Donnelly Dome

Last Thursday was Joel's last day as a teacher for the 08/09 school year. I went to work with him and helped him organize his classroom and the medicine (ooops, the chemical) cabinet. I don't know why, but all day we were calling it the medicine cabinet and I thought it was funny. 

Anyways, after the work day we drove south east on the Richardson highway to a hiking trail that goes up Donnelly Dome. I think Donnelly Dome is a bit funny looking because as you drive down the Richardson you see this tall green cone shaped hill (dome) with the background of the tall white peaks of the Alaska Range. With that perspective you look at Donnelly dome and think it's going to be a joke of a hike. Well, it's not!

You can't see the Alaska Range because of the weather, but I promise it's there. 

From the top of the dome looking east you can see a bunch of kettle lakes, and a ridge that starts the beginning of the Alaska Range. The road is the Richardson Highway. Joel and I were wondering why the kettle lakes come to such an abrupt end. 

I thought this was a good picture of Joel. I love my husband!

I don't remember the name of these flowers, but mom LOVED them on the way home from AK last year and so I had to take a picture of one for you, mom. In the background is more of the Alaska range. The weather was really cool that day. We got sprinkled on a little, but watching it move over the mountains was very fun. 

I told Joel that if I beat him to the top then he had to buy me ice cream in Delta Junction. He made a face at me and then said "fine". Not a "fine" like he didn't think it was possible that I beat him, but a "fine" like a "we don't need ice cream" "fine". I think he thought I forgot about it as we hiked up, but if any of you know how coulterish I am, then you know that my belly thinks before my brain. I reached the general area of the top before Joel but didn't mention anything. Then there was a little area on the top of the dome that was higher than the rest because of a rock pile etc. Joel and I walked toward it and he grabbed my hand and so we walked hand in hand. As we spent time looking at the view Joel said, "We'll I guess since we tied I'll have to buy myself ice cream too". I was thinking, "Thank goodness, now I don't have to share mine with him!"