In Wasilla, we stopped at the Iditarod Headquarters and Museum. We saw a short movie on the Iditarod race and looked at photos of the Iditarod winners over the years.Dorothy G. Page, a resident of Wasilla recognized the importance of an awareness of the use of sled dogs as working animals and of the Iditarod Trail and the important part it played in Alaska’s colorful history. She presented the possibility of a race over the Iditarod Trail to an enthusiastic Joe Redington, Sr., a musher from the Knik area.
Most of us had wanted to take a ride on a dog sled behind the team, but after we arrived and saw the buggy being pulled by the team and the 30 second ride around a small loop in the trees, we all decided to pass, except Ray. It was Joe Reddington’s son who was the musher on Ray’s little trip through the woods. I was really surprised at the size of the dogs. I expected large huskies, but the dogs were all very thin and smaller than I expected. I suppose since they had been shorn for summer, they looked smaller, but because they run such long distance, I suppose just like long distance runners they can never eat enough to make up for the energy they expend in running. The dogs would get so excited when they knew they were going to be able to run and pull the buggy. There was a heap of howling going on!
We then headed up the Glenn Highway. We stopped at the Musk Ox Farm, where Brittany wanted to go on a tour. She got to pet some baby Musk Ox and picked up some of their soft wool from the ground, called qiviut. The rest of us looked at them through the fence. The scarves and hats the natives knit from qiviut are so light and soft, but apparently very warm. Unfortunately, they were out of my price range. $225.00 for a scarf . . . a bit pricey, but they looked lovely.
Some of the amazing scenery on the Glenn Highway
Back: Ray, Larry,Venna, Cory Front: Sandy, Brittany overlooking the Matanuska River
Matanuska Glacier ~27 miles long and 4 miles wide,
the largest glacier accessible by auto in the U.S.
We drove up to the Matanuska Glacier in the Mat-su Valley. Everything in Alaska seemed a bit pricey, so we shouldn’t have been surprised at the $20.00 per person charge to hike over to the glacier!
There were several hundred yards of glacial morraine that we had to hike over to get to the glacier, - it looked like a walk at Craters of the Moon in southeastern Idahovery gray and bleak looking.
Cory, Sandy, Brittany ~ Matanuska Glacier
Once we got on to the actual glacier, it was beautiful to see. The ice is packed so hard, yet there are fissures and crevasses that go so deep you cannot see the bottom. In one area, a stream of water shot down into the abyss and just disappeared. The glacier itself was so varied, huge crevasses, swirling streams disappearing into deep holes, huge boulders, lots of sand and gravel.
Sandy and Ray at what we call the Blue Eye of the glacier
We saw some beautiful shapes in the ice and hiked over to a lake within the glacier.
Mom and Dad stayed back at the RV, so Brittany and Cory actually were able to get a 24" piece of ice to come off and Cory carried it back in my jacket so Mom and Dad could see it. Mom stood on it and we took a picture of her standing on the glacier. She was so delightful!
Mom standing on the glacier!
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