After Seward, my next major stop was Denali National Park seven hours north. My plan for Friday was to drive to Talkeetna and take a flightsee trip over Denali on Saturday. I would save about six hours of driving (round trip) if I could just fly out over the park, but I was a little disappointed that I wouldn’t actually set foot in Denali.
After my retry at Exit Glacier on Friday morning I got back in my truck and headed toward Anchorage the same way I had come down. The same way is the only way. It was a rainy and snowy morning, but the scenery was still beautiful.
Portage
I had nothing to do but drive that day. The weather and the fact that I had already seen all of this kept me moving pretty well. I did take a slight detour to Portage. It’s an area with lots of glaciers nearby. The weather kept me from hiking so I kept driving until I reached the viewing area for Portage Glacier. However the day was so dark and the clouds so low I couldn’t see very much.
Seward Highway
As I was getting closer to Anchorage, the Turnagain Arm reappeared on my left. I thought to myself, “I really want to see a beluga whale.” I glanced over and out in the water, just above the guardrail, I saw a distinctive white back. “BELUGA!!!!!” I yelled alone in my truck. Unfortunately the guardrail was in my sightline and now eclipsed the whale entirely. I was excitedly looking up and down, but couldn’t get another glimpse. There was no doubt in my mind that I had just seen a beluga whale, but I wanted to watch one for awhile and maybe even get a few photos.
A half a mile (that felt like a hundred miles) later there was a turn off. I parked my truck, leapt out, and quickly began scanning the water. Finally I saw a mist rise from the water. I thought it must have come from a blowhole expulsion, but I didn’t see anything. I waited. Soon I saw a back of a whale. Then another one. And more coming behind them. I never did get an exact count, but I would guess there were six to eight belugas swimming along that day.
We were all going the same direction, so after they swam past I drove to the next turn off and waited for them.
Trip: MADE! I had never imagined I would see a beluga whale. I felt like a kid at Christmas. I was literally jumping up and down with joy in the parking lot. I had a stupid grin on my face the rest of the day. What an incredible experience!
Wasilla
I climbed back in my truck and realized I was still less than half way to Talkeetna. I pressed on and didn’t stop again until I reached Wasilla. No, I didn’t see Sarah Palin. Yes, I have already been asked that.
I stopped in Wasilla to refuel and visit the Iditarod Headquarters. I didn’t have much time to look around, but I checked out a few displays and bought my uncle a couple Christmas gifts. They have a great gift shop and a bit of a makeshift museum. I do know that the next time I go to Alaska I would like it to be for the Iditarod.
Talkeetna
As I continued to drive north I saw some dog sled teams practicing on trails. There wasn’t enough snow for them to run sleds, but the dogs were teamed up and running in front of four-wheelers. This is a sight I would see many times over the next few days.
I hit the turnoff for Talkeetna and stopped at an outlook before I reached town. The outlook was meant to have a good view of Denali. Lief had also told me this would be a great spot to shoot the Aurora. Unfortunately it was cloudy and rainy throughout my stay. I didn’t see Denali or the Aurora while I was there.
I made my way into town and found my hotel. It was a simple, but clean room. It was by far the least glamorous accommodations of my trip and yet also the most expensive. When you’re in a place like Talkeetna, Alaska the competition in sparse.
I asked the lady at the front desk if there were any places around where I could see wildlife. She wasn’t very helpful, but she did tell me about a path through the woods that would take me into town.
I wasn’t hungry, but I didn’t want to walk back the forested path in the dark, so I headed for town. Along the way I walked out onto a railroad bridge the lady at the hotel had mentioned, but I didn’t see anything. I went to dinner at the Talkeetna Roadhouse and thoroughly enjoyed my reindeer meatloaf sandwich.
After dinner I walked through the remaining few blocks of town and found a sign about a river front park and a path leading to the water. On a sandbar I saw three creepy looking birds. It was only by looking through my binoculars that I discovered two of them were bald eagles. These were not the majestic eagles we’re used to seeing on stamps and seals. These birds had clearly been through it. They had seen some things. Life hit them hard. Or just the rain that day had really knocked it out of them. They were in need of some serious preening.
I called my dad as I headed back into the forest. Talking to someone always makes a creepy experience less creepy. I got back to my shabby room and took a hot shower before passing out from exhaustion. My alarm was set for 3:00 am. I headed out onto the porch when it went off , but it was still raining and the Aurora was hidden.
I woke up early the next day to heavy fog and cold temperatures. I still had hours before my flightsee trip so I began driving north hoping to see some wildlife.
Did I find any wildlife? Did I ever see Denali? Was I able to do a flightsee trip? Or cross Denali National Park off my list?
Keep reading to find out!
Keep Reading
Alaskan Mis-Adventures – Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and Anchorage by bike
Alaskan Night to Remember – Photographing the Blood Moon, Lunar Eclipse, and the Aurora Borealis
Sailing Seward – Exploring the Seward Highway and cruising through Kenai Fjords National Park
Denali National Park – My first steps into Denali
Denali Flightsee – A look at Denali National Park from above
Independence Mine State Park – a quick look through an abandoned gold mine
