Hatcher Pass

One last post from the family visit in July....

The day before my folks flew back to TN we drove over Hatcher Pass (an hour north of Anchorage), visited the historic Independence Mine, and spent the night in a rustic cabin at Hatcher Pass Lodge.

The Hatcher Pass Rd. is a ~35 mile, mostly gravel road connecting the two communities Willow and Palmer of the Mat-Su Valley.  Originally built for mining but currently used for recreation, the road takes you through the southwestern portion of the Talkeetna Mountains up to an elevation of 3,886 ft. at Hatcher Pass.

 Gold mining began in this area in 1906.  This is one old mine with tailings seen from the road.

 Near the pass paragliders enjoy the air currents.

We stopped just before the pass to enjoy some fresh air and alpine scenery.

 On the other side of the pass looking towards the Matanuska Valley.

 The historic Independence Mine seen in the distance.

 Hatcher Pass Lodge

After getting a cabin, which was a funny story....by following instructions from the lodge owner to find out availability, he had us go to each of the 6 cabins and either open the door or look through the window to find out if it was vacant or not!  The first three checks were strike outs and then we found an empty cabin :)  A comfortable accommodation for myself, but rustic for my folks....they are dry cabins, so equipped with a five gallon water jug; had to walk to the main lodge for a shower; no AC or screens on the windows (normally not a big deal but the entire state of Alaska had an unseasonably hot summer and the buggiest ever according to many locals) but we were delightfully surprised with the cool temperatures of the mountains and lack of mosquitoes (thankfully)!  The cabin did have a sink and a toilet...one that you had to add your own water to and all liquids and solids had to be emptied by hand, although not our hands fortunately :)  A good time was had by all and I think we would all recommend it to any traveler.  It was my second time staying there (first was with Andrew's parents back in 2010) so I knew the secret. 

 After dinner we took a walk around Independence Mine.  In the mine's peak year, 1941, it employed 204 men and produced 34,416 ounces of gold which was worth $1,204,560, today that would be worth $17,208,000.  Throughout its lifetime the mine produced 500,000 ounces of gold.

A beautiful evening and great way to end a great vacation!

Thank you sooo much for visiting!  We are already looking forward to next time :)