NORTH TO ALASKA 2025 - DAY 44 - WE FINALLY SAW DENALI!!!

This event was so special, it gets a blog post all of its own. 

On our way heading down from Byers Lake to Trapper Creek, to save our food and get heat with electric hookups, we pulled in one more time to the South View Point Lookout for Denali on the Parks Highway.

The sky was mostly clear with a few clouds here and there scattered around as we were driving on the highway. We pulled into the parking lot and there were a few more clouds over towards the lookout area platform. We held our breath as we walked closer...

YESSSSSS!!

THERE WAS DENALI 

IN ALL HER 

GLORY!!!! 

We were delighted with the opportunity to see the complete mountain range, with Denali sticking proudly up in the middle. We are now one of the few 30% of visitors who actually get to see Denali when visiting Alaska.

It may have taken us three tries, two days of rain and this third day of blue sky before we saw it. It was quite a thrill.

We loaned our camera to someone else to take a picture of us and we took a picture of them with their camera. There it is, right over our shoulder. 

When they talk about "Purple Mountain Majesty" I think this is what they mean. I know photos cannot capture the essence of what we saw. The depth and the colors only enhance the serenity and the majesty of what we were seeing.

The other people on the viewing platform were rather excited as well. They knew this was a special event and not everybody gets to see this. We helped a few others take photos, so they could capture this scene behind them with themselves in the foreground. Everyone was chattering and laughing and appreciating the moment that we were all sharing together.

At any time, the clouds could come back and cover the tip of the mountain. So we snapped a few more photos before it was time to head on back down the highway.

I panned around on the scenery below leading up to the mountain range. I don't think many take photos of the rest of the area. So I included it too.

Thank you, Denali.

We will forever remember this as being the highlight of our trip. We may have seen things like grizzlies and a baby moose, waterfalls and hot springs, big rivers and ferry boats... 

But nothing can compare with seeing Denali.