Landing on an Alaskan Glacier

We just got back from a fun trip to Alaska and I have to say that our favorite experience was landing on an Alaskan glacier.  It was a fantastic trip altogether and we did many fun excursions; whitewater rafting, exploring Denali National Park, seeing moose, bear, Dall sheep and caribou, and a paddleboat trip on the Nenana River, but the glacier landing stands out.

We took our flight-seeing excursion with K2 Aviation from Talkeetna, which is off the highway on the way between Anchorage and Denali.  If you have your own car, it’s very doable to stop and do the flight seeing on the way.

I highly recommend the flight out of Talkeetna, because of the access Talkeetna has to the jagged peaks on the south side of Mt. McKinley, or Denali; its original native name, as well as the ability to do the glacier landings.  There is a company that flies right out of Denali; however they do not do the glacier landings.  If you are on a cruisetour (land vacation combined with a cruise), then you will want to make sure your reservation includes a stop in Talkeetna and book your flight accordingly.

Our flight was in the early afternoon and our very experienced pilot’s name was Warren.  We each had a headset and could communicate with the pilot and hear the radio traffic.  During our flight, Warren gave us great information about the glaciers we were seeing and the rivers that form underneath them and flow through the valleys and down to lower elevations.

We flew higher and higher, climbing up above the cloud-line until that glorious moment when we got our first view of the top of Mt. McKinley!  It was absolutely beautiful, rising up through the clouds as if to greet us and say “thanks for making the journey”.  Everyone on our 10 passenger, ski-equipped de Havilland Turbine Otter had a window seat and Warren made sure to bank the plane, first to the left side and then to the right, so that each person had a view.

I really loved the spectacular terrain of “Little Switzerland”, which are jagged alpine peaks adjacent the Pika Glacier.  I have been in the actual Swiss Alps and they really did remind me of the craggy mountains there.  Little Switzerland is a popular alpine rock climbing area and Talkeetna Airport is the first step to reach the staging area for the climbers.

My husband, who is also a pilot, was impressed with the chatter on the radio between all of the pilots flying in Denali.  They were constantly giving reports of conditions as they were happening, keeping each other well informed.  The weather changes constantly here, so firsthand experience is invaluable.

Soon, Warren said “We’ll be landing on the Pika Glacier below”.  Excitement was palpable in the cabin as we approached the uphill, snowy “runway”.  There was already one airplane on the glacier there, so our expectations of a safe landing were high.  Warren didn’t let us down as we touched down very smoothly with the airplane’s skis onto the fluffy snow.  It had snowed the evening before and the glacier was in a virtually untouched blanket of white.  We all climbed out of the cabin door via metal steps that Warren put in place.

This was exhilarating; to be on a glacier of fresh snow that no one had yet stepped upon.  We were right in the middle of Little Switzerland on Mt. McKinley!  It was breathtaking.

The air was chilly and we were thankful for our warm jackets, gloves and hats.  But, Warren was there in his shirt sleeves, being an old hand at this.

Everyone started taking pictures.  This was definitely a Christmas card in the making.  Our plane was positioned laterally across the glacier and Warren obliged everyone by taking their picture and also posing with everyone.

We spent about thirty minutes on the Pika Glacier, enjoying the crisp air, beautiful view and taking picture after glorious picture.  Too soon, it was time to leave.

As previously mentioned, one small plane, a Cessna 185 was already there when we landed.  Three more came in after us, so there were five planes all together for a while. It was fun to watch the others come in and then see the Cessna take off and feel the blowing ice as it taxied down the glacier.

I learned that area pilots had originally thought an Otter de Havilland too big to land on the glaciers.  Other pilots thought differently.  Apparently our pilot Warren was one of the first, if not the first, to land a plane of this size on a Denali glacier.  K2 has been taking excited passengers in their Otters ever since.  (By the way, K2 also flies Beaver de Havillands and Cessna 185’s, among others).

Our take-off was equally exhilarating.   Warren revved the engine and soon we skied down the glacier and lifted off in seconds.  It was very smooth and uplifting, pardon my pun.

We flew down the center of the Pika Glacier, enjoying one last view of Little Switzerland as we headed back to Talkeetna.  We came down via the Great Gorge and the Ruth Glacier.  We enjoyed Warren’s commentary as he identified each mountain and glacier; Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter, Kahiltna Base Camp, North Fork Glacier, etc.  He pointed out small rivers disappearing under the glacier.

We saw the spot where the glacier water bubbles up from the ground and flows into the Tokositna River.  He also let us know when we got to the actual end of the glacier, which was surprising, because we couldn’t see any more ice.  It was actually covered by dirt and gravel, before it finally petered out and became liquid.

Flight-seeing into Denali is definitely spectacular by itself, but landing on an Alaskan Glacier was THE highlight of our trip.  If I could only do one of our exciting excursions, I would definitely choose the glacier landing.  I highly recommend it.

And, can you imagine a more unique way to start a new life adventure than popping the question or getting married on a glacier?  Or, can you imagine landing on an Alaskan glacier on your honeymoon, like the young couple on the plane with us?  Just contact me to get those plans in place.

Alaska is wild, untamed country.  It offers many exciting possibilities for the adventure seeker; wildlife viewing, kayaking, ATV, whitewater rafting, fishing, biking, flight seeing, climbing, etc.  The list goes on and on.  If you would like to plan your own Alaska adventure with a little bit of romance sprinkled in, I am here to help and guide you into planning a fabulous vacation that you will give you many happy memories to take home.  Please call me at 800-733-7471 or schedule a complimentary vacation planning appointment at www.AppointmentWithSheila.com.