Hope to Seward, AK
As plans sometime do - ours changed - again. We wound up staying on the Hope Highway two nights instead of one as it rained and rained some more. Luckily the spot we were in was somewhat secluded so we didn't get the wind associated with the rain. It did clear enough for us to watch the bore tide come in, but it wasn't as spectacular as the past ones have been. All of them have been different from each other so the adage "when you have seen one, you have seen them all" does not work in this case.
When we di
d finally leave Hope Highway we headed south towards Seward. The scenery along the way was beautiful, more mountain vistas and of course, the ever present snow on the peaks. I don't think they are ever snow free! Several times traveling south to Seward, we passed avalanche gates. You can tell where the avalanches have happened by the rock slide paths on the mountain sides.
When we di
d finally leave Hope Highway we headed south towards Seward. The scenery along the way was beautiful, more mountain vistas and of course, the ever present snow on the peaks. I don't think they are ever snow free! Several times traveling south to Seward, we passed avalanche gates. You can tell where the avalanches have happened by the rock slide paths on the mountain sides.
We passed through Moose Pass - population 201. Moose Pass started
as a construction camp on the Alaska Railroad in 1912. The name came about from a 1904 observation of the first moose recorded in this area. Another version is that in 1903 a mail carrier driving a team of dogs had considerable trouble gaining the right-of-way from a giant moose. There is a waterwheel along the road at the general store that is a replica of one built that was used to cut lumber for the family's homestead.
One of the prettiest lakes we have ever seen is Kenai Lake. The water is that gorgeous blue color that comes from glacier meltwater. Kenai Lake extends 24 miles from the head of the Kenai River on the west to the mouth of Snow River on the east.
We stopped also at Lily Pad Lake and although t
he Milepost states to watch for Moose in the lake, there weren't any. It is a nice little place and they have built a viewing deck so you can overlook the area without getting in the way of traffic as it is right alongside the highway.W
e reached our destination of Seward and started looking for the city park which is along the shoreline with several areas to choose from. Our back window overlooks the bay giving us a nice view of the cruise ships, the Kenai Fjord boats, fishing boats and the sea otters that play in the water just off the shore.
e reached our destination of Seward and started looking for the city park which is along the shoreline with several areas to choose from. Our back window overlooks the bay giving us a nice view of the cruise ships, the Kenai Fjord boats, fishing boats and the sea otters that play in the water just off the shore.
Seward has a population of 2,661 and is known as the"Gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park". It is a picturesque town nestled between high mountain ranges on a small rise stretchi
ng from Resurrection Bay to the foot of Mount Marathon. The town was established in 1903 by railroad surveyors as an ocean terminal and supply center. The Iditarod trail was surveyed in 1910 as a mail route between Seward and Nome. It was used until 1924 when it was replaced by the airplane. The 938 mile long trail - now a National Historic Trail - is probably best known for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race the is run each March between Anchorage and Nome.One of the sights to see when in Seward is the Exit Glacier. This is the most easily accessible gl
acier in Alaska and the trail takes you to a lookout where you can view it 
without climbing. If you want to climb the rest of the trail - and Ken did - it takes you to the Harding Ice Fields where you can touch the glacier. This part was closed as they were making a new trail, so he didn't get to touch it but he did get up close to it. I chose to stay on the flat trail and while everyone was going their separate ways, I walked back to the visitors center with the naturalist - Rachael - that led the walk. T
here had been several bear sightings the past few days, and Rachael being a self-proclaimed bear expert w
as hoping we would see it while on the walk. However, with a group of 20 people it was highly unlikely the bear would want any part of being seen.
acier in Alaska and the trail takes you to a lookout where you can view it 
without climbing. If you want to climb the rest of the trail - and Ken did - it takes you to the Harding Ice Fields where you can touch the glacier. This part was closed as they were making a new trail, so he didn't get to touch it but he did get up close to it. I chose to stay on the flat trail and while everyone was going their separate ways, I walked back to the visitors center with the naturalist - Rachael - that led the walk. T
here had been several bear sightings the past few days, and Rachael being a self-proclaimed bear expert w
as hoping we would see it while on the walk. However, with a group of 20 people it was highly unlikely the bear would want any part of being seen.Some final pictures - Enjoy!
This is a sign not seen on the east coast!
We will be heading back up the Seward Highway when we leave here and joining up with the Sterling Highway to head to Sodoltna.
