SNOWSHOEING HATCHERS PASS ON A CLOUDLESS WINTER DAY

The sun was barely up and just beginning to light the tops of the Talkeetna Mountains as I drove slowly up the road into Hatchers Pass.  My destination was the Independence Gold mine in the upper valley.  As I parked and began to gather my gear in the lower parking area, the sun illuminated the snow bright white in stark contrast to the cloudless blue sky.  A sky so blue it hurt your eyes.

I strapped on my snow shoes, shouldered my backpack with my camera gear and started up hill following the road 5 feet under the snow beneath my feet.  Walking over the gate lying beneath the snow, I crunched up the packed, groomed road toward the mine a mile up the mountain.  I had the road to myself as I hiked uphill.  As I reached the mine buildings, I was joined by a few cross country skiers.  The snow was drifted to the roofs of several buildings and I quickly toured the grounds and then set my sights on the buildings of the private mine farther up the mountain.

The walk up the hill was steep and long as my snow shoes crunched
through the loose powder.  I quickly found a set of tracks made by a Snowcat making the walking easier as the
hill became steeper.  After a half hour of uphill trudging, the climb leveled out and the views of the surrounding peaks were spectacular.

I hiked past the mine cabin and outbuildings and rested for a while to calm my thumping heart.  As I rested, I drank in the views around me.  The cloudless dark blue sky, the blindingly white snow and purple shadows of the mountains made me glad to be alive and I felt fortunate to be living in Alaska.