We woke to a beautiful morning and awesome mountain views over Tangle Lake. Roaming over to the café a warm greeting awaited us with a cozy window seat and a great breakfast.Leaving the Inn we’ll retrace our route back down Denali Highway. It all looks so different in the sunlight! Our plan is to fish the right side of the road today. Down the road about a mile we stopped at the Delta National Scenic River Wayside. Another man was fly fishing in a pool off shore and the fish were just about hopping onto his fly! Ken cast from shore, but it wasn’t very productive so we moved on.
Up the road was Landmark Gap and the sunlight was glinting off the mountains (pic). A little way further we stopped at Rock Creek but there were no pools to fish in. We threw a line in, but the area wasn’t so hot.
Soon the Amphitheater Mountains rose before us and Glacier Lake sparkled looking very different from yesterdays dark clouds (pic). Passing over MacLaren Summit we could see the Alaska Range and the snow capped mountains surrounding the river valley. We were lucky to catch a glimpse of Mt McKinley behind the glacier.
Winding our way through Crazy Notch again we noticed the primitive campsites were all full! Alaskans love to camp and they make good use of their recreational resources. Back over Clearwater Creek with still no fish we decided this was not going to be a stellar fishing day and looked for wildlife. We watch two beautiful Trumpeter Swans floating majestically in a Kettle Pond just off the road.
Driving along the ridge of the Clearwater Mountains we passed the Old Susitna Lodge and found a primitive side road that had just been created by a bulldozer--- yep off we went! We bumped our way over ruts, sliding through mud and slashing through holes full of water while gradually climbing along the side of a mountain! After about 5 miles with nothing but beautiful wilderness around us we met a patch of mud that was just to thick. There was a spot to pull off the road and we spent some time having lunch while enjoying the natural sounds and the rushing of water off the mountain. After lunch we walked over to a flat area and looked down into the Susitna River Valley. This vast space makes you feel very small.
The clouds were building and we could see rain in the distance so we jostled our way back to the highway. However, we soon found another interesting turn and drove along the Valdez Creek Road which led 6 miles to an old logging camp. The road had been washed out some time ago and a gravel narrow strip allowed us to cross Valdez Creek with turquoise green water. We passed more primitive campsites and came to the spot where an old miners cabin stood. This was a prime gold mining site in the 1800’s and about as remote as you can get.
The dirt road ended and returned to the highway again. Soon we were meandering next to the Nenana River almost back in Cantwell when we spotted a good size moose. Finally wildlife! Pulling off the road we watched as the moose sloshed through the ponds toward us. We got out of the car and slowly walked up the road to get a little closer. The moose continued eating its way across the ponds and got pretty close to the road. Ken decided he was coming too close and we went back to the car.
Arriving back at camp we cooked steaks and talked about our adventure. It was fun! Wish we had seen more animals, but it just shows you how vast this area is. Later it started to rain, but hopefully it will be nice tomorrow.
Pictures:Morning view from bunkhouse, Landmark Gap, Amphitheater Mtns, Alaska Range and mountain valley, MacLaren Summit and Glacier, MacLaren Summit with Mt McKinley in background, Road to somewhere, View during lunch on backroad, Too Much Mud, Backroad view of Susitna Valley, Backroad view, Valdez Creek Miner Cabin, Moose (3)
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