Shy, elusive Mt. McKinley shows herself completely on rare occasions. She unveiled parts of herself to us, but never fully. It's said that the mountain is so tall that it creates it's own weather.The last stop of our trip brought us to Talkeetna, Alaska. Talkeetna is a small Alaskan town rumored to be the basis for the tv show Northern Exposure. Looking past it's tv fame, Talkeetna holds, in my opinion, a much greater notoriety. It's the base camp for hikers attempting to climb Mt. McKinley. As I sat gazing at the mountain in all her splendor I was aware of how many hikers must have sat in my exact place contemplating their trek. Were they ready...had they trained hard enough, did they bring enough food, the right equipment. I could almost feel their nerves and excitement. Four climbers have perished already this year attempting the climb. At first glance an attempt to climb Mt. McKinley seems foolish or irresponsible, but at closer examination I understand the desire to plan, train, and challenge yourself; setting and achieving a personal goal.
Our hotel (the only hotel besides a bed and breakfast) in Talkeetna.
6 comments:
You didn't mention the 18.4 proof beer or the Seward's Folly burger.
The picture of our hotel reminds me of the Shining for some reason.
And WHAT a hotel ! You think you are out in the the wilds and then you stay in a neat hotel !
Michelle, you are so poetic ! You need to write books when the boys grow up?
You are a very good writer! Not enough to ever make me want to climb Mt. McKinley, but a very good writer! ;-)
I should say that not even Hemingway could write well enough to make me want to climb a mountain!
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