Our 6-day weekend was shortened to 4 days before we left, and then to 3 1/2 on our way back (doggone wildfires).  We had fun exploring and fishing in the Palmer area.  Our first night, we stayed at Matanuska Lake Campground.  

Since the Palmer Musk Ox farm had 4 babies, we decided to take a tour the next day.   The days-old wild baby we had seen on the Dalton Highway was 20 to 30 pounds.  Baby Musk Ox gain about 10 pounds per week, so the farm’s 5 to 12-week-old babies already ranged from 68 pounds to over 100!  Here is a PBS  video of a newborn wild Musk Ox:  https://youtu.be/4RswhZEY9rg?si=zd5xM_MBF7BSbBtD

Later that day we fished the Eklutna Tailrace hoping to catch hatchery King Salmon.   We saw a few, but didn’t get any bites.

The next day we got up at 3 am for a 4 am King Salmon charter with Crazy J’s.  We had a chilly, pleasant trip on the Knik River below the Tailrace, but no fish.  We have never tried for Kings before and only bought a 3-day stamp as we didn’t want to spend $100 each on an annual King stamp.  Not sure if we will try for the elusive King Salmon again next year…

We camped 2 nights at Finger Lake State Recreation Site.  It was a busy place with lots of motorboats and jet skis.  We fished from our canoe without success (the fish were probably traumatized by the noisy Saturday).  We did get a great look at grebes, as well as seeing bald eagles and a loon.

We did better bagging another one of Alaska’s high road passes than we did bagging fish. Hatcher Pass is 3886′.  With the Denali Park Road currently closed at mile 43, Hatcher is likely Alaska’s 3rd highest maintained road pass that is open to traffic.

Four weeks ago we drove the highest Alaska highway pass, intimidating Atigun Pass at 4739′ elevation (https://roaming-nature.com/2024/06/05/dalton-highway-part-i/).  Two weeks ago, gorgeous Maclaren Summit at 4086′ elevation (https://roaming-nature.com/2024/06/19/denali-highway-june-2024/).  And now – by far the most crowded – beautiful Hatcher Pass at 3886′.  Last spring we boondocked near  Eagle Summit at 3685′ (https://roaming-nature.com/2023/05/14/steese-highway/) and drove Richardson’s 3322′ Eureka Summit in the fall (https://roaming-nature.com/2023/09/23/day-two-palmer-to-valdez/)

On the drive home yesterday, we could see the smoke as well as the firefighting airshow from the new Riley Fire near the Denali Park Entrance.   C did the bare minimum of unpacking then headed into work.  At least he gets more overtime pay when his days off are cut short.