Hatcher Pass, Mid-September Colors

Heading out Wasilla-Fishhook Road.

Leaves gone, leaves changing, leaves hanging in there in the vicinity of the Motherlode Lodge.

Vrrrooooommmmmmmm....
"Baby, I was born to be wild!"

Kinda weird to see the Valley hazed in cos I'd thought it was quite clear before we headed toward Hatcher.

Not a very good picture, but gave me a laugh. Dog Crate strapped to the back of someone's four-wheeler. Saw lots of dogs today, but never saw this get-up once we left the parking lot where they were parked. Probably berry-picking.

Look lower right. This was the sum-total of wildlife spied today and it could have been squashed had it not scurried back the other way quickly.

Looking backward while walking toward Independence Mine. First time I've been to the mine area in awhile, so a fun bit of meandering about.

A couple of the bunkhouses have been renovated.

Even three story buildings look tiny in this setting.

I think I took this one from the walkway into the gift shop.

Looking down into the Valley from just outside the gift shop.

A zoomed in look at the same area.

Ol' radio above the fireplace inside the gift shop.

Had I been on ground level this flag would have been above me, but from the back deck of the gift shop, it was eyeball level for me.

General mine area.

Nice little cabin on the side of the mountain, right?

Check out how high up it really is!

Okay, it needs work, but fits with the rest of the mix of decay and repair.

Rocky cliffs surround you.

Toward the hazed in Valley from the front deck of, oh, dang, I forget, but I think the old business offices.

I don't recall this being there last visit but, well, it's been awhile since I'd made a proper visit to the mining area.

I know this is new cos the oil drums were newly painted! With the tracks, I'm assuming it'll be part of a future display about the mine cars or something.

Looks like some sorta monster diesel generator or something?

Sorta all blends in together anymore, but ruins of part of the old mining operation.

This was sitting in one of the windows of one of the ol' apartments.

From about the area of the previous shot of the duck in the window looking back up toward the main areas.

More ruins...

Oops, this one is more than a bit lop-sided.

People still pan for gold in many of the surrounding streams.

As you can see, the water moves through at a pretty good clip.

Looking back across the changing colors toward the side of the gift shop the more or less faces the mine area.

You'll have to click to get a larger version of this, but when you do find the cross just a bit below center and slightly right. I was told this cross (and there are some others, tho' never could spy them for sure today) were in memory of some snow-boarders who'd died in avalanche/accidents here, tho' have never had this verified. Anyone know for sure?

Looking back toward the still hazy Valley....which was, go figure, perfectly clear when we got home.

Don't think I've ever snagged a shot of the gift shop from this side, but caught this as we pulled out of the parking lot. The walkway you see is where I was standing to take some of the shots I took back down into the Valley.

Token random shot out the car window.

How cool is this?! A '57 Chevy, conveniently parked at my favorite pull-over viewing spot.

And right beside it, this snazzy "Vette. The guy taking its picture is the owner of the '57 Chevy, who said he'd done all the renovation and body work on it himself. A very, very cool way to end a jaunt to one of my favorite spots in Alaska, Hatcher Pass.