Jim and Lyndi ZR-1 Road Trip 2019 - Back to Alaska

[QB93Z]

Day 11 Tuesday

We drove on the Alaska Highway from Haines Junction, Yukon to Tok, Alaska.

The Alaska Highway in the Yukon is dedicated to all veterans:




For most of the trip there were mountains on our left side (west:






The traffic was very light, we saw very few vehicles the whole day:




The views of Kulane Lake were wonderful:






Near the town of Destruction Bay we stopped for gas. This old pump is typical of some of the old gas stations and stores that serve the needs of the travelers on the Alaska Highway:




to be continued......

[QB93Z]

In the town of Burwash Landing, Yukon, we stopped at a local history and cultural museum and found this small bull dozer that is a relic of the Army engineers and their equipment that built the Alaska Highway in 1942. The highway is over 1400 miles long and was built by the Army in 9 months in 1942, during the second world war.




On the left shoulder of the road, I spotted a small bear. We stopped and photographed the bear for a few minutes until the bear returned to the woods behind him:






The Welcome to Alaska Sign provided a nice photo opportunity:




We passed through US Customs just past the Welcome Sign and continued our journey west:




We spent the night in a cabin of one of our favorite motels, the Burnt Paw Cabins in Tok, Alaska




Jim

[QB93Z]

Day 12 Driving to Anchorage

On Wednesday we left Tok, AK and drove south to Anchorage, The road is call the Tok Cutoff, The Glenn Highway and AK-1. It is also the road to Valdez, AK and connects with alternate routes to Delta Junction and Fairbanks. Glennallen is called "The Hub of Alaska".

The Tok Cutoff is a good road and follows the western boundary of Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve. There was one section or road repair in progress but it did not cause any problem.

With forest to the right and the tall mountains to the left, it is a very scenic drive.



We spotted the swans in a lake near the road. Eastern Alaska is is the migratory home of many swans.



A light rain fell for a few minutes and we observed one of the strongest rainbows I have ever seen:











to be continued.........

[QB93Z]

At Glennallen we turned east to continue to Anchorage. This part of the Glenn Highway is one of my favorites. To the south are the Chugach Mountains with many glaciers. Matanuska Glacier is the largest and terminates on land. I was determined to hike to the glacier. There is a state park in the area of the glacier but it is not actually at the glacier. There is a road and hiking "trail" across private land that are the only access.



We drove down a hard packed gravel road and crossed the river to get to the first of two parking areas:





At the first parking area we paid the fee (~$25 per person) and drove on more gravel to the glacier access parking:





Between the parking area and the face of the glacier appears to stone, but is really glacial gravel on solid ice, possible meters thick. The walking trail to the glacier is marked with orange cones and is an easy walk.



As we approached the actual exposed ice, we saw more of the melt water run off:



Picture cannot capture the grandeur of the ice field it self. At the tiny scale there is fine gravel and "stone flour" in water on the surface of ice. At the walking scale there is crushed rock and melting ice that form humps and ridges and valleys. In some place it is hard to walk. At the large scale the are hills and cliffs and wide expanses of solid ice.







to be continued......

[QB93Z]

After the Adventure on Ice, we drove on through then Chucagh Mountains to Anchorage:





Jim

[Paul Workman]

Breathtaking...SPECTACULAR!

Thank you Jim n Lindi for sharing your trips with the rest of us!

[G-Sting]

Absolutely gorgeous scenery!

[QB93Z]

Day 13 Visiting friends in Anchorage

In Anchorage we stayed with a childhood friend of Lyndi's and her husband who is a retired Navy Explosive Ordnance and Demolition (EOD) Officer. Thanks Steph and Ed for the great hospitality and all the hardcore sea stories.

We went to the Alaska Zoo with our host family. The zoo is small and very nicely maintained. All of the exhibits were well designed to see the animals in their natural environs as closely as possible. Lyndi enjoyed taking pictures of her favorite animals:

A young Polar Bear:



A Lynx:



A Snow Leopard, one of Lyndi's best favorites:






A large Black Bear:




A Seal Lion and a brand new seal pup:




We drove out the Turnagain Arm to Girdwood and hiked part way up a ski slope. The road follows the path of the Alaska Railroad out to Whittier:






Jim

[tf95ZR1]

Absolutely beautiful!
Amazing!
Thank you so much for sharing.
(How's the Z doing? Must love the
cold air...)

T

[QB93Z]

Day 15 Drive to Seward, AK and visit Kenai Fjords National Park

On Saturday we left Anchorage and drove south on the Seward Highway. We left early in the morning and saw some Dahl Sheep grazing on the hillside. First were a group of young sheep:



Then we saw the adults:



Higher up the cliff we saw the lookout sheep who never left his vantage point:



The early morning mist lifted slowly revealing stunning mountain scenes:




After about a two-hour drive, we reached the Kenia Peninsula:



The scenery was stunning:






to be continued........