969 June 28, 2023 Hatcher Pass

There was soaking rain all night and this morning it was rainy and raw.

We were ready for the service technician to take the RV before 8am.

While Cummins was taking good care of the RV, we went to the laundromat and the post office and then to McDonalds to use WIFI for the blog.  They also let us fill our fresh water.

At 1pm, the RV was ready; oil change, transmission oil and filter changed, new air filter, and new fuel filters.  Everything good!

We drove through traffic and north out of town to Willow.

We stayed in the Hatcher Pass RV Park.

After resting, we packed dinner and went to explore.  It was raining when we left.

We took Hatcher Pass Road.  As we climbed in elevation, we were driving among the clouds.  Ordinarily, this is a spectacular ride in alpine country with mountain views.  Today, the mountains were shrouded in dense clouds and we couldn’t see much. 

When the visibility turned to zero, we turned around and so did not make it to the summit.

We found an old abandoned bus.  Tim rigged a tarp so that I could cook our eggs.  We ate our meal in the bus as it was the only dry place to be.

A moose and her calf were in a roadside pond.  They were about 150 yards away.  We watched for several minutes.  Mama moose gently nudged the little one and they turned and walked away.

A short distance later, Tim spotted a beaver on the bank.  He posed for a picture and then slipped away flashing his paddle tail as he went.

We stopped by Willow Creek and made some hot tea and Tim made a small fire. 

We were damp and muddy but we had a fun outing!