Alaska -- Pics from 40,000 Feet

[ssmith1627]

Guys, a few years ago I took a trip to Hong Kong and Shanghai via Tokyo. On the way over, I took some pics of Alaskan snow covered mountains from the airplane. I've always wanted to identify those peaks but have never been able to.

Any thoughts ? Appreciate your feedback. This is a diverse group and I thought someone might know.

Many thanks,
Steve

http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v...umName=album07

[Black wallnut]

Where was your start point? Did you have a stop in Alaska? Beautiful mountians btw, no idea do I have what they would be.

[Richard in Smithville]

Nice pictures. Too bad you couldn't get the pilot to bank a little for the pictures. I'm sure the other passengers wouldn't have minded.

[ssmith1627]

Flew from Detroit to Tokyo's Narita airport on the Northwest 747-400. I've searched around on various websites but have never been able to find another pic identifying those particular mountains. The one is very distinctive so I hold out hope !

Steve

[steve-norrell]

Looks like home!

The mountain in the first picture is distinct enough that someone should recognize it. I don't even want to guess about Picture #2, but I'll take a wild guess and say that Picture #3 is of McKinley (Denali), but without knowing the direction of the view, it is a very wild guess, indeed.

Most of my aerial views of the mountains have been from flights between Anchorage and Fairbanks (Denali and the Alaska Range) and between Anchorage and Seattle (Chugach, Wrangell - St. Elias and the southeast mountain ranges). Of course, those flights only give you a view from one side.

Anyway, thanks for sharing the photos.

Regards, Steve

[dlminehart]

Have you tried google earth views?

[Alex Franke]

I'm guessing that last one is the north peak of Denali -- there's a big glacier that runs down around the north peak, which would be behind that ridge in the foreground, and the taller south peak would be slightly to the right and behind.

BTW, Steve, that flight from Fairbanks to Anchorage is absolutely inspiring! Everything seems so clear and so close up there in the air (especially after waiting and waiting and waiting for the clouds to part from down below!) I can't wait to see it all again! It really is an all-around magnificence -- so, so big and utterly breathtaking.

[steve-norrell]

. . . . that flight from Fairbanks to Anchorage is absolutely inspiring! Everything seems so clear and so close up there in the air (especially after waiting and waiting and waiting for the clouds to part from down below!) I can't wait to see it all again! It really is an all-around magnificence -- so, so big and utterly breathtaking.

Indeed it is! In another life I was flying between ANC and FBX about once a month. After a while, I would take a day off and drive between the two cities. The road, the Parks Highway, goes right along the side of Denali State Park and McKinley National Part, along the same route as the railroad. That is also quite scenic.

If you are lucky enough to have a clear day on a flight to Seattle -- and get a seat on the left side of the aircraft (facing the front of the plane) you get to see the coastal mountains and glaciers all the way to Seattle.

Hopefully, some one will recognize the mountain in the first picture -- its quite distinctive.

Regards, Steve

[ssmith1627]

This was my outbound flight -- DET to NRT. They were on the right side of the airplane. We were probably flying west to northwest so I'd say these were the southern or southwestern sides of the mountains.

I've searched online and even through the aerial views on mapquest. The mapquest part was interesting -- seems there are glaciers running down from Denali in every direction like an octopus ! Still couldn't find that one peak that is so distinctive. I'll give Google Earth a try. Maybe they have a better view of things.

Steve

[williwatt]

Other Alaskan Mountain Photos

These photos probably won't help identify the mountains in your pictures, but I thought they were interesting. I found these by searching in Google using Images.

http://thebootfitter.blogspot.com/20...ange-from.html

If you click on the photos, they will enlarge to fill your computer screen.