“USA 🇺🇸 Alaska ~Valdez at the Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery and Around the Area”

• July 24, 2023
• By Pen
• 0 Comment

This Hatchery is a self-guided tour of sorts, and the outside viewing area is open at all times, unless there is Bear activity along the walkway. So, with Bear spray in hand, we went for a visit.

We viewed the fish ladder and learned the history and economic benefits of the Hatchery. There is also information as to the types and life cycles of this amazing species through interpretive display panels and interactive videos.

Interestingly enough, though, there was zero activity at the Hatchery, itself, as far as it being the busiest time of the year for the harvesting of Salmon eggs, fertilizing, and growing them for release; according to the videos we watched. If this is such a vital part of keeping the Salmon numbers up, how can it just be abandoned?

Certainly a sign of the times, it will be interesting to learn if this impacts the Salmon population in the near future.

Stellar Seals

There were two (HUGE) ones next to the Hatchery waterfall. I’m sure there is a hierarchy situation going on, amongst the Seals, to command such a perfect spot!

There were other Seals, just like these, but they were at the mouth of the big waters, further down. We noticed they had no trouble catching Salmon, either.

All of this was interesting, but our primary purpose for visiting this Fish Hatchery was to view the antics of the Seals, who are hunting and eating Salmon, in total glutton style. We only saw the Stellar Seals actively fishing, and filling themselves with ample Salmon, while the run was on.

We did not see any Harbor Seals, or Bears, but given the carnage of dead fish and/or fish parts on the rocks near the water, it is evident the Bears have been around.

The smell in the air is quite poignant, with rotten fish laying about, for as long as one stays near the water. Up on the walkway and viewing deck of the Hatchery, there is no such aroma.

⬆️ Unlike the Seals, Salmon fishing here, by humans, is only allowed by the good ole’ fishing pole, and they must be 300 feet away from the hatchery, to do so

⬇️ There is a pretty good-sized parking lot for visitors, but not for big rigs, or for those traveling with tows.

There was one huge spot, but a greyhound-sized tour bus, occupied it. Small vehicle and trailers, or small motorhomes do fit.

We are staying at the nearby Valdez KOA, and were only six minutes away from the Hatchery, so we just drove our tow.

Being so close to this major Salmon fishing location, we understand the strict rule our campground has for NO FISH CLEANING in camp. I get it, as this only draws the Bears in to camp, if the fish are present; even if they are dead fish. One must only bring in the cleaned fish and immediately stow away in fridge/freezers or coolers stored in hard sided vehicles.

The Salmon are the main source of protein food for Bears in this short summer season. Said Bears can get aggressive, as their sole survival relies heavily on getting enough fat stores in their body, before they retire to their dens to hibernate by the time winter hits.

If interested in watching some videos I took of the Seal activity at the Hatchery, here is a link to my photo website (no writing, just photos and videos) …go to the end of this photo gallery, past the photos, to find videos. ⬇️

https://picsbypen.smugmug.com/Places/North-AmericaLife/United-StatesLife/AlaskaLife/Valdez/Solomon-Fish-Hatchery-with-Seals/

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After our visit to the Hatchery, we drove in to the town to get Jonah fueled-up, and to get stocked-up on groceries for the next ten days or so.

Groceries are even more expensive, here and their supply chain is challenged as well.
There were many bare shelves.

Not having a car for so long, we got behind in our grocery shopping, unfortunately. So we had little choice and spent about $600 to catch up. That doesn’t mean we got a lot. It means we spent a lot.

We know grocery stores will not be readily available, where we will be going, so just another reason to stock up when we could.

We have enjoyed Valdez very much. It’s a beautiful, remote, location, yet it is still connected.

We have had decent weather, (eventually), here, and we are driving Jonah, again, since her repair in Anchorage.

We had pretty good wifi and enough time to take a breath and relax. We even worked in some naps and I watched some streaming! Yes, I’m a huge Outlander fan and I also like watching documentaries.

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What’s Coming Up for Team Saunders?

Valdez is our last “Glamping” spot, till we arrive in Haines, Alaska, sometime after the first of August.  

We are on the final leg of our journey, for all things Alaska, and when we leave in the morning, we will also be going more remote, and have little to no wifi (not that we’ve had much signal up to this point), but Valdez has been the best, so far.

We will return, the direction, North, to drive the “Top Of The World” Highway, and cross the border into Canada, briefly, and do some camping, drydocking and boondocking. This is the only driving route, to get down South, to enter back in to Alaska, for our Haines, Alaska Glamping location; at our Ocean site!

I love Haines and can’t wait to show Daryl! During this stop we will get a few nights stay, via ferry, to the inside passage, ever so briefly, in Skagway. 

Anywho, this will be a 686 mile drive, that we will break up, by many stops, including, but not limited to our last National Park visit, whilst in Alaska, along the way. We will also get to visit a few Historic Gold Mining locations, with an original Gold Mine Hotel stay, another rustic Cabin stay, and more wildlife viewing.

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In Alaska, there are no direct routes, as every new and unique destination requires a lot of driving, and sometimes on the same highway one has already been on; case-in-point, we will be going through Tok, again, which was our first stop in Alaska, back on the sixth of June.

There are limited ways to cross a border in, and out of Alaska; actually, just two main crossings.

We entered the first time, by way of the Alaska Highway (Alcan) for its entire drive. Another way in, is by the “Top Of  The World” Highway; both require driving through Tok.

Because we have not been to this further northern part of the Yukon, beyond Tok, to get to Chicken, we will drive the extra miles to get there, versus going back down the AlCan from Tok.

From there, after the TOTW Highway as it is known, we will drop back down on to the Alaska Highway, after crossing another (smaller) checkpoint, to get to Haines, Alaska. This is a good place to mention there are names of places that get confusing:

* Dawson Creek is a town, where the beginning of the AlCan starts. It is in British Columbia Canada (south of Alaska)

** Dawson City is found way North from Dawson Creek, and is in the Yukon Territory 

*Haines Junction is on the AlCan, and can also be found in the Yukon. Haines, Alaska is very far south from this junction and is known for being located right on the longest North America fjord, and near the Canadian border. 

There are other town names found in Canada and Alaska, with the same name: The few I can remember are Hope and Houston

…Back to the main border crossings: they are, in fact, on the worst roads around, and there is no avoiding these bad roads, if one is driving. The trick is to give yourself extra time and to go very slow, to avoid any damage to your Rv and/or toad.

What might normally be a 2.5 hour drive, can easily turn in to 6 hours.

We know. We have done it, with no damage to our outfit, because we go so slow. We are not looking forward to our return on said road, but at least we know we can do it. 

Frost Heaves create cracks, literal breaks, and pot holes in tbe pavement, from the permafrost; constantly rising upward and outward, with the continual formation of ice in the soil, under the roadway. What used to be flat and true, when it was originally paved, is now like a roller coaster of events, for MANY miles, and if one is smart, takes MANY extra hours to complete.

Maintenance is continual on these highways, and filling holes, cracks and breaks is constant, but there is nothing that can be done to straighten the Frost Heaves. They are there to stay, till a full-on re-blacktopping occurs, for which doesn’t happen, quickly, or if ever; and even when a new section gets put on, the Frost Heaves, continue to damage it.

There is also a very short maintenance season for road construction up North, when the roads are not buried in snow.

After our stay in Haines, Alaska, we will begin our final drive back down through the rest of Canada, into Washington and so on; roughly around 1,700 more miles.

Unlike, when we came up through Canada, and driving every day for 13 days, till reaching Alaska, we will take it a bit slower going back to their lower 48, by way of the Cassiar Highway, and do some camping, which we have not been on.