August 1 - Squirrel Creek Campground

August 1 – it was two months ago today we drove across the Canadian border and officially started this trek. And we’re still having fun doing it.

We moved all of 32 miles down the road today, from Dry Creek just north of Glenallen to Squirrel Creek just south of Copper Center. It was one of those “let’s spend the night there” whims that lead us to another delightful campground. We’re right next to the creek, and Gypsy thinks it’s heaven because there’s a little offshoot branch of the creek trickling into a pool just a few feet from our door, just perfect for a wading doggie.

The Wrangle mountains are pretty impressive. Just when we think we have the definition of impressive mountains, another range comes into view that ups the ante. The Wrangles are volcanic, the result of the Pacific plate sliding under this part of Alaska. It’s the plate that is going to end up moving all of California up here some millions of years from now. For now though, the mountains are just pushing up higher and higher. Mt. Wrangle itself is the only active volcano, and still blows off a little steam every so often. It’s under a pretty significant glacier though, so most of the energy comes out sideways under the ice. At one of the viewpoints it seemed at first that we could only see clouds, but when we looked through the binoculars we realized that we were actually seeing the bottom two-thirds of the mountains and they were covered with glaciers. Ice, ice, everywhere, all looking like a heavy layer of white frosting slathered all over the mountains.

There’s one little bit of concern that has risen its head. The fireweed is getting awfully close to the top. Some have already reached their apex. And some of those aspen – they must be sick or something. Surely they can’t be starting to turn yellow. I reject that theory completely.