Well, it is time to head back to the Lower 48
We hit the road
Fall is in full swing
Heading to The Glenn Highway towards Valdez and go past the Turnagain Arm one last time
Our first rest stop is for a short hike to Thunderbird Falls
Tucson leads the way
Fall colors abound
Almost there!
and there they are!
We continue on past the Eklutna River
The Matanuska River joining the Chickaloon river with the Chugach Mountains under clouds
Half way to Glennallen and our turnoff to Valdez!
This enormous road cut was made after crews removed over 2.4 million cubic yards of material and blasted rock in 2008 rerouting this stretch of the highway
We get a window of clearing to see the mountains
We arrive at our scheduled stop for the night - the Mantanuska Glacier1
We find a spot for the night
There is a short hiking trail to a viewpoint of the Glacier
And there it is
The 75 mile Matanuska River fed by the glacier as well as named and unnamed streams that drain the Talkeetna and Chugach ranges.
Across the road from the parking area is an example of a "Rock glacier".
and this is why we left Tucson to come to Alaska to see the Glaciers
The next morning we are back on the road
Uh Oh! 9 miles left on the tank . . .
Eureka! 5 miles later we arrive at Eureka Summit! At 3,322 feet it is the highest point on the Glenn Highway and the only Gas Station for miles!
We are definitely getting into a snowier area. I saw this cool dome cloud hovering over the mountains.
and it looks like Old Man Winter is getting ready to blow in some winter weather.
We reach the Town of Glennallen where the Glenn Highway turns left to Fairbanks and the Richardson Highway goes south to Valdez. It is supposed to be a sunny day in the 60's for our drive to Valdez. We drop the trailer and go!
