Saturday, May 30, 2009

On the Road - Glenallen to Anchorage




Alaska is a state of huge distances but few highways. From Glenallen to Anchorage is about 185 miles. There are no towns of any size between them. There were a couple of points of interest for us. 

The first picture is the Grandview Cafe and RV Park. It turns out there is a North Dakota connection. The people who own it are related to the Dietrichs from Bismarck, some of whom we had as students. We had the best pie we've had on this trip at the Grand View. 

Also in the area is the Matanuska Glacier, which is in the second photo. It is typical of glaciers in Alaska: note the blue veins. This glacier for us had the advantage of being close to the highway and easily photographed. 

In the same area, is the Sheep Mountain Preserve, where Dall sheep are protected. Note the unusual coloration in the third picture. The rust color is created by the gypsum on the mountain being colored by iron and magnesium compounds from volcanic activity. Dall sheep come from miles around to lick this mineral deposit. It is apparently the sheep's natural mineral block.

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