The Susitna rises in the glaciers of the Alaska Range and runs south and west for hundreds of miles to Cook Inlet, collecting silt as it goes, and here at the Denali Highway bridge you meet it in its younger, wilder state. The water is a milky grey-green, thick with rock flour ground fine by the ice, and it moves fast between braided gravel bars. The name is from the Dena'ina language and is usually translated as something like sandy river, which is accurate if you stand on the bank long enough.
This crossing is about two-thirds of the way along the Denali Highway from Paxson, in rolling subarctic country of spruce, willow and bog. The gravel road drops to the river in a short descent, crosses on a bridge and climbs out again, and the whole stretch is a lesson in how much space there is in Alaska. Mountains stand in the background and the river valley opens out under big sky. Riding here is slow, dusty or muddy depending on the week, with sudden potholes and soft shoulders, and a loaded motorcycle needs a gentle hand. After rain the surface can turn slick as grease, and in dry weather passing trucks raise clouds of dust.
The Susitna is also fishing country. Arctic grayling rise to flies in the clearer tributaries, and the fish in the river itself include salmon runs further downstream. Anglers pull up at the bridge and wander the bank in waders, and if you have a rod, this is a place for it. Black and grizzly bears fish the same streams, so make some noise, keep your food stowed and never walk through thick brush without announcing yourself.
Services are sparse. A couple of roadside lodges within a day's ride sell meals and sometimes fuel, but opening times are unreliable and the season is short, so do not plan on them without checking. Cantwell, at the western end, and Paxson, at the eastern end, are the places you can count on, and each is a long way from the bridge. Pack water and food, a basic first aid kit and warm clothes. Early September can bring frost, and the evenings are long and low and lovely, with a pale pink glow on the hills until late.