Inching Our Way Down the Kenai Peninsula

We took our time leaving Wasilla on Tuesday morning, but we eventually made our way through Anchorage and on towards the Kenai Peninsula.  The Seward Highway, which connects Anchorage and Seward, runs along the Turnagain Arm on one side and the Chugach Mountains on the other.  This highway has been designated as both a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, and many people consider it to be the most scenic drive in the entire United States.  They might be right.

Turnagain Arm is a fjord that extends to the Gulf of Alaska and is characterized by the second highest tides in North America.  Although the tide was out during our drive, it was still interesting to see the vast mud flats.  Dramatic clouds and clear blue skies provided a spectacular backdrop to the mountain peaks.  The scenery was sublime, but the heavy traffic did keep Tim’s eyes on the road, not on the magnificent views.  It was tempting to stop at every turnout, but we restricted ourselves to just a few.  Maybe on the way back, we’ll take more time.

Gorgeous Scenery Along Turnagain Arm

The High Tide Will Cover these Mud Flats

Driving Along the Shores of Turnagain Arm 

It's Tempting to Stop at Every Turnout

We had thought we would make it to Seward, but our slow start and multiple stops had us rethinking this plan by mid-afternoon.  I had heard great reports about a U.S. Forest Service campground near Portage Glacier, so we decided to see if a site might be available for the evening.  As we turned onto Portage Glacier Road that leads towards Whittier, we also kept our eyes open for possible boondock locations in case there was no availability at the campground.

We drove into Williwaw Campground and were surprised to see quite a few open sites.  It is a beautiful campground, and it would be a great place to spend a day or two or more.  However, I kept thinking about a spot that we had passed that was directly on Portage Creek.  So, Tim and I looked at each other and decided to turn around and see if that boondock site would work for us.

With a good deal of anticipation, we pulled into the turnout, which was virtually hidden from the road by vegetation, and found a wide open space along the creek.  One RV was set up at the east end, but there was lots of room, so we claimed the other end.  We found a place where we could level the RV and settled in for the evening.  We had a beautiful view of the creek and surrounding mountains.  It was a peaceful and lovely place to spend the afternoon and evening.

A Perfect Stop Along Portage Creek

While we were on the road, I had received a telephone call from one of my best friends who told me that she had just been diagnosed with acute leukemia.  The news left me dumbfounded.  These things are not supposed to happen to the people we love.  It doesn’t make matters any easier to know that I am so far away.  I don’t ever remember feeling so helpless.  Spending the afternoon and evening at a peaceful and lovely boondock site was just what I needed to try and process this awful news.

I think I have fallen in love with this whole boondocking thing, at least the Alaska version.  When I first started reading about traveling to Alaska by RV, boondocking was a favorite topic among RVers.  The idea of camping in a beautiful setting, not in the midst of dozens of other RVs, appealed to me.

For me, boondocking in Alaska is not just about camping for free.  That’s certainly nice, but not the major draw.  It’s finding scenic spots and enjoying the natural beauty of the state.  There’s also a bit of adventure involved, and that also can be exciting.  It’s also fun to try and find those special sites.  I know we won’t boondock every night.  Many public campgrounds offer similar experiences, and we will look for those as well.  We will also stay in commercial campgrounds from time to time to take advantage of the amenities that they offer.  I think it’s fun to mix things up a bit.

After a quiet night and leisurely morning, we decided to explore a little bit of the Portage Valley before heading to Seward.  Our first stop was the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, which sits on Portage Lake in front of the rapidly-receding Portage Glacier.  The exhibits and award-winning film offers a glimpse into the natural history of Chugach National Forest and make the center a worthwhile stop. 

Portage Glacier Spills into Portage Lake

After a picnic lunch it was time to rejoin the Seward Highway, where we began our ascent toward Turnagain Pass.  From here to Seward the highway passes through dense spruce and hemlock forests, peaceful mountain meadows and soggy muskegs.  The views of the mountains, canyons, lakes and rivers kept getting better and better, and all I can say to describe the drive is “Wow!”  We didn’t even mind the construction delays as the slower speeds enabled us to spend more time gazing at the splendid views.

Climbing into the Mountains on the Seward Highway

Clouds Add to the Drama

It was mid-afternoon when we finally reached Seward.  I’m still not sure why it takes us so long to drive just over 100 miles.  Every drive in Alaska seems to take twice as long as we’re used to.  We put off driving into town and detoured towards Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park since that afternoon was forecast to be the last rain-free day for a while.

Kenai Fjords National Park is primarily comprised of ice and water, and Exit Glacier is the only section of the park accessible by road.  This seemed to be a good place to hike very close to a glacier.  After checking out the exhibits at the ranger station, we were dismayed to see that rain was imminent.  We don’t like to hike in the rain, so we decided to go only as far as the glacier view. 

After we reached the viewpoint, the rain stopped, so we decided to continue and walked out across the rocky, outwash plain in an attempt to get to the toe of the glacier.  The water stopped us before we could see the toe, but we still had a great view.  Since we had gone that far, it seemed the thing to do to climb to the edge of the glacier.  The rocks were a bit slippery on the trail, but getting so close to the glacier was definitely worth it.  We were able to spend quite a bit of time just admiring the view before others joined us.  We may not have planned to hike as far as we did, but I’m so glad we did.  Next time, however, when Tim says we’re only hiking a nature trail, I’m going to put on my hiking boots and carry water.  We never know where we might end up!

Exit Creek Spills from Exit Glacier

That's As Close As We Could Get to Exit Glacier

Sarah's Turn

Now, Tim's Turn

Looking Across the Outwash Plain from Exit Glacier

On the way to Exit Glacier, we had passed several huge turnouts along the river and decided to boondock there for the night.  We knew it was going to rain, so an asphalt surface seemed to be a much better option than dirt (think mud).  The view out the windows was beautiful, and we enjoyed a pleasant evening.  The rain even lulled us to sleep.

The View from Our Boondock Spot

The Scenic Route to Anchorage

When our time in Valdez was over, we made our way north on the Richardson Highway.  There is only road in and out of Valdez, but it’s a beautiful one.  We drove through Keystone Canyon, up over Thompson Pass where it started to rain and past Worthington Glacier.  The weather was mostly good, but I’m grateful that we had an even prettier day on our way to Valdez.

Clouds on the Richardson Highway

After 120 miles, we turned west on the Glenn Highway on our way towards Anchorage.  Not long after stopping for a tasty refreshment in Glennallen, we passed an accident that had involved an Alaskan State Trooper and another car.  For some reason that was an unsettling sight to me.  I’m used to accidents in the Lower 48, but this is the first one we’ve seen in Alaska.

There was a lot of traffic on the Glenn Highway, much of it in a hurry, with many cars passing one another on the two-land road.  It was Friday afternoon, and we were beginning to encounter folks from Anchorage who were heading towards fishing spots on the Copper River.  On top of everything, it was also raining a bit.  All of this added up to less-than-desirable conditions for driving.

Tim did not seem to be bothered by the traffic, but I suggested that we might consider stopping for the evening sooner rather than later.  We had previously decided to find a boondock site for the night since we were not planning to drive all the way to Anchorage.  Since this would just be an overnight stop, we didn’t feel like looking for a special boondock site.  Instead, we pulled over at one of the many roadside turnouts and called it a night.  It was nice to be off the highway. 

Roadside turnouts are a popular place for RVers to spend the night.  If you drive later in the evening, it is common to see RVs lined up in pullouts along the highways.  Unless there is a sign prohibiting overnight parking, it is perfectly legal to camp this way.  Although we don’t intend to make a habit of this type of boondocking, it is certainly a convenient option.  Yes, there was road noise, but the traffic died down later in the evening and we slept soundly.

Serendipity must have played a part in our decision to overnight where we did.  In the morning we were able to witness a part of the Fireweed, The Race Across Alaska.  This is the longest and largest bicycle race in Alaska, and it travels across the Glenn and Richardson Highways.  There are also shorter versions of this 400-mile race, and we enjoyed passing many of these bikers and cheering them on.  Tim was able to talk with several of the racers as they took a break near our RV.

Riding through Early Morning Showers

Time for a Break

The Bicyclists Added an Interesting Element to the Scenic Views

The Glenn Highway is another gorgeous drive, and it has been designated as a National Scenic Byway.  We are finding that each scenic drive in Alaska is more stunning than the next.  Soon after we hit the road, the early morning rain had stopped, and we were able to get a clear view of the mountains and glaciers.  The Glenn Highway parallels the Chugach Mountains along a path that was carved by glaciers.  We caught glimpses of the Tazlina, Nelchina and Matanuska glaciers and then followed the Matanuska River as it made its way towards the sea.  

The Nelchina Glacier at the Summit of the Glenn Highway

Because of its proximity to Anchorage, the Glenn Highway is a well-traveled route, and we encountered more traffic than we had seen since arriving in Alaska.  The traffic, however, did not take away from the spectacular scenery.  At one of the turnouts where we stopped to admire the view, a woman from Homer was also in awe of what she was seeing.  She mentioned to me that she had driven the road on many occasions but found this day to be one of the best.  We also felt very fortunate to travel the highway on such a beautiful day.

Mountain Lakes along the Chugach Mountains

Hills of Fireweed

It Takes a Long Time to Get to Anchorage When You Stop at Every Viewpoint

Dramatic Mountain Views

Following the Matanuska River

Our destination for the weekend was Wasilla, just north of Anchorage, to restock the RV, get a haircut and take care of errands.  We found a Walgreens to fill prescriptions, as well as the first Target since leaving the Lower 48.  I must say it was very odd to be back in a suburban area with lots of chain stores.  It took a bit of getting used to.  Oh, right, there are these things called traffic lights.  The stores certainly came in handy, however, and we took advantage of their proximity.

Our plan was to stay at a nearby private campground for the weekend, but it was full on Saturday night.  Therefore, we decided to look for a public campground or boondock spot and wait until Sunday to check into the campground.

We drove through the nearby Lake Lucille Park, but it was not maintained, and I felt a bit uneasy there.  We then found a perfect spot just a few miles down the road right on Knik Lake.  Thanks to the book Traveler’s Guide to Alaskan Camping by Mike and Terri Church, we discovered that the Knik Bar allows overnight camping.  When we traveled in the Lower 48, we typically used various iPad apps to locate campgrounds.  Before we left for Alaska, we had taken the advice that RVers should purchase the Church book since it is so comprehensive.  We would have to agree, plus it is handy when our apps are not working.  The book also includes many sites, like the Knik Bar, that are included in no other guide, so we’ve been very happy to have this resource.

There was no charge for camping at the Knik Bar – it was just suggested that we purchase food or drinks.  We ordered a pizza, which was surprisingly good.  We had a nice time chatting with the owner’s family members who were having a cookout.  When we retired to the RV, we congratulated ourselves for scoring another lakefront site.

Nice Site along the Knik Lake

Knik Lake was beautiful, and I opened our sliding door to photograph the lake on several occasions throughout the evening.  What I didn’t realize was that Kitty used one of those opportunities to sneak outside.  When I finally discovered that she was not in the RV, more than an hour had elapsed.  Panic struck, and I was frantic.  Kitty only goes outside on a leash, and I had no idea where she might have wandered off to. 

I Never Imagined that this Innocent Kitty Would Become an Escaped Felon

Maybe Kitty Just Wanted to Go Outside to Admire this View of Knik Lake

By this time it was 11:00 pm, but luckily it was still light outside.  I ran over to the grassy area where we had walked her earlier, but I couldn’t find her.  Tim went in the opposite direction and happened to spot her in the distance.  He called to her, and she slowly came to us.  What a relief! I had been so scared that I had lost the cat!  I guess I won’t be taking photographs through the open door anytime soon.

The next day we checked into the Big Bear RV Park and Campground on the recommendation of fellow Alaska travelers.  It was a good choice.  The rates were much more reasonable than many we had looked at, and the facilities were very nice.  This was a perfect place to catch up on laundry, defrost the refrigerator and take care of other chores that go hand-in-hand with living – in an RV or not.

Tomorrow, we head down to the Kenai Peninsula.  We are really looking forward to exploring this part of the state.

Cruising in Prince William Sound

Getting out on the water is a great way to spend a day in Alaska, so Tim and I made a reservation for a glacier and wildlife tour in Prince William Sound.  Several companies in Valdez offer similar tours to different glaciers, but we selected the Columbia Glacier tour with Stan Stephens Cruises.

It was an easy choice for us since we had a two-for-one coupon for this particular cruise.  I’ve written before about the Alaska TourSaver book and the money it has saved us.  This time it was $125.  I have no doubt that all of the companies and tours are great.  Perhaps the longer ones are even better.  Our cruise ended up being the best choice for us, however, and not only because of the savings.

Thursday morning started out foggy and cloudy, but with a promise of clearing by early afternoon.  We boarded the catamaran Valdez Spirit for our 11:00 am sailing and were pleased when we saw that the boat was not full.  There were lots of places to sit, as well as lots of room along the railings.  There was no need to peer over someone’s head to try and take that perfect photograph.

Fog over the Mountains As We Sailed Out of the Valdez Harbor

The Valdez Spirit - It Was Nice and Sunny When We Returned to the Harbor

It takes a while to get from Valdez to the Columbia Glacier, so the captain found other things to hold our interest.  We cruised near several waterfalls as we made our way toward Valdez Narrows and more open water.  We found Prince William Sound crowded with almost 200 commercial fishing boats, and we learned a little more about the way in which these boats catch salmon.

Out for a Day of Fishing

Hoping for a Good Catch

The process used in Prince William Sound is called purse seining.  This involves two boats that surround the salmon with a net supported by floats.  Once the fish have been encircled, the net is drawn or “pursed” so it is closed from the bottom.  A power block on the fishing boat is then used to haul in the net.  Not until the net is pulled out of the water do the fishermen know how many, if any, fish have been caught.  We sat and watched two different boats haul in their nets, and both seemed to be full of salmon.  A good catch.

Two Boats Are Necessary for Purse Seining

Beginning to Haul in the Net

Yes, That Was a Good One

A Successful Haul on Another Boat

We also learned the role of tender boats that enable fishing boats to stay out on the water even after their boats are full of fish.  Tenders buy the fish, load the fish onto the tender boat and transport the fish to the nearest fish processing plant.  The fishing boat can then continue to catch more fish.  It’s a very efficient system.  I thought the whole process was fascinating, and I’m glad that commercial fishing was covered on the tour.  It’s such an important aspect of life in Alaska.

Tender Boats Allow the Fishing Boats to Stay Out Longer

Before too long, we reached Columbia Sound where we began to see ice in the water ahead.  The skies were starting to clear up, just in time for our arrival at Columbia Glacier.  Columbia Glacier is the second largest tidewater glacier in North America and the largest in Prince William Sound.  As we made our way into the bay past several icy blue ice bergs, we saw what looked like a large glacier in the distance.  The captain informed us, however, that the best was yet to come.  This was only the west branch of the larger glacier. 

Ice Bergs Came in All Shapes and Sizes

As we rounded a corner, the most massive glacier I’ve ever seen came into view.  Columbia Glacier is a sight to behold.  This glacier is huge.  I literally had to turn my head around to grasp the breadth of the glacier – it was that long.  And blue.  Another gorgeous tidewater glacier.  I don’t think I will ever tire of gazing at them.

 

The Face of Columbia Glacier Is Longer than You Can See in this Photo

What a Glorious Sight

Columbia Glacier is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world and one of the few tidewater glaciers that did not begin its retreat until recently.  Since 1980, however, the glacier has been in a “catastrophic” retreat and has moved back 13 miles.  It is now comprised of three separate glaciers, and soon the two smaller  branches will get their own names.

The captain was able to maneuver the boat to within one-quarter mile of the face of the glacier, closer than I can ever remember getting to any tidewater glacier.  We sat there for quite some time and just stared.  Alas, there wasn’t much calving, but it was still an awesome experience.

So Close, We Could Almost Touch It

A Wall of Ice

Blue Reflections

Dress Warmly for a Stop at a Glacier

The West Branch Is on the Left

Time to Leave

Over the course of the day we also saw a lot of marine wildlife, and the captain did his best to seek out the mammals of Prince William Sound.  We saw a few humpback whales, but no orcas, and not a single one decided to breach in front of us.  A mother whale and her calf were really cute, however, and they stayed with us for a few minutes. 

Of course, my favorite critter was the sea otter, and we saw more on this cruise than in the past.  We were close enough to see quite a few of them resting on some ice bergs and then dive into the water.  They just floated and stared back at us.  Too cute!  A group of stellar sea lions and several Dall’s porpoises rounded out our sightings.

Sea Otters On the Ice

What Are You Looking At?

I Know that I'm Cute

Although this was not our first glacier cruise, it was still just as exciting, and it offered a few different twists than the one we took in Glacier Bay.  Although there was no National Park Service ranger on board here, we were impressed with the captain’s commentary.  He was extremely knowledgeable and provided very good explanations of what we were seeing.

After docking in Valdez, Tim and I returned to our “home” on Robe Lake.  Although our “prime” site was taken, that was ok.  We pulled in nearby and spent one last night at the lake before heading north the next morning.

A Visit to Valdez

After a peaceful night at the Chitina airstrip, we awoke to the sound of a plane landing.  Tim went outside and greeted Bill, our pilot from the previous day.  All was quite again as the plane took off to McCarthy with a full load of passengers.

When Tim and I had arrived at the airstrip, we noticed several fish wheels in the Copper River, so we walked down to take a look.  I had never seen one up close, except for the traditional one at the visitor center at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.  Every summer Alaska residents may obtain permits to operate fish wheels, and the Copper River is a prime location to see them in action.  Fish wheels and dip netting are subsistence programs to help people feed their families.  No salmon were snared in the wheel while we were there, but the process was interesting to watch.

Traditional and Contemporary Fish Wheels

Next up was a drive to the small town of Chitina, where we stopped at the National Park ranger station.  Here we had the most interesting chat with Ranger Earl.  Earl has lived in the area for over 30 years and has some amazing stories that he can tell.  He witnessed the creation of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in 1980 and the intense opposition on the part of local residents who felt their lifestyle was being taken away from them.  Things have cooled since then, and Alaskans still retain ownership of their private property in the park.  Unlike older national parks in the Lower 48, these properties will always remain in private hands unless the owners choose to sell to the National Park Service.  Earl is a great resource for the National Park Service, and it was a privilege to spend time with him.

Our other stop was the Hotel Chitina, where we had the second best meal since leaving Haines.  I had been a bit hesitant to order the salmon cakes, but I’m glad I did.  They were delicious.  

Downtown Chitina

Although we had no plans to drive the McCarthy Road from Chitina to McCarthy, we did want to cross the bridge over the Copper River to see if any fishermen were still there.  The riverbank was still quite active, and we saw more fish wheels, as well as people using dip nets.  I’m really glad we waited until Sunday to go down there, however.  The rest of the weekend was said to be nuts!

More Fish Wheels on the Copper River

I really loved our time in Chitina, McCarthy and Kennecott, and I feel that we were able to experience a bit more of the “real” Alaska.  We encountered almost no tourists from outside the state, and this was certainly different than our time in Southeast Alaska. 

We had originally decided to spend one more night in the area, possibly at Kenny Lake, before making our way to Valdez.  As we were driving back on the Edgerton Road, I mentioned to Tim that we might want to think about driving to Valdez that day.  I’m always open to changing my mind, but Tim thinks I’m nuts.  Why the sudden change?  The weather was beautiful, we would have a guaranteed view of the gorgeous scenery along the way and it was still early in the afternoon.  After a bit of hesitation, he agreed and we were off.

There are a lot of scenic highways in Alaska, but the Richardson Highway has to be one of the prettiest.  The road took us through the Chugach Mountains, next to deep blue lakes and up close to the Worthington Glacier before cresting at Thompson Pass.  We caught glimpses of the trans-Alaska pipeline and made our way through Keystone Canyon where we saw cascading waterfalls before arriving in Valdez.  We could not have asked for more perfect weather for making this drive.

Traveling the Richardson Highway to Valdez

Following the Tonsina River

Spotting Worthington Glacier above the Highway

Lining Up to Enjoy the View of Worthington Glacier

Descending from Thompson Pass

Passing by Blueberry Lake

Passing through Keystone Canyon

Admiring Bridal Veil Falls

Valdez is an interesting town that has been struck by tragedy on at least two occasions.  The 1964 earthquake decimated the town and forced it to be relocated four miles away, while the Exxon Valdez oil spill created an environmental disaster in the adjacent waters of Prince William Sound.  Valdez is a pleasant town in a beautiful setting, and it’s especially nice when the sun is out.  That doesn’t happen too often, so we were grateful for a sunny day to explore the town.

We walked along the harbor, watched a boat as it was being lifted out of the water and had a delicious salmon roll at The Roadside Potatohead.  We drove out to Allison Point where we observed fishermen reeling in large salmon and spent an hour or so at the very informative Valdez Museum.

Enjoying a Walk along the Beautiful Small Boat Harbor

Getting a Lift

Fishing Near Allison Point

As much as we enjoyed spending time in town, what we really craved was some downtime.  We had been moving every night since leaving Haines, and we were growing weary.  After one night at the very-crowded Eagle’s Rest RV Park, we decided to check out a possible boondock location.  Several years ago I had read about a scenic spot at Robe Lake just outside of town, and that’s where we went.  It was everything we were looking for.

From This . . .

To This!  (And, It's Free!)

To say that our spot on Robe Lake was just about perfect is an understatement.  The lake is beautiful, it is surrounded by mountains, and it has a solid Verizon 3G signal.  We pulled in so I would have a panoramic view of the lake from my front seat, and we decided to stay for at least three nights.  Rain was in the forecast, but we didn’t care.  

Our site was not exactly quiet during the day and early evening, but that actually turned out to be ok.  Two seaplanes were tied up on the lake, and I loved watching them take off and land.  Kayakers and a few boaters came by to enjoy time on the lake, and it was also fun to watch them.  A truck camper pulled in each night, and we shared tips with the couple from Belgium.  

Different Moods at Robe Lake - Sunny

Foggy and Rainy

A Bit Cloudy

Our View Included the Other End of the Lake, Which Was Just as Gorgeous

I made a point of talking with many of the people who stopped by, all of whom were Alaskans.  One gentleman has lived in Valdez for 30+ years and operates the orange aquatic weed cutting machine that is parked in the lake.  Two pilots were here to spot fish for a group of commercial fishermen, while several others were in town to work for the oil company.  Families from Fairbanks were here for a vacation.  All had a story to tell, and we learned quite a bit about the various lifestyles of this amazing state.

We didn’t leave Robe Lake for two days.  Our respite here was just what the doctor ordered.  We’re ready now to do a bit more sightseeing, and next up is a glacier and wildlife cruise in Prince William Sound.  It should be fun.