RV Alaska 2011: DAY 55: VALDEZ

This morning we completed a very interesting trip to Valdez. The Richardson Highway is paved but in many areas in poor condition including frost heave damage. We passed the Worthington Glacier and Bridal Veil Falls. However, the most dramatic part of the trip was Thompson Pass. As we climbed up the 2,678 foot Thompson Pass we entered the clouds and as the fog thickened it was harder and harder to see the road ahead; soon it started to rain. As we descended the long grade on the south side the fog cleared, however the rain continued, but not as hard. The long 8% grade seems to go on forever and no one we saw was taking any risks. "The National Climatic Center credits snowfall extremes in Alaska to the Thompson Pass station, where record measurements are: 974.5 inches for the season (1952-53); 298 inches for the month (February, 1953); and 62 inches for the 24-hour period (December, 1955)," That's a lot of snow! After we got settled in at the Bear Paw RV Park in Valdez, we had lunch and Nancy did laundry while I explored the harbor area which is within walking distance of Bear Paw. Later the four of us went to Allison Point and watched young and old fish for salmon and it was really something to see the Silver Salmon jump clear of the water.