8 MUST VISIT Places in Valdez, Alaska | Rain or Shine [S1-E21]

so you just arrived in Valdes Alaska and  it's raining well we believe you should   actually count yourself lucky because there is  a mystery and epic Beauty to this place when   the clouds hang low and The Mists dance across  the mountains there is so much to do here rain   or shine in fact in all our time in Alaska we  have never seen Wildlife like we have here in   Valdes here are eight things you must do see  and experience in Valdes even if the skies are   open wide and letting it Pour come along and let  us show you the unique beauty of Valdes in the [Music] rain [Music] valz Alaska  is located here on a deep Fjord of   Prince William sound it is surrounded  on all sides by snowcapped Peaks and   the Sea and that means salmon  are sure to make an appearance here this is Solomon Gulch Hatchery aptly  named the Hatchery sits right across the   road from Solomon Gulch where water from  Solomon Lake gushes down the mountains inside there is a lot going on here  the Raging Waters of Solomon gch are   a show in and of themselves but most visitors here   fixate on the dynamic show taking  place where those Waters meet the [Music] sea let's start at the beginning a hatchery is  where fish in this case pink and silver salmon   are bred raised and released Solomon Gulch is  operated by the Valdes Fisheries Development   Association a community managed nonprofit whose  main purpose is to promote sustainable salmon   Fisheries for this region now some hatcheries  never see their babies again but as we learned   in episode 17 Pacific salmon are biologically  programmed to come home every year an average of   15.8 million pink and 83,000 Silvers returned to  these Waters fueling commercial and sport fishing   industries and contributing Millions to the local  economy only about 400,000 of them are needed to   breed the Next Generation here at the Hatchery  and here is how that works returning salmon are   blocked from going Upstream by this structure  called a weir fish are routed instead to this   fish ladder where their instincts tell them to  climb the ladder will lift about 20,000 fish into   the system each day during spawning [Music] season  after climbing the ladder the salmon reached these   raceways capable of holding 30,000 fish where  they remain until they are ready to spawn then   they are guided to the spawning building they are  brought into the building in groups then released   unto a conveyor males and females are sorted  the female eggs are collected the male sperm   or Milt is harvested and both mixed together in  buckets you know the oldfashioned way the crew   can spawn up to 16,000 salmon in one day allowing  the Hatchery to incubate an astonishing amount of   fertilized eggs 250 million pink and 2 million  Silvers to be exact the meat of these fish will   not be wasted the vfda runs a product line called  Solomon Falls to help completely utilize returning   salmon the fertilized eggs are then taken to the  incubation building where they will hatch as fry   in the winter in the spring the pink fry live  in offshore Nets until they grow into smol and   are L out to sea the Hatchery releases around 250  million pink fry into the Pacific each year they   may travel as far as the uans and Washington  State and of course the remarkable thing about   salmon is that the following summer those that  survived out there in the big wide world will   bring themselves right back home here as  adults ready to spawn those fish that are   not caught by fishermen and don't enter the  Hatchery spawn naturally outside the Hatchery   and their bodies return vital nutrients  to the environment here we see them at low [Music] tie fresh water for the Hatchery is provided  by the hydroelectric plant right across the   street it of course is fueled by the dam  holding back Solomon Lake 600 ft above our   heads the plant is operated by copper Valley  Electric the Region's energy cooperative and   the Hatchery itself is self- sustaining through  salmon sales to local processors and its own   product line it is awe inspiring to see the  Swarms of fish fighting their way up to the   Hatchery we have never seen anything like this  and we've definitely never seen anything like this these Stellar sea lions really do know  where it's at a virtual self-regenerating   Buffet of Alaskan salmon it's not too shabby  of a situation they have going on here this   guy however does look like he overdid it we can't  help but chuckle we've all been there right Stell   sea lions are the largest of the eared Seal  family males can reach up to 11 ft long and   weigh 2500 lbs and females can reach up to 9 and  1/2 ft long and 800 lb their whiskers help them   detect prey and navigate underwater we imagine  those handy whiskers are helping them out right   now with poor visibility in these silty Waters sea  lies can be spotted in coastal areas across Alaska   but we have never seen any up this close and  we've definitely never seen them feeding before   sea lions aren't the only animals brought here by  this all you can eat buffet the Hatchery is often   frequented by otter Eagles seagull bears and seals  we we are a little confused why the sea lions seem   to be so choosy about which fish to catch there  are thousands swarming the edges of the stream so   why are they spending energy to apparently fish  in the middle of the river well we are stumped   for now but in a little bit we will see another  Predator exhibit similar behavior and that might   give us a clue as to what is going on [Music] here  any trip to vald must include a visit to Solomon   Gulch Hatchery the self-guided tour through the  Hatchery is awesome truly topnotch the wildlife   will not disappoint nor will the falls through  solom and Gulch which just Astound in their [Music] power [Music] [Applause] [Music] back [Music] it's not just the sea lions  capitalizing on the moment here right   near the Hatchery on dville road Bears keep  coming out to Feast away if you have been in   a Alaska and have yet to see a bear come  to Valdes in salmon season they will be here do you notice anything funny about how this   bear is chowing down though if  you haven't seen it yet watch closely despite literally thousands of fish  in Easy grabbing distance this bear is being   very picky about which fish to grab why it's  looking specifically for a female salmon once   again why watch closely this bear is not  fishing for salmon meat but rather salmon   caviar and it's not because this is a posh  bear it's because it's a Survivor remember   in episode 17 when we talked about how the  nutritional value of salmon flesh changes   in the spawning phase these salmon are well  into that phase and so their flesh is very   Bland and weak not really worth the effort  of killing and eating the fish the eggs on   the other hand are packed with nutrient nutition  with thousands of fish swarming the river this   bear can afford to foro that not quite so worth  it meat and fill up on fatty hibernation fueling caviar maybe it's watching all the wildlife Chow Down  but we find ourselves feeling peckish so we head   out for a bite to eat at a Valdes staple the Fat  Mermaid is a classic spot for grub in Valdes it's   right on the water so there's not a bad seat in  the house we are fans of all things funky quirky   and local so this place checks all our boxes  from the seafood on the menu to the murals on the floor cheers [Music] while here we take in the vibe of the mermaid  live music nice people an unpretentious local   feel we like it and if you're wondering  whether the food was good [Music] good as   long as you're at the mermaid take the time to  explore downtown and the marina travel isn't   always about doing the fanciest tours and  packing your schedule with every activity   Under the Sun it's also about winding down and  just taking in the flavor of a new place so   go walk among the vessels at the marina think  about the places they've been and the stories   their crew could tell look up often take  in the mountains towering over town every   which way you look if they're stre in Mist see  the beauty in that stroll downtown explore its   shops and cafes life is busy and it's hard  to slow down so when you're in valz don't   forget to enjoy the pitter patter of the rain  breathe in that salty Ocean Air and just be [Music] here [Music] 12 minutes from downtown a  Monumental Force snakes its way out   of the chugach mountains many years ago it  carved out this very Valley which now has   been filled with frigid Waters that it itself  replenishes once upon a time it it reached all   the way here to the Lake's farthest Edge  now it can only be seen by rounding this mountain vald's glacier stretches 20 M long  a slowly grinding River of ice reaching far   back into the heart of the chugat range  it ends in an Abrupt wall where it meets   its Lake and that wall is anything  but stable when it calves it sends   colossal blocks of glacial ice into the  water creating an otherworldly Maze of [Music] icebergs it is a popular activity to paddle  among these frozen sculptures even on rainy   days if anything the surroundings are  even more mystical and eal in this form it is vitally important however to take on  this Venture with a guide who knows how to read   the ice especially if your aim is to approach  the glacier sadly three lives were lost here in   2019 When approaching blue ice at the glacier  end bright blue ice may be tantalizing but it   indicates the ice was recently exposed and may  not yet be stable these are the details visitors   may not know and that's why the value of local  knowledge and experienced guidance can never be   understated it may seem like this lake is merely  a puddle of shallow muddy water given off by the   glacier but it is anything but Valdes Glacier  lake is an astounding 6 40 ft deep every year a   fascinating glacial event takes place here about  5 miles up the glacier a lake forms every year   where a creek is damned by the glacier itself  the lake builds up until it reaches the height   of the glacier and then it releases in an outburst  flood draining out beneath vald's Glacier itself   the water levels of valdis Glacier Lake rise and  the stream below floods this event happens once to   twice a year first in the spring when the Snows  melt and sometimes in the Autumn especially in   times of high rainfall the situation is closely  monitored by officials and the community is duly   alerted when the lake begins to drain everything  we learn about vald's Glacier reminds us that   this area is beautiful powerful and dynamic if  one event could illustrate that truth it would   be what happened on July 7th 2020 on that day  the entire glacial ice shelf collapsed choking   the lake with icebergs and pushing the glacier's  Terminus back by a mile we may look across this   scene and see a Serene stage but it is a place  of constant change epic Beauty and raw [Music] power [Music] [Music] [Music] when the rain pours hard and you just need a  little indoor time valz has quite the enriching   trick up its sleeve the Maxine and Jesse museum  is a treasure Trove of History artifacts and a   unique perspective shifting education on  Native Alaskan Arts it houses one of the   largest collection of Alaskan native arts and  artifacts in the world right here in little Valdes it is also home to an an impressive  array of wildlife mounts bringing you face   to face with many of the majestic  creatures that call Alaska [Music] home the collection was amassed by Maxine  Whitney who moved to Alaska with her husband   Jesse in 1947 she traveled through the territory  buying art and pieces to sell in her gift shop   in 1998 Miss Whitney generously donated The  Collection to Prince William Sound Community   College and here it is put on display for us  today it is well worth the time to come here   and closely reflect on the perspectives and  thought-provoking questions posed here at the   Museum this question in particular gives me  pause why do you find French tapestries in   art galleries and 19th century totem poles in  in natural history museums why is one called   Art and the other artifact think on this a bit  The Collection here is extensive if you have not   had the opportunity to take in the various forms  of Alaskan native art this is the place to dive [Music] deep the collection also includes  a display of artifacts that give just a   taste and flavor of pioneer life in the  Last Frontier it's not hard to imagine   yourself braving the cold and harsh  Winters trying to carve out a life   within the vast [Music] Wilderness in all the  Whitney Museum is a gem of Valdes one that no   visitor should ever Miss admission is free  with donations appreciated ensuring that no   one missed the opportunity to learn about  this facet of Alaskan culture and [Music] history so where have we called home all  this time just east of town a training   Dyke was built in 2017 to hold back  the erosive Waters of vald's Glacier [Music] stream this is where the Waters  of vald Glacier meet the Sea and the   braided tendrils of this wide Delta began  to threaten an important radio tower at the   time of this filming in 2023 it is still  a spot for wild camping and wild it is [Music] [Music] is [Music] it is here that we truly begin to fall  in love with the beauty of this landscape in   the rain every morning we wake enthralled by our  surroundings we find it hard to believe that any   bright sunny day could compete with the Majesty  of this site it just keeps getting more and more epic there's a saying that it's important to find  the silver lining of every raincloud well we feel   a companion phrase could be that we should  always look for the mountains in the midst   for when these two dance together the sight is  something spectacular to [Music] behold [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] one day we notice a new neighbor  exploring the creek nearby and this leads   to an exciting Discovery a little Waterway near  our bus is positively swarming with salmon salmon   season in valdis runs from late May to September  and during that time many of the streams and   rivers running into Port vales are bound to be  churning with pinks and the occasional silver   and Chum no doubt the salmon swarming Solomon  Gulch are a site like no other but it is also   fascinating to see them in this setting where  the stream bed is shallow they put on quite a   show revealing to us just how determined they are  to plow onwards [Music] Upstream a sure fireplace   to witness salmon like this is the forest service  information center located right before entering   town we feel lucky to be also catching this show  right here on McKinley Road we Marvel at watching   this phase of their life cycle even Blown  Away to witness the dance of a mating [Music] [Music] pair the life cycle of Pacific salmon is so  very interesting if you are intrigued and   want to dive deep and learn more about these  amazing creatures you should absolutely check   out episode 17 opportunities to see salmon  in the wild abound here in valdis for those   visiting during salmon season witnessing this  fascinating fish in its natural habitat is a Musto experience [Music] our time in Valdes is nearly up and we can't  help feeling it is time because there is one   thing that has been making us very nervous  the rain has been so relentless that the   water levels of vald's Glacier stream are  rising Stead now almost by the hour the ice   damned Lake 5 m up vales Glacier has yet to  have its second Outburst flood of the year   and we wonder if we are beginning to push  our luck we are a th000 ft from the ocean   and a trifecta of high tide glacial outburst  and an already flooded River May land us in a   situation we do not want to be in but before we  leave there is one must do left for us here in Valdes it seems that dville road is the place to  be during salmon season Anglers flock here camping   up and down the road rods in hand and ice filled  coolers at the ready we want a little piece of the action all right it's fishing time for those who love to fish this is a must  when visiting Valdes it's not just shore   fishing multiple Charters operate out  of this area and local businesses offer   freezing and shipping your catch back home  whether you're out on a boat standing on the   shore or fishing a mountain stream valz  is an Angler's Paradise is especially   because it is quite an experience  to fish to such an incredibly Scenic backdrop the wildlife certainly does  not disappoint either sea lions course   up and down the water's edge with  the same Mission as all us humans   to catch a fish not too far into the  spawning phase who is fresh in from the ocean [Music] it proves tougher than we thought it  seems that most of the fish close to   shore are spawned out and the meat really  won't be worth harvesting it's better that   they go back to the environment where their  bodies will have much more purpose over and   over this is the case we learn a valuable  lesson today it seems a pair of waiters   is a worthwhile investment for Shor fishing  we see those who weighed farther out having   much better luck pulling in healthy fish ah  well these are the lessons we learn along the [Music] way the day finally comes to leave valis  we now embark on a road trip with One   Singular mission to find and capture the  fleeting beauty of autumn colors in Alaska   as if to send us off Mother Nature gives us  one final spectacular show all that rain of   Valdes swelled the cascading River rivers  and waterfalls of Keystone Canyon and it is [Music] incredible we take this  as a good sign that our mission   to find the Fall colors will be a  success but that proves harder than   we think how so well you'll just have to  wait until next time on Art we there yet hey guys if you enjoy this video be  sure to give us a like subscribe to   our Channel send us a comment below and for  exclusive content and a behind the scenes   view of the art we are at Journey  join us on patreon see you over on patreon

Channel: Art We There Yet?

Views: 16,049

Keywords: art we there yet, alaska, valdez alaska, 8 Things to do Rain or Shine, solomon gulch hatchery, solomon gulch falls, valdez in the rain, rainy valdez, valdez, rain valdez, what to do in valdez alaska, alaska vlog, valdez travel vlog, fishing in valdez alaska, boondocking in alaska, things to do in valdez alaska, alaska travel vlog, alaska travel guide, valdez glacier, Valdez Alaska | 8 Things to do Rain or Shine, Keystone Canyon, valdez ak, alaska travel, valdez itinerary

Id: nLkq_oznaRc

Length: 31min 49sec (1909 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 11 2024