Page 164 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

162  ALASK A AREA B Y AREA

5 Talkeetna
114 miles (183 km) N of Anchorage.
Transport map E3. * 900.
~ £ Anchorage–Fairbanks.
@ Anchorage–Fairbanks. n Parks
Hwy & Talkeetna Spur Rd, 733-2688 or
(800) 660-2688. _ Bachelor Auction
and Wilderness Woman (1st week end
in Dec). ∑ talkeetnadenali.com
Possibly the only town to have
had a tabby cat – Stubbs –
as town mayor for 16 years
until his retirement in 2015, Climbers planning a trip at the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station
Talkeetna, meaning “meeting
of the rivers” in Athabaskan, when it was built in the early Walter Harper Talkeetna
began in 1896 as a trading 1970s, it still attracts a lot of Ranger Station
post and grew into a river boat traveler traffic: busloads of 22241 B St. Tel 733-2231. Open mid-
port supplying the 1910 tourists admire its old-fashioned Apr–early Sep: 8am–5:30pm daily;
Susitna Valley Gold Rush. air, young back packers wonder winter: 8am–4:30pm Mon–Fri. 7
There was a second wave how to settle in permanently, ∑ nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/
of development when and prospec tive climbers hope walter-haper-trs.htm
the Alaska Engineering to scale Denali. Popular Maintained by the National
Commission set up activ ities include flight- Park Service, this ranger station,
its headquarters seeing trips over the named for the first known climber
here during the mountain and to summit Denali, provides year-
construction touring the round information for prospec-
of the Alaska junction of the tive climbers of Denali and other
Railroad. Modern Susitna, Talkeetna, peaks of the Alaska Range. The
growth has been fueled and Chulitna rivers staff also mails out free infor ma-
by its favorable location with Mahay’s Riverboat tion on mountain eering regula-
near Denali. Road sign, Service. Mahay’s also tions and fees. Inside, there is
Any illusions of Talkeetna runs Denali wilderness a reference library of books
Talkeetna being the tours and fishing tours and maps on mountaineering
prototype of a small, quiet, on the Talkeetna river. and Denali. Rangers conduct
pioneer town will be quickly free orientation programs for
dispelled by the sum mer Mahay’s Riverboat Service climbing expeditions, as well
crowds. Although the town was Main St, Talkeetna. Tel 733-2223. as general interest programs at
bypassed by the Parks Highway ∑ mahaysriverboat.com the Talkeetna Historical Society
Museum and the Talkeetna
Alaskan Lodge.
E Talkeetna Historical
Society Museum
Off 1st St. Tel 733-2487. Open early
May–late Sep: 10am–6pm daily;
winter: 11am–4pm Sat & Sun. &
∑ talkeetnahistoricalsociety.org
Located next to the old
airstrip, the Talkeetna Historical
Society Museum consists of
Climbers and bush plane on Kahiltna Glacier a complex of seven buildings.
The main displays are housed
Mountaineers and Glacier Pilots in the red 1937 Schoolhouse,
which had rooms for teachers
Denali, looming on the horizon, is Talkeetna’s main draw. In 1947,
Bradford and Barbara Washburn pioneered the West Buttress on the floor above. Used as a
Route, which is the standard route in use today. Starting with school until 1971, it became the
a flight to the 7,200-ft (2,160-m) level of Kahiltna Glacier, it museum headquarters three
eliminates a long walk on Muldrow Glacier from Denali’s northern years later. Today, it is packed
slope. Talkeetna legend Ray Genet became the first Denali guide, with pioneer artifacts, photo-
and his friend Don Sheldon ferried climbers to and from Kahiltna graphs, and articles on old
Glacier. Today, dozens of Talkeetna pilots fly climbers, skiers, and Talkeetna, including relics
sightseers to Denali’s slopes. of bush pilot Don Sheldon
and mountaineer Ray Genet.
For hotels and restaurants in this area see p244 and pp254–5

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