The Don Sheldon Mountain House

Don Sheldon Mountain House, Alaska Range
Canon 1Ds Mark III, 24-105mm f4L, Panorama stitch of three photos

Don Sheldon Mountain House, Alaska Range
Canon 1Ds Mark III, 24-105mm f4L, 13 sec. @ f/6.3, ISO 800

I just returned from a little photo adventure at the Don Sheldon Mountain House in the Alaska Range. Accesses to this location is by bush plane on skis only and the weather can range from glorious to terrible, in a very short time span. We arrived just two hours prior to a snowstorm of whiteout conditions that dumped about 16 inches of fresh snow across the glaciated landscape. I'll be posting additional comments on the journey soon. Here is a little history on the mountain hut as described by the Talkeetna, Alaska based Alaska Mountaineering School

Don Sheldon constructed the Mountain House in 1966 on a five-acre rock and ice outcrop located at the 6,000 foot level in the middle of the Don Sheldon Amphitheater of the Ruth Gorge, perhaps the most scenic and spectacular spot in Denali National Park & Preserve. A master glacier pilot who was revered by climbers he flew into the Range, Don Sheldon tied lumber to the wing struts of his Cessna 180 and Super Cub and made numerous flights into the Gorge before he had enough materials to build the hut. Intended as a modest shelter for mountaineers, skiers, photographers, and wilderness seekers.