Tolsona, Alaska

     We left Anchorage in a heavy mist.  The drive was supposed to be beautiful, but we couldn't see the tops of the mountains along the Glenn Highway for about half of the way.  By the time we got to Matanuska Glacier which comes right down almost to the road, the sun was out and we had a sunny lunch stop. This glacier is the largest glacier in the United States that is accessible by car and is the source of the Matanuska River.  The road at this point was narrow and winding through the river valley and over two mountain summits.  There were no shoulders to the road, but really spectacular views.  Speed limit was only 40 mph through most of the area.

    We got to the campground about 2:30 pm on this relatively short drive.  The commercial campground at Tolsona was spread out along a winding stream, with lots of trees, more like a state park site.  As we set up Rick noticed that we had a nail in one of our truck tires and it was going flat.  We messed with the tire for about an hour.  Getting the hubcap off was a trick and then getting the jack out was even worse.  In the end, the tire would not come off so we called OnStar.  The service said that someone would be along in about an hour.  We had a dinner of hot dogs and smores on a nice campfire, took a walk, and then called again.  Now the service said it would be two more hours.  Finally at 10:45 pm a tow truck showed up.  It was a good thing that we were already at the campsite when we found the bad tire instead of stuck on the narrow, winding road.  It took another hour to get the tire off!  But this is Alaska and it was still mostly light when they were working on the tire.

    We still need to get the tire repaired and changed out for the spare.  But that job is for tomorrow.  We are both tired after a stressful afternoon and evening.