days off

We’re getting into a routine now at Eagle River Nature Center – 3-1/2 days on, 3-1/2 days off. Not a bad schedule! I work in the center for the most part talking to visitors, collecting fees and beginning next week, leading a nature walk in the afternoon some days. Tom has become their volunteer maintenance man and is doing wonders organizing a shop as well as repairing needed things. He is also in the nature center occasionally when it’s real busy and I call for help. It’s a well done interpretive center with a “close up corner” where kids are encouraged to touch and play with anything they see. Most people come here to hike the trails and see, well,nature! Still waiting to see our first grizzly.

On days off we use the volunteer vehicle when it’s available and go hike trails and see other areas of Chugach State Park. Saturday we went to the base of Alpenglow Ski Resort, which is adjacent to Richardson Air Force Base, and hiked to Rendezvous Peak. The day was sunny and warm at the bottom, but the view from the top showed totally different weather. A brief rainbow was a lovely sight to see too. There is a good view of Anchorage (or would be on a clear day), and Knik Arm is shining in the sun.

The ski resort is not big, but the slopes are not for beginners. When you get off this chair lift, you’d better know where you’re going!

Sunday was spent in Anchorage. The flowers in the park were amazing including a few giant cabbages.

First stop was the log cabin visitor center.

Before it began raining we hit the outdoor market, more of a flea market than the farmer’s market they have on Saturday and Wednesday, so we’ll go back for that. Then we went by the Ulu factory where they make ulu knives, a traditional Inuit knife that used for skinning caribou and moose. Still used for that today, but also used in the kitchen for veges, etc. We walked a bike path then to a salmon viewing platform on Ship Creek. It’s a little early yet, but we did see a few silver salmon hanging out on the bottom and occasionally rolling over, flashing their silver skin. In a couple weeks the salmon will spawn and we’ll see them in the river at the Nature Center too. Last stop was the Alaska Public Lands Information Center where we took in a ranger led interpretive walk on Alaska history and saw a movie on bears. Looking forward to seeing more when the sun is shining.