Come Drive With Me!

My trip to Valdez started on Sunday, a little late, and it wasn't long before I met up with a long line of traffic.  In fact, I was car #4 in a line of about 15 behind 2 travel trailers that simply disregarded the signs posting that it was illegal to hold up more than 5 cars and at glacial speed, passed every pull out.  I wasn't thrilled at the pace this trip was showing.  Oh, well.

Once out of Anchorage, it was easier traffic, but it was still quite a bit more than I expected.  I was enjoying the different scenery (yes, they are all mountains, but they are not "my" mountains!) when I noticed that it had apparently turned seasons.  I began to see many yellow leaves, and not just yellow, but falling leaves!  Yikes!  It's only mid-August!

Regardless of how often I see majestic mountains, I am consistently in awe.  The clouds were hit and miss and occasionally broke to bathe a mountain peak in gold sunlight.  I never hit rain, so I was immensely thankful.

I had almost forgotten about the Matanuska Glacier with which the road so closely nears.  It is really beautiful and massive.

Then strangely, the mountains mostly just drop off and you drive out into the rolling hills.  It's a bit of an odd feeling.  Since I can hardly breathe without mountains in sight, it was lucky that this monstrosity of a mountain can still be seen so far away (Mt. Sanford).  It's over 14,000'  and has the neighbor, Mt. Wrangel which rises over 16,000'.

There are about a half dozen peaks through here that are all over 13,000'.  It's spectacular and I wish the photos could come remotely close, but they don't!

As I was driving south from Glennallen, I re-entered the mountains and was reminded that I was traveling along the pipeline!  At times it was further away...

...and others it was much closer; as at Pump Station 12 and beyond.

My Penner roots began to surface as I saw this sign and wondered if I could ask about their family history!  Do other non-German's do this?  Perhaps I am simply aging too quickly.  Anyway, they were closed, but I had to pull in and get a picture!

Driving back down into the Chugach mountains appeared formidable, but beautiful.  It was both.  In an effort to relieve you from monotonous mountain pictures, (buffalo pics to the fam) I have only shared a couple.  Suffice it to say that there were many jagged peaks, glaciers everywhere, waterfalls from every glacier and crevasse, and my camera's batteries were already starting to wane.  I didn't bring the charger.  Shoot.  I switched to my cell phone camera and only since arriving have I realized I left the mini-sd adapter at home.  Perhaps I'll splurge and get another one, or if the costs are prohibitive, I shall make you wait for more.

My impression of Valdez is lovely.  It is surrounded by impressive mountains that are beautiful even enveloped in fog and the people have been very friendly.  I did get a rather excessively firm handshake from the female camp hostess, and I thought it extremely funny!  I think she's fond of my husband, and really, who could blame her.  He is pretty wonderful.  Wonderful enough for me to brave this wilderness just to see him!