Gold in them hills!

A big day out, back in the car. It's drizzly and cold. The kind of winter weather you might expect in New Zealand or Oregon in the middle of winter. We are heading into the hills, to Hatchers Pass. Hatcher was the first person to look for gold/put in a claim. Later there was quite a gold mining industry that was built up on the mountain side.

We stopped on the way to cast a fishing line in the river, which was somewhat dirty, you never know though! Then grabbed the pans out of the car and had a go at panning for gold. Needless to say Brent will have to continue to work. Brent and the kids walked up the side of a couple of mountains into the icy stuff, I walked ¾ up one steep one and then we walked the mine.

The Hatcher valley opens up and looks down towards Palmer. The day was cold and bleak. The water that runs down the hillside would be freezing all the time. There was still snow on the tops surrounding the gold mine and it is the middle of summer. Trips into town would be a once a year event if you were lucky. I read one story where a lady hung her laundry outside expecting it to freeze dry and woke to find it covered in snow. Although the scenery was stunning with beautiful tarns, I am way too soft and would never have wished for a life there.