Day 72: On to Valdez

Leaving Glennallen we took the Richardson Highway and headed through the Wrangle-St. Elias National Park, passing waterfall after waterfall, seeing all sizes of glaciers and more beautiful scenery than you can imagine. Our first stop was at the Wrangle-St. Elias National Park Visitor’s Center to learn more about all the massive mountains and glaciers we were seeing. We learned that the National Park is the largest in North America and has 9 of the 16 highest mountain peaks in the United States. It also has more glaciers than any other place in the US. In fact, it has one glacier larger than the state of Rhode Island. For hikers the park offers trails for beginners up to the most advanced hiker/climber. The park also has movies such as: "Crown of the Continent" an unforgettable movie about the mountains and the surrounding area. Near the visitor center is the Ahtna Cultural Center where mock-ups of many tools used by Natives in the past were displayed. Some of these tools like the fish wheel are still being used today.

After leaving the park we traveled through the little borough of Copper Center which has been by-passed with the new route of the Richardson Highway. While we were in Copper Center we had the opportunity to stop by their town hall and have some pictures made. Away from Copper Center and back onto the Richardson Highway it on to the Worthington Glacier. This is a glacier that is close to the highway and can be accessed through a state park. And access is what we did…

We climbed down and then up and down and up some more until we reached the glacier trail (where the glacier once was) and then through gravel, rocks and water; dodging a waterfall at the foot of the glacier. It was a unique experience to be standing at the bottom of the glacier (wishing we had warmer clothes on) with all the cold air coming down from the top of the glacier. We were shivering as we watched glacier ice in all the streams forming ice dams in numerous places. Linda and I really liked this hike; but, Gypsy loved it…bouncing from one stream into another, knocking loose an ice dam and then trying to eat the ice and all over again. We almost had to carry her away. Thompson Pass was next in our pursuit of Valdez. Thompson Pass is the highest elevation on this stretch of the Richardson Highway and in the winter is often closed with many feet of snow. The record snowfall for Thompson Pass for one season was measured at 974 inches in 1952-53 season. The record in a 24 hour period was 62 inches In December 1955. Once leaving Thompson Pass it was clear sailing (driving) into the little village of Valdez.

Our visit to the Cooper Center Town Hall

Some scenes from the Richardson Highway in Wrangle-St.Elias NP

Notice the large glacier behind the cars

Up close to the glacier

Glacier ice from Worthington Glacier

More glacier ice and ice dams

Linda freezing, Gypsy enjoying

Whoops, there goes another ice dam...

Gypsy enjoying a piece of glacier ice

Bridal Veil Falls along the Richardson Highway

Another view of Bridal Veil Falls

Horsetail Falls along the Richardson Highway

More views along the Richardson Highway

Notice the poles beside the road. These poles are so you and the snow remover personnel will know where the road is when the snow begins to pile up. This section of the Richardson Highway is going through Thompson Pass