First thing I did in the morning was visit Wunderground to check the weather. Wasilla was a rain-out, but Palmer had localized rain cells and was otherwise clear. The conditions in Palmer were semi-favorable to hike the Bodenburg Butte, but I would have to play it by the seat of my pants. I learned quickly that Alaska has highly localized weather patterns. You could be in a torrential downpour complete with gale-force or even stronger winds in one side of a town, and clear skies on the other.
After stopping at the Mocha Moose, the next order of business was to visit Wasilla City Hall, because this was a critical stop on the Sarah Palin History Tour. From there, I would re-visit the Matanuska River, then climb the Butte.
After leaving City Hall, I drove on the Parks, then the Glenn, following the same route that I took to the Musk Ox Farm and Reindeer Farm the day before.
I wanted to stop at the Matanuska River Scenic Overlook and see the difference from yesterday. You would think I was in a completely different place. Low clouds hung over the mountains and the sun peeked through creating beautiful shadow and lighting effects. I could not contain my fascination. The clouds were halfway down the Butte I would be hiking later. The Marcus Baker Glacier was completely invisible from this spot today. I was able to get photos of a solitary raven flying below me and with lens on f/32 – directly into the sun peeking out through the clouds. The sun was shrouded enough to permit a direct shot like that. The cloud cover would lessen for a while as the day went on.
I bid farewell to this spot. I knew this would be my last time here for the rest of the trip. There was much more to see and do, and the days would go fast. Next, I would re-visit the Matanuska Bridge Turnoff one final time.
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