June 22 and 23--Anchorage to Independence Mine

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Wednesday, June 22, 2011 Sam’s Parking lot, Dimond Mall area of Anchorage. 59 degrees and very overcast. Starting mileage at 10287

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We are currently sitting in the Sam's Club parking lot where we spent the night with a number of other Roadtrekkers. Out here in the ‘burbs there is one of every kind of store and fast food restaurant--put several Atlanta malls all together and you would have this area. Valerie took her computer and had breakfast at Mickey D's, as the signal strength here isn't good enough to upload more pictures to the blog. We chose to stay at the Sam's instead of the Wal-mart across the street, as the back parking area is on top of a Mickey D's which was fine for doing e-mail.

Today is a “shopping and doing a couple loads of laundry kind of day”. We think these will be the cheapest prices before we are back into the lower 48. We are out of things like paper towels, and paper bowls, fresh veggies, peanut butter, etc. Want to get a month’s worth of stuff.

Well, we spent $200. on stuff so, hopefully, we are set for awhile. [added later: Surprisingly, got chicken breasts, skinless and boneless for $1.88 a lb so bought 6 lbs. Also bought a small ham and a sealed pork loin that can stay in the refrig. for a while since the freezer has limited space.]

If we get what we want done here, done, we will head north slightly and camp. We have reservations in Denali National Park at the end of the month and it is basically just up the road a piece, so we have time to kill, as we go from public camp ground to campground.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 Eagle River Park As usual, overcast at 55 degrees. Starting mileage 10321

When we pulled into this campground last night, there were 4 Roadtrekkers (RTs) camped together. We visited with them a bit and then went in to fix dinner, worked on the blog, and then called it a night.

First thing we needed to do this morning, is to fill Rosie’s tank with water and all our jugs too. We try and keep the water we drink and cook with in and only use the tank water for washing up—us and dishes. After finishing this chore, we drove back toward Anchorage about 10 miles to the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

As we entered the building, a dance group was performing on a stage set down a half level from the entrance. Each tribe performed their own Native dances and did storytelling and demonstrated their games. This was done continually throughout the day. The center had a very small museum and had craftsmen set up with their goods to demonstrate and sell. We purchased a pair of small, two inch long, boots for our Christmas tree made of harbor seal skin and had beaver fur trim. We continued to be amazed with how nothing of the animal was wasted—see photos for a few examples.

The center had reconstructed examples of different types of Alaskan Native housing and had laid them out around a lake. We learned quite a bit about the Natives here but, the signage on the exhibits could have been better. Also, several busloads of cruise ship tourists descended on this place just as we got there, so the inside of each type of dwelling was packed with tourists.

The guides in each place then gave their spiel and did their shtick quickly as the busloads had to get moving within a certain timeframe. The most important thing we learned was that Alaska west and also north of where we are now, including the Aleutian Islands, is treeless tundra. The houses of the Unangax, Alutiiq, Cup’ik and Yup’ik, therefore, are not built of trees like the Athabascan, Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida peoples. Instead, they are built partially below ground level of dirt and sod lined with some wood and furs and moss. The winter door was completely below ground and you entered through a tunnel. In fact, it was stated, that wars were fought between tribes and families over the drift wood that landed on “your” beach.

The first tribes, I list above, living on the harsh conditions of the tundra, are forced to rely on the sea for food, heat , and clothing. They did hunt the caribou in the summer when the animals migrated. The second group, living in the forests, had more animals to hunt, wood for fuel, plus the sea to live off of. Both groups were hit hard when the white men came bring diseases like smallpox and measles. I think they said somewhere near 80%!o(MISSING)f the Natives in the Aleutians died from these diseases.

Leaving the center, we drove along the Old Glenn Highway, had lunch watching fishermen in the Knik River, and then to the town of Palmer. There we took the Palmer-Fishhook road up along the Susitna River. Very pretty river tumbling over lots of boulders, at this point. Rosie II climbed without a hitch, 3,500 feet up the mountain road toward the 271 acre, Independence Gold Mine, a State Historical Park.

The State is working on restoring the mine buildings. So far, the Mine Manager’s house built in 1939, is finished and is used as the visitor’s center. Several of the bunkhouses are completely redone as is a couple of the foreman’s family houses. The mine was most active right before the WWII and produced lots of gold before closing in 1941.

Wandered around the community looking at the buildings, the view down from this far up, the mountain tops that were craggy and sharply pointed, and people panning for gold in the stream. Signs along road stated that this area was open for recreational gold mining.

Drove about 3 miles down the mountain and camped for the night at the Gold Mint Trailhead Campground. On the way down, saw several prairie dog-like animals and Valerie saw a hoary marmot. Beautiful spot on the rushing Susitna River surrounded by stark mountain peaks and lush green vegetation. Some people also camping there for the night, said they saw moose and a grizzly bear on the lower hills, but we could never spot what they said they saw.

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