Sled dogs and a fantastic flight

After an early breakfast at The Lakefront Hotel in Anchorage the group departed in a comfortable large bus for the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla. This association organizes the Iditarod sled dog race, which will take place in about two weeks. 86 teams (1 musher and 16 dogs at the beginning) participate this year, about 20 % of the mushers being woman. We learned a lot about the background of the famous dog race and, fortunately, there was a sled dog team of two girls and their dogs outside (see pic), waiting for the dogs' medical check-up for Iditarod. Therefore, we were able to meet and greet and pet the dogs and get more information from real mushers.

On to Talkeetna, a little, incorporated town, esp. popular with climbers of Mt. Denali in summer. They use it as their headquarters, but, also cruiseship passengers from the Inside Passage to Seward (brought in by bus) often stay here. The Talkeetna Roadhouse is a legendary guesthouse and restaurant. Its owner, Tracy, is an unfailing source of information about this little town with its own radio station and a picturesque main street (see pics).

After lunch we experienced THE highlight of our trip: a flight over Mt. Denali. Talkeetna Air Taxi gave us a lift and the two of us were fortunate to have a small Cesna on our own. The rest of the group was flying in a larger 10-seater called "Otter".


Our female pilot was very experienced and knowledgeable, a trained mechanic and a true outdoors person. She did a great job flying into the mountains and over the glaciers of Mt. Denali. Thanks to blue skies and smooth air conditions we had a fantastic 1,5 hour flight and though we weren't able to land on one of the glaciers (they don't do it in winter), it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.


Denali, part of Denali National Park and Preserve, was formerly called Mount McKinley. With over 6.000 meters it is the highest mountain in North America and one of the so-called Seven Summits. Denali's landscape is a mix of forest, tundra and glaciers, rock, and snow at the higher elevations. The longest glacier is the Kahiltna Glacier.

Next stop was Vern Halter’s Dream a Dream sled dog kennel but, unfortunately, there was some conflict of date and time and therefore the owner had to cut it short. Because of the upcoming Iditarod race and dogs being in intense training now, we didn't experience a dog mushing ride, but only met with the dogs and talked to this famous musher and his wife, a veterinarian and musher, too. Both have already won several trophees in dog races and Vern is now training mushers and dogs. The approximately 40 dogs in his kennel were really friendly and beautiful dogs.

On the way back to Anchorage we stopped at the musk ox farm in Palmer. Musk oxes belong to the goat family - which I didn't know before - and have nothing to do with bison or regular cattle. They produce the most expensive wool - called Qiviut - in the world, very light and very warm. The owner of the farm showed us his animals on the pasture and talked about wool production and how the native people use it and what specific patterns of knitting they have.

After dinner at Turkey Red in Palmer - a fantastic mediterranean restaurant where I had goose (see pic) and Peter beef stew, preceded by many greek appetizers and a salad and followed by pies and cakes out of the own bakery - we were brought back "home" to Anchorage.