Hiking South Fork

Today I went hiking.  It was such a beautiful sunny day, and I knew I needed to seize the moment and get outside!  (Especially since who knows when the last nice fall day will be...it could be any day!)

This is what the sky looked like today.

I chose to go up to South Fork to the bridge and back--which is about 4 miles round trip.  (I have yet to make it beyond the bridge up to Eagle and Symphony Lakes...someday...)

Anyway, while I was hiking I looked behind me and noticed an impressive mountain range in the distance.  I thought to myself "aren't the Todrillo mountains to the West?  Not the North."  I turned back around and continued hiking, still pondering on which mountain range it could be.  (The Todrillo mountains are visible to the West on really clear days, and I am surprised by them every time.  And it wasn't until recently that I found out their official name..)

Lightbulb.

Alaska mountain range is to the north!  I wondered if I would be able to see Denali.

Yep.  Sure enough.  By that time, when I turned around it was in sight.  And it looked massive.  From hundreds of miles away, it still looks massive!

Of course I didn't have my camera.  But I did have my phone.  So instead of no pictures, I have some fairly lame pictures to share.  (But let's face it, I have yet to take a picture of Denali, with any device that I own, and be satisfied that it captured it's immensity.)

This picture is from the bend in the trail before the bridge looking northwest-ish.

Looking the other direction was also beautiful.  This is looking southeast-ish at the bridge.  These are our neighborhood Chugach Mountains.

And then driving home on Hiland, I pulled over to attempt to capture another impressive view of the Alaska Range.  I couldn't believe it!  It was the clearest day of all time!  (At least that I've experienced since we've lived here...)

Here's a view of Foraker, Hunter, and Denali from Hiland Road.

What a beautiful day!

Now if only next monday will be just as beautiful...that's when Luke and I will be at Denali National Park for our road lottery adventure...the fun never ends!