The Glenn Hwy is indeed spectacular although I haven't been all the way to Fairbanks that direction. Going past Denali on the other side is amazing. If you went a couple miles on McCarthy Road I'm assuming you crossed the bridge and saw the water wheels? Moose's Tooth is a hiker's favorite after a long day.
I've done plenty of May summits of Flattop---but never without an ice axe! That is actually my favorite time--and then glissading straight down the chute! The problem with the Thanksgiving trip was that there was no snow to cushion falls.
Ross is back in California now and almost left the shovel at the Eagle River Nature Center trailhead. But after all that work---I claimed it for myself.
