Indescribable Denali

Rebecca Carpenter

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:1-5 NIV

Cool weather, a welcome change from steamy Florida, greeted my family and me when we stepped outside the airport terminal in Anchorage, Alaska.  As our driver gave commentary on the city, we marveled that, at 10 pm, the sun shone brightly. We were excited about our trip through the 49^th state.

            During a brief morning walk from our hotel to a path by the water, we saw lovely flowers, a mountain range across the calm inlet, and a variety of people who passed by. After breakfast, passengers loaded onto several buses for a journey to the Princess Wilderness Lodge. 

            Instead of lanes of traffic, we experienced snow-topped peaks, lakes, and lush forests. Birds flew overhead and landed along the water. Moose and eagles added to our trip. The landscape kept changing as we traveled to our home for the night. How refreshing it was to experience such untouched beauty. 

            Buses lined the street in front of a wooden lodge in a complex of rustic buildings. The picture reminded me of an alpine movie. We found our rooms up the hill in a long wooden structure. Then we returned to the main lodge. 

            The breathtaking panorama stunned all of us. In full view was the spectacular snow-covered Denali. The tallest mountain in North America put on a surprising show for everyone at the lodge. We had been told that only 30% of the people who came to see the mountain could actually see it without clouds. Of that 30%, only 10% observed the whole mountain. What a blessing to be able to experience the majesty, and beauty of it all day. 

            Tourists gathered on the deck to take pictures and look through binoculars. Even when it began getting cool, people stayed to marvel at the gift we had been given. 

            I had hoped to be part of the group who could actually see the towering peak but never imagined we would have such a magnificent sight and be part of the 10%. 

            Our time at the lodge was a wonderful beginning to a fabulous trip. God’s glorious creation was certainly on display.  

Heavenly Father, thank you for your incredible creation from the smallest flower to the largest mountain. Help us to appreciate it all, whether at home or on phenomenal journeys.

Amen