Hopeful in Hope

One of the things David and I enjoy most about our trips is observing and photographing wildlife in their natural habitats. I’m particularly fond of bears and wild horses. David enjoys hoofed animals, bears, and birds. With Alaska having most of these creatures in abundance, it makes for an especially rich experience for us. It also keeps us on the move. 

Since we spent much less time in Homer than expected, we wondered if revisiting Valdez might give us the opportunity to photograph those elusive bears. A quick call to the forest rangers in Valdez confirmed that the wild salmon had begun arriving. We made a rash decision to retrace our route back to Valdez. The detour would also allow us to travel Denali 8, another favorite route. 

Our goal is to visit Denali, the Dalton Highway, and the Dempster Highway before beginning our journey south. However, we want to visit the Dalton and Dempster no earlier than mid or end of August when most creatures will be foraging in earnest in preparation for winter and, as a result, are more visible. 

We returned to Skilak to camp, then took a detour through Hope, Alaska. Hope is an old mining town settled during the 1895 gold rush. It sits along the west side of Turnagain Arm.  Several of the original buildings still remain. 

Hope, Alaska

Hope, Alaska

As we left Hope, we spied a young brown bear crossing the road. Although the backdrop is a construction site, she still looked wonderful to me. 

While at the Hope Campground, we took a hike. To our dismay, Sam rolled in some unidentifiable scat left by some large mammal. I also noticed that every evening I smelled dead fish. At first I thought I hadn’t tossed the garbage. Then I realized the smell was most evident when Sam was around.  She had rolled on a fish carcass and seaweed in Anchor Point. Quite honestly, Sam was becoming quite rank. We knew it was time to find a dog wash. Thankfully, we found one in Anchorage. 

Ah, the joys and of traveling with Sam. Back to Valdez.