Sunday Aug. 21st - Back to Reality and a Long Drive

All good things must pass and it was time for us to leave SSCL.

We woke up for a quick pre-breakfast bear viewing (didn’t see much since tide was high). Then came back for breakfast and last arrangements at the lodge (and for watching the happy family reunion I mentioned earlier!). 

Then last ATV ride to the beach to wait for the Natron Air plane that will take us back to Soldotna. Despite cloudy weather the plane came just in time, we said our farewells to Dave our guide and departed from the magical place which will remain a lifetime memory for us.

The flight back was smooth once again and we reached Soldotna around 11AM. We picked our car and drove to the huge Fred Meyer in town where we had coffee (there is a Starbucks inside), and replenished our stock of snacks for the road. We also picked up sandwiches and salad for lunch from their deli, Then around 12 we started back north, towards the Matanuska Glacier and the last part of our land journey.

Our trip back along the Sterling and Seward highways was mostly uneventful. We started to see the tree leaves along the road already turning to yellow with fall colors. My wife spotted two moose cows near the road but I didn’t see them.

Around 2PM we reached the Portage-Girdwood area and were looking for a break from the driving. We considered Byron glacier trail but it was too chilly and damp outside so we didn’t feel like hiking. 

On our visit in Girdwood on the way to Seward, we noticed signs about a Blueberry Festival in the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood over the weekend, so we decided to check it out. We reached the town and were directed to a big parking lot from where we had to take a shuttle organized especially for the event.

The festival was on the hotel grounds and had everything that can be expected – live music, food stands, art and craft sales, and more. The blueberry theme was really light, but it was all good fun. We sat on the grass and ate the lunch we brought with us, then bought some blueberry treats for desert. Overall we were in Girdwood for 2 hours, most of them on or waiting for the shuttle. It was a nice break from the road.

From Girdwood we continued to Anchorage but were delayed on the Turnagain Arm by heavy traffic of people coming back from weekend in the Kenai. This was probably our worst road delay in Alaska. Finally we broke free, passed through Anchorage and continued on the Glenn highway northbound. 

At Palmer we continued with the Glenn highway east. We saw a moose cow by the road side (my only wild moose sighting in the trip!) The road started to climb through the mountain along the Matanuska River and gorge, and we drove on the narrow and often bending road, through magnificent sweeping vistas of huge mountains, the wide braided river, and the forests gleaming with yellow fall colors against the cloudy skies.

Glenn Highway Panorama

Matanuska River, Glenn Highway



Suddenly behind one of the bends, the huge white mass of the Matanuska glacier appeared in the valley in from of us. A truly breath-taking view! 

Matanuska Glacier,, Glenn Highway

Overall I can say that the Glenn highway was definitely our #1 scenic drive of the trip.

Matanuska Glacier Panorama

Towards 7:30PM we reached our destination – Sheep Mountain Lodge, right on Mile 113 of the Glenn Highway. This was perhaps our favorite lodging in the entire trip. The setting is just beautiful – the wood cabins tucked against the striking background of Sheep Mountain and with a great mountain vistas all around. 

Sheep Mountain Lodge

The air was cool and extremely fresh. We reserved a 'Classic' cabin – it was small and basic, and was built a bit funny (floor was somewhat lopsided). But we didn't mind that at all, it was warm and cozy and perfectly suitable for one night. 

The reception staff were extremely helpful and friendly, they showed us the Dall Sheep on the mountain (there's a reason it's called that). There are binoculars in every room for getting a better look – a very nice touch ! 

Dall Sheep on Sheep Mountain

We had a very nice dinner at the lodge restaurant (the reception staff double as restaurant waiters). We were a bit concerned since they serve to a 'captive audience', but food was good and prices reasonable. We went to sleep very satisfied!



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