VALDEZ,  AK

July 28, 2011


E A R T H Q U A K E !!!!!!

6 a.m. and just 74 miles northwest of Anchorage there was a 5.4 earthquake this morning.  It was felt all the way to Valdez.  A lot of the caravaners felt it.  But hey, who was up at six in the morning.  I was one of a few that slept through it.
There was a moose in the entrance driveway at our Palmer campground this morning. It was a beautiful drive from Palmer to Valdez although there were many frost heaves, steep climbs, and road construction along the way.  Snow poles (upside down L-shaped pipes) are snow guides that mark the edge of the road for snow plows. 

 
Oops, we missed the turnout for Sheep Mountain due to road construction.  Kept going.  Must tell driver sooner.  Silence.


There was a good view of Matanuska Glacier from the road.  At one time (18,000 years ago) this glacier reached all the way to the Palmer area, over 50 miles away.  The glacier is 4 miles wide at its terminus and has an average width of 2 miles.



Oops, missed the turnout for Eureka Summit, the highest point on the Glenn Highway.  Driver said we missed two turnouts.  (Second one was filled with Class C campers.) Kept going.  Silence.


Oops, we missed the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park visitor Center.  We turned at the right place but swung around as the visitor center was not right off the road.  Other bus said keep going.  Kept going. Silence. (Later found out the center is 1/2 mile down the road where we turned.)


Just before Valdez we saw many bicyclists pedaling along the road just before the Worthington Glacier, a national natural landmark.  We drove the coach up on the loop road to the state recreation site and spoke with an old gal attendant who was just a little chatterbox.  She told us to take our car to Dayville Road to see the fish hatchery, catch fish and see bears.  Oh, the view of the glacier was fabulous.  Extreme skiing activities are held in the mountains in this area. 

 
Thompson Pass is a beautiful alpine area and known for record snowfalls.  A record 974 inches one winter; 298 inch monthly snowfall; and a record 62 inches in a 24 hour period. Bridal Veil Falls and Horsetail Falls were also scenic.  The alpine slopes here have been referred to as the "Alps of Alaska" with elevations even higher than the Swiss Alps.

We arrived in Valdez about 4:00 p.m. and had harbor views in the "adult" campground.  There were 2 otters playing and splashing in the little port behind our coach.  They were like a couple of kids - rolling, rafting, diving,biting, wrestling, and looking at us take their picture.







We walked along the boardwalk on the harbor, watched the mates weigh and fillet the catches of the day, marvelled that sea gulls knew when and where to get a free meal, and we smelled the fresh salt air.  

We enjoyed yet another seafood dinner at Mikes Palace on the harbor.  Tonight - a Caesar salad with blackened salmon.  Huge! And delicious.   Check out the view from our campsite below.