Hatcher Pass, Alaska
Yeah, its a rather bland title. Today I am not in a mood for a catchy title :) However, the story is quite catchy I promise. Recently I went for another weekend trip to Alaska, yeah, I know, its been too many times! Yes, this was a fishing trip too, but I will write about that, if I feel like on a later post. Here however, I thought I visit Hatcher Pass, which is about an hour north of Wasilla, AK, where I was staying. There was two reasons for me to visit Hatcher Pass, first, I was getting a bit tired to swamp and low flat areas of Alaska, where there is a lot of mountains around, and second, I wanted to see an old gold mining settlement up into the mountains. Yeah, Hatcher Pass and Independance Mine site has both.
Going There
Its not hard, the road is paved 98% of the way. The last 2 miles or so is dirt road but nicely graded and any regular car can easily do it. The road follows the Little Sushitna River (where I have fished recently) to its headwaters towards the Mint Glacier. The area is spectacular as you can see above and below. It is now a popular hiking/camping/backpacking destination with several trails going towards the headwaters of many smaller tributaties of Little Su (as it is fondly called over there.
Lately I have seen a lot of coastal or near coastal Alaska which is marshy. It was nice to see this proper mountain streem going over granite after a while. This Granite is the bed rock for this area and the host rock for the quartz veins from which Gold was mined at the Independance Mine. Robert Lee Hatcher is the first person who discovered and staked the first lode gold (vein quartz deposit found within granite) claim in the Willow Creek Valley in September 1906. Pass is named after Hatcher. Later on, many others found gold, but more organized mining started in the 1930s. It was two separate mines in the 1930s and 40s operated by a mining company called Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Compnay (APC). The covered more than 1000 acres of mining claims and at its peak activity 1941, employed about 200 people in this high and remote region of Alaska. Total they have produced more than 34,000 ounces of gold, valued at $1.7M at that time, and currenly valued at about $61 M in todays dollars. The mine was closed in 1943, and the land later transferred to the State of Alaska as recreational use. Details of the info can be found here:
http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/indmine.htm
Berry Picking
Around the slopes of Hacher Pass there are many kind of berry grows. People often go there and pick blueberries from the wild. This is an activity popular with the kids. I personally like other wild berries better. Simply because I can get blueberry locally at the grocery store. But there is no way I can get Huckleberry locally!!
They are tart and pretty wild. Extremely popular with bears :) I haven't have them in years. I remember when I used to do field work in Idaho and Wyoming, and even far north in Montana, I used to have them for lunch regularly, but after my student days, I haven't have them in a long time! So this was excellent!
Closing Thoughts
If you are in the general area north of Anchorage, or even on your way to Denali National Park. I highly recommend vising Hatcher Pass. It is not crowded like the park and surrounding area, and you can get a true glimpse of the Alaskan Wilderness here.
Trails are well graded, and relatively easy. There are plenty of campground around and there are still a lot of wild flower this late in the season in August!
Red Gold at Hatcher Pass
Too clickbaity?
Looks ace dude. That's exactly the kind of wild I like to retreat to in Scotland.
ha ha, I am glad you like it.
I have never been to Scotland, but was just watching the season 4 of Grand Tour (or may be a special episode) titled Lochdown :) Shows a lot of Scotland there. Really good and funny!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14203072/
Ha! Lochdown, I will have to check it out. We do have some stonking scenery!
if you watch the trailer on the link or on youtube, you will definitely watch the episode, its a single episode, 50 min or so. Totally worth every min.
I will indeed. Today being lazy Sunday will be the time!
I just read Bears 🐻 and not a word of Teddy! Cougars and Wolves as well right? Why would anyone just wander around there… turning yourself into pray again. Or did you bring you second amendment with you?
Manni :)
Bears are mostly vegetarian when they don’t each fish :) They have mauled human rarely but normally under special circumstances. Otherwise it’s live and let live policy :)
They are quite cute actually …. Want to see?
Different area. But wild and in the neighborhood :)
I thought it was really interesting that a company called Asia Pacific operates mines in Alaska, and I couldn't resist googling it. Couldn't find anything, then looked at the link you provided.
Alaska Pacific!!!! Duh!!!!!
Sorry my bad!!
Fixing it!
Where is all the snow? This is an area of Alaska I would love to live but my wife thinks that the whole state is just covered in snow all year and freezing cold. It looks like such a great area for outdoors activities. I would love to go visit one day.
Lol! No snow at this time of the year. Also this is only 4K ft. It a month though it should be under quite good.
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Good afternoon. A very cool post with a beautiful local natural landscape. Nature looks great, you can safely say fabulously beautiful nature. Your photos capture the natural flavor of the area well. Looking at such natural places, I want to travel and be ready to visit such beautiful places again at any time. I loved the river and the round stones and the first landscape photo. Thank you so much for sharing such beauty. Great post. I wish you success and all the best. 🙏
Alaska is so beautiful, what sup with those rock, how come they are so big?
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The photos show the beauty of those places, fascinating and immense. As I often say, nature is able to amaze us with its simplicity. Nature is powerful and wonderful.
That's pretty awesome! Would love to visit someday!
beautiful scenery my friend you must have really enjoyed your stay on the site.
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And I used to think Alaska would be more like this
Ice and Frost everywhere maybe the gold rush of Charli Chaplin gave me the wrong impression, this place looks nice
Lot of Alaska is like that!
But its a rather big place you know :)
The photos remind me a little of the landscape in New Zealand. I think when I'm in the Usa I will definitely visit alaska. the huckleberrys looks yummy, I will remember them haha
Sir Alaska looks similar to the Northern Mountains in India, but iam sure, the mountains in India are both dangerous and beautiful at the same time.
Seems to be a beautiful area. For me the berries look quite poisonous, but I'm only familiar with the not so wild ones :D
Believe me, I am alive :)
Wow, what a beautiful place! Thanks for the sharing!
it's a very amazing place, the view is cool
Amazing Post ✌️
What a retreat! No wonder Alaska allures the eyes of so many idealist adventurers.
That's my kind of wilderness, love the last photo - mountains in the background.
I studied in America for year, never made it to Alaska in the summer I spent travelling, it's still on the to-do list.
I also rather like Huckleberries, very much tied up with the American Wilderness Ideal aren't they!
Are those lowlands full of midges like is the case in Scotland?