Our First Summer Trips

Back at school the days passed, turning into weeks.   The weeks turned into months, and still we were not able to make another trip to look for land.  March rolled around, my dad was again working long hours, and the opportunity for us to go back into the wilderness slipped away.

 

As the deadline for filing on the land grew closer I wondered if we would ever be able to realize this dream?   Our friend decided he was going to try another trip. Now that spring was beginning the snow would be hard and fast from thawing in the daytime and freezing at night.  He felt he could make a quick day trip, find and stake the land.

It was arranged that my brother would go this time with our friend on a Sunday and they would search for land

Loading up before dawn and heading out,  they decided on an amount of time to travel before stopping and staking land.

 

Approaching the time deadline, they found themselves on a hill overlooking a valley with streams, low ridges and beaver ponds.  Beyond that, the valley dipped further down into Clear Creek, with the foothills of the Talkeetna Mountains rising up in the background.

Deciding this was the valley, they headed down to stake the land.  This would become the place of so many memories.   The one place on this planet that I have really felt was home.

Spring turned to summer. We had acquired the land.  The dream had really come true!   My dad had made a short weekend trip out to see the land and find a suitable place to build a cabin. I could barely contain my eagerness to see the land.  

 
 My father, being a contractor had to work hard during the busy summer season and had little time off for trips to the wilderness.  As the summer dragged by, I had to busy myself with summer jobs, summer camp, hikes into the mountains and along the rivers near our home in Palmer. 

Towards the later part of the summer my excitement mounted as my dad was able to get some time off.  Enthusiastically we planned a trip out to the land. 

 Again we loaded our supplies and machines.  Being summer, we took our three wheeler, four wheeler and a trailer.  Now the work on our cabin could begin.

 Once again we were off on an adventure into that wild country  I had been dreaming about for months.

This time I would be on my own machine!  My dad would be on the four wheeler hauling a trailer with our supplies and equipment we would need for the trip. I would be riding the three wheeler.

 With great anticipation we loaded the four wheeler and tied down the cargo on the front and back racks, hitched up the trailer and started our machines. 

On our way again!

 

Crossing the railroad bridge, I looked down, once again into that swirling cold river below.  Even in the summer the icy water could send a chill through me just watching it swirl by.