Destination Circle: Day 21

June 3, 2016

Sunshine!

I half-heartedly looked for an oil change place in the morning but ended up at Kaladi Coffee instead and then parked downtown and went to a federal building which houses the Alaska Center for Public Lands While I knew a lot of this state belongs to you and me, in fact 85% of it does: Bureau of Land Management, National Parks and Preserves, Fish and Wildlife Service (who administer the National Wildlife Refuges) and the Forest Service. 

FYI: There are 16 NWRs in Alaska totaling 76,000,000 acres! 

Entrance into this building was at least as thorough as airport security checks. I didn't have anything in my pockets and I didn't have a belt on, but my purse has some questionable items, although I passed with no questions.

I asked an employee if he knew about the “road between Chicken, Alaska, and Dawson in Yukon Territory,” and he said “No, I've never been there.” So I asked if anyone in this place knew, and he disapperaed for awhile into an inner office, came out and said, “It's gravel with caution for motorcycles.” Well, that was helpful.... I still have this Yukon River hankering going on in my mind and am beginning to formulate an alternative (to Circle) plan. 

Worthington Glacier (I think) on the way to Valdez

OK....one more coastal town to visit: Valdez...famous Valdez of earthquake and oil spill disasters. 

Alaska Dispatch News:

"Fifty years ago, North America's most powerful recorded earthquake struck Alaska. With an epicenter in Prince William Sound, the magnitude-9.2 earthquake demolished communities in the state's most populous region, created numerous killer tsunami waves, and resulted in 131 deaths, including some as far away as California. The catastrophic quake is today considered a scientific "black swan," an extremely rare, unpredictable and disastrous event. Twenty-five years later, also in Prince William Sound, came another "black swan," a disaster that officials had assured would not happen except possibly once in a century: the Exxon Valdez oil spill."

en.wikipedia.org

"In Prince William Sound, Port Valdez suffered a massive underwater landslide, resulting in the deaths of 30 people between the collapse of the Valdez city harbor and docks, and inside the ship that was docked there at the time."

There are not enough superlatives to describe the scenery on the way to Valdez. The sun was out; the mountains were incredible; rivers were running high, and there were several lovely waterfalls in Keystone Canyon just north of Valdez. 

road to Valdez

On the way, I stopped at the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Visitor Center, which a has separate building for exhibits and also a Native Interpretative museum. These are in a setting of  Quaking Aspen and White Spruce, utterly beautiful and peaceful. The aspens are infected (though not mortally) by an aspen leaf miner which stunts the leaf size. Their trails through the leaves are easily seen. The ranger assured me the aspens were not endangered although the infestation is slowly spreading.

Horsetail Falls just north of Valdez

On the desk was a basket of lovely wooden and very realistically painted reproductions of birds' eggs that I coveted. Someone could make these and sell them to the gift shops in all the park and refuge visitor centers. I would buy them in a flash. 

So, still stunned by the beauty I'd seen, I arrived in Valdez which is a mecca for those who love to fish. There were far fewer touristy shops...in fact, barely any, except some bars and restaurants along the harbor. I ate at Mike's Palace and had delicious salmon baked on a thin piece of cedar and a modest portion of tiramisu for dessert. A food channel was on the TV mounted on the wall. I think the proprietor was Russian and prided himself on serving above-average food. He and another dark-haired ESL gentleman were constantly overseeing the action and checking on the customers. Even the veggie side was perfectly prepared and flavored: a mix of broccoli, carrots and redskin potatoes. 

I stayed in the Eagle's Nest Campground in a tent site for $30. Everything about this place was efficient, quiet and very clean, including the bathrooms. Again, I did not set up my tent and when I woke to rain in the night, all I had to do was pull the little rear window closed and snuggle back into my cozy sleeping bag. 

Valdez Harbor

The next morning, the young guy next to me was working hard to get a fire going with his damp wood, fanning it vigorously and adding paper towels in quantity. He and his lady had slept in a tent as they were driving a small sedan. 

As I checked in, a middle-aged woman arrived at the same time and immediately requested a secluded spot, complaining that "they often stick me between two huge rigs...." She was from Arcata, California, and had a newer RoadTrek, lucky lady. These Class B campers are totally self-contained, small enough to handle easily and cost $100K or more. 

Halibut fishing derby update in Valdez