Stunning hiking in Valdez!

Well we expected a rainout today, prediction was 90% steady rain...we have found the weather forecasting to be very unreliable!...the day was beautiful so we set out to find just the right hike...it was a bit like Goldielocks!

The first hike we set out for required a drive 5 mi down a dirt road to get to the trailhead so off we went. The scenery was just beautiful!

This bridge gave us pause, but we kept going...

Unfortunately the road got worse and worse and we decided to turn back!

So we headed down to the boat docks for a hike down there...

while the scenery was awesome, there was a homeless looking guy at the trailhead that made us uncomfortable leaving the car...

So we stopped by Solomon Gulch and while we didn't find a good hike, we found this little eaglet

I was worried about him without mama around and then we saw all the other birds were babies, Wayne said it was the baby pool😊!

We stopped by the Chugach Forest Service to ask about hikes, this pretty waterfall was there. Wayne asked the difference between them and the Park Service...the ranger said, "Oh our missions are way different, they preserve, we manage, one reports to Agriculture, one Interior." We decided these two Agencies were ripe for a Federal merge!

We settled on Thompson Pass and headed up Richardson Highway, it was the right decision.  If I could use a phrase to help visualize...the opening scene in "The Sound of a Music." it was just breathtaking!

We had a nice stop on the Tundra, so pretty...

Much of the hike was downhill so we didn't go as far as we wanted to as we knew back uphill was coming!

The whole hike was just stunning, so glad we were able to make it, especially thinking back to just 8 months ago in two casts and a broken leg!

When we got back home we decided to sit outside and have a glass of wine...after having stopped at the Liquor Store for a six pack of Alaskan beer where Wayne was turned down because I didn't have an ID (they said he could be buying for me!). Nonetheless, it's been enjoyable watching the boats go down the harbor...

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The other interesting thing about this campground was the WiFi code, "Watch4Bunnies," now I get it...

The darlings were everywhere!! so cute!!

Tonight we went down to Solomon Gulch and found another Eagle hanging out way up in a tree and this little black bear munching on some salmon for dinner, a great end to this stop!

We've enjoyed Valdez, we leave in the morning with two overnight stops before reaching Skagway, AK. Unfortunately we have to go back in and out of CA on the way, but at least we are well under the beer limit☺️!