Back to the Lower 48 - Valdez

It looks like a beautiful day to drive the 115 miles from Glennallen to Valdez on the Richardson Highway. 

We pull over to take in this great view of the Wrangell Mountains across the Copper River.   The four major peaks are Mt. Sanford, Mt. Drum and Mt.Wrangell and Mt. Blackburn

The scenery along the way is breathtaking

 Our first scheduled stop is at the Worthington Glacier - looming ahead

A quick stop to see the Tsaina River at Devil's elbow and gorge. 

 Almost there

 Worthington Glacier is the most visited site in the Copper River Basin.   It is 5,774-acres and one of the few glaciers accessible by paved road.  

A short walk to the base of the Glacier

 a look the other way over Worthington Lake

 We cross over Thompson Pass

 Only 22 more miles

 First we have to go through Keystone Canyon

 Bridal Veil Falls

Unamed Falls

and Horsetail Falls

We get a glimpse of the pipeline

 and we arrive in Valdez

 a view across the duck flats and the pipeline as we enter town

 It's a small town

 with beautiful harbor surrounded by mountains

It may be a fishing town

 I would have liked to have caught that 374 lb Halibut!

 There are rabbits all around town

 On the other side of the Port Valdez Bay to the Allison Point by the Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery

 Just offshore the Eagles are taking advantage of the food source

 There are nice Falls across the road

We head back over to town and stop at a spot where we see people gathering.  Zombie Fish!  Who knew?

 There are a lot of them

 Some have gone beyond the zombie stage

 A stop at the original townsite on our way out

The original town was destroyed by the 1964 Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami

 Back through the Canyon past the Falls

And a stop we missed coming in - the Railroad Tunnel of 1905

Short but sweet

 Back through the Pass

and we spot a Moose

 and her baby

 and we are back to the Wrangell Mountains across the Copper River only a UFO cloud looms overhead now,  Appropriate as this day was truly out of this world!