World Class Mountains

The view south from Mount Baldy

Earlier this fall I heard a radio show here in Anchorage about Chugach State Park. They described the peaks around Eagle River as "world class." First I thought "Really, these peaks?" But as I listened to more of the discussion, I realized that the extraordinary natural beauty and rugged mountains of the Chugach were ordinary to me. They were so close to home and so accessible that I had not really thought about how rare it is to live near such high peaks. Sure, these are only 5000-7000 foot mountains, but they rise from near sea level - they don't sit on a high-altitude plateau like most of the tall mountain ranges of the world. And unlike the towering peaks of the Alaska Range, they are right here on the road system.

The mountains have been particularly spectacular the last couple of days with fresh snow, strange cloud formations, and deep blue skies. I haven't taken any photos because [insert lame excuse] so you'll have to enjoy these photos from earlier in the month.

Looking into Eagle River Valley from Mike High Pass

Cross Family Cabin in October

October is a transitional season in Talkeetna.  Winter felt like it was looming and a thin sheet of ice covered half of the lake yet squirrels chattered noisily in the trees and ducks were feeding in the shallow water on the lake.  We were lucky to ride the four wheeler in Friday evening without getting rained on but heavy rain fell Friday night and most of Saturday.  With temperatures just a few degrees above freezing we kept the wood stove going strong and enjoyed the cozy atmosphere.  I'm looking forward to returning in November on snow machines.

Whipping up some halibut stir fry and dessert too!

I spent some time learning the basics of the Dulcimer.

A thin sheet of ice covers half of the lake

Fresh bear tracks on the trail!