We left Anchorage not too late and headed towards Denali. We stopped at Talkeetna for a super scenic flight around Denali with glacier landing. We were super lucky to be first plane to land on the glacier after 3 weeks where it was not possible. Even the flights that came back before we left that day were not able to land due to too much fog. Our pilot did 4 different landings to "pave" the runway on the snow for a few more planes to land behind us:
![](/blogimg/01/thumb1024_101_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![this was the same plane than our float plane, but it had skis instead this was the same plane than our float plane, but it had skis instead](/blogimg/03/thumb1024_103_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
this was the same plane than our float plane, but it had skis instead
![got the copilot seat again got the copilot seat again](/blogimg/04/thumb1024_104_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
got the copilot seat again
![lots of taildraggers lots of taildraggers](/blogimg/08/thumb1024_108_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
lots of taildraggers
![](/blogimg/15/thumb1024_115_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/18/thumb1024_118_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/25/thumb1024_125_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/36/thumb1024_136_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![several glaciers several glaciers](/blogimg/40/thumb1024_140_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
several glaciers
![which don't always look good when you zoom which don't always look good when you zoom](/blogimg/58/thumb1024_158_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
which don't always look good when you zoom
![](/blogimg/47/thumb1024_147_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/64/thumb1024_164_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/67/thumb1024_167_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/74/thumb1024_174_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/82/thumb1024_182_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![I wouldn't snowboard down this :) I wouldn't snowboard down this :)](/blogimg/92/thumb1024_192_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
I wouldn't snowboard down this :)
![beautiful field beautiful field](/blogimg/04/thumb1024_204_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
beautiful field
![](/blogimg/13/thumb1024_213_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/14/thumb1024_214_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/17/thumb1024_217_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/45/thumb1024_245_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/54/thumb1024_254_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
Then, it was time for our glacier landing. This is normally the base that people who climb denali, start from. It's still a 3 week climb:
![](/blogimg/69/thumb1024_269_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/79/thumb1024_279_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![t is a big plane t is a big plane](/blogimg/89/thumb1024_289_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
t is a big plane
![](/blogimg/06/thumb1024_306_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/09/thumb1024_309_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
Then it was time to get back in the air:
![](/blogimg/16/thumb1024_316_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/27/thumb1024_327_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/38/thumb1024_338_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![hard to tell that all that dirt is a glacier, until you see this hard to tell that all that dirt is a glacier, until you see this](/blogimg/42/thumb1024_342_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
hard to tell that all that dirt is a glacier, until you see this
![](/blogimg/44/thumb1024_344_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![back to Talkeetna back to Talkeetna](/blogimg/55/thumb1024_355_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
back to Talkeetna
After the flight, we had a quick tour of downtown Talkeetna:
![](/blogimg/58/thumb1024_358_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/59/thumb1024_359_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/61/thumb1024_361_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/65/thumb1024_365_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![cheap gas cheap gas](/blogimg/77/thumb1024_377_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
cheap gas
We got back on the road toward denali, and did a stop at a nice viewpoint:
![](/blogimg/86/thumb1024_386_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/03/thumb1024_403_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
Then back on the road, and got to the visitor center by 17:15 before they closed at 18:00
![](/blogimg/08/thumb1024_408_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![and after a total of 5.5H most of which Jennifer drove (thanks), we arrived at Denali and after a total of 5.5H most of which Jennifer drove (thanks), we arrived at Denali](/blogimg/09/thumb1024_409_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
and after a total of 5.5H most of which Jennifer drove (thanks), we arrived at Denali
![](/blogimg/11/thumb1024_411_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/14/thumb1024_414_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/22/thumb1024_422_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/24/thumb1024_424_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/32/thumb1024_432_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
It was then time for dinner, some food grocery shopping for our next day, and some sleep in preparation for a 05:45 wakeup. We got to see a bit of wildlife:
![](/blogimg/38/thumb1024_438_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)
![](/blogimg/40/thumb1024_440_20190905_Day02_Denali.jpg)