AK -- Big Lake & Palmer, 18-26 June 2018

One day in Big Lake and seven days in Palmer, Alaska…

Why we came…

Because our plans for Willow fell apart.

The “campground” in Big Lake…

Rolf and Kitty’s home has been in the family for many years. It started as a summer cabin. They have done extensive renovations and it is now a comfortable home.

Rolf has graded the front yard so that there is more than enough room for a couple of RVs. In addition, he has it set up with utility hookups. When we discovered that the campground in Willow was closed, we knew we had a place to go, thanks to Rolf and Kitty’s generosity and their open invitation to visit.

We had a wonderful time sharing travel stories and catching up on each other’s lives. Plus, they let us do several loads of laundry! Thank you Rolf and Kitty!

   

Set up at Rolf and Kitty’s homestead  /  Thanks Kitty and Rolf!  You guys are very generous!

Nearby towns…

Big Lake is a bedroom community northwest of Wasilla. Its population of 3,350 is spread out around its namesake lake that has 67 miles of shoreline. In addition to the scenic lake, Mount Susitna and the Talkeetna Mountains grace the distant skyline.

Wasilla is just 20 miles to the east and has plenty of supplies and services.

The campground in Palmer…

Mountain View RV Park was decent.  We liked the location.  It was off  the beaten path and had no road or train noise!  The nearly vertical Chugach Mountains provided a beautiful backdrop.

The sites were long, but narrow.  We were thankful to have an end site so we just had one neighbor and didn’t feel closed-in.  The sites were fairly level, packed gravel and grass.  We had full hook-ups and pretty good wi-fi (yay!).  We also had a reliable Verizon data signal.  There were plenty of washers and dryers, though they were a bit old.  The toilets and showers were together in individual rooms and kept clean.

We were comfortable and would gladly return.

Mountain View RV Park in Palmer

Nearby towns…

Palmer, population 7,000, and Wasilla, population 9,748, are nearly connected at the hip.  Between them, are lots of stores, restaurants, and services. 

If you can’t find something in Palmer or Wasilla, then Anchorage is an easy 45 mile drive to the southwest.

Adventures…

Hatcher Pass..

Hatcher Pass is a mountain pass through the southwest part of the Talkeetna Mountains. The area has a mining heritage. It is now popular with hikers during the summer and backcountry skiers and boarders during the winter.

We started our day at the base of Marmot Mountain. At 4,623 feet, Marmot is one of the taller mountains with road access. It is popular with paragliders that use one its shoulders for a launch pad. We hoped to climb about 2,000 feet.

Unfortunately, it is very steep and the trail is rocky.  We only went up 1/2 mile but climbed about 600 feet. From our viewpoint, where we stopped to take a break, we could see the pass road was clear of snow, but only open to the lodge.

We love to hike and bike roads that have been cleared but are not open to summer traffic yet. Hatcher Pass road was expected to open around the 4^th of July. We headed back down Marmot with a new plan for the day.

We parked at the Hatcher Pass Lodge where they have rustic cabin rentals and a restaurant. They are open year round!

We set out on foot, walked around the gate and up Hatcher Pass Road. It climbed steadily and with each short stretch of road, the view changed and grew more picturesque.

There was still quite a bit of snow on the northern slopes but on the southern slopes were fields of heather already sprouting their new shoots. Wild flowers were just pushing up. It was barely spring here at the end of June.

At the summit of the road is the marker for Hatcher Pass at 3,886 feet. From here we could see small glacial lakes and their aqua surfaces only partially thawed.

We peered down into the west side of the pass. It drops off drastically but the west side of the Talkeetna Range does not have the jagged peaks.

After climbing around on a few knobs to get views from different angles, we took a break on top of a rocky outcrop. It is a special place!

On the way back down Hatcher Pass Road we were admiring a Golden Eagle soaring in circles above us. Suddenly she swooped and raced off to our right. As we were watching her, another eagle came in fast behind her and caught her. The two eagles connected in midflight and started to tumble! Then they were out of our view behind a peak. But we are pretty sure that we just witnessed two eagles mating!

We finished the hike with a nice meal at the Hatcher Pass Lodge Restaurant. They have a great view!

   

Two hike routes in the Hatcher Pass area  /  The high point of the road

   

The Little Susitna River near its headwaters /  It’s beautiful!

Happy to be in the mountains

   

The Hatcher Pass road was still closed, but we walked it  /  The lodge and cabins.  We had a tasty meal with a spectacular view after our hike.

   

Playing with the snow  /  As we walked up, the view got better

   

That’s a lot of snow!  /  The road was clear, but at the top, we left it and traversed a couple of snow fields.

The lake was thawing around the edges and was a very pretty blue

A slot view of the Knik River and rugged Chugach Mountains

Matanuska Peak Trail…

One day, we set out to get some exercise on Smith Road near the RV Park. After a mile walk up the steep road, we were surprised to find the Matanuska Peak Trail Head.

The next day we returned to the trailhead and headed up the trail to get a little exercise.

“One of the peaks dominating the skyline from downtown Palmer, Matanuska is a thigh busting, lung burning climb (4 miles; 5,670 feet). For the truly fit, there’s a race here each July that starts at the base of Lazy Mountain – it’s14 miles long, 9,000 feet up, and 9,000 feet down!”

After just a short flat section, the trail pitched up steeply, busting our thighs and calves. It was not long before we were breathing heavy and sweating. It was Mother Nature’s stair climber!

In a mile, we climbed 1,000 feet which is at our limit! We were rewarded with views over the Matanuska Valley. We’ll return this fall to assess our fitness improvement after hiking all summer.

   

We climbed 1,000 feet for exercise on the Matanuska Peak Trail  /  Motivated and fit hikers can climb 6,000 feet to the top of the prominent peak

   

Colorful wild geraniums were abundant  /  The view at our turn-around point.  The Matanuska River is on the right and the Knik River is in the distance.  The Chugach Mountains are obscured by clouds.  Bodenburg Butte is in the middle.  We’ll climb that the next day!

Bodenburg Butte…

Bodenberg Butte is a “Roche Moutennee”. “During the last ice age, the Knik Glacier moved through this valley, shaping landscape that you see today. As the frozen river of ice flowed through the area, it carried away tons of softer rock, carving out a valley. The knob of much harder bedrock that was unmoved by the glacier’s advance is what we know today as the Butte.”

Now, it is a popular hike with locals for a quick 3 mile hike with nearly 900 feet of climbing. We saw 70 to 80 folks of all levels tackling the 505 stairs up the north face. Some were running the trail, others were walking dogs, and others spending quality family time.

But they were all enjoying the view at the top. “This small bump in the center of a grand alluvial plain offers far-reaching views from its summit.”

“Look north to the ramparts of Arkose Ridge and Bald Mountain Ridge, then south to the peaks of the Chugach Mountains. To the southeast, you can see all the way to the blue-ice snout of Knik Glacier and the snow-covered peaks channeling its great power. Then look west, out to Knik Arm, into which flow glacial rivers from all over the state.”

Unfortunately, there were quite a few lower clouds obscuring our view. We’ll have to come back in the fall and hope for a better weather day. It is only a 4 mile drive from the campground so it is easy to get there.

   

Hike route up Bodenburg Butte  /  Impressive numbers

   

We are always learning  /  Encouragement to tackle the 505 steps

The Knik Glacier.  It would be spectacular on a cloud-free day.

Lazy Mountain…

Lazy Mountain is not lazy! It far exceeded our rule of thumb to only climb 1,000 feet per mile. In the first mile we climbed 1,500 feet!!!

It was a cloudy cool day, which helped us on a trail where we worked so hard!

The trail pitches up very steeply right from the trailhead. The only redeeming factor was that the surface was primarily packed mud that was only partially moist. If it were wet, it would be slick. If it were dry, it would break away with each step. But the soil was grippy with an occasional rock that could be used for traction.

On the ascent we were concentrating on where to put each foot. We were just trying to survive the up! As we climbed toward the heavens, the views below us changed rapidly. We could even see our campground in the valley far below us.

We stopped at an overlook at 1.3 miles after climbing 2,100 feet. We could have continued up another .7 mile to the top of Lazy Mountain but it was another 800 feet of climbing and the peak was obscured in clouds anyway.

In addition, at the top of the knob our sweat soaked bodies were assaulted by 25 knot winds and we were instantly chilled. We quickly donned our jackets. We took just a short break before heading down. However, we had another plan for the descent.

We descended just a short distance before we veered left and took off on the Lazy Moose Trail. It was like we had stepped into another world with the trail gently switching back and forth.

Lazy Moose was bordered by wildflowers: Columbine, Geranium, Paintbrush, Forget-Me-Not, Roses and several others flowers that had not bloomed yet such as Fireweed.

On the way up we were passed by a dozen people (a few insane ones who were running up). On Lazy Moose, we only saw two people.

The last mile of the descent was a narrow lane of cow parsnip. “Cow parsnip is a large-leafed plant that can reach heights of more than seven feet. The stems and leaves contain furocoumarins, a photosensitive chemical that can lead to rash and blisters on some people after exposure to ultraviolet light.” Arleen has been burned by it before and still remembers how painful it was.

As we got back to the truck, the clouds lifted and we saw a lot of blue sky. I teased Arleen, “It’s time to go back up.”

   

Hike route up Lazy Mountain  /  Trails in the area

   

We hiked the steeper way up and enjoyed the meandering Lazy Moose Trail on the way down  /  A hungry moose's work

Sweet view nearly 2,000 feet above the expansive valley

Our little home is down there!

We stopped about 800 feet below the top.  We were worn out from 2,300 feet of steep climbing and wanted to stay below the clouds.  Those dang clouds robbed us of an even more spectacular view!  The snow and glacier covered Chugach Mountains would add a dramatic back-drop to the left side of this picture. 

       

Lots of pretty flowers along the trail

       

Lupines, red columbines, and wild geraniums

Fishing adventures…

I fondly remember fishing Long Lake 20 years ago. We would carry a heavy canoe about a quarter of a mile down a rough and steep trail. I liked the lake because it had catch and release rules. I always felt I had a chance of catching a monster.

It is still catch and release but there were a couple of downed trees on the steepest section of the trail down to the lake. It would be very difficult to get our kayaks around the obstacle. Maybe we’ll go back in the fall with a kayak cart and an ax.

We backtracked to Canoe Lake that is supposed to have grayling. We launched the kayaks and fished for a few hours and only caught several little rainbow trout. Also, the entire shore of the lake is private and lined with a number of homes. We really prefer wilderness though it was nice to be in the kayaks.

We were thrilled to watch an osprey harass a bald eagle. The osprey was relentless and chased the much bigger eagle all over the sky. Twice the eagle briefly flipped upside-down and flashed its talons when the osprey got too close! It’s the first time we have ever seen a bird fly upside down!

   

Lily pads at Canoe Lake  /  Not a good picture, but this is a good memory… We watched an osprey harass an eagle.  Twice, when the osprey got too close, the eagle briefly flew upside down and flashed its talons.  It was incredible!

   

Caught a few stocker-sized rainbow trout at Canoe Lake

Eklutna Tailrace is about 25 miles north of Anchorage. It “is comprised of a small, artificial eddy of water that comes down from a power plant and connects to the main stem, Knik River. The glacial-fed water looks murky and blue-gray, and there’s very little current.”

“The main fishing area is stocked with kings and silvers and has pinks, chums and dollies at the confluence of the tailrace with the Knik river. Because it’s an artificial fishery, this tends to be one of the least regulated fisheries in South Central Alaska. That means that king salmon fishing usually remains open here even while most South Central king fisheries have been closed in recent years due to poor king returns.”

I preferred the Willow area because I could hike off a bit and have a section of the river to myself and felt I had more of a chance.

I fished the Tailrace three times during our stay in Palmer. There were always sixty to eighty fishermen squeezed into a small area. Methods varied between salmon roe, Vibrax, Pixies, and even flies.

There were very few kings returning. Each time we saw just a few salmon caught during our many hours there. Arleen figured I had just a 2% chance of catching one.

But it is entertaining! There’s always a wide variety of folks down there. You have families fishing along grizzled old men and fly fishermen.

Maybe I’ll try my luck at Ship Creek in Anchorage. It’s also entertaining!

   

King salmon fishing at the Eklutna Tailrace.  Due to poor salmon runs, only two areas were open to king salmon fishing:  here and Ship Creek in downtown Anchorage.  We had planned to be slaying them at Willow Creek.

   

Late 1990s… King salmon caught at Willow Creek.

Catching up with an old friend…

The Windbreak Café in Wasilla has great food. Plus, it has retained its previous moniker of Trout’s Place. I’ve read Ken Marsh’s book Breakfast at Trout’s Place; The Seasons of an Alaska Flyfisher several times. The book is why I first ate there years ago but the food is the reason why I return.

Tom supervised Arleen and I when we were stationed at Elmendorf AFB almost two decades ago. The only time he had in his busy schedule was to meet us in the morning. Being fishermen, the only place to meet was at Trout’s Place.

We had a great time catching up with Tom! We had stories to share of all our travels since we left Alaska.

Tom has been doing amazing work in Wasilla! He has been the pastor at Fairview Loop Baptist Church for 22 years now. When he first started the congregation, there were only 15-20 people. He was still active duty the first five years.  Still the church slowly grew in numbers. They now see average attendance from 150 - 200. Special occasions often draw more than 300.

Over the years they’ve purchased 55 acres and raised the money to build a new church that will accommodate 400...all debt free! The church has sent missionaries to: South Korea, Indonesia, India, Botswana, Russia, Ghana, and several villages on Kodiak Island. 

Tom shared with us, “God has done amazing things. I have married couples that were in the church as babies and I baptized kids years ago and have now baptized their kids! I have seen many people come and go over the years. Most importantly I have seen God transform lives and families. It has been good!”

We attended Tom’s Sunday morning service. His congregation was very welcoming! We thoroughly enjoyed Tom’s sermon. His message was to always “look for the good”.

   

Tom supervised both of us (at different times) while we were in the Air Force  /  Tom has been pastor for 22 years.  15-20 people attended then.  Up to 300 attend now!

Next…

We are in Anchorage!  Our next stops are Soldotna, Homer, and Ninilchik.

Parting shots…

The Matanuska River was swollen with snow melt and recent rain

   

Bald eagle perched above the fisherpeople at the Eklutna Tailrace

(205,500)