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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

2015 Summer Journey Alaskan Crossing, part 19

2015 Summer Journey
Alaskan Crossing, part 19

Musk Ox Farm
Matanuska Glacier


July 25, 2015

Julie and spent yesterday in Anchorage doing the usual necessary maintenance items: laundry, fuel, dumps waste tanks, fresh water fill, wifi stuff and out of town we went. On our way to AK 1 we ended up behind some motorcyclist having a on the road bachelor party.



Once on AK 1 we made good time getting away from Anchorage and soon were entering Chugiak



As we motored over the Knik Arm, Julie remembered about a Musk Ox Farm she saw in the “Mile Post”, she wanted to make it a to see place.



I wanted a better photo of the below us Matanuska River, the next pullout I turned in.



Not far from the pullout was the turn for our designation, the Musk Ox farm in Palmer!



It didn’t take long for Julie make friends with a Musk Ox.



This is a privately run nonprofit enterprise has been deeply involved in the comeback of the Musk Ox since it disappeared in Alaska by the 1920s.


The Alaskan natives call the Musk Ox Oomingmak”, which means “The Bearded One”.



Everyone who was on the tour gathered on the porch.




This young lady was out guide today (don’t recall her name)



The Musk Ox Farm is a very large facility covering many acres.



It is a warm day for the Musk Ox, our guide told us that the hair on the Musk Ox allows them to survive down to -80 degree F.



A young calf was hiding behind its Mom, she didn’t like all the attention she was getting and she left with the calf trailing behind.



Our small group was able to hand feed one of the male Musk Ox, he was very docile.



Many of the male Musk Ox have head butting grooves across their brows.



This was a nice tour as we all walked back to the visitor office, time to be on the road.



AK 1 took us close to the Matanuska River when Julie spotted a house being carried away in the river!



We’ve been in Alaska long enough to be no longer surprise by the sudden changes in weather, cloudy , dark one moment and sunshine the next.



Along this highway was no exception to the number of closed businesses.



Beautiful sights were seen as we motor on, people camping near the river.



Entering the Glacier View area we made another stop into a pull out. A distance glacier could be seen, this maybe Metal Creek Glacier near Mt. Sergeant Roberson.



Matanuska Glacier wasn’t far down the road and it was spotted from the highway shortly after leaving the pull out.



From the highway Julie spied abridge that crossed over the river below, we didn’t know at this time but that is the bridge we’d be crossing.




Turning into an gravel parking area and following the signs to Matanuska Glacier. The Trading Post, Wickersham was closed.


 
The road down was a well graded, flat and smooth. It would twist around giving different views of the valley below any vehicle could drive it.









A short parallel stretch then across the river bridge and just a couple more miles to the Glacier Lodge.






We paid our fees 60 dollars total, that’s one night camping and a self tour of the glacier in a given area, really large area. The drive from the lodge to the glacier is a few more miles.







With a site selected and the temperature dropping, it’s getting really cold, one last view before closing the camper door and firing up the heater for tomorrow we walk he glacier.



 Thanks to everyone for reading my TCTRs, all comments are welcome .

 PART 20 of our Summer Journey, Alaska Crossing.
 
Thanks, Alex Blasingame, aka c.traveler2.