Monday at Hatcher Pass

Since it was warm, the sun was shining and it was an all around gorgeous day, I decided to take advantage of the weather and head out to Hatcher Pass. This is one of the first good looks you get at the mountains as you approach and I am rarely able to resist stopping to snap a photo, even when I know the best is yet to come.
Just before you get to the turn where the pull-over and viewing platform is along the Little Su, this is a less visited view of the river on the opposite side of the road.
Not long after you make the left turn indicated, you're in the shade for awhile as you drive along steep, road hugging cliffs leading you upward.

I bet it's pretty obvious why I love this drive, even if it is a 54 miler round-trip.

Amazing clouds, amazing mountains, even some scenic trees....what not to like?

Last time I was here, that mountain-side was still a sheet of white.

Can you tell I found these clouds intriguing?

It looks flat here, buy you're really winding up, way, way up.

As you wind higher and higher, you will notice that the snow hasn't given up at the higher elevations. Some of it is quite thin, but it's hanging in there.

The lines down the side of the mountain intrigued me.

Last visit, not quite a month ago, the snow was up to the bottom of the top, Hatcher Pass Lodge sign.

Parts of the mine area almost blend into the stark darkness of the rock outs against the snow.

There's a huge parking lot near the lodge just before you go into the mine area. This lovely stream now runs alongside it. Last time I was there, this was all snow and ice.

Distant view of the Independence Mine area, the gift shop (once mine manager's home) to the right with the red roof.

Looking down into Mat-Su Valley

I changed lens to give you a broader view out of that same parking lot as I looked down toward the Mat-Su Valley. The large building right is the lodge, the smaller ones part of its rentals for skiiers or whatever.

Pulling out of the parking lot at the lodge, beginning to head back down the moutain.

This isn't far from the MotherLode and you can see that the ice and snow hasn't quite given up even at that altitude.

One of my favorite spots, the viewing platform over the Little Su, looking back at the mountains.

No more ice and snow here and the Little Su's roar is back.

One last look back at the mountains as I decide I'd better quite taking pictures and start driving without stopping every fifty feet. I'll be back, Hatcher Pass!

VIew From My Deck

Okay, I tried. I tried to be productive. I even raked a few leaves but, jeez, when this is the sky above you, how can you rake leaves when you're hearing the siren song of....
....the siren song of this, my deck chair.
After wiggling into a comfy spot on the chair, snapped a few photos in each direction. This is looking generally easterly, maybe a tad northeast. A closer look at the top of the spruce tree is below.

Looking north. See that horizontal white line sorta half-way down the photo? That's the top of the Talkeetnas as seen from my deck, tho' once the leaves come in fully, it's a view that's usually requires that I walk out to the end of the driveway to get.

Kinda looking ESE

Looking west, over the top of the house, a view of the spruce tree that I'm usually snapping from out front.

Okay, I cheated. I had to get up to get the next photo, so snapped this one looking back at my sunny refuge on the deck as I meandered out to get a view of....

....a view of the mountains to the E/SE. My best view of this from the house is from the guest room on the SE corner of the house but even now you can see that the leaves are coming.

I was serenely back on the deck when I took this one, looking south toward Parks Highway. Pretty day, huh? I may have to go dedicate another 15-20 minutes to sun gazing and making sure I didn't miss anything that you couldn't live without me taking a picture (or ten) of. Ha

Gary Paulsen Speaks at Mat-Su Reads

The early crowd at the presentation Gary Paulsen did to conclude the Mat-Su Reads Program for the summer. It was cool to see 'em have to bring out more chairs before it was over.
The shirt says, "Alaska, Take a Hike"
Gary spoke, took questions from the audience, before the session started as well as during and after, and signed autographs.

As always, I had fun taking pictures of others taking photos.