July 4th: Squirrel suggests Hatcher Pass

"Hey, Al", Squirrel says, as we sit on the front porch eating some peanuts, "have you been on Hatcher Pass yet?"

"No, Squirrel", I said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, when you drive down to get your groceries in Wasilla, Hatcher Pass is another way of coming back to Talkeetna. Instead of coming back here on the main road, take the back roads out of Wasilla, and drive on the pass. You won't regret it."

"Really?", I asked, handing Squirrel another peanut.

"Well, I've never been there, but I've heard it's terrific. It's an old road that winds through the mountains, and it also follows a green river. And make sure you take some food up there for a picnic."

"That sounds like fun, I'll give it a try on my next trip. By the way, why are some of the rivers here so green?", I ask.

"The really green rivers have a lot of protein in them. And as the story goes, where there's protein, there's fish; and where there's fish, there's bears."

"Thanks, that's good to know."