A Picture Postcard Kinda Day at Hatcher Pass

As many shots as I have of Hatcher and this pull-over by the Little Su, you'd think this would get old, but it doesn't. Views like this brought me to Alaska and I still treasure every viewing. BTW, the Little Su is under that snow you see, tho' you can see part of it in that big hole.

Close up view of the layers of snow above the water where a hole has formed on the Little Su.

I was back on the viewing platform, shooting back along the narrow path someone had stomped out. It was maybe two boot widths wide. As Kathy found out, if you stepped off the path, however, it was deep, very deep. maybe almost thigh deep. She didn't spill her coffee, I will note, tho' I had to pull her out and thus missed a great photo opportunity. For some strange reason she wasn't interested in recreating it so I could video tape, however. Wonder why?

Snow covered rocks

Some folks were prepping to go snowboarding. We got them on video, heck, we took lots of video that I'll try to upload soon, but this part is up on Kathy (Mattes) Facebook page.

Taken from the Gold Mint Trail parking lot, looking up the road we were about to take. Some folks were out here yesterday and couldn't get very far up, so we lucked out. I honestly kept expecting to hit the closed gates but we got all the way up to the Lodge! We have video from here.

Here we were at the best overlook for a view down into the Mat-Su Valley. I think Kathy was filming here, so look for this clip soon, too. I told her she needed to record to capture her first comments on the view, which is pretty darn awesome.

Just sorta clicking randomly....

That's Kathy left, trying to take it all in. This was her first trip up to Hatcher Pass which, as any regular blog readers know, is like a trip to heaven for me and a frequent jaunt.

That's Kathy again, right, and our view.

I shot and narrated with my best tour guide voice some video from about here as we looked up toward Hatcher Lodge, sorta center and down, and beyond it, Independence Mine.

We'd made out way up to the parking lot just past the Lodge and after getting some shots and video of the mine area from a bit closer, were beginning to hear the call of Hatcher Lodge for lunch. Mat-Su Valley can be seen in a bit of a haze in the distance on the left.

You know, if I had one of these, I wouldn't have to wait on the street plow to go past.

I think these were snow machine tracks, tho' might be some ski and snow board tracks tossed in there.

My artsy moment of the day, from inside the restaurant at Hatcher Lodge looking out past the flowers to the snowy mountains.

I also had a cat moment at lunch. Blackie decided he really, really liked me and even followed me back to the table.

Looking toward the Valley. I must have shot this one from just outside the Lodge after lunch.

Smoke coming out of the chimney of the Lodge.

This may look like a road to you and, okay, it is....in summer months .... but those are actually snow machine tracks going up Willow-Fishhook Road.

Unless you've got a vehicle that jumps huge piles of snow and gates, you can't get onto Willow-Fishhook from this end. Heck, it often doesn't open up until June, so lots of time for snow machiners to have fun.

Just a random shot taken while driving back down outta the area.

Gotta love our Alaskan skies. When they want to impress, they sure kow how to impress those of us petty mortals who visit.

Yes, that's an avalanche warning sign, one of many you'll see on the drive to Hatcher. Snow conditions are monitored and the gates we passed through today may very well be shut tomorrow depending on what the snow and weather conditions do tonight.

Not so scenic, true, but this is the wet, dirty gunk that was coming off the bottom of the car when we got home.

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