Starting out

We finally managed to kick off at around 11 am, September 1.  And immediately we began to have issues.  Don turned on the GPS as soon as we pulled out of the neighborhood.  There are only two routes departing Anchorage and we didn’t need the GPS to tell us we wanted the northern one, but we were fortunate he tried to use the GPS because it did not work properly.  This is becoming a tradition—beginning a road trip by going to Costco to exchange a GPS.  We did this last year when we left Chicago for South Carolina to pick up the Tiger.  So, I took advantage of the opportunity to make sandwiches in the parking lot.  Don returned with a new GPS and $30.  The model was on sale so he was paid change when he made the exchange.  Gotta love Costco!  Our second issue involved Sheila, one of our Australian terriers, who was having an extended panic attack as we drove down the highway.  Stopping for a short break outside calmed her and she was fine after we recommenced our journey.  Her last two trips in a car were for veterinary visits involving vaccinations and surgery.  Once she realized the destination would not be a place of torture, she was fine.  And Boomer, our other terrier, slept through the excitement. 

We drove around 7 hours to a nice state campground (Eagle Creek) in the Mentasta Mountains near Tok.  

The scenery on the drive was gorgeous—fall colors north of Palmer.  The weather wasn’t bad:  intermittent light showers and sunshine.  The Glenn Highway is one of the prettiest drives, with spruce and birch forests, mountain curves, rivers, and the Matanuska and Tazlina glaciers.  We also enjoyed the Wrangell Mountains and the Copper River drainage area that you can see while driving the Tok Junction road. 

I can’t end my report without mentioning our hike.  After a quick dinner and wash-up, we took the pups over to a trailhead around 8 pm.  The draw was a one-mile nature loop—perfect way to stretch our legs and exercise the dogs.  At one point in the walk, Don saw a sign that said “1.5 mile overlook.”  Well, he assumed that this was a 1.5-mile loop around the mountain to the end of the campground (or at least that is how he sold it).  

At 9:10, still climbing in increasing darkness, we opted to skip the view and turn around.  We returned to the trailhead at 10—stepping over bear scat and using a keychain flashlight to see the trail.  And by this time it was raining.  This was scary and a reminder to use a little more sense when walking in unfamiliar areas. 

We were glad to return to the Tiger to listen in comfort to the rain pour, which it did all night. 

302 miles, Anchorage to Eagle Creek Recreation Area (south of Tok), N 63° 09.938’ W 143° 12.042’