July 25 - In a Better Mood!

Thurs. July 24, Eagle Trail Rec. Site, near Tok, Alaska

What an eventful few days!  After my rant about Homer, Alaska has redeemed itself with more splendid weather, tons of wildlife, and spectacular scenery.  We hit the coast again in the beginning of fjord country at Seward, a pretty fishing town set amongst a backdrop of steep rocky peaks draped with blue-white glaciers.  The fishing is all on the ocean, so no ugly hand to hand combat on the shore, and the fish boats are in fact quite picturesque.  On a whim we boarded a scenic boat cruise and spent a relaxing afternoon in the sun gawking at sea otters, whales, kittiwakes, and tide-water glaciers.  The geology is stunning!  That wasn't active enough for Norbert, so he spent the next morning hiking up Seward's version of the Grouse  Grind -  three hours of arduous steep hiking over roots, boulders, scree and cliffs.  I had a latte and a waterfront stroll!

We decided to splurge on a ferry in order to shorten our driving to the east, so we zipped around a few mountains and down to Whittier at the head of another fjord for the six hour ferry trip to Valdez.  These coastal towns have had their trials.  In 1964 the largest earthquake ever recorded in NA (9.2) shook the area for five minutes, then sent a series of tsunamis up to 90 feet high up all the fjords, destroying everything onshore.  One native village lost every child (they were all playing on the beach while awaiting the Friday night film in the community centre).  Seward's entire waterfront collapsed into the sea and a freighter was thrown up onto the fleeing people.  Valdez is now situated four miles away from the ruined town where only foundations remain.  Many buildings that survived were moved intact when the town was relocated.  

In 1989 man-made disaster took another heavy toll when the Exxon Valdez went aground as it left Valdez inlet.  We were horrified by the displays and films that reveal the extent of incompetence, greed, denial and stupidity that compounded the initial damage caused by the captain's negligence.  Eleven thousand gallons of heavy crude oil was swept 200 miles along the coast, killing millions of fish, birds and marine mammals.  The entire herring fishery has never returned, many sea bird species are still recovering, the oil is still present in beach sand and rocky crevasses, and the health of the all marine fisheries is in doubt.  Twenty two resident orcas died in the first year, and the population has not recovered.  The visuals of oil covered bodies don't begin to do justice to the horror of this picture.  If you were ever in doubt about shipping oil off the BC coast, here is a salient lesson.  

Despite these incidents, the ocean here is still amazingly abundant.  We had been surprised at how many fish we'd seen jumping while out on the water, and the explanation came in Valdez at the fish hatchery.  The community supports the production of a vast fishery by artificially rearing literally gazillions of salmon - each year they release 230 million pink, 18 million chum, and 2 million coho.  We went to see the hatchery, partly because there were photos all over town of a momma grizzly and her four cubs who frequent the area.  We were completely captivated by the wildlife show - millions of salmon thrashing along the shore attract quite a crowd!  Sea otters were enjoying their salmon dinners on their laps (they reminded me of the 60's when we had TV dinners on trays).  Seals flapped frantically as they hunted.  Sea lions burst from the water to shake their salmon dinner to death with a thrash of their gigantic heads.  Bald eagles dove, claws extended.  And best of all, the bear family wandered along the shore, caught a dozen fish for dinner in a few mighty swats, and then leisurely crossed the road back into the bush!  

So, with all that to enjoy, we now have some very positive memories to take home from Alaska.  We're headed back into Canada tomorrow, and will spend the next week in Kluane National Park.  I'm really looking forward to the Yukon again - great campsites, nice people, and we can fish again!

Posted July 26 Beaver Creek, Yukon!!!!!

Mount Marathon trail in Seward.  If you use a microscope, you can see Norbert's white shirt on the very peak!

The Whittier tunnel.  It goes under a mountain, so looks like a hard rock mine.  Single lane traffic, alternating directions every half hour, unless there's a train, in which case it takes precedence.

Ferry view on the way to Valdez.  Icebergs are calving from the glaciers!

Valdez dock - what a setting!

Salmon fighting for access to the spawning stream outside the hatchery weir.  The water was just alive with them all.



The hatchery, with momma bear and three of her four cubs coming down from the brush on the point.  Momma is still up in the gazebo, cubs on the foreshore.  Sealions and sea otters in the water with the salmon!