Denali National Park to Talkeetna via the Alaska Scenic Railroad

Day 5--Tuesday, July 23, 2002, 15.59 

It has been cold the past two nights—my little zipper thermometer says that it is 39F right now (6:30 a.m.)—but sunny and mild to warm during the day. Our incredible weather luck is holding, so far.

We have a short day scheduled for today—13 downhill miles out of the park and then 28 to Cantwell. However, we're going to see if we can catch the scenic train on the Alaska Railroad from here to Talkeetna and our Montana Creek CG. This because my cold is very heavy, but mostly because we decided that this train ride would make up for the Skunk train ride from Ft. Bragg to Willits, CA that we missed two years ago because of Jessica's accident. [In 2002 Jess and I cycled the west coast from Vancouver to California. Jess took a nasty spill on the Leggett Hill descent, so our cycle ended in the Fort Bragg ER rather than Jess's home in Inverness, CA.]

We're also shipping back to our motel in Fairbanks some duplicate gear: multipurpose tool, knife, Jess's little tent, tent pegs, some cookware, clothes and the like. We're having to do too much talking to our BOBs to get them to climb hills. Da bums don't even want to descend hills with the headwind we've been experiencing.

After breakfast Jess and I had the sweetest 13.9 miles so far. Despite a crosswind, we sailed down to the train station, sometimes reaching 38 mph.    Not a single vehicle passed us on the way down. Most of the time the curves were sweeping, making it easy to soar with little braking.

The train station didn't open until 10, and it was 9:15 when we reached it, so Jess left her stuff with me, biked the additional mile to the Visitor's Center, mailed our extra stookey to the Super 8 in Fairbanks, bought us sandwiches, and kept in touch with me via walkie-talkie to see how I made out getting tickets.

And now . . . we're in Car B on the Alaska Railroad Denali line bound for Talkeetna. Yes, the train took us and our bikes and even departed at a perfect time—12 noon. It will take 4.5 hours to get to Talkeetna, which is a jumping off place for Denali climbers.

(Those of you plugged into our itinerary will realize that we have just cut from our planned itinerary 2.5 days and stops at Cantwell and Breyer's Lake. Since Talkeetna is 14 miles off the Parks Hwy, we camped in it rather than going the additional 17.25 miles to Montana Creek CG as planned. We will catch up to our schedule again in Palmer. In the meantime follow along as we improvise.)

This train ride is described as one of the most beautiful in the world, and it's the most magnificent I've ever experienced. The scenery, as it has been all along is awe-inspiring.

The two white cars on the train are owned by the Princess Line; tourists take a combined cruise/train ride. Other tour groups and cruise lines also have their own train cars and buses in addition to the cruise ships.

Stream filled with glacial flour

The train has a bistro and a dining car and a gift shop. They take dinner reservations and offer you a selection of reading matter—not that I could read anything for fear of missing something out the window. The streams and rivers that are not glacial (filled with glacial flour—rock silt ground off by the movement of the glacier) are so clear that Jess saw a large salmon in one from the moving train.

The tour guide for our car is named CJ, He points out the names of peaks and rivers and valleys and gives us bits of history and geology. A couple of young kids came through and sang patriotic songs about America. We've been sitting "up on the roof" in the observation car just trying to take in the stunning size and majesty of the landscape.

Later: Jess is writing postcards and drinking an Alaska Amber. I am writing this, of course, and sipping a Bailey's and coffee to try to sooth my screechingly sore throat. My cold has declared war and so far, it's winning. Trying to strangle and smother me to death, I think.

I have a screeching, hurts-to-swallow sore throat so look pretty somber in this photo

Jess enjoying the ride and the chance to catch up on her correspondence

In Talkeetna:

Our campground here is a pretty sad affair on the edge of Talkeetna and near the Susitana River but in an old dusty grove of cottonwoods and willows. There are two Porta Potties at the edge of the site and no running water. The RV's outnumber the tent campers by far. But there are several groups of youngish climber types camped here in tents, too.

Jess priming the little camp stove preparatory to putting together dinner in our soggy camp site

A happy Jess talking to a friend back home

We took showers and did our laundry behind a small grocery, and then walked through this tiny town with its flightseeing, fishing, hunting, hang gliding, kayaking, mountain biking, mountain climbing businesses. Jess, poor dear, is ready for some music and young people at the end of the day, so we stopped at a pub and had some halibut fingers and a beer. Most of the young guys from our campsite were there. Just as we left, it began to rain gently.