Mount Denali (McKinley) with Clouds from Kesugi Ridge Trail

I was thrilled to be able to go to Alaska for some extended backpacking! A good buddy of mine and myself spent 17 days backing and traveling throughout different parks in Alaska. From ridge trails and Denali National Park (formerly McKinley National Park) to Kennicot and Wrangel-St. Elias, we covered a lot of ground in a short time! I took this photo of Mount Denali at the top of the first steep climb on the Kesugi Ridge Trail! At this point in the day some clouds moved in that provided a really cool and dramatic setting! This trail is located in Denali State Park which is just an hour or two south of Denali National Park! This trail offered some fantastic views of Mt. Denali and the surrounding mountains, forests and meadows! We spent 2 nights on this trail and it was a lot of fun! The landscape was always changing as we hiked up the mountain, onto the ridge and back down again!