Day 14 & Day 15 (Part 1) of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska.
Rain, rain, rain! It had been raining most of the night, and it was raining now, harder than at any time yesterday. It was so early, Lupe was still conked out. Dark clouds hid the mountains and the Worthington Glacier, where Lupe had such a great adventure yesterday.
Clearly, the Carolina Dog’s luck at the Worthington Glacier wasn’t going to be repeated again today anywhere near the S Alaskan coast. A week of rain was in the forecast. Time to head inland. Maybe it wasn’t so wet there? As soon as the G6 was ready, Lupe and SPHP drove N on the Richardson Highway, hoping to drive out of the weather before reaching Glennallen.
About 10 miles before even reaching Glennallen, SPHP pulled into the parking lot for the Wrangell – St. Elias National Park & Preserve visitor center. It was still raining, but not as hard as before. The clouds weren’t as dark, either, although they still blanketed the entire sky. Lupe waited in the G6, while SPHP went into the visitor center to see if they had a near term weather forecast for this part of Alaska.
SPHP interrupted three idle rangers chatting among themselves behind the information desk. Did they have a weather forecast? Rain for the next 10 days, and more after that, responded a bored female ranger. Alaska’s best days of the summer of 2016 were history now. It was just going to get colder and darker, she said. What about farther N, did they have a forecast for Fairbanks? Even colder and darker, there she replied.
SPHP returned to Lupe in the G6. Sorry about the wait, Loop! That was a complete waste of time. No specifics, other than more rain is expected. The ranger didn’t care, and knew next to nothing. Any lame brain would know that it would get colder and darker as summer fades to autumn in Alaska. Maybe we will find out something in Glennallen.
Hah, fat chance! At the Glennallen visitor center at the intersection of the Richardson and Glenn Highways, the story was almost the same. At least the lady at the information desk exhibited some energy and interest, but all she said was that it was raining in the entire state of Alaska, and had been rainy for weeks. She too, expected more rain, but had zero specifics. What about the weather in Fairbanks? Yup, raining there too, she insisted.
Gah, she had no clue either! Alaska is a vast territory. It was hardly possible it was raining in the whole state. Still, it left SPHP wondering what to do. Should Lupe go farther N hoping to find better weather, hang around here for who knew how many days waiting for the rain to stop, or just give up on Alaska all together, and go back to Canada and the Yukon?
Leaving Alaska now would be a shame! Lupe had come all this way, and had so many Alaskan adventures on her list of possibilities! SPHP left the building pondering the situation. A man followed SPHP outside.
The man introduced himself as the owner of Alaskan Quest, based in Fairbanks. His name was Kent Kaiser. He had overheard the conversation. Kent said he had just come from Fairbanks. Although it had been unusually rainy this summer there, it was sunny when he left Fairbanks this morning. Better yet, 10 more days of sun were in the forecast! SPHP thanked Kent for the tip.
It was all SPHP needed to hear. Loopster, good news! You’re heading N! After gassing up the G6, Lupe and SPHP continued N on the Richardson Highway.
The weather didn’t improve. The farther N Lupe got, the harder it rained, and the darker the clouds became. Not a speck of blue sky appeared anywhere. Lupe went past high mountains, a forlorn, dreary-looking Summit Lake, and big rivers. Some of the creeks were out of their banks. SPHP began to wonder.
Looking W from the Richardson Highway N of Glennallen.
Eventually, though, conditions did improve. The rain slackened, then quit. A tiny speck of blue appeared in the sky to the N. The blue spread, as Lupe and SPHP neared Delta Junction. By the time Lupe and SPHP stopped at a McDonald’s in North Pole to share a couple of cheeseburgers, a glorious pale blue sky stretched from horizon to horizon.
Lupe and SPHP reached Fairbanks, which turned out to be an attractive city. Fairbanks wasn’t Lupe’s actual destination, however. The decision to come N meant she was going all the way to her most northern peakbagging objectives. As far N as Lupe was already, she wasn’t even close to them yet.
It was already evening, as Lupe left Fairbanks heading NE on the Steese Highway. Less than 15 minutes later, at Fox, SPHP turned N on the Elliot Highway. Traffic faded away to almost nothing. The Elliot Highway was paved and in great shape. It went through densely forested territory, repeatedly climbing high ridges only to descend into successive big valleys farther N.
By the time the sun went down, there were clouds in the sky again, but they were thin and non-threatening. Lupe was almost to a much anticipated turn. A little beyond Livengood, there it was! SPHP made the R turn. Almost immediately, this new road turned to gravel. SPHP wondered what Lupe was getting into. The road went up a hill. At the top was a sign next to a long gravel pullout. Lupe had made it to the start of the Dalton Highway!
Sunset from the Elliot Highway, 8-12-16.Lupe reaches the start of the Dalton Highway near Livengood. 414 miles away, the Dalton Highway ends at Deadhorse, near the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and the Arctic Ocean.
While Lupe was at the Dalton Highway sign, a semi-truck appeared from the N. The driver stopped the long truck at the pullout. The truck was absolutely filthy, caked with dirt and dust. The driver got out. With the truck still idling, he used a wire brush to scrap the dirt off all the lights on the truck. The driver checked on a few other things, then drove away. Five minutes later, another semi-truck came out of the N. The same thing happened.
Good grief! Would the G6 be able to stand up to the Dalton Highway? Was Lupe going to be able to get anywhere close to her peakbagging objectives? Tomorrow would tell. It would be here soon enough.
The next morning, SPHP was concerned. The sky was cloudy, not clear. The Dalton Highway was dry, though, so Lupe fearlessly, and SPHP wonderingly, started N in the G6.
Lupe on the Dalton Highway early on 8-13-16, Day 15 of her Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation. The sky was overcast, and fog hung in some of the valleys.Dawn from the Dalton Highway, 8-13-16.
SPHP drove slowly, even though the Dalton Highway was in better shape than feared. No sense on taking any chance of damaging the G6 way up here in northern Alaska! Up and down. Lupe crossed many hills, valleys and ridges. Sometimes the Alaska oil pipeline was in view. Several sections of the road were paved, which was encouraging. Lupe was making progress.
At mile 55, Lupe reached her first objective along the Dalton Highway. It wasn’t a peakbagging goal. Lupe was about to cross the famous Yukon River!
Crossing the Yukon River on the Dalton Highway. Photo looks NNE.
Crossing the bridge only took a minute or two. Lupe was N of the mighty Yukon River! On the E side of the Dalton Highway was the Alaska oil pipeline, and a little visitor center. Time to get out of the G6 to see what there was to see, and celebrate Lupe’s crossing of the Yukon River.
At the Alaska oil pipeline, N of the Yukon River! Photo looks NNE.Information display near the visitor center E of the pipeline.Lupe on the N bank of the Yukon River. Photo looks downstream (W) toward the Dalton Highway bridge Lupe had just crossed.
The visitor center wasn’t open yet. SPHP looked at a few of the displays outside. Lupe went down to see the Yukon River. She saw the bridge on the Dalton Highway she had just crossed to get N of the river. Interestingly, the Alaska oil pipeline is attached to the underside of the bridge.
A gas station with a single pump was on the W side of the Dalton Highway. $5.50 per gallon. SPHP didn’t buy any. The G6 had plenty. Still, it was taking a chance. No matter what the price at Coldfoot, SPHP would have to buy some there.
Lupe and SPHP went down to the Yukon River again, this time W of the bridge.
Lupe at the Yukon River W of the Dalton highway. The river was murky and gray, not exactly what SPHP had expected. Photo looks downstream (WSW).The Dalton Highway bridge over the Yukon River from the NNW.
Almost as soon as Lupe left the Yukon River heading N, the Dalton Highway became damp, soft, and a little muddy. Once again, SPHP became concerned, but before long the road improved.
Slow and easy, 30 to 35 mph, Lupe and SPHP continued N. The Dalton Highway wound around, going up and down big hills and ridges. Often it was possible to see many miles toward distant mountains seemingly far beyond the reach of civilization. The scenery was vast and remote. The truck traffic on the Dalton Highway became almost the only source of reassurance that it wasn’t crazy for Lupe to be way out here.
About an hour N of the Yukon River, the highway passed very close to the summit of Finger Mountain(2,202 ft.). This was just too tempting. With only 30 feet of elevation gained required to claim a peakbagging success way up in N Alaska, Lupe had to stop!
A short nature trail went up Finger Mountain. Lupe followed it. The top of the mountain was a collection of rounded boulders. Lupe got up on some of them for a look around.
The summit of Finger Mountain from the Dalton Highway. Too close and easy for Lupe to resist! Photo looks NE.Lupe up on the boulders at the top of Finger Mountain.Looking NW at the vast Alaskan landscape from Finger Mountain. Olsons Lake is the largest pond seen on the R.Loopster up on Finger Mountain, Alaska! Photo looks N.
One of the things SPHP found amazing everywhere Lupe went in Alaska was how strikingly colorful the little tundra plants were.
N of Finger Mountain, there was a long stretch of paved road. Instead of deteriorating as it went N, as SPHP had feared, the Dalton Highway was getting better! Overall, the Dalton Highway wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the descriptions SPHP had read online implied. On the other hand, maybe that was just because the gravel sections weren’t muddy right now.
Lupe along the Dalton Highway a little N of Finger Mountain. The Alaska oil pipeline snakes N on the W side of the highway. More importantly, notice the lovely stripe on the road. Yes, it was paved here! Photo looks N.
Half an hour N of Finger Mountain, Lupe came to one of the most important non-peakbagging objectives of her entire Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation. At mile 115 of the Dalton Highway, intrepid explorer and adventurer Lupe reached the Arctic Circle!
Intrepid American Dingo Lupe at the Arctic Circle!
Lupe’s adventures in the Arctic were about to begin! Back on the Dalton Highway again, Lupe and SPHP continued N another 60 miles to Coldfoot. SPHP’s gamble paid off when gasoline for the G6 was a measly $4.59 per gallon, a significant savings over the $5.50 per gallon they wanted at the Yukon River.
At the Coldfoot gas station, Lupe made friends with a couple of motorcyclists from Huntington Beach, California. Alfredo Gonzalez, a riding academy instructor for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, and his friend, Sam, both showed an interest in Lupe. They were riding BMW motorcycles, and were on their way back S after having gone all the way to Prudhoe Bay.
Sam (L) and Alfredo Gonzalez (R) from Huntington Beach, California with Lupe at the Coldfoot, Alaska gas station. Sam and Alfredo were on their way back S from Prudhoe Bay on their BMW motorcycles.
It turned out that Sam and Alfredo were talking about possibly taking another motorcycle trip going through the Dakotas in 2017, so SPHP invited them to stop by and visit Lupe at home in the Black Hills. Maybe Lupe will get to see Sam and Alfredo again!
Sam and Alfredo said good-bye to Lupe and SPHP. They were ready to head S. Lupe was going the other direction. Excitement was mounting – it wouldn’t be long now! Another 25+ miles N of Coldfoot, Lupe would see the most famous mountain along the entire Dalton Highway. 90 miles into the Arctic, Lupe was here to climb it today!
Lupe 200 miles N of the start of the Dalton Highway, and 90 miles N of the Arctic Circle, approaching famed Sukakpak Mountain in the Brooks Range. Photo looks NE.
Days 12 & 13 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska.
Lupe’s adventures in the Yukon were done for now. Only yesterday, she’d enjoyed an epic day climbing Mount Decoeli(7,650 ft.) in Kluane National Park. From afar, she had seen Canada’s highest mountain, Mount Logan(19,541 ft.). Today was going to be a well-deserved day of rest for the Carolina Dog. Lupe would spend much of it snoozing in the G6, while SPHP drove N.
Lupe was on her way to Alaska!
Lupe’s morning on 8-10-16 started near Kluane Lake in Kluane National Park in the Yukon. Mount Decoeli, which Lupe had climbed the day before, is seen here on the far (L) across Kluane Lake. Photo looks SE.Lupe at Kluane Lake in the Yukon. Photo looks SSE.
Lupe and SPHP made frequent stops along the way. Sometimes Lupe stopped at scenic highlights. More often, SPHP was forced to stop due to road construction. The Alaska Highway had buckled and heaved in many places. Lupe & SPHP spent a good deal of time following pilot cars across dusty, torn-up, sections of road. All the way, fascinating Yukon scenery was right outside the window of the G6.
Mountains of the Saint Elias range. Not a bad bit of scenery to enjoy while waiting for the pilot car to appear! Photo looks SW.
When Lupe crossed the mighty Donjek River, SPHP was stuck following a pilot car and couldn’t stop. Farther N, she did get to stop and see the White River.
The vast floodplain of the White River. Photo looks downstream toward the NE.
The frost-heaved road, and all the construction made driving slow, but there was no real hurry. By early afternoon, Lupe reached the border crossing from Canada into Alaska. SPHP was disappointed when there was no colorful “Welcome to Alaska!” sign Lupe could pose by, only a dull, wordy, official sign at U.S. customs. Oh well, at least there were no problems crossing the border.
Just being in Alaska was exciting! Lupe had technically already been to a tiny piece of Alaska at Hyder on her way to see the Salmon Glacier, but now she was about to travel hundreds of miles across America’s largest, wildest, and most remote state. The feeling was almost spine-tingling. Who knew what adventures awaited Lupe in the Last Frontier State?
At Tok, Lupe left the Alaska Highway when SPHP turned S on the Tok Cut-off. Near the SW end of the Tok Cut-off, Lupe got to see the Copper River from a high bluff. If there hadn’t been so many clouds, Lupe might also have seen some of the giant snow and ice-capped peaks in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park & Preserve.
Lupe at the Copper River in Alaska. Photo looks W or SW in the downstream direction.The Copper River from a pullout along the Tok Cut-off. Clouds prevented Lupe from seeing giant snow-capped peaks to the S in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park & Preserve. Photo looks upstream.
Near Gulkana, Lupe reached the Richardson Highway (No. 4). SPHP took it going S toward Valdez. By late evening, Lupe was approaching the Worthington Glacier. It was an impressive sight, even from the highway!
Upper reaches of the Worthington Glacier as seen from the Richardson Highway. Photo looks WSW.Worthington Glacier. Photo looks WSW using the telephoto lens.
Lupe’s long day of rest traveling through the Yukon into Alaska was almost over. Tomorrow she would have several options, among them the Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail. Where she would go would be decided tomorrow morning. Until then, Lupe and SPHP settled in for the night.
The next morning did not bring good news. The sky was socked in with low clouds. A light mist was falling. Conditions did not seem conducive to a hike near the Worthington Glacier. SPHP drove over Thompson Pass toward Valdez. In Keystone Canyon, many amazing, beautiful waterfalls tumbled down the mountainsides. Lupe stopped briefly for a closer look at Bridal Veil Falls and Horsetail Falls.
Bridal Veil Falls in Keystone Canyon.Lupe at Horsetail Falls.Lupe at the base of Horsetail Falls. Both Bridal Veil Falls and Horsetail Falls can be viewed from pullouts along the Richardson Highway in Keystone Canyon on the way to Valdez. They are no more than 0.5 mile apart, but on opposite sides of the highway.
By the time Lupe reached Valdez, it was raining harder. The rain wasn’t heavy, but it was steady. With the rain falling, there wasn’t any urgency to do anything outdoors. SPHP dropped by the local Safeway store, and bought a roasted chicken to share with Lupe. Oddly, she wasn’t hungry. She refused any chicken. That seemed strange, but OK. Lupe and SPHP watched the rain fall, while SPHP consumed part of the chicken.
It was soon apparent why Lupe didn’t want any chicken. Without warning, she threw up. Poor, Loopster wasn’t feeling well! SPHP cleaned up her soiled blanket, then took Lupe out for a short walk in the rain to let her get anything else bad out of her system. She seemed to feel better.
There were a couple of awesome adventures near Valdez that SPHP was hoping Lupe might be able to do. One was to take the trail to Shoup Bay to see the Shoup Glacier and Kittiwake rookery. To do the whole trail was a long day hike, but maybe Lupe could do it tomorrow, if the weather cleared up.
The other adventure had been suggested by Richard Baker, whom Lupe had met on Mount Decoeli in the Yukon. Richard had highly recommended taking a cruise on Prince William Sound aboard the Lu-Lu Belle to see the Columbia Glacier, the second largest tidewater glacier in North America. Whales, eagles and other wildlife are sometimes seen from the Lu-Lu Belle, too.
Lupe had to wait in the G6, while SPHP went into the Lu-Lu Belle office to inquire about the Columbia Glacier tour. The receptionist was very courteous and friendly. She said the Lu-Lu Belle goes to the Columbia Glacier every day in season, pretty much regardless of the weather. The cost was $125 per person for an approximately 7 hour long tour aboard the luxury yacht.
It all sounded wonderful! Time for the big question. What about Lupe? Bad news. Lupe couldn’t go. They had dog-sitting services available, but the tour was a no-go for poor Looper.
No doubt it would have been a fantastic excursion, but if Lupe wasn’t going on the Lu-Lu Belle, neither was SPHP. This isn’t The (Mostly) True Adventures of SPHP, you know! So that was that, but before leaving the Lu-Lu Belle office, SPHP asked about the weather forecast.
The receptionist looked up the Valdez forecast on her computer. 100% chance of rain today and each of the next four days, then dropping to only 80%, 70%, and 40% for the three following days. She then said it had already been raining in Valdez for 3 straight weeks.
Yikes! That changed everything. Lupe and SPHP were willing to wait out a day or two of poor weather, but sitting around for more than a whole week of rain made no sense. SPHP returned to Lupe with the glum news. No Lu-Lu Belle, no Shoup Glacier, no Worthington Glacier. What to do?
If the Alaskan coast was going to be socked in with rain for another week or more, the only thing SPHP could think of doing was to head back inland. It meant Lupe wouldn’t get to do any of the cool stuff near Valdez on this trip, but Alaska is a huge place. There were other adventures in store for Lupe elsewhere.
Unfortunately, there was no point in hanging around Valdez. Amid rain and mist, Lupe and SPHP left town to start the long drive inland again on the Richardson Highway. Once again, Lupe traveled along the Lowe River, up Keystone Canyon, past Horsetail, Bridal Veil, and lots of other gorgeous waterfalls. She crossed Thompson Pass, and took a last glance at the Worthington Glacier as SPHP drove on by.
Wait a minute! The sky was still completely overcast, but only the tops of the mountains were in the clouds. The Worthington Glacier was in view. It was barely misting here. SPHP turned the G6 around. Lupe was going to get to see the Worthington Glacier after all! If the rain would hold off for only a few hours, a little mist wouldn’t stop an American Dingo!
SPHP drove back to the Worthington Glacier State Recreation Site. A dozen other vehicles were in the parking lot. People were coming and going. Nearly all of them were taking the short nature trail down to a viewpoint where the toe of the glacier could be seen. Nice, but not what Lupe had come for.
Lupe was here to take the much longer Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail, which goes W for a mile and a half, or more, on a ridge S of the glacier. Lupe and SPHP could see a couple hikers coming down the ridge trail. When they got to the start of the trail at the parking lot, SPHP talked to them. How were conditions up on the ridge? How far had they gone? Was anyone else up there right now?
Conditions were cloudy, a bit damp and rainy at times. They had made it all the way to what they considered the end of the trail. The glacier views were spectacular. Not another soul was up on the trail now. They were the last ones down.
Wonderful, that settled it! Lupe and SPHP started up the ridge.
Lupe starts up the Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail. Photo looks W.
The Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail began climbing along the top of a very narrow ridge with steep sides. To the S (L) was a very green valley of mixed alder and tundra. To the N (R) was the valley the Worthington Glacier flows down. The trail followed the ridgeline W. As Lupe gained elevation, the views of the Worthington Glacier up ahead became progressively more impressive.
The very green mixed alder and tundra valley on the S (L) side of the trail is shown well here. Part of the trail leaves the ridge near unstable cliffs to travel safely through this valley a little way before returning to the ridge. Lupe loved the green valley, but there were mosquitoes down there. They weren’t too bad. Up on the ridge, a breeze blew them away. Photo looks W.As Lupe climbed, the views of the Worthington Glacier steadily improved. The big rounded hump seen ahead on the L looked like it might be the end of the trail. Photo looks WNW.The Worthington Glacier has two arms, separated by the ridge of rock seen on the upper R. Near the lower end of the glacier, both arms drop steeply as seen here. A little farther up, the glacier is one big river of ice. Photo looks NW.Gotta love that beautiful blue glacier ice!
The ridge trail left the ridge temporarily to bypass dangerous cliffs. It entered the green valley of mixed alders and tundra. There were a few mosquitoes down here to deal with, but they weren’t too bad. They were pretty much limited to the valley on this day. A breeze kept them from being much of a bother up on the ridge.
Lupe loved the green valley! SPHP thought it was great, too. The valley was full of wildflowers. The tiny, delicate plants growing on the tundra were fascinating. They were so incredibly varied and colorful!
Bright wildflowers in the lush green valley S of the ridge.For Lupe, the beautiful green valley was one of her favorite parts of the whole Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail. The glacier isn’t in view here, but it can be seen from virtually everywhere else on the ridge trail. Lupe was completely convinced the wildflowers and tundra were worth seeing, too! Photo looks E.Delicate, vibrant little plants of the tundra. They were only an inch or two high.
Before long, the trail left Lupe’s lush, green valley and returned to the ridge. The Worthington Glacier was always in view from here on. The trail headed up toward a high, barren, rounded mound of dark colored soil and rock. It looked like that hill might be the end of the trail. The climb up to the top was steep!
Back on the ridge again, the Worthington Glacier was always in view.Lovely blue crevasses as seen with a little help from the telephoto lens.As Lupe climbed the last high, barren, rounded hill, she had this view of the Worthington Glacier as a single river of ice above where the glacier split in two. Photo looks WNW.Near the top of the last high, barren, rounded hill. From below, this hill looked like it might be the end of the trail. Maybe it is the end of the formal trail, but Lupe found out it was possible to go quite a long way farther. Cairns showed the way. Photo looks W.
Lupe reached the top of the high, barren, rounded hill. The trail leveled out and went right on over it. At first, SPHP wasn’t certain if the trail continued or not. Lupe and SPHP left the ridgeline to explore farther W along the N side of a mountain. Others had been this way, too. The terrain was rocky and uneven. There was no longer a distinct, continuous trail, but now and then Lupe came to cairns along the way.
Part of the time, Lupe was traveling over relatively level, wide, rock shelves. Other times, she had to climb steep slopes. Lupe passed by occasional bright patches of wildflowers. Some places bright green moss clung to dark rocks next to trickling waterfalls. To the S was the mountain. To the N, Lupe looked down upon the Worthington Glacier. And to the W, Lupe’s route rose toward a white, gray and black world of clouds, snow, ice, and dark earth.
As Lupe explored farther W above the Worthington Glacier, she sometimes came to colorful patches of wildflowers in an otherwise bleak world. Photo looks WNW.Wildflowers bring a splash of color to the Worthington Glacier.A mighty American Dingo explores the harsh environment of the Worthington Glacier! Actually, the worst Lupe had to face was some light rain and heavy mist that came and went. The temperature wasn’t that bad, either – maybe in the upper 40’s °F. Photo looks WNW.A glacial tsunami surges over the lip of a vast bowl of snow and ice above. Lupe had seen what was higher up from the Richardson Highway yesterday evening, but the upper part of the glacier wasn’t visible now. Photo looks WNW.A really big cairn beckons, showing the way ahead. Photo looks W.Lupe reaches the really big cairn. She kept going for a considerable distance from here. Smaller cairns continued to confirm her route. Photo looks NW.
After traveling a considerable distance along the mountainside, Lupe reached a really big cairn at a high point. SPHP thought maybe the big cairn meant Lupe was getting close to the end of how far she was going to be able to go W.
This wasn’t the end yet, though. Onward! The slope of the terrain lessened. Lupe still had to climb some, but gained elevation more slowly than before. The bold, damp Carolina Dog went on and on. Small cairns marked the route. The farther Lupe went, the more streams of rain and meltwater she encountered pouring over the rocks.
At last, it could be seen that Lupe was nearing a point where she would be surrounded by snow and ice on 3 sides.
Through light rain and mist, Lupe presses on toward the end. Soon she would be surrounded by snow and ice on 3 sides. Photo looks W.
Lupe reached the end of how far she could go W. The view was stupendous, even on a cloudy, drizzly day. Beneath the misty clouds, the sense of grandeur, solitude, and isolation was supreme. Snow, ice, mist, and dark rocks comprised the whole visible world.
To the SW, a big patch of pink snow was close at hand. SPHP was chilly enough, but the hot-blooded Carolina Dog thought a frolic on the snow would be fun!
A hot-blooded Carolina Dog frolics on a patch of pink snow at the end of the line. The glacier, no doubt, melted a little more from this abuse.Lupe at the end of the line. She was surrounded on 3 sides by snow and ice. Photo looks WSW.Looking back down the Worthington Glacier from close to the W end of Lupe’s advance. The Richardson Highway is seen far below. Photo looks ENE.Lupe at the end of the line. The Worthington Glacier flows down from higher still, but this was as far as Lupe could go. Photo looks NW.
After the Carolina Dog had cooled down sufficiently, Lupe and SPHP stood at the final high point Lupe reached, contemplating the Worthington Glacier and enjoying this rare, exquisite moment.
As SPHP looked around, it looked like Lupe might be able to go back to the SE, and climb 200 feet higher on the mountainside above. Any higher up than that, the mountain was buried beneath deep, pristine snow. Lupe might have seen more from up on the mountainside, but SPHP decided against it.
On a clear, bright day, the additional climb would have been worth it, but everything was wet and slippery now. A cold, light rain was falling. Even if Lupe had climbed higher, clouds and fog might easily have negated any benefit. In truth, Lupe was lucky the weather had cooperated enough to let her get this far. She’d had an unexpectedly wonderful day.
Lupe and SPHP stayed for a while at the far W end of Lupe’s advance contemplating this slow-moving river of ancient ice and snow known as the Worthington Glacier. Photo looks NW.Lupe thinking deep thoughts at the end of the line – There hasn’t been a squirrel here in 25,000 years!Looking NE.Lupe stands near the small cairn at the end of her Worthington Glacier exploration. Photo looks NE.
There was only one way back, which was to retrace Lupe’s entire route up here. Of course, going in the reverse direction provided a different perspective. One thing didn’t change. Lupe continued sniffing and exploring. Even SPHP stopped to examine a few details along the way.
Bright green moss grew near trickling waterfalls.
The really big cairn is seen ahead, this time to the E.Lupe explores near a patch of wildflowers. At least there was something worth sniffing! Photo looks E.Don’t jump, Loop! You forgot your SUPER DINGO cape!Looking NE. The weather wasn’t really improving on the return trip.Lupe back on the Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail on top of the high, barren hill. Photo looks ENE.Uh, Lupe did mention that the route up the high, barren, rounded hill was sort of steep, didn’t she? Photo looks E.What makes that glacial blue so appealing, anyway?
Four or five hours after she’d left, Lupe was back at the G6. Her adventure on the Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail had been a very worthwhile success! SPHP was so glad she’d done it!
The long trek had cured any remaining queasiness from earlier in the day. Lupe was famished! She made up for having missed breakfast by doing more than her fair share helping SPHP devour every last bit of the leftover roasted chicken. Once full of chicken, Lupe felt a tad sleepy.
Full of roasted chicken, Lupe passed out in the G6.
Digesting all that chicken took awhile. Lupe had a nice long Dingo nap. By the time she woke up, it was evening. There was still time, though, to take the short nature trail to the viewpoint looking up at the S toe of the Worthington Glacier from below.
The trail to the viewpoint took only a few minutes. There were, however, unofficial trails that people had made going closer to the glacier. Naturally, Lupe and SPHP thought it a good idea to go find out what could be seen along them.
The unofficial trails were wet, muddy and slick. They climbed an incredible jumble of rocks. The terrain looked like an explosion had taken place. Of course, there hadn’t been any explosion. The rocks were just as they had been unceremoniously dumped at the not-too-long-ago terminal moraine of the Worthington Glacier.
Among the rocky debris left by the retreat of the Worthington Glacier. Photo looks W.Lupe got close enough to see the toe of the glacier. Photo looks W.Near the toe. Photo looks W.S toe of the Worthington Glacier in Alaska.
After scrambling over the jumble of rock close enough to get a good look at the S toe of the glacier, there was one more thing to go see. Earlier, on the way back to the G6, while Lupe was still way up high on the ridge trail, SPHP had noticed a very long stream of water cascading down the lower N side of the Worthington Glacier valley.
From above, the stream of water had presented a rather bizarre optical illusion. It looked like the water cascaded up and over a ridge of solid rock! Simply impossible, but that was how it had looked to SPHP. Lupe wasn’t far now from the bottom of that stream. Time to go take a closer look!
Lupe at the bottom of the anti-gravity waterfall. Everything was normal, the water fell down, not up. Photo looks N.
When Lupe got to the base of the falls, everything was normal. The water fell down, not up. Which is how it should be, and always will be. The mystery wasn’t completely solved for SPHP, because the part of the long stream that had seemed to cascade uphill was out of sight much higher up. Illusion that it no doubt was, this stream had earned the nickname “Anti-gravity Creek” as far as SPHP was concerned.
It had been quite a day at the Worthington Glacier for Loopster, but it was getting dark. The rain was starting up again. Almost back at the G6, SPHP thought of one more thing Lupe might want to check out. When SPHP turned and headed toward the glacier once more, Lupe let out a single, no-nonsense woof!
She’d had enough! Time to dry off and get some shut-eye! Meekly, SPHP obeyed. Back to the G6. Sometimes Dingoes know best!
SPHP, you might want to have your eyes checked! Water falls down, got that? Down!
