Heading to Whittier, AK

Today is my last day in Anchorage, I fly back to Chicago tonight. It’s raining today so there won’t be any riding. I was hoping to ride out to some of the places we saw on the way to Whittier yesterday, really beautiful scenery and roads.

So since today is rained out, here are some pictures from yesterday.



We found a collapsed house that we got to climb on, it was fun. I guess this one might have collapsed during the big earth quake some 40 years ago.





Seward Highway



Ice bergs in Portage Lake



Pretty chilly and windy near Portage Lake





Here is proof, the mosquitoes here are so huge they drill for oil



Portage Glacier Road



Whittier tunnel outside



Whittier tunnel inside

This is the tunnel that goes from Portage to Whittier, it costs $12 for a round trip drive though the tunnel. This is a combination tunnel it’s open in each direction on the hour for cars and it has a single rail road track running though it also.

Longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America

Longest highway tunnel in North America (13,300' or 2.5 miles).
Longest combined rail and highway use tunnel in North America.
First U.S. tunnel with jet turbine and portal fan ventilation.
First computerized regulation of both rail and highway traffic.
First tunnel designed for -40° F. and 150 mph winds.
Portal buildings designed to withstand avalanches

Kayaking Prince Williams Sound, AK

Mark and I went kayaking near Whittier, AK, it was mid 60’s and wonderful. Had a great time. I paddled the Dagger Meridian SKS, Mark paddled the VCP Nordcapp.



Getting ready to launch



Check out this form, like a pro my second time kayaking ever









At the end of the day we are still dry

Hike: Chugach State Park, AK

Today was 69 degrees and partly sunny. Mark, Comet and I took a long hike though Chugach State Park, the third largest state park in the nation. This area was declared a park in 1970, it's 500,000 acres of the Chugach Range and the entire area is within the municipality of Anchorage. With a 5,000 vertical foot rise this wilderness area is filled with wildlife including moose, wolves, brown and black bear and more.



Over looking Anchorage



Moose droppings



Mark, Comet and I



Comet going for a swim



Wet Comet



On the trail

Later on we grabbed dinner at Moose’s Tooth, a local pizza joint. So what is an Alaskan pizza you ask? There were many to choose from but a blackened halibut pizza seemed like the right choice for this Chicago girl.