Matanuska River - Alaska

Okay friends, this is big - I went to Alaska! It's kind of surreal that I actually took the trip. I have a good friend who lives there, and I adore her. We have been through it all; weddings, babies, illnesses that had us both considering our own mortality, divorces, new love, heartaches, picking up the pieces, entering the "empty nest" transition period, and growing through it all. She's the kind of friend that books tell you you're lucky to have. Even through all of this, I honestly never thought I would make it to Alaska. And I certainly never thought I would make the trip alone.

But I did! And I cannot wait to go back!

Living in the northernmost part of California (I have heard it described as "basically Oregon"), I expected the landscape to be very similar. Snow capped mountains, giant, green pine trees towering over deciduous trees and bushes, and the entire landscape covered in a blanket of white. Well, I was wrong. (Wait, did I put that in writing?)

Ok, let's back up and start with the arrival. I flew into Anchorage very late at night. My friend picked me up and we headed to the Mat-Su Valley, about an hour north of the airport. There were two items on my bucket list for the trip: to see a moose (the airport graciously had a taxidermized statue in the hall), and to catch the Northern Lights. Ladies and gentlemen, Alaska greeted me with a show that will play on in my mind's eye for years to come. Unfortunately, I was so exhausted that we didn't pull over to catch a picture. I just stared through the windshield, gazing left and right, watching as the light reflected off of the fairy-dust-like substance dancing in the sky. It was mesmerizing.

After taking a day to get settled and to catch up with everyone, I started making my list of places to explore. I had read reviews of several trails but wasn't sure if they were passable since what little snow they had received this season had already started to melt, and the reviews mentioned a lot of muddy paths. Fortunately, my friend and her daughter knew of some trails that were perfect for the weather. So, we hopped in the car and headed out.

This trail was easy and flat, had a paved lot, and we got to cross a bridge and walk through a tunnel before we got up close and personal with the Matanuska River. There was not a more perfect place to start exploring this new area. I was in heaven!

The river bed was wide, and the water was shallow and quick. I was surprised to learn that normally, there is a thick layer of snow and ice covering the river, so it was unusual to see the water this time of year. I know that flowing rivers don't typically freeze and found it interesting to hear that there is usually a blanket over the river. As we approached the edge of the river, I totally understood.

When we walked out on the snow, I was expecting a base soft enough for my foot to push through to the ground. But the snow was thick and hard and sitting on top of a layer of ice. After making sure I was walking on the shore, and not on top of the flowing water, I stomped around and tried to make deep indentations of my footprints. I'm sure I looked like a toddler having a tantrum, and like most tantrums, it was a waste of energy. I did leave some prints in the snow, but they were barely visible. I will say that it was fun hearing the sound of the snow crunching as we walked along. It prompted me to get closer to the edge and investigate what was going on. In case you're wondering, I did not stomp out to the water, I carefully set each foot down gently to make sure I didn't hit the freezing water. And, yes, I would totally spill the tea if I had fallen in.

Anyway, out on the river's edge, I could see a layer of ice under the packed snow and along the transition from snow to the water. As we walked along, there were cracks in the snowy surface, and entire sections that had lifted up, which allowed me to get a better look. It was fascinating. To think of the fluctuations in both precipitation and temperature required to have created a layer of ice covered in packed snow above the water. Yes, this makes me want to return during the winter where there is a normal amount of snowfall. But let's keep that a secret from my family in Michigan because they will want me to visit during Christmas. And I don't do Chicago O'Hare in the winter. But that's a story for another day.

After looking in all of the nooks and crannies, and having fun crunching along the water's edge, we headed back to the parking lot and toward actual Matanuska River Trail. The path is in the complete opposite direction of where we started out; on the other side of both the bridge and the water and leading right into the forest. The trees, even with their bare branches, provided enough shade for the path to be covered in snow. The lack of leaves also allowed enough sun to get through so that we had to traverse a few mud puddles. No, I did not stomp my feet and throw a tantrum in the mud, although it did cross my mind. We will definitely have to come back when the path is dry.