Today we are off to Hope, AK. I want to see the Bore Tide and maybe try panning for gold. It is a scenic 40 mile drive.
We stop in Moose Pass, because Gary has an Axe to grind
I have been wanting to stop here for awhile but it is usually closed when we go by. It's open so Gary drops me off and goes back to check out Fly fishing Charter down the road. Lots of nice stuff here, reasonable prices and easy stuff to mail. The owner insists we have our pictures taken. Her name is Melissa but pronounce it with a long I. She was also nice enough to loan us some Gold Pans when I mentioned we were going to try
Gary pulls into the Summit Lake Lodge
I wonder why - turns out for Ice Cream! You'd think he would be happier eating an ice cream cone.
Its about a 40 miles trip and very scenic - not too many photos as the windshield is covered in dead bugs.
Another16 miles to go after the turn off.
The Hope Road is pretty too
Gary actually drives the truck down a 4 wheel drive road!
Kayaks but no kayakers or water.
We follow the trail down to the water
Most of the snow is still on the hills but one spot has melted into a Fall
Took this video of the grass across the river blowing in the breeze - it was so cool!
Down the road we come to our first view of the Turnagain Arm. The tide is definitely out.
Oops! Must have blinked or driven by the road to Town. This is the end of the road but a really nice little campground
We find the turn and arrive in Hope
Downtown is very small
It does have a Social Hall which will come in handy as the buzz around town is there is a big wedding here tomorrow.
The houses on the main drag are just the right size.
The Shopping Center. Very hippy dippy - the owner was very nice and gave me directions on where to go gold panning.
The Town sits right on the Turnagain Arm with tidal flats in between. Maybe we'll catch the Bore Tide here.
Someone has a sense of humor
We stroll around a bit
It's a little after 4 and the tide comes in at 5:38 so we stop at the Seaview Cafe for dinner. It's pretty full - no outdoor seating so we sit in the Bar.
Thought this was funny but really my life is Awesome right now.
I'm starving - I order the Halibut Sandwich and Gary orders a Burger. We make a Panache splitting a Beer and a 7Up. The fries are awesome. I live to regret this the next day as it completely goes out of my head that I have become gluten free because otherwise I have severe heartburn.
Word from the Bartender is that the best place to see the tide come in is at Mile Marker 13. Looks like we're not the only ones here.
It is an awesome spot and Tucson stakes out his claim
View up the Arm
View down the Arm
The Tide is coming in! The Bore Tide can reach 10' high and travel 10-15 mph. The wind is blowing the same direction as the tide so I think it has flattened it some. Surfers and Kayakers will some times ride the wave.
The bore can only occur in long, narrow channels. The "bore" is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide clashes with the flow of the outgoing tide to form a wave that travels up a river or narrow bay. Turnagain Arm and Knik Arm, outside Anchorage Alaska, boast the second highest tides in North America. Low tide was -5.3' and high Tide 31.1' a difference of 36.5 feet!
Here's a video
It's now 6 p.m. - time to go gold panning! Take the Resurrection Creek road to the Resurrection trail head. You can gold pan from the bridge upstream.
I give it a short try but it's too rocky by the shore - need boots to wade out a short ways and the water is running pretty hard.
7 p.m - time to head out
Now this guy is serious! He has a diving mask on and his face is underwater.
Heading back to the Hope Highway Gary spots this Moose and her twins
It has been 1.5 hours since the tide started to come in. We stop back at mile marker 13 to check the progress.
This is where the couple was sitting
View down the Arm
View up the Arm
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