986 July 15, 2023 Tangle Lakes

There was steady rain all night and into this morning.  Just as the rain stopped and I got ready to walk, I got a text message from Bank of America with a fraud alert.  It turned out to be from an imposter, but it took a long time on the phone to resolve.  

Finally, we were on our way.  We stopped at Delta Junction.  I walked to the post office to mail my Santa letter and some postcards.  The Visitor Center had these mosquito sculptures out in front.  The mosquitoes aren’t actually this large but what they lack in size, the make up for in numbers! 

We walked through the Saturday Farmers Market.  We found some fresh greens, yellow squash, and zucchini.  We also bought blueberry bread, garlic and herb bread, focaccia, and Tim chose a rhubarb bar.  We got back to the RV and he shared his treat.  I put the focaccia and the blueberry bread in the freezer so that we wouldn’t be tempted to eat all of our goodies at once.

We drove toward Paxson.  The mountains were all hiding behind the clouds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The road initially followed the braided Delta River. 

We stopped at Darling Creek.  Here the mountains were gradually revealed.

We stopped at the terminal moraine of the Black Rapids Glacier. 

As we continued, it became misty and foggy again.

We passed through Federal Subsistence Hunt Areas.

The Rainbow Ridge.

Past Summit Lake, and then our turn onto the Denali Highway.  The first 21 miles is paved; albeit rough!

The Gulkana River.

Then we were above the treeline in the alpine tundra.

We stopped to admire the view at a scenic point.

Over the single lane bridge and into the Tangle Lakes Campground. 

We found a gorgeous pull through spot right above the lake. 

We watched a bald eagle dive into the water and swim to the shore.  He looked like his load was heavy and he was struggling.  He stood with his prize on the shore and then took off over the lake.  A gull chased him, looking for a share.  We couldn’t tell what he had but I am going to call it supper.

It rained all afternoon, hampering our plans to walk and explore.  Tim did go out later with an umbrella.

It is chilly here.  There are still a few isolated patches of snow at this elevation.

We watched a beaver swimming in the lake.

We are absolutely hoping for better weather tomorrow.  We want to take the Jeep and drive the unpaved portion of the Denali Highway.