August 9-10

August 9, 2016

Tonight we are back at Tok Village RV Park where we stayed way back in June, but then we were just starting our Alaska adventure, and now we are getting ready to leave this wonderful state.  The ride here was not a pleasant one.  We awoke to more rain in Valdez, but the ride to the Tok Cutoff was still beautiful.  Once on the cutoff, however, we experienced the worst roads since we left Chicken, so long ago.  It was all dips and bumps and our nerves were shot by the time we finally reached Tok.  At least the rain had stopped, but it was still chilly outside.  No one felt like cooking, so we went to Fast Eddy's again for dinner after we had happy hour.  Then we all felt a little better.  Tomorrow, back into Canada.

Jackie's Nacho Supreme at Fast Eddy's!  

August 10, 2016

Another long haul over bad road.  We have been dreading the Destruction Bay section ever since we got here, but except for the 3 or 4 sections that were under construction we all agreed that it wasn't as bad as the Tok Cutoff--except for the awful dust.  At least  the weather was gorgeous.   Anyway, we made it to Haines Junction in the Yukon  and are staying at the Kluane RV Park, which isn't much. It hasn't had any water  for over a year, so the cost is only $20  (Canadian).  However, the view of the mountains is very nice.

The view behind our campground in
Haines Junction, YT

We had no trouble crossing the border from Alaska into Canada.  I guess we just don't look like subversive people.

One half in Alaska, one half in the Yukon.  

Steve and I were disappointed that we could not find our favorite spot on Kluane Lake.  I suppose the memory just isn't as good as it used to be.  Kluane Lake and the surrounding mountains are just as beautiful as we remembered them though.

On the way here we passed through some quaint little towns like Burwash Landing, Destruction Bay, and Koidern. We stopped briefly in Beaver Creek to admire Our Lady of Grace mission which was built in 1961 from a salvaged Quonset hut left over from highway construction days.

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Beaver Creek, YT

SALMON!

Jackie and I  both had a burning desire to catch a salmon, and today was to be the day  We put on our boots and rain gear, got our fishing licenses, got our treble hooks, checked all the rules for fishing for salmon, and headed for Dayville Road with our cheering squad, David and Steve.   Imagine our surprise and disappointment when we arrived at our chosen fishing spot to find that the tide was out...way out.  There was no way any fishing could go on in that muck!  OK.  Back to the rigs we went to wait for the tide to come in.

About 4 P.M., we headed back to the fishing spot to find the salmon running thick right up to the rocks.  After a quick lesson on casting from the guys, we climbed down the rocks and began our salmon quest.  We both found that we could snag the fish but we could not get them onto the rocks before they shook themselves free.  It was a lot of fun, but also very frustrating.

Salmon just waiting to be caught!

Finally I got one onto the rocks and the darn thing wiggled away and took my treble hook with it.  Jackie also lost her treble hook, so the guys began improvising with other hooks from David's tackle box.  I decided it wasn't worth the climb back down the rocks, so I just walked down a way to where some folks from Tennessee were fishing.

To my mortification, two little girls about 8 and 12 years old were pulling in salmon like crazy.  After talking with their dad, and getting some tips on what to do, I decided to give it another try.  The grandfather loaned me his treble, and within 5 minutes I had landed a fish!  He was big, but not a good specimen, so I threw him back.  Within another 5 minutes, I had my prize!!  It was so much fun! I was so excited and proud of myself!  You would have thought I had won the lottery!

The one I threw back.  

My prize!

Meanwhile, Jackie had joined me and was also having luck catching but the fish all slithered away.
Finally she landed a good one, grabbed it, and clutched  it to her chest before  it could get away.   After holding it up for pictures, she started up the rocks holding the fish like a baby in her arms, but oops, her boot was caught in the rocks.  Rather than risk losing her fish, she took off the boots and climbed over the rocks in her socks!  It was hysterical!  (David retrieved the boots).

Yay Jackie!

I think my boot is stuck!

I'm not letting go of this fish!

Boots or no boots, here I come.  

A proud lady and her fish! 

We had the time of our lives catching those fish, and we are very proud of ourselves. We also thank our husbands for cheering us on and giving help when needed.   We went to the docks and paid a guy $1.00 each to fillet the fish.  Mine will go to my daughter, Vanessa,  (ironically, I don't like salmon) and Jackie's daughter will cook hers for her.  We both just wish we had started fishing sooner!  Next time we will check the tide table first!

The Columbia Glacier

Rain, rain, go away!   What a messy day to have reservations for a 7 hour boat ride to the Columbia Glacier!   However, our vessel, the Valdez Spirit, and our seat companions made the trip more enjoyable.    Gail (from New Zealand), and her companion, David (from England) are world travelers and very interesting folks to share stories with for 7 hours.  

Although the trip was long, rainy, and cold (outside)  we did see lots of interesting sights.  There were eagles in the trees and cute sea otters in the water.  We saw sea lions resting on buoys and some of the bluest glacier ice I have ever seen.  

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We had lots of hot coffee and tea to drink, and a lunch of soup, bagels, and cookies was served.  The pilot house was large and warm and the captain let the passengers come in and chat and ask questions. 

 But the big event of this trip was seeing the glacier itself.  Heaven knows we have seen a lot of glaciers on this trip and learned a lot about them.  However, I have never seen so much ice floating from a glacier, and I have never seen one shaped like this one.  It was truly awesome!  Columbia is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world, and has been retreating since the 1980's.  We were able to get within 1/4 mile of the face of the glacier, and the iceburgs kept banging against the side of the boat.  It was very exciting.   

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On the way back, we went through some rough weather, but dodged behind some islands which made the passage easier.  The tide had come in and the sea lions had moved to another buoy.  

After enjoying a lovely dinner at Roma Restaurant on the dock, we settled into our warm rigs and enjoyed the view from our front windows.  

Restaurant view.  

View from our rig.  

Seward to Valdez August 5/6

August 5.

We left Seward and took the 200 or so mile trip to the Grand View RV park in Sutton.  This park is aptly named, because the views were indeed grand.  There were beautiful mountains  behind us, and more mountains and the Matanuska Glacier in front of us.  We took a hike down the trail to the bluff which gave us a wonderful view of the glacier and of the extinct volcano called the Lion's Head.  It was a short, but very rewarding, hike, as the view was incredible.  We watched Dall sheep cavorting high up on the mountain across the road.  We could see them really well using Steve's spotting scope.   No matter where you looked, the view was wonderful at Grand View!

The grandview cafe.  

In front of the Matanuska Glacier.  

The mountains behind us.

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August 6.

We had a nice breakfast at the cafe at Grand View, before heading out for Valdez.  Along the way  to the Richardson Highway, we spotted another moose and her calf.

We turned off of the Glenn Highway and on to the Richardson Highway at Glennallen for the ride into our favorite part of Alaska.  The closer we got to Valdez, the more beautiful the scenery became as we passed such sights as the Worthington Glacier and Bridal Veil Falls in Keystone Canyon.

Bridal Veil Falls (Keystone Canyon)

Worthington Glacier 

We reached the Bayside RV Park mid-afternoon, and after setting up and having lunch we headed down to Dayville Road to see salmon and hopefully to see bears.  The weather was still rainy and foggy so things looked much different than we remembered them.

The view out our windshield at Bayside.  

There were so many salmon around the Soloman Gulch Fish Hatchery that you could reach in the water and grab one, which is what I did!  However, I only succeeded after I filled my boots with water and then fell down on my butt!  No worries--it was worth it.

Wet butt and boots full of cold water!

But I got one!  

We took the visitor's walk at the hatchery, and learned much about the life cycle of a salmon--very interesting.  We watched people snagging salmon, and Jackie and I decided that we could do that too.  We plan to try before we leave Valdez. We can't fish within 300 yards of the hatchery, but we can try at 301 yards!

They just want to get to the hatchery where they were born.  

We didn't see any bears at the hatchery, but there was a big eagle sitting in the marsh right in front of our RV when we got home.  

                                          

More rain!

Sigh.  Another rainy day in Seward.  We just drove around a bit to see some things we had missed, then stopped for lunch at the Alaskan Seafood Grill.

Seward was established in 1903, and is named for William H. Seward, the man who was instrumental in arranging the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.  This monument marks the spot of the initial landing of those who founded the town.










The original Iditarod trail was surveyed in 1910, and began here as a mail route between Seward and Nome.  This monument marks Mile 0 of what now is best known for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race that is run each March between Anchorage and Nome.














We also drove out Lowell Point Road to see this magnificent waterfall, then proceeded to drive around in the mud on a rough gravel road until the Jeep looked like the picture below!

Hiking to Exit Glacier

It turned out to be another fine day, so Steve and I decided to try hiking up to the edge of Exit Glacier, which is part of Kenai Fjords National Park.  The hike is rated "moderate" but at my age I consider it "difficult."  
We started  out on a nice level trail through a wooded area where a moose had been spotted earlier that day.  Then it got serious, becoming  steep gravel and rock. However, it was very worth it.  I really enjoyed doing it, even the difficult parts.

 The glacier is 2 miles long and descends 3, 500 feet from the Harding Ice Field. In 1815, it extended past the parking lot to the visitor's center.  Today, the end (or toe) of the glacier is more than a mile away from there.

 When you get to the end of the trail , you are very close to the glacier, and it is much windier and colder.  A sign shows where the toe was in 2010, and it seems to have lost about 5 feet since then.









This was a hike not to be missed, and going down was a little easier than going up!





Being that close to a glacier is an awesome experience.  The color is amazing, and you can feel the power of the movement and water as it forms the Resurrection River and carves our the landscape.

One more fishing trip

The guys got up very early (5 A.M.) and headed out for their charter fishing trip from Resurrection Bay into the Bay of Alaska.  They had a terrible day of fishing, and neither one caught his limit of halibut.  However, the rainy, cold weather turned much nicer while they were out, so at least they  didn't freeze all day.

Halibut and rockfish, but not all ours.

   
Both our freezers are full of halibut, cod, and rockfish, so we really can't complain (although the guys still do).

While they were gone, Jackie and I (after getting up at 10ish), went into town, had lunch at the Breeze Inn, and shopped a bit.  The sun came out, everything warmed up,  and we had a lovely time.  We enjoyed looking at many of the murals that  are painted on the sides of buildings.

 We also visited the memorial to Benny Benson, the 13 year old native Alaskan from Seward who designed the Alaskan flag.  He said the blue was for the blue of the sky and for forget-me-nots, the state flower.  The big dipper represents the bear, for strength, and the north star stands for future statehood for the northernmost state.

After Steve and David got back from fishing we shrink-wrapped and froze the fish, they took showers, and we drowned our fishing sorrows with happy hour and dinner at the Freedom Fighters lounge.