Another terrific day off, hiking the park, dinner in "The Canyon" (also called "Glitter Gulch"...the commercial area of the park with hotels and shops) looking out over the mountains and the river, capped off by a jet boat trip far up the Nenana. The Nenana is the major river system here in the park and adjacent areas. It is glacial runoff, colder than whatever and filled with moraine (dirtpicked up by the glacier and deposited in the river). It flows fast and hard but is very shallow at the upper end. It flows in what are called braided rivers as it comes off the glacier...shallow, very broad and forming criss-crossing temporary river beds, looking as if they are braided, thus, the name. The area we explored last night (remember, because it just doesn't get dark here, we can do most anything at anytime), was a little more familiarly river-like, though there were many islands and shoals and it was very shallow in places, though flowing very rapidly.
The scenery was, again, spectacular. It has dawned on me that I am running out of superlatives to use to describe this place. It is so big and so open and so lush on many levels and so beautiful it is hard to adequately describe, thus all the photos. We were surrounded by spruce, many extending horizontally over the river, an aftereffect of the river ice as it broke up and undercut the riverbank. We didn't see any fall but many have and many more will before the season ends. We did see many signs of beaver...my they are busy little things...and even one very large beaver (my first ever outside of a zoo). Many of the mountains in this area of the river are large piles of boulders while others are sharp granite outcroppings above lovely green tundra, which tops forests of spruce and aspen/birch. The tree line here is only 2000 ft. It had been heavily overcast all day, and the sun broke through in several places, creating what I call "god light" (from depictions of god in my catechism book when I was a child), where the sun breaks through and illuminates a defined area. Love it!
We went up the river about ten miles and then got out at a trappers cabin while he acted as apologist for the trappers of Alaska. We then "panned" for gold in raised boxes that had been salted with small amounts of gold. Everyone found a little bit...I gave mine away...but it was really over-the-top corny. The ride, though, ah, the ride! I'll do it again, hopefully, in the fall when the tundra has turned red and the aspen yellow. AND...I'll remember my camera!
Today, my second day off, is a lazy rainy day and I'm doing as little as possible. And, by the way, I got my wish...I am working late afternoons and evenings everyday, Sat - Wed. I really like it so far and hope it doesn't become a classic "be careful what you wish for". Since it is never dark here, it really doesn't matter when you get off or go to bed; circadian rhythms seem to mean nothing here!
Sarah - you are one of my heros - as you add new experiences to your life I get to enjoy them vicariously thru your bolg...thanks
Posted by: Jane Mattingly | June 21, 2009 at 09:49 PM