The Ferry to Whittier then Valdez....

I love travelling on the Alaskan Ferries. So much of the time there are small tree smothered islands on view. There also seems to be a steady supply of puffins, gulls and jaegers to watch. I stand at the front of the viewing lounge, fix my eyes on the sea and wait.

Having sat back down to do some writing glancing through the front window from time to time I thought I spotted something large in the distance. I huge fin maybe? Then again.... Oh wow, had I spotted some distant orcas (killer whales)... I ran out on to deck. The 10 or so people in the large viewing
lounge were totally unaware, and so were the staff apparently. It wasn't until the huge black and white whales were almost right alongside the Kennicott that the captain mentioned 'A pod of orcas to the starboard.' Wow.

Having decided to leave my camera in the cabin, knowing full well that this would lead to a great viewing of something (the same happened with the family of bears in Kodiak. I discovered I had a lens with me but the camera was in the handlebar bag on the bicycle.) I watched them porpoise a few times before they moved off in to the distance. It was wonderful to see these magnificent mammals carving their way effortlessly through the sea with their huge 6 foot dorsal fins pointed skywards, black and shining in the morning sun.

It seemed I was first again later that day to spot yet another whale. 10 minutes later the captain mentioned the whale slapping it's tail alongside the boat.

In addition to the whale sitings, Dalls porpoises carved, dipped and dived around the boat once again like on my other ferry journeys.

A wonderful experience.

Whale tail!

Oh bouy!!  Sealions!!

After 24 hours of eating nothing, I decided to see if there was anything decent on offer at the Café. They had a pretty awesome salad bar. A plate was exactly $8.00, the amount of cash I originally had in my pocket at the bar the previous evening, I laughed to myself. I loaded a plate as high as possible with fresh crunchy vegetables and approached the checkout. 'Laaaaaarge Salad.' the guy said, obviously noticing how much food I managed to stack on the plate. As his wholesome arse cheeks draped over the small stool he commented 'I love salad too.' My friend on the checkout clearly loved cakes and carbs too! As I waded in to the crunchy, fresh salad I was pleased the two day fast had been shortened to a 1 day event. I sauntered out of the Cafe past the vending machine, I hesitated for a second and then reached in to my pocket and pulled out the four quarters Dylan had pushed back to me. I smiled and inserted one after another, and pressed 411. A peanut butter Reese bar lay in the tray below. Thanks Dylan.

I cycled off the ferry in to Whittier. It was cloudy, grey and grim looking. They keep telling me 'It's sh*ttier in Whittier', but it seems okay.  Whittier has nothing though.... It's a fish processing dock really and that's it.  There are two bars and a grocery store, everything else is associated with fish processing and boat repairs.

I threw my tent up behind a small brick building surrounded by wild daisies. I'm on the dock. Peaceful it is not. I take a walk to the grocery store and buy a couple of bits and pieces for a late snack. 

On my return I meet a Ukranian girl who was also on the ferry. She is a photographer based in San Francisco. She has an hour to spare before the ferry leaves so we decide to grab a beer and chat photography.

An hour later I return to my tent, grab my bicycle and head to the docks with my camera. It's 10.45pm. I managed to lose my tripod cover and tyre pump whilst trekking in Kodiak, so I attached the camera to the tripod and carried it over the handlebars. I chatted to a couple of local fish processors and another dock worker who was fishing for halibut from the harbour.

Fisherman Portrait with Glacier in the background.

At midnight I began to cycle off.... The ride felt harder than usual. Incredibly having ridden hundreds of miles with over 135 of that being over rough sharp stone, I now had managed to pick up a flat tyre on the smooth concrete. Of course I'd lost my pump three days ago, and there were no cycle shops in Whittier. I walked my bike back to the tent.

Next morning I repaired the tube and eventually found a guy willing to lend me his bicycle pump before he got on his ferry at 11am. My ferry was 2.30pm.

I pumped and pumped but the air continued to escape. I told him not to worry and he headed off in to town. I remembered I had a new inner tube, ran to my tent, then chased around the docks with my back wheel in tow until I found my pump man again.

I inflated my tyre nice and hard. Magic. We stood chatting for a minute or two when suddenly there was a gun shot, CRACK!!!! We looked at one another as the tyre immediately deflated. My exploding tyre hinted that I was not meant to cycle today..... it also hinted at it being 'Sh*ttier in Whittier!'

The ferry ride from Whittier to Valdez was a real treat. Mirror like conditions with sea otters, porpoises and a couple more whales.

Valdez Marina Entrance

I arrived in Valdez headed to Pioneer Outfitters bought a pump and another inner tube then got to repairing my tyre. It was 9pm by the time I finished.

I cycled to the outskirts by a little beach. No camping. I quickly pitched my tent then jumped on my bike for a little cycle around. 

10.45pm view from my tent.

A large bear came crashing down a track and on to the road. I stopped and reached for my camera, just as a car decided to chase the big fur ball off the road and up the track. I wasn't best pleased. For some reason I felt the sudden urge to pursue the bear. I cycled up the steep rocky trail towards an opening with overlooked the marina. There at the top of the next little track stood the grizzly. He was just looking at me. I was just looking at him. I quickly tried to switch lenses, then he turned and jogged off (on all fours) in to the bushes. I pursued one more time, aware that this track was very over grown. After 5 minutes I decided it best I left this fellow to his own devices. On the way down the track I met a truck coming up.

'We saw you heading up, good sized bear! Thought you were brave or crazy!'

I conversed with them for a few minutes setting their minds at ease. I think they settled on a little brave, a little crazy.

I hung my food in bags up in a tree and hit the hay.

View from tent in the middle of the night....

The next morning 3 Israeli guys who turned up to camp around 11pm told me they'd watched a bear walk around the turning area where we were all camped and head off up beside my food bags. He couldn't reach them. According to size and colour description it was the same bear. I was awake at midnight when this was happening, but my tent was facing the other direction. Gutted, could finally have gotten those close up bear images!

Today I hit the road heading towards McCarthy.

McCarthy is a tiny community located in the back of beyond, pretty much 100 miles from nowhere. It was an old Copper mining community 100 years ago. Now a handful of old buildings remain, refurbished in the old style for the tourists and the few locals. Isolated holiday cabins dot the surrounding area where folks from Anchorage come to unwind during the summer months. I was looking forward to McCarthy.

First I'd have at least two full days of cycling. And when I say full I mean full.

One hundred and ninety miles lie between Valdez and McCarthy, and in between that lies the Thompson Pass. A climb of almost two and a half thousand feet.

Today I'd do my best to reach Squirrel State Recreation Site, the campsite I rested in on my cycle toward Valdez five weeks earlier.

Only eighty five miles to go.