Alaska Day 20, Six Steps Too Far

Day 20

Thursday June 21

     Today was another drive day, but I expected only five hours, with a few fun stops along the way.   Knowing that I had to face two hours of driving back up the McCarthy Road, I was packed and pulling out at 6:45A.

     The first ten miles were just as bad as I remembered.  I just didn’t remember crossing any flowing water. I did that twice on the way out,  Freakin' Beavers Part 3?

      Since the sun was out and the sky clear, I actually got to enjoy the scenery a bit.

      But, not for long.  You really had to be looking out for potholes and washouts.

      Up ahead, I see a small black mass just off the side of the road.  It was a bear cub.  He scurried into the trees before I could even think of getting the camera.  Other than quite a few rabbits scurrying about, that was it for wildlife.
 

      It felt good to be off that road and back to regular pavement again.  That roadtrip craving for coffee was starting to kick in.  I passed a few placed that were all closed.  One, obviously for quite some time.  The sign out front advertised gas for $1.49.  For the record, the most I paid on this trip was $3.98, but gas seemed to average about $3.30 a gallon. 
       The Copper River from the only pullout I could easily get to.  What it doesn't show is a full sized RV sitting in the middle of one of those mud banks.  I couldn't get an angel on it.

       In the town of Copper Center, I passed a small store attached to a cabin rental place.  The alien on the front porch seemed inviting enough.  This was the Golden Spruce Cabins.  The coffee, excellent.

     The woman running the store warned me of road construction ahead.  She wasn’t kidding.  No sooner had I turned onto Hwy 4 south towards Valdez, when traffic came to a halt.  I sat there for about fifteen minutes. Gravel trucks were going around us and traffic was really starting to stack up.  I put the Cherokee in park and sipped my coffee.  It’s nice to enjoy the luxury of not having a deadline to be somewhere.

     Forty miles out from Valdez and the rain began.  It was just enough to require the windshield wipers, but not enough to wash the accumulated dust off the car. That landscape is what I drove into all the way to Valdez.  

    Thirty miles out and the rain stops.  Just before the turnoff for Worthington Glacier, the sun came out, at least for a little while.   I ditched the car and walked out to the overlook. 

    There were quite a few people walking out to get closer to the glacier.  The sign warned the trail was not maintained and I would be hiking up at my “own risk.”  I was okay with that.  I hadn’t gone far when I met a german tourist heading back.  I asked how far she was able to go.  She told me it’s fine until you get really close, then it gets muddy and slick.  She wished me luck.

     I took this on the way up.  This is the actual color of the canyon.

     As I approached the glacier, I tested the ground ahead.  It looked muddy, but it was crunchy and partially frozen under foot.  Feeling pretty confident, I kept going.  Suddenly, I realized the rocks I was stepping on were sinking into the now loose mud.  I stopped on a much bigger rock that only sank part way into the mud.  But, for now, it was stable footing . 

     Looking forward, all I saw was ground that looked suspiciously like what I had just crossed.  This would be my turnaround point.  The german tourist was right.   With no more smaller rocks to step on, I suddenly realized I had gone perhaps six steps too far.  My only course of action was to walk through it and hope for the best.

      The mud was the color and consistence of wet cement.  It left a lovely gray stripe about two inches up my boots.  Happy to be on firm ground again, I paused to take a few more shots.

      I met the german tourist in the parking lot.  She asked how it went.  I pointed to my boots and said she was right. She laughed.

     On the final approach to the city of Valdez, I passed this long abandoned railroad tunnel. I climbed back as far as I could to the partially blocked tunnel. It was obviously flooded, so I didn’t try and climb down.

    The back side is clear, but I didn’t see any way to get there. This one was a surprise to me.  I knew about the one down the road.

    Just a few more miles south, there were suddenly a great deal of cars pulled off to the sided of the road.  It was the pullout for Bridal Veil Falls.  Bonus!

     And Horsetail Falls...

     Seen along the drive...

    I had been feeling the roadtrip craving for pizza for a few days.  On a whim, I pulled into the first place I came upon in downtown Valdez, No Name Pizza.

      It was well past the lunch rush and I had the place to myself.  A Korean woman was running the restaurant and doing it all.  She said I had ten minutes to wait while the pizza baked.  No problem.  I checked my phone and no cell service.  I started rubbing my eyes.  Suddenly she appeared with a cup of Korean herbal tea. She said I had looked tired.  I thanked her and it did hit the spot.  

     We got to talking. She and her family emigrated here ten years ago. Two of her kids have graduated college.  One is in Los Angeles and the other in Denver.   Her other daughter is finishing high school.  She knew I was just passing through and showed me a picture from last winter when the river froze. That’s when people walk up to the toe of the Valdez glacier. 

     While I ate, we talked about where she’s been while living in America.  She showed me a photo and instantly knew it was Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona.  It’s one of those places that’s instantly recognizable.  So, I showed her some photos from past trips that were still on my phone.   We had a really great time. 
     Hanging in the pizzeria...

     As I was finishing, she ducked back into the kitchen, then came out with some sliced kiwi.  I couldn’t have asked for a better lunch.  And the pizza, very good!

      I was staying at a place called the Keystone Hotel. The room was pretty small, but clean.  Though two people would have been okay in the room, it would have been a little tight.   I’m not saying the walls were thin, but I could hear the guy in the next room snoring away later in the evening.

      After leaving my stuff in the room, I went off to explore the waterfront area of Valdez.  There are fishing and cargo ships heading in and out on a regular basis.   There are a few places where you can buy the catch of the day directly on the docks. 

        Not trusting the sky, but feeling the need to walk around a bit after that lunch, I started up the Dock Point Trail.  It's a mile loop trail that's supposed to have a nice view.

     Of course it does help to have the trees pruned back at the "scenic" overlooks.

      
     By the time I got back to the car the rain had returned.  So, I went back to the room to chill for a while.  Later in the evening, the rain stopped and I drove back out to the docks.  There was just something about those clouds. 

      Near the docks, I came across a small restaurant called the Fat Mermaid..  The owner just wanted something funny.  I was definitely not looking for food, but they did have porter ale that was oh so nice!

Coming Up,

The theme of the day is…blue