Summer Bummers

The summer so far in south-central Alaska has been filled with clear skies and hot temperatures, but our cooling winds have brought more harm than good.  There are always pluses and minuses in each area of Alaska when it comes to choosing a place to live or just to visit. There are mountain ranges, elevation, waterways, fault lines, glaciers, mountain passes and road conditions to consider just for starters. Each area of Alaska offers a unique climate, landscape and hazards. 

I consider south-central Alaska to be one of the best places in the state to enjoy spring and early summer weather during the month of May. Before Memorial Day, skies are usually clear and the weather is warm. This year was no exception, hitting 90° and above, making it one of the hottest months in my memory for the area. Other areas of Alaska experienced more of the same with nine towns reporting record temperatures for the month of May. Our northernmost settlement, Barrow, is usually below 30°, but reported temperatures nearing 50°. Good luck to the polar bears. Elsewhere in the Interior, Delta Junction experienced 90° weather in May, then got a shocking, measurable snowstorm which cut power to 360 residents on June 1. Many other towns around the state added May to the books as their top five hottest May on record. To have temperatures hitting 90° this early in the season seems crazy. The village of Eagle reported 91° on May 23 and a week later it was 28°. 

You also have to understand that with a state as large as Alaska, it is unusual to have settlements from Barrow to Annette experiencing record warm weather at the same time. There are so many factors to consider which influence temperatures across the state. South-central Alaska seems to turn green and experience warmer weather quicker than areas farther south in the state. Coastal areas have to consider Ocean currents which may bring colder weather. If you choose an area like Eagle River, you will experience more snowfall in the winter due to the direction of the mountain passage. If you live in Palmer or surrounding areas, dry, windy weather brings respiratory problems. The blowing silt from the glacial bed of the Matanuska River sends extremely high amounts of granite particles into the air, bringing the air-quality way down. Clear blue skies become hazy and white with the granite particles. Residents of the area around the rivers should be wearing some type of respiratory mask, but I never see anyone doing this. I stayed indoors during the worst periods, but I was still experiencing sinus and respiratory problems.

Blowing silt obstructs clear views of Pioneer Peak and surround areas of the Matanuska

River during dry, windy weather.

On the nicer days I retreated to upper elevations, like nearby Hatcher Pass. The subalpine levels still had a little snow and had Spring had just begun. Wildflowers had begun popping up everywhere and I spent my days photographing these tiny bits of color on the mountain slopes. I'm always amazed at the variety of plant life on these sometimes inhospitable mountainsides. I've heard many visitors to the state say how surprised they were at how many flowers we have. They had assumed that with such a cold state, we would have few wildflowers. In actuality, Alaska's mild temperatures and diverse landscapes offer wildflowers the best growing conditions. From a distance, sub-alpine and alpine tundra may look the same, but upon closer inspection you can see thousands of tiny wildflowers of many colors. I spotted about a dozen different wildflowers in one location at the mid-level elevations of Hatcher Pass during the last week of May. All the people below in the Valley may have been wearing shorts and tank tops, the snowy slopes of upper elevations required more clothing.

Upper elevations in Hatcher Pass, June 1st,
Green has only started to appear,

Baneberry blossoms and background Nootka Lupine
 June 1st in the mid-elevations of Hatcher Pass. Plants
are several feet tall.

On May 17, I made a trip up towards the Matanuska Glacier, the green leaves disappearing as I got closer. Once the glacier came into view, most foliage became brown. Just 30 miles away, the seasons were two weeks apart. Areas like this mean you will have one month less of summer a year. That's pretty significant for a state with 3-4 month summers. In the southwest area of the state, Bristol Bay, it was also still cold and brown. Interior areas of the state tend to have larger settlements in valleys, where growing seasons are longer and weather is more stable. Anchorage sits in a kind of sweet spot, with Cook Inlet on one side and the Chugach Range on the other. One main fault of the city is its unstable soil along the inlet, creating a danger of soil liquification during an earthquake. The other huge fault is a lack of space and housing, especially affordable housing. There is no sales tax in Anchorage, and no state tax, leaving the burden to property owners, which makes owning a home in Anchorage a bad investment. At the end of a 30 year mortgage, the home owner will have paid well over the assessed value of the home between the regular mortgage, property taxes and interest. 

A hike along Pinochle Creek trail near the
Matanuska Glacier May 17.
Trees have only just started turning green.

May 12 walk near Palmer. A lot of early green.

For those of us along the glacial rivers and streams, beside the hazards of blowing silt, we also always have the worries of flooding. Warmer temperatures melt the glaciers faster, causing these rivers to swell to dangerous levels. Houses are swept away and roadways shut down. Roads in Alaska are costly and if it's a main highway, like the Glenn, which runs alongside the Matanuska River, it's also a main artery to many Alaska residents. This past year, the Dalton, which is used by the "Ice Road Truckers" to provide necessary supplies to Prudhoe Bay, was shut down due to unusual flooding and thawing and refreezing of the "Sag" River. The delays were very costly and the state had no choice but to declare it a disaster, to receive federal funding for the damages and delays to truckers. In 2014, the Richardson Highway, once again a main artery and the only road into Valdez, was shut down for a long period due to unusually warm weather which caused massive snow melt and avalanches in the Keystone Canyon and the subsequent flooding of the Lowe River. That section of roadway had just been restored from another recent bout with flooding of the same river. 

Even with all of these "inconveniences", I still prefer Alaska to many other states. I may have a slight worry about earthquakes, but you can choose not to live on top of a fault line. There may be flooding, but you can choose not to live in an area which won't wash away. Avalanches happen, but there are precautionary measures to be taken if you and your government are smart enough. The problem is usually our government. Short term solutions and lack of foresight as well as bad spending cause most problems, not the weather. I'm glad I don't have to worry about droughts, tornadoes and major hurricanes. There's just one worry all U.S. citizens share and it's always watching us, telling us how to make our money, spend it and taking half.  It's no wonder people come here to seek a little cabin deep in the wilderness and live off the land. It sounds like paradise to me.

Hatcher Pass, Vol. 1

"Falling Apart"
Mine shops along the upper trail around Independence Mine.

I've been enjoying the last of our beautiful summer season in nearby Hatcher Pass. It's a favorite spot for my me and my husband since it's so close and offers a lot of diverse photo opportunities. The lower elevation has the swift-flowing Little Susitna River, mid-elevation levels have a wonderful variety of subalpine plants and the upper elevations are alpine tundra with the Talkeetna Mountains  topped with dramatic rock faces. We almost always see some form of wildlife, be it large or small. There is plenty of parking along the road and numerous trails scattered throughout the 300,000 acres. The pavement ends at the Independence Mine State Historical Park. You can usually continue through to Willow from July to September, if the snow has melted enough to plow, or the snow hasn't yet fallen. The entire area has changing views around every corner, giving a little something for everyone.

At the entrance to the Pass on Palmer Fishhook Road, travelers are greeted by the white rushing water of the Little Su, as called by locals. You can park in the parking lot and get your photos of the river and wander around, but there area also a few more areas along the road where less-often photographed views are available. Some are hidden away with tiny trails and foliage. Please don't stop on the bridge or walk on the bridge for photographs. Pedestrian and vehicle traffic is generally busy here and accidents could easily happen. Gold panning is allowed in many areas, but it's important to check regulations before digging up someone's private claim. A ski and snowboard trail popular with local boarders is at the Fishhook Creek parking lot. In the winter, boarders hitch a ride from this lot, up to the trail's beginning at a large, upper elevation parking lot. Here, they wait their turn for a run back down where they do it all over again. Very busy during the winter with a few rude hitchhiking boarders who get angry when you pass them up. There's a couple of sledding hills that are also packed after a snowfall in the lower elevations.

"Red Edged"
A striking leaf from an unidentified plant in the subalpine level of Hatcher Pass.

Though the area is so close, I've been camping at the two campgrounds available in Hatcher Pass. The first campground, Palmer side, is Government Peak. It has one handicap parking spot for campers and the site for the Government Peak Campground says there are 8 camping sites, though I could swear there are more like 6. I think they are including the day use spots that require you to park in the lot and walk in for a tent site. The fees for the campgrounds are $10. They have outhouses and dumpsters which are bear-proofed. Good thing, since a black bear seems to have been hanging out in that area this summer. It killed a moose in the adjacent ski trail parking lot in early summer and I saw a large black bear foraging berries on the slope nearby in late August.

"Chef's Quarters"
Tim, my little Chef, stands reflecting on the balcony of the Cooks' Quarters at Independence Mine.

Traveling up past the Gold Mint Trail takes you to some breathtaking views of the Palmer area while suddenly climbing in elevation. The Archangel Road is a bumpy, terribly rough dirt road that I would recommend only be traversed by a good 4x4, bike or by foot in the summer. I have been back with a two-wheel drive truck, but my tires had a near-death experience when crossing a rusty culvert with jagged edges protruding. There's another day use parking lot with a trailhead and outhouses further along. This is a good trail to start searching for subalpine wildflowers if you are interested in wildflower identification or macro photography. There are also a number of cheerful birds in this area which might interest the wandering birder. The area becomes ripe with blueberries in late August.

"Rough Riding"
The Archangel Road when I last traveled that mess.

Independence Mine wraps up the paved portion of the Willow-Fishhook Road. There's no camping at the Mine and a $5 day use fee applies to anyone staying for over 30 minutes. I would recommend a day for exploring the area. There's a lot to see, especially if you decide to visit the Visitor Center, museum or bookstore and possibly engage in a tour for $6. Hiking Trails around the area can provide hours of entertainment, whether viewing pika on nearby boulders or examining the alpine tundra's plethora of miniature plants. There are still private mines and property up here, so respect the boundaries. I noticed a very large number of dog owners like to walk their furry friends around the park trails.

"The Chef's Staircase"
Tim appeases me by posing for my picture in the Escher-like staircase of the Cookhouse at Independence Mine.

I love, love, love dogs, so I do enjoy stopping for a moment and talking with the little guys and offering a quick pet before continuing. I usually never even see the owner because I'm so focused on the dogs. As much as I enjoy this, I did see evidence of some irresponsible ownership. Some people didn't clean up after their dogs along the trails, some let them wander too far on their leash, trampling delicate tundra that is posted as revegetation. On surrounding trails without leash requirements, some dogs wandered well off the trails, bothering the wildlife. One more important factor in letting a dog run loose is the fact that many bear attacks in Alaska occur because someone let their pet run ahead and encounter a bear. The dog ultimately freaks out and runs back to the owner, with the bear on its heels. Many bears are shot because of the irresponsibility of their owners. The barking also got frustrating and it disturbed the many small critters trying their hardest to prepare for winter. Dogs left in the vehicle seemed to all go crazy when their owner walked away.

"Siberian Aster"
A delicate and satin-petaled fading aster in the alpine tundra above Independence Mine along Gold Cord Lake Trail.

Just as frustrating as the irresponsible dog owners were the ill-behaved visitors who disrespected historic artifacts by throwing and playing with some of the objects. I observed group of people swinging on the aerial tram cable. One object had been laying in a meadow and my husband took a picture, which was nice, since on our next hike we discovered the object had been thrown into a beautiful little mossy stream.

"Left Behind"
An artifact Tim photographed, west of the main mine complex, which someone later threw in the creek.

If you have an adequate vehicle for rougher road travel, venture on up to Summit Lake or continue through to Willow. Most rental car companies do not allow travel on the gravel/dirt portions of the road and it can be muddy with jagged rocks. On our last visit, there was a Jeep owners meet-up happening. A 20 or so Jeep caravan passed us on their way over the Pass on the gorgeous September morning. There are more trails on this road and a chance to play in the snow in summer, which I've found appeals to many visitors.

"Dusty Drive"
The gravel portion of the twisting mountain road leading over the Pass toward Willow.

Despite its crowds on the weekends, it's still a fun place to spend the day and I always recommended a trip to the Pass for any Visitors. It's a very popular day-tripping spot for the Anchorage crowds, so I try to avoid weekend visits, when possible. The public restrooms get pretty iffy by the end of the weekend and could use more attention.