Alaska From Above
In July 2019 my husband and I spent 9 days up North in Alaska for our honeymoon. I had never been, and it had been a dream (obsession) of mine to visit the Last Frontier at some point. While living our last few months in Hawai’i, my mind was stuck on the future and what we would do once we got to Alaska. I wrote out a list of what we wanted to try to experience while we were there, and we saved money for one adventure at a time.
A few things we wanted to do while in the 49th state were :
Visit Denali
Ride in a Float Plane
See A Moose
Go Fishing
Thankfully we got to experience everything on our list, with a slight revision to the float plane. Rather than a float plane, we opted instead for a regular prop plane that would tour the Denali Region. This would not have been possible to do on our trip, if it wasn’t for my Uncle Chaney. Chaney not only gifted us money to experience more of Alaska with, but provided his own personal maps for us from his trips there.
There were many companies to choose from but we ended up choosing K2 Aviation for our tour. We chose the “Denali Flyer” tour that was about an hour and a half long and showcased a lot of Denali National Park’s beautiful scenery. Not only did the tour show viewpoints of Denali that can only be seen by air, but it made a pit stop on Ruth Glacier, a mere 3 vertical miles from the summit.
Even though it was record breaking heat during our trip to Alaska, to prepare for our tour we followed what the guides told us and brought warm winter clothes. Also in tow was my Canon, and sunglasses for the burning brightness of the glacier.
On board our flight was us, the captain, and a large party of folks from India. I didn’t care who was with us, as long as we got to get up in the air and see Denali. However, there was a moment of apprehension when the captain said someone could sit up front in the cockpit with him, and two men fought over who got to go up there first. Matt and I looked at each other as the captain had to get on them about how they conducted themselves while inside the plane.
Once we were up in the air, the first thing I noticed was how the creeks and rivers looked like snakes going across the landscape. Coming from Southern California we don’t have much in terms of lakes and rivers, so seeing Alaska from above looked like water was seeping out of the ground everywhere.
As we approached Denali, the surrounding peaks truly entranced me with their raw and jagged forms. Something about their profiles made me realize just how small and vulnerable we are when compared to Mother Nature. It was a humbling moment, and a moment I was very thankful that we had a good pilot because I couldn’t imagine being left up there alone.
We passed over Kahiltna Glacier, which is about 45 miles long. The frozen river encompassed the whole valley and the crevasses even from above looked deep and pitless.
We soon had Ruth Glacier in sight and began to land on her sloshy iced surface. The abnormally warm weather had even had its effects on a 1,000+ year old glacier. The tour company had given everyone boot coverings for our shoes to deal with the snow, and I was happy to have them once seeing how melted the top surface truly was.
As we stepped out of the plane, the first thing you take in is the fresh cool air. It wasn’t as cold as it looked and really was beautiful weather. It was a clear day, so the summit was in perfect sight, showing off all of her beauty. We took a few photos of the surroundings and the plane, and then just let it all sink in where we actually were.
The pilot talked to my husband and I for a while, and told us that one of us got to sit up front once we headed out. As much as I wanted to be the one to sit up there, I let Matt go because he looked like a little kid on Christmas hearing the pilot talk.
The pilot called our time, and we loaded back into the plane. I loved watching Matt get to take it all in being in the cockpit. He recorded video as we took off, and got some great shots from the front of the plane. Meanwhile for myself I captured a few last images and put my camera away to admire the scenery for what we had left of the tour.
Up there I did say a prayer as I looked out of the window; thanking God for where he led me in life to be there in that moment. Nature truly is where I feel the most spiritual, and it was hard not feeling something as we flew over such a beautiful landscape.
If you are going to Alaska I would definitely recommend taking a flight tour. Yes it is costly, but it is worth saving up the money to see Alaska from above.
Ashlyn
@ashrugh on Instagram
