American Adventure

Alaska (3)

Starting on September 01, 2002, 1:33:02 PM

On past Anchorage I made it through to Palmer, Alaska, where they were actually having the state fair of Alaska. Not intending to join in on the festivities I rode through on highway "1" that would lead me through and back up to the Alaska Highway and back into Canada.

Some of the mountain passes along this route were amazing with some great sights and scenery. So many of the rivers were flooded with silt and they often change their appearance and shape as they carry deposits from the vast amounts of glacial runoff. A very thick muddy look, it was quite a radical difference from some of the other amazingly clear lakes and streams that I had seem prior.

At this point I had replaced my somewhat shredded, white plastic tarp with a new, blue one. Looking towards the mountains ahead of me I anticipated some rain. Believe me, I found it, again.

I enjoyed as much of the scenery as I could before I reached the rain clouds ahead.

In the distance I could see the inevitable rain. With no other paths around it I cringed with the fact that it was going to get me this time.

Still enjoying the beauty for a few remaining shots I came up on this pass where there was an incredible view of the surrounding area. Just as I pulled away from the vehicle turn-out I saw another bald eagle. Just below me it drifted along the wind and around the side of the mountain. It was an impressive vantage point looking downward at it as it flew by. I rode on up the hill just a short distance and ran into the rain. I decided to turn around and go back to the sunshine and see if I could find the eagle again before I ventured into the dark and wet terrain ahead of me. I stopped again but the eagle was nowhere in sight. I waited for a moment as the rain kept creeping towards me. Extinguishing the sunlight above me I could feel the warmth vanish and the cold crawl right into my bones. I moved on and into the dark and rain.

For a moment the rain would clear and I was able to enjoy the sunshine her and there. I was able to get these shots here before I ran into more rain.

Driving along I looked off into the distance to my south and saw another glacier. I feel stupid now because I didn't catch the name of this particular glacier but surely will be able to look it up at some point and post it here. It was alittle different than some of the other ones I had seen because it wasn't coming directly off of a mountain. I actually couldn't see what mountain it was coming from because it must have been obscured by the rain clouds in the background.

These walls of ice look very odd and almost ominous as they seem to terrorize the countryside. Only at such an incredibly slow rate, they pose no real threat and people feel comfortable exploring these marvels.

The landscape turned to a more vast area and the mountains faded away. For the moments that it wasn't raining I could see for miles.

I got a shot of this fraction of a rainbow across the highway as if it were showing me the passage through. Would this mean that it was going to stop raining on me? Don't bet your life!

Again I was a little disappointed in the fact that I do not currently know the name of this impressive mountain but again, will try to look it up soon. Just prior to Glenallen you could see this peak for a long distance away.

Up on top of this ridge, overlooking the silt peppered river below, was this great view of the mountain in the distance.

I dropped down the hill to the small community and lodge of Gakona and had dinner at the restaurant there. I would highly recommend this place to visit, eat and stay for a while. It doesn't look like much from the outside but the service and food and overall atmosphere was great. It was getting late and I really didn't want to leave but they were closing and I felt that I better head on my way before they kicked me out.