We had been advised by our friends, Ed and Nola Irvin, that the drive to Hatcher Pass would be a lovely one, so we decided it would be a good idea. And they were right.
The road was not an easy one. The first ten miles from each side are paved, and the remaining 20 miles are oiled dirt. Frankly, the oiled road was not too bad, but it definitely made us drive more slowly.
The pass is lovely, and it has everything - steep cliffs, rolling valleys, high peaks (if 3,000 feet is high, but is certainly seems it here), streams, beaver ponds. At one point we even watched people parasailing off a cliff named "Nixon's Nose." We did not see the resemblance, but perhaps if we had tried harder, we would have.
The one thing we noticed was that, in this gorgeous valley full of blueberries and wonderful wildlife habitat, we did not see one animal. Not a marmot, not a caribou, not a bear (and it is perfect bear country), not even a deer. It was unfathomable that not one animal was seen by any of us.
To the internet I went to find out why, and the sad reality is that it appears the area is so overhunted, there are no animals to be seen. How sad! The lack of control by hunters along with the lack of management by those in charge have allowed this gorgeous area, that is perfect for many four-legged creatures, has been turned into a beautiful, but sterile, place. My heart sunk when I found this out, and I hope someone eventually tries to change the hunting laws here so that the area can repopulate itself. Here's hoping, anyway!
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