One Woman's Journey to Alaska: Day 13 Fifty-five Miles for Pie

View about a mile up the Denali Highway from Cantwell

112 miles today most of which was on the Denali Highway- a 135 mile mostly gravel road with a speed limit of 50 mph! You’d have to be crazy to take that potholed washboard road at that speed but apparently folks do because they were passing me when I would safely get up to 40mph, which wasn’t often. I only drove to the Susitna River crossing because I didn’t feel like driving 270 miles when I’ll be doing that for the next 9 or 10 days. Someday I'll come back and drive the rest of it. The scenery is amazing (I'm running out of superlatives for this trip!). Oh and sorry, no photos of the blueberries. Too yummy to share.

The "highway"

A lake along the highway

Stopped at the Nenana River which is fed by the Nenana glacier. Too much glacial silt for fish to live in it. That explains rocking the riverbanks. Other silty rivers support whitefish. More tough fish species. I have noticed on this trip that riverbanks are rocked; there’s been no sign of bioengineering the banks. And construction sites have no silt fences up whether they’re along a river or creek, muskeg, or pond. Guess they’re not worried in Canada and Alaska about the fish habitat.

Nenana River

I took so many photos I got tired of taking photos. I didn’t think that was possible! There are so many wonderful views of Denali from this road and later of the Alaska Range I could barely stop photographing! The landscape is immense. Unlike Denali the dwarf birch, blueberries, and other plants are starting to turn red which made it even more delightful to look across the vast taiga.

Alaska Range

There's that typical beaver lodge in its pond

Once I arrived at the Susitna River I noticed people with airboats. I had been passed by someone towing one but I could not figure out where they would be going with it. This isn't Florida. Since the river can’t be navigated by rafting due to some dangerous areas downstream I'm thinking they maneuver around with airboats.

View to Susitna River bridge.

There were possibly a couple hundred hunters and/or campers all over the place along the road. People in Alaska really take hunting seriously. I didn’t get out to walk into the wilds (much of it is BLM lands along the road) because I thought the frenzy would get me shot. Many hunters here aren’t like Washington hunters, though. This is subsistence hunting with respect for the animal. Many rely on the meat to survive the winters.

Alaska Range

These normally have snow on them year-round

I stopped at the Brushkana River campground. What a lovely setting in the trees. Too bad it’s such a rough drive to get there. I found some bear scat right next to where Templeton was “scatting”.

Brushkana River

Another lovely view along the road.

Another reason I went down the highway was to get a piece of pie. Eileen, Templeton’s pet sitter and RV park owner, told me there was a place along the highway (I say highway only because it’s called that, not because it is one) that had good pie. I fund it. It’s a wonderfully funky place called Gracious House. The bar is where the pie is located so off I went to the Sluice Box bar. I had warm cherry pie with whipped cream and a chai tea latte. Yum! Colleen and her husband bought the place in June from the original family owners. It’s been there since 1956 or 57 as a waypoint when the road was originally constructed. There are cabins, RV spots, lots of cool old stuff, tires because people blow them going 50mph on this road, gas, and I don’t know what all. Unfortunately, Colleen’s husband died last month, 6 weeks into the venture. She’s got four kids helping her, though, and she is bound and determined to make her and her deceased husbands dream a reality. They had moved from Chicago to Wasilla and then bought this place. It serves hunters, tourists, snowmobilers (the highway is closed during winter), and anybody else who wanders in.

It’s at MP 82 on the road. We talked about family, dreams, loss, and living in Alaska. Yes, she packs a pistol, 45 I think, for protection on the property. They've nearly walked into moose, and bears are everywhere even if you don't see them. She teaches nursing at the University. Apparently,her sons are staying the winter at the place to see what all that snow is like. Maybe that will diminish the sibling rivalry. I mentioned my trepidation about Alaska winters and she said it really isn’t any different than Chicago or Washington- you go to work in the dark and you come home in the dark. Good point. That connection happens so fast- one to another- and can be deep and momentary, lasting and life-changing. Hugs to her for her deep loss. I wished her well and headed back to Cantwell where I am currently staying up late so I can attempt to photograph the Northern lights again. Good thing I’m not in a rush to leave in the morning!