Alaska '08 Day 45, Copper Center to Valdez

Sat July 26, 2008

It is about 100 miles from Copper Center down to Valdez. The first half is flat across the plain. The second half crosses the coastal mountains.

Just before Thompson Pass you see Worthington Glacier, it really looked blue in the overcast fog. Thompson Pass has the tall road markers for snow like White Pass (Skagway) or Tahneta Pass from two days ago. Just after you crest the pass the road crosses the Lowe River as it threads through a narrow canyon. The river enters several canyons on the way down to Valdez. You can raft through some of these canyons. One of these canyons has a cliff several hundred feet tall with a couple of waterfalls (Bridal Veil Falls) right along the road.



We got into Bear Paw campground in Valdez around noon. Mike is going with Don and his group to Cordova to fish for 3 days. He needed to get Jen setup in the campground before he caught the ferry over to Cordova at 3:00.

By the time we got into Valdez the weather had gotten pretty bad, steady cold rain. So we didn't do too much. We went to the visitors' center and the grocery store (groceries are much more expensive than Homer!?).

113 miles today.

6285 miles so far.

- Jon