Sunrise on Denali’s southside

South and North Summits of Denali, or Mt. McKinley. The South Summit is the higher one (20,320 ft), while the North Summit has an elevation of 19,470 feet. Denali National Park, Alaska. Canon 5D Mark II, 400mm 5.6L, 1/80 sec @ f/11, ISO 100.

There are two summits on Denali, or Mt. McKinley, the north and the south. The South Summit is the higher one (20,320 ft), while the North Summit has an elevation of 19,470 feet. You can see the South Summit clearly in the view, taken from the McKinley overlook along the Parks highway (note the north summit just to the right). I have many shots of Denali’s north side view, but very few from the south. So I spent some time this fall trying to get some new coverage. Ironically, and a bit unfortunately, I was camped about 40 miles to the north and woke early to fog, clouds and rain. My venture south towards this view was not rushed considering the weather. However, it proves once again that the weather varies so considerably in this region. Earlier there was vibrant pink light on the mountain at first light. This is a cool frame, thanks to the clouds, but I’ll be looking for the pink light another time!