Left Nelchina Lodge around 11 on a drizzly Saturday morning. Traffic was pretty light although we did run into quite a bit of road construction near Glennallen. Eventually, we got through the road work and were soon at the Wrangell St. Elias National Park Visitor Center in Copper Center.
We walked a short hike called the Boreal Forest Valdez Loop.
We enjoyed what views were available on this overcast day.
This will be a stop on our way back and hopefully the weather will permit better views of Mt. Sanford and Mt. Drum.
The views didn't improve at all as we neared Valdez. In fact, the rain got heavier and steadier as we drove on. Fog obscured most glimpses of the mountains. When we reached our destination, Greg got drenched trying to get us checked in to our room at the Totem Inn. We had a nice room in the Chugach Building near the small boat harbor. The rain finally let up and Greg spotted some of the wildlife that may be seen in Valdez.
He managed to get quite a few good pictures,
being careful to keep his distance for anyone that has seen
Monty Python and the Holy Grail movie knows what these things are capable of!
The Brave Sir Robin, a.k.a. Greg, finally snuck back to the room.
After an early dinner, we decided to go see if we could spot some of the better known wildlife in the area. We drove down Dayville Road right on the outskirts of town. The fish hatchery is on this road and bears are frequently seen here. However, this time we didn't see any. On our way back into town, however, we did a see a black bear near the U.S. Forest Service's Crooked Creek Visitor Center. By the time we were able to turn around, the bear was long gone. We did manage to get some pics of the rushing waterfall behind the center.
Made it back to the room and rested for tomorrow's adventures. Planning on fishing- hope the weather cooperates!
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