Alaska - Part Four.
We headed down to Valdez, which is a small town on the South coast of Alaska. You may recognise the name because it was in the news in 1989 for having one of the worst environmental disasters in history. The Exxon Valdez oil tanker hit a sandbank and leaked nearly a million barrels of crude oil into Prince William Sound, one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline and famous for its wildlife. Valdez is the finishing point for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline… what some describe as one of the modern wonders of the world, wiggling its way through Alaska for 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay in the North to Valdez in the South and supplying much of North America with its oil. It is an unusual place because of its contrasts… giant modern tanks and tankers constantly filling with oil surrounded by stunning fjords, glaciers and mountains; extremely wealthily oilmen and engineers sitting side by side with fishermen, tourists and regular native Alaskans.
Our journey South was, once again, greeted with the most horrific weather. When I imagined Alaska, I always thought about those big blue skies you see in photographs, but the reality of their weather in September is rain, wind and bone chilling cold... a bit like England but on a really really bad day. And the roads were appalling. Sitting in the back of the RV for seven hours, being shaken to death as it rattled and shuddered it's way through the Chugach mountains, hitting pothole after pothole and being thrown a few feet into the air every time it happened, was hideous. We got there in one piece, thanks to Brad and Diana being brilliant drivers, and decided we were going to find a warm, comfortable bar to while away the rest of the day in cosy inebriation. And we found the perfect place… The Mermaids Tale, perched on the waterfront, and possessing a very impressive beer and pizza list, lots of room to read or plug in computers, and best of all, a massive wood burning stove, creating an inviting fug.
We settled in and began writing blogs and checking emails, but after about an hour, I was totally overcome with the heat. I actually swooned when I stood up, and so decided to go outside for a bit and cool off. I wandered down to the marina and was greeted by about 5 rabbits. These weren't rabid wild things, they were completely tame, lovely fluffy bunnies that we spotted all over Valdez during the next few days. No explanation from anyone… most peculiar. When I went back into the bar, the heat of the fire room was so intense I knew it would finish me off, so I sat in an adjoining room about 10 feet away from the others, but much much cooler. The locals coming in must have thought it most odd, because ever half an hour or so I would get up, go into their room, have a chat, grab a piece of pizza and then go back out to read my book at my own table.
We returned to the RV later that night, to discover our boat trip the following day was canceled, so we decided to explore the town and drive around a bit. The following morning, after another hideous night of sleep, we started off with an enormous breakfast.
America does breakfast like no other country… vast, cheap and delicious. Eggs done in a dozen different ways, pancakes, waffles, french toast, hash browns, muffins, bagels, steak, cereals, fruit, the list is endless. That morning, I had poached eggs on toast with a side of crispy bacon, two buttermilk pancakes with whipped butter and warm maple syrup, 3 cups of coffee and some toast and marmalade. Fatty yum yum. We managed to waddle from the restaurant and check out the local heritage museum…. a taxidermists paradise. You get used to seeing stuffed animals in Alaska, some are done well, some really not, but this place was incredible. They had paid a lot of money for these animals and they were done beautifully…. giant polar bears, grizzlies and black bears, moose, caribou, bison, musk ox, seals, wolves, mountain lions and otters.
From there, we decided to try and find the ancient pioneers graveyard, as you do. For our resident ghost hunters, Mike and Diana, it was very exciting. The place was supposed to be very spooky and also haunted. Yay. But when we found it, down a muddy lane, miles from anywhere, we started spotting signs saying, "Bear crossing" and "Beware of bears". Double yay.
We were a long way from any other humans so decided this was where we needed to really be careful, and not only get the bear bells out but make as much noise as possible so we didn't surprise them. I suggested we walk close together so that we looked like a bigger and more ferocious predator, and it also seemed to be my job to say "hello bear" every few seconds, by way of introduction, as we walked deeper into the forest. I cannot lie... I was terrified. As we got nearer the abandoned graveyard, the mist began rising from the ground and everything was shrouded in low lying fog.
Big black ravens began cawing and huge bald eagles looked down on us from the tree tops… all in all, the whole thing looked and sounded like the beginning of the scariest horror film EVER! I took some film footage and all you can hear above the ravens, is my wavering voice saying, "Hi bear, hello bear, how are you bear" like an idiot and the occasional jingle of bells from Diana and Mike. To say I wasn't happy is an understatement, especially when we spotted half eaten salmon and flattened bushes where the bears had just had lunch, so I was giddy with relief when we got back to the RV in one piece. Mike and Diana then announced they were going back out with their ghost equipment… WHAT? Brad and I thought they were insane and decided to stay in the RV, waiting patiently and quietly, listening out for their blood curdling screams as they got eaten. They were fine.
We then drove round the coast to a spot famous for seeing black bears. It is also a spawning ground for salmon so the bears are in paradise, simply having to walk down to the shore and grabbing as many salmon as they can eat. We suddenly saw two small black bears by a stream, but we had nowhere to pull over so had to carry on, muttering and swearing that it may have been our only sighting. But then I saw a black bottom disappear into the bushes and screamed "STOP". Luckily we were right by a lay-by and pulled in. I grabbed the binoculars and tried to see where it had gone, and there it was, peeking out at us from 5 feet away, behind some bushes. Mike got out to get a better look and thats when it began to move. We screamed at Mike to get back in , and watched as it came out of the trees, behind our RV, across the road and down onto the beach. Amaaaazing.
Then another one came out in front of us and ambled onto the beach. Mike started to get out of the RV again and Diana shouted "Michael, NO!". We all knew how fast bears can run and they could have turned round at any point. He retreated rapidly, but as soon as he was safely inside, Diana just couldn't help herself. She took out her camera, with massive zoom lens, got out of the RV, crossed the road and started snapping the bears, from the road. A crowd soon started to form because as soon as you see brake lights or someone taking photos, you know there is something worth looking at. We watched until the two black bears disappeared down the coast and we returned to Valdez.
I decided, for the third time on the trip, that I needed to sleep somewhere other than the Rv that night, away from the incessant snoring, as I was beginning to resemble a zombie, with bags under my eyes and pale, lifeless skin. I found a small B&B right next to the RV park and discovered the landlady at her desk, a tiny little thing barely able to see above her laptop. She must have been about 90 years old and I immediately noticed she had two of her fingers missing. Gulp. She gave me a cheap room on the second floor and as she handed me the key, she grabbed my hand and warned me to keep my door shut… as if I would leave it open, yeah right! When I asked why… thinking she was going to warn me of drunken trawler men or something, she said they had a young local bear, who had figured out how to open the main door and would wander the corridors looking for food. Oh my God, maybe that's where her fingers had gone! I got up to the room, locked the door and then put a chair under the handle for good measure. That would keep everything out! I was awoken in the middle of the night by a strange growling noise that made me sit up in bed, rigid with terror, but very quickly realised it was my own stomach making noises. How embarrassing!
Our journey South was, once again, greeted with the most horrific weather. When I imagined Alaska, I always thought about those big blue skies you see in photographs, but the reality of their weather in September is rain, wind and bone chilling cold... a bit like England but on a really really bad day. And the roads were appalling. Sitting in the back of the RV for seven hours, being shaken to death as it rattled and shuddered it's way through the Chugach mountains, hitting pothole after pothole and being thrown a few feet into the air every time it happened, was hideous. We got there in one piece, thanks to Brad and Diana being brilliant drivers, and decided we were going to find a warm, comfortable bar to while away the rest of the day in cosy inebriation. And we found the perfect place… The Mermaids Tale, perched on the waterfront, and possessing a very impressive beer and pizza list, lots of room to read or plug in computers, and best of all, a massive wood burning stove, creating an inviting fug.
We settled in and began writing blogs and checking emails, but after about an hour, I was totally overcome with the heat. I actually swooned when I stood up, and so decided to go outside for a bit and cool off. I wandered down to the marina and was greeted by about 5 rabbits. These weren't rabid wild things, they were completely tame, lovely fluffy bunnies that we spotted all over Valdez during the next few days. No explanation from anyone… most peculiar. When I went back into the bar, the heat of the fire room was so intense I knew it would finish me off, so I sat in an adjoining room about 10 feet away from the others, but much much cooler. The locals coming in must have thought it most odd, because ever half an hour or so I would get up, go into their room, have a chat, grab a piece of pizza and then go back out to read my book at my own table.
We returned to the RV later that night, to discover our boat trip the following day was canceled, so we decided to explore the town and drive around a bit. The following morning, after another hideous night of sleep, we started off with an enormous breakfast.
America does breakfast like no other country… vast, cheap and delicious. Eggs done in a dozen different ways, pancakes, waffles, french toast, hash browns, muffins, bagels, steak, cereals, fruit, the list is endless. That morning, I had poached eggs on toast with a side of crispy bacon, two buttermilk pancakes with whipped butter and warm maple syrup, 3 cups of coffee and some toast and marmalade. Fatty yum yum. We managed to waddle from the restaurant and check out the local heritage museum…. a taxidermists paradise. You get used to seeing stuffed animals in Alaska, some are done well, some really not, but this place was incredible. They had paid a lot of money for these animals and they were done beautifully…. giant polar bears, grizzlies and black bears, moose, caribou, bison, musk ox, seals, wolves, mountain lions and otters.
From there, we decided to try and find the ancient pioneers graveyard, as you do. For our resident ghost hunters, Mike and Diana, it was very exciting. The place was supposed to be very spooky and also haunted. Yay. But when we found it, down a muddy lane, miles from anywhere, we started spotting signs saying, "Bear crossing" and "Beware of bears". Double yay.
We were a long way from any other humans so decided this was where we needed to really be careful, and not only get the bear bells out but make as much noise as possible so we didn't surprise them. I suggested we walk close together so that we looked like a bigger and more ferocious predator, and it also seemed to be my job to say "hello bear" every few seconds, by way of introduction, as we walked deeper into the forest. I cannot lie... I was terrified. As we got nearer the abandoned graveyard, the mist began rising from the ground and everything was shrouded in low lying fog.
Big black ravens began cawing and huge bald eagles looked down on us from the tree tops… all in all, the whole thing looked and sounded like the beginning of the scariest horror film EVER! I took some film footage and all you can hear above the ravens, is my wavering voice saying, "Hi bear, hello bear, how are you bear" like an idiot and the occasional jingle of bells from Diana and Mike. To say I wasn't happy is an understatement, especially when we spotted half eaten salmon and flattened bushes where the bears had just had lunch, so I was giddy with relief when we got back to the RV in one piece. Mike and Diana then announced they were going back out with their ghost equipment… WHAT? Brad and I thought they were insane and decided to stay in the RV, waiting patiently and quietly, listening out for their blood curdling screams as they got eaten. They were fine.
We then drove round the coast to a spot famous for seeing black bears. It is also a spawning ground for salmon so the bears are in paradise, simply having to walk down to the shore and grabbing as many salmon as they can eat. We suddenly saw two small black bears by a stream, but we had nowhere to pull over so had to carry on, muttering and swearing that it may have been our only sighting. But then I saw a black bottom disappear into the bushes and screamed "STOP". Luckily we were right by a lay-by and pulled in. I grabbed the binoculars and tried to see where it had gone, and there it was, peeking out at us from 5 feet away, behind some bushes. Mike got out to get a better look and thats when it began to move. We screamed at Mike to get back in , and watched as it came out of the trees, behind our RV, across the road and down onto the beach. Amaaaazing.
Then another one came out in front of us and ambled onto the beach. Mike started to get out of the RV again and Diana shouted "Michael, NO!". We all knew how fast bears can run and they could have turned round at any point. He retreated rapidly, but as soon as he was safely inside, Diana just couldn't help herself. She took out her camera, with massive zoom lens, got out of the RV, crossed the road and started snapping the bears, from the road. A crowd soon started to form because as soon as you see brake lights or someone taking photos, you know there is something worth looking at. We watched until the two black bears disappeared down the coast and we returned to Valdez.
I decided, for the third time on the trip, that I needed to sleep somewhere other than the Rv that night, away from the incessant snoring, as I was beginning to resemble a zombie, with bags under my eyes and pale, lifeless skin. I found a small B&B right next to the RV park and discovered the landlady at her desk, a tiny little thing barely able to see above her laptop. She must have been about 90 years old and I immediately noticed she had two of her fingers missing. Gulp. She gave me a cheap room on the second floor and as she handed me the key, she grabbed my hand and warned me to keep my door shut… as if I would leave it open, yeah right! When I asked why… thinking she was going to warn me of drunken trawler men or something, she said they had a young local bear, who had figured out how to open the main door and would wander the corridors looking for food. Oh my God, maybe that's where her fingers had gone! I got up to the room, locked the door and then put a chair under the handle for good measure. That would keep everything out! I was awoken in the middle of the night by a strange growling noise that made me sit up in bed, rigid with terror, but very quickly realised it was my own stomach making noises. How embarrassing!
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