Valdez, Alaska Sunday Afternoon, May 23, 2010

Sunday afternoon May 23, 2010: Ninety miles and a few hours after leaving the Tonsina River and Serge's campground, we arrive in Valdez, Alaska. The ninety mile trip along Highway 4 was interesting, eventful and scenic. About halfway through the trip we are stopped by a highway department worker. Just to our east is the Worthington Glacier and to the west is the Chugach Forest. there is no evidence of construction, but we can tell we are in serious avalanche territory and, with the temperature in the high 60's we figure there must be a big pile of snow blocking the road ahead. Well, sort of. It turns out that the avalanche team is sighting in the gun they use to intentionally set off an avalanche. We joke that if you have to sight in your weapon, when the target is a ten thousand foot mountain, you might want to think about another line of work. The highway worker informs us that it could be up to an hour before we can proceed. By now there are a half dozen pickups and cars, plus three big rigs behind us and everyone is out on the road swapping Alaska highway stories. Joe and I are looking at the river running next to the road and discussing whether we should get out the gear and wet a line, when an old, but familiar sound, rocks the air. The loud report, magnified by the surrounding mountains and quickly followed by the concussion of a weapon on the order of a U.S.Navy 5"/54 has our undivided attention.The sighting-in has begun.
The first round is followed by another four, then the day stays quiet. The highway workman hands Joe a red caution flag and asks that we pull over and take up position last in line. He informs us that there will be another workman, waiting at the end of the short pass ahead. We are to hand him the flag and let him know that we are the last of the vehicles. As we head on, toward Thompson Pass, we catch a view of the Worthington Glacier. We are fairly certain that this is the largest glacier we have seen since entering Alaska.
We cover the distance to Thompson Pass without further gunfire and are thankful that we are navigating the "snowiest spot in Alaska" on a clear spring day. The eight percent grade takes us past Bridal Veil Falls and Horsetail Falls, and finally, down into the seaport town of Valdez. Now this is what we expected Alaska to look like!

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