Tag Archive: Alaska


STEWART, BC/HYDER, ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 4 Comments
July 25, 2012

Boondock–
Tuesday night we boondocked along side Fish Creek in the Tongass National Forest. This location is just one mile up the road from the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site, on the left side of the road. Perfect, as we were planning to leave this site very early in the morning to go to the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site to see if we can see some grizzlies. This time we did not just pull over, as is our usual method, as we know that the National Forest Service has various new restrictions on boondocking. So, when we arrived in Hyder, Alaska we went into the Tongass National Forest Service office and discussed our options with them. They informed us about boondock sites in that area and were very helpful but very concerned that we were “bear aware”. As we drove along to our boondock site, we noticed some RVers boondocking in areas that the Forest Service told us were unacceptable. When we went back that way in the morning, one site was clear (did they just decide to go elsewhere or did the Forest Service move them?) and the other site still had three RVs boondocking there. Anyway, when we arrived in our boondock site there was an RV already there and another arrived after we got settled. There was plenty of room for all of us.

Stewart,BC/Hyder, AK access road–
On the Stewart,BC/Hyder, AK access road there are several glaciers. We got up early yesterday morning to view Bear Glacier as it is said the morning light is best for seeing this glacier and it was worth the effort. Also, after the glaciers the road took us through the beautiful Bear River Canyon which was an experience we could repeat many times, joyfully.

Stewart, BC–
This is a cute, organized little town that is locate smack dab next to Hyder, AK. It’s population is only about 700 but it offers many important services. First of all, it has an “ice-free harbor” on the Portland Canal and next; it has all the necessary emergency services like fire dept., police, a little 10 bed hospital, etc. The streets are clean and paved and there is a very nice Estuary Boardwalk next to the Visitor Center. The visitor center is staffed with a helpful, cheerful person. The Canadian Border here is manned between Stewart and Hyder and we had to show our passports to return to Stewart from Hyder, Ak. We were told that Stewart is the snowiest place in Canada. Don’t know if this is accurate but if it is true, that is a LOT of snow.

Hyder, AK–
Well, Hyder, Alaska appears to live in a different world compared to Stewart. Hyder is a town of only about 100 people, the roads are dirt/gravel and many of the buildings look like they have seen better days. It looked a bit like a somewhat modern “Wild West” place which is what we loved about it. The US border is unmanned and anyone can just drive the 4-5 minutes across from Stewart, BC. to Hyder, AK. The ubiquitous “road work” is going on in both Stewart and Hyder. What Hyder has (besides the great recreational opportunities in a beautiful environment), that no other place I know of has, is the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site just three miles north and run by the US Forest Service. This Wildlife Observation Site is frequented by many coastal brown bear (grizzlies) especially when the salmon are spawning, many bald eagle, etc. A three day pass here costs $10 dollars and is free for those with the NPS Pass.
It has an elevated boardwalk well above the water where you can easily and fairly safely watch the salmon swim up the creek and the grizzlies, black bear, eagles, etc. catch and eat them. I had read that the best time to come was mid-July through early September but the salmon run was late this year and was not yet in full-swing. Since the number of spawning salmon is low so far, the “alfa male grizzly” kept most of the other bear away so he could have the place essentially to himself. There’s a Forest Ranger on the boardwalk each day and I noticed they are carrying bear spray. Here’s hoping it won’t be needed! One of the Rangers said really the best time to come is August so we will plan our next trip here with that in mind.
After poking around the little towns of Stewart and Hyder, we went to the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site and were rewarded with the “alfa male” grizzly putting on a wonderful show for all of us. Strutting up the stream and when directly across from us, catching a big fish. All the while we were there, there were many eagles swooping along just above the water doing their own fishing. We have never been this close to a grizzly and Whoa, was he ever BIG!!!
We were told to come back early the next morning and that is what we did and will write about it tomorrow

Plan–
After an early return in the morning to the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site and watch for bear we will rest and then in the afternoon we will head out toward Banff National Park.  Have become accustom to all these wonderful views.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

7/24/2012 DEASE LAKE, BC TO THE STEWART, BC/HYDER, ALASKA ACCESS ROAD

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 3 Comments
July 25, 2012

Boondock–

We boondocked just off the access road to Stewart, BC/Hyder, AK in a
quiet spot surrounded by mountains last night. Most of the surrounding mountains
are high enough to have snow and at least one has a fairly large
glacier near the top.

Dease Lake, BC to Stewart, BC/Hyder, AK spur road–
Drove south on the Cassiar Highway yesterday to the Stewart, BC/Hyder,
AK spur road. The Cassiar Highway south of Dease Lake is a mixed bag
of road conditions. We found areas of multiple potholes and some
frost heaves, areas where the pavement suddenly ends and a section of
gravel/dirt road starts and extends for various periods, plus there
were areas where the road is an excellent, well marked, two lane
highway. There are a few steep downgrades and some fairly narrow
sections (actually getting down to one lane for short distances) as
well as the ubiquitous “road work” areas. A few logging projects are
ongoing just off the road as evidenced by the occasionally full
logging truck passing by and, of course, there are wonderful views of
beautiful lakes, rivers, streams, mountains and valleys.
A lunchtime stop at a turnout over looking a lovely little lake and we
spent some time just enjoying the views. Ate some of the freshly
caught, flash frozen Alaska salmon we had purchased as we left the
Alaska coast. We’re experienced salmon eaters and this Alaska salmon
actually tasted slightly sweet it was so delicious!
As we meandered along, we were lucky to see a total of eight black
bear grazing along side the road where there’s lots of clover growing.
Don’t understand why some tourists are in such an “all fired hurry”,
racing through a beautiful area to get to where? We love it when we
pull over and slow to see the bears and folks zoom by, then realize
what we are looking at and…wait for it… the brakes go on and they
pull over. Then they too are bear watching.

Notes–

We have found that many times that the locals of an area will offer tips of
what to see, that turns out to be well worth exploring. This was true
for us again in Dease Lake, BC. Chatting with an off-duty fireman of
the town of Dease Lake led us to a lovely small horse-shoe shaped lake
behind the town (Allen Lake) that is a great place to spend a little
time. We parked and walked down to the lake.  Met a school principal at the lake who suggested nearby hiking trails. A short hike later we were quite pleased to have followed up on the tips.

Plans–
The Stewart, BC/Hyder, AK access road has a few glaciers to see.  We have seen a couple of them but tomorrow we will rise early and view Bear Glacier.  Later, we’ll enter Stewart, BC/Hyder, AK, tour around and try our luck at the bear viewing area.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , ,
Comment

SKAGWAY, ALASKA TO THE YUKON, CANADA.

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 2 Comments
July 21, 2012

Boondocked–

We boondocked along the South Klondike Highway north of Skagway in a quiet pull off.   There is almost no traffic on this beautiful highway at night.

Crossing the Border–
Twenty miles north of Skagway, Alaska is the Yukon and the Canadian border.  The boder crossing was quick and painless.  They did ask how long we would be in Canada so we had to guess as our plans are usually fluid.

Gas Prices–
Filled up with gas at a Tesoro station in Haines, Alaska for $4.91/gal. reg. before getting on the ferry to Skagway.  This was considered the lowest price for gas in town and though it is high we know the prices in Canada will likely be higher.

Alaska State Ferry from Haines to Skagway, Alaska–
Took the ferry to Skagway today. Liked Haines and will return one day. Our ferry ride was scheduled for 12:30 pm and we were required to be in line by 11:30 am. They come around and check to be sure the RV propane is turned off at the valve, our ticket and a photo ID. They asked about containers for flammables, we do not carry any but some folks do carry extra gas cans, propane for a Coleman stove, etc. Hanging out, waiting for the ferry was interesting. First of all, you are at the beautiful Portage Cove in Haines. The water is a beautiful blue/green, smooth as glass, fish can be seen jumping out of the water, people watching is fun, to say nothing of watching the ferry crew preparing the ship for travel. Of course, Jerry met a new friend. He’s wonderful that way.  He likes everyone and can chat about any topic with them. Even before we had the RV and stayed in motels on our way back and forth across the country, he always made friends whereever we were.
The voyage to Skagway was over calm waters and quite uneventful. You just wait your turn to drive on with experts (the experienced crew) directing you and the reverse procedure to drive off the ferry. Can’t stay in the RV on the ferry so you can wait in the lounge or outside on the deck.  The Marine Highway Service from Haines to Skagway is only six years old. Before that, it was necessary to drive all the way around a triangle of roads to get from Haines to Skagway. This way is much better for all concerned.  The cost for the ferry for us and the RV from Haines to Skagway was $142.00.

Skagway, Alaska–
This little town is all about the tourist. One of the visitor centers in town is essentially a booking agency for tours, etc. which is fine if that is what you want. Two cruise ship had already off loaded their passengers before we arrived on the ferry so the town was bustling with visitors. We took the self-guided walking tour around town and enjoyed seeing the old building while eating an ice cream cone.
The best part of this town is that some of it is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. This National Park extends from Seattle to Dawson City in Canada. The US National Park Service controls the parts of the park in the US and collaborates with Canada in relation to the parts of the park that are located in Canada. The National Park has a visitor center in Skagway on the corner of 2nd and Broadway Street and was very interesting as well as helpful.
After the walking tour of Skagway we drove out to the remains of the Dyea Townsite and Cemetery. Dyea played an important role in the gold rush of 1897 and was a nearly a ghost town six years later when the gold rush ended. Dyea was located at the head of the Chilkoot Trail and that was the reason it became a boom town. The completion of the train from Skagway the Whitehorse spelled the end for Dyea as folks could more easily take the train. It is a gravel/dirt road to Dyea and as dirt roads go it is good but it is narrow (in some places, only one lane) and has both switchbacks and blind curves. We had no trouble on the road as there is room to pull over and all the opposite direction drivers pulled over and drove carefully. As usual, the NPS, told us that the road was too difficult for our RV but we passed 5th wheels as large or larger than our motorhome on the road.  There is a NPS campground near the Dyea Township at the end of this dirt/gravel road and when we toured it there was no one staying in the campground.
We also visited the Avalanche Slide Cemetery in Dyea where about 100 gold-fever crazed people tried going up the Chilkoot Trail despite being warned of an impending avalanche and were buried by the huge amount of snow that plummed down the trail.

South Klondike Highway–

After boondocking last night, we continued along the South Klondike Highway.  While this highway is not quite as beautiful as the Haines Highway, it is still quite beautiful.  Stopped along the road to take pictures and visited the town of Carcross.  In Carcross we also took the walking tour.  After leaving Carcross we came upon Emerald Lake…beautiful!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

HAINES, ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 6 Comments
July 20, 2012

Boondocked—

Last night we boondocked in a pull-out right at the waters edge of Portage Cove in Haines, Ak. with a fast flowing waterfall across the road. A lovely spot and we were treated to a pretty sunset, shot through with tangerine and overhead there were eagles flying. Ah, life can be so good.  This morning we woke to 56 degrees F.  and it got dark last night (well more dark than daylight)!  Could it be because we are moving south through Alaska or is it that the summer is tiptoeing away?

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve—
The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is located just off the Haines Highway about 18 miles north of Haines, Alaska. Here we saw numerous eagles flying over the Chilkat River. There are lots of places to pull off the road and observe these majestic birds. We seem to never see enough eagles. They still cause us to reach for our cameras.

Haines, Alaska–
Spent much of yesterday morning chatting with a woman planning to fulltime RV on her own. She has a good set-up (a newer, reliable RV) but it just feels like the learning curve is steep. She’s staying in an RV Park in Haines and wants to start doing some boondocking. Well, she’s a former Critical Care Nurse as am I and, as I recall, doing that takes some nerves of steel and real determination. She’s anxious about being on her own and traveling in an RV. Ha! RVing is a “piece of cake” compared to being a Critical Care Nurse! She’ll be fine, just needs to build some confidence.
Then it was off to visit the cute little town of Haines. We were lucky as no cruise ship was scheduled to be in Haines on Thursday so we are going to miss the crowds. Someone mentioned that some of the gift shops/tee shirt shops might be closed because it is a non-cruise ship day. Oh well, somehow we’ll survive without another opportunity to buy a tee shirt!
We’re told that last winter this town got 25 feet of snow. The water of Portage Cove does not freeze but the rivers and lakes do. The local we chatted with said it started snowing in November and just didn’t stop so they were glorying in the beautiful, sunny day with a temp of 75 degrees F.! Met another local who works for a tour company and was going out to see if they can see any grizzlies along the river, which was exactly where we were going. It was interesting talking with her as she and her husband want to RV fulltime the way we are traveling.
The water of Portage Cove (the inlet that serves as a harbor for Haines) is a lovely blue/green as is the Chilkat River and the Chilkot Lake with all surrounded by beautiful mountains..
We spent much of the day at the Chilkat River and Lake watching the eagles overhead and fishermen plying the waters. Heard that the man counting the fish at the weir counted 3700 Chinook Salmon yesterday. The Pink Salmon haven’t started their run in Haines yet so we saw no bears along the river. The bear, we’re told, are attracted by the Pink Salmon as they swim closer to the surface so are easier for them to catch.

Plan–
Today we will take the ferry to Skagway, Alaska.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

DESTRUCTION BAY TO HAINES, ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 8 Comments
July 19, 2012

Boondock–

We boondocked just off the Haines Highway just north of Haines, Alaska. The views from our boondock site are amazing and it is quiet here.

Destruction Bay, Yukon to Haines, Alaska–
Yesterday was another travel day but what a day! Driving the Alaska Highway and cutting down the Haines Highway and you can see right away why it got the Scenic Byway Designation. The drive to Haines was lovely and one of the treats is seeing Destruction Bay along Kluane Lake. At Haines Junction, north of Haines, there is a wonderful, world-class bakery that is unexpected in the middle of a tiny town, far from a large populated area.

Crossing the Border–

Leaving Alaska and entering Canada was no problem.  When we went to the border crossing to return to coastal Alaska, the US guard thought I had taken a picture of the border crossing and I had to show him the recent pictures I had on my camera so he could see I had not taken the concerning picture.  OK.  From now on we will put all the cameras out of sight so the officials don’t get worried.  No need to make their job any more difficult than it already is.  Otherwise, the crossings went smoothly.

Plans–We will explore Haines today and early tomorrow. In the afternoon tomorrow, we’ll catch the ferry that will take us to Skagway, AK. for more exploring.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK TO BURWASH LANDING, CANADA.

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 2 Comments
July 18, 2012

Boondocked–

Last night we boondocked in the Yukon, Canada at a beautiful pull off along the Alaska Highway. We were joined by another RV and we all spent a quiet, undisturbed night in this location.
Gas Prices–
Paid $4.10/gal. regular gas at a Tesoro Gas station in Tok, Alaska. Used their dump and got fresh water. Bought propane for $ 3.60/gal. and washed the motor home with their free RV self serve wash site.

Cracked windshield–
A car pulling a trailer and coming down the road like he was driving the “get away car” in the opposite direction, kicked up a rock on a regular road and it hit our windshield. The crack is only about six inches long starting at the top of the windshield near the rear view mirror. It is our first ding since coming to Alaska. You would think it would occur on one of the dicier roads we have been instead of a regular highway, go figure.

Plans–
We’re working our way down to Skagway, Alaska. Have heard it is an interesting place to see and we’re all about going to interesting places.

Tok Cutoff Road and the Alaska Highway–
We have been having mostly travel days these past couple of days as we make our way to Skagway, Alaska. The trip up to Tok, Alaska from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and then the Alaska Highway in the Yukon enroute to our final destination of Skagway, Alaska was just one beautiful view after another. At one point, we just started laughing as we couldn’t think of anything more articulate to say than “Wow”.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA.

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — Leave a comment
July 17, 2012

Boondocked–

Spent the day yesterday, last night and part of today in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. I’ve never been to a National Park that allows boondocking, but this one does according to the Ranger in the Slana Ranger Station Visitor Center on Nabesna Road. What a beautiful place to boondock! They even have picnic tables and rustic campfire pits at most pull offs along the road. At mile 28 on the Nabesna Road there is a free, ten site campground at Twin Lakes. There were five tents set up there but since we don’t usually stay in campgrounds, we drove through the campground, looked around, left and went to a pull off that overlooks Twin Lakes, the forest and the Wrangell Mountain Range.

Nabesna Road into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park–

Accessing this National Park is difficult unless you catch a flight and fly into a remote wilderness area. From there you are on your own unless you are with some kind of Wilderness Adventure Guide and are looking forward to hiking and camping in the Wilderness. That was not part of our plan. We had hoped to explore part of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park using our RV and figured to use the three roads into the park. The roads barely penetrate this huge park but we figured it was a start.

Last week, we took the McCarthy Road into the Park, looked around McCarthy and toured the Kennicott Mine operation. This trip was very difficult as the dirt road is so bad with so many potholes and washboard areas that it rattled the teeth in our heads. We were determined to see part of the park on the McCarthy Road and while it was worth the struggle, we would not take a lesser built rig on that road. If you really want to see that area and don’t want to take your vehicle, there is van transport available for a fee. We have been told by others that the McCarthy Road was the worst road they ever drove. We won’t argue with that assessment and we have driven a lot of dirt roads in various states of disrepair.

The Nabesna Road also goes into the park and it, too, is a dirt road but it is worlds apart from the McCarthy Road. The first 12 miles are paved and the dirt road part up to mile 28 is quite well maintained (for a dirt road) and that is as far as we went. After the 28 mile mark, you are fording streams that run across the road, etc. Were there potholes? Some but not too bad. Were there any washboard areas? A few but they were short lived. Was there any traffic to worry about? We saw two other cars on this road and one RV. Could most any two wheel drive vehicle make it on this road? We think so if; you go slow, only travel the first 28 miles (can’t comment on the road after 28 miles) and don’t expect it to be an interstate highway, at least as the road conditions stand today.

If you go into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve via the Nabesna Road, and we think everyone SHOULD see at least part of this park, be sure to stop at the Slana Ranger Station to check road conditions and to pick up the map and free CD Audio Tour. For those who want to stay in the park but not bring their RV there’s a lodge as well as some free public use cabins you can reserve. We met a man who was staying at the Viking Lodge Public Use Cabin with his family. He said he had reserved it for his family’s use through the park service.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve–

What is there to say about a place that is part of a huge World Heritage Site? What words can capture the grandeur? This National Park is so big that it easily contains multiple glaciers, lakes, streams and rivers, a mountain range and many mountains that are part of other mountain ranges, etc. plus much of it is wilderness. One of the glaciers in the park (the Malaspina Glacier) is said to have the mass the size of Rhode Island. An amazing place, beautiful, too huge to fully describe and rarely visited compared to some our other popular National Parks. There’s a lot of wildlife in this park but we only saw fox and squirrels besides various birds.

We feel very lucky to have seen even a small part of the less visited northern part of this wonderful park. We love that this huge, beautiful area has been put aside by the United States for future generations to come and enjoy. What this means to us is that our great grandchildren and their great grandchildren will likely see what we have seen in these past few days. Truly priceless.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , ,
Comment

WORTHINGTON GLACIER AND RICHARDSON HIGHWAY, ALASKA.

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 2 Comments
July 16, 2012

Boondock–

We boondocked just off the Richardson Highway at a view point near a lake. It was cold and raining the morning we left Valdez with a temp. of 52 degrees F. We left Robe Lake in Valdez, dumped our waste tanks at the local free dump site, got fresh water and gas after some quick shopping and headed for Worthington Glacier. Paid $4.31/gal. or regular gas.

Worthington Glacier–
It was so foggy and rainy between Valdez and Worthington Glacier we thought we would not be able to see the glacier but it was fairly clear near the glacier so we got a good look at it. It is quite a large glacier and some folks hike on it. We heard that last week they had to rescue a fellow that was hiking on the glacier and fell into a crevasse. Apparently his girth saved him from slipping down beyond saving but still rescuers thought it amazing that he lived. Don’t know if this account is true, but we were impressed.  OK, so with that information, we didn’t feel a need to hike on this glacier. We don’t have the proper gear for glacier hiking and with my luck, I’d fall and break something or worse. It is very cold near any glacier, as you might imagine. So I only lasted out there looking at the glacier in the rain for a short while. I have learned to work the camera with gloves on. Alaska teaches you things. We were, however, able to see the glacier from our RV “living room” (this turned out to be the warmer choice). The Worthington Glacier has been designated as a National Natural Landmark which means it is considered a site of exceptional value. Seems an apt designation. The road is paved and the parking at the glacier is excellent, even for larger rigs.

Richardson Highway–
On the way to Valdez, coming south on the Richardson Highway, we were wowed by the beauty along the way. It was no different coming north up the highway. We stopped the RV frequently to get out and take pictures or just marvel at the incredible beauty which cannot truly be captured on camera. Stopping repeatedly to look at the many rock formations, water ways, mountains, hills, valleys, forests and canyons made it a very slow trip and a breathtaking experience. The only wildlife we saw today, other than various birds, was a small red fox that ran across the road. It rained almost all day and the fog obscured the mountains most of the day.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , ,
Comment

LEAVING VALDEZ, ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 18 Comments
July 15, 2012

Boondock– Saturday was our last night boondocking at Robe Lake, Valdez. Friday night there were two other RV’s boondocking here but last night we had the place to ourselves. This has been a good boondocking site. It’s just a few miles into the main part of town and it’s beautiful and very quite.

Travel Plan– We’ll dump our waste tanks in the free dump site in Valdez this morning, get fresh water and gas and head out to Worthington Glacier on our way out of this area. Looking forward to driving once again on the Richardson Highway. Will be heading toward Tok but along the way is another dirt road into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park so we will give it another go at seeing more of this beautiful, huge National Park. Then we will begin working our way down the Cassier Highway on our way to Stewart/Hyder where, if we’re lucky, we’ll be able to see more brown bears in the wild fishing for salmon.

Brown bear watching– Thursday evening we went out to see the brown bear sow and her four cubs fishing near the fish hatchery on Prince William Sound in Valdez. We did get to see her as she tried bringing her cubs out of the woods, out from behind a chain link fence, across the street and down to the water where she likes to fish. She led her cubs out from behind the chain link fence but only one cub followed her lead. The other three got stuck behind the fence and started calling to the mother as she started to cross the street. Back the mother went and this time all four cubs followed her lead as she took them to her fishing area. At this point, we left the area but were gratified that there were some public safety officials there to maintain some crowd control and protect both the onlookers and the bear. It’s very unusual to see a mama with four cubs. Usually they are born 1-3 to a litter so to see four cubs was quite a thrill for us. In all the time we spent in Yellowstone National Park, we had heard of four cubs but never actually saw this many. Think this is truely a once in a lifetime experience and we could stay there all day and watch these bears. The locals of Valdez tell us this sow had a litter of three cubs two years ago and she managed to raise them all to maturity without loosing any. Usually one or sometimes two cubs are lost to predators so we’re hoping that in this case she can raise all four of these cubs to maturity. She seems to be a patient, attentive mother and responds immediately when any of the cubs give a distress call to her. There seems to be one runt in this litter. It is noticably smaller than the other cubs and has some light colored fur around it’s neck and on it’s chest. Friday morning we were up at 5:00 am and drove over to the bear fishing area to watch her fish and see her cubs. As you can imagine, there were very few folks around at this hour so the sow and her cubs moved about unencumbered by human presence. Still find it amazing how proficient these bear are at catching fish. We watched her catch at least a dozen fish and the cubs pitched right in and helped her eat them. This is a memory we’ll enjoy for the rest of our lives. Met a couple from Ohio this morning. They also saw the bear and agreed it was a wonderful experience to see them in the wild, not in a zoo. Something they never dreamed of seeing.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

WANDERING AROUND VALDEZ, ALASKA

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — Leave a comment
July 14, 2012

Boondocking–

Spent another quite night at Robe Lake, Valdez. Two vehicles came into the area, drove around in a circle and left. Not sure what they were looking for but there’s plenty of room for others to boondock here. Except for the occasional splash from a fish jumping or a bird landing on the water and some bird calls, it is silent. Because we leave this boondock site very early every morning and don’t return again until late at night, don’t know what goes on at the lake during the day but it is alway quiet when we return. For those RVers who like to sit in front of their RV, whiling away the day looking at beautiful scenery, this place may be perfect.

Exploring Valdez–
Yesterday we walked all around Valdez, quickly learning all the streets because the town is so small. It didn’t rain and it was rather pleasant weather with a temp, of about 60 degrees F so nice walking around weather. Early in the morning we saw many eagles and enjoyed observing them perch watchfully, then flying off hunting something they’d spotted from their perch. We’re early risers, a habit I never have really been able to break after working in Nursing for so long. So we are up, dressed and off exploring before most folks have started their coffee in the morning. Spotted a bakery yesterday and asked for a good brown bread…no, they’re out so I say I’ll come back on Saturday. (Follow up: The bakery folks happily agreed I should come back to the bakery on Saturday for some good bread. What they omitted to mention is that they don’t make bread again until Tuesday! Arrrgh!!!) The bakery does a “land office” business so their lack of PR has not hurt their good eats at all.
Spent a good part of the day in the Valdez Museum annex talking with some locals about how they cope with so much snow (they had 38 feet of snow last year!). There are still huge piles of snow in empty lots around town. We were invited to take home as much snow as we wanted as they are expecting more in a few months. Talked to a fellow who has a “boat snow shoveling” business. He gets a monthly amount from boat owners to see that snow is removed from the many boats who’s owners leave the boat and head south for the winter. He says he usually makes a good living, except for last year due to the huge year for snow. A good thing for Valdez is that Prince William Sound does not freeze so when they’re done plowing snow off the streets, they can shovel some of it into the harbor to get rid of it.
The portion of the Valdez museum we visited yesterday is mostly about the 1964 Valdez earthquake that was 9.2 on the Richter scale. The earthquake opened a huge crevasse near the shore of Prince William Sound and swallowed the town dock and everything on it (including people), never to be seen again. The tsunami that followed mostly missed the town but so much destruction was done by the earthquake and the town site  was considered by the Army Corps of Engineers to be very unsafe, the whole town moved four miles away in short order to a safer location. It’s an amazing story of tragedy, near misses and the rebirth of a town.
Continuing our exploration of Valdez took us to the local library (they have a very strong, free wifi signal that can be picked up even out in your RV).  Also toured the small boat harbor, walked to the post office, into some of the residential areas and along Prince William Sound. In our wanderings we met some lovely couples from Iowa, Holland, Belgium, Australia and a happy fisherman who was thrilled to show off his success fishing off the banks of Prince William Sound. It’s alway fun to meet fellow travelers and hear some of their experiences.   Seems Alaska is high on the list of places to see and once you’re here you understand why.
Valdez is a hard working little town and most everyone seems to know each other. The town has a wide green way up the middle leading to the school and numerous walking/biking paths. It is said the town originally was built so that children would not have to cross a busy street and in many cases would not have to cross any street to get to school. We asked about school and “snow days”.   Both Jerry and I were school kids on the East coast and we loved “snow days”!  We’re told they do not cancel school in Valdez ever if it can be avoided. They did have to cancel one day last school year as there was a “white out” so bad “you couldn’t see your hand or a couple of feet in front of you”.
Last night, we went to see the Mama Brown Bear and her four cubs. Though we saw them for a few minutes, the area had so many people there we left rather than add to the congestion. We made plans to come back early in the morning when there would be fewer people around so there should be more bear pictures tomorrow.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , ,
Comment
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 126 other followers