Denali National Park - Alaska and Points North: Tips and Tales from the Road - page 131

ets.Horrible.Theicecreamcone,however,wasamazing. Threescoopsofmoosetracksfor
$3; chocolate pellets mixed into a rich vanilla swirled through with chocolate and caramel.
Back to the park; Mount McKinley, of course, is the headliner and she did not disappoint.
At 6,200 m /20,320 ft she is a snow-capped superstar with an evil temper. Winds gust to
240 kph /150 mph and the temperatures plummet to -70°C/ -95°F. She has a heart of gran-
ite overlaid with ice that is hundreds of feet thick in places. Up to 75% of the mountain
remains snow-covered 12 months a year.
Clouds move restlessly over her face, drifting down her flanks. We were fortunate to have
several opportunities to see McKinley almost totally revealed, but those fleeting glimpses
lasted mere moments.
Forme,though,thewonderofDenaliwasnotjustthemountainbutthetotalsensoryexper-
ience. The landscape plays out on such a massive scale that it boggles the mind. The moun-
tains are so high, the valleys are so vast, glaciers pour down the slopes into the braided
rivers that chase moraine fields to the ocean itself. The Alaskan Range with its plethora
of 15,000 foot peaks, polychromatic flanks reflecting their metallurgical compositions. All
gorgeous. My face stays glued to the window, mouth agape. It was an eleven-hour round
trip on school bus bench seats, but there was not a moment when I wished it were over.