When traveling Alaska, an unexpected detour can be the best part of the journey

Travel surprises make me cranky. This is not one of my favorite sayings, but it's an explanation for my bad mood when confronted with long security lines, traffic jams or canceled flights.

And weather.

Weather creeps into the "travel surprise" category regularly.

Last weekend, we flew in for up-close view of Denali from the Sheldon Mountain House on the Ruth Glacier. This little hut is in the middle of Denali National Park — and it's cut off from electricity and the internet. But the hut sits atop a "nunatak," or a big rock promontory. The top of the ridge offers a beautiful wrap-around view of Denali, Mount Dan Beard and a bunch of other imposing mountains that surround the Sheldon Amphitheater. The weather was perfect: clear skies and warm sun.

When we called on the satellite phone for a pickup from K2 Aviation, we learned that Talkeetna Airport was socked in and no planes could take off. There was nothing to do but wait … and munch on our remaining snacks. Hours later, just as the clouds started to lift in Talkeetna, fog rolled up the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier. Soon, the clouds enveloped the entire valley and it started to rain. We were stuck.

Hiking back up to the hut, we busied ourselves with card games and books until it was time to turn in. Thankfully, the weather blew out as quickly as it arrived. The next morning arrived, and it was clear outside. That was the payoff for our weather delay: some great early-morning photos of Denali, extra sledding runs on the way down to the runway and a beautiful flight back to Talkeetna.

Whenever there's a weather problem in Juneau, Alaska Air's 737 most often is redirected to Sitka. I've been on a couple of those flights — and that's how I learned to love Sitka. On the first "overfly," I made several new friends and was able to stash our bags in their hotel room. There are a few landmarks downtown, and we saw them all, then took a walk on the beach: Old Harbor Books, St. Michael's Cathedral and the Sitka National Historical Park. We didn't spend the night, though. Alaska Airlines sent another 737 from Anchorage and we arrived in Juneau around 1 a.m.

The next overfly (because of more fog at the Juneau airport), brought us to Sitka around 10 p.m. On arrival, the flight attendant shared four details: First, the airport would be closing 30 minutes after the flight arrived. Second, there were very few hotel rooms available in Sitka that night. Third, the flight the next morning already was full. And finally, the "express" ferry was leaving "in a few hours" for Juneau. There was a bus outside to take those who wanted to make the 15-hour trip to Juneau.

Upon boarding the bus to the ferry terminal, the driver wanted $5 for the trip. I had no cash, and the driver wouldn't take a credit card. Thankfully, a nice woman in back of me, Jane Dyson, slipped me a $5 bill. Jane was flying to Juneau to see her husband, Fred Dyson, who was serving in the Alaska state Senate at the time.

In the end, there was an entire busload of intrepid Juneau-bound travelers that opted for the trip on the M/V Taku. After the bus ride north of town to the ferry terminal, we all waited until about 3 a.m. for the ferry.

The trip was a blast, sleep deprivation notwithstanding. Those of us who got on in Sitka shuffled around to find a chair, and some of us pulled the cushions off to sleep on the floor — just as we'd been advised not to do upon boarding. When the sun did come up, the weather was calm. It was perfect weather for cruising to Hoonah, Angoon and finally to Juneau.

Southeast Alaska has a reputation for weather-related delays and cancellations. But they happen up north, too. I flew from Fairbanks to Coldfoot with Northern Alaska Tour Co. This Fairbanks-based outfit runs trips up the Dalton Highway, by van and also by plane. I opted for the plane trip to save time and get some aerial photos.

But, just after landing, the clouds came down to the ground and stayed there. So, instead of waiting around for better weather, I opted for a van ride back to Fairbanks. This was my first trip on the "Haul Road," and it was fun. The driver knew his history, both about the pipeline (which you could see alongside the road) and the road itself. We stopped at the Arctic Circle, at the Yukon River and at a couple of places for an up-close inspection of the tundra.

One of my favorite weather-diversion stories is the time we were coming back from Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines (the airline offered nonstop service to the islands in the 1980s and 1990s). Just as we were about to land in Anchorage, the pilot announced that the fog was too thick and that we'd be going to Fairbanks!

Of course, it was colder in Fairbanks, and Hawaiian couldn't get a gate with a jetway. So all of us grabbed the purple blankets in the overhead bins and wrapped up tightly for the chilly walk to the terminal. Hawaiian Airlines bought every spare room in Fairbanks that night — and several of us doubled up so that everyone could get a bed. The next morning, our purple blankets served as our makeshift boarding passes. Several Hawaiian Airlines employees were on the flight, and they stayed aboard the plane all night.

Weather delays and cancellations can bring about that cranky feeling, for sure. But part of the wonder of travel is that unexpected twist or turn. Whether it's a nice photo, a meal with a new friend or the chance to explore a new destination — well, just do it!

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@alaskatravelGRM) and alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.