Battleship Jones: 2015 Tacoma DCLB Build Thread

Montana and Our Favorite Bits of Glacier National Park



After leaving the Tetons and heading up into Montana, we traveled the route through Big Sky and Bozeman. We stayed for a few days to hike, attend the Big Sky Farmer's Market for some Flathead Cherries, and catch up on errands.









After passing through Missoula, we landed in Columbia Falls and made a home for the night at the Super 1 Foods, just outside of Glacier National Park. Shout out to Super 1 Foods; this place is awesome, guys. Besides allowing free overnight parking just outside the park, they also have 25 cent soft serve...who has ever heard of such a thing?? We definitely got our money's worth.

In order to enjoy the park, we once again had to board the dogs. We took them over to Three Dog Ranch (http://www.threedogranchmontana.com) in Whitefish and were able to board them for four nights for a super reasonable fee and felt totally comfortable leaving them there, which is a nice change from how I normally feel leaving my babies. How could I not worry about these faces?!



Navigating Going to the Sun Road

Glacier National Park has one main road that crosses the park west to east called Going to the Sun Road. The road is about 50 miles long and was first opened in 1933 after over three decades of planning and construction. Due to the nature of where and when it was built, the road is narrow and winding with a number to rock walls that overhang the road. Therefore, vehicles longer than 21 feet and taller than 10 feet are not allowed to drive the majority of the road. Our rig is 23 feet long and 12 feet tall. Ruh roh! Good thing there is a free shuttle that will drive the road for you! Bad news is: we didn't know about this shuttle service until after we rented a car for the day. (The shuttle stops at all major areas, just don't miss the last shuttle of the day that leaves Logan Pass by 7pm!)

Hidden Lake Hike

The first hike we did was to the Hidden Lake Overlook out of Logan Pass. Although it's slightly less than 1.5 miles to the overlook, expect a fair bit of climbing. A good chunk of the trail was somewhat consistent with the stair stepper at the gym, just with much better views. The biggest difference, though, is the amount of furry friends you can make along the way. There is an abundant amount of ground squirrels (larger brown version of the typical grey tree squirrel) that are quite used to humans and will come right up to you, as well as mountain goats. The goats varied from big boys to mamas and babies, but all seemed completely indifferent to human presence; going so far as to walk along the trail with us. (Always remember to give wildlife a safe space because it's WILD! You never know how animals will react).









Once you reach the overlook, you get a nice view of Hidden Lake below. At this point, you can choose to hike another mile and a half down to the lake, which I hear has nice clear water and the opportunity to spot a bear or two. We skipped this part due to time constrictions, but we did wander down the path a quarter mile of so for a different perspective of the lake and more mountain goats.





At the end of the hike, we decided to pop across the street to hike a tiny sample of the Highline Trail. This is a 28 mile loop that starts with a narrow shelf trail out of Logan Pass. I've heard great things about it, even if you only do the first 7.5 miles out and back.









St. Mary and Virginia Falls Hike

For Tuesday's outdoor adventure, we decided to take the shuttle up to St. Mary & Virginia Falls. The Hike to Virginia Falls is about 3.5 miles roundtrip, with St. Mary Falls and other cascades as stops along the way. The first quarter mile of the hike took us through some old wildfire burn and then continued into more dense forest filled with thimbleberry bushes (yes, these are edible!).



It's an easy hike down to St Mary Falls, which is a three-tier waterfall that drops down 35 feet into an beautiful aqua colored pool below. Theres a footbridge that spans the third tier of the falls, where many hikers choose to take a plunge into the icy water to cool off.



As you continue down the path, the crowds lean out and you come across a number of other cascades on your way to Virginia Falls. Make sure to stop and explore those, as well, because they're all noteworthy.





At the top of the path, you reach Virginia Falls, which is a more accessible 50 foot waterfall. You can get quite close and feel the cool mist spray—feels great after hiking up there in the summer!

 

As we made our way back down to St. Mary Falls, a number of people had started jumping into the pool. After watching other people make the leap, we were convinced there weren't any hidden rocks, and decided to jump ourselves. I call this the Penguin Method, since penguins will push a “test” penguin into the water to ensure there aren't any predators lurking before the rest of them jump in . It was a fun and icy way to end the visit before hiking back out. Although, we did have to stand the entire shuttle ride back to avoid soaking their seats.





Hiking Grinnell Glacier

On our third day in the park, we got up early to drive the almost 2 hours up to the Many Glacier part of the park and hike Grinnell Glacier. BE WARNED, my people, the road from Two Medicine to St. Mary's is WHACK (are you all able to guess my age now?). This is a narrow, old, shelf road without a barrier that I hope has seen better days. There is a ton of heaving and it's a bit like being on a road rollercoaster. For those of us truck campers who are top heavy, this is less than ideal. Travel slowly.

We arrived at Grinnell Glacier Trailhead a bit before 8am and were already amongst a fair number of other hikers. When it comes to hiking in Glacier, if you want to avoid the crowds, get up with the sun. If you don't get there early, you and your 300 other friends will be hiking together. Also, Pro Tip: Always carry bear spray. You are in bear country. If you come face to face with a grizzly, statistics show bear spray is infinitely more effective at deterring an attack than anything else, including a firearm. Even with bear spray in tow, common sense and avoidance is always your best bet for animal encounters.

Funny Side Story: When we were in the grocery store in Columbia Falls we overheard a woman telling her friend how she had been asked by a tourist if you were supposed to spray the bear spray at the bear, or if you sprayed it on yourself like a bug spray. Please, don't mace yourselves, guys.

Grinnell Glacier is definitely our most recommended hike from our park experience. It's 11.4 miles roundtrip with 2,450 feet of elevation gain, but it's well worth it. You have beautiful views the entire way, including the chance for wildlife. There is also a way to cut down the length of the hike by taking the boat across the lakes, although I'm not sure how much mileage it eliminates. The path up is a steady grind and passes through dense forest, thick bushes, and rock ledges. Once you crest the treeline, you'll be hiking through more of a rocky area (although the trail itself isn't too rocky) to the glacier. Be forewarned, a waterfall drops onto a piece of bench cut trail at one point, so be prepared to get a little wet.















Grinnell Glacier sits above the top of the trail and the run off creates the glacial lake in front of you. Small icebergs float in the waters and give off nice cool breeze, so make sure you bring extra layers. A few brave souls took a polar bear plunge of sorts while we were there. We took our time at the top, eating lunch and laying in the sun on the rocks.





Overall, the hike took us about 5.5 hours, including about an hour at the top. On the way down, we were inundated with people hiking up, but we also had a fun run in with some big horned sheep who put on a show for us, too.





A bike forum friend of Tim's happened to be camping in Many Glacier at the same time we were there, and was generous enough to lend us his water toys. So after we were done hiking, we went over to Swift Current Lake and took out the kayak and stand up paddle board for a trip around the lake. It was nice to add a little water portion to our trip. We also blew up the donut tube Katy gave us for our trip and had a little float after A relaxing way to end our trip!

 

Whittier, Alaska
Our first week in Alaska was all rain. The locals tell us it's the rainiest summer they've seen in a long time. Mother nature chose not to show us Denali, so we moved south in search of better weather. Once we hit Anchorage, we saw a break in the weather forecast and decided to keep pushing south to hike Portage Pass. I was in search of that iconic looking Alaskan view I had yet to witness. Once we started driving south from Anchorage, it was as if the entire landscape transformed. The ocean came into view with giant mountains rising straight out of the water and glaciers appeared to be all around us. The views are incredible, which is also why it's such a dangerous stretch of road. Watch out for drivers with wandering eyes!




The Portage Pass hike leaves out of Whittier, Alaska. This is a tiny coastal town that we knew nothing about before going. As it turns out, the entrance to Whittier is a bit different than most towns. Google Maps didn't give us a warning on this one. “Hmm, the road looks like it goes straight into the mountain. There must be a tunnel.” Was there ever. When you pull up to the toll booth ($13 for passenger vehicles, and yes, they do accept credit cards) they give you a lane number and you pull into one of the six lanes based on the type of vehicle you're driving. Then a monitor will tell you when it's ok for your lane to go. Why so intricate? Turns out the only way in and out of Whittier by car is through a single lane train tunnel. Once the train and the cars on the other side of the tunnel have gone through, then it's your turn. The tunnel is about 2.5 miles long straight through mountain rock. You drive with your tires on either side of the tracks and there are emergency shelters every 1,600 feet or so, just in case. It's a trippy and unusual experience.




Portage Pass is a relatively steep hike up to the top of the pass, and once there you can choose to keep going down to the glacial lake. The hike up to the pass runs along hoards of wild raspberry bushes, so if you hit it at the right time of summer you get a free snack along the way. We were relatively late, but Tim climbed through the thorns to snag me one of the last nice red ones.







Turns out it was a bit bitter

As we crested the pass we were delighted with the most spectacular views—the Alaska I always imagined. A small pond on the pass, and sweeping mountain views centered on a glacier.








The dogs were loving life as we let them off leash to swim and quickly found out that the pond was a bit deeper than they anticipated.




Continue down to the bottom of the trail and you'll find a black sand beach leading into a large glacial lake. Some people on their way up reported seeing the glacier calve (break off) into the lake multiple times. We spent a lot of time down there playing with the pups and enjoying the stunning surroundings before making our way back up.






















If you head to Alaska, put this hike on your list. After all the rain we had in the beginning, I feel like this hike gave me life. It was exactly what I needed at that time and really got me excited for what was to come on the rest of the peninsula.

Soldotna, Alaska
Soldotna is a landlocked town on the way from Anchorage to Homer. It's a great stop for campers and RV-ers because it's the biggest town in the area and has everything you might need to refuel. There's a Fred Meyer, or Freddy's, in town that the locals tell us is the largest in the country. I'd be inclined to believe them. It's definitely one stop shopping, and as a bonus they allow overnight camping and a dump & fill. For those with diesel rigs, their gas station also has the best price we've seen on DEF. You'll also find a laundromat in town that also offers nice, long showers. Head up the road to Kenai for a yummy pizza at B&H Pizza.

While you're in town, be sure to go check out the wood shop 3 Guys No Wood. We loved our visit here. They will show you the wood shop and how they turn bowls and have all sorts of amazing pieces. They even offer reasonably priced classes if you feel inclined.

 

Homer, Alaska
On a clear day, the road from Soldotna to Homer will give you great views of the huge volcano across the bay.




We arrived in Homer on another rare sunny day, but it turned out to be our coldest day yet. Who would've known that little spits of land that stick out into the sea in Alaska could be windy? We grabbed a campsite in Mariner Park, which is at the beginning of the spit. It was right on the water, but a bit cheaper than going to the end of the spit. Note, a lot of the town owned parks that allow camping operate on a first come-first serve basis, so get there early. It was here that we met our new friends, Wendy and Tom from Florida.




They've spent many a summer up in Alaska and had loads of advice on where to go and what to see. They even gave us a fresh smoked salmon filet that Tom had caught on the river. Wendy has an unbelievable memory and should probably write a travel book. I have trouble remembering what I ate for breakfast, but Wendy can tell you the campground in Maine she went to a few years ago that will bring a setup to your campsite for cooking lobster over the fire. One of the great aspects of this RV lifestyle is meeting all sorts of people from around the world who have this one thing in common.

After chatting with Tom and Wendy we made our way down the spit for some lunch. The spit is known to be a bit overpriced, but if you're heading that way, you should definitely get some fried halibut. We went to this tiny stand called AK Fish Fry because they had great reviews. Turns out they do, in fact, know how to fry a fish to perfection.




The spit has a bunch of cute shops, my favorite being Salty Girls. We were also lucky enough to spot a lone otter right off the dock with the small boats. He kept diving down and bringing crabs up to munch on. It was simultaneously adorable and disturbing as he ripped their legs off the eat them. This is the one I most regret not having the good camera for, so we took mental photos. Wendy told me that when the water is clear you might also be able to spot starfish in this area, but we didn't see any.










If you have dogs, or even just want a more off the beaten path beach to go to, head down to Bishops Beach down by Old Town. The locals drive their vehicles right onto the beginning of the beach to hang out and the dogs all play off leash. (If you have small dogs this is not recommended because they're snack-sized for the local eagles). The dogs had an absolute blast playing here—Marley's first time at the ocean! If you're lucky you might even spot some seal heads bobbing off shore.








Fun side note, as you walk on the beaches in Homer, you'll notice black lumps of varying sizes all over the place that look like coal. Turns out, they are! There's an underwater coal seam on the Kenai Peninsula near Homer that the ocean breaks pieces off of and washes ashore during high tide. The locals can often be found collecting these hunks of coal; they will later be used to heat houses throughout the winter.
If you're staying at Mariner Park, it's a short walk down the street to Three J's Pizza—we got good pizza and a nice view for dinner. They're located right on the shallows during low tide and tons of birds hang out just outside to have their own dinner.






Our second day in Homer was intermittently rainy, so we decided to head onto the spit to visit a few shops we missed and get a drink at the Salty Dawg Saloon. The Salty Dawg seems like a mix of tourist and local, and includes a patio and pool table in the back. The interesting thing is that the entire bar is filled with signed dollar bills. It appears to be a tradition dating back decades, and if you pass through feel free to pin up your own signed bill. Don't expect a large variety of beers though. It's slim pickings, and although most of it is local, everything is either bottled or canned.












If you're into jewelry, the local tradition is using mammoth tusk and walrus tusk ivory in their pieces. The ivory is harvested from the permafrost in Alaska and has been used in jewelry for centuries. We stopped into High Tide Arts on the spit and the owner, Leslie Klaar, makes all sorts of nice jewelry. Her husband is a hunting guide who collects big game sheds (antlers) and makes knives with antler handles. They were both great at creating traditional pieces with modern flair.

 

The Russian River
After a couple days in Homer, we were ready to hop to the next place, and headed to the Russian River. We heard whispers of bears here, so we couldn't pass it up. We got a campsite for the night right along the river and hiked a couple miles in to the Russian River Falls. The river is home to one of the hardest races we've ever seen: The Salmon Run. This is one of the most fascinating and gruesome things we've witnessed. Every year, the salmon swim upstream to spawn. They use the protected areas under the river banks to lay and fertilize their eggs, and then they die. Their remains help nourish the entire environment of that area. Lots of the fish don't make it all the way upstream, however. They get badly beaten on the rocks as they launch themselves upstream, they die of exhaustion, or they get scooped up by bear or fishermen. All along the stream and at the falls you can pinpoint the favorite bear hangouts based on the amount of fish remains in that area. That's also where the magpies and seagulls will be.

When we made it to the falls, we were amazed at the sheer number of fish. Thousands of salmon were making their best attempts to jump up the several levels of falls. Some were exhausted and hanging out in little pools to rest. Some had already succumbed to their journey. The falls were relentless and damaging. Their resolve to make it to the top was admirable, to say the least. We stayed there for at least an hour trying to catch a fish on camera at the perfect moment as it leapt from the water. We cheered when they made it. We felt for them when they got washed down a level. Even though we didn't spot any bears, it was quite the experience.














The next morning we got up early to walk the river trails in search of the seemingly elusive bear. It was crisp, with fog coming off the water. The fishermen were quietly reeling in fish up and down the river. We failed on the bear front, though. We were told that a fair number of the fishermen have been charged by the mama bears that frequent the area lately, though, so maybe that's a good thing.








Seward, Alaska
After walking the Russian River that morning, we booked it down to Seward for a noon wildlife boat tour with Major Marine. We were originally going to pay a lot more to go on a small 6 person whale tour because we figured we would get a lot closer to marine life near the shore in the smaller boat. However, after finding out that it was late in the season and most of the whales had already migrated to warmer waters, we decided to go with the cheaper tour. Seward was insanely windy, but luckily once we got out on the water the wind died down significantly. I chose one of the shortest tours offered, but it turns out that 5 hours on a tour boat still feels like an entire day.

We got the first sunny day in Seward in weeks, so we were able to go pretty far out to see Bear Glacier, the longest glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park measuring 13 miles long and 2 miles wide. We also saw what the captain described as “the last whale in Destruction Bay”. It was a lone humpback who made a couple appearances for us. Other wildlife included otters, sea lions, sea birds, a puffin, harbor seals, and a bald eagle. It was a great cruise for people who have limited mobility, limited time, or prefer to have sights delivered to them. For us, it was a bit lackluster. Next time we will be more likely to choose one of the kayak tours.










One of the gems we discovered in Seward was our boondocking site. On the road to Exit Glacier & Kenai Fjords National Park we discovered small, free pulloffs in the trees. We were initially deterred by signs that looked like no camping signs, but they turned out to be area use rules. It allowed us to back off the road just far enough that we felt super secluded and a small path lead down to the river so the dogs could play. It was quiet and made for the perfect sleeping conditions.

 

The next day we drove to the southern part of Seward to hike to Tonsina Point. It's a nice, quiet hike through thick rainforest that leads out to the ocean. Fun fact, the Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest runs from southern Alaska all the way to northern California and is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world. I had no idea there was rainforest all the way up here, but it sure shows in the forest. Everything is very green and mossy while the air is cool and damp.



Tonsina Point was a nice section of beach at the confluence of the river and ocean. Some salmon were still hanging around, but they had certainly seen better days. Beautifully worn driftwood dotted the shore. Seagulls hung around the water's edge until Rigby and Marley scattered them.













After our hike we popped over to Lowell Point, which is a common departure point for a lot of the kayak tours. The low tide had stranded a number of moon jellyfish on the shore. They're an odd type of jellyfish without tentacles and look more like a clear, gelatinous hockey puck (Tim contends they look more like breast implants).



Our last stop in Seward was to Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park. If we had more time and less dogs on this trip, we would have hiked up the glacier, but instead we did the small loop around for a view. If you go to this park, you might notice a bunch of signs with years on them, starting on the road in. These are interesting to pay attention to because they're marking the location of the glacier in that year so you can see the extent to which the glacier has receded.





On the road back to Anchorage
Instead of staying in Seward that night, we decided to head up to the little town of Moose Pass. Moose Pass boasts a few shops as well as a free wet stone powered by the town's old waterwheel on which you can sharpen your knives. They also allow boondocking right down by the large lake just outside of town where you can often spy moose in the early mornings.





Since we had yet to spy any bears in the wild, we decided to stop at the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center on our way back to Anchorage. This is a sanctuary for big game animals who have found themselves orphaned or injured in the wild and is SO worth the $15 entry fee. I will be doing a separate post about it soon.

The town of Girdwood is also a small detour on the way back to Anchorage, and although we did not end up stopping, I have heard it's quite nice.

We also got an inside tip from a local about a stop along the road back to Anchorage called Beluga Point. If you hit it at the right time, just before high tide, you might be able to spot Beluga Whales as they come in with the tide to fish. We went out on the point of land in a grove of trees facing the ocean, all alone, and just as we did three whales passed right in front of us. It felt like a private showing and it was really exciting. The views from this point are also really nice.








Things we learned from the Kenai

1. The weather does what it wants, regardless of season. Bring those layers!
2. Befriend a local, or someone who has spent significant time in an area. If you're nice and trustworthy looking, they just might share their favorite things with you.
3. Eat the fish, all the fish. So fresh and so yummy.
4. The whole peninsula is most definitely bear country, both brown and black. Carry bear spray at all times and know how to use it.
5. Chugach (pronounced Choo-gash) National Forest is absolutely spectacular, a true gem. In fact, it may very well be more scenic than some National Parks we have visited...

 

Heyo! Long time no post, but its 2019 now and we just left for part 2 of our road trip, so it's time to get some updates on here and catch everyone up on our doings. Where did we leave off? Oh yes, back in Alaska, 8,000 or so miles ago. Without further ado, let's get into it with a neat little stop in Alaska that is well worth the stop...

Before traveling up through the Yukon and Alaska, we heard that bears were everywhere. People reported seeing them constantly, often without even trying. Bears on the roadway, bears in campsites, bears on the trails. Having never seen a bear in the wild, we were pretty excited for this. Yet, somehow, we managed to make it all the way through the Yukon, Fairbanks, Anchorage, and the Kenai Peninsula without more than one fleeting bear sighting. On our way back up to Anchorage from the Kenai, we decided to ensure ourselves an amazing bear experience and stopped at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Girdwood.

The AWCC is a self proclaimed sanctuary dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife through conservation, education, research, and quality animal care. They take in orphaned or injured animals and give them a lifetime of care. It's not constructed like any zoo you've been to. Each animal group has a large, natural habitat enclosed mostly by wire fencing and are encouraged to be themselves. They offer tours and drop in feeding times to get a better look at different animals, although we had no issue seeing the grand majority of them without it. To top it all off, it's only $15 to visit!

The center has a wide variety of animals, including brown and black bears, moose, reindeer/caribou, wolves, elk, deer, bison, etc. Although commercial photography is prohibited, you can capture some amazing close up photos for your personal collection. Check out our favorites from our visit!




This big guy right here wasn't having the best day when we arrived. He was in the middle of shedding his velvet and he was itchy and agitated. He was trying to rip the velvet off using the fencing of his enclosure, and was getting so aggravated that the staff decided to block off the more approachable sections of the enclosure and distract him with food. It seemed to work eventually, as he calmed down and we were able to get within a nice distance of him.











This was our favorite enclosure, of course; our main attraction. There were three brown/grizzly bears living in the enclosure; two females and a male. For those who don't know, the brown bear and grizzly bear are the same species, but the name differs based on their geographical location. Brown bears live near the coast, while grizzlies live inland. We were thrilled to get as close to the bears as we did. They were majestic and beautiful, with deep soulful eyes and claws that could slash you open in a heartbeat.




Of course, despite being alpha predators, they also have a goofy side that is probably rarely seen in nature. Luckily for us, one of the grizzlies was feeling like a real ham that day.




There were a few wolves at the sanctuary, and they put on a fun show for us. The pure white wolf kept trying to get the female to come down from atop the structure with playful actions, and more than once all the wolves joined in a howl.








Awwwooooooo!!!!!

Honestly, in a place like this, with so many cool animals and rescue stories, there just isn't enough space in a single blog post to capture the magic. I'd try, but it wouldn't do it justice. It's an awesome place. Trust me. Just go. You wont regret it. And this is coming from a person who hates zoos.














And because they were so hilarious, I saved the best for last. A mother and baby elk that were so incredibly angry. At what, we may never know...

 

With our time on the Kenai peninsula having come to an end, we trained our sights on south east Alaska, namely Valdez (pronounced Val-deez) and Wrangell St. Elias National Park. While it is tempting to skip both of these stops given their remote locations, I can assure you it is well worth the detour.




Valdez, best known for the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill in 1989, is a small fishing and shipping port tucked into a remote cove off of the coast of Alaska. It is a two hour detour from the main road and is accessed by the Richardson Highway that weaves through the mountains, over snowy passes and by glaciers. Fun fact, Thomson Pass, which is the large mountain pass you must traverse before heading down into Valdez, is the snowiest place in the state. In the winter of 1952 it received 80 feet of snow. Yes, 80 feet. Come prepared as it can snow here in almost any month of the year. Anyway, the drive itself is pretty spectacular and we were rewarded with some early fall foliage and road side waterfalls. For history nerds, the Richardson highway was Alaska's first road and it was completed in the early 1900s as a route for gold prospectors to connect Valdez to Fairbanks. It was all part of the US Government's plan to justify the purchase of Alaska from Russia. The initial trail was a 5 foot wide foot path hacked through the dense vegetation by destitute prospectors armed with machetes. In 1910, it was upgraded to a wagon road by its namesake, Army Captain Wilds P. Richardson, and the rest is history. Anyway, it was a very beautiful way to spend a few hours behind the wheel.




Rolling into town, we spent our first night at the mouth of the Valdez Glacier. It was a pretty cool setting (not to mention free!), the blue glacial ice cascading down the mountain with an open lake at the bottom, icebergs floating all about. If you were to bring a kayak along it would make for a nice adventure, if you didn't, some of the outfitters in town offer kayak tours. With a brisk night in the books, we headed downtown the next day to check things out. It is a very small and quaint town along the waterfront with a few small shops and restaurants to satisfy the masses. We wandered around for a bit to familiarize ourselves with town and what it has to offer.




Stop number one was the fish hatchery on the other side of the cove. It is neat in its own right and the work that they do helps to sustain an entire community and ecosystem. Take the informational walking tour that wraps around the building so you can see the lifespan of the salmon that come here to spawn and send another generation back to sea.

We originally came for the grizzlies but stayed for the marine life, which was good of course since there were no grizzlies to be found. Instead, we were treated to a wonderful display of marine and avian biodiversity. There were no shortage of animals, and, in no particular order, we saw seals, otters, bald eagles, salmon, sea gulls, and my favorite, the sea lions. Now, the design of the facility meant that a portion of the salmon population would not make it up the salmon ladder to spawn and would instead be marooned at the mouth of the river, floundering about. This crush of salmon inevitably leads to predators, and none were as ferocious and hilarious as the sea lions, with one in particular providing most of the entertainment. We dubbed him Brutus, and over the next few days we watched him fumble 90% of the salmon that went into his mouth while the remaining 10% were chomped in half with blood spraying everywhere. It was truly a sight to see.










While Brutus was busy floundering around by the salmon ladder, the seals, who were clearly not the alpha predators in this environment, stealthily swam around the perimeter picking off straggler salmon. They operated with an air of precision, never staying in place for very long and working together as a team to ensure everyone was well fed.




On account of the aforementioned fish carcasses and pieces strewn about, it was, understandably, a haven for birds that feast on the salmon, namely the sea gulls and bald eagles. The sea gulls were here, there, and everywhere, flying around, perching on the building and the gates, all of them squawking up a storm that made it difficult to hear yourself think.








Every now and again though they would fall silent and scatter. We wondered at first what was the matter until we saw the big bald eagles swooping in to get their share of the feast. While their numbers paled in comparison to the sea gulls, their presence loomed large over the bird kingdom.




The fish hatchery is also an awesome place to hang out later in the day due to the incredible sunsets.




In addition to the fish hatchery, which we spent far too much time at, Valdez also had the fascinating Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum. This free museum holds the collection of Maxine & Jesse Whitney, two white folks in the early 1900s that ventured into the bush of Alaska to collect native artifacts. Maxine was a true badass and didn't abide by any of the societal expectations of women in those days. I won't spoil her story, but it's well worth the visit to learn more about this inspirational woman.








Another fun encounter came when we took the dogs for a walk around town. We detoured off into a little park and stumbled across this little guy scavenging for salmon carcasses on the beach. He watched us warily before darting off around the corner.




This just so happened to be the way we were walking, so we cautiously followed. Just so happens we rounded a blind corner on the trail and came face to face with him again. He bolted, as did we. As fate would have it, we of course ran into him a third time on the way out of the park where he ran behind a tree and chuffed at us. Not wanting to provoke him we took our pictures and left him to his fishy feast.

 

Leaving Valdez, we set our sights on Wrangell St. Elias National Park. Wrangell is a funny park, there are very few entrances and practically no trails to speak of considering it is America's largest National Park. Together with it's neighboring Kluane National Park (Canada's) and Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, they combine to form the world's largest protected land area, which is awesome. The defining feature of the park is the St. Elias and Wrangell mountain ranges which house the majority of America's highest peaks, both of which feature dormant and active volcanoes. Owing to its remote location, it receives very few visitors annually, many of whom only scratch the surface of a park best seen by the airplane or raft.




For those in the area, we heard that the trip to Mccarthy, while rough and slow, is well worth the detour. We chose not to go due to it's remote location, but in hindsight I think we both regretted not taking the opportunity. Oh well!






Sadly, our departure from the park marked the end of our time in Alaska. It was a whirlwind six weeks filled with inclement weather, glaciers, mountains, all kinds of wild life and an experience truly worthy of the last frontier. While I wish we could have spent more time there, British Columbia was beckoning and it was time to heed the call.