Today it is time to return back one final time to Anchorage that we have hit multiple times during our visit but never really visited. But first we have to leave Gakona Lodge the only accomodation that we really didn’t like during our Alaska trip especially due to safety reasons.
Still in the morning the grounds are nice to walk and the historic lodge is quite beautiful to visit, we just don’t recommend staying overnight unless having an door that cannot be locked or secured in any way is not bothering you.
We then pass disaffected gas stations and abandoned buildings as we drive towards Anchorage, but of course we have a few stops planned along the way.
The first major stop is Tolsona Wilderness Campground where we plan to hike to the mud vulcanoes we found out about while researching the area. We check in at the reception and pay the day use fee as well as receive a bear spray as a loaner, a must according to the camp host.
We also received a description to the trailhead, pass the bridge and then go up the road that says no tresspassing. We do as described and leave the hustle and bustle of the campground for the quiet of the forest.
The instructions are good and soon we are at the trailhead from which a well defined and marked path begins towards the mud volcanoes.
The boreal forest is quite magnificent with lots of Sitka Spruces and a few birds…but no bears.
Soon the trail devolves into a flooded mud fest that makes going quite interesting. We are thinking a few times if we should return especially as we have to almost wade through water a few times. But we always find a crossing point and suddenly the trail exists the marshy area and it feels we are getting closer…
…and we do as right afterwards we exit into the mud flat plain, a “meadow” that is devoid of any life besides the mud volcanoes.
It is quite exciting and we decide to eat lunch here while investigating the many tracks and also looking for any interesting birds in the nearby trees. The mud volcanoes themselves are not that active but there are a couple that are bubbling and we watch them for a while before starting our return hike.
Returning we at least know that it can be done but still that doesn’t make it any easier to avoid the muddy parts of the trail.
There are some side trails that avoid the worst areas and there are caution signs that really don’t help that much as they are always in spots where it is obvious that we are in trouble.
Sometimes it feels that we should just jump in the mud and be done with it but we resist the strong temptation and arrive safely with only a few mud patches back to the campground where we return the bear spray, unused…
From here it is mostly a straight drive to Anchorage with just a bit of sightseeing along the way of red mountains and glacial plains…
…as well as glaciers, lots of them in the distance. The views can be quite beautiful and we try to stop whenever possible but there aren’t that many parking spots as we hoped with good views.
There is one more stop before Anchorage, or more exactly in the Anchorage suburbs. It is Eklutna where archaeological evidence suggests it is more than 800 years old, although the first non-Native settlers, an Orthodox missionaries, didn’t arrive until the 1840s building the old Orthodox church we came here to visit, which is quite impressive really.
However more surprising and interesting are the Burial Spirit Houses, which in the local tradition house the spirits of the departed, there are lots of them and some of them are quite interesting and new even.
However as we explore we discover that further back the houses are not as well maintained, it is too bad and hopefully the state will provide funding for their repair.
Then it is time to visit the Airbnb which is a great change from the previous accomodation as it is safer and is much better appointed. The bed is also better and there is a lot more lighting than one measly 25W lightbulb (or something along those lines) that we had in Gakona.
And then it is time to eat dinner. We settle on a Ramen House, actual name, close to the AirBnB and after we get our order it is time to return to the accomodation to eat it in peace.
We have now time to explore a bit the outside of the accomodation which is nice enough and then we eat our bounty from the restaurant and retire for the night.
