Who Downhill Bikes in the Fog? (Day 22)

Talk about the fog rolling in!  This is what we woke up to this morning in Valdez.  A little anxiety started to set in because I knew we had to go through Thompson Pass that was 2,600 ft. and it would get foggier!  I guess I can close my eyes if I get too scared, I'm not driving.  On the other hand...maybe the driver could use another pair of eyes to lookout for obstacles ahead.  I'm hoping the sun breaks through those low-hanging clouds and melts away all the fog before we get to higher elevations.  Well....before we embark on that problem we have to take care of a few necessities before we leave.  This is one of my major jobs ...........

Now don't belittle the magnitude of this job.  If you have ever worked with sewage, you would understand.  However, I do have to mention the importance of the guy on the other end of the hose with the big, black, rubber gloves on.  (glad I had a pedicure...you never know when a picture like this will go viral:-) 

You think this is bad....it got worse as we headed up Thompson's Pass.  Then....people on bikes with those funny, looking helmets started whizzing by us down the highway.  We couldn't believe that bikers would be racing under such conditions.  The police were stopping vehicles to warn them of the bike race taking place and to be on the lookout.  They even had flares on the top of the mountain where all the bikers were starting from.  We could hardly see anything until we were right upon them.  They even had an ambulance waiting in case of any injuries.  I'm just glad we were going away from the race and didn't have to dodge them in the fog.  Not being a bicycle racer myself...wouldn't biking up a hill show more skill than going down hill?  Why even use a bike...wouldn't a Radio Flyer Wagon do?  No matter what...it was scary! 

 As we got to lower elevations, the fog cleared and it was another beautiful, sunny day in Alaska.

 On our way to Wasilla, we came across miles and miles of terrain used for four-wheeling.  It looked like they set up their camps anywhere along the way and hopped onto a trail.  It looked like fun; but it sure looked dirty!  It looks dry here; 

 but the picture below shows that much of this area is wet. 

This must be heaven for a four-wheeler.  

   Our two sons would love this!  As I write this, they are in Indiana Jeeping in the mud.

These are the names of the last 2 campgrounds we have stayed at....I'm starting to see a pattern here.  Which reminds me...

these are the only "signs" of bear that we have seen!

WILDLIFE UPDATE...

        Bear...0

            Moose...0

      Elk...0

             Caribou...0
White Swans...2 (again, same 2?)

Red Squirrel...1

ROADKILL...

Skeleton of moose (?) in ditch

Bunnie again

Something unrecognizable