July 28, 2009

July 28, 2009

From Anchorage we drove north to nearby Palmer. We stopped at the Visitor Center where we learned about the history of the Matanuska Valley. During the Depression, the government transferred some Minnesota farming families here to develop an agricultural industry. It wasn’t terribly successful but farming eventually took. Now with the 24-hour summer sun, this region is noted for monster vegetables (e.g. 100 lb cabbage). It is too early in the season for harvest but the flower garden is in full bloom. I spend more than an hour taking photos.

Outside of Palmer we stop at a Musk Ox farm. Now that is an animal you rarely see. The Musk Ox looks like a cross between a cow and a wooly mammoth. Not surprising since the Musk Ox is a relic of the Ice Age. It is ideally suited to the frozen tundra and is one of the few animals that lives there year round. The Musk Ox went extinct everywhere except the far northern reaches of Canada’s arctic region. It was reintroduced into Alaska and Siberia. Qiviut, the under fur of the Musk Ox, is highly prized for its softness and warmth. This farm was setup to provide an industry for local Native tribes who knit the fiber into hats and scarves. After looking around the exhibits we walk past pens that contain several dozen adults and a handful of calves.

From Palmer we head up the Matanuska River valley. This glacier carved valley is simply gorgeous. Eventually we come to the glacier feeding this river. We do a short loop hike at Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site to gain a better viewing advantage. The glacier extends 23 miles up farther into the mountains. We spend the night in a nearby RV park.