Trying To Find Kroto

From Talkeetna by bush plane to a frozen bog under the white gaze of Denali. “Snow’ll be too soft to land this afternoon,” our pilot says. “See you in the morning.” He points to a wrinkle in the field of snow. “Kroto Creek.” And then he’s gone. Check topo map, take compass reading. Strap on snowshoes. East to Kroto; follow the creekbed north. Smaller drainage from the west. Map-check. Drainage runs the wrong direction. Keep walking. Landmarks don’t match map. Study USGS quad-sheet top to bottom. Find a stretch of creek that fits. Six miles from where we ought to be. No longer lost – we now know where we are. But does our pilot? Will he find us in the morning? Follow our tracks back to frozen bog and packs, survival gear, honey and granola to feed us for at least a day. End of March, dark comes early. Night thoughts, taloned, fly. The closest road’s a world away.