Mahay's Power Boat Ride Talkeetna

We took a day trip to Talkeetna, Alaska for a power boat ride (Mahay's) up the river.  It was our only trip north of Anchorage and our only view of Denali (Mt. McKinley) that we had all week.

We stopped at a scenic overlook just outside of Talkeetna with a gorgeous, relatively cloud-free view of the mountains.

Going upriver, we were riding against a 35 mph current.  The trip back was much faster.

Mount McKinley

(only 33% of visitors actually get to see it because it is so often covered by clouds)

The clouds did move in and cover the mountain view before we left, so we were some of the lucky ones!

our only moose sighting this day

White-Spotted Sable Moth

Lilacs were in bloom everywhere!

 White-Banded Black Moth

Arctic Skipper (life butterfly!)

Twinflower (the pink one)
My favorite wildflower of the trip!

Bank Beaver Lodge

We learned that the rivers are too deep for beavers to dam them, so they build their lodges on the banks of the rivers and are thus dubbed "bank beavers".

Damage to the trees along the river shows just how high the ice floes are during the spring thaw.

Bank Swallow nest holes

We saw bank swallows flying in and out of the holes, but I never could catch one in a photograph!

Common Merganser (fishing where a creek fed into the river)
(head in the water)

Bald Eagle nest

Mount Foraker (sits to the left of Mt. McKinley)

This cute general store was a main attraction in Talkeetna.  Even the inside looked like a traditional general store with shelves up to the ceiling.  Only the contents have changed!

Cottonwood Tree

The winds picked up while we were there, and there was so much cotton dropping, it looked like it was snowing!

Lupine at the edge of the highway.  A must stop for a photograph!

That gusty wind brought rain and then hail, which built up quickly on the road back to Anchorage.  Most pulled over, but not George.  Not caring about the rental car, he forged on through the tracks in the slushy hail.  The sound of it smashing on the roof and windshield of the car was alarming!

Birch

We were at a stoplight, and I thought this was so pretty!  The Georges asked me what I was photographing!  Oh, just some trees!