Valdez "Rest" Day

Day 22--Friday, August 9, 2002, 34 miles

Talked with the motorcyclists this morning over breakfast. They are from CO and on their way back. When I told them that we had seen very little roadside wildlife, they said that they'd seen more bears and moose in B.C. than in Alaska. Told of seeing 14 bears in one very short stretch, and of a ranger who paced a bicyclist for several miles to protect him from bears on a dangerous stretch.

Jess called the rafting people at 8:30 to see about running the river, but that plan didn't work out. She didn't talk to Catfish or Alex, but to someone who didn't know Tom or know of his request. Most importantly, we learned that the rafting outfit was 20 miles away in Keystone Canyon.

We decided to bike to Crooked Creek and Duck Flats and then head out of town on the Richardson to try to get a look at the beginning of the 10-mile climb that will eat our lunch tomorrow.

Jess on the bike path to Crooked Creek and Robe Lake

It was 47F, overcast, and misting rain when we left. We both wore our rain jackets and rain pants, and I started out in Burley waterproof shoe covers. They were a little too large and I couldn't easily stuff them into the Powergrips, so they were put in my pocket before I'd gotten a mile or so down the road.

We stopped at Crooked Creek to watch the pinks and chum (I think that's what the naturalist called them) struggle upstream. They were much smaller than the Coho and Sockeye we'd seen earlier. Stopped in the little naturalist's center near the observation platform and saw on the data board that there'd been a black bear there the day before.

We then bicycle birded along Duck Flats. Saw several nesting female Blue- winged Teal and their chicks and a rangy group of Canada geese, but not much else, except for the raggedy looking crows that hang out at the waterfront.

We rode a little paved bike path until it ended, and then rode the Richardson to Robe Lake where we ate our picnic lunch sitting among the planes on a tumble-down float-plane dock. There was no one else there and it was very peaceful and beautiful.

Valdez by daylight—rain or no—is magnificent, more so than Homer or Denali, really, because the mountains are so close and towering. The city is flanked with sharp snow covered peaks and glaciers, waterfalls spill everywhere from great heights, clouds hang on the mountains.

We could see the weather moving toward us, but continued on anyway. It felt great to ride our bikes after two days off and also to be free of BOB. We both got hot so took off our rain pants, and I, of course, shed a couple of layers.

When the weather overtook us, we turned back and rode into it. At first this was comfortable, but Jess put her rain pants back on when the rain got heavier and colder. Soon we were drenched again . . . and cold. If we were cold at sea level, what, we thought, was it going to be like this week high in the Chugach and Alaska range. We were going to have to "bite the bullet," try to stay as dry as possible, and put up our tent in the rain. There's nothing for the first 100+ miles north but rudimentary campgrounds, and some of these are without water.

On the bike path, taking a photo and scanning for bears in the river; below the photo I was taking

After we got back to the B&B and dried our things, we went to a nearby supermarket and bought all the ingredients for a spaghetti and salad supper. Looked for a 1-hour photo place but Valdez is without one, so our last photos will probably be developed and posted after we get home.

We were not prepared to buy provisions for the coming week — cycling up the Richardson to Fairbanks — so shall go back after dinner (and Jess's "Law & Order" program).

Tomorrow, the beginning of a tough pedaling week. Hope the rain quits tonight.