Devil's Canyon post 6 of 16

June 26, 2018

From the same base, McKinley Princess Wilderness Hotel, we took a bus to Talkeentna, again, and this time went with the same skipper to Devil's Canyon.

The boat is a jetboat, meaning, flat bottom, and no prop. Essential on the Chulintna, and Talkeentna Rivers, due to their ever-shifting bottom contours. Oh, and the Susintna as well. This trip traveled that last one.

The view from within:



Enroute, we were watched:



And watched. All eyes on the intruders:



However, I did a little watching back:



Then, it was "strike a pose" time:



On to Devil's Canyon... at this point, the skipper is holding us steady, facing upstream. That's category 4 whitewater at our bow, with cat 5 up ahead, and cat 6 around the bend. Also, note the rock abutment just off our bow (proximity not Photoshopped):



No one has successfully navigated this stretch of water. There are a couple epic fails, one involving US military, with a chopper rescue of the capsized crew.

Linda and I, however, remained in the boat:


In order to go back downstream, our captain had to let the river carry us backward, just a few yards to get some space between us and the rock (prior photo). He then had to read the river, and at the right moment, gun it big time to swing a hard right. As a boater, I can tell you it was harrowing, and expertly done.

Our captain let on as to what an adrenaline rush it is to do that, every time he does it. Never gets old.

What was getting old, however, was the Denali watch, back on land. We knew where it was, more or less, but... never actually saw it.

Behold:


You see the green in the foreground, and then the mountains. But... if you peer closely into the clouds, you can see a REAL mountain.

Here's a second shot showing how frustrating the tease can be:


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