Coming (back) Into the Country

If you want a good taste of what draws many to The Great Land, read John McPhee's "Coming Into the Country".  Amazon.com's review review: "Residents of the Lower 48 sometimes imagine Alaska as a snow-covered land of igloos, oil pipelines, and polar bears. But Alaska is far more complex geographically, culturally, ecologically, and politically than most Americans know, and few writers are as capable of capturing this complexity as John McPhee. In Coming into the Country, McPhee describes his travels through much of the state with bush pilots, prospectors, and settlers, as well as politicians and businesspeople who have their eyes set on a very different future for the state."

From Fairbanks we headed south towards Talkeetna,a true and unadulterated Alaska town and base for those who come to climb the continent's highest peak, Mount McKinley.  A flat tire delayed our departure until early afternoon so we decided to cut the leg short and stop at Denali National Park.  The road was, in two words "really rough", paved but a continuous series of frost heaves that seemed to bottom out the shock absorbers and created a cacophony of rattling dishes,cups and teeth.  Add a strong wind that, at times was right on the nose, at others, buffeting our 10 foot profile from the side, and grew stronger as we drove through the Nenana River canyon on approach to the park entrance and the flat tire that caused us to shorten our drive became a blessing in disguise.