Along for the ride: Palmer, Alaska

After leaving Hope, we say "good-bye" to the beautiful Kenai Peninsula, head around the end of Turnagain Arm, back through Anchorage to Palmer.

Kenai Peninsula mountains

Cut off to Whittier by Portage Glacier

Back up Turnagain Arm

Mud flats

We stop at Indian Valley Meats to pick up some spicy reindeer sausage (which we joke we'll send out as Christmas presents) and then back to the freeways surrounding Anchorage. On the highway we're passed by a large 4x4 truck with a large freezer in the bed. The freezer is wired to run off the truck's energy, better to store caught fish and game. Many Alaskans supplement their grocery bills by hunting and fishing. We pray Alaskans will have the wisdom to protect their fisheries and game herds for future generations and not make the same mistakes made in the lower 48. Unfortunately, we doubt it... as many Alaskans will fiercely defend their "right" to hunt and fish at will despite being reminded that once a fishery collapses or game herds become extinct, they're gone, sometimes forever.

Entrance to Indian Valley Meats

Hey buddy, sure you got a big enough freezer?

To get off the freeways, we decide to take the road less traveled and turn onto the Old Glenn Hwy which runs much closer to the mountains. It's a lovely drive and we are happy to have taken this alternative route. We stop for the night at the Mountain View RV Park, just outside of Palmer, Alaska.

The park has two large RV caravans which we have seen before at other parks. Just for fun we, look up the two main caravans we've seen online to discover they charge $8-$10K per couple/RV for a similar trip we are on. In taking a closer look at the itineraries, we figure about $1-$2K is in true value for food and activities (many tours and activities listed are either free or cost under $10/person). Granted they do all the trip planning and do have both a "wagon master" leading the caravan and a "sweep vehicle" for helping any stragglers, but it's still a pricey option. We do notice that many of the people on these caravans are older and driving the big Class A's with towed vehicles. They probably prize the safety of an organized caravan.

Matanuska Peak off the Old Glenn Hwy

Sunset in Palmer

The next morning we stop at the Musk Ox Farm, which is part of a domestication project that began over 60 years ago. Muskox are ancient beasts that once roamed the earth during the Ice Ages along with the Wooly Mammoths. Musk ox are prized for qiviut, their wooly undercoat which is considered to be the warmest wool available. The Oomingmak Cooperative in Anchorage is the outlet for for items hand knitted by native women using traditional patterns from their cultures.

Entrance to Musk Ox Farm

Visitors' Center

Our Tour Guide

The farm is located in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, which was settled by pioneer farmers as part of a New Deal project during the Depression. Drought stricken farmers from the northern Midwest were resettled to start agriculture in Alaska. While some gave up and returned to the lower 48, several families stayed and established viable farms surrounding Palmer. More about the Matanuska Colony can be seen at the Palmer Historical Society.

When looking for a new home, the Musk Ox Project was able to purchase one of the original colony dairy farms for their herd and has prospered here ever since. The farm is divided up into various corrals. In the breeding pens, a single bull will have his own harem of females. Yearlings and weaned calves are separated into pens until they reach breeding status. To keep them from tearing down their fences, the farm provides toys for the oxen to push around. The most effective toy are 350+ pound balls of hard rubber were used to prevent clogs in the Alaskan Pipeline.