Day 55- To Haines, AK

When you’re on the road like we’ve been, there really are no boring days. There is always new scenery, weather or conversation to be had. Even after being married for 40 years, Carl and I still have conversations and consider each other our best friends. Both of us we perplexed this morning with the bright light that was in or should have been in the eastern sky. The map says we are traveling due south and yet, there it is, straight in front of us, shining in our eyes. Notice, there are no complaints here. The route for today takes us on the previously traveled and extremely rough and bumpy section of the Alaska Highway from Beaver Creek to Haines Junction. There are several small communities along the way and one of them has employed a plywood cutout of a police cruiser and officer which, from a great distance, is almost believable. I guarantee as you get closer, you wouldn’t be fooled. I suppose it gets a few tourists to slow down when the flashing “your speed is….” sign doesn’t work. The Ice Field Mountains are on our right and the sign at the scenic / photographic / view / rest area signage tells us this range holds 7 of Canada’s highest peaks. There is evidence, even from where we are, of glaciers on most of the peaks. It doesn’t appear that I am tired of them yet. They are larger than life forces of nature with immense power on the terrain they travel. I encountered a couple of unusual signs today. The first read “ Be Aware: Snow Removal Equipment May Be Oncoming In Your Travel Lane” . That was a shocker!!! The other was one of those international picture signs, a rectangle with a diagonal divider. The upper triangle in white showing a bed and the lower is blue and shows a soft boiled egg. It took me a moment and then the light came on “Bed and Breakfast”…… hmmmm. There is a Bald Eagle Preserve that borders the Chilkoot and Chilkat Rivers. More than 3,000 eagles call this area home during the months of October through January. I’m going looking tomorrow. The promo on this preserve states there are more than 40,000 Bald eagles in the state of Alaska. I think Alaska ought to share them with the rest of the country.

Day 54- Ready, Set, Go!!!!

Even I realize I’m sounding like a broken record, here, but it was still raining when we got up this morning. So, if life hands you lemons, well, you try to do something with them. You haven’t got any sugar in the house and it’s definitely not lemonade weather. Still, there was a plus, at least for me. I got to see what actually happens when we bring in the slide out room and it’s been raining for two days. There is a squeegee gasket all the way around plus an awning to keep most of the rain of the roof so I thought everything would be great. And it mostly was. However, when you bring an outside room inside, well there is a certain amount of water that comes with it no matter how good that squeegee is. A quick breakfast and a well practiced pack up saw us off in good time and as we passed by the site of Old Valdez, wiped out by the earthquake and Tsunami of 1964, I caught site of the grain silos in town. Captain Stan, on the boat, told us the town built these gorgeous silos and a bridge to get to them with anticipation of shipping Alaskan grown grain out of the port. Here’s where the story has one of those good / bad things going on. The good news is all of the grains grown in Alaska stay in Alaska and the bad, well, Valdez has this eyesore on their horizon that sits pretty much empty all the time and the townspeople are reminded everyday of the cost the entire facility, bridge included, has set them back. The trip through Keystone Canyon and up over Thompson Pass was not the sunlit and photographic experience I’d hoped. In fact the weather was worse today than it was on Friday when we came in. So, no great photos of the Bridal Veil and Horsetail Falls. I also could truly get a feel of how majestic the scenery was around us. We would get small glimpses as clouds and fog rolled in and out, but it was just a tease. I could imagine how very beautiful the Chugach range was, though. As the road continued on to Tok, we passed this “gas station” where I saw absolutely no sign of any pumps whatsoever. There was a satellite dish and the driveway was not blocked with debris like so many other places we’ve seen that just dried up or withered away. Still, it’s been a while since it was in operation. How do I know ? When was the last time gas was $1.45 9/10 per gallon? Sometime before noon, we came upon a 12 mile stretch of road construction complete with two flag people holding traffic up while 3 state workers literally leaned on shovels and brooms. Carl and I got a chuckle over this for a couple of miles and we were still laughing when a pickup truck coming towards and by us threw up a rock and hit our windshield. We’ll be looking for a glass replacement shop when we get to Washington state. Right in my line of sight are not one but two craters with spider webs. Eventually they will work their way into full blown cracks. Carl wished he’d packed the super glue. That might have helped to hold the little devil together a bit longer. Most of the mileage driven today was a repeat from earlier but we did have new territory from Glenallen to Tok and I declared that today would be the day I’d find that bull moose. At the time, I had no way of knowing this stretch of road would contain the best moose habitat we’ve driven through. And all I saw was one cow very far off from the road. I am beginning to think there are no big bulls in the state of Alaska. And now, we’re back in the Yukon for the rest of today and part of tomorrow. While I was trying to convince Ms Moose to come closer, I looked up at the mountains to see a fresh snow fall happening which reminds me, on last night’s local news broadcast, they mentioned Denali National Park had a substantial snowfall this weekend. I told you the signs were all there for an early and harsh winter. This photographer has to fess up with something. Today, we drove past an airplane in one of those pull outs they put every so often so you can get off the road and let faster traffic go by. Why is this noteworthy, you ask? Because we were in the middle of no where and there was no runway. This plane landed on the road about mile 101 and taxied to this paved pullout. There was a pickup truck there and it appeared to us as we drove by, they were working on either the tire or the strut. And I didn’t think to take a picture. Camera on the front seat right beside me and we continued on our trip. I’d say his landing was definitely “off airport” and I suspect that’s how he’ll be taking off again. These bush pilots are an amazing and hardy bunch with nerves of steel. They will and do put down almost anywhere from a gravel airstrip or sand bar in the middle of a river. For a boring day, it was pretty exciting.

Day 53- Captives Of The Rain, August 7, 2011

I never actually said it in yesterday’s post but we spent almost an hour at the base of the Meares glacier and observed almost no calving. There were several groans and cracks from it’s movement but that’s was it. I guess, if you look at it from another perspective, calving equals the death of a glacier so if the glacier isn’t putting too much ice into the bay, then there’s hope for it’s survival. I did mention the rain that began to fall as we returned to the dock and it has been raining steady all night, turning the footing on any of the trails we might have walked today into slippery, muddy messes and more. So, after a breakfast of Banana Pancakes, I’ve used the time to get caught up on editing photos, writing these blogs and posting everything on line. Later, we’ll hit the grocery store in town for the last few perishables we need. On Monday morning, Carl wants to hit the road early. It’s about 700 miles from Valdez to Haines where we will get the ferry which is part of an extensive Marine Highway system. There are so many places only reachable by either airplane or boat, the ferry system here is a lifeline to some of the more exotic islands like Unalaska or more mundane places like the state capital, Juneau. Anyway, in Haines, Carl may go fishing one more time. I’m going to try to get more bear photos and there is that inevitable laundry to be done. We’ll have 36 hours on the ferry and I plan to spend as much time as possible up on deck taking photos. I’ve always been interested in traveling the Inside Passage and this ferry trip will allow us that opportunity. Later today, if the weather clears, we’ll get out and explore a bit more of the land side of Valdez.

Day 52- On Prince William Sound

I don’t think I’m going to give an account of today’s 9 hour tour on Prince William Sound. The company offered pickup service from our RV Park so we took them up on their offer. The weather should have been partly cloudy and I think I figured out the part that was cloudy, about 99% of the trip. We sailed with a family owned company, Stan Stephens Tours who also boasts employees who are full time residents of the area. And it was Stan himself who had control of our boat today, the Valdez Spirit. The cruise covered about 140 miles and took us to Meares Glacier plus gave us a pretty good idea of what the Sound and the surrounding area is all about. Captain Stan gave us some geological history of the area as well as historical, including the 1964 earthquake that literally wiped out the town of Valdez, causing it to be rebuilt on another location and the 1989 oil spill from the Exxon Valdez. Even now, after all the clean up and the years, a really fierce storm will stir things up and oil can be found on shore. We heard about some of the mineral mining history, stories of prospectors, people who lost their livelihood or their lives at the whim of nature or man. It gave me a new and unexpected appreciation of how much damage, then and now, was done by these Good Friday events. We saw some really cool wildlife but others were missing like my favorites, orcas and dolphins. The cruise served us an adequate lunch of Chicken Alfredo on rice with vegetables and a crusty bread with Oreo cookies for dessert. This lunch, unlike the one we had on the tour in Seward, was brought to our table, seemed more organized and the cost of the meal was already figured into the price of the tour. They served complimentary coffee and tea all day and I had three cups of tea which meant several trips to the head. We also had our choice of a cup of Clam Chowder or Minestrone Soup ( Carl had the Clam and I had the Minestrone ) a few hours later which hit the spot after hours of really damp and cold weather out on deck. I thought I would miss the fact there wasn’t a ranger on board but Captain Stan gave us enough information as well as nautical bearings from time to time. We could follow our progress with the flyers one of the crew members handed out before we left the dock. It gave us an overview of the area, our route of travel, some information about the area and on the back was a pictorial of wildlife, both bird and mammal, we might expect to see. The crew was helpful and the tour showed us the overall beauty of the area and the Sound in particular. I would recommend them to anyone coming this way. Oh, and we were returned to the dock on time. It began raining as we entered the harbor and has continued ever since. The true plus to the day was when we got home and found our Crock Pot Roast Beef ready to eat.

Day 51- First Day in Valdez, August 5, 2011

Neither of us slept well last night. Me, it was the medicine. I get weird dreams but also don’t feel like I’m actually asleep. Carl reported the same symptoms but I know he didn’t take my headache pills. We are both baffled by our inability to get consistent sleep. I mean it’s the same mattress, pillows and bedding. It’s just the place we park that’s different each night. Anyway, it was a late start to the morning and didn’t leave Tonsina River Lodge much before 10. Valdez was only 79 miles so we weren’t too concerned. In fact, we’re a whole day early so we hope the people at Eagle’s Rest Campground and RV Park will have room for us. The weather for the beginning of our drive today was wet but as we got closer to the Chugach National Forest, we could see some really impressive mountains in spite of the low ceiling. Up ahead of us was a break in the mountains. Later we learned it was Thompson Pass at 2,680 ft. We knew we had a long way down because Valdez is at sea level. We passed by Worthington Glacier, easily visible from the road, but still a couple miles from it’s terminus. There was a tiny community of businesses nearby specializing in ice climbing and treks to the glacier. We traveled several more miles, all downhill and arrived at Keystone Canyon. For just a brief second, I was whisked back to the Hawaiian Islands again. So many waterfalls everywhere you look. One of the most impressive drops is called Bridal Veil Falls followed closely by Horsetail Falls. Both have large volumes of water, both have a drop of more than 200 feet but Bridal Veil has several channels than fan down over the rock while Horsetail comes down more than half way before it divides into thin strands the rest of the way to the bottom. Some of the water cascading down is seasonal while others are year round glacial melt water and it’s difficult to tell which is which, especially with the large amount of rain this area gets. Once we’re checked in at the RV Park, the lady at the desk tells us about a Hatchery with a fish ladder over on the Dayville Road. She puts the icing on the cake by mentioning the area is frequently visited by bears. Sure enough, we head over about 6:00 and are amazed by the immense numbers of salmon waiting at the mouth to the weir. We’re told by a fellow who lives here the fish are being made to wait until the eggs are ripe. Normally this process would happen over the weeks it takes the salmon to travel from the ocean into the fresh water streams to the place where they were born, to the place where they will spawn the next generation. By the Hatchery creating a generational crop, they are assured of the fish returning to “their place of birth” to be harvested for canning. It’s an amazing process, a new form of aquaculture that is catching on in many places and it just makes sense to let nature feed and house your livestock for four or five years before they come home. They do have their natural perils such as eagles, gulls and bears. In fact, while we were sitting there, a small black bear came down from the mountains, walked under the bridge and proceeded to the water’s edge to grab a few fat salmon. Then, as easy as you please, he headed up to the bridge, crossed the river by using the pedestrian walkway and climbed two fences to get into the fish ladder for easier picking. Then it was up over one more fence and out onto a large rock in the bay surrounded by thousands of fish waiting for their turn at the ladder entrance. He fought off a flock of about 50 gulls and grabbed another couple of fish before heading off to another part of the shoreline. Apparently, he decided there were just too many humans around watching what he ate. It was getting late and I was hungry so we turned for home only to come up on a bear jam. On the right side of the road was about a dozen people all with cameras so I grabbed mine and asked what was up. I was informed there was a black bear sow with three cubs feeding at the base of a really pretty waterfall. There were hundreds of gulls and crows, all standing around making a racket and sure enough, out of the thick brush on one side of the creek, came Mama Bear. She would go to the creek, grab a salmon and take it back to the bushes. The scene was repeated several times and then she disappeared. I though the show was over but all of a sudden the sow burst from the bushes, sending a screaming cloud of gulls skyward. Behind her, we could see one of the cubs. I never did see all three. It was definitely a nice day. We’ve decided to go on a 9 hour Prince William Sound wildlife and Glacier tour tomorrow. I hope the weather will be good.

Day 50- Heading to Valdez

We’ve already traveled some of the mileage we covered today. In fact, over two hundred miles were repeated today. It wasn’t until we turned right onto the Richardson Highway outside of Anchorage that we found ourselves traveling “virgin territory. Before we left the Kenai, we had one more thing to do, visit Portage Glacier. We drove up to Portage Lake formed by melt water from three different glaciers as well as snow melt from the surrounding mountains. The water was a chalky gray, much like most of the rivers and creeks we‘ve encountered. Carl was surprised by how much the glaciers had receded since his visit in 1984. During his visit, he was able to stand on shore and watch Portage Glacier calving into Portage Lake, but now it has receded back around an outcropping of a smaller mountain and we were unable to see Portage from the Visitor Center. We did get an up close and personal view of Byrne Glacier and watched a very informative movie on the formation, life and even the death of a glacier. Then, the screen lifted, curtains parted and there on the other side of the glass was a marvelous view of Portage Lake and Byrne Glacier. Boat trips to the foot of Portage Glacier were available but Carl wanted to get going. He had miles to go before he slept. We did take an additional 15 minutes to listen to the ranger talk about the town of Portage and the devastation of the 1964 earthquake. I’m finding the devastation was not restricted to Anchorage although it’s there the news footage came from. Turnigan Arm dropped more than 20 feet and never rebounded. The Tsunami wiped out several towns on the coast and causing one to relocate 5 miles inland. As a result of this earth movement, the Arm or bay now has a bore tide of more than 4 feet. That’s a minimum of a four foot wave rolling in all at once instead of a slow and gradual rise of seawater twice each day. When the moon is full, the bore tide is even more. We drove though the Mat-Su valley, short for Matanuska Susitna. During the past 3 weeks, we’ve been driving by road signs shot full of holes. With more Alaskan residents carrying guns than not, it seems most have decided to use the highway department signage to get a bit of target practice in, including the one that reads “No discharge of firearms within 25 yards of the highway.” I knew Carl wanted to cover a lot of miles today but I wanted to stop at this one Scenic Overlook to get a really good look. The Matanuska River winds it’s way, in typical braided glacial fashion, filling in more than a dozen eroded pathways in the river bed. My attention was drawn upwards to catch a pair of dueling eagles mid-flight. As they got closer, I discovered they were juveniles practicing maneuvers that will aid in their hunting abilities. Matanuska Glacier was visible from the road so there was no need to park the truck and walk in. I was reminded of the Egyptians reverence for the pyramid when we drove by King Mountain. Once we reached Glenallen, it was time to find a gas station. We had fueled up in Anchorage for $3.84 a gallon. Here in Glenallen, it was $4.41 per gallen. So much difference in 186 miles. By this time, my head was pounding and I needed to take some medicine and go to bed. Carl insisted on driving a bit further. He’s done such a good job of keeping us on schedule, I hated to be a wet blanket. Eventually, shortly after a nice sighting of Mt Drum at 12, 010 feet, we found the Tonsina River Lodge. They advertised $10.00 campsite with free wi-fi. Carl pulled in, registered us and drove to a spot on the grounds with a fire ring only. We’d paid for a dry site, which basically means no amenities like water, electric or sewerage. The Lodge was run by a Russian family who offered a Russian/ American menu in their dining room. I opted for the Pilaff ( their way of spelling ), rice cooked in broth with meat and vegetables added, which sounded great but was told the last serving had just been given to the table before us. My second choice was a buffalo burger. It came with a heap of French fries, mushrooms and Swiss cheese. I know I would have enjoyed it much better without the headache. By 9:00PM, I was in bed with my eyes closed. Even free internet couldn’t keep me from getting my head on the pillow.

Day 49- Last Day In Soldotna

The weather is a bit better today. It’s only occasionally raining but it poured last night. They have issued flash flood watches for some areas. I don’t really want any more gray day photos but I may never get back this way again so we head off. First to the Soldotna Landfill to get rid of the fish guts and carcasses and to find the eagles the guy at the Kenai River Boardwalk told us about. Getting rid of the fish stuff was the easy part. There was thousands of gulls and ravens all over the place and try as we might, we couldn’t find any eagles. Then, just as we were headed for the exit, I spotted one in a tree. Carl grabbed the tripod and I got set to get some great eagle shots. We watched the bird at the very top of a spruce tree for about 20 minutes. I muttered under my breath that it was time for him to fluff up those wings and take off. And sure enough, about 5 minutes later, that’s exactly what the eagle did. The shot turned out okay but would have been much better with a blue sky and a few puffy white clouds in the background. A photographer like skiers are never satisfied. There is some prime moose habitat between Soldotna and Homer. It’s too bad the moose haven’t heard about it. In fact, I am very disappointed by the lack of moose sightings since we’ve been in Alaska. We saw the cow and calf and another cow on the Dalton Highway and then two distant bulls in Denali. That’s it! I keep looking though. The high point of the day came when I spotted not one but two nests with fledgling eagles on them. Of course, I have to stop and take pictures even though the trees make it difficult to get just the right shot. Eventually the road turned towards the Cook Inlet and we arrived at a beautiful overlook. In the distance, there was the merest hint of the high mountains in the Katmai National Forest, cloud shrouded, of course. And somewhere in the distance is three of the most active volcanoes in North America, Spur, Redoubt and Illiamna. I know where I should be looking thanks to a carving of the panorama before me that someone made, painted and numbered years ago. The weather is taking it’s toll but I get the general direction I should be looking. And while I’m on the subject of sky conditions, every so often, there is the smallest hint of blue that pops through and the sun threatens to show itself but then the clouds prevail once more and it starts to rain. The run into Homer and out onto Homer Spit doesn’t take any time at all from the Scenic Overlook. We go all the way to the end, looking for the commercial pier in hopes the Time Bandit, one of the crab fishing boats from The Deadliest Catch, is in port today. I asked the silly tourist question of our server at lunch and she replied it was true but she hadn’t seen them all summer. They must be at their other home port. There are, however, two shops with the words “Time Bandit” over the door so I wander over to one of them and find an 8 foot by 8 foot crab pot on it’s side by the front door. Carl leans against it for one more cheesy tourist photo and I set out to find the one thing our son, Dylan, asked for- a sticker that reads “eat crab“. He saw it on the wall of the Hillstrand wheelhouse. Can’t find it there but the shopkeeper does tell us where we can find it or something like it. While on the way to Redden Marine to see about the sticker, I spot a third nest with fledgling eagles in it and I mention to Carl we’ll stop on the way back. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it going in the opposite direction and when we pass by the nest nearest the road where one of the youngsters had been testing it’s wings, it was gone. We missed his first flight and the one remaining juvenile was looking pretty lonely. So all together, that was four nests, two with two juveniles, one with three juveniles and one empty nest and three single adults all day. It was a pretty good eagle day. Tomorrow, we head for Valdez. Carl says it’s a very long drive so we will probably stop in a parking area for the night. I wonder where it will be this time. It certainly won’t have internet so this will be my last post for a couple of days. I’ll catch you up later, though. Oh and it’s the end of our 7th week and we’ve traveled 8,555 miles and loved every minute of it.