Valdez

Well, we've had our first big surprise of the trip. I thought Valdez was going to be about as charming as Whittier - it is where the Trans Alaskan pipeline terminates from Prudhoe Bay after all - but it's turned out to be a very pretty little town indeed. Hasn't hurt that the weather has been spectacular for the last couple of days either, starting with our last day in Cordova. The 2+30 ferry ride was gorgeous. Saw a sea otter frolicking in the water next to the ship at the ferry dock while we having breakfast, then saw another 10 or 11 during the 5 mile transit from the bay out into Prince William Sound. Once in open water we saw several pods of Orcas again...what a neat place this is.

We pulled into Valdez around 11 AM and wasted no time taking advantage of the pretty day to explore the town and the surrounding area. Drove over to the fish hatchery on the other side of the bay where the Silver Salmon (Coho) were running up the creek. Must have seen about a million of the not so little guys floundering up the waterway to spawn. Later that afternoon, on our way back from some sightseeing north of town, we returned because one of the Rangers we spoke with said that a young Grizzly was frequently stopping by to feed. Sure enough, no sooner had we pulled in when we heard someone call "bear" and there he was about 100 yards away and working his way towards us as he fished. Will try to remember to post some of Rita's videos of a very fun day at the end of this post. Meanwhile, here are some photos:




Two tourists.



The day was so pretty that we decided to head out to Worthington Glacier State Park about 30 miles north of town. Hiked up to the foot of the glacier you can see behind Rita.




To get to the park we had to traverse Thompson Pass - one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful drives we've ever encountered. This photo really doesn't do it justice. It was a 360 degree panorama of exactly what you see behind Rita. We just stopped the car, got out at the viewpoint, and gawked at the incredible scene for about 20 minutes.





The juvenile male Grizzly that stopped by at the fish hatchery. Note: this photo was not taken with a zoom lens.



Did a nice hike earlier today near the pass - on the original pack trail from 1899 taken by the gold rush stampeders trying to get to the Klondike via Valdez. Here's a southern view of a northbound Rita on the trail.




The view from the trail.



The trail ended at this viewpoint, where an old bridge had collapsed years before. Made for a great picnic spot for lunch...nobody around for miles.




Same place looking down the valley. Couldn't tear ourselves away from this spot.




Even had ready-made bouquets along the trail.


Trying several short videos. The first is a look at the young grizzly, second is a panoramic view of Thompson Pass, third is a Coho struggling to get past the gate at the fish hatchery (he made it), and finally our sea otter buddy floating by from the ferry.





Heading out tomorrow for McCarthy and the dreaded McCarthy Road ... eater of tires and the cause of many nervous breakdowns.