Tag: native

The Route: Anchorage-Mantanuska Glacier-Valdez-Anchorage via Glenn Highway (route 1) to Richardson Highway (route  4).

Days: 3

The trip to Valdez was enhanced by the presence of a friend from home joining me and my co-worker. The goal: to create a “real” Alaskan adventure, seeing and doing as much as we could on a short amount of time. Don’t worry: we succeeded!

First stop: Glacier View to hike on Mantanuska Glacier. Though I had seen quite a few since my arrival here in May, many visible from just the highway, walking on one was a new dynamic. Though access to this glacier is 24hrs and $30/person entrance fee if venturing on your own, we chose to pay for a guide with Mantanuska Glacier Adventures so that we could pay the entrance fee, rent micro spikes, and learn about glaciers from a guide all in one. An added bonus is that tour guides know the good places to go, where not to step, and get quote unquote exclusive access to certain areas as the trail marked for solo hikers is marked specifically to try to maintain safety and so doesn’t venture to every corner. Needless to say, we got our money’s worth. Our guide, Michelle, was awesome– knowledgeable, funny, and friendly. She made us feel like rock stars while we posed for photo ops and, due to our ability, she took us farther/deeper into the glacier than she does most groups. Starting out it seemed like we were walking along a dirt path to get the the glacier. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that we were walking on a layer of ice miles deep with rocks and sediment from high up in the mountains dusted across the glacier– there only because the movement of the glacier took it along for the ride. Some areas you can even scrape your boot across the surface and see the sheet of ice below. The micro spikes were a must as we hiked. I couldn’t imagine doing it without. We traversed the mud and rocks and eventually made our way into the blue ice where we saw admired mulans (vertical well-like shafts where water enters from the surface and acts as a drainage system), threw rocks down deep crevasses, and drank from a glacial waterfall. We ended with a short wade out to mermaid rock for one last photo shoot.

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The drive to Valdez was equally impressionable. The mountains of Wrangell- St. Elias National Park is in the background for the majority of the first part of the drive. The road twists and turns and eventually narrows a bit. We eventually came across Worthington Glacier falling seemingly onto the highway ahead of us. A few turns later we emerged through Thompson Pass into a wide clearing of mountains and a ridge jutting out to the right. Purposefully, there is a pull-off immediately after emerging. It is well worth the stop– this clearing was both majestic and picturesque.

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The next milestone along the drive was Keystone Canyon. What a wonder!! Waterfalls galore with one powering down right beside the road, it’s mist able to reach out (Bridal Veil Falls). I am a huge fan of waterfalls, so I was in heaven. In the same location is the historic site where they started to build a railroad in 1906 that ended unsuccessfully due to a gunfight.

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Finally, we made it to Valdez, and, after a quick dinner at Fat Mermaid we called it a night to prep for the next day: wildlife glacier cruise. With few options as far as tours go, we went with Stan Stephens’ Columbia Glacier tour ($109+taxes/person). A cup of Kaladi Brothers joe in hand from a cute cafe called Latte Dah (I see what you did there!), we were ready to go. Starting out warm but on the chilly side, we saw otters almost immediately. Next came porpoises playfully skipping along our boat and sea lions relaxing along the coast. Then we caught a bald eagle perched on top of an iceberg. As we neared the massive Columbia Glacier, the air felt frozen and the water filled quickly with icebergs that eventually turned into an ice barrier through which the ferry couldn’t pass. We were so grateful that we brought layers! Temperature aside, the view was magnificent. Columbia Glacier is the second largest glacier in North America. NBD!

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The evening was spent in town getting dinner at Nat Shack, ice cream at Northern Treats, and drinks at The Boardroom where we were pleasantly surprised by the shenanigans of a live rock band at 10pm. Before that we visited the Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum to learn about and admire the collection of native art and artifacts. Though the town is small and follows suit with the majority of other towns in Alaska, it was pleasant enough and we enjoyed ourselves plenty.

The drive back to Anchorage was equally eventful. We stopped at the Solomon Gulch Hatchery and learned about salmon migration and the incubation of their eggs. Next we hiked Valdez Goat Trail, also known as Bridal Falls Trail, which branches from the Pack or Wagon Trail. An easy 4mi roundtrip trek along the Richardson Highway, this trail features 2 outlooks and a massive waterfall at the end and is a must see for anyone looking for a shorter hike near town. Next we stopped again at the portion of Thompson Pass that overlooks the valley from a rocky vantage point. We had to get the photos that we didn’t get on the way down!

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Though held up slightly by traffic, the rest of the ride to Anchorage was smooth and sunny. We had such amazing luck on this adventure– even spotting 3 moose on the side of the road. Truly, a must-do drive for anyone visiting Alaska.