Papa Bear and his Three Cubs- The Alaskan Adventures of a solo dad and his girls.: Day 40- Valdez

July 21

Today started out like any normal travel day. The girls wanted pancakes so I made those while they got the camper cleaned and packed up. Davan did sandwiches like normal.

We were ready to roll at 11. First stop was gas. I paid $4.25. The most I’ve paid on the US side to date. I only got enough to get us to Valdez because I figured gas was so much since it was the only town in a hundred miles in any direction.

We started on the Glen Hwy again today. There was a very large mountain range in front of us, Wrangell Mountains. All you could see in front of you was the tree lined road and the mountains in front. Almost like the road would go on forever and drive into the mountain.

The Wrangel mountain range is roughly the size of Connecticut. It is an active volcano but also has many glaciers. There are also three mud volcanoes at it’s base. Due to its size it creates its own weather patterns similar to Denali.

We finally did turn and start heading south. It wasn’t long before we were surrounded by mountains. They were not very high but they still had plenty of snow. We stopped at the Worthington Glacier State Recreation area. They had a small gift shop and you could hike to a viewing area and if you are a little more adventurous you can go off trail and walk the terminus but to the glacier cave.

Libby, Summer and I decided to walk to the cave while Davan decided to stay back. It was rocky but overall a good hike. Before long we were walking along the river of glacier ice. We of course had to get close enough to put our hands it in. It was freezing of course. We continued up as far as we could. A lot of rock slides near the cave in the last year prevented us from getting right to the opening without special hiking gear. But we could still see it.

We went back to get Davan. She had decided to hike another portion of the trail while we waited. The river flowed into a small lake where there was chunks of glacier ice floating in it. We took a large piece and rushed back to the camper and is now in the freezer. Will be a good show and tell item.

The area is part of the Thompson Pass. It receives, on average, 500 inches of snowfall each year. Snow plows struggle to keep the road clear. The snow will fall so fast that the snow plows can loose sight of the road so they have constructed poles that show where the roads are.

Just beyond Worthington we started seeing snow along side the road. We of course had to stop and get some selfies and an impromptu snowball fight!

Our campsite for the night was at Blueberry lake Park. It was a dry site. All the sites overlooked the valley below. I had been pretty excited to stay here.

Although the reservation website said there was potable water, I didn’t see anything except a hand pump at the lake. I purposely didn’t fill the water tank before we left because I thought I could fill here. Blueberry lake is 30 minutes outside of Valdez so by the time we got into town, filled the tank and back to the campground it took us easily an hour and a half.

Once back to the campground was trying to squeeze the camper in. The website indicated we could fit but it was tight. The site was 90 degrees to the road, and the road was only wide enough for the truck and camper. I tried for what seemed like forever to get in. I did get it on the pad twice, but it was too close to the passenger side so that side of the camper was right up against the tree line. There just was not enough room to shimmy over. Onve I decided to give up I almost had it wedged in that I couldn’t get out because the corners had a drop off. I finally did get out, but not without some damage to the camper. The angle was so great the corner hit the edge f the truck and cut into it.

Libby really wanted to dry camp. It was a beautiful view and I know she really wanted to be able to look at it. Plus I had been saying most of the trip how I wished we had a night or two camping on the side of the road after seeing so many other’s doing it. She suggested going back a ways to where we saw some other people were set up.

After getting there I was having second thoughts. We would not be at the camper much and I didn’t bring the pin lock. A single overnight where you don’t disconnect the truck is much different than basically leaving it on the side of the road during the day for several days.

Earlier in the day I had asked on a Alaska Facebook group where to salmon fish in Valdez. Everyone mentioned one of two places. When I looked them up I saw there was a little camping area along the inlet at one of those spots. It was first come, first served and it was now getting close to 6pm. Although I remained hopeful since it was a Sunday night.

We drove the half hour back to Valdez to the area and luckily there was a spot large enough for the camper. It was a very simple back in spot with lots of room, but after the last place, plus being starving I really had a hard time getting lined up. Felt like the firs time I backed up a 5^th wheel.

Dinner was hamburgers. Awesome as always. We have cool neighbors. The guys next to us had gotten done fishing as I was setting up. They got 7 salmon a short walk from where we are camped so I’m hoping I get a chance to go.

I had to go into town to the ATM to put my camping fee in the drop box. Libby came with. Just u the road from us is a hatchery. As I was driving by I saw a seal or sea lion. I really don’t know how to tell them apart.

They were in the hatchery area eating the salmon. There was also a cropping of rocks out in the bay where more were hanging out. Libby and I stopped to watch the seals eat their dinner and I got a few photo’s. I was getting pretty dark at that point to get anything really good though. Even now as I write this in the camper I can hear the seals grunting out in the water.