Our Last Day in Alaska

Yesterday we left Glacier View and headed up the Tok Cutoff. Only masochists would take this bumpy, windy, occasionally gravel road a second time. That’s us! At least this time we knew what to expect and drove it slowly—only coming out of our seats 4 or 5 times. Unfortunately, it was raining and all the beautiful mountains were shrouded in clouds. We stopped at a very large pond for lunch and searched for the trumpeter swans but to no avail. Guess I was really lucky the first time through to get the shots I did. Needless to say, I didn’t take any pictures.

I’m sitting in the motor home at the Sourdough Campground in Tok, Alaska on our last day in the 49^th state. Of course I got their reindeer sausage for breakfast. What a treat. Unfortunately their Karaoke “Johnny Cash” and his “June” will be performing again tonight. I was told he puts on a “show” every night but Thursday. Oh well, guess we’ll have to live with hearing his “music” resound throughout the campground.

I decided to put together some recent images that I have not posted before. The mountain goat and sea lion are from my boat ride on Resurrection Bay. The fireweed (which grows from the bottom up with the top flowers blooming as fall approaches) was taken along the Tok Cutoff. Mt. Iliamna and Mt. Redoubt, both 10,000 foot volcanoes with Redoubt still active as of 2009 and Iliamna dormant, were taken from Anchor Point about 46 miles away. These 2 volcanoes are significant as our ashes will eventually be scattered on them (Michael’s on Redoubt and mine on Iliamna). The Magpie was taken in Anchor Point and the old shack in Homer with mountains as a backdrop. Enjoy! (Click on images to enlarge)