Fish Lake, a beautiful scene along the Parks Highway pointed out by our driver RJ. In Alaska, I found planes parked about almost as common as automobiles.

Our driver RJ was a highlight of my trip. He was a school bus driver originally from New York. He talked about everything, and frequently yelled at the other drivers. After we unloaded most of our passengers at Talkeetna, the five of us that remained picked up some pizza for the road.

In Talkeetna, we got caught in an intense hail storm. RJ celebrated like crazy, and called his family on his mobile phone to share the exciting news. He must have been looking forward to winter.

Broad Pass was as I remembered it from my last trip this way, but the Fall colors were more subdued this time. Denali was also hidden by the lingering clouds.

The skies here were much clearer than they were in Anchorage and Seward. I had high hopes for vast panoramas, starry nights, and northern lights throughout the rest of my trip.

A moose grazing beside the Parks Highway.

The Denali Cabins turned out to be great place to stay, and the least expensive lodging for my entire trip. I had plenty of room to spread out, and the rustic, functional decor was just my style. This was just an overnight stop, unfortunately. I arrived after dark, but had a little time to explore the next morning.

All the cabins were connected by an extensive set of boardwalks. Very nice to have in muddy conditions.

The Denali Cabins office.

The company that owns Denali Cabins also operates the Denali Wilderness Lodge, in Kantishna near Camp Denali. Instead of driving their guests in via the park road, they fly them in from this airstrip behind Denali Cabins.

Since I had some time to kill before I caught a shuttle bus to the park entrance, I hiked a few miles up and down the Parks Highway, then explored the ATV trails behind the airstrip. I would have liked to have taken a tour of Jeff King's kennel, just down the road, but I didn't have that much time.

The airstrip was busy; I had to be careful not to walk around from behind some brush directly into a moving airplane.