So she got a couple of Red Salmon bagged in ice for our trip, for just five dollars apiece; and off we went.
We were planning to stop at Girdwood before we went to Anchorage to visit some friends. We had dinner with them last time at a Pizza place--if you recall. I figured on asking if we could fillet one of them and give them the other. I should have known better. Christopher had a place in his garage just for that, and he showed me how to do it fast. Lot more practice.
He had both fish done before I would have sharpened the knife. And to top it off, he froze the fish and would not accept the one we were going to give him. Had something like 30 of them in his freezer already. Funny thing, he lives in the little town, and we had to keep the garage door closed so the fish smell would not attract any bears. Thanks Christopher!
But I am getting ahead of myself. We have to travel from our campsite outside of Seward, North to Girdwood first. Here are some pictures of the scenery on on a good road through the very picturesque Chugach National Forest.
As you know, this is the middle of July but there is still lots of snow and ice up there on those hills. I think some of it never does leave. This time of year makes for nice viewing.
 | |||
| Waterwheel powered grindstone |
The sign reads "Moose Pass is a quiet, peaceful town so if you have an axe to grind, do it here".
This is Fireweed and Kenai Mountains, a bit of a contrast.
We parked the RV in Christopher and Mary's driveway in Girdwood overnight and while we went exploring. Also found nice views just walking around Girdwood.
These are meadows in the town of Girdwood showing the white Alaska Cotton in bloom. I will let My Dear Bride tell you about that:
Alaskan Cotton is a pretty wetland plant, used in dried arrangements. Christopher and I walked around town, and I collected some to take home. Sorry to say it mildewed, so I had to discard it when we got home.
This is Pauline showing off her Polar Bear coat to Mary in their front yard; good coat for Alaska--but not this time of the year.
Girdwood is just a short drive from Portage Glacier. There was a town called Portage but it disappeared in the 1964 Earthquake. Still looking for it. This is the Byron Glacier. It and Portage Glacier, and three others, at one time were one big glacier extending all the way down Portage Valley, some 14 miles--all the way to Turnabout Arm and beyond.
This is the ice flow on Byron Glacier; thick and blue. It used to be a Valley glacier but has become a hanging glacier with a name. They usually don't name hanging glaciers, unless they were valley or tidewater glaciers. There are so many hanging glaciers I could see the problem.
Portage Glacier coming down the hill and into Portage Bay.
This is where it is coming into the Bay. It stills goes a hundred feet into the Bay.
This is both Burns and Portage Glaciers from Begich, Boggs Visitor Center. Not to long ago you could see them both from here all the way into the bay. More information on this outstanding VC
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/chugach/recarea/?recid=71946
Portage Bay Panorama: At one time there were 5 glaciers reaching into the bay. Now only one still reaches the bay, and water from the other 4 are melting into the bay or the river.
This is Shakespeare Glacier, now a hanging glacier.
This is ice and water running off the icefield above the glaciers.
A closer look at Shakespeare Glacier and the waterfalls from it.
There were two different colors of water in the bay. The 'dirty' grey water is glacial melt and the blue water is from snow melt. If you are wondering why the glacial water is grey, take two pieces of rock, preferably grey flat, rub them together and then wipe the dust off the rocks. This silty "glacial flour" is what is ground down by the glaciers.
This is Explorer Glacier. Also above Portage Bay.
Burns Glacier coming down right beside Portage Glacier.
There are three USFS Campgrounds and a private one beside the Portage River which takes the water from the bay to Turnagain Arm. Between the Campgrounds and the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center is the trail called "Blue Ice Trail". It was a very nice trail and if we had the time we would have explored it a little more.
Raised walkways protect the environment.
It went near the other glacier, the
Middle Glacier.
The stream from the Middle Glacier. Just like the others it used to be all the way to the valley floor.
On the way back to Girdwood we saw these two moose in a field.
They paid no attention to us at all.
A little later we saw a Black Bear on a hill and watched it walk down and nudged another black bear who didn't like that to much.
He wandered off, found a nice spot and sat and looked around.
We were causing a jam so we had to move. Darn, I wanted to see what he or she would do next.
Saw another bear getting out of a pond, thought it was another Black Bear then discovered it was a Grizzly bear.
Wet Griz
My Dear Bride, looking over my shoulder has informed me that I should tell you all that we are at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center . Darn, I was having fun showing all these "wild" critters but I would have had a little trouble explaining the next one.
A Musk Ox
As Alaska's most popular visitor attraction the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center provides up-close wildlife viewing to thousands of visitors a year. They had caribou, elk, deer, bison, a lot of critters we have seen in the wild. They have a one wing eagle who has an outside visitor every day.
Here is that visitor again on another of it's favored perches.
We drove back to Girdwood, spent the evening with our friends and headed back to Anchorage again for our second visit there on the next day.
No comments:
Post a Comment