Day 121, Wasilla – Valdez 264miles, 4/8/17 2

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We set an alarm to get going at a reasonable hour, emerged reluctantly from our nest in Jeanines motor home and began packing our things and preparing to leave our little’base’. This time we had to take the tires also, can’t forget those! Hugs and goodbyes with Jeanine, we were so lucky for their amazing hopsitality, but it was time to get going. We left around 1045, fueled up at hit the well maintained ‘Glenn Highway’ towards Tok. It was a beautiful drive winding past high mountains, braided rivers, forests, and after a time, glaciers. One was very long stretching far out along the valley floor, while most merely clung to the mountain tops. Lucky for the us the weather was overcast, no rain like the forecast predicted.

Scenic snack stop near the Manatuska Glacier

Next snack stop by the Wrangell Mountains, Wrangell-St Elias NP

We had a long days drive today(264miles), so we only had a short stop in Gennhallen town to pick up some more road snacks and carry on. This was where the junction was; the road forked south past the Wrangell-St Elias National Park, the largest in Alaska. Still a couple hours drive to Valdez from there, a full days’ ride today. The road carried on through lush green valleys, but as we neared the coast the scenery got more dramatic. We past several glaciers much closer to the road, drove a mountain pass in the clouds, a few construction zones then through the steep Keystone Canyon which had beautiful waterfalls cascading down. A lot like Milford Sound in NZ. They provided a welcome rest stop to stretch our backs and snap some pictures.

Bridal Veil Falls, Keystone Canyon

 We arrived on the flat valley floor at the entrance of Valdez at around 6pm. We drove through town, looking for the rivermouth which our Aussie friends had told us they had seen bears and sea lions feeding on huge amounts of spawning salmon. After checking google maps it turns out it was on the other side of the bay, 20min away. Also the side where the famous Valdez pipeline finished, which we had followed for 100’s of miles now. We rode over and parked by the Solomon Gulch Hatchery, and sure enough the small river mouth was absolutely jam-packed with hundreds and hundreds of salmon, trying desperately to pass a ‘fish wier’ stopping them from going up the river. After reading some signs and walking the path through the hatchery, we learned the fish were artificially spawned and raised at that hatchery, and the process of which a small portion of fish climb back up the fish ladder to spawn again for next years batch. The fish wier stopped them from clogging up the short river that had a steep waterfall just across the road. Not ideal for the poor guys. I spied a sea lion with wriggling salmon in its jaws; we watched two of them on a very easy hunt through the salmon for awhile. Otter were also popping up around the shore. And of course, lots of gulls. Really cool spot. The sun came out, we decided to drive to the end of the road which wasn’t far before the pipeline terminals border. 

Arrival in Valdez


Salmon trying to jump past the fish weir

We sat on the beach watching the fisherman and seal lions fish, whilst finding a place to eat that was still open in town. Had a yummy (and expensive) dinner at a restaurant in the small town, then pitched a tent at Glacier View Campground, had a shower and put some extra layers on as it is cold and damp by the ocean!

–Zoe

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2 thoughts on “Day 121, Wasilla – Valdez 264miles, 4/8/17”

  • Reply ↓
    smeyers danielle

    Magnificent waterfall and interesting views during breakfast !
    Have a nice day tomorrow and see you soon in your blog 😉
    XX Mum