A Summer Holiday in Cordova, Alaska

With summer nearly here again, Cordova, Alaska,about what to do in case we met any bears along the
draws me like a magnate. Seeing fresh, wild, Coppertrail. The mountain scenery visible from the trail was
River salmon on sale at my local supermarket makesbreathtaking. We stopped along the way for a brief
the longing to go there again even stronger.lecture by our guide about the glacier and its moraine.
A couple of summers ago, I spent several vacationWe soon arrived at the lake.
days there. I will always remember my experiencesAfter putting on our survival gear and listening to
then....raft-safety instructions, we boarded the rafts and
My flight from Seattle had taken about three hours,were finally underway. From the lake, we were awed
including a short stop at Anchorage: flight time fromby the flower-covered slopes, glacier ice, and towering
Anchorage to Cordova was about 35 minutes. Like allmountains.
visitors to Cordova, I had to choose my mode ofOn our way to the river rapids, ice clogging the route
transport from among only three possibilities: visitors toneeded to be removed by our guides to allow the
Cordova must travel there by boat, ferry, or plane.rafts to pass. Once in clear water, we had to put our
There are no roads or rails to Cordova.cameras into waterproof bags and hang on for our
On that occasion, I arrived in Cordova on what fortrip through the rapids at the outlet of the lake....
Cordovans was a very, very hot day--over 80On day four, our small family group traveled along the
degrees Fahrenheit. Everybody I met on my arrival hadCopper River Highway to Childs Glacier.
something to say about the unusual heat. Had theAlthough four of the five glaciers feeding the Copper
dreaded climate change arrived in Cordova and theRiver Delta were named after Civil War
Copper River Delta?Generals--Sherman, Scott, Sheridan, and Miles--Childs
My first good look at Cordova was from Ski Hill, whichGlacier was not.
overlooks Cordova, its harbor, and the Orca Inlet to theIn 1884, Lieutenant William R. Abercrombie, who
west, and to the east, Eyak Lake and the Copperheaded the first United States military exploration of
River Highway (which passes the airport).the Copper River, named Childs Glacier after George
Blueberries were ready for picking on the mountainWashington Childs of Philadelphia.
slope. The ubiquitous bunchberry plants colored theThe glacier is some 300 feet high and is possibly the
slope with their bright red berries.most active glacier in Alaska. Visitors can often
At the end of the day, I hiked along a nearby stream,observe huge masses of ice calving from the glacier
which meandered through the dense, moss carpeted,into the river below.
rain forest. Spawning salmon filled the stream fromOn the drive back to Cordova, I stopped to
bank to bank.photograph two beautiful trumpeter swans, which
From my lodging, overlooking the stream, I watchedwere standing on a beaver lodge. Later, I stopped
the sunset paint Heney Peak with warm, orange-redagain to photograph a family of swans, which included
tones to the music of the jumping salmon in the waterthree cygnets.
below.On my last day in Cordova, day five, I packed my
The next day was again hot, so I spent the day withcamera, water, and some food and headed for the
my friends picnicking and swimming at the AlaganicPower Creek Trail.
Slough Recreation Site, located in the Copper RiverThe trail is 4.2 miles long and ends at the Power Creek
Delta. For children, there is nothing to beat a mix ofCabin.
sand and water on a hot day; and for Licorice, theAlong the way, I stopped to photograph the beaver
Labrador retriever that accompanied us, the onlydams and lodges--and to sample the wild Alaska
problem was coaxing the humans into throwing a stickblueberries.
into the water. Our arms tired out long before LicoriceThe end of the trail was worth the long hike. The cabin
tired of retrieving the stick for another throw.was beautiful, and faced towering mountain peaks.
Later in the day, I hiked to Crater Lake. It is 2.4 miles toFrom the covered deck of the cabin, I could only sit
Crater lake and is a moderate hike. The trail climbsback and marvel at the mountain scenery.
rapidly through a forest of spruce and hemlock. TheAfter returning to Cordova, there was still enough time
plant life around the lake is varied and includes thefor a short hike along the Heney Ridge Trail.
dwarf blueberry with its sweet, delicious berries. FromThe trail begins on the edge of the Orca Inlet and
Crater Lake, the view of Orca Inlet and Orca Baywinds through dense forest. For the photographer,
was spectacular.using a tripod is a must for taking sharp photographs in
Day three of my vacation was reserved for a trip tothe dim light. I was particularly interested in
Sheridan Lake and Glacier with the Alaska Riverphotographing the mosses and mushrooms on the
Rafters. A bus trip brought us to the trail head thatforest floor.
would take us to the lake. The rafts were soonThe hike ended my 5-day summer vacation in
hitched up for the trip to the water and participantsCordova.
selected their waterproof boots.Now that summer is nearly here again, I long to return
Before hiking to the lake, our guide gave us a lectureto Cordova and its water, forests, ice, and mountains.