7/26  

Leaving Valdez in the rain

Abandoned Railroad Tunnel Entrance

Left Valdez in rain and headed towards Tok. On the way out of Valdez we stopped in Keystone Canyon at an old railroad tunnel which was hand cut into the solid rock of the canyon. The tunnel, which would have provided a short route from the copper mining area to the coast, was never completed because of a feud and gun battle. Later we stopped at Worthington Glacier which has shrunk considerably since 2003. Also, a quick stop at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Visitor Center; very well done displays explaining the ecology, geology, topography and cultural history of the park. Outside the Center there was a full sized fishwheel built by Johnny Goodlataw, a local Ahtna Athabaskan elder; Fishwheels similar to this are ubiquitous on the Yukon and Copper Rivers. Camped in Sourdough Campground in Tok and, of course, had to have another Fast Eddy’s pizza.

Worthington Glacier – in 2003 the glacier front was about where the three people are (lower right)

Fishwheel

Fishwheel Diagram

Fast Eddy’s

7/24 – 7/25  

Indian Statue # 40 by Peter Toth

Valdez Harbor from Dock Point Park

Spent most of the time salmon fishing and loaded the freezer with about 30 lbs of scrumptious fish. Walked around Valdez; it has changed quite a bit since 2003, it’s more touristy, crowded and noisy. Hiked the Dock Point Trail and drove along Dayville Rd; saw a black bear with 3 cubs scrounging for salmon on the shore.

Moma and cubs

And here’s where salmon come from

7/23  

Muddy Matanuska Glacier

Rt 1 near Sheep Mountain – Gypsum colored with iron oxide

Hiked to the Matanuska glacier; it’s amazing how dirty and messy glaciers really due to the huge amounts of ground rock which covers everything at the base in a muddy coat . Continued on Glenn Hwy (Rt 1) and onto Richardson Hwy (Rt 4) to Valdez.

The scenery is spectacular, especially from Thompson Pass and the Worthington Glacier to Valdez . Camped at Bear Paw RV Park in Valdez

Mt Drum

7/22

Matanuska Glacier

Arlyne on hiking trail

Another gray, cool day; started towards Valdez along the Glenn Hwy (Rt 1). Detoured onto a side road to Seventeenmile Lake, a rather pretty and isolated lake where I enjoyed fishing for grayling, caught and released several small ones. Stopped at Matanuska Glacier SRA and hiked a short distance to a viewing stand to see the Glacier, a pretty sight. Decided to camp at the State Recreation Area campground, very small (9 sites) but nicely set up.

7/21  

Flatop Mountain Spruce

More Flatop Mountain Spruce

A rather overcast day but good for going to Flatop Mountain and hiking a trail or two. Many of the spruce trees are quite misshapened by the fierce winds that sometimes buffet the mountain and look like beautifully grotesque caricatures from a nightmare. Afterwards we walked through the Anchorage Botanical Gardens, a different type of beauty and very nice.

Painted Tongue, Anchorage Botanical Gardens

Masterwort, Anchorage Botanical Gardens

Dena’ina Trail Marker, Anchorage Botanical Gardens

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7/18  

View of Kenai Mountains along Sterling Hwy

Drove back down the Spur Hwy and then backtracked along the Sterling and Seward Hwys to Anchorage and the Centennial campground.

7/16 – 7/17

Slodotna Wood Sculpture

Reached Soldotna around noontime and set up camp at the Klondike RV Park, then I drove down the road to the Kenai river to catch salmon – Ha. The fast flowing river ( about a 15 knot current) was jam packed with other fishermen, about 1 every 6 ft, but no one was catching anything – except for a seagull which swooped down and caught a small trout. In addition to the current, the wind was furiously blowing down the river which made casting difficult and standing on the very slippery shore a challenge.

Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church

The next day we walked through the village of Kenai, which is adjacent to Soldotna, not much to see although there was a small Russian Orthodox church built in 1841 when there was a large Russian presence in the area. The church is now a National Historic Landmark. The town basically caters to the sport fishermen whose numbers could be seen wading in the surf at the mouth of the Kenai river. Drove the Kenai Spur Hwy to Captain Cook State Recreation Area and camped at Discovery campground. Fished for trout in the Swanson River and I caught, and released 3 small ones which, in spite of their size, were fun to work. I have come to appreciate using barbless hooks; it’s much easier to release the fish without injury and, in addition, it’s more fun because it requires greater finesse to keep the fish from throwing the hook.

View, across Cooks Inlet, from Discovery campsite

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7/15

Started back along the Seward Hwy ( Rt 9). Stopped at Exit Glacier National Park and hiked to the glacier, a relatively easy climb with some really nice scenery. The glacier, which is one of many arms of the Harding Icefield, has receded more than a half mile since 1900.
Stopped at Moose Pass to see it’s reconstructed Pelton waterwheel, which extracts almost all the momentum of the flowing water. The town patriarch, Frank Roycroft, built a Pelton wheel hydroelectric plant, in 1928, which supplied the town with electricity until 1956 . Back to the highway and on to the Sterling Hwy Rt 1 towards Soldotna. Camped at US Forest Service Cooper Creek campground, a pretty little park with only 7 sites right on the Kenai river.

7/13 – 7/14 

Lower Summit Lake

Seward Harbor at Sunrise

Went on down to Seward, in the rain, and camped at the Municipal Campground, not bad and is right on the water. Went fishing and caught and released a 6″ dolly varden but no salmon. The rain ended overnight and the dawn heralded a bright sunny day. Went fishing again but after a morning without even a nibble I called it quits and Arlyne and I walked into town to view the sights. Seward prides itself on its murals and they are quite pretty, plentiful and varied in theme.

Seward Mural

More Seward Photos

7/12

Turnagain Arm View

Drove Rt 1- the Seward Hwy, a spectacularly beautiful road that for the 1st third is adjacent to the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet ( the Turnagain Arm’s name was given by Capt Cook’s crew because the many bays and inlets which caused the ship to have to turn around again and again). Stopped almost every ½ mile for pictures even though it was cloudy with light rain/mist. Saw Beluga whales, parasurfers and Dall sheep.
Visited theAlaskan Wildlife Conservation Center, in Portage Creek, which houses injured or orphaned young animals. Camped at Williwaw USFS campground on the Portage Glacier Access Rd – a really beautiful campground, at the base of the Middle Glacier, with well separated sites.

Come On Kids

Dall Sheep

Parasurfers

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