Mountains, a Flat Tire, and a Fascist Bus

Mt. Wrangell (14,000'), Mt. Sanford (16,000'), Mt. Drum (12,000') from the Tok Cutoff Hwy

A beautiful little stand of birch trees

Mt. Wrangell in the evening light as a storm rolls by

You just never know what you're going to see in Alaska

The weather out in this part of Alaska (what would you call this part of Alaska? Central Eastern Alaska?) continues to be clear and sunny. I now have approximately a million photos of Wrangell, Sanford, and Drum from the same two pullouts on the Tok Cutoff Highway. But every day the view seems to become more spectacular and the mountains more impressive and I can't help but take another picture.

Yesterday we had a bit of a detour due to a low (soon to be flat) tire. We were down past Chistochina when we noticed we had a low tire so we drove just a couple of miles to the gas station in Chistochina. Unfortunately they didn't have air (what gas station doesn't have air, let alone in rural Alaska?) The tire wasn't quite flat, but definitely too low to drive far on. The nearest place that might have had air was Slana - 30 miles. So we went ahead and changed it. In moments like that, I am glad my parents taught me how to change a tire!

We drove all the way to Tok (over an hour each way) to get the tire fixed. It was in Tok that we saw the scenery-painted bus with "www.freedomtofascism.com" printed on the back, of which I slyly took a photo from inside the truck. I didn't want to look to conspicuous, but really, they must be used to people staring. I suppose that's probably the point though. You just never know what you're going to see in Alaska.