After my flight around McKinley, my trip was coming to a close. It was nearly time to head to the airport. I was so grateful for everything that I had the opportunity to see and do. I knew I was returning to “real life” a different person. Time in the wilderness does that to me. I think clearer in the woods. Life makes more sense when you can’t hear traffic.
Independence Mine State Park, Hatcher Pass
I knew I could squeeze in at least one more adventure before heading east so I started up a mountain road to Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine State Park. Even though it was only mid-October, Hatcher Pass was closed for the season. Independence Mine was unmanned and the road was only open to the first parking lot.
There were lots of cars in the lot, but as I climbed out of the truck I noticed that most people were coming down the mountain. Undeterred, I suited up and started walking. The most treacherous part of my entire trip was in that parking lot. Everything was covered in a glassy sheet of ice. I skated my way over to the snow covered grass after a few ungraceful, drunken-dance-move-like saves.
As I climbed higher I realized why everyone was heading down. Independence Mine State Park is in a valley up in the mountains and as the sun sank behind the hills it was already getting dark even though it was only mid-afternoon. But I pressed on.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take much time to read the signs or learn about Independence Mine. Instead I dedicated my time to exploring the ruins left of this gold mine. I could spend a whole day here exploring and making pictures. I only had about an hour this trip.
As I was snapping away I saw a moving flash of white running through the rubble. It was a beautiful tiny creature; all white with a black tip on its tail. I had never seen anything like it. I was telling my dad about it that night and he said, “Sounds like an ermine.” A what? I looked it up. Yep, it was an ermine! That guy is smart.
An ermine is typically brown, but when the snow comes it turns all white aside from that little black tip. Kind of like a furry chameleon.
I wanted to keep going. This place was awesome and there was so much more to explore. But it was getting darker, everyone else had left the mountain, and I was worried the winding road down might get icy. So I said goodbye.
Goodbye Alaska
A drive and a few short hours later I was saying goodbye to Alaska. It really was a magical and life altering trip. In the past eight days I saw a lunar eclipse, the Aurora Borealis, glaciers, sea lions, 5-6 bald eagles, 13 moose, beluga whales, an ermine, two more National Parks, a gold mine, and Denali! I’d made new friends, faced some fears, and tried lots of new things. And now it was time to take all of those memories, experiences, and the growth back home. As exhausted as I was, this trip sealed my resolve to keep pushing harder and further. There’s more to see. More to experience. The world is huge. Life is a blank canvas and the possibilities are endless. So I press on.
Go. Live.
Keep Reading
Alaskan Mis-Adventures – Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and Anchorage by bike
Alaskan Night to Remember – Photographing the Blood Moon, Lunar Eclipse, and the Aurora Borealis
Sailing Seward – Exploring the Seward Highway and cruising through Kenai Fjords National Park
Trip to Talkeetna – The drive north, the Iditarod, and the town of Talkeetna
Denali National Park – My first steps into Denali
Denali Flightsee – A look at Denali National Park from above
Related
