Valdez 07 25 2013 Going to n from

Ever place that we went had different and wonderful thing to see.  We came around a corner and saw muddy looking stream, patched of grass in the water that looked like little island that were floating.   Survey crew that we need did find.  Water that had so much rock settlement in it that looked like you could walk across to the other side.  Mountain that was more beautiful than the last ones.    We were so high some time that we were inside some of the clouds with rain, snow and flog so thick that you could not see 20 feet in front of the coach and then around the bend there was the sun.   One bend we came around we found the friend that we left in Homer.  They were sitting by their truck talking on the phone.   We saw a glacier so close to the road that you could walk to it (it sure was big).  We found poles along the road and thought that they were odd looking street light out in the middle of nowhere until we found out that they were for plowing the snow from the road.  They had to be as high as some of street light just so that plow truck could judge were the road should have been.  The picture of the waterfalls doesn’t come with sound so they are not as enjoyable as in person, but as least you can see has pretty they are.    

Matanuska River with a very steep eroding cliff.     

Matanuska River   

Pinnacle Mountain by Matanuska River   

Talkeentna Mountains    

We pick up the friends that we meet in Homer, Jack is towing their boat with the coach.  Tammy and Barb are in the car.  The truck got towed (only around 250 miles) to Valdez.

Wrangell-St Elias is the largest National Park in all the National Park System 

Great view of the Matanuska River and Chugach Mountains       

Going down to Matanuska Glacier, that is snow not water in the pic.  The glacier is about 27 miles long and is from 2 to 4 miles wide.   

Yes, it is snowing in July! !    

We were lucky to see Nelchina Glacier.

Some mountains had a fine gray power.     

Some mountain just a great shades of tans.   

Wrangell Mountains    

Pippin Lake and valley.  This area is covered with moose ponds that were also home to beavers.   

 

Bent poles along highway are snow poles to guide snow plows during winter.  I would hate to be here when the snow plows need poles that high to guide them through the snow!

Elementary School.    

Most of the river are great for some type of fish – Dolly Varden, Grayling or rainbows.   

A rainbow from the weather in Thompson Pass. 

 

Thompson Pass up ahead. 

Thompson Pass has the record for snow fall.  In 1952-53 there was 974.5 inches of snow (no not a miss print – just 81.2 feet).  298 inches of snow in the month of February 1953 and 62 inches for a 24-hour period in December 1955. 

Rain this time.   

Just 2 minutes later and it is snowing.

Just 18 miles from Valdez and we see Gates for road closures.  Sure glad they are open in July 25^th.   

This is not flog, it is a clouds.   We are still high up and we just came down a 7.5 mile climb from Thompson Pass.  It was pretty steep.     

Snow again.   

Worthington Glacier for the next few pic. 

 

27 Mile Glacier (I think they started to run out of people to name the glacier after).    

 

Hudleston Falls      

Bridal Veil Falls     

Had trouble taken some pictures of thing on the way in, so the next few pic were taken on 8/2/13 as we were leaving Valdez.  Lowe River emerges from Keystone Canyon.      

The Worthington Glaciers from a different angle.    

Jack is towing the boat to Gennallen.  Jack convinced Jim that he should not tow the boat until the new transmission had a chance to break in. [ If I turn right I can have a realy great boat. ] 

The glacier sure does look big from this angle.