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Published: July 11th 2008
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Turnagain Arm Mountain top view
Although I could not see the whole mountain along Turnagain Arm, the clouds had an erie effect. My whole trip to Seward was typical of this weather and view. Awesome. Today I made the 125-mile ride from Anchorage to Seward. It was cloudy and overcast but then again it made for some unique photos. I traveled down Alaska Highway 1 down the Cook Inlet Turnagain Arm inlet that also leads to the Kenai Peninsula.
Tides play a very large part of the Cook Inlet and it was out on this particular time I went through the area. Locals reminded me of the dangers of the mudflats. Beside mountains, forests and glaciers, Anchorage is home to mudflats that encompass the tidelands beneath the upper Cook Inlet and the Turnagain Arm. At low tide, the inlet is nearly void of water. The mudscape looks serene and solid, but tourists should not be fooled. They are like quicksand and lives have been lost because people have ventured onto the mudflats and become quagmired, only to have the tide come in and drown them. The water temperature is never above 37 degrees. Locals have a saying…”where the grass stops, you stop!”
In fact the tide can create a roar and it is called a bore tide. Faster than a speeding locomotive…well not quite, but it might sound like one. It is a bore
Turnagain Arm "Mudflats"
If you look closely at this picture you will see some mudflats emerging as the tide goes out. Th mudflats can be very dangerous as it acts like quicksand and once stuck can be extremely hard to extricate. By that time the "bore tide" of up to 6 feet could come in and drown you. tide that fills Turnagain Arm in a single wave. As the tide rises in the Cook Inlet, it fills Turnagain so rapidly that a tidal flood (or bore tide) is formed when incoming water collides with outgoing water. And I found out these bore tides can vary from .5 feet to 6 feet high and travel at a speed of 10 to 15 mph! Reports say the measurement from the lowest low to the highest high is almost 40 feet! And did you know a new or full moon creates the most dramatic bore tide? I actually did not see the bore tide but one can only imagine the intensity.
Now how did it get the name Turnagain Arm? While searching for the elusive Northwest Passage, Captain James Cook explored the waterway that downtown Anchorage now borders, Cook Inlet. When his ships reach (another) dead end at the southern are of this waterway, he names it “Turnagain” because his ships had to turn around again!
The 125mile drive to Seward was very relaxed and leisurely…snowcapped mountains, green slopes, clouds hanging between the base and the mountaintop and lots of waterfalls.
This was my 2nd time to Seward
Chugach National Forest at Turnagain Arm
The Chugach Mountains run from near Anchorage southeast along the Gulf of Alaska to past Valdez. It is the middle of July and there is still snow on the mountains. Keep in mind I am at sea level and the snow is almost that low! and it is till a tourist town with a bustling harbor and a historic downtown district filled with quaint shops and art galleries. Lots of tour and fishing boats take hundreds of tourists out of Resurrection Bay to the Gulf of Alaska every day.
The City of Seward was named for U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, 1861-69, who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia during the Lincoln administration. Seward developed as an ocean terminus and supply center. By 1960, Seward was the largest community on the Peninsula. As an ice-free harbor, Seward has become an important supply center for Interior Alaska.
Made it back to Anchorage around 4 pm and caught a quick sidewalk supper of reindeer sausage. Not to bad.
Downtown Anchorage is bustling with all kinds of gifts shops and museums and one could spend several days just walking and shopping. And just about any kind of gift you could imagine coming from Alaska and the north is available. Eating establishments range from sidewalk cafes to some elaborate, reservation only dining.
And to keep with my tradition of providing facts, here’s a few regarding Anchorage
Anchorage Facts;
Population: 278,000 or 42%
Seward and Resurrection Bay Harbor
The Kenai Mountains provide a proper backdrop to the year round ice-free harbor at Seward. Tourists are everywhere either going on a fishing charter or on a sightseeing boat tour. It's a great place to get a latte and watch people walk by. of the state’s population
98 languages are spoken in the school district
Anchorage is as far north as Helsinki, Finland and as far west as Honolulu, Hawaii
Daylight: 19 hours, 21 minutes in summer and 5 hours, 28 minutes in winter
Average snowfall: 69 inches
I did some laundry tonight and repacked for my trip to Valdez tomorrow…400 miles to catch a glimpse of a great harbor and see where the Trans Alaska pipeline ends and the oil is loaded onto supertankers.
Until tomorrow, I am Rob Keller
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Lisa
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beautiful
Once again, the pictures are amazing - even on cloudy days. Thank you so much for sharing your trip!