TRAINS AND PLANES TO DENALI

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The second day of our trip was perhaps the most logistically interesting day of any trip I’d ever undertaken. And, spoiler alert, it would end up being one of the most epic days of our lives. 

We started out early in the morning with a drive south from Wasilla to Anchorage. In Anchorage, we boarded an Alaska Railroad Gold Star Class railcar which carried us north to Talkeetna. Along the way, we enjoyed breakfast in the dining car while looking out at the awe-inspiring lakes and mountains that characterize Alaska. This train journey alone would’ve made for a memorable day, but we didn’t stop there. We got off the train and walked from the depot into the small village of Talkeetna for lunch at Denali Brew Pub (excellent food by the way). And after lunch, we walked to the Talkeetna Airport for a flight with K2 Aviation. 

After checking in and waiting for our time slot, we climbed into a De Havilland Otter powered by the legendary Pratt and Whitney PT6 Turboprop and took off over the marsh land surrounding Talkeetna. Below, the rolling green land stretched to the horizon, intermittently broken up by innumerable small lakes in all directions. These views were incredible, but as our plane carried us over the Alaskan Range, the views became inconceivably beautiful. We soared over the endless peaks and glaciers and made several loops around the peak of Denali, feeling constantly overwhelmed by what we were seeing. Eventually, after circling a particular valley a few times to scope out the landing, our pilot skillfully brought us to Denali Basecamp for some deeper immersion in this stunning landscape. After spending about twenty minutes trudging around our striking red plane, looking up at the snow and ice-covered peaks all around us, and watching climbers set up their camps and prepare for summit attempts just fifty yards away, we got back in the plane and headed toward Talkeetna. Our entire experience with K2 aviation was world class, and I left super impressed with how they run their business and the level of professionalism displayed by the people who comprise the company. 

After our epic flightseeing tour around Denali, we walked back to the train depot and sat on a railside bench, reflecting on the unforgettable experience we’d just had. Eventually, the train arrived and carried us back to Anchorage, with a wonderful dinner en route.