July 27 Concluded – Foiled Again

July 27 Photos
July 26 Photos
July 25 Photos
July 24 Photos
I attempted to go for a hike this afternoon. I drove way out to the trailhead and noticed that the place was entirely deserted. I got my backpack together and set out, but no sooner had I got to the trail than I saw signs warning that there had been a recent fatal grizzly attack on the trail. Moreover, the bear in question was still at large, and the authorities suggested having one’s firearm ready. I had bear spray with me but decided not to tempt fate. It also was apparent that, should anything happen, I would be utterly alone. This was more hardcore adventure than I’d bargained for.
I repaired to the only McDonald’s I’d found in the area with “hot” WiFi and uploaded my photos. I also did some research and found these two articles about the bear.
http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Fish-and-Game-sets-traps-searches-for-brown-bear-that-killed-hiker-486210341.html
http://www.ktva.com/story/38643053/biologists-kill-bear-suspected-in-eagle-river-maulings
So they shot the bear they thought did it, and her two cubs for good measure, and will shoot any more they find in the area. They don’t mess around here in Alaska.
I wandered aimlessly for the rest of the afternoon until I washed up at a “Public Use Area” north of Anchorage. It was basically a very large gravel plain next to a river, where anyone can free camp, and a scattering of people were doing just that. Unfortunately it was not even 6 PM, and with more than 5 hours of daylight left, I was bored. So bored, in fact, that I decided to drive 20 miles into Wasilla — a sure sign of desperation.
I drove randomly around Wasilla and saw a cyclist bearing an uncanny resemblance to Sarah Palin. I’m sure it wasn’t her, though, since she was riding a bicycle. I noted that I cannot see Russia from here, sadly.
I’m going to go see a movie with my MoviePass, before it goes wholly tits-up. I’m becoming very bored with this part of Alaska. It’s just like any other place in America, with marginally better scenery off on the horizon. Kind of like camping in Minnesota or something. I’d high tail it on down the road tonight, but there is one more activity I want to do in the area tomorrow morning. After that, I’ll be starting my route out of Alaska and booking it back across the frozen interior of the continent. As much as one can book it at 45 miles per hour.