DAY 23 VALDEZ

Day 23. We met with Anna Frank this morning. She is the coordinator for native missions for the Diocese of Alaska. We received our orientation to Fort Yukon. We fly in Saturday afternoon, June 20. I will be assisting 80 year old Rev. Mardo Solomon. She was most interested in my teaching confirmation and doing shut-in visits. In general she is hoping that I will be able to inject some new life into the congregation which has been in decline. By the Spirit's leading I will do what I can. She thought we should be able to enjoy some cariboo which were migrating north of Fort Yukon earlier this spring. There might also be opportunity to enjoy some moose. I'm looking forward to it although Gail is more cautious. After our meeting we headed for Valdez on Prince William Sound on the Gulf of Alaska. It was a 7 1/2 hour drive through the most spectacular country we have seen to date. The road winds its way through the Wrangle and St. Elias Mountains and there will snow peaks and even glaciers on either side of the road. We had to drive slower than the speed limit to soak it all in. It was almost like walking through a cathedral. Our destination, Valdez, is the terminal for all the oil coming from Prudhoe Bay. Unfortunately since 9/11 they now longer allow tours of the facility. Through Valdez flows 1/10 of all the oil consumed daily in the United States. It is a massive operation. Valdez itself is primarily a fishing destination with many charters going out daily. We found a nice campground, ate a late supper, and retired around 11:00 p.m. (while it was still light).

Mileage for the day: 472 miles
Mileage for the trip: 5,106 miles