Alaska Day 2

It is still raining. I am wide awake, lying in bed at 5 am Alaska time (9 am east coast time) listening to the rain tapping against the window. I have been drifting in and out of sleep for the last two hours. I just can’t sleep late and, since I just arrived, I have not yet adjusted to the four hour time difference. I hope the rain stops soon. It will be rather disappointing to begin our first day here with bad weather. I also hope the cats kept each other company last night and that they weren’t too lonely without us. I certainly did not sleep as well as I do at home since I had no small fury little body jumping into bed to cuddle next to me.

Alaska is a new state for all of us which is really exciting. Everything we see and do here will be a new experience. I am very much looking forward to exploring as much as possible with my family. I think even G3 is more excited about this trip than other trips we have taken. He and I have been able to give a second life to much of the gear we bought for Philmont last year since we are aiming to do some camping and hiking. I think that’s what G3 is most excited about—the rugged outdoor adventures we plan to have if weather and circumstances permit it.

Kati is awake and we just watched the cats on the ring camera. Being able to see them makes me feel a little less worried about them. Dante and Kramer were wrestling in the dining room. And Bean pushed Dante away from the automatic feeder bowl even though there is one for each of them.

Cell service in much of Alaska is non existent. I expect there will be stretches of time when I am unable to connect to the internet. If that is the case, I will still be journaling daily but I will post multiple days at a time when I do find a spot where I can connect.

On our itinerary today, we were going to rent bikes and ride along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. The scenery, allegedly, is beautiful but I wouldn’t know because all the lovely mountains surrounding Anchorage are obscured by clouds and the rain is being a persistent nuisance. Disappointing. Oh well. That is part of traveling, dealing with weather that refuses to cooperate. However, we did drive over to the coastal trail because I do not like to miss anything and if there was anything to see, even in the rain, I wanted to see it. Renting bikes in the rain would have been a waste of money but I was not opposed to walking in the rain if I might catch sight of something pretty. Our short drive was in vein. We could see the water in front of us but nothing else. The interpretive sign said Denali was straight ahead but all that was visible were dreary gray clouds. Hopefully, this does not set the tone for the remainder of our stay.

Since the rain canceled our coastal trail plans we spent the morning running errands. We stopped in the grocery store for breakfast food to eat at campsites and snacks for the car. We then headed over to REI for Jet-boil fuel and bear spray—just in case we have a close encounter with a bear. It was the largest REI we’ve ever been in, but it is Alaska and nearly everything worth doing involves being outdoors so it makes sense the store would be bigger than back home.

We are now heading North to Hatcher Pass. The rain is still falling. On the horizon, we can see the outline of some mountains in the distance, but just as clearly we can see lighter, whiter clouds curling and drifting around them.

Hatcher Pass, despite the fog and clouds was pretty. G3 liked the fog. He said it made everything feel a little mysterious. As we were driving, the tree covered mountains reminded the both of us of the setting for Lord of the Rings. We could easily picture Frodo and friends trekking through the hills. We stopped at a pull out to take pictures of the Little Susitna River. The rapids were stunning—fast flowing water rushing over dozens of stones. It was beautiful. We then continued on to Hatcher Pass Summit where G3 and I took a short but steep hike. As we gained altitude the temperature dropped until it felt like it was winter. It was cold enough that even at the end of June snow remained in patches on the ground. Along with getting colder, a misty rain continued to fall, and the fog grew thicker, making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead of where we stood. Along the trail we passed a lake that was slightly veiled by fog and a stream running down the mountain and through the snow. Despite the elements, it was beautiful.

We stopped in Palmer for a late lunch and for a visit to Matanuska Brewing Company to sample a flight of craft beer. We were not beer drinkers. In fact, we pretty much believed we disliked all beer until last Saturday when we were invited to an IPA party. IPA—at least the ones we had—were lighter and fruiter, and we found that we actually enjoyed them in small servings. Therefore, we broke from our usual winery visits to try some local IPAs. Of the ones we sampled, both Kati and I really liked the raspberry one.

By the time we left the brewery the rain had stopped, the sun was out, blue sky replaced gray clouds, and the mountains—finally visible  in the distance—were amazing. We found a campsite at nearby Matanuska Lake State Recreation Area and then walked down to the water. We didn’t go far before stopping and just talking. Sometimes those quiet family moments are the most memorable.

We are now at the movie theater. Yep, we are in Alaska, the rain finally stopped, and we are catching an evening showing of Supergirl. Why? Because G3 would not stop asking until we relented. But three tickets only cost $15. So much cheaper than back home. However, it is eleven o’clock east coast time and I got little sleep last night. I am not sure I will succeed in keeping my eyes open.

Supergirl was good, but not great. It was mildly entertaining. Maybe I would have liked it more and followed it better if my brain wasn’t using so much energy to stay awake.

It is half past ten and it is still light out. The sun is a hour away from setting but it’s definitely time for bed. More tomorrow.