Anchorage - Talkeetna - Denali
First off, we cant post any pictures, because the Internet Cafe that we are in right now, wont let us edit our pictures, and the pictures would get way too big to upload.
Anchorage
So, in short. We picked up our RV and left Anchorage at around 4 pm, after some heavy grocery shopping. Sophie was a bit nervous driving at first but that quickly faded and now she feels secure in her driving. Joakim, of course, has to drink beer constantly, in order to manage sitting in the passenger seat without passing out of fear.
Glacier landing in Talkeetna
After 3 hours we arrived in Talkeetna and found a camping site next to a little creek. Went to sleep, and woke up the next day ready to go for a flightseeing around Mt McKinley, with a possible glacier landing. At first, it didnt seem that we would get to land at a glacier. The weather was not very good, and the forecast was more of the same. So, we decided to wait a couple of more hours, hoping the weather would clear up. Finally, we decided to go. The weather was still pretty grey, but once we arrived at Mt McKinley Base Camp it had cleared enough for us to land, so we touched down, among a group of exhausted climbers hoping for a ride home. Stayed there a little while, and then took off, to head back to Talkeetna.
On our way back, the weather all of a sudden cleared up, and we got a great view of Mt McKinley :) This is, apparently, pretty rare. Only 20% of the people coming to see Mt McKinley get to see it, and we got a perfect view. The other times we tried to get a glimpse of it, it was completely covered in clouds.
Denali national park
After eating lunch in Talkeetna, which is basically a road with a couple of houses, we headed up north, for Denali National Park. Drive was 4 hours, and considerably more beautiful than the drive to Talkeetna. Approximately half way there, a bear all of a sudden crossed the road in front of us, but Joakim was too drunk to get his rifle (camera) out in time.
In Denali national park, we spent first day travelling far far far into the park, over to Wonder Lake. Well, the lake was no wonder, and the Mt McKinley, was, of course, covered in clouds. Did get to see a lot of wildlife though. Second day we travelled not as far, and hiked around a mountain region, and hiked to the top of one of the mountains, and got a view of the surrounding mountains. Again, Mt McKinley was, tadaaa, clouded in. But the rest of the mountain range was beautiful also.
The weather in the park is very strange. During our hike up, and down, the mountain we found ourselves in blazing sunshine, and a couple of minutes later in snow and cold. Its really strange.
Third day we went to a kennel to watch some sled dogs, which was sort of fun. Joakim was really sick then, and is really sick today, so that day we didnt really do anything else.
River rafting
Fourth day in the park is pack your stuff, empty your poop tank and leave day. Left the park, and went river rafting down the Nenanna river. It was 2 hours of great fun, down Class 2, 3 and 4 whitewater. Class 2 is, well, basically still water. Class 3 is a little more edgy. Class 4 is really edgy, and loads of fun! :)
And you get reaaaaally reaaaaally wet too!
Right now we are in McKinley village, finished some fish and chips, and are drinking a great cup of coffee.
- A great cup of coffee in USA!?! you say. Thats completely unheard of!
Well, i guess them coffee makers must be of a swedish origin.
Gas station sightseeing
Soon, we head a little bit south, to the city, uhmm no... town uhmm no thats not it either... village? nah... more like a gas station, called Cantwell. Look it up on Google Earth. Once there, we will head east, and drive through the valley of two mountain ranges. The Alaska Range, and the Talkeetna Range. The road is called Denali Highway, and weve heard reports that its awful, and other reports that its actually quite ok. So... lets hope the latter holds true.
Like we said in the beginning, no photos as of now. But there will be some photos uploaded, at least by the 19th (when we are back in Anchorage again).
Anchorage
So, in short. We picked up our RV and left Anchorage at around 4 pm, after some heavy grocery shopping. Sophie was a bit nervous driving at first but that quickly faded and now she feels secure in her driving. Joakim, of course, has to drink beer constantly, in order to manage sitting in the passenger seat without passing out of fear.
Glacier landing in Talkeetna
After 3 hours we arrived in Talkeetna and found a camping site next to a little creek. Went to sleep, and woke up the next day ready to go for a flightseeing around Mt McKinley, with a possible glacier landing. At first, it didnt seem that we would get to land at a glacier. The weather was not very good, and the forecast was more of the same. So, we decided to wait a couple of more hours, hoping the weather would clear up. Finally, we decided to go. The weather was still pretty grey, but once we arrived at Mt McKinley Base Camp it had cleared enough for us to land, so we touched down, among a group of exhausted climbers hoping for a ride home. Stayed there a little while, and then took off, to head back to Talkeetna.
On our way back, the weather all of a sudden cleared up, and we got a great view of Mt McKinley :) This is, apparently, pretty rare. Only 20% of the people coming to see Mt McKinley get to see it, and we got a perfect view. The other times we tried to get a glimpse of it, it was completely covered in clouds.
Denali national park
After eating lunch in Talkeetna, which is basically a road with a couple of houses, we headed up north, for Denali National Park. Drive was 4 hours, and considerably more beautiful than the drive to Talkeetna. Approximately half way there, a bear all of a sudden crossed the road in front of us, but Joakim was too drunk to get his rifle (camera) out in time.
In Denali national park, we spent first day travelling far far far into the park, over to Wonder Lake. Well, the lake was no wonder, and the Mt McKinley, was, of course, covered in clouds. Did get to see a lot of wildlife though. Second day we travelled not as far, and hiked around a mountain region, and hiked to the top of one of the mountains, and got a view of the surrounding mountains. Again, Mt McKinley was, tadaaa, clouded in. But the rest of the mountain range was beautiful also.
The weather in the park is very strange. During our hike up, and down, the mountain we found ourselves in blazing sunshine, and a couple of minutes later in snow and cold. Its really strange.
Third day we went to a kennel to watch some sled dogs, which was sort of fun. Joakim was really sick then, and is really sick today, so that day we didnt really do anything else.
River rafting
Fourth day in the park is pack your stuff, empty your poop tank and leave day. Left the park, and went river rafting down the Nenanna river. It was 2 hours of great fun, down Class 2, 3 and 4 whitewater. Class 2 is, well, basically still water. Class 3 is a little more edgy. Class 4 is really edgy, and loads of fun! :)
And you get reaaaaally reaaaaally wet too!
Right now we are in McKinley village, finished some fish and chips, and are drinking a great cup of coffee.
- A great cup of coffee in USA!?! you say. Thats completely unheard of!
Well, i guess them coffee makers must be of a swedish origin.
Gas station sightseeing
Soon, we head a little bit south, to the city, uhmm no... town uhmm no thats not it either... village? nah... more like a gas station, called Cantwell. Look it up on Google Earth. Once there, we will head east, and drive through the valley of two mountain ranges. The Alaska Range, and the Talkeetna Range. The road is called Denali Highway, and weve heard reports that its awful, and other reports that its actually quite ok. So... lets hope the latter holds true.
Like we said in the beginning, no photos as of now. But there will be some photos uploaded, at least by the 19th (when we are back in Anchorage again).
posted by Joakim at 2:19 PM
4 Comments:
Härligt med ett livstecken från er. Vi har just kommit hem från en mycket god middag på Tennstopet. På tisdag bär det av till Kalvsund.
Kram
Mamma
Hej!
Hoppas att ni har det bra! Inga grizzlybjörnar som stör hoppas jag.
Är i Wien just nu och ska snart hem!
Läskigt värre när vi skulle landa pa vägen hit, precis vid landning när hjulen var nästan i backen paniklyfte vi. Ljusen släcktes och ingen information. Efter ca 10 minuter sa piloten att ett litet privatplan statt pa landningsbanan och da hade vi antagligen krockat!
Pappa blev konstigt nog inte särskilt nervös, men jag gillar ju inte att flyga i vanliga fall, sa gaah.
Kram
Hedvig
Jag måste säga att jag blev besviken på att Jocke inte gick ut och fångade björnen och sålde till någon cirkus.
Mamma:
Later trevligt :) Halsa kalvsund fran mig. Vet iofs inte vilken dag det ar idag, sa ni kanske ar pa vag dit nu :)
Hedvig:
Uaaaaah... det dar lat laskigt. Jag skulle sakert ha krakts! Hoppas att Wien var kul for ovrigt.
Carl:
Jocke ar ett med naturen nu. Han attackerar inte djurlivet, han ar en del av det. Ju mer skagget vaxte, desto mer vacktes hans animaliska instinkter. Sophie har salt jocke till en cirkus i Sourdough. Bild kommer senare
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