Hatcher Pass (08-06-14)

We made a short overnight stop in Anchorage again on our way north.  Aside from a leisurely brunch with Tony and Marguerite, we spent a stressful day dealing with eyeglasses.  I had had a tough two days- a splitting headache that wouldn't quit, and then I dropped both my new camera and my glasses.  The camera survived fine, the glasses didn't. 

There are numerous scratches in my field of vision. I thought I was so smart, bringing Paul’s spare glasses, just in case ( he being the driver and all), but I figured the chances of my breaking my glasses was slim, so I didn't bring my spares.  Mistake! 

So, off to Costco we went.  They were awesome, but can’t get me new glasses for two weeks.  So, off to Lenscrafter, who could get me glasses in an hour, at more than twice the price of Costco, but if I want anti-reflective, which I do, its a special order and takes 10 days. Apparently anti-reflective is not available anywhere in the state of Alaska. 

Ugh.  Back to Costco. Since we don’t plan to be in Anchorage for 2 weeks, the woman offered to hold the glasses when they arrive until I tell them where to ship them.  Awesome!  Love Costco customer service!

We were now free to leave  Anchorage, and we zigged over to Hatcher Pass, a scenic road that passes by Independence Mine, a historic landmark.

This is one of those wonderful scenic drives that everyone says to make sure you drive on a clear day.  We didn't have time to wait.

Only the first few miles are paved-It soon turns into a windy dirt road that we wouldn't have wanted to tow our trailer on.

The weather actually did eventually clear somewhat and the views were pretty spectacular.  We took the guided tour of Independence mine, which does not include a trip into the actual mine itself. Independence was a mine that operated during the 1930s and 1940s. In it’s heyday, 200 workers lived and worked in this small village.

After World War II, the price of gold was controlled by the government and the extraction costs were too high to keep the mine open.  Eventually the land and buildings were sold to the state of Alaska.

I always wanted to see what gold looks like when its embedded in quartz, just so when Paul and I are hiking in gold laden areas we know what to look for!

Many of the side roads in Alaska have numerous places to pull off and spend the night. We found a good one on Hatcher Pass and had a creek side campsite all to ourselves.






While sitting around the campfire for the last few days, we've been putting together our “exit strategy” for Alaska.  Many of the campgrounds close at the end of August, when the weather here starts to change. It’s hard to believe the summer is almost over!