Making the best of Alaska
In preparation for the predicted rain on Sunday, I thought I would get out and find some more wildlife, hike a few trails and photograph some running water.
My first good fortune came when I pulled into the Thunderbird Falls trailhead parking lot and found that the fee station pay machine had been vandalized rendering everyone with free parking. There's a $5 fee every time you pull into a state facility.
Arming myself with a hiking stick, backpack full of lenses and a tripod, I set off (uphill) toward Thunderbird Falls. I'm pretty much out of shape so the higher altitude and the incline caused me to stop and "admire" a tree when I met or was being overtaken by other hikers while wheezing and being short of breath. I didn't want them asking the all too familiar question, "Are you alright?"
Along the way, I me three Asian ladies who were picking little red berries. I asked them what they were. Popping a couple of them in her mouth, one answered, "Alaskan High Bush Cranberries" and asked if I wanted to try one. They seemed to know they weren't poisonous so I picked a couple of them and ate them as well. Pretty tart and tangy but tasty none the less.
I had no ill effects.
Three quarters of a mile was a viewing station for the falls so I snapped a couple of shots.
It wasn't a great view at all so after talking to a pretty young lady at the overlook, with the largest Great Dane I'd ever seen, I discussed with her about getting to the bottom. I think she was kindly trying to discourage me from going, pointing out that my shoes (a pair of Merrell waterproof hikers) may not be the best for the trip. I'm pretty sure she was wrong.
Asking about the wildlife, she said she found a dead moose down by the river probably killed by a bear and if I went, I should have some kind of protection. I pulled my shirt tail aside revealing a large can of Bear Spray on my belt. "That'll do", she said.
Before I could start the trek down, I met a man and woman with a couple of kids. The guy was wearing a holster strapped across his chest with what appeared to be a .44 or .454 Casull revolver. Maybe the lady at the top was serious about being protected.
Anyway it was very easy going down and she was right in respect to being rocky and muddy slippery.
So here's a couple of pictures of the Ekletna River at the base of the falls.
The whole round trip was probably a couple of miles half of which was very uphill but once I got back to my car, drank a bottle of water and rested a minute, I set my course toward Hatcher Pass near Willow. I avoided the GPS and took the back roads hoping to spot wild life but none appeared. It is moose season here so they are laying low.
From Wikipedia: Hatcher Pass (3,886 ft or 1,148 m), also known as Hatcher's Pass by locals, is a mountain pass through the southwest part of the Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska. It is named after Robert Hatcher, a prospector and miner. The nearest cities are Palmer and Wasilla approximately 12 miles (19 km) to the south, and Willow approximately 26 mi (42 km) to the west. The communities are at an elevation of approximately 250 ft (76 m) in the Mat-Su valley.
From the direction I traveled, it was mostly a dirt road with hunters camping along the rivers and trafficked heavily with various ATVs and off road jalopies.
As I drove along, I saw several places that were being mined for what I guessed would be gold.
Once at the top of the pass there is a small lake that has no obvious source for the water unless it's just the holdover from last year's snows.
Confession time here. I figured since it had taken me 4 hours to get here, It was going to take the same to get back to Anchorage. As I went on a little further from the lake the altitude began to drop significantly and I could see what appeared in the distance to be...a hard packed road!?!
Sure enough, on the other side of the pass was a state park including a lodge.
Plugging in my GPS, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was only 2 hours from my hotel, all on improved roads that took me down by Wasilla River.
It was quite a nice day but I was tired.
My phone app registered over 10,000 steps but it felt more like twice that and I did not see any wildlife. Not even a bird.
"Not all those who wander are lost."-J.R.R. Tolkien
My first good fortune came when I pulled into the Thunderbird Falls trailhead parking lot and found that the fee station pay machine had been vandalized rendering everyone with free parking. There's a $5 fee every time you pull into a state facility.
Arming myself with a hiking stick, backpack full of lenses and a tripod, I set off (uphill) toward Thunderbird Falls. I'm pretty much out of shape so the higher altitude and the incline caused me to stop and "admire" a tree when I met or was being overtaken by other hikers while wheezing and being short of breath. I didn't want them asking the all too familiar question, "Are you alright?"
Along the way, I me three Asian ladies who were picking little red berries. I asked them what they were. Popping a couple of them in her mouth, one answered, "Alaskan High Bush Cranberries" and asked if I wanted to try one. They seemed to know they weren't poisonous so I picked a couple of them and ate them as well. Pretty tart and tangy but tasty none the less.
I had no ill effects.
Three quarters of a mile was a viewing station for the falls so I snapped a couple of shots.
It wasn't a great view at all so after talking to a pretty young lady at the overlook, with the largest Great Dane I'd ever seen, I discussed with her about getting to the bottom. I think she was kindly trying to discourage me from going, pointing out that my shoes (a pair of Merrell waterproof hikers) may not be the best for the trip. I'm pretty sure she was wrong.
Asking about the wildlife, she said she found a dead moose down by the river probably killed by a bear and if I went, I should have some kind of protection. I pulled my shirt tail aside revealing a large can of Bear Spray on my belt. "That'll do", she said.
Before I could start the trek down, I met a man and woman with a couple of kids. The guy was wearing a holster strapped across his chest with what appeared to be a .44 or .454 Casull revolver. Maybe the lady at the top was serious about being protected.
Anyway it was very easy going down and she was right in respect to being rocky and muddy slippery.
So here's a couple of pictures of the Ekletna River at the base of the falls.
The whole round trip was probably a couple of miles half of which was very uphill but once I got back to my car, drank a bottle of water and rested a minute, I set my course toward Hatcher Pass near Willow. I avoided the GPS and took the back roads hoping to spot wild life but none appeared. It is moose season here so they are laying low.
From Wikipedia: Hatcher Pass (3,886 ft or 1,148 m), also known as Hatcher's Pass by locals, is a mountain pass through the southwest part of the Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska. It is named after Robert Hatcher, a prospector and miner. The nearest cities are Palmer and Wasilla approximately 12 miles (19 km) to the south, and Willow approximately 26 mi (42 km) to the west. The communities are at an elevation of approximately 250 ft (76 m) in the Mat-Su valley.
From the direction I traveled, it was mostly a dirt road with hunters camping along the rivers and trafficked heavily with various ATVs and off road jalopies.
As I drove along, I saw several places that were being mined for what I guessed would be gold.
Once at the top of the pass there is a small lake that has no obvious source for the water unless it's just the holdover from last year's snows.
Confession time here. I figured since it had taken me 4 hours to get here, It was going to take the same to get back to Anchorage. As I went on a little further from the lake the altitude began to drop significantly and I could see what appeared in the distance to be...a hard packed road!?!
Sure enough, on the other side of the pass was a state park including a lodge.
Plugging in my GPS, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was only 2 hours from my hotel, all on improved roads that took me down by Wasilla River.
It was quite a nice day but I was tired.
My phone app registered over 10,000 steps but it felt more like twice that and I did not see any wildlife. Not even a bird.
"Not all those who wander are lost."-J.R.R. Tolkien
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