AK Trip - Day Twenty Two - Saturday, July 7th.,

Wasilla to Wrangell Saint Elias National Park

We left Wasilla this morning and quickly made it into Palmer where we had breakfast at The Noisy Goose Cafe. From there it was on to a nearby gas station to check the air in the bike tires. Soon after we were headed down the Glenn Hwy following the Matanuska Valley, eventually crossing the Chugach Mountains.

The Matanuska River

Near this spot, at Hatcher Pass, the second largest gold discovery in Alaska took place.

The Matanuska Glacier

We spent most of the morning climbing through the Chugach Mountains and riding around this magnificent glacier. It didn't take long to realize we needed heavier clothes as the temps dropped dramatically near this glacier.

Wrangell Saint Elias National Park

At the risk of sounding like a Park Ranger, I'll pass on some interesting information we learned about this park. Wrangell is the largest national park in the US. It is the size of six Yellowstones, comprising 13.2 million acres. Four major mountain ranges meet here, including two which make up it's name. (Wrangell Mountains & Saint Elias Mountains) Of the 15 highest peaks in Alaska, 12 are in this park. Mt Wrangell is the largest active volcano in the state. Sadly, due to this parks remote location, it is also one of the least visited parks. The entire park is accessed by two dirt roads. This park is so large it has seven seperate visitor centers. Ted and I visited the Copper River Visitor Center and, 60 miles farther on, the Chitina Visitor Center for two separate NP stamps.

While at the Chitina Center the Park Ranger reccommended a newly refurbished old hotel in the small town as a great place to get a fresh halibut burger. As it turned out, she knew what she was talking about. The grilled halibut was delicious with a cup of fresh clam chowder. It should be noted this is prime halibut season in Alaska. Fresh halibut can be found on most menus.

Returning from Chitina we had the good fortune to have a female black bear with a small cub run directly in front of my bike. At a distance I first thought it was a very large black dog. As I quickly got closer it did not take long to realize the mistake. I thought of Nancy Hulen and her love for animals when I saw this pair up close.

The Copper River
Have you ever heard of Copper River salmon?

People were lining the river banks fishing for Copper River salmon. The salmon run is in full swing.

Today the weather started partly cloudy with temps in the mid to upper fifties. As we got farther up into the mountains the weather took a turn for the worse getting colder and eventually raining most of the afternoon. Ted and I didn't let that bother us as we continued on into Wrangell Saint Elias NP.

Tonight, after back tracking, we are staying at The Caribou Hotel in Glennallen. We tried to rebook in Valdez but there wasn't a room to be had due to a statewide bicycle festival. Tomorrow we will explore Valdez for one day instead of the two originally planned. That extra day is needed to make our ferry date.

Fire Weed is in full bloom throughout Alaska and Canada.

The Caribou Hotel allows motorcycles to park under their front door canopy.

"My parents' idea of a wild night is to mix a scoop of real coffee in with the decaf." ~Calvin~