevices, the other two have leverage to save their hiking buddy from a very long fall.  Most anywhere else you walk here, you’ll want to be on a rope team.
   
Beau and Maggie on the glacier.
   
 
   
A couple flew this plane in yesterday and camped on the glacier overnight.
   
Here comes a Turbine Otter for landing.
   
Rolling out uphill on skiis.
   
It takes a lot of power to taxi on the skiis.
   
A good look at Turbine Otter.
   
Checking out Denali from the Glacier.
   
Close-up.
   
The couple showed up and started getting their plane ready for takeoff.  Notice the cowl cover, and the anti-lift devicies on the wings.
   
A Turbine Otter guns it for takeoff.
   
There he goes!
   
We took off shortly thereafter.  This is the view, a few seconds after takeoff.
   
Proceeding down Ruth Glacier.
   
Off the right wing is a tall rock favored by mountain climbers.
   
In fact, you can see a mountain climber base camp out on the glacier at lower right.
   
Close-up of the mountain climber base camp.
   
A very close up shot.  The only way in and out is by ski plane.  You can see ski plane tracks running by the camp.
   
Spectacular!
   
That's a big rock.
   
Flying over a jagged and rough area of Ruth Glacier.
   
Snow and ice badlands.
   
Flying south down Ruth Glacier.
   
Notice the ridge in the center of the glacier.
   
 
   
The glacier carved and smoothed up the side of that mountain.
   
Now we are out of the mountains but still over the glacier.  Enough topsoil has accmulated on top of the glacier to allow plants and trees to grow.
   
Now we are back over land.
   
Begommomg tp see signs of life -- tracks -- down there.
   
Now tracks of the human variety; i.e., snow machines.
   
Following one of the rivers into Talkeetna.
   
Spring is coming.  The river ice is starting to break up.
   
On left base for runway one at Talkeetna.  Like Palmer, Talkeetna has an on-field Flight Service Station (FSS).  Pilots call up Talkeetna Radio almost like it is a tower and let them know what they are doing.
   
On final at Talkeetna Airport.
 
What a great flight!  Flying around Denali is a must-do if you are ever up in the Anchorage, Alaska area.
   
 
   
Previous
Home
Next