Hatcher Pass; July 2011

Well, it has been a long time since a post.  I have downloaded some pictures from our day off together in July.  This used to be my favorite place on Earth. It has not changed too much, but the iceberg in the lake has melted, making it much bigger.  There were hordes of people around it and some folks allowed their dogs to go swimming in it. 

It was a cloudy day and turned to rain for much of our journey through the pass.  We exited through Willow as opposed to Wasilla, making our journey back to Anchorage with bumper to bumper traffic that much longer.

Still, it was good for the Irish lad to see Palmer, which he quite liked.  More space, less crowd, but bad commute into town, which I could not stomach I am sure.  There is a huge hill on the highway that is notorious for accidents when it freezing-on-rains or snows.

It was a nostalgic day for me as I remembered the old lodge with a rackety piano, where I entertained friends and the climbs up into the mines, which are no longer allowed.  There is a new gold mining operation in the area.  It is in stark contrast to the old wooden buildings that used to sit atop the hills.