Matanuska River Valley

The little town of Glacier View, overlooking the Matanuska Glacier, has 249 inhabitants.

Glacier View scenery: The orange rock is gypsum. The Talkeetna Mountains are to the north of the river valley and the Chugach Mountains to the south.

mountains cliff cliff mountain and clouds mountain and clouds mountain and clouds mountain range mountains and glaciers fireweed mountain range mountain mountain and clouds mountains mountain and clouds mountain range road mountain range mountain mountains and glacier cliffs mountain mountain mountain, clouds, and bush plane

The 75-mile-long Matanuska River in southcentral Alaska drains a broad valley south of the Alaska Range, flowing southwest ito the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet. Downstream of its source it is joined by the runoff of the Matanuska Glacier.

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The Matanuska Glacier is fifty miles east of Palmer off the scenic Glenn Highway in the northern Chugach Mountains. The face of the glacier is four miles wide.

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What appears to be a big avalanch is a rock glacier.

rock glacier

Sheep Mountain Lodge has over twelve miles of hiking trails.

lodge lodge sunset lodge and mountain

recreation:

hiking: Paul is always ready to stop for blueberries.

Paul on trail mountain Paul on trail rocks clouds on mountain mountains Paul on trail mountains Paul on trail Paul on trail Charlotte looking at trail map sign trail Charlotte on trail Charlotte photographing Charlotte on trail trail trail Paul on trail Paul on trail fireweed mountain mountains mountains mountains mountains Paul picking blueberries mountain Paul on trail fireweed and mountains mountains Paul hiking up stream mountain mountains mountain mountain Paul on trail Paul on trail Paul picking blueberries field and mountains Paul on trail Paul on trail rocks Paul on trail trail map mountain Charlotte on trail Charlotte on trail Charlotte on trail

rafting on the Matanuska River

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parasailing: three parasails launched from the top of Sheep Mountain, but the weather quickly closed in and cut off the ridge lift they were flying in. We picked up two of the three when they landed and brought them back to the rough gravel landing strip at Sheep Mountain Lodge, where their Maule, on 31" bush tires, was waiting to take them back down the valley to Anchorage.

parasails parasail over mountain parasail parasailsparasail parasail parasail parasail parasail landing parasail landing on the ground packing up sail Maule packing Maule Maule on landing strip

wildlife:

bald eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus

eagle eagle eaglet in nest

North American beavers, Castor canadensis

beaver beaver beavers

Dall sheep, Ovis dalli

sheep on cliff sheep on cliff sheep sheep sheep sheep sheep sheep lamb lamb portrait ram portrait sheep on slope

American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

red squirrel

macro flowers

fireweed wild geranium flower rose hip berries Nootka lupine fireweed yarrow berries flower fireweed berry berries berries flower

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Last modified 4 November 2019