If I Were Going...

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

An Aborted Tour (Again!) and Some Fall Beauty

Maroon Bells

I have had a few instances of going to lots of trouble and expense to do something special and then have it fall apart because of issues with the provider.

Case in point, my planned trip to Gates of the Arctic back in 2015. I planned. I paid. I showed up. I flew to the meeting point. The guide didn't show. Yeah, I got my money back -- but not any of the money I spent to get there for the tour.

Crystal Mill; Photo: Wikipedia

Well, for years, Caty and I have been trying to figure out how to get to Colorado's iconic Crystal Mill to photograph it while fall foliage blazes around it.

We finally discovered that you must travel on a very rough road by 4WD vehicle or ATV.

So, we booked a tour during peak leaf time with Crystal River Jeep Tours, which seems to be the only guided Jeep tour provider.

Yeah, you can rent a Jeep, but I have heard the road is very tricky.

The tour departs from Marble, Colorado, which is five hours from my house and four hours from Caty's. So, we looked around the area and decided to stay in Aspen so that we could also go to Maroon Bells.

We found a "two bedroom" condo. It turned out to have one bedroom and a very strange loft with a 5-foot ceiling and access via a ladder. Plus, the loft had no curtains, so Caty was blasted by streetlights all night long. But, it had a great location, a nice living room, a serviceable kitchen and two bathrooms.

We drove up on a Saturday morning and did some exploring (I will get back to that later) and Caty came up after work on Saturday. She had only one day and would have to leave to drive home right after the Jeep tour because she had to work on Monday.

So, our plan was to get up early on Sunday morning to go to Maroon Bells for sunrise. I have done this before in the summertime, but never in fall. Access to Maroon Bells is limited, so planning is essential.

Photo: RFTA

You can drive your own car the eight miles into the Maroon bells area until 8 a.m. UNLESS the parking lot is full. Then you must take a shuttle bus from Aspen Highlands, a local ski resort.

The first bus is at 7:00 a.m. and they run until about 6:00 p.m., after which you can drive in. I should mention that during the summer, we have gotten in if we got there before dawn.

So, Scott, Caty and I got up early and arrived at the Maroon Bells Road at 5:26 a.m. But, the road was already blocked and we were told we would have to take the shuttle -- in an hour and a half!

So, no sunrise.

Now, there are a lot of issues here:

It was peak leaf weekend. We should have anticipated bigger crowds.

Fall color

From what we can gather, a lot of people illegally park (and sleep in their cars) in the Maroon Bells day use parking lot. So, there is little hope for those of us who obey the rules.

A lot of people were turned away around the time we were. Dawn is popular at Maroon Bells. I mean, look ...

Sunrise at Maroon Bells, July 2012

So, why don't they adjust bus schedules for peak dawn days and start running an hour before sunrise? That was the question everyone waiting kept asking.

Scott didn't want to wait.

Maroon Bells

We went back to the condo, got Caty's car, transferred our gear and went back to wait for the bus.

There was confusion when we returned, probably because three entities are involved: The U.S. Forest Service operates the Park; the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) operates the buses; the Aspen Highlands Ski Resort operates the ticket office.

The ranger blocking the road and the sign on the ticket office door offered different opening times for purchasing shuttle tickets ($8.00 each).

There are two doors plus a line for the bus, making it tricky to decide where to wait. Cell service is very spotty.

Despite the confusion, we were able to snag tickets to the first bus in. We discovered that we could have bought tickets the day before (but why would we? we thought we were going to drive in). Later, we also found out that once the parking lot at Aspen Highlands fills up, you have to shuttle in from another ski area even farther away. At least we didn't have to do that.

New rope barriers

When we arrived, we saw that Maroon Bells had installed posts and ropes to keep people away from the lakeshore. The barriers have one negative effect on photography -- it prevents you from getting a full reflection of the mountains if lake levels are low.

But, it also has a positive effect -- it gives you a clear shot without millions of photographers in your way.

And, when we arrived, there were lots and lots and lots of photographers. It looked like a movie opening.

Mountain paparazzi

I suspect a lot of those people slept in their cars.

Although we missed sunrise, it was worth the wait just to watch the fall colors shift and change as the sun slowly rose over the mountains to the east and as clouds built up in the west.

Shifting colors

It was breathtaking. And, so, Caty and I took lots and lots and lots of photos. During the time we were shooting, many of the early morning photographers cleared out. But, the beauty kept on coming.

Maroon Bells

And, you always have to make sure you take some photos of the other views that surround you in the valley.

Mountains opposite Maroon Bells

It is not just the Bells that are breathtaking.

View opposite Maroon Bells

We did speak with a couple who had been there for sunrise and they described a thin line of red at the top -- not the spectacular red wash we had seen in July 2012. So, I guess we didn't miss too much.

The Maroon Bells are two peaks -- Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak -- in the Elk Mountains the Maroon Bells--Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest about 12 miles southwest of Aspen.

Caty and me

Both peaks are fourteeners -- Maroon Peak is 14,163 feet (the 27th highest peak in Colorado) and North Maroon Peak is 14,019 feet (ranked 50th).

The Bells actually are maroon

Maroon Bells didn't get that name because of the color the rising sun projects on it. Rather, it comes from the color of the actual rock that comprises the mountains.

They are not made of the granite found throughout most of the Rockies.

Instead, Maroon Bells is composed of a pinkish-brown metamorphic sedimentary mudstone that has hardened into rock over millions of years.

Mudstone is weak and fractures readily, making hiking in the Bells dangerous. In 1965 alone, eight people died in five separate accidents.

Maroon Lake, which serves as the foreground for Maroon Bells photography, sits at 9,580 feet in a basin sculpted by Ice-Age glaciers and later dammed by landslide and rockfall debris from the steep slopes above the valley floor.

Maroon Lake

The Maroon Bells are one of the most photographed places in Colorado -- for obvious reasons.

Maroon Bells

Plus, it is a popular recreation site with three campgrounds, a Visitor Center and several hiking trails. More than 300,000 people visit the Bells every season.

Mountains opposite Maroon Bells

So, Caty and I stayed as long as we could and then took the bus back so that we could meet up with Scott to drive to Marble, a little over an hour away. The cell service at Aspen Highlands is very poor. You have to be standing in the right place to make or receive a call. So, I guess I was standing in the right place when my phone rang and I saw that it was a call from Marble.

Photo: Crystal River Jeep Tours

Probably just calling to confirm that we would be there, right?

No!

Calling to cancel because the Jeep broke down!

Seriously?

I had spent hundreds of dollars for lodges. I had driven 4 hours and Caty had driven about the same (and was going to have to turn around and drive right back home). It was peak weekend and there were no other options to get to Crystal Mill.

The guy who called was apologetic, but he didn't offer me ANYTHING!!! No discount for a future trip. No reschedule. No nothing. Pretty disappointing.

It was our one shot at Crystal Mill in 2018 and we couldn't go. Very disappointing.

So, we did a little more exploring on nearby Castle Creek Road ...

Castle Creek Road

... and then Caty drove back home -- a long drive, but at least not as late as had we gone to the Mill. Scott and I went to the Bells again that evening ...

Maroon Lake in the evening

... it was lovely, but evening isn't nearly as pretty ...

Maroon Bells in the evening

... as morning ...

Maroon Bells in the morning

Then we drove back home the next day.

I told this story a bit out of order so that I could get to the important points. Before we met up with Caty, Scott and I encountered some beautiful scenery on the way to Aspen, including the road between Twin Lakes and Independence Pass ...

On the way to Aspen

... and, Frying Pan Road to Ruedi Reservoir (this is actually past Aspen; we went exploring before we checked in to the condo) ...

Frying Pan Road

Then, once we got to Aspen, we drove down Castle Creek Road, which fans out from the same roundabout as Maroon Bells Road and follows some similar, but far less steep, terrain ...

Castle Creek Road

Plus, Scott went out by himself the first night to get some night sky photography ...

Photo: Scott Stevens

The weekend didn't go as planned, but at least we got to see Maroon Bells in its fall glory.

Maroon Bells

Trip date: September 22-23, 2018

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Alaska #16: Seward

Lowell Point

On our last full day in Alaska, Scott and I went our separate ways. He went halibut fishing and I had the day to explore Seward on my own. I have been to Seward a number of times, but usually just to take the Kenai Fjords boat trip and leave. So, this was a treat.

Located on Resurrection Bay, itself a fjord of the Gulf of Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula, Seward is 130 miles from Anchorage.

Seward from Resurrection Bay

With a permanent population of almost 3,000 people, Seward is named for former U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward, who orchestrated the United States' purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.

Bald Eagle in town

It started as a fur-trading port in the late 1700s but wasn’t incorporated as a city until 1912. It then was an important port for the military buildup in Alaska during World War II.

A large portion of Seward was damaged by the 1964 Alaska earthquake.

Lodge on Resurrection Bay

By definition, Seward has a subarctic climate but it has relatively moderate temperatures compared to the rest of Alaska in both winter and summer because of the moderating effect of the Gulf of Alaska. Only January sees an average daily high temperature below freezing, and temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit are rare.

The oceanic influence also causes lots of precipitation, with the heaviest amounts occurring during the fall and winter.

Seward's local economy is largely driven by commercial fishing and seasonal tourism.

Many lodging facilities, restaurants and shops in the city are open only from mid-May through mid-September. In the summer, Seward bustles, but after the season ends, it's almost as if tumbleweed is blowing through town.

Seward is among the most lucrative commercial fisheries ports in the United States, according to reports from the National Marine Fisheries Service. Commercial fishing boats in Seward annually offloaded approximately 13,500 tons of fish and shellfish, valued at about $42 million. And, sport fishing is a huge part of the city's tourism business.

Seward Harbor

Because Seward is the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad and is connected to Anchorage and the rest of the Kenai Peninsula via road, it is a major northern end-port for several major cruise lines, including Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Celebrity Cruises. It was formerly served by the Alaska Marine Ferry system, but service was discontinued in 2005.

Seward Harbor

As I mentioned, Seward is the land-base for Kenai Fjords National Park, I talked about the ocean/coast-based portion of the Park in my last two posts (here and here). But, there is also a land-based portion, the Exit Glacier.

Exit Glacier from trail to the overlook

The Exit Glacier was my first stop on my day of exploration. I have to admit, I went early hoping to see some wildlife. Back in 2013, I saw a Black Bear there.

Why did the Bear cross the road?

The recession is frightening

Flowing from the Harding Icefield (the largest icefield in the U.S.), the Exit Glacier is one of the most accessible valley glaciers in Alaska.

This is a different type of glacier than the tidewater glacier we visited on our Kenai Fjords National Park boat tour.

The Exit Glacier received its name for serving as the exit for the first recorded human crossing of the Harding Icefield in 1968. It was previously Resurrection Glacier.

It is also a visible indicator of glacial recession caused by climate change.

The distance from the first marker showing the glacier's terminus in 1917 to the present foot of the glacier is remarkable. And, extremely frightening.

We visited in 2001 and 2013 and it looks so different, I wouldn’t have recognized it.

Exit Glacier in 2013

A spur road of the Seward Highway leads to the only road-accessible portion of the Kenai Fjords National Park. A system of hiking trails leads to the terminus of the glacier and up to the Harding Icefield itself. Although it is one of the Harding Icefield's smaller glaciers, it is one of the most visited because of its easy accessibility and abundant hiking trails around and above the glacier.

When I arrived on a sunny morning, the glacier area was completely shrouded in fog, one of the interesting things that happens around huge slabs of ice.

Fog on the glacier

It was too early to go to the Visitor Center, so I took a walk around the woods and then hiked up to the glacier overlook. It started out cool and damp and ended warm and sunny.

Much of the hike is through a wooded area, but the end of the trail (that has to be constantly extended as the glacier recedes) climbs a bit.

Hiking to the glacier

Most interesting was the visible scrapes along the rock walls that had been scoured by the wall of ice as it moved forward before it receded.

Glacial scrapes

I also walked around the expansive run-off basin that is braided with cold, silty streams running through the glacial rocks.

Outflow stream; outflow basin; stream full of glacial flour

I went back to the Visitor Center hoping to get a stamp for my passport only to learn from a man who was carrying boxes out that it was closed for the season. Hey, maybe a sign on the door would be in order!?!

Further, he was admonishing people to get out and hike rather than just going into the Visitor Center. Hey, I just completed a loop that was several miles long!

Exit Glacier above the outflow basin

After that adventure, I headed off for Lowell Point State Recreation Site, where I both visited the Lowell Point beach and hiked to Tonsina Point.

Lowell Point Road reaches south from Seward along Resurrection Bay to a beach with campgrounds, services and a trailhead.

Photo: Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council

We've driven there before, but never beyond to the more natural areas.

Lowell Point

The area features a beach that ends up against some cliffs, a salt marsh and a mature coastal temperate rainforest of Sitka Spruce and Hemlock running up the mountainside.

Forest above the ocean

On the little strip of beach near the trailhead, I saw one Marbled Murrelet floating in the water ...

Marbled Murrelet

... and I watched a kayak tour paddle by (that is them way in the distance).

Lowell Point

Then, I took off on the hike to Tonsina Point without a clue of where I was going or how long it would take. I figured that I could always turn around if it got too long or too steep or too muddy. It ended up being three miles – probably a bit too far for my lightweight shoes and no water, but I did it.

The hike went through a dense forest

Well, I may have hiked three miles; but maybe less. I have not yet found a good trail map and one description mentioned TWO bridges. I only crossed one.

Tonsina Bridge

Glaucous Gulls

I think that was because it was low tide, so I didn’t have to walk back through the woods to cross the water. Instead, I was able to walk down the beach. From the trailhead, a gradual climb goes high above the shoreline of Resurrection Bay where you can see glimpses of the water through the spruce and hemlock trees.

A view of Resurrection Bay

After you reach the highest point on the trail, it is fairly step and a but muddy going down the other side. To help with the trip -- and to protect the environment -- there are a few places where wooden boardwalks have been built. On a rainy day the trail would be impossible. But, I had a nice sunny (and a bit steamy) day.

Trail boardwalk

When you (finally!) reach the bottom, you cross the bridge from which you can see spawning (and rotting) salmon and lots of birds feeding on them. On a good day, there might be bears. But, there weren't any evident on this day.

View from the bridge

Plus, you see the magnificent view -- the reason why you did the hike in the first place ...

Tonsina Point

Then, you can walk out to the shore ...

Tonsina Point

While I was there, I saw a group on a tour (possibly the kayakers I had seen earlier), lots of Glaucous Gulls enjoying the salmon feast ...

A Glaucous Gull diving for a salmon snack

... and a lovely little Spotted Sandpiper eating bugs as it hopped from rock to rock in the creek ...

Spotted Sandpiper

It was a pleasant walk on a beautiful day.

Tonsina Point

Then, I drove around a bit to explore other areas in Seward and, as the day ended, I went down to the harbor to wait for Scott to return from his fishing trip with Puffin Fishing Charters.

They came in a bit later than I expected, so I was afraid that Scott would come back empty-handed. But, no worries. The boat came back with a nice haul. Scott had caught this limit: two halibut and a rockfish.

The rules state you can keep one halibut over 28” and one under. Scott actually caught an even bigger fish after he had taken his over-28-inches fish, so he couldn't keep it.

That big halibut in the middle was caught by a woman on the trip. Before Scott's boat came in, I saw another fisherman posing with his halibut that was at least twice the size of that one. It was huge. A great catch, but how do you eat that much?

Scott said that the trip had been remarkably calm and sunny (even warm) – quite surprising for being at sea outside Seward.

Scott with the boat's catch (three are his)

Once we photographed the catch, we turned it over to be processed so that we could take it home with us when we flew home the next day.

The next morning, we picked up our fish and headed back to Anchorage for our evening flight home.

Along Seward Highway

Just outside of Seward, we stopped at the Ptarmigan Creek Campground. When we camped there back in 2013, I saw a Canadian Lynx early in the morning. This time, no such luck. But we did walk briefly along the beautiful wooded trail.

Ptarmigan Creek Trail

And, we watched some spawning salmon from an observation deck.

Ptarmigan Creek observation deck views

Then, we headed north. We stopped in Whittier for lunch and so that Scott could pick up some halibut he ordered there before he knew he was going fishing.

Getting it home is harder than catching it

We made one error in bringing the fish back. We decided to check it with our baggage.

I knew we both had two bags that were free for me to check because of my Platinum status on American Airlines. And, I knew the first checked back was $50. So, I assumed that it would cost $50 to bring the fish home.

Ah, but no! They counted our cooler as a THIRD bag -- $150! Ack!

The gate agent told me that I could take my small bag through security and gate-check it for free, esentially getting around the system. But, that bag was packed with a bottle of wine and other liquids, so I would have had to repack. Had I known (which I now do) that it would cost $150, I could have avoided the fee. Oh, well. I guess that’s why halibut costs so much. We got it home safely and it is delicious.

So, that was our National Park trip for 2018: