Feature Story: Alaska, July 2017
As the train pushed through the dense evergreen forest, the conductor’s voice crackled through the intercom system.
“Folks, we are approaching a spot that, with the beautiful sunny day, is going to give us a clear view of Mount Denali,” he said. “If you’d like to move to the viewing platforms, I’ll stop the train for a few moments so everyone can have a good look and a chance for photographs.”
The railcar rounded a smooth bend, and the trees impeding our view fell away. We entered an open space surrounding a marshy lake, and there before us was the snow-capped peak of North America’s tallest mountain.
I was making an overland journey in one of the last great frontiers of the world. Two-and-a-half times larger than the second-biggest state of Texas, Alaska’s size is mighty; yet inhabited by only around 700,000 people, it lies mostly unpopulated – even unexplored.
Read the full story at https://shelleyseale.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/aytd-alaska.pdf
Shelley Seale Editorial 