Eagle River and Eklutna Lake - July 6

 We’d planned to kayak on Eklutna Lake, the massive glacial-fed body of water that supplies Anchorage with it’s H2O requirements, but the day proved too rainy and chilly to entice us onto the bone-chilling waters.  Instead, we hiked in the Eagle River Nature area, observing beaver dams, salmon spawning grounds, and boreal forests. 

 

Next we explored the Eklunta Lake area with its Historic Park and waterfalls in addition to the lake. The St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church still holds weekly religious meetings in their small wooden building.  Surrounding the church are the Spirit Houses of the Athabascan people who bury their dead under colorful house-like structures.  Thunderbird Falls, The Eklutna River, and Eklutna Lake entertained us for the remainder of the day.

                                                 

                                                 








On the way home from our outings, we gave a ride to a cute and clean young woman backpacker visiting from The UK.  This is her 4th trip hitchhiking and backpacking across Alaska but her first encounter with a brown bear.  She was alone in the backcountry last evening when a brown bear (aka grizzly) was enticed to her camp by wafting yummy dinner smells.  Unaware of his presence until the last second, our young friend caught movement out of the corner of her eye and righted herself just in time to see the grizzly charging her.  With tremendous presence of mind, she followed her training and made herself appear big and intimidating, waving her arms and shouting loudly.  The bear was daunted enough to veer off in another direction within about 20-30 meters of her and ran off into the woods, completing what is called a false charge.  But our young friend was shaken enough that she wisely gathered her belongings and hiked downhill into the campground there to spend the night amongst a crowd.  We were so intrigued by her tale that we ended up going far out of our way, giving her a ride back to her hostel in downtown Anchorage.  It makes me wonder what so entices a young female to backpack and camp alone in the wilds of Alaska and to spend her youth hitchhiking the world. 

Tomorrow is a much needed PDay as we are out of clean clothing as well as food.  It’s been a long lovely 10 days in the back country.  


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