8/24/2009 On the Road to Valdez!

We had quite a ride today from Anchorage to Valdez. (prounounced Val-deez)

We were on the road by 9:30 and the roads were pretty clear. I think I've mentioned that the majority of the summer tourists have left. I mean there are still lots here but nothing like there was a few weeks ago. You don't ever see No Vacancy signs anymore.

It was kind of cloudy when we left Fort Richardson.

As we drove out of the city limits we couldn't help but notice that the falls colors are really starting to show through.

The scenery was just beautiful along the way. This is a road we haven't been on before.

We got our first glimpse of Matanuska Glacier. Little did we know just how big this sliver of white was going to be.

This is largest glacier accessible by car in Alaska.

The Matanuska is a beautiful valley glacier, actually a large ice flow, within the Chugach Mountains.

This glacier is a whopping 24 miles long, 4 miles wide at the edge of it and averages 2 miles in width.

The majority of glaciers in Alaska today are smaller alpine glaciers which hang off mountain slopes.

The Matanuska is a active glacier which advances at one foot per day. The ice of an active glacier always moves forwards due to gravity, like water in a river, the ice will flow downvalley.

Further down the road the "hills were alive with COLOR"!

Many people mistake the orange colored hillsides for deposits of copper or gold, it's actually iron stained gypsum, a mineral that was cooked up by a volcano from sedimentary limestone.

Dall sheep are plentiful here because of the mineral licks in the mountains. The sheep return each spring to replenish depleted supplies of calcium and magnesium, available in these licks. These nutrients help the sheep grow bones and horns and it helps the ewes to produce milk for their young.

The scenery and COLORS were just gorgeous.

We started seeing these poles as neared Thompson Pass. We think they guide snow removal vehicles as to where the road is. This area, in 1952-1953, received the heaviest annual snowfall ever. A record 974.5 inches of snow! I can't even imagine that!

We pulled into this place so that Bob could use the facilities. While sitting in the truck I snapped this picture of these little cabins they rent out. On the property there is also a restaurant/office and one lone gas pump. As you see in the picture, we weren't parked too far from the cabins. What,,,,40-50 feet maybe? If that?

So I went back to my book and then all of a sudden I hear this NOISE! I turned to look towards the back of the truck and saw this.

I was so engrossed in my book that I didn't see this plane land on the highway, taxi into the parking lot we were in and glide right between the truck and the cabins above. I was flabbergasted when I realized what happened and that I missed the whole darn thing. Bob comes running to the truck asking, "Did you get pictures?" I replied, "Well, uh, yeah, one of it sitting there." You didn't get ANY of it landing, taxiing in, passing you????? he asked, equally flabbergasted. "Well, I didn't notice it, I was reading" I told him. He just looked at me and shook his head in amazement. What can I say, its a good book! What's really bad??? I've read this book several times already.

Further down the road we came across this. The new "flag girl". There was one at each end of the road construction zone we went through.

The roadside colors were so vibrant in some sections.

Our first look at the Alaska Pipeline.

Gosh, doesn't everyone have a horse on their roof?

We stopped to take a break along this beautiful lake. Most people have boats tied to their docks, these have airplanes.

A going down the road picture. How can you not like this scenery?

Waterfalls were starting to be in abundance again.

We could see the next "drive up" glacier. Its called Worthington Glacier but I couldn't get anymore info than that on it. I was surprised because it certainly looks bigger than the other one but maybe that is because it is so much closer to the road.

Bridal Veil Falls

Horse Tail Falls

The view as we pull into the city of Valdez.

We found our campground, Bear Paws Campground, right within the city limits with no problem. Oh, what views we have! And you'll get to see them in the next post! This one is going to take forever to load as it is.