June 6, 2024, Thursday

June 6, 2024  Tok, Ak to Anchorage, Ak.  Left Tok at 7AM, Arrived Anchorage 4PM and mileage 425 (with lunch stop) gas  $3.99 total miles driven  3575; 35 miles per gallon

Day 12 Last Day on the road.  Awake to sunny, partly cloudy.  There was no storm during the night and it’s 50 degrees. Interior Ak has big extremes of cold in winter and heat in summer.  The cabin was comfortable and we kept the window open all night.  They do not provide black out curtains so we did have some daylight all night long.  We head west on the Tok Junction Road.  Wide, flat and good road.  Most Ak highways are cut back several feet these days to reduce animal collisions.  One area is not cut back and sure enough a moose appeared browsing out of the blue by the road.  The are so large but easily camouflage, disappearing in seconds.  Once we start to elevate the road has severe heave.  No gravel, washboard or many potholes, but the heaves can be severe and must be navigated with lower speed or could break an axle.  The weather is so sunny and warm, a complete departure from last year’s blizzard.  We transition to the Glen Highway and pass through Glenallen that serves the area for hunting and fishing.  It’s at a crossroad for Fairbanks, Valdez and Anchorage.   We visit the Visitor Center and the Tesoro gas station.  We have never been in side and find it a huge store with groceries and souvenirs.  We think there may in a sweet spot coming this one week later; mountains still beautiful in snow and it’s not snowing on us, spring flowers and animals very active.  We are in an area where the Alaska Range blends into the Mentasta Mountains which blend into the Wrangell Range.  (Same range we saw from the coast in Wrangell, AK.)  With all these mountains there is a lot of run off that creates ponds, lakes and muskeg in wide valleys that also hold large rivers, some from snow melt but many from glacier sources.  We cross up river of the famous Copper River, known for CR salmon.  In August we will visit the delta of the CR in Cordova, Ak that empties into Prince William Sound. Famous for fishing, salmon being one.   Still looking for Orcas!!!  A coyote runs across the road in front of us, on the other side he stops and looks over his shoulder at us as if to say, nah, nah, you didn’t get me!

14k and 16K feet Mt Drum and Mt. Sanford are partially clouded.  These semi-dormant volcanoes are so massive with high elevations and glaciers they make their own weather.  We are fortunate to have seen them completely exposed in past visits.  We head into 3k ft passes and we go back to early spring season.  The Chugach Mountains come into view with their elevations that hold glaciers.  (This is the same range that serves as Anchorage’s backdrop, only not as high elevation.) The Tazlina Glacier is so large it makes its own light and creates a huge lake.  Further we see the Matanuska Glacier and its long arm flowing down the valley.  We follow its river for 40 miles.  The road is high and very narrow through here and no guardrails.  One wrong move and that’s all she wrote.  The river changes course constantly in the narrow valley and erodes the banks that hold the roads.  Eroding on one side and mountain wall on the other; a wall that continues to crumble with wind and rain erosion.  So glad we’re not dodging rocks.  We stop off in the little farming town of Palmer.  This town has worked hard to keep its original atmosphere given all the changes.  This land was given away in early days to develop farms.  A farm land trust has formed to keep as much of the land as it can true to its origins.  This is also home to the AK State Fair and Ak Scottish Highland games and other big events.  All under the gaze of Pioneer Peak.  The Talkeetna Mts which ring the town on one side have new snow.  All along this portion of the trip the higher peaks are still snow covered.  We stop at a fave, the Palmer Ale House, for a late lunch.

Heading the last 45 miles into Anchorage and very familiar territory.  Call Brenna on the way; not able to make Dean’s ballgame tonight, have to unload and very tired.  She saying if we come to the house to be careful a moose cow had bedded in their yard with twin calves, so new they are shaky on their long legs.  We think it may be the same moose that jumped the fence this winter looking for food.  The mama is emaciated, the winter so hard and many starving toward the end.  This mama has been able to endure and give live birth to two tykes and now she must feed so she can feed them.

Pull into our apartment parking lot and begin to plan our unloading when Pat realizes she left her purse in Palmer.  Oh no!  Called restaurant and purse is safe and ready to be picked up.  All of it important personal stuff in the purse, feel we need to get it now.  We decide to wait until rush hour calms and then drive back out.  An added 90 miles to our day’s total.  Got the purse and rewarded with another moose siting near the road.  Every day of travel has meant keeping track of all belongings all the time, more so with daily changing locations etc.  On the bright side?  Glad the purse wasn’t in Tok.

Note:  We did not know of the huge southeast native event that was happening in Juneau.  It happens every other year, if we had known we would have planned a stayover.  Hand hewn native canoes were being paddled by all ages and genders from various long distances all meeting in Juneau for the start of the 4-day event. We were glad to meet some of the Tlingits on the ferry and hear their stories etc.  A newlywed woman said, he came into my tent and never left.  LOL

Note:  We just found out that the McCarthy Road to Kennecott Mine and Lodge washed out and they have to close the road and only allow very restricted access until they can find a way to make the road better.  It’s a very fragile area and the road is not developed with mud and gravel.  There are areas that sit high over the Copper River with a long drop and no guardrails.  We drove with Seth on that road a few years ago and found it very dicey.  In fact, we could only find one dealer who would rent us a car for the journey.  The whole state is experiencing huge landslides in various locations, some with human fatality.  The land is changing and humans are going to have to be very careful where the live and develop.

We close this timeframe of the blog with grateful hearts for the travel mercies we have received. So many people, many who we never met, provided quality services that make us comfortable and safe.  There is kindness and courtesy of strangers and sharing stories, meeting very different personalities; especially on the ferry, there was a great deal of diversity.  Actually, some were quite annoying.  LOL.  This excursion reminds of how much we live in our bubble at home.  And thanks to our Chevy Equinox workhorse, it never left us down.  It even managed to avoid a cracked windshield to date.  But then, there is Anchorage driving to come.  LOL

Apartment in good shape.  Dean has been here with his mom to check on things and left us a few practical joke surprises to find.  Can’t wait to see he and Quinn tomorrow.  His birthday is Saturday, #8! on the 8th and party with friends on Monday.  Party prep and laundry and groceries for the next few days!  Tonight, Anchorage is cool and windy and we will sleep well now that Pat’s purse has come home.