Alaska 2024: Roll 17 - Valdez to Worthington Glacier
We started the day off with an eventful run in Valdez. When we were running by one of the RV parks there was a woman shouting to us from in her little cabin. She had somehow locked herself in her bathroom and wasn't able to get out. It was still early in the morning so we had trouble finding someone at the front office that could help so we tried to get someone with a phone to call. On our way back from the run we passed the same lady, still in the bathroom, and tried again to get someone. This time we did connect with someone in the office who hustled over to help her out. Excitement.
This morning I started out with a roll of Kodak Vision 3 250D in the camera. I didn't feel that there was going to be enough light for the center filter to be on the camera too so that was stored in the bag for later when the sun came out.
One of the things we learned about Valdez was it gets some of the heaviest snowfall of any place in Alaska. It has to do with the temperature, moisture, and relation to the water. The hotel we stayed at, featured below, actually closes during the winter because the snow will get too deep for them to really function. I found that interesting, and a little scary.
On our way out of town we wanted to stop again at the salmon hatchery and see if there were some sea lions for us to watch. Along the way we came upon this scene across the marsh, which I thought would make for a nice picture. We weren't alone as another couple of cars decided to stop for quick pictures too.
The other side of the water we stopped but didn't see any sea lions in the morning. I guess they are late sleepers.
When you drive in and out of Valdez you are greeted with many waterfalls on either side of the road. During the winter these turn into long ice cascades that people climb. Because the previous day was gloomy and rainy when we passed them, we took the opportunity to stop for photos. As you can see, we weren't the only ones stopping.
There is even a small tunnel still visible just off the road that you can stop and explore. It is what remains of the old railroads that were built to try and get the copper from the mines to the water.
As we climbed up and over the mountains we came into the alpine areas where the trees turned into low shrubs and then disappeared completely. When we got out of the car we noticed that it had become very cold as we went higher.
We were impressed by these snow markers on the side of the road that gave you a sense of how high the show will pile up on the roads during the winter. I want to see winter in Alaska sometime.
We stopped again at Worthington Glacier to see if we were going to be able to walk out like we did back in 2015. The weather wasn't very nice and the glacier had receded further back which would make a hike pretty long. There were also several signs that said not to hike back there which were also good deterrence. We settled for some pictures where you can see the glacier in the distance.
I decided that this rock would add a bit more to the photo so I scooted back and framed it up to the left. I like how it worked out.
Today was another multi-roll day so we will continue on with another roll as we move around Alaska.