Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

On Sunday, we drove from Fairbanks to the Denali area, the home of Denali National Park, which is known as "the jewel of the National Park System."
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0477.jpg

The landscape south of Fairbanks starts out relatively flat and gets more mountainous as we approached Denali:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0388.jpg

After crossing the Tanana River, we stopped in the little town of Tenana. They have an interesting event every year (since 1917) to celebrate the melting of the ice on the Tanana River, which signals spring and the reopening on commerence on the river. In March a large tripod is erected on the ice in the middle of the river. A cable is connected from the tripod to a clock tower on the shore in downtown Tenana.
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0436.jpg

Thousands of people pay $2.50 for a guess at the day, hour and minute that the ice will break up

When the ice breaks up, the tripod pulls on the cable and stops the "official" clock. The person with the winning ticket splits the pot with the city. In 2012, the the winners split $250,000!!! I put my money on April 30, at 11:30 AM.
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0437.jpg

The route from Fairbanks to Anchorage parallels the tracks of the Alaska Railroad and there are some very picturesque bridges along the route:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0490.jpg

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see a train go by:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0522.jpg

Jim

Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

As we continued our journey south to Denali, we encountered some rain. We were worried that the weather would spoil all of the plans we had for activities in Denali, but we lucked out and had excellent weather when we needed it.
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0483.jpg

We arrived in Denali before noon and headed up the hill to our Lodge:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0541.jpg

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0567.jpg

Here is a view from the our hotel, looking out at the river and Denali Park:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0569.jpg


With a great feeling of succes, we hoisted a few beers and celebrated 4,200 miles of flawless performance by the Yellow ZR-1.

Jim

Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

Hoping that the rain would hold off, we went for a trail ride on some ATV's. Not as powerful as a ZR-1, but much more nimble:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0007.jpg

The trails that we rode on are not actually in Denali park, but on old coal mining land that is surrounded by the Park:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0010.jpg

The views were fantastic:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0020.jpg

We rode up the rock field left by a retreating glacier:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0032.jpg

The "cliff" we climbed is the lateral moraine deposits:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0045.jpg

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0055.jpg

Jim

Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

On Sunday evening, went by helicopter up into the Alaska Range Mountains to visit a glacier.
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0076.jpg

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0087.jpg

This trip was without a doubt, one of the most impressive things that I have ever done. It is very hard to explain the sheer mass of these mountains, they go on for hundreds of miles. We left the Denali area and headed east:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0094-1.jpg

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0210-1.jpg

When we got up into the higher mountains we started to see a lot of glaciers:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0308.jpg

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0447.jpg

to be continued...

Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

There were two helicopters in our group. The pilot selected a galacier that had some interesting features and we landed on the ice:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0046.jpg

The surface of a glacier is amazing. We were standing on ice hundreds of feet thick. This particular glacier's movement is measured in feet per day. The surface of the ice was marked with black spots that looked like grains of sand but were really rock dust ground to a ultra-fine powder. There was a lake of melt water that sparkled from the effervesence of trapped gasses released from the melting, ancient ice.
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0084.jpg

The other helo landed across the water from us:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...DSC_0076-1.jpg

After we were airborn again, we saw more glaciers:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0240.jpg

On the way back, we flew through a cloud and made a rainbow:
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...e/DSC_0346.jpg

Jim

Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

Stunning, breath taking, fantastic, surreal and outstanding.
What else can I say?
Oh, what was the temperature outside when standing on
the glacier? Like mid 40s or so?

Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

You guys are having way too much fun! :mrgreen::thumbsup: Way to be Jim and Lindi!:fahne:


Thanks for sharing!

Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

I agree with Tom!!!! Damn, you will need a vacation from your vacation!!!!!!!

:saluting:

David

Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

When I look at pictures like these I'm always struck at how puny and insignificant man is compared to the forces of nature.

Re: ZR-1 Alaskan Adventure Travel Log
 

Karen & I visited Alaska a couple of years ago and really enjoy seeing your trip to some of the same places we were. Denali is an incredible place. I hope the weather is in your favor to see Mt McKinley. Your experiences make me want to go back.

Thanks for sharing with us!