Day trip over Hatcher Pass

Yesterday we took a day trip over Hatcher Pass, which is on the north side of the mountains past Wasilla and Palmer and is home to gold mining past and present. It was a beautiful day with beautiful scenery. On the way, we stopped at Nancy Lake for a tailgate picnic while watching folks waterski and intertube.

We watched the clouds go by for awhile as well.

It was bright enough that some of these pictures are a bit washed out. The road over Hatcher Pass follows the Little Susitna River.

A rare moment when Hazel stood still between looking for rocks, throwing rocks, splashing in the water and generally leaping and jumping. There were lots of pieces of quartz and shiny "gold" mica.

It was generally beautiful. I kept telling the driver to pull over so I could take pictures. This pond had a beaver dam, but Hazel couldn't spot the builders.

We looked but saw no wildlife at all.

Not even with the proper tools.

Lots of glacial valleys - the green scenery reminding me of Scotland.

This is the still very active Lucky Shot mine area, which started around 1919. The modern facilities looked a bit out of place in their surroundings.

The top of the pass is popular with para gliders.

Looking back from whence we'd come.

Then we descended down the pass into the overcast, cloudy weather.

Independence Mine State Historical Park is on the other side of the pass. This was our second visit to the mine. There are lots of intact buildings and ruins as well. In an Olympic tie-in, a member of the US Olympic ski team in the fifties lived here for seven years as a child, when the mine was still in operation. The white behind Hazel attests to the fact that we were in the clouds. 

I must have had the camera setting wrong, as it was not bright out.



The mine entrance, which is not available to tour.

Still in the clouds.

Looking down the hillside to the intact buildings.

The sad ending to our mine visit was a car accident on the road down from the pass. The car missed the turn and rolled down the hill. I'll spare you the close-ups, but it was interesting to watch the assortment of rescue vehicles arrive from near and far. They cleared our parking lot to land a helicopter, which was good because that meant the most seriously injured victim was still alive.

We ended the trip with a yummy dinner at a hotel in Palmer. If it hadn't been so late, we would've stayed for the outdoor car show, but we're in transition to school bedtime, so we reluctantly headed home. Next time...