Nome to Council Road......last trip of Memorial Day Weekend

So the 3rd road out of Nome is the Nome to Council Road.  It is 73 miles.  I posted a few pictures a couple weeks ago.  They included the train to No where, Safety Roadhouse, and at least one mining dredge.  The "thing" you realize as you get close to Council is that there are TREES within driving distance of Nome!

This starts approximately 30 miles out of Nome.  We are heading East-Northeast.

You can sort of see the willow buds.  It really is Spring.

The Solomon River is just behind those willows.

We are heading toward Skookum Pass.    Notice some green in the foreground,  Really!

Rock formation and snow.  Would look amazing with some green

Still not to Skookum Pass.  You will likely notice the fog up ahead.  It is more snow than fog.

This is Skookum Pass.  It is snowing.  It would/will be an amazing view if I can be here when/if there is a clear day.

This is looking back toward Nome

This is looking toward Council

Fog lifted a little.  This picture does not do the elevation change justice.  We are a few thousand feet above the valley.

Made it through the pass.  Sun out for a little while.  This is now the Fox River.

Fox River.

Looking back toward Skookum Pass.

If you look carefully you can see the spruce trees!

Couple spruce trees to the right.

That is the village of Council.  You have to cross the Niukluk river to get there.  There is NO bridge.

If you want to cross, they suggest you ask a local, so you know the appropriate/safe place.

Those things on the other side of the Niukluk River are trees.  Real actual trees.

We did not think the rental company, or the policy allowed us to take the

SUV through the water.  Plus it was kind of a Rent-a-Wreck, so we were not too eager to attempt.

Heading back to Nome.  See the yellow and orange buds!  Color is coming!

Don't forget to enjoy the trees.  Last we will see for a while.

So if you look carefully there is a very large female moose in this pic. Go left from the spruce tree.  Lack of telephoto ability, and long distance, makes the moose look small. She is not quite up the slope

She is now in the opening.  She has white spots on her sides. This was the second moose we saw with the white spots. The spots are scars. How powerful is a moose, you ask? Well the scars come from when brown/grizzly bears will jump on the moose's back. If the moose is able to move, the bear cannot hold on, but it tries, and its claws carve up the sides, as it slides back, and off the moose.

 If the moose cannot move enough, well, then the bear has lunch, and the moose does not develop the scars. The deeper the snow, the less chance the moose can get away. The bears can actually move on the snow better than the moose.  If the moose cannot get its footing it turns into lunch.  If it can get its footing, the bear is likely hungry.  This past winter was a low snow winter.

She is now almost past the opening. The white scars help make her visible.  She looked like she was about to calf.  Hopefully her calf can make it through the spring.  That bear is likely still hungry.

 

This is the sign at the end of the road at the Niukluk River.  Council is behind me.  I thought this was a fitting picture with which to end this post.

This was the end of the 2014 Memorial Day photos.



Road 2.....Kougarok Road........Lookin' for bears in all the open spaces, lookin' for bears to too many places.

Last week I saw an Alaskan brown/grizzly bear.  Actually there were 2.  A mother and cub.  I only saw them for a second, and they were a long way off.  Luckily I had binoculars.   I have heard there are lots of them out here.  I was told not to camp in a tent, at this time of year.  The bears wake up hungry, and there are no fish or berries.  I saw a bear hide on a railing in Teller.   I saw bear scat on the road to Teller.  I have not been close enough to get a picture.  I would like to see a bear from a distance, when I want to see them.  I am hoping to see a bear or two along the Kougarok.  The Kougarok road is one of 3 roads leaving Nome. A interesting fact is that it has 3 names.  It is also called the Beam Road or Taylor Road.  It is 85 miles one way.  It is reason enough to come to Nome.

 Previously I made it up this road to Salmon Lake.  Salmon Lake is 38 miles out of Nome.

 I published pictures from the first 38 miles on a previously post.

 I start with these from an area called Golden Gate.

 It is often shrouded in fog, and questionable weather, but this day, the sun was shining.

 It was after the trip to Teller, and the sun felt awesome!

 The vegetation is in much the same state.  Lots of willows, that are budding.

There is some grass starting to turn green.

 The shrubbery is getting ready to break out in leaves.

 Sorry for getting shadows in the pictures.

The first time I went by this sign I thought it said 1 mile.

 It is a few miles further.  It is also a very rough road.  Even by Nome standards.  It was not

 passable at this time, and we were warned to not attempt it, unless we had someone in another vehicle with us.

 So as we drove past, and continued on the Kougarok.

 We met a lone musk ox grazing on the side of the road.

He was in a huffing mood.  He snorted a few times from the bushes.

 I took a couple pictures and left him alone.

Also make sure when you are travelling and sightseeing, that you sometimes..........

.......turn around and look back from where you came.......

 No,  really, look behind yourself.

 There may be traffic coming...

Yes, even in the middle of nowhere.   That is a side by side (as they call them up here).

                                O Lord, Our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world!  
                                                                            Psalm 8:9

Make sure to be thankful for all you have, and all you have seen.



 This is the bridge over the Kuzitrin River.   I have decided that Kuzitrin must mean...

 ....beautiful view...

This is a different bridge.  this one is

 over the Kougarok River........

 it probably means, "worth the drive."

 This is proof, that I was actually there.

 Kougarok might also mean "end of the road", or time to turn around.....

 so I took a few pictures of the river....  85 miles (North) from Nome...
                                       ......Kougarkok River   to the East

 and then the West

 and a 2nd toward the West.

Then you turn around and head back.......and see what awaits.....

 you could pretty much just constantly take picture after picture, and get a great view.

 This was about 11:30 pm on Saturday May 24,2014.  The best part about sightseeing

 in Alaska in the summer.  There is a LOT of daylight.  We drove an hour more, then car camped at the Salmon Lake campground.  I am TOO old to sleep in a sleeping bag in the back seat of an SUV.  It was warm enough in a sleeping bag, but my ol' bones were stiff and sore, after a few hours of sleep.  Luckily sunrise comes early, and I got a few pictures on the 38 miles back to Nome from Salmon Lake.  We saw a lot of the most common sight around Nome.  The world famous Alaskan Brown........

 .....................................BARREL............................ Barrels are everywhere.  Left over from mining

 operations, and carried by wind, and water......It sucks because when you are looking for Brown Bears, barrels trick you.

 And the clouds welcomed us back to Nome.....No bears on this trip.

2 roads down, and it is Sunday morning May 25, 2014.   The Road to Council awaits.