Valdez Alaska: Nature's Perfect Playground

Our journey continued to be as beautiful as the destination as we made our way along the Richardson Highway to Valdez, Alaska. Glaciers hung frozen in time on the mountains in the distance. Streams flowed through the canyons below. Waterfalls greeted us alongside this road that has been proclaimed one of ''America's Most Scenic Roads'' by Travel+Leisure magazine.

We had boondocked the previous night nearby on the top of Thompson Pass which boasts of being the snowiest place in Alaska with an average of 500+ inches of snow a year. The nearby mountains were still having trouble getting rid of their snowy decor despite the strong summer rays and long Alaskan days.

As we cruised down the pass into Keystone Canyon, we knew that the mountains, streams, and waterfalls were just the beginning of the beauty that awaited us at the end of the road in Valdez, Alaska ... Nature's Perfect Playground.

Valdez has been nick-named ''Alaska's Little Switzerland'' because of its striking resemblance to the European country with its snow-capped mountains framing the town and harbor. Located at the end of a deep fjord off Prince William Sound, Valdez's port welcomes a maze of tankers, fishing vessels, and tour boats year-round because its waters never freeze over.

But its history has not always been so tranquil and serene. The original town sprung up almost overnight in 1897 when gold seekers by the thousands came to find an ''all-American'' route to the gold fields of interior Alaska. The original town was built hastily on the fine silt and sand that was left behind by nearby glaciers. This unstable soil proved disastrous for the town when on March 27, 1964, the Good Friday earthquake and resulting tsunami destroyed most of Old Valdez. This 9.2 magnitude quake, the largest ever recorded in North America, triggered a massive underwater landslide and thirty foot tidal wave that wiped out this important shipping port.

Three years later, in 1967, the town of Valdez was relocated and completely rebuilt on more stable bedrock four miles west of the original site. Today ''new'' Valdez boasts of a modern marina, vibrant tourist area, and well-planned neighborhoods for the town's 4000 residents. All that remains of Old Valdez are pothole-ladened gravel roads and a few concrete foundations. We decided to test our luck by boondocking a couple of nights just up the street from where the tsunami struck. I'm happy to report that we had no close encounters with shaky ground or visiting spirits in this true ghost town.

It was a quiet night whether parked on Main Street,

... or in a van down by the river.

In 1977,  a new business brought prosperity to Valdez when the Alaska Pipeline was completed, and oil started being transported out of the Port of Valdez. But once again disaster would test the resilience of the community when on March 24, 1989, almost 25 years to the day of the great earthquake, the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in nearby Prince William Sound. Determination and a strong love for their beautiful surroundings helped the city come back with stronger safeguards in place to protect these cuties and all the creatures who enjoy nature's perfect playground.

But it is not all fun and games for certain visitors to the Port of Valdez. Every July the pink salmon return to the Solomon Gulch Hatchery where they began their lives a couple of years earlier. 

One of nature's great mysteries is how and why salmon instinctively return to their place of birth in order to spawn and die. But return they do ... in massive numbers!

And the bears, eagles, sea otters, seals, sea lions, sea gulls,

... and humans happily welcome them back!

Boys will be boys!

It was fascinating to watch the salmon work their way through the maze of hungry critters to the ''relative'' safety of the fish ladder. 

Once they make their way up the ladder, they complete their life cycle. Their eggs and milt are collected, fertilized, and incubated. In the next year, the new generation of salmon is released into Prince William Sound and make their way to the Gulf of Alaska. As adults they will instinctively return to Solomon Gulch, and the circle of life will continue.  

With an abundance of spectacular scenery and wildlife surrounding us, we once again boarded a tour boat to get a closer view. We took a six hour cruise out to the Columbia Glacier with Stan Stephens Cruise Company. Since rain is a common occurrence in Valdez, we recommend checking the weather forecast before booking. 

Rain is also the reason this

blog is getting so long!

As it turned out, my personal tour director picked a glorious day to explore Prince William Sound!

Some highlights included:

... up-close views of the professional fisheries that were ''netting'' our next seafood dinner.

... a journey through a maze of icebergs that had recently calved off of Columbia Glacier, one of the fastest retreating glaciers in the world. Our guide told us that between 8,000 and 10,000 tons of ice break off each day.

Check out this chip off the old block!

... and an abundance of cute critters happy to show off nature's perfect playground.

Following our cruise, Doug once again found out that the glacial waters produce some top-notch local IPAs at Valdez Brewing, and I realized that I have to be careful with what I agree to during ''happy hour'' because ...

... while walking back to our van, we passed Anadyr Adventures, and Doug signed us up for a kayaking excursion the next morning. I was a bit nervous, but it turned out to be my #1 most favorite Alaskan adventure to date!

That morning we drove out to the base of Valdez Glacier where years of melting ice has produced a glacial lake. The lake's surface is constantly changing due to the breaking off, shifting, drifting  and melting of the glacial ice, which in turn makes a simple paddle more like a journey through a giant maze.

After outfitting us with waders, wading boots, and life jacket, our young, enthusiastic guide, Will, gave us a paddling lesson, helped us into our inflatable double kayak, and assured us that we would not fall into the 34 degree glacial water.

Will shared a wealth of information about the area and about glaciers in general. He let us know that because glaciers are ''moving rivers of ice'', a paddle around Valdez Glacier Lake is never the same.

This deep blue cave recently opened up and invited us in for a closer look.

A path that Will had taken the week before suddenly became a dead-end due to the constantly shifting ice.

Hot chocolate and snacks were served on huge mound of gravel and rocks.  Upon closer examination, we found that this rocky ''picnic'' area was actually an iceberg in disguise.

We also learned that the chunks of floating ice in the lake have different names depending on their size. Those the size of large buildings are officially called ''icebergs''.

Those the size of a house (with a height greater than three feet but less than sixteen feet above the water) are called ''bergy bits''.

Those a bit smaller ... say the size of  our camper van ''home'' are called ''growlers''. The coaster from Growler Bay Brewing later confirmed that small bit of trivia to be true.

And lastly, a tiny heart-shaped piece of glacial ice just plucked from the water and given to his love will quickly melt away, and so it is just called a sweet memory.

 

Be careful what you agree to during happy hour as you just might really enjoy the 

... paddle,

...boat ride,

... bike ride,

or hike

in Valdez, Alaska ... 

nature's perfect playground!

Kenai Fjords National Park: Beauty Born From Ice

 

We had heard that the scenery around Seward, Alaska is spectacular. Deep fjords support a coastal area rich in wildlife and beauty. Huge glaciers from the nearby Harding Icefield carve out valleys between the mountains. Lush green forests claim the rocky terrain left by retreating glaciers. Musical waterfalls flow down the mountainsides as the melting snow makes its journey to the Gulf of Alaska.

Kenai Fjords National Park, located near Seward, deserves much of the credit for the area's beauty. Its dynamic ecosystems of ...

coastal rainforests,

rivers of ice,

and glacial fjords

make it a place where

beauty is born from ice.

Kenai Fjords National Park is one of only three of Alaska's eight national parks that it is actually possible to drive to. The other five are in such remote and protected areas that visitors need to arrive by boat or plane. We took advantage of seeing Kenai Fjord's icy beauty by hiking the trails near Exit Glacier and taking a boat cruise out of Seward.

Exit Glacier

Exit Glacier got its name in 1968 when the first mountaineering group to successfully cross the Harding Icefield ''exited'' the ice field from this glacier. It is one of 35 glaciers that flow from this huge ice field and the only one in Kenai Fjords National Park that is accessible by road. From the Visitor's Center, it is an easy one mile hike to some great views of Exit Glacier. It is also possible to walk along the glacier's rocky washout area that is formed as the glacial ice continues to melt and retreat.

For more of a challenge, it's possible to hike up a trail for an up-close view of the Exit Glacier and the Harding Icefield above it. This 8.2 mile (round trip) hike includes a 3800 feet vertical climb and is described as a challenging yet very rewarding experience.

The first day we attempted it, the sun finally came out after a morning of rain, so while the scenery was amazing,

...we ran short on time and were only able to make it half way to the glacier overlook at Marmot Meadows.

2.5 miles and about 2000 feet more

of climbing to reach the top of the icefield!

Yes, this trail is a pretty relentless uphill climb, so we realized that besides needing more time, our next attempt would also have to include more water and snacks.

Partly cloudy skies greeted us on the morning of our second attempt. 

When we reached our previous turn-around spot, we hoped that we would have what it would take to ...

continue the steep accent

across the boulder fields,

and over patches of snow.

Unfortunately, the higher we climbed, the thicker the cloud cover became until the ice field completely disappeared in a monochromatic white fog. But this, too, is the reality of the beauty of Alaska. 

So we smiled as we took our selfie because we knew that when we turned around, we had a nice four mile downhill hike to look forward to! We were also able to enjoy the unique wonders around us ...

like curious marmots,

colorful wildflowers,

and courageous (and slightly crazy) glacial rappellers.

At that point I checked, and I was quite relieved to find out that glacial rappelling is not one of Doug's bucket list items!

Kenai Fjords Boat Tour

Because much of  Kenai Fjords National Park is nestled between mountains and the ocean, one of the best ways to discover the beauty of this seaside paradise is by a boat tour. Several local companies offer wildlife and glacier viewing cruises, and we were grateful to have a mostly sunny day to enjoy the beauty of the area where the mountains, ice, and ocean meet. 

The naturalist on board filled us in on the science and history of this national park's glaciers and inhabitants. Over 190 species of birds can be found on the rocky cliffs of the fjords ...

including one of my favorites, the puffin!

She described the different types of glaciers that can be found in the park and how the ''health'' of these glaciers reflects the ''health'' of our planet.

Bear Glacier is a hanging glacier that is nestled high in the mountains. Despite its high and cold surroundings, its rate of retreat continues to increase each year.

Aialik Glacier is an example of a tidewater glacier in that its terminus flows into the ocean. Its loss of mass is visualized when chunks of ice break off the face of the glacier and float in the water. This process is called calving and while its pretty amazing to be able to get close enough to see the calving of the glacier, it also means that these icy giants are continuing to disappear.

By the time we heard the sound of the crashing ice, bits of the glacier had already fallen into the ocean. See if you can tell what section of the glacier calved in the following short clip.

Our guide also told us about the number of whales who call the waters of Alaska ''home'' for the summer including humpbacks, belugas, and orcas.

We were quite intrigued by how apparently unconcerned these stellar sea lions were with the pod of orcas hunting close to their shoreline hangout.

Never admitting defeat, this orca just gave them a flip of his tail before diving deeper for his seafood dinner.

Kenai Fjords National Park is truly a place where beauty is born from ice.

These rivers of moving ice create the ...

landscapes,

seascapes,

river valleys,

and wet,

frozen playgrounds

for all to enjoy!