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posted: August 2nd, 2021 |
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Well, this may amaze you, but this page actually includes all of the best photos from both July 16th and 17th. On the 16th we drove from Thompson Pass down to Valdez to eat a special breakfast, and then we drove back up to Thompson Pass. We hiked in Thompson Pass for a couple of hours but found nothing new. Then we drove to the Lake Louise Road, drove up it about a mile and camped at a wide spot near what they refer to as Crater Lake. On the 17th we drove from there to Thompson Pass and then continued to the Craigie Creek Valley, where we hiked about four miles and had great success in finding flowers. We camped in our Topper Motel beside Craigie Creek that night. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin July 16th |
Do you recall the blooming Fireleaf Leptarrhena (Leptarrhena pyrolifolia) from Page 2, Row 7, which we asked you to try and remember? Maybe not. Well, this is the same plant after it has finished blooming and the seedheads are developing. There is one which is at an even later stage of development shown on Page 5, Row 9. In second and third position are shots of Wandering Fleabane (Erigeron peregrinus).
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 July16th_007_ThompsonPass _LeptarrhenaPyrolifoliaRC |
 Jul16_07_Thompson Pass_MorningAsterRC |
 Jul16_09_Thompson Pass_MorningAsterRC |
After waking up and doing our morning routine we decided to drive the 26 miles down to Valdez again - for a nice breakfast burrito at the Small Boat Harbor. Here is the place - "The Potato". Dang, do they make an excellent breakfast burrito. We realized that this was probably a good place to eat after we saw the locals eating here yesterday. We followed their "advice" and ate here yesterday and we were SO IMPRESSED. That was why we decided to drive down here today just for this. The second shot shows another Wandering Fleabane (Erigeron peregrinus). In third position is another shot from very close to Thompson Pass. Today we are going to hike downhill from here before we finally leave the area.
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 Jul16_10_Valdez _ThePotatoRC |
 July16th_029_ThompsonPass _ErigeronPeregrinusRC |
 July16th_032_ ThompsonPassRC |
All three of these shots show a pair of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) and their cygnets. WOW! Thank you for showing us your young ones.
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 Jul16_27_Swans CygnetsNearValdezRC |
 Jul16_28_Swans CygnetsNearValdezRC |
 Jul16_33_Swans CygnetsNearValdezRC |
Here is one additional shot of the Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) and their cygnets. That is followed by two shots of the Thompson Pass Area as we were headed back north to continue our adventure at a different location.
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 July16th_077_Valdez_ CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 July16th_096_ ThompsonPassRC |
 July16th_098_ ThompsonPassRC |
Now we are getting close to Glennallen and we have the best views of the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains Area which we have had to date. This is our fourth trip through this area, and though it is not 100% clear blue sky, it is the most clear sky we have seen. There are actually four huge mountains over in that direction, but we cannot see all of them.
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 Jul16_35_Wrangell_ StEliasAreaRC |
 Jul16_36_Wrangell _StEliasAreaRC |
Here are three more shots of the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains.
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 July16th_120_On TheWayToGlennallenRC |
 July16th_121_On TheWayToGlennallenRC |
 July16th_135_On TheWayToGlennallenRC |
Here are a pair of Two-Shot Panoramic images of the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains. Can you now get an idea that there are four huge mountains here?
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 Jul16_42_43_AutoPano AT_Wrangell_StEliasAreaRC |
 Jul16_44_45_AutoPano AT_Wrangell_StEliasAreaRC |
| End July 16th, Begin July 17th |
It's a new day now! We are driving from the Lake Louise Road to the Palmer Area and Hatcher Pass today. Here is a Bald Eagle which showed itself to us. The second and third shots are of what is called Gunsight Mountain due to the notch in the summit ridge.
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 Jul17_001_Driving ToPalmer_EagleRC |
 July17th_005_ GlennHWYRC |
 Jul17_006_DrivetoPalmer _GunsightMtnRC |
Now we have already arrived at the Hatcher Pass area - the first two shots show the Independence Gold Mine Area - a State Park. The third shot was taken as we approached the place where we plan to hike today - the old mining road which ascends the Craigie Creek Valley.
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 July17th_024_ CraigieCreekRC |
 July17th_026_ CraigieCreekRC |
 Jul17_017_ CraigieCreekAreaRC |
Now we are hiking the Craigie Creek Valley. The first and third shots are of Star Gentian (Swertia perennis), while the center shot shows a Broad-petaled Gentian (Gentiana platypetala) flower.
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 July17th_038_CraigieCreek _SwertiaPerennisRC |
 Jul17_019_CraigieCrk _GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
 July17th_040_CraigieCreek _SwertiaPerennisRC |
Here are two more photos of the Broad-petaled Gentian (Gentiana platypetala) and sandwiched between them is another photo of the White Bog Orchid (Platanthera dilatata). Last year when we were here we found a single Broad-petaled Gentian (Gentiana platypetala) plant and the flower was not yet open, so we consider ourselves very fortunate to find these.
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 Jul17_020RotateAT85_Craigie Crk_GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
 July17th_046_CraigieCreek _PlatantheraDilatataRC |
 Jul17_022_CraigieCrk_ GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
Here is a repeat of the previous row, though the center photo in this row is a Little Weaselsnout (Lagotis minor) instead of an orchid. The Broad-petaled Gentian (Gentiana platypetala) is very rare. It is found only in Alaska and British Columbia, Canada and has been reported from only 138 locations in the entire world, including plants which are in private collections at various places in the world. After we found this information, you can imagine just how privileged we we felt to be able to even see this plant, let alone plants with fully open flowers.
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 Jul17_030Rotate_CraigieCrk_ GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
 July17th_048_CraigieCreek_ LagotisMinorRC |
 Jul17_032RotateATSIP_Craigie Crk_GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
Here is another repeat of a previous row, but again, with different photos. We have included nearly every good shot of the Broad-petaled Gentian (Gentiana platypetala) we have, due to its rarity. We hope you appreciate what you are seeing here.
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 July17th_051_CraigieCreek _GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
 Jul17_034_CraigieCrk _OrchidRC |
 July17th_057_CraigieCreek _GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
Here are three more photos of the Broad-petaled Gentian (Gentiana platypetala). We found several plants with buds which were not open yet.
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 July17th_072_CraigieCreek _GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
 July17th_076_CraigieCreek _GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
 Jul17_026RotCropAT_Craigie Crk_GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
Here is one more photo and a collage of the Broad-petaled Gentian (Gentiana platypetala) flowers (most of which have already been shown separately) and sandwiched between them is another shot of Star Gentian (Swertia perennis).
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 July17th_079_CraigieCreek _GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
 July17th_087_CraigieCreek _SwertiaPerennisRC |
 Jul17_030RotateATSIP_026RotCropAT_032Rotate ATSIP_022_CraigieCrk_GentianaPlatypetalaRC |
In first position here is a scenic shot of the Craigie Creek Valley. In the center is a photo of Whorled Lousewort (Pedicularis verticillata) and in third position is a shot of Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria camschatcensis).
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 July17th_160_ CraigieCreekRC |
 July17th_123_CraigieCreek _PedicularisVerticillataRC |
 Jul17_083_CraigieCrk _ChocolateLilyRC |
Here are two additional shots of Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria camschatcensis) and a scenic shot.
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 Jul17_087_CraigieCrk _ChocolateLilyRC |
 July17th_171_Craigie Creek_FritillariaCamschatcensisRC |
 Jul17_090_Craigie Crk_SceneryRC |
These three shots are all intended to be scenic shots. That is Daniel in the first photo.
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 July17th_173_ CraigieCreekRC |
 Jul17_091_Craigie Crk_SceneryRC |
 July17th_182_ CraigieCreekRC |
This row consists of three more photos of Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria camschatcensis). You may recall that when we came here last year we found thousands of Chocolate Lily. This year the competing vegetation was much taller than last year and it was much more difficult to find the flowers - they were hiding very well in the tall grass and other weeds.
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 July17th_191_CraigieCreek _FritillariaCamschatcensisRC |
 Jul17_095_CraigieCrk _ChocolateLilyRC |
 July17th_201_CraigieCreek _FritillariaCamschatcensisRC |
Here is the final photo of Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria camschatcensis) (for today). The remaining two photos are scenery shots. Of course the third shot is a zoomed version of the center shot.
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 Jul17_109_CraigieCrk _ChocolateLilyRC |
 July17th_284_ CraigieCreekRC |
 July17th_285_ CraigieCreekRC |
All three of these photos were taken for the scenery. It's pretty country isn't it.
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 Jul17_118_Craigie Crk_SceneryRC |
 July17th_290_ CraigieCreekRC |
 Jul17_119_Craigie Crk_SceneryRC |
Two more scenery shots.
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 July17th_292_ CraigieCreekRC |
 July17th_293_ CraigieCreekRC |
And now it's the end of the day - we have the Topper Motel prepared and Kazuya looked up the valley and spotted the paragliders or whatever the correct name is. What an amazing day. I was very close to heat exhaustion by the time we finished our hike today. It was a hot day and there was not a tree for protection from the sun during the entire hike.
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 July17th_303_ CraigieCreekRC |
 July17th_310_ CraigieCreekRC |
| End July 17th, End Page 4 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Please continue on to page 5 for the conclusion of our vacation and also the conclusion of this month's adventures and photos! |
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