Anchorage police officers on snow machines led the way as the first dog team rocketed down Fourth Avenue. It was his third Iditarod win. It was almost dawn in Talkeetna. Guests talked in gusts of frosty breaths as they gathered on the deck of the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge to await sunrise. Statistically, North America's highest mountain is visible only about 20 percent of the time.
Winter happens to be prime time to see it.
This was one of those lucky days. The sky curtain parted, and peaks of the Alaska Range came into view across the horizon like a string of white diamonds. The audience cheered moments later as the first burst of sunrise painted the mountaintops pink. Michael McCann, the executive chef, hurried out of the kitchen to watch. Winter wildlife Snow clouds sagged over Seward as the little tour vessel Viewfinder set a course for Kenai Fiords National Park.