Scents and Sounds

July 22, 2018 thru July 26, 2018 Anchorage, AK

It's rained a lot while we've been here in Alaska and we had a steady downpour the past couple of days.  It made me realize how there's more to this trip than just the sights.  I'd though I'd make an inventory of some of the scents and sounds we've experienced. So close your eyes and imagine these.

Sounds

• the steady beat of the rain on the roof of the RV at night
• the dopplered train whistles around Anchorage and Fairbanks
• the ascending roar of jets flown over the military bases
• reveille wake up call and taps at dusk on base
• seagulls cawing and sea lions roaring at Allison Point near Valdez
• ice cracking and rocks tumbling in the crevasses of Kennicott glacier
• glacier water pouring over a hillside into a waterfall and down a river stream
• the foghorn of a cruise ship coming into port
• the slap of a salmon jumping out of the water
• boats rocking in the waves in the harbor in Homer
• the barking of huskies sled dogs practicing runs in the summer
• the wind rustling leaves of birch and aspen trees
• a bear growling from the tree top in JBER Famcamp
• an a capella group performing in the Farmers Market in Fairbanks
• the squeaks and squeals of rusting metal equipment in Chicken
• the honking call of geese in the marshes at Laird Hot Springs
• the creak of wooden planks on bridges spanning the rivers
• the buzz of a mosquito somewhere in the RV
• and most of all, the absence of any sound at all in so many places.

Then there are the smells, the scents of being in a different place.

• the musky loam of decaying leaves after the rain
• the metallic sulphuric smell of lava at Craters of the Moon
• the chilled still air of the Lehman caves
• the misty wet breeze off of Shoshone Falls in Idaho
• fresh asphalt being laid over potholes and frost heaves on the Alaskan highways
• pungent pine trees stretching for miles over mountains
• English tea scones and clotted cream at Lake Louise
• the cold dust in the moraine of a glacier
• the scent of musk ox on the farm in Fairbanks
• wet hot sulfur springs in Laird and Chena hot springs
• reindeer, buffalo and deer sausage in Delta Junction
• the silt glacier dust along Denali Highway
• the close, stuffy stacks of the used bookstores
• the exhaust of the train riding from Whittier to Anchorage
• the giant chocolate fountain at Wild Berry store
• barnacles soaked in seawater on the cruise boats
• a hot coffee while the captain navigates islands in Resurrection bay
• the seabird guano coating the rocks in a rookery
• the whiff of oil along the shore near a derrick
• mushrooms burrowed in tree stumps along a hiking trail
• seas of grass along the Homer Spit
• fresh haddock hung along the porch at the dock in Homer
• warm clean laundry to be folded from the dryers in the campground
• and everywhere along the highway, in gardens, hanging in baskets along the streets are flowers and ferns; indian paintbrush, yellow water-lilies, forget-met-nots, western columbine, monkey flower, lupine, bunchberry and fireweed.

It's more than pictures.

A New Highway

Saturday, July 20, 2018 Denali Highway to Denali North Overlook

We'd not been on the Denali Highway, the original road to Denali Park, during our last trip.   We were going to skip it this trip and then Mike said, let's give it a try and so we drove from Valdez to Paxson and took the Denali Highway about 150 miles west.  It's a different view of Alaska than what we've been seeing.  Surrounded by the Alaskan Range, which included the Denali Peak, are broad expanses of shrub and grasses, intertwined by glacier rivers and lakes. 

Denali highway

lake on Denali highway

To my chagrin, it was also the worst rode we've had the RV on the whole trip.  It was dusty, a fine silt that got everywhere inside the RV

  

Denali highway silt

We're glad to cross that road off, not to be visited again!

When we came out on the western side it was after 5:00 pm so we drove south toward Anchorage and stopped for the night at the Denali North Overlook.  From the parking lot, this was the view of Denali the next morning, about 40 miles away

5:00 AM Mike's pic of Denali from DNO

Denali from DNO about 8am

It's truly breathtaking.  Everywhere we go, the scenery is spectacular.  My eyes are full of the images.  We're hanging out in Anchorage the rest of the week until Friday when I'm taking the train to Denali and Mike is driving up. 

Valdez Redux

Thursday, July 19, 2018 through Friday, July 20, 2018

After McCarthy, we decided to return to Valdez to try fishing and enjoy a couple of sunny days there. This time we camped along the road on Allison Point.  As we were turning onto the road to the point, an 18 wheeler was turning onto the highway.  As we faced each other in opposite lanes, a moose bolted out of the trees on the left and ran across the highway between the two vehicles.  It was heart stopping that neither of us hit the moose.  That was a little bit too close to nature!

pink salmon returning to spawn

The pink salmon were returning and were swarming at the fish hatchery

sea lions

This brings out the sea lions - I saw five of them at once.

Mike declared Valdez the most scenic area we've visited.  It's surrounded by towering snow capped peaks with pine forests to the shore of the bay.  The water is silver blue grey from glacier runoff meeting the incoming ocean.

tide coming in on Valdez bay

It's relaxing to be here and enjoy a long walk along the edge of the bay.  We're headed north again on Saturday.