Backtrack to Maclaren Summit & a Flat Tire Story

After a fortifying breakfast of biscuits and gravy, we head back east as the skies had cleared and we wanted to see what we missed during yesterdays snowy drive. We plan to back track to Maclaren Summit to enjoy the view on a clear day, and as expected, there were fantastic views in all directions.

About two miles east passed the Maclaren Summit sign we found a suitable turnaround spot. It was 11:45 a.m. once we had the vehicle turned around and about ready to head west again when Josh says he is going to wait for the oncoming van to pass ahead of us. While we wait, I suggest that he turn Elvira off so that we can hear the quiet. With the truck in park and the engine off, I cannot think of a better time to get out and take a photo. I hopped out of the truck, take a few steps forward and think to myself, why would the engine be making a hissing noise. It wouldn’t/shouldn’t be making any noise.

As I turn back and Josh rolls down the passenger window I tell him that I am hearing a hissing noise. He gets out of Elvira, comes around to my side of the vehicle, and discovers the front passenger tire is leaking air. We are about to have a flat tire.

The hole was positioned just right and we could put our finger on the spot to stop the air from leaking out. However, since we did not have tire plugs and we were going to change the tire to the spare it was somewhat silly for me to stand there with my finger on the hole and try to stop the leaking.

We could not have asked for a better scenario with which to discover a flat tire. We were not on the narrow main stretch of road that has soft shoulders; we were on a wide flat turnout on stable ground with plenty of room to change a tire. It was a warm (for Alaska) sunny day and we were surrounded by beautiful views. And there was a moose in the distance and arctic ground squirrels scurrying around to watch and photograph.

There was a brief moment when the flat tire would not come off and Josh had to use a small amount of persuasion, which slowed him down a bit, but by 12:36 p.m., the tire was changed to the spare and we were headed to Maclaren Lodge for a tire repair.

While we waited for the tire repair, we enjoyed a spot of lunch and a visit with some other tourists who had managed to find their way to this remote and gorgeous place.

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Great Night for a Camp Fire

Clearwater Creek where there is not another human soul around for miles. It was a bit breezy but Josh had a fire going that kept us quite warm. There were rain clouds that threatened to drip on us for a brief moment but we willed them away. The sun even shown at the end of the evening. 

There is an art to keeping a campfire tended, flaming, and useful. Josh is a good artist. His sculptures are ever changing and with each rendition more beautiful and stunning than the last. 

We spent a peaceful evening by the fire with the sounds of Clearwater Creek running in the distance washing away any cares of the world.

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Denali Highway ~ Paxson to Clearwater Creek

12:30 pm turn onto the Denali Highway, Alaska Route 8, it is 136 miles from here to Cantwell.

Mile 6.5 we take in the breathtaking views of the Alaska Range. We can see Summit Lake to the east (right side in this photo) and Fielding Lake to the north, and we get our first glimpse of the Amphitheater Mountains. The two days of snow accumulation in this area have hampered the driving and today the road was closed until 1:00 p.m. or until further notice. When we passed a State DOT worker driving a dump truck/plow, he gave us a thumbs-up, which is the okay to continue driving.

 

1:12 p.m. mile 10, it starts to rain and snow.

1:50 p.m. we entered the Tangle Lakes area, and have a good view of Round Tangle Lake, and the Tangle Lakes Delta River w

3:12 p.m. mile 30.6 we reach Glacial Gap. There are only partial views of the Amphitheater Mountains because of the storm clouds. The road we are traveling follows the crest of a Terminal Moraine deposited by a glacier moving south through Glacier Gap during the pre Wisconsinan time.

3:32 p.m. mile 32 it starts snowing sleet balls with almost white-out conditions with low visibility. We are giddy as schoolchildren who might not have to go to school because of a snow day.

3:35 p.m. mile 36.9 Maclaren Summit and what is supposed to be views of the Maclaren River Valley but there is nothing to see here so we motor along.

There is still some remaining snow from winter along the road sides.

Maclaren River and the Maclaren Glacier in the distance. We have only traveled a few miles and the weather improved dramatically – welcome to anywhere Alaska

4:32 p.m. mile 47.5 Tundra Swans.

5:02 p.m. Clearwater Creek Wayside mile 55.5 we decide that this is an excellent place to make camp for the evening.

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Meier's Lake Roadhouse

Upon leaving Paxson Lake Campground, we backtracked to Meier’s Lake Roadhouse to top off the tanks in Elvira. Meier’s Lake Roadhouse is one of those out of the way places that has a story to tell. They sell fuel, will cook you a burger, and on the way out you can pick up a can of soup from their grocery shelves or a fresh baked cinnamon roll (yummy goodness).

The pump for petro is most likely 30 years old or older, you know the kind of pump station that has the internal gears with numbers on a roller. The numbers ‘turn over’ with each dollar and with each gallon pumped.

They have a museum of sorts that is a collection of contents from a long passed Chitina resident. The family decided they would rather share all these wonderful keepsakes with travelers who visit the roadhouse than have them in storage.

Chitina is a small village on the Edgerton Highway, and is located at the western boundary of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. You can reach the Edgerton Highway by driving south on the Richardson Highway past Glennallen.

Today’s goal: make a left hand turn onto the Denali Highway, Alaska Route 8, and see how far we get down the road.

We have all afternoon. 

No timeline. 

No pressure to be anywhere. 

Just traveling down the road.

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Exploring Paxson Lake

Good morning snowy world! It was a perfect peaceful morning for exploring Paxson Lake. All the other campers had vacated the campground and we explored to our hearts content.

Wildlife count for the morning: one large beaver on its morning rounds, several gulls, and the carcass of a caribou at the waters edge.

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Paxson Lake Campground

It was 3:32 p.m. in the afternoon when we finished lunch, and with bellies full of delicious Thai food, we were ready to head to Paxson Lake via the Richardson Highway. I say that like there is more than one way to get to Paxson Lake but in truth, when you are driving it is either from the north on the Richardson Highway or from the south on the Richardson Highway. We were approaching from the south.

At mile 159 the road narrows, and now has the appearance of the old road that I remember from years back with potholes to avoid on both sides, and very little shoulder on the road to buffer any slight miscalculations in driving. We started to see snow on the surrounding ground by mile 162, and it started to rain. The snowy ground gives the road an even narrower feeling; there can be no misstep, no rash movement of the steering wheel. These type of driving conditions are a test for any skilled license holder.

When we reached Meier's lake at mile 170 it begins to snow. Three more miles down the road and the snow increases its efforts to turn the landscape white. By the time we reach Paxson Lake Campground, and turn off at mile 175 the snow is coming down in steady sleet filled sheets that blur ones vision. Good thing we did not have plans to drive farther that day.

We passed the evening watching the snow accumulate, enjoyed a hot meal, and a game of 9-card golf. This was round three of the card game for the trip and I finally won.

Wildlife count for the day: two arctic hares

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Tok Thai Food

On a cold snowy day a hot spicy meal always sounds too good to pass by.  Tok Thai Food has made the upgrade move from a bus to a building since the our last visit in 2013.  Tok Thai Food for the win!

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