← Seward to Valdez · Arctic Circle Tour →
September 12 — Prince William Sound · 6 h · ~25 mi
We spent the day on the Stan Stephens cruise: glaciers and ice in the fjords east of Valdez.
Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery
Solomon Gulch sits across Port Valdez from town, next to Allison Point. It is one of the largest pink salmon hatcheries in North America. In late summer the fish pack the creek; eagles and gulls work the shallows. September is late in the run. We still caught the water, the birds, and the last of the pinks.
September 13 — Ice lake · 8 h
We kayaked among bergs on the ice lake.
September 14 — Valdez → Fairbanks · 410 mi · 7 h
We drove the Richardson Highway north: empty road, wide valleys, the pipeline beside the pavement.