I arrived home from my most recent RV trip day before yesterday, pretty tired but otherwise feeling great.
Four days in Ninilchik had been fun and relaxing. The 3-day Barn Hunt trial that followed had NOT proved to be too much for my wonky knee. Yay!
I did wear my knee brace for added support – especially while actively working with Ronni during her many (4 each day) rat hunts.
As usual, I camped Sunday night at a campground only ten minutes from the trial site so I could be well rested before making the long drive home.
I know, I know … from Soldotna to Wasilla is only a 4-5 hour drive. But for me, coming at the end of the third day of a 3-day trial, it would mean pushing through the drive, tired and achy. No fun!
Since I have the time, it’s much more practical, and probably safer, for me to hole up at a pretty campground on Sunday night – and then actually enjoy the beautiful drive home the following day.
I was purely lucky to find a spot at this campground though. Being the height of salmon fishing season, this 300-site campground sitting right on the salmon-choked Kenai river was mostly packed solid!
The only sites available were in the less-popular, open grass field pull-through “over-flow” area. Fortunately, that was just fine with me. They were straight, level sites, and only lightly populated, since most campers preferred the woodsy sites with picnic tables and fire pits for their multi-day stays. Also, plenty of nicely mown grass for potty walks. Win-win for a quick overnighter. 👍🏼
Monday proved to be a nice travel day, with the added benefit of missing the worst of the Sunday evening rush of campers heading back to Anchorage.
It’s still July in Alaska, so plenty of cars and RVs on the road, but not as hectic as Sundays.
I stopped, as is my wont, several times during the drive home. My lunch break was at Summit Lake, where I was happy to walk Rhonda and then enjoy a sandwich and macaroni salad overlooking this vibrant view.
Do you recall my mentioning that the Fireweed would be blooming in wild abandon within a week or so? This abundant stand of Fireweed was already well over four feet tall and still growing. It sure made for a striking foreground to my photo of Summit Lake.
After lunch, I traveled down Turnagain Pass and headed around Turnagain Arm. Once again, the Arm’s infamous winds were in fine fettle.
Due to the high winds, I even got to witness a phenomenon I’d never personally seen before. You might need to zoom in a bit on this photo, but do you see what looks like mist along the far edge of the inlet, at the base of the mountains?
It was low tide, and those puffs are actually a dust storm of wind-blown silt stirred into flight from the mud flats. I really don’t know how unusual this is, but I’d never seen it before in my 24 years in Alaska.
Now that I’ve been home for a couple of days, I find myself checking the 10-day weather forecast for my list of possible camping destinations for my next outing.
I need at least a 3-4 day weather-window of opportunity. It’s a big state – there must be sunshine somewhere.
De & the Dachsies - Our Rambles 