I got up at 7:00 this morning. Had a leisurely start to the day with breakfast in the hotel. Then I began to explore the town of Valdez. I walked around town for about 2 and a half hours visiting the ferry terminal dock where Mrs. Long and her students and I will board the ferry for Cordova tomorrow at 1:00. I walked to a vantage on a high point near downtown and took some pictures. I walked many of the residential streets of town just to get a feel for what life here is like.
There is still lots of snow on the ground. Many yards have four or five feet of snow. There are whole vacant lots around town where it appears the snow that is removed from the streets is piled. Many of these piles are as tall as buildings in town. The average snowfall in Valdez is 40 feet per year.
After lunch Mrs. Long met me at the hotel and took me on a drive around the area. First we drove to the other side of the inlet and got a close-up look at the Alyeska Oil Pipeline terminal. The terminal is the southern end of the 800 mile long Alaska oil pipeline that carries oil here from Prudoe Bay on Alaska's North Slope. (Find Prudoe Bay on a map!)
From the terminal we drove to Thompson Pass at an elevation of about 2,600 feet above sea level. We saw lots of snow, several bald eagles, and a coyote on the way. There were beautiful views of waterfalls pouring off the rocks on either side of the highway. A beautiful blue-green stream parallels the highway for many miles. The snow high in the pass is still tens of feet thick in places. There were skiiers and snow machiners enjoying the snow. We got a look at the terminus of the Worthington Glacier near the Thompson Pass. I am told that there will be more impressive glaciers to view on the ferry ride to Cordova tomorrow.
Right now I am in Mrs. Long's office in downtown Valdez posting this journal entry. From here we head to the Longs' home for "halibut melts" and clam chowder. Mrs. Long caught the halibut herself here on the Prince William Sound.
Tomorrow morning I plan to attend church at Epiphany Church. Then we board the ferry with 12 students and some parents to begin our five day adventure to Cordova and the Copper River Shorebird Festival.
Photos
This is a photo Mrs. Long took of me outside the Valdez oil terminal. This is where huge oil tanker ships load "Alaska crude" bound for the "lower 48."
A picture from near the top of Thompson pass looking back toward Valdez.
The snow along the road at Thompson Pass is deeper than the car is tall. Much of the snow that isn't exposed directly to the sun is much, much deeper.
