Valdez race and museums

Today dawned cold and rainy. Just the right weather for the summit2sound race. The entrants climbed up a mountainside then skied or snowboarded down to a spot where they hopped on a bike for a 28 mile ride ending across the sound from Valdez. They then kayaked to Valdez and ran a 5 mile loop to finish just around the corner from us. We walked over to see the first kayaks come out of the water and stayed to see the winner cross the line.

Kayaks arrive

The winner 2:54:51

We then walked over to the Old Valdez exhibit about the earthquake in 1964 that destroyed the town. I remember the newspaper coverage of that quake with the buckled up streets.  They had to move the town 4 miles away.  The town had been built on the glacial alluvial fan.

Fire bell from the old town in front of the Valdez Museum

Next on the agenda was a great lunch at The Harbor Cafe. We both had the grilled halibut on salad.  Then we walked to the Valdez Museum. Both the Old Valdez Museum and the Valdez Museum were very good museums.

We drove on the Richardson from Chitina to Valdez. Thankfully it has been upgraded from the one lane dirt road it was when this sign hung over it.

The Perry survived both the earth quake on Good Friday in 64 and the Exxon Valdez oil spill  on Good Friday 1989. When it was decommissioned it was donated to the city and is at the side of the Valdez Museum.

At the Valdez Museum I learned about all the bunnies you see running around.  Black bunnies over here at this RV park.  Adults and small bunnies.  Someone brought 50 pairs of rabbits here many years ago because he thought it was a good idea.  The bunnies are spreading and eating gardens.  Coyotes have moved in and people are concerned because WOLVES have come over the pass. Coyotes are bad enough. But no one wants wolves in town. The town is going to reinforce an ordinance against feeding wild animals as some people feed the bunnies and make sure people know it is OK to trap the bunnies. I would trap them if I lived here. Yummy rabbit stew and a rabbit fur coat.