The Once Vast Emptiness, Where The Beauty Now Lies

My wife and I were in Denali Nat. Park on the last evening of the year that the park was open. The next morning was September 15th which was the day of the year that the park would be closed. We had been there for a couple of days and seen and photographed Trophy class animals like Moose, Caribou, A few Wolves, grizzly bears, one had a late cub, rode in the green school bus to Wonder lake. The Park is huge and no hunting is allowed so the Moose and Carabou live long enough to grow huge antlers. The fall colors of the trees were golden/yellow against the green conifers, really an ideal time of year for photos. What we had not seen was Mount McKinnley and its summit. People that have lived there all their lives have never seen it because of the thick clouds that keep it hidden almost year round. So what are the chances that we could see the mountain on our second trip. I think most people know the answer to that. But they don't know the kind of things that go on around me. The strangest kind, ordinary physics seem to be absent often. Dont make any bets. I told Paula we would sleep late in the morning unless I see a square foot of blue sky, then start the journey back home to South Louisiana in our small motorhome. This is about the time you really start thinking how far from home you are and the 2 plus weeks hard drive it is. So what I do is choose a different route and visit smaller unheard of attractions on the way home, some of which out shine those well known. So back to the last night at Denali campground. We washed dishes straightened up the motorhome to start the trip back after a nights rest. I set my old wind up alarm clock to wake me at first light. We slept good. My clock went off and just out my window and saw it was pitch black. I told myself that I would stay up 30 minutes to catch any change in the weather, My eyelids were heavy and I caught myself dozing a time or two. I told God I was here to fly the mountain, and it's the reason I left home, but if He didn't want me to, I thanked Him for giving me 2 trips to Alaska. Just when I figured my 30 minutes were up 30 minutes ago, my eye lids got real heavy and I think I was somewhere out in the stars floating, and I saw an absolute spec of blue. I came back too and looked out the window, and it was pitch black. I got in an argument with my self, I was dreaming, no I wasn't, You were dreaming, no I wasn't, in the middle of this argument God stepped in and the spec of blue opened up even bigger. God said "who is in charge" I reached across the isle and shook Paula's arm to wake her. I said darlin I saw a spec of blue in between those two mountains, get up, put your face on and I will disconect this thing and we will start driving towards Talkeetna. If weather continues to improve we might get lucky and I'm gonna rent a plane. She said these clouds have been here for two weeks, and nothing will clear up. I started driving and the closer we got Talkeetna the less clouds there were. I said see what I mean darlin. I pulled into the little air strip and there was nobody there but us. I walked around back and there was someone pumping fuel into a cesna 185 with an old hand pump. There were four or 5 planes parked and tied fown on the runway, so I went back to the office which was identical to a cajun bayou camp with front porch with a swing and a screen door for entrance. I told Paula to get down and come in. I went in and told the man setting at the desk that I would like a price for a plane to take us to Mt. McKinley and where ever for 3 or 4 hours. The man said " are you kidding me, do you know how few days we get with clear weather like this, this phone has been burning up all morning. We already booked up for the day and have a hundred prople waiting on a cancelation." I told him we were the only people in the parking lot. He said every one was coming from Ankorage and would be arriving soon. I as the man if you did have an opening on another day what would it cost me for what I wanted. He said about $600. I told him that was a fair price. I told him I prayed about it and I feel like The Lord heard my prayer, and I felt sure someone was going to cancel, I had a strong feeling about it. The man said you can pray all you want but thats how it is. I told the man I was going to put 8 one hundred dollar bills on his desk. I don't need a reciept. So I set $800 cash on his desk, and told him that me and my wife would be settin on his porch in the swing waitin for The Lord to do his handywork. He looked confused, couldn't seem to come up with an answer to that. So me and my little darlin went out on the porch and sat in the swing. She gave me one of those dissapointed looks. so after about 45 minutes of swinging, Paula said that we should go cause we were just waisting our time. I told her that if he didn't get a cancelation in 30 minutes, I was gonna go in there and put 2 more of them $100 bills on that desk and make it hard on him . The man is going to figure out exactly what he's gonna spend that money on. But, those strange things that happen around me struck again, wouldn't you know I heard the spring on that screen door stretch, door opened and the man said well folks, it looks like your in luck. Come on in and sign up. I told the man, " Old buddy, this never happened, lets don't write nothin down, we gonna go back there and talk to the Pilot, we gonna have a good flight and your never gonna see us agin. And, thats what happened. So, your thinking, that heathen is as crooked as they come. Nope, before God made the State of Alaska, he wanted me to see it...

Mount McKinley Summit