August 5, 2024 - Alaska Flight
Susitna River - Mount Denali

For the second day in a row we had good weather so I went flightseeing.  The plan today was to fly over to where the Susitna River begins at the top of the Cook Inlet, fly the river north past Talkeetna, then angle northwest to the big one:  Mount Denali.

And we're off!  Here I'm looking south at the Cook Inlet.
   
Wherever you look around here, there's a private turf strip.
   
I happen to glance north and can't believe what I see.  It's Mount Denali.on the right and Mount Foraker on the left.  They are almost 100 nm AWAY!!!  That's some seriously good visibility combined with some seriously tall mountains.
   
Close up.  Mount Hunter (14,573 feet) in the center.  Denali (20,320 feet) on the right, Foraker (17,400) on the left.
   
Following the Little Susitna River south to Cook Inlet.
   
Entering the Susitna Flats.
   
Out over the flats.
   
Passing by Figure Eight Lake.
   
More flats.   Mount Susitna is at center.  (Everything is named Susitna in this area apparently)
   
A big bird flies below me.
   
I come to the mouth of the Susitna River.
   
Rolling in hot.
   
 
   
Flying low over a good river; one of my favorite things.
   
The Yentna River breaks off to the northwest.  The Susitna River to the northeast.  I follow the Susitna.
   
A rare sight; houses along this river.
   
Looking for griz on the riverside.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
What's this?  A bridge way out here?  It turns out this is Susitna Parks Bridge and the road is Highway 3.  I've driven over this bridge.  Highway 3 goes up to Denali National Park and Fairbanks.
   
Because Talkeetna and its busy airport is right on the Susitna River, I skirt the airport to the west and follow Highway 3 for awhile.  Foraker, Hunter and Denali are getting bigger in my field of view.
   
Now headed direct for Denali.  And climbing.  Talkeetna is only 365 feet elevation.  Denali is 20,000 feet.  That's quite a delta.
   
The Ruth Glacier is like a highway to Denali.
   
I'm climbing at 500 feet per minute which is keeping me decently above the ground.
   
Rounding the bend, following the trail of Ruth Glacier.
   
A good shot of Denali.
   
 
   
 
   
Nature's art.
   
The road to Denali
   
Jagged peaks pass by.
   
 
   
Like Knik Glacier, Denali has its own CTAF frequency:  123.65.   I could hear other pilots, mostly air tour pilots, reporting.  I reported too.  I wonder what the other pilots thought when they heard a Black and silver RV was flying around?
   
 
   
  It's a little intimidating flying by these jagged, snow-covered rocks.  But the air is absolutely still -- no turbulence whatsoever -- so that helps.
   

They say Denali makes its own weather.  For sure, Denali has its own lenticular clouds -- lennys -- over it. 
 
   

I was looking for Don Sheldon's amphitheater but even though I did a flightseeing tour with Sheldon Air Tours a year and a half ago I couldn't find it.  Although I really didn't do an exhaustive search.    I think I just needed to go further straight ahead through what is called the Great Gorge.
   
Looking back down Ruth Glacier
   
There's a lot of snow on that rock.
   
I turned west to jump over to the Tokositna Glacier.
   
Looking north.
   
Looking north up the Tokositna Glacier.
   
 
   
 
   
Heading south now down the Tokositna Glacier.
   
Looking east.
   
Looking west.
   
It doesn't take too long to come down out of the mountains.
   
P63
   
P64
   
Approaching Talkeetna.  The airport is left of center.  Three rivers converge at Talkeetna: the Susitna (center), Chulitna (right)  and Talkeetna Rivers (left).  Talkeetna town is so small you can't even see it in this picture.
  T
There it is, to the right of the airport.
   
Close-up of town and airport.
   
One last shot.
   
Passing by the Kashwitna River winding off to the east and the Talkeetna mountains.
   
Looking down at Willow Airport, a public airport with a 4,400 x 75 ft gravel runway.  On the other side of Highway 3 is Willow Lake and the Willow Seaplane Base.   Willow probably has the lowest avgas price in Alaska.
   
Highhway 3 points like an arrow to the Anchorage Basin.
   
Lots of lakes to the southwest.
   
The name of this big lake is Big Lake.
   
At the eastern end of Big Lake is Big Lake Airport.
   
Looking down at Big Lake Airport which possesses a 2,450 x 70 gravel runway plus sells avgas.
   
Passing by a private turf strip of which there are many in this area.
   
Passing by Wasilla Airport, one of the big GA airports in the area with an 3,700 x 75 asphalt runway.  Palmer is the other big one.
   
Wasilla has a Transportation Museum by the airport.  I haven't been, one of these days.
   
Look at all the airplanes parked on Wasilla's ramp!
   
Continuing to follow Highway 3 through Wasilla.
   
I was curious about how tightly all those cars down there are parked together.
   
Another private strip.
   
And there is Wolf Lake Airport at center.
   

Wolf Lake has self-service fuel which is very convenient.

And so ends another great Alaskan flight.  Again, world-class scenery less than 30 minutes away in the RV!
   

SPOT Track for today.
   
 
   
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