Day 5: Tiekel River Lodge to Glennallen

July 16, 2015

Today I finish threading out of the coastal Chugach Mountains, into interior valleys that are warmer during summer and much colder during winter. Once again there are no services between Tiekel River Lodge and Glennallen.

I got up at 7 and had breakfast by appointment at 7:30. It wasn't great but the service was personal with 1 cook serving 1 customer. We had long conversations. A week ago was the Fireweed 200 mile bike ride from Sheep Mountain Lodge (midpoint of Glenn hwy) to Valdez. Tiekel River Lodge was paid to be a toilet stop. But he complained that nobody wanted to spend money at the restaurant and nobody would buy gas even though his gas is only 12 cents higher than in Valdez.

Starting at about the Tiekel river the trees start to get noticeably smaller. I'm biking into the Boreal forest. A sub-arctic region where the trees are short and thin.

I encountered a pair of bike tourists going the opposite direction. I don't remember their names but they are from Portland, Oregon. They flew to Anchorage, rode the train to Denali and just finished biking the Denali highway which has 110 miles of gravel. They said it was great, but that not a single mile of it was flat. They're also staying in lodges, like me. They have a strong headwind going south towards predicted storms. I have a strong tailwind going north, away from the storms. I hope the wind won't be this strong when I go south...

This couple from Portland, Oregon had biked the gravel Denali highway. I had a tailwind, they had a headwind.

The cycling couple had stayed at the Tonsina River Lodge which is more upscale than Tiekel River Lodge and much more Russian. They specialize in traditional Russian food. Popular with tourists, but not popular with pipeline workers who would have to eat it for 3 months. Russian migrants and Russian tourists are relatively common in Alaska.

They had stayed at this lodge which specializes in Russian food.

The Tiekel river flows into the Tonsina river which flows into the Copper river. The rivers have the obvious glacial runoff color. The water comes from big glaciers in the Chugach mountains.

The Tonsina river is so glacial that is has no fish.

The first 20 miles of today's ride thread through big mountains. After that the mountains are noticeably smaller. Swampy valleys open up. I passed several lakes.

Yesterday I never saw the Alaska Pipeline but today I saw it several times. Two places I went past the gate to see the pipeline up close. The first place I went 1/4 mile down a gravel access road to get to the pipeline.

First of two places I went to see the Alaska Pipeline today.

Most places the pipeline looks like this.

Today I had several teasing views of giant mountains to my east in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest park in the U.S. Combined with two adjacent national parks in Canada it's the largest protected land on earth.

Distant high mountains to the east in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

The Wrangell and St. Elias mountains are incredibly big, with mind-boggling huge glaciers. One interpretive sign said the park has 8 of the 12 highest peaks in the U.S.

Another view of the giant mountains to the east. If only the clouds would go away.

Roadside interpretive sign about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

The second place I saw the pipeline it's only 100 yards from the highway. It has a closed gate and No Trespassing signs, but it also has interpretive signs from an era when the public was encouraged to see the pipeline up close. I imagine the policy changed soon after September 11, 2001.

My second visit to the pipeline. This one is closer to the highway and has interpretive signs.

Royalties from the oil flowing in this pipeline fund pretty much the entire state government of Alaska. By law, 25% of the state's oil revenue goes into the Alaska Permanent Fund. Interest from that fund is paid to the residents of Alaska. In 2014 the payment was $1884 per person. In 2015 the payment will undoubtedly be lower because oil prices have collapsed. Nevertheless, Alaskans pay no state income tax and instead get free money from the state every October.

I think it's ironic that Alaska is extremely conservative politically, but the oil windfall allows Alaska to have a lavishly funded state government and generous social welfare programs.

Another view of the giant mountains to the east. Maybe the clouds are getting higher.

For much of the afternoon I followed the Copper River upstream, but I hardly ever saw it. It's huge river that flows south to the ocean east of Prince William Sound. The Copper River delta is regarded to be the world's most productive fishery. But up here it's just a huge muddy river. Few views because it's so far below the surrounding terrain.

The Copper River is very wide and flows very fast and muddy.

Tonight I stay at the Caribou Hotel in Glennallen, 2 miles west of the Richardson highway on the Glenn highway. One of two motels in the small town. My $149 motel is the nicer of the two. The town has a supermarket and a couple of restaurants. No beer sold in town, though. Probably because it's largely a native Athabascan town.

I saw two loaded touring bikes outside the motel restaurant, but didn't see the cyclists. If they were in the restaurant with me it wasn't obvious.

Bike spotted outside the restaurant in Glennallen.

Another bike outside the restaurant in Glennallen. Mine was in my room.

I went to bed at 8:30 PM. There's not much to do or see in Glennallen, and I'm not inclined to turn on the TV.

Today was an easy day with a strong tailwind and gentle terrain. A little bit of sunshine in the afternoon, high of 70F. A few sprinkles early in the morning but no rain while I was on the road.

Today's scenery is spectacular at first, but more mundane as I approach the Glennallen. Insects were usually a nuisance when I stopped. Inland areas seem to have far more insects than coastal areas.

Distance: 63.1 mi. (101 km)
Climbing: 2222 ft. (673 m)
Average Speed: 10.6 mph (17 km/h)

Today's ride: 63 miles (101 km)
Total: 206 miles (332 km)

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