Hatcher Pass is a place that Alaskans rave about. Unfortunately, we never really got to see why. It was a clear and beautiful Saturday when we arrived in Palmer, and we decided to do a quick overnight trip to Reed Lakes off the Hatcher Pass Road before we drove the rest of the road. Apparently everybody and their brother decided to go for a hike, too. It was a pretty hike, but not significantly different from other terrain and vegetation we had seen elsewhere; the only difference was that it was easily accessible and well-known to an awful lot of people. I suppose one reason it was popular was because there was actually a trail... which was like a miniature dust valley, and was actually more difficult for me to walk on than much of the trail-less terrain we'd been through (except, of course, for the thickets). We also ran into our first people-habituated animals, in the form of an overly-friendly mouse at the campsite, requiring us to do some fancy food hanging (there were no trees, and mice will climb right down the rope anyhow). It was, however, a very pleasant place with beautiful blue lakes at the end of the hike.
Then when we woke up the next morning, an incredibly dense haze had descended. All the haze we'd encountered to this point had been thin enough that it only impeded the distant views. This haze was like being in early morning fog, without the beauty. Blech! I do like how it brings out the cragginess of the ridgeline, though.
The only explanation I ever heard was that it was from the fires, so I'm thankful that it didn't smell like smoke.
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