The most dramatic feature of the Denali landscape is the snowcapped peak of Mt. McKinley. At 20,320 feet, it is North America's highest mountain. Measured from the 2,000-foot lowlands near Wonder Lake to its glistening summit, the mountain's vertical relief is over 18,000, which is greater than that of Mount Everest. The Athabascan natives called it Denali, "the High One." This massive towering peak is the centerpiece of the Alaska Range. On a clear day, it can be seen from Anchorage, 237 miles to the south. And I have seen the peak from even several miles farther south, along the Seward Highway.

The only problem is that clouds obscure the summit of Mt. McKinley more often than not, an average of 6 or 7 days out of 10. On my first visit to Denali, in 1990, I spent 2 days in the park and didn't see the mountain at all, but that was not a major disappointment, because the wildlife and scenery of the lower slopes was still almost more than I could take in. I went to Alaska a second time in 1997 and still did not see the fabled mountain. But it is said that "the third time’s a charm," and on my 2004 trek to Denali, the mountain was visible in its entire glorious splendor.

When the sky clears, locals say "the mountain is out." If you are fortunate enough to be there on one of those days, it will be a sight you will always remember.

We boarded the McKinley Explorer in Anchorage. Comfortable glass domed rail cars were set up booth style on the upper deck. The lower deck was for dining. We left Anchorage at 5 a.m. - glad that we’d stashed muffins and orange juice the night before. We were ready for breakfast long before the dining call.

Our onboard tour guide pointed out sights. The rail is being expanded during the "three months of construction time" each year but for now trains take turns being side tracked to pass each other. During the winter months residents in the tiny towns along the way put out signs if they want the train to stop.

We passed the braided glacial rivers. Unlike normal waterways these cloudy silt rivers don’t wear down and expand banks, they create branches running along side each other, sometimes with fresh water streams in between. Silt is like quicksand and regardless of how safe it seems tourists and even residents have been trapped. Because of the very high tides rescues are dangerous and not always successful.

We were very lucky to catch a view of far off Mount McKinley while aboard as we were told that only 30% of visitors ever see its peak. Favorite sights were the front of the train rounding a bend or going over the steep trestles. Here and there were solitary houses in the middle of nowhere. Land in Alaska can be "won" in an annual lottery. Building a home in the wild means being self-sufficient from generators for electricity to living off the land.

Since picture taking through glass is iffy, determined photographers tended to congregate on the small landings between cars. We quickly developed a system of rotation by turn to try to get shots of the passing scenery. Sometimes successful and most times not.