to Whittier

There's only 1 route down the Kenai Peninsula, so the drive today up The Peninsula was mostly a repeat of the last 2 drive days going down. I did see a moose walking through a stream, but there was no place to stop.  

From the land side, one enters Whittier through a 1-lane, 2.5 mile long tunnel. Not only do cars from each side get a turn, but trains from each side do as well. The trains are frequent, as the port of Whittier is still busy, so people & goods come & go often. The tunnel is dark, narrow, & just bare rock on the ceiling & sides. While waiting in line for about 35 minutes for our turn through the tunnel, I shot this pic of the mountains. 

After a brief rendezvous with some Escape friends, I toured the Whittier Museum. Though small, it's extremely well done & unique, mostly about WWII activities in this area & on the Aleutian Islands. One display introduced me to the fact that a Spanish expedition was here in the late 1700's - who knew? 






These two buildings were erected shortly after WWII by the US military. The first one currently houses about 80% of Whittier's population of 270. 



As in much of Alaska, the railroad is central to the economy of Whittier, & train whistles are common. 

There was a bit of excitement today when a 7.3 earthquake off the coast of Alaska resulted in tsunami warnings for many coastal areas, including Homer; I'd just left Homer a few hours earlier. Before anything actually happened, the warnings were cancelled. So, I just missed wildfires around Ft Nelson (they were just getting started when I went through there), & wildfires around Fairbanks (I experienced several days of heavy smoke, & areas along the road south of town were smoldering when I drove through); after the tsunami warning today, it seems that the natural disaster gods are with me on this trip.

*   *   *   *   *

Wildlife sightings (not counting those in the conservation preserve or the aquarium)

--> --> today: trumpeter swans - 6 (3 pairs in 2 locations)        moose - 1      

--> --> trip total so far: 

    black bears - 4          deer - 2                grizzlies - 1            moose - 7

    stone sheep - 8        elk - 1                   caribou - 15            bison - 42    

    Dall sheep - 11        porcupines -1         mountain goats - 1

    trumpeter swans - 20+        many bald eagles    black oyster catcher - 1 (rare)

    sea otters - 11             harbor seals - many     

    many sea stars & jelly fish        Dall's porpoise - ~12

    North Pacific Humpback whales - 2 pods of ~ 12 each

    Stellar's sea lions - 100+ including 60 pups (counted by scientists)

    puffins, horned & tufted - many      

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