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Introduction
Part of our holiday included a six day land tour from Seward to Denali National Park during the period 9th - 15th July 2004.
Day 5
 The highlight of this tour for Lynn and I as we set off on a two hour morning flight in a ski plane over Denali Park with a glacier landing.
The weather was fantastic that morning leading to premium visibility throughout the journey as we took off in a DeHavilland Beaver Ski Plane around 10:00hrs. Our pilot gave an excellent running commentary whilst ensuring that we remained aloft and chose a route that maintained a high degree of interest.
From the air, the size and routing of the glaciers and their impact on the rock became more apparent. We were in awe at the sheer scale of the rock faces, deep gorges, snow drifts and pristine nature of the area as we flew around Mounts Foraker (17,400 feet), Hunter (14,573 feet) and McKinley (20,320 feet).
Then came the time to see a glacier first-hand, an experience in itself as we weaved through the mountains and our pilot performed an excellent short landing on an uphill slope. Standing in my shorts (Lynn thought I was bonkers as she was wrapped up in a fleece and warm trousers!) next to the plane, we could see the extent of the Don Sheldon Amphitheatre where we had landed and the amazing views towards Mount McKinley. The air quality, scenery and experience was superb!
After returning to Talkeetna, we spent lunch onwards sampling the local food and beers, whilst chatting to fellow air travellers about the sights we had witnessed that morning.
Please note: I have attempted to identify where we were on the Alaskan Range and the name of the glaciers and mountains. It is quite probable that there are errors since I don't know the area. If so, I would appreciate an email with details so I can correct accordingly.
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