Post 8-02-2014 Around Valdez

8-2-2014 Around Valdez

I think the “bug” got me. I've had a fever, coughing, sneezing, feeling horrible and any thing else you can think of. Yes, that too.

Anyway, the day itself has been just wonderful. Warm (75) clear and bright. Humidity around 45 %. Ideal day. Actually had a couple hours of diminished light last night.

Spent most of the morning in bed. Same as above plus a headache. Was going to the doc but all of a sudden I started feeling better. So didn’t go.

Nita fixed one of my favorite breakfasts, chipped beef on toast. One of my favorites from Navy days.

Valdez is a small town of around 5,000 and is the most Northern Port that does not freeze over, thus making it the ideal place for the oil tankers.  An average of four tankers fill and depart Valdez weekly. The Exxon Valdez sailed from here and caused the oil spill 25 miles away. Remember that?

 The city is a local and tourist fishing port that is popular for tourists from the world over.  It is a beautiful little town and has a year round population, unlike some of the tourist towns. 

The city experienced the 1964 earthquake and tsunami,  starting at the town dock and traveling westward. The ground under the dock gave way. Due to the deteriorated soil base the city was relocated some four miles westwards to save it.  

 

Prowling around town we visited the pier front and saw the ship “Cornelia Marie”.  If you watch “Deadliest Catch“, it was (is) one of those.  It wasn't configured for fishing, they were in from “Kodiak” for a few repairs.  We also swung by the visitors center to see what’s happening in Valdez and watched a film of the ‘64 Earthquake and the damage done throughout the state.

We drove up a canyon out to a secluded place along a glacier creek and were able to walk up to the glacier itself.  Mostly dirty but was identifiable. There was a beautiful waterfall on the mountainside above the ice.

some of the glacier

Don't know what kind.

glacier river

In the city there was a open market of about ten tents. A ha, ha . Half of them were used for political reasons and only a few with merchandise, souvenirs,  to sell or food wagons.  We had a reindeer dog and listened to some local singers.  They were pretty good. At one stall a lady, Linda Tousignant, handed me a Willow Rose, a really pretty one. I immediately gave it to my love. 

Yesterday, we drove out to the fuel docks where they load oil aboard the tankers. This is where the “pipeline” (that runs from Prudhoe Bay up North at the Bearing Sea to Valdez) ends. All along the route on Highway 1, there were no pull offs or places to enjoy the pipe and the scenery unless the pipe was underground or far away. Security reasons, I guess.  We did see the area where the pipe ends at the dock, but there are posted signs and the road ends for the public.

Along the road there was a very pleasant surprise for us. There were several good pull offs, lots of fishermen and a hatchery. There were hundreds of salmon visually that had spawned and were lying dead on the banks.  There were also thousands trying to go upstream by the hatchery to spawn.  You can see them in the photos. We were told that a lot of Black Bears are in the area, so be careful. Plenty of signs posted as well. Actually, one crossed the highway in front of us but we weren't fast enough to take photos. Looked like a 2-3 year old.

Dieing Salmon

Shades in water are Salmon

Salmon swirling behind Nita

Trying to go upstream to spawn. 

Thousands os Salmon

Boomer amazed at what's happening

Playful seal feeding 

We drove to a glacier creek where there were several small bergs floating in the stream and you could see where they had broken off the main glacier. It was very dirty from taking dirt with them when they move.  Most of the little bergs are dirty also, but some are beautifully white.  They have turned over, the berg bottoms are clean.  A sizeable tent camp was set up so we didn’t stay long.

The grey in the background is glacier












Small bergs