Mt Denali reaches high into the skies of Alaska. Its snow covered pecks sat way above the cloud cover that threatened our flight that day. Just as we were about to be forced to take the third flight down from the one we had planned, they came in and said they were going up on the second flight down. The cloud cover wasn't as bad as expected and it was lifting. So we were going, ready or not!
This company is located two and a half hours north of Anchorage. It is a large business with many different twin engine and single engine planes. They give four different tours of Mt Denali. The one we were shooting for would take us to the very top of the mountain, 30,000 feet. On the last half hour we would be required to wear oxygen masks. How exciting is that? Smile.
When we got there we were told that they were in question if our flight would be going because of cloud cover, but we were to come back a half hour before the scheduled time and they would have the final word. At that time we could either reschedule or choose one of the flights they were giving.
It was a beautiful warm 75 degrees and the sun was shining on us as we waited the half hour, sitting in lawn chairs watching as the planes were coming in and refueling. It is funny how it can be sunshine where you are but high above, a little cloud cover can hinder a flight.
At 5:30 PM we went back into the office to hear the verdict. They told us that we could not take the flight we were scheduled for but they were still giving the third one down. After lots of discussing, we decided to take that one. But to our amazement, a lady came running in and told us that we could go on the second one down! It would be just as good as the one we had planned, minus the oxygen masks.
Eight of us and the pilot made our way off the deck and through a gate and down the runway to the white twin engine plane waiting for us. Before we boarded we stood outside in the sun listening to all the instructions on what to do and expect. He was a very easy going young fellow. He flew tours in the summer and spent his winters in Florida. He was going up for his fourth time that day!
He told us where to sit and as we got to our seats, we put the head sets on and pulled the speaker pod down in front of our mouth. Because of these, the pilot could explain the trip to us and we could ask him questions. As we were slowly circling out to the end of the runway, I was thinking "You can do this. You will do this."
We sat there at the end of the runway for a little bit as the pilot talked to the control tower, then he started to rev up the engine and we started to move down the runway. Faster and faster we went until slowly so slowly we started up. The buildings, and trees, and runway all disappeared from our sight and as we tilted a bit to the left and straighten out we were up and away.
And oh the beauty. As we glided there, it felt like the bottom dropped out from underneath you and you were held there in mid air by a invisible string. Below, you could make out the buildings, the runway, the river curving here and there among the under brush.
Then we went up through the light cloud, and toward Mt Denali. The scene changed completely. Gone was the buildings, the river, the trees, the empty lawn chair. In their place was a perfect white cotton like cover. That is all you could see beneath you....only white. It looked like you could get out and tiptoe through it and feel it tickle your toes. And then....what a beauty to behold. In front of us, setting like a giant castle was Mt Denali.
Let me see if I can explain it a bit better. We are flying above the clouds. Beneath us is pure white, nothing at all but pure white. Then all of a sudden this giant snow top mountain appears, setting right in the middle of the pure white. You just stare. That's all you can do. It's like you have entered a fairy land all of its own.
The pilot took us all through those tall beautiful pecks. We saw sights that only can be seen from inside a plane. We saw glaciers, ski tracks and foot tracks left behind by men and women who attempted to climb Mt Denali. As we circled the back side of the mountain, there in front of us was a sheered black rock face reaching down, into the next snow covered mountain peck. Completely breathtaking. Completely worth it.
We circled up there among the snow covered pecks for about one hour. All the time we were taking pictures, staring and hardly talking. How can a person find words for such beauty? You just can't. To our surprise the clouds lifted and we could see way below to the valley, the tiny river winding its way among the brush and the buildings sitting there like little specks.
I thought of my empty lawn chair setting there in the yard. I was so glad it was empty. I was so glad I was up here. Just think of the beauty I would have missed! You felt so free up here. Soaring like a eagle in and out among those snow covered mountain peaks. Tilting first to the left and then to the right, straightening out and going between two black peaks, covered with glacier.
"Oh look," I say to Stan, "It looks like a runway down there between those mountain tops." Just following my statement the pilot said into our earphones. "That is the glacier we land on and take off from when the weather permits." Can you imagine that. Landing up here on top of a glacier and taking off again Wow!!
I left part of my heart upon that snow capped mountain top that day. It's beauty will forever live in my mind.
The beautiful ski resort sat in the Alaskan mountains just outside of Girdwood. This is the second mountain top I want to tell you about.
As we parked and walked across the road, over a well kept lawn and into a clearing, a large ski resort sat nestled among pines, flowers, green lawns and water fountains. In the background was the mountains, looming into the clear blue Alaskan sky. Here we were going to climb two miles of trail to the top of the mountain where we would get on a tram and ride back down.
Carolyn and the boys took off first and Stan waited for me as I made a last bathroom stop. This walk would take us two hours. As we started down the wide gravel trail, Carolyn came back to tell us that this trail was considered steep and strenuous so we made a plan. If we decided to not go all the way to the top we were to text her, otherwise they would wait at the top for a half hour before coming down. Ok that's a plan.
I added that last couple lines because the "old me" would have said right then and there. "No I'll just wait down here. " I would not have believed that I could climb it for two reasons. 1. It was hot and all in the sun. 2. It was all up hill and that word "strenuous" scared me. It scared me because I feared the unknown. But I just decided right then and there that I was going as far as I possibility could go. I was going to forget myself for once and enjoy the company of my husband and the beauty around me. So we waved to her and said "We'll see you at the top!"
We each found a stick and started up the wide gravel path as it slowly made its way up the mountain.Stan held his bottle of water in his hand and mine was in a hip pack around my waist. There were pines and some shade trees to both sides of us but the sun beat down on us. The higher we climbed the steeper it got. It became a single gravel trail winding among the brush and wild grass. Stan was in front of me a few yards. but I didn't care. It was peaceful out here as long as the bears stayed away. On and on we went, one foot in front of the other.
At the half way mark, I started to get doubts. It was hot and the climbing was hard. Your feet would slip on loose gravel sometimes and you had to catch yourself. Sweat was getting in our eyes and your face felt hot. Even if we stopped for water, you were still thirsty.
At this point my negative thoughts started in big time. "You think you can make it but you can't. If you do you will regret it at the top. Your just trying to be a show off." On and on they came, but I just kept going. We came to a clear little stream of water running over some rocks. I stopped and took off my top, dunked it in the water and put it back on. "What are you doing for crying out loud?" Stan asked me. "Oh I'm determined to make this climb, but I'm getting hot, so I'm doing what I found works when I haul wheat. I'm soaking down my shirt and going on!" I said starting to climb.
Shortly after that we came to a clearing in the trees and oh my what a view met our eyes. We were at the mile and half mark. From where we stood the valley of green lush grass and bush ran down between the dark mountains looming up on both sides. It was postcard perfect. Down and down you could look to the resort below. Valley, mountains, sky, and snow. Clear blue sky. I learned a lesson, standing there at the edge of that cliff. I learned that there is always a beauty following the unknown experience. You just have to get to the end to find it.
On we went up and up and up. Around corners and straight. The trail was getting rougher now. There were some rocks to climb over, but around each corner was a beauty all of its own. We would stop and rest, get a drink and plod on, slipping on gravel, catching ourselves and going on. At this point the trail was narrow and on our right was the mountain wall, to our left a field of little white flowers among green, made a fast decline down the mountain. You wanted to stay as close to the mountain as you could. We were on our final half mile of the climb.
I learned that day that there are lessons you learn when you climb "mountains" in life. When you face a mountain straight on and you make it, you can feel a since of victory over your negativity. You can know the happiness within yourself of overcoming fear. I learned that day that "mountain experiences" in life, although they can be hard and strenuous are good for me. I learned that if I don't give up, there will be a beauty at the end of every mountain trail. A beauty just for me.
So good night and tomorrow we all will go on a cruise!!!
This company is located two and a half hours north of Anchorage. It is a large business with many different twin engine and single engine planes. They give four different tours of Mt Denali. The one we were shooting for would take us to the very top of the mountain, 30,000 feet. On the last half hour we would be required to wear oxygen masks. How exciting is that? Smile.
When we got there we were told that they were in question if our flight would be going because of cloud cover, but we were to come back a half hour before the scheduled time and they would have the final word. At that time we could either reschedule or choose one of the flights they were giving.
It was a beautiful warm 75 degrees and the sun was shining on us as we waited the half hour, sitting in lawn chairs watching as the planes were coming in and refueling. It is funny how it can be sunshine where you are but high above, a little cloud cover can hinder a flight.
At 5:30 PM we went back into the office to hear the verdict. They told us that we could not take the flight we were scheduled for but they were still giving the third one down. After lots of discussing, we decided to take that one. But to our amazement, a lady came running in and told us that we could go on the second one down! It would be just as good as the one we had planned, minus the oxygen masks.
Eight of us and the pilot made our way off the deck and through a gate and down the runway to the white twin engine plane waiting for us. Before we boarded we stood outside in the sun listening to all the instructions on what to do and expect. He was a very easy going young fellow. He flew tours in the summer and spent his winters in Florida. He was going up for his fourth time that day!
He told us where to sit and as we got to our seats, we put the head sets on and pulled the speaker pod down in front of our mouth. Because of these, the pilot could explain the trip to us and we could ask him questions. As we were slowly circling out to the end of the runway, I was thinking "You can do this. You will do this."
We sat there at the end of the runway for a little bit as the pilot talked to the control tower, then he started to rev up the engine and we started to move down the runway. Faster and faster we went until slowly so slowly we started up. The buildings, and trees, and runway all disappeared from our sight and as we tilted a bit to the left and straighten out we were up and away.
And oh the beauty. As we glided there, it felt like the bottom dropped out from underneath you and you were held there in mid air by a invisible string. Below, you could make out the buildings, the runway, the river curving here and there among the under brush.
Then we went up through the light cloud, and toward Mt Denali. The scene changed completely. Gone was the buildings, the river, the trees, the empty lawn chair. In their place was a perfect white cotton like cover. That is all you could see beneath you....only white. It looked like you could get out and tiptoe through it and feel it tickle your toes. And then....what a beauty to behold. In front of us, setting like a giant castle was Mt Denali.
Let me see if I can explain it a bit better. We are flying above the clouds. Beneath us is pure white, nothing at all but pure white. Then all of a sudden this giant snow top mountain appears, setting right in the middle of the pure white. You just stare. That's all you can do. It's like you have entered a fairy land all of its own.
The pilot took us all through those tall beautiful pecks. We saw sights that only can be seen from inside a plane. We saw glaciers, ski tracks and foot tracks left behind by men and women who attempted to climb Mt Denali. As we circled the back side of the mountain, there in front of us was a sheered black rock face reaching down, into the next snow covered mountain peck. Completely breathtaking. Completely worth it.
We circled up there among the snow covered pecks for about one hour. All the time we were taking pictures, staring and hardly talking. How can a person find words for such beauty? You just can't. To our surprise the clouds lifted and we could see way below to the valley, the tiny river winding its way among the brush and the buildings sitting there like little specks.
I thought of my empty lawn chair setting there in the yard. I was so glad it was empty. I was so glad I was up here. Just think of the beauty I would have missed! You felt so free up here. Soaring like a eagle in and out among those snow covered mountain peaks. Tilting first to the left and then to the right, straightening out and going between two black peaks, covered with glacier.
"Oh look," I say to Stan, "It looks like a runway down there between those mountain tops." Just following my statement the pilot said into our earphones. "That is the glacier we land on and take off from when the weather permits." Can you imagine that. Landing up here on top of a glacier and taking off again Wow!!
I left part of my heart upon that snow capped mountain top that day. It's beauty will forever live in my mind.
The beautiful ski resort sat in the Alaskan mountains just outside of Girdwood. This is the second mountain top I want to tell you about.
As we parked and walked across the road, over a well kept lawn and into a clearing, a large ski resort sat nestled among pines, flowers, green lawns and water fountains. In the background was the mountains, looming into the clear blue Alaskan sky. Here we were going to climb two miles of trail to the top of the mountain where we would get on a tram and ride back down.
Carolyn and the boys took off first and Stan waited for me as I made a last bathroom stop. This walk would take us two hours. As we started down the wide gravel trail, Carolyn came back to tell us that this trail was considered steep and strenuous so we made a plan. If we decided to not go all the way to the top we were to text her, otherwise they would wait at the top for a half hour before coming down. Ok that's a plan.
I added that last couple lines because the "old me" would have said right then and there. "No I'll just wait down here. " I would not have believed that I could climb it for two reasons. 1. It was hot and all in the sun. 2. It was all up hill and that word "strenuous" scared me. It scared me because I feared the unknown. But I just decided right then and there that I was going as far as I possibility could go. I was going to forget myself for once and enjoy the company of my husband and the beauty around me. So we waved to her and said "We'll see you at the top!"
We each found a stick and started up the wide gravel path as it slowly made its way up the mountain.Stan held his bottle of water in his hand and mine was in a hip pack around my waist. There were pines and some shade trees to both sides of us but the sun beat down on us. The higher we climbed the steeper it got. It became a single gravel trail winding among the brush and wild grass. Stan was in front of me a few yards. but I didn't care. It was peaceful out here as long as the bears stayed away. On and on we went, one foot in front of the other.
At the half way mark, I started to get doubts. It was hot and the climbing was hard. Your feet would slip on loose gravel sometimes and you had to catch yourself. Sweat was getting in our eyes and your face felt hot. Even if we stopped for water, you were still thirsty.
At this point my negative thoughts started in big time. "You think you can make it but you can't. If you do you will regret it at the top. Your just trying to be a show off." On and on they came, but I just kept going. We came to a clear little stream of water running over some rocks. I stopped and took off my top, dunked it in the water and put it back on. "What are you doing for crying out loud?" Stan asked me. "Oh I'm determined to make this climb, but I'm getting hot, so I'm doing what I found works when I haul wheat. I'm soaking down my shirt and going on!" I said starting to climb.
Shortly after that we came to a clearing in the trees and oh my what a view met our eyes. We were at the mile and half mark. From where we stood the valley of green lush grass and bush ran down between the dark mountains looming up on both sides. It was postcard perfect. Down and down you could look to the resort below. Valley, mountains, sky, and snow. Clear blue sky. I learned a lesson, standing there at the edge of that cliff. I learned that there is always a beauty following the unknown experience. You just have to get to the end to find it.
On we went up and up and up. Around corners and straight. The trail was getting rougher now. There were some rocks to climb over, but around each corner was a beauty all of its own. We would stop and rest, get a drink and plod on, slipping on gravel, catching ourselves and going on. At this point the trail was narrow and on our right was the mountain wall, to our left a field of little white flowers among green, made a fast decline down the mountain. You wanted to stay as close to the mountain as you could. We were on our final half mile of the climb.
I learned that day that there are lessons you learn when you climb "mountains" in life. When you face a mountain straight on and you make it, you can feel a since of victory over your negativity. You can know the happiness within yourself of overcoming fear. I learned that day that "mountain experiences" in life, although they can be hard and strenuous are good for me. I learned that if I don't give up, there will be a beauty at the end of every mountain trail. A beauty just for me.
So good night and tomorrow we all will go on a cruise!!!
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