Richardson Highway - Unbelievable beauty!

Oh, I was so excited to finally be heading to Valdez, but then a little saddened because it means the trip is nearing its end.  Everything I have read spoke of it's beauty; not only in Valdez itself, but the drive thru Thompson Pass ( a 2,800 foot high pass in the Chugach Mountains that boasts  snow totals averaging 552 inches a year ) was one not to be missed!

Further south on the Richardson Hwy is America’s Largest National Park. Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve comprised of an astounding 13.2 million acres. Yes, that’s million. People were active in this region 8000 years ago, with Russians entering the area in the late 1700’s. More history.

Because of its enormity, this park has 6 visitor contact points. The visitor center in Copper Center is the largest- hosting exhibits, a movie, nature trails, plus a book and gift shop. ( Located on a side road at MI 107 ).The friendly and knowledgeable Rangers provided visitors with necessary information whether they are here for an hour, or choose to immerse themselves in the back country of the incredibly varied terrain of this magnificent National Park.




We enjoyed the film, and looked around at the exhibits . Since the day was flying by and our campground was “first come first served” we decided to get going, taking first a short side road to the funky little town of Copper Center.

Alaskans must love their coffee "to go" since we saw very many small coffee shops all over.  Perhaps a large part might be the social interaction found at these?  This one was particularly cute here in Copper Center.

 Worthington Glacier, located at Milepost 28.7 on the Richardson Hwy is a 5,774 acre glacier valley located adjacent to Thompson Pass.  It is one of a few glaciers remaining that is still accessible by paved road.  As we drove south toward it, we stopped at most of the rest stops to take pictures – each offering a view more stunning than the last!

This has to be Worthington Glacier that can be accessed so close to the road!

Can this possibly get more beautiful? 

Clouds tend to develop over the snow

This is incredible!

While Norm checked out the glacier, I took pictures of this glacier pond.

Norm hiked to the base of Worthington Glacier, choosing one of two trails. Making the decision to take the high trail, Norm later could see that he missed the cave and stream coming out of the glacier, accessed from the lower trail. 

Norm wished to hike up to Worthington Glacier, but since we were taking a paid, guided glacier hike a few days from now, I personally didn’t want to spoil the wonder of it. While Norm was gone, I decided to work on prepping supper which I knew would be very late tonight.

 

When bugs met their untimely deaths against our windshield, Norm would stop and clean it so we could enjoy the view and take pictures that aren't blotted with splattered bugs. Thanks, Norm!

A little more than an hour later we were heading south once again.  I came to what would be one of my favorite vistas, a hidden gem surprisingly discovered at a “viewpoint” parking lot.

 As I stood looking out at a valley far below, I spotted a small path leading down, then sharply up to stone outcroppings.  It looked like one of the places photographed so often on websites, so we just had to go! We bundled up against the cold winds, and ignored the lateness of the day (hey- it doesn’t get dark, so what’s the worry?) We got our hiking poles, and began carefully picking our way down the trail. It was steep, rocky, and just a little bit dangerous - our favorite recipe for a great hike!

Oh, the view must be even better up here! Thank goodness for these poles!

Alison drinking in the scenery.... 

This place is one of those unexpected pleasures in life you find "off the beaten trail". The pictures don't do it justice. 

 Back in the RV, we finally came to Thompson Pass. My jaw dropped  for the next several miles as I marveled at the Chugach Mountains shooting straight up from the road and stretching  forever!

A 2:31 video I took while driving the Keystone Canyon

Thompson Pass, beginning at MI 26, due to its massive snow totals (974 inches in 1953) makes it one of the most sought-after helicopter skiing meccas on the planet!  Avalanches abound here though, and several lives are unfortunately lost each year.

Clips within my above video of Thompsons Pass. The Chugach Mountains are the tallest coastal mountains in North America - rising from sea level 7000 ft. These impressive mountains surrounded us during most of our trip.

Before I knew it, we were unfortunately through the Pass.  I wished we could go back and do it again, but I know Norm enough not to bother even asking for a repeat – especially since we will be coming north on this road in a few more days.  Hopefully the sun will be at a better angle then, but I doubt any photograph could possibly give these mountains justice anyway.

Bridal Veil Falls is yet another visual feast as one drives 3 miles through the Keystone Canyon section of the Thompson Pass.  Seen from the roadside at Mile Marker 13.5,  it can be enjoyed by all.

Finally approaching Valdez, we encountered our first traffic delay due to construction.  We patiently  waited in the motorhome for about 45 minutes  while having a snack and a cold drink.

It took dozens of calls and emails to get this campsite at Bear Paw II in Valdez, but it was worth it!

We will be staying in Valdez at the coveted Bear Paw II for 4 nights over the 4th of July weekend.  I called and emailed this campground at least 3 times a week over the past 7 months and finally they answered the phone in the middle of May so I could make these reservations!  I was about to give up and make the reservations somewhere else, but it was worth the effort!  Our sites were directly on the waterfront and its adult-only ruling made for a much quieter stay. This place is definitely the place to base your visit, but it should never be this hard to make a reservation!

An incredible waterfall at Virgin Creek!

A cold, steady rain beat upon our windows so the decision to “be lazy” was easy and unanimous. We all spent several hours with our faces in our electronics ( I was working on this Blog ) and researched local activities and weather so we could plan the next several days.

The last hike had slippery steps, this one is trecherous in a more "natural"way.  Slick mud and roots everywhere.  The sound of the falls outweighed common sense.  No injuries, and a superior waterfall!

Refusing to let the weather totally dictate our vacation, we decided to don our rain gear and head out to hike a short trail to Virgin Creek Falls just down the street here in Girdwood, Alaska.

We found the trail head at the end of the street between a couple of houses.  As we got out of the car it was raining earnestly. We were determined not to let it hinder us, so we headed out - scrambling up a very muddy and slippery trail.  It was so much fun, in a “barbaric” sort of way!  We could hear the roar of waterfalls beckoning us up the trail.  I was praying there were no bears in the area, since between the rain and the roar, they would never hear us.

At this point I discovered my rain coat is leaking, but it was great fun anyway!

The trail was not far, but the rewards were fabulous! I discovered my raincoat which I tested for waterproofness before we left was, in fact, leaking.  I will have to buy some stuff to wash in it that is supposed to waterproof it.  Let’s hope it works!

Girdwood borders the northern-most rain forest in the world and these trees require a lot of rain to sustain them.  It is referred to as a "sub-polar rain forest".  You don't expect to feel so cold with this type of vegetation. 

We went back, cleaned up (dried off) and went out to eat at Trip Advisors #1 ranked of the 23 restaurants in Girdwood, AK called Jack Sprat’s.  It was a very small and intimate restaurant with an equally small menu.  None of us were particularly impressed with the food, but the people were friendly. Perhaps this restaurant with its big city pricing is the best there is in this small ski-resort town.

Valdez- Incredibly hard times for a special place

Our travel route along the magnificent Richardson Highway from Fairbanks to Valdez, Alaska

There is a lot special about the Alaskan city of Valdez. First, it is the United States’ most northerly ice-free port, with the best access to Alaska’s interior as well as to the US Pacific Northwest, Northern Canada, and the Pacific Rim trade routes.

Mountains surround the Valdez harbor. 

Deep in the heart of Prince William Sound,Valdez is also the southern terminus of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.  Supertankers navigate the deep, ice-free waters of Valdez Arm each day, handling more than 1.5 million barrels of crude oil.

Valdez Visitor's Center

For the past 6 weeks I had been looking for a bear to take a picture of the four of us armed for battle!  Either the bear wasn't perfect, or someone didn't have their bear spray.  Dennis and Vickie found this guy at the Visitor's Center so we all went back later prepared! This was our last chance!  The bear looks scared, doesn't he? Or is it a "she"?

With a population of about 4500, it is definitely an outdoor adventurer’s dream destination. No matter what the season, there is no shortage of things to do.   In the summer there is hiking, boating and endless fishing possibilities. Glaciers abound there – so are the opportunities to kayak, hike or extended camping trips (and I am sure some crazy stuff I have never imagined ) to give you an up-close and personal icy experience.   In the winter, there are creative skiing opportunities.  Heli-skiing ( takes you by helicopter to the top of the mountain and you ski down)snow cat skiing (a snow grooming machine that gets you up the mountain), kite skiing (sounds really dangerous), snowboarding, and snow machining? You can even, for a mere $90,000 take have a yacht/ heli-skiing /boat adventure! http://www.blackopsvaldez.com/alaska-yacht-skiing/   With an average snowfall of 325 inches, it’s no wonder they think up all kinds of things to do in/with it!

I would be remiss in not mentioning Valdez's worst hour. A tsunami following an earthquake on Good Friday, 1964 completely destroyed the town. It was rebuilt on more stable bedrock 4 miles to the west.  After flourishing during the building of the pipeline, Valdez to this day boasts, restaurants, hotels,shops and museums.

The following fascinating information was obtained from this website:  http://www.usc.edu/dept/tsunamis/alaska/1964/webpages/1964valdez.html

'The map above shows two different locations for Valdez. The first, Old Valdez, represents the town's location before the 1964 tsunami, and the second, New Valdez, its location after the tsunami. The reasons for this move are clear if one examines the chain of events that occurred following the 1964 earthquake.

The town of Valdez (Old Valdez) was built on unconsolidated deltaic sands and gravels, which are extremely unstable during shaking. Thus, the shock waves from the 1964 earthquake that struck Valdez immediately caused the sediments under the waterfront area to spontaneously liquefy (a condition where sediments essentially behave as a liquid, loosing all load bearing capacity), which caused a large section of the delta (approximately 4,000 feet long by 600 feet wide) to slump into Port Valdez. Aside from sending most of the Valdez Port Facilities to the bottom of Port Valdez, the slump displaced a large volume of water, generating a local tsunami. Since all of this occurred before the earthquake shaking ended, the town had no warning at all, and all people on the town docks at the time were killed by the tsunami. The combined effects of the earthquake, and the 30- to 40-foot local tsunami, destroyed most of the waterfront, and caused damage a considerable distance inland. To make things worse, the forces caused the tanks at the Union Oil Company to rupture, which started a fire that spread across the entire waterfront, finishing off the few structures still standing. The photos below illustrate the scene at Valdez in the days following the tsunami. Smaller waves from the main tectonic tsunami struck Valdez several hours after the local tsunami, but their effect was minimal, as there was nothing left to destroy.


Coincidentally, on Good Friday 1989,( 25 years to the day ) The oil tanker Exxon Valdez, traveling through Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef, spilled 11 million gallons of oil. it is estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of animals as well as fouling 1000 miles of shoreline.

Now back to our rather “ordinary” Valdez visit:

July 2nd – Today we checked out the lovely town of Valdez, resting up for the 10 hour kayak adventure scheduled for tomorrow.  I had been researching for months which adventure tour we might select and after many hours of reading and talking to the tour companies we decided to spend our special day in Valdez with Anadyr Adventures. What was particularly appealing, was that we would be kayaking amongst the icebergs very near Columbia Glacier. How cool is that? (Literally).

 We don’t typically take commercial tours ( too cheap, or should I say “frugal”, and we don’t like large tour groups).There is so much you can do that doesn’t cost an arm or a leg to do it. But there are some activities you would otherwise not be able to do, and certainly not safely. This is one of those times.

The tour operator assured me that this tour consisting of 6 hours of kayak paddling would not prove physically too much for us, but I was still a bit apprehensive about it. Did I lead him to believe we might be in better shape than we are? After all, we are all in our 60's (some late 60's).

This picture was taken from the RV window well after midnight. 

It was the 4th of July weekend, so the town of Valdez has a lot of entertainment planned and our campsite was perfectly located in the harbor close to the festivities, so that was a huge plus.

Another view of our campsite at Bear Paw II. Our RV is the 3rd from the left.

Not your typical Radio Shack.  Nothing is "typical" here to the visitors from the lower 48 states!

Eagle River Nature Preserve, Eagle River, Alaska

Since we are armed with a car and it being our last day in Anchorage we thought it might be fun to do something other than shop at local grocery stores and Walmart. ( I always feel I should be shot for treason when I go to Walmart ).

View of glacial-carved mountains from Eagle River Nature Center in  Chugach State Park which covers 295,204 acres. 

Alison testing the very cold waters

The Albert Loop Trail located by Eagle River Nature Center in the Chugach State Park  was our destination for the day.  We were a little leery of anything too steep so soon after Flattop Mountain, plus we thought the ride north of town would be interesting.

It was a beautifully groomed trail that had views of glacially –carved mountains , about 3.5 miles long. Unfortunately it had a detour loop away from the water’s edge to avoid the recently flooded area.  We all noticed the almost eery lack of any visible wildlife for a nature center- perhaps they were all by the water, avoiding the public.  We walked along, enjoying the day and the easy exercise.

So far, other than Dennis being attacked by mosquitoes ( which are the size of hummingbirds, by the way ) while he stopped a minute bike riding, they have not really been a problem.  I think spraying our clothing with Sawyer’s Permethrin spray has been working.

This scene was just too beautiful not to share

The rangers here at the Nature Center were extremely knowledgeable and willing to look at our pictures of things we found on the trail and explain what we saw.  One picture was of what we excitedly thought was a large, partially buried animal, but we were told it was merely some degraded material they use to hold the path together.  We felt just a little stupid. They explained which animal tracks we saw ( I guess that means they were there somewhere ) and confirmed the species of animal poop we saw.  Yes, that was bear “scat”.

Norm's had finding a Beaver long on his Bucket List.  Was it because he was looking for a long-lost relative?  Hmmmmm I do see a resemblance, there.

There was another hike further north up Glenn Ellen Road called Thunderbird falls that we decided to check out.  There were many cars in the lot which usually, in the lower 48 states, means it is not a very long walk, and the rewards are typically good.  This, however, was not the case.  It was several miles long, and very very steep.  The falls were off in the distance and not that impressive.  Oh well. If nothing else, it was more exercise. You would think we all would be loosing weight.                                              
Unfortunately, there were a few more items to pick up so another trip to Walmart.  We were all starving because we didn’t bring our lunches and tried to get into  Kinley’s Restaurant  at 4:30 but it was not opened yet.  After running to our suite just down the street to change, we were the 1st at the door when they opened.  

Cool kayaking among the Glaciers!

 The big day is here! Looking out the window we were disappointed to see the heavy fog closed in over the harbor,hiding the beautiful scenery we know is there. Heck, it was so thick it hid the back of the RV! After packing everything from rain gear to blizzard-wear, plus lunches and snacks,(I ALWAYS pack too much, but am always prepared for anything) we headed down the street to meet our tour company. Dennis and Vickie soon joined us.

Norm suited up and ready to go!

We waited around until they opened the doors and we were given our gear.  I chose to wear the provided heavy-duty rain gear for fear my own might be leaking.  They also provided neoprene lightly soled socks that fit over our own, and little “cozies” for your hands, which kept them incredibly warm.  We were fitted for the skirts that keep the cold water out of the kayaks, then given a brief lesson on safety and technique.






 After the 8 guests and two staff headed across the street, we boarded our boat and headed through the thick fog out of the harbor around 9 AM.

Water Taxi's heading out of the Valdez Harbor

As we motored along Prince William Sound the fog lifted- providing us a view of all the fishing boats anchored along shore waiting to get the news when fishing could start that day. Each day it is determined what can be fished, I believe, by the Fish and Wildlife Service. After they gather information regarding fish quantities and other info, they make the announcement, and the boats, already in place, start fishing!  Fisherman don’t want to waste a single minute of available time to make their living due to the short season.

A fellow Alaskan kayaker reminded

us of this actor, Sam Elliott

Sandwiched together in the boat house, we began to get acquainted with the other 2 couples joining us.  One couple had all the signs of newly-dating. The rugged looking man (the men here are amazingly attractive, by the way) reminded Norm and I of the actor Sam Elliott, with his huge handle-bar mustache and deep voice.  Paul was once a production manager in Indiana, but now resides 70 miles from the tiny town of Tok, living totally “off-grid”. No electricity or indoor plumbing, TV or internet.  He proudly lives off the land with no hand-outs what-so-ever from Uncle Sam. He grows his own vegetables, fishes and hunts to sustain himself through the winters, enduring temperatures plummeting 70 below zero.  This industrious man pans for gold, successfully selling to tourists and also cuts and splits enough wood to provide for his needs as well as those of his elderly neighbors.

I find that way of life utterly fascinating, and it has a lot of appeal.  Without a TV, he must be spared the political nightmare we are going through on a daily basis.  What’s not to like about that? Perhaps indoor plumbing is over rated? I have to laugh at myself saying that as I sit in my 41 foot motorhome having  a fresh cup of brewed coffee, enjoying the air conditioning while my washer/dryer is humming away! ( yeah, I obviously like the “easy life” as well! )

Getting of the water taxi, we had a little while to "take care of business". What? Not even a tree?  Really? These small chunks of ice were our first encounter with Colombia Glacier, which is very rapidly retreating.

When we got to a rocky shore littered with clumps of ice, we got off the boat and were informed that if we might have go to the bathroom in the next 8 hours, we better go now. Ok, where's the Rest Room? Well, looking around at this flat peninsula with only a couple of blocks of ice to hide behind, I stumbled along the rocky shore ( with only neoprene socks on my feet so I was feeling the rocks) to hopefully get some distance from the others. I figured the further I was, the smaller my behind would appear.  When I felt I was far enough to at least afford a little privacy, I struggled out of my multiple layers of pants, encumbered further by my bulky life jacket, and kayak skirt!   Too much information?  Yeah, probably- just trying to paint a picture here of what it's like in the wild's of Alaska!

Groups of sea otters checked us out as we motored by

 Anyway, I made my way back, and after taking a few pictures, joined Norm in the tandem (2 person) kayak and headed out to explore.

Paddling among these huge icebergs was so awesome!

We had to be careful and not too close because these icebergs can flip unexpectedly, and capsize our kayaks!  ( We actually saw one do that )

Wow! So beautiful!

It was so much fun paddling among the huge icebergs! I had learned how to make my camera take a picture by voice commands, which was very handy with our thick gloves on. “shoot” ”smile” and other words snap the picture. (Needless to say I also have dozens of photos of my pocket since it often hears me say words that sound like that) I think Norm must have done the majority of the paddling, because I was taking so many pictures!

Check out the neat mitts on Norm's hands! Your fingers just slip in there and stay so warm!

I was trying a little photographic creativity during a lunch stop. Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in Prince William Sound, is the second largest in Alaska.  It is retreating a whooping 4 feet per day during summer!

I had so many layers on, I felt like "Jabba the Hutt"

Meet my friend Jabba 

After an hour of paddling around, we stopped for lunch on another rocky shore, where we all hung out for more than an hour, enjoying the hot chocolate the guide made for us.

We had hoped to get a lot closer to the Columbia Glacier, and perhaps see it calve, but the guide said it would be too dangerous. Perhaps it really was because there was only one tour guide for the six paddlers, and I must say as a group, we were not obeying her instructions.  Some were straying too far away, others getting much too close to the very unpredictable and dangerous icebergs. She should have had a bull horn, because we just could not hear her.  I think it scared her a little, so we spent much more time on shore than we wanted to.

After the excitement of the open waters and the icebergs, we paddled in the quiet warm cove waters looking for bald eagles.  We did see golden eagles. 

We all took turns paddling near this waterfall. 

 We then paddled into a cove and some remote streams, which Norm and I found a little boring, but certainly beautiful and then finally paddled back to the boat. Getting on board from the kayaks was a bit of a challenge, but no one fell in, nor hurt themselves.

These vessels were netting lots of silver salmon.  They would then meet up with another boat and off-load their catch so they could keep fishing as long as they are allowed.

On the ride back we stopped and watched fishing boats unload their full nets of silver salmon into their own hulls.  What was really fascinating was how they then would meet up with another, larger boat that would suck the fish out of the fishing boat’s hull and transport it back to shore when full!  Norm later learned that these other boats were designed to fish for species not currently in season, so they make money by helping other fisherman utilize every minute available for hauling in their valuable catch!

This is approximately where we went on the boating/kayak trip, minus Glacier Island.  Looking at this map, we probably had our lunch in Heather Bay.

When we got back to shore, we returned out gear and Dennis, Vickie, Norm and I went to a local bar for much needed drinks and appetizers.  Paul and Christine joined us and gave us more opportunity to learn his about his simple (but certainly not physically simple ) Alaskan lifestyle. He was pretty insistent that we come for a visit, but unfortunately  it is nearing our time to get home, and non-refundable reservations have been made for the rest of the trip.   It was a great way to end a great day!

Independence Day - Valdez, Alaska

Independence Day.  The 4th of  July.  A day highly celebrated across our great land.  Why? Back in 1776 the existing thirteen colonies claimed their Independence from England, which eventually led to the creation of the United States. Certainly something to celebrate.

Here in Alaska, the 49th state to join the union in 1959, it is no exception, and they are very creative in how they do it. In fact, this year the celebration lasted 4 days in the city of Valdez, and we are camped (parked really – who are we kidding – we are hardly “camping”) right smack in the middle of it!  Softball tournaments, 5 and 10k races, bike races, and of course there was a parade. The event that I could not miss was the canoe jousting being held mid-afternoon. The United States Coast Guard station gave boat tours then demonstrated live sea rescues from their helicopter.

Dennis and Vickie went to one of the two showings of Independence Day II at the nearby Civic Center.

I have been dying to have a s'more while camping. Reminds me of my Girl Scout days.  Norm hates them, but my memories were haunting me, so this was a wonderful opportunity! Yuck!  Too sweet! Some things are best left as a fond memory.....

This cutie loved her s'more

Nobody went hungry with pie eating contests, salmon cook-offs and a free community picnic, then ending the day with a huge public fire-pit with all the fixings for making your own s’mores!

Children - boys and girls alike entertained themselves with some pretty rough and tumble wrestling!  Alaskans grow their kids tough! 

Different teams were canoe jousting.  Now that's something different, and takes great balance to stand on the gunnels.

Oops! 

There was lots of laundry to do, so Norm and I passed up the parade to get that done in the laundromat a mere 50 feet away. We also had been eating plenty of salmon, so we also decided to forgo standing in line with the hundreds of people waiting for their free lunch.

The crowds shifted from the canoe jousting to the harbor to watch the Coast Guard demos.  I felt sorry for the kids losing their audience. 

A wonderful demonstration of the brave men and woman of the US Coast Guard performing a water rescue.

During the late afternoon and evening  under the “half-tent” the entertainment was really very good, although temperatures in the low 50’s and windy made it a little uncomfortable.  I went back to the RV and dug out my winter garb then returned to hear some more great music from the entertainers. Norman, the hardier soul was plenty warm enough.

I had no idea what a group called "The Shoot Dangs " would sound like- but they were very good!

This is one well worn banjo.  I wonder what is in that jug? 

Sarah Peacock was so entertaining,  Very recently her RV with everything she owned in it, burnt to the ground!  Someone gave/loaned her another to get here from Nashville.  Norm and Dennis both bought her CD to help her out.

The night ended with the traditional fireworks, starting with fire-boats shooting great plumes of water into the air.  What was really different here in Valdez was that the sun sets about 11:30PM, so it was still very light outside!  You could hear and feel the explosions echoing off the surrounding mountains like cannon fire.  The noise must be the main attraction, because you could barely see the actual display!

We had an unexpected pleasure to see the fire boats shooting water!

Fireworks when it's not dark yet? Seriously? We had a great vantage point from our campsite. The explosions echoed off the surrounding mountains and barges so loudly you feel it in your feet! It was enjoyable nonetheless.

Fishing boats were putting on a pretty nice display, considering it's daylight.

This couple really dressed for the occasion. He should have given her his coat - she was freezing all day.

 I could have stayed perhaps 3 more days here to have a little more adventure, and perhaps take a trip by boat to Cordova which is reportedly very beautiful but our vacation time is running out and unfortunately it’s time to move on.