Denali, 2008

by Jen Dolen

about 24x18 framed • photographic inket print $$200

Denali ("the Great One") also known as Mount McKinley, is 20,320 ft tall and the highest peak in North America. Many climbers try to scale the mountain and only about half of them reach the top. Usually the trek takes a couple weeks, and the physical ascent actually requires climbing more vertical feet than on Everest. It's magnificent enough to create its own weather systems, and is often obstructed by clouds, even on a clear day. Subsequently, only about one third of those who visit Denali National Park get to see the mountain. Word on the street was that one fellow visited the place 19 times and never saw it. My family visited in early September, 2008, and we saw it three days in a row. This shot was taken ninety miles into the park, which is thirty miles away from the mountain and as close as I was able to get without special permits.