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The Amateur Adventurer
I had no idea of the treat I was in for coming to Alaska, especially on my first day!
We woke up fairly early today to begin our Alaskan adventures. The first destination for our trip was Denali. From Ancorhage this was a four hour drive. Upon arrival our adventures began. We had an immediate take off for Denali Air to take a plane tour of Mt. McKinley and the surrounding area.
Instantly upon take off a spectcular view arose of the Alaskan landscape. It was honeslty breathtaking. Truly a once in a lifetime experience. The plane was a small 12 seater and a bit bumpy. At the point where we reached Mt. McKinley we were at an elevation that required us to wear oxygen masks. Mt. McKinley is North America's tallest peak at 20320 feet. Today it was coverd with glaciers (as always) and clouds. Pictures honestly do not do this majestic mountain justice. It was strinklgly beautiful.
The plane ride wasn't completely magical however. A young girl in the back of the plane had a big lunch consisting of Mexican food. We had the pleasure of smelling the after effects of it and the digestive juices and acids that accompanied it. With the smell of puke in the plane and the bumpiness of the ride I lost my lunch (which actually wasn't much because we failed to stop for lunch). All in all the plane tour offered a view of the Alaskan ranges that nothing less could offer.
Following the plane ride we were rushed by our lovely tour guide, Steph, to our next activity: Cabin Nite. Fortunately for me this involved dinner. Cabin Nite was pretty much dinner and a show. We stuck around long enough for dinner (which consisted of ribs, fresh Alaskan Salmon, biscuts, corn on the cob, baked beans, and blueberry cobbler) before we were rushed off to the raging waters of the Nenana River.
Whitewater rafting was next on our agenda. Josh and I showed up to the meeting place in shorts, tank tops, and sandals. Boy did they get a hoot out of us. On our second try we came back in pants and a long sleeve shirt with socks on. The greeting this time around was much warmer. We threw on our dry suits and were ready for the river. Robin was a river guide and took us on some great rapids. The scenery along the river was magnificent. It was as if God's glory was all placed along this Alaskan river. Once again, breath taking.
By this point we were quite exhausted. We retreated to our complimentary cabin and as we did so a fox approached us. Just my luck my camera batteries were dead and the moment was lost. In Denali at 1:00 am it was still light outside and I could not sleep. I took another stroll and admired the beauty of Alaska.
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