Chasing Fall Colors in Alaska | Road Trip from Valdez to Seward [S1-E22]

Chasing Fall Colors in Alaska | Road Trip from Valdez to Seward [S1-E22]

Alaska is a place that has captured our hearts  we invite you to join us on a journey across   this great land we are chasing the vibrant  colors of autumn a mission that proves more   challenging than we ever imagined why you will  see in the meantime come Journey with us from  

Vald to Seward a road trip through a route of  unparalleled Beauty prepared to be swept away   by the raw unfiltered soul of this land to be  inspired to one day Journey this road yourself  

Come help us find the colors of fall and prepare  to fall in love with the Wild Heart of the Last Frontier Our Journey Begins here in  Keystone Canyon a testament to the   raw power of nature nature nestled near  valis this Gorge stretches over 3 m long  

Its sheer Cliffs forming a dramatic Gateway  just wide enough for the Richardson Highway   to snake its way through here the dance of  water and rock has sculpted a landscape of   vertical slate walls and a breathtaking  array of waterfalls cascading from above

The story of Keystone Canyon is as deep as its  Cliffs are high it has witnessed the Ambitions   and rivalries of gold and copper Miners  and the dreams of railroad Builders aiming   to conquer Alaska’s wild interior here in the  canyon a historic gunfight took place over the  

Railroad right away and the tunnel in dispute was  never finished in the end the railway was never built as we leave the most narrow reaches of the  canyon we can now look up and see where all that  

Cascading water is coming from high up in the  surrounding Peaks the winter snow melt feeds an   array of streams that plunge down the mountain  sides carving and relentlessly shaping the land the mesmerizing sights of Keystone Canyon  have fully distracted us from the nerves  

Of what comes next we are currently 307 ft  above sea level and we are about to ascend   to Thompson Pass elevation 2,678 ft The  Climb is long unrelenting and strikingly beautiful Thompson Pass is a vital part of  the Richardson Highway connecting Valdes to  

The interior it also happens to cut through  one of the snowiest places on Earth a region   renowned for record-breaking snowfall averaging  40 ft every season in 1955 10 ft of snow fell in   48 hours setting a new world record until the  1950s the road was considered impassible and  

Every winter Valdes was cut off from the rest  of Alaska then one winter a single determined   Soul decided to prove it could be done and  singlehandedly plowed the road a feat that   convinced the state it was possible the road has  remained open every winter since then drastically  

Impacting Valdes for the better a testament  to the power of human perseverance against the elements we decide to sleep here for the  night picturing 40 ft of snow above our   heads and only Imagining the transformation  of the place in the winter we look out  

Upon today’s backyard the mighty Chach  Mountains and the story carved into its flanks the chugat mountains stand as  a formidable wall between the Pacific   Ocean and interior Alaska here moisture Laden  storms from the Pacific collide with the range   unloading that record snowfall upon its slopes  precipitation levels here are so extraordinary  

That they sculpt the Mountain’s face giving  rise to countless glaciers creeks and rivers   each one a testament to the sheer volume of  snow that accumulates here these waterways   fed by Monumental snow melt tirelessly etch  into the Rock shaping the landscape before  

Us we see all around us the powerful  influence of Nature’s elements at work and for those who really love to  read the land can you see it can   you see where the glacier before us  once flowed out onto this sweeping

Slope once you see it it’s as  clear as the clouds in the sky we take in the surroundings the crisp Mountain Air  of Autumn this area has not yet yielded any fall   colors to us but we have an idea where we might  begin to find them when we continue our journey tomorrow

We set out Spirits High ready for the  road trip ahead 27 M Glacier dominates   our view perched high in the mountain sides  about 27 Mi up the Richardson Highway hence   the name and quite an Alaskan way to Mark  distance now as we skirt by it’s as if the  

Glacier is bidding us farewell and good  luck on our quest to find the colors of autumn our route is leading through the chugach  range which curves like a sickle to our left   the sheer amount of glaciers snaking out of  these mountains speaks to the volume of snow  

They receive courtesy of those moist Winds of the  Pacific we emerge on the other side and make our   way into the heart of the Copper River Valley  we’re driving through through an eco- region   known as the copper Plateau tiger a vast expanse  where boreal forests meet the subarctic creating  

A unique blend of Flora and Fauna adapted to its  harsh variable climate this Plateau characterized   by its copper rich soil provides critical habitat  for species such as Caribou bears and migratory   Birds the tiga’s dent Spruce and fur trees are  interspersed with wetlands and rivers making it  

A vital water source and ecological Corridor for  wildlife Once Upon a Time this entire region was   beneath the Waters of an ancient lake called  Lake atna formed 58,000 years ago Lake atna   was an estimated half the size of Lake Ontario  profoundly influencing the landscape and leaving  

Behind remnants like tasina Lake a relic of  the ancient Lake atna tasina stretches over   21 miles from the Copper River River Valley into  the chugach range it is now fed by tasina glacier   who lurks far in the distance tasina Glacier  is another Testament to the immense snowfall  

Received by the chugat mountains it stretches 25  M long flowing from deep within the range North   to its Terminus near tasina Lake the autumn  colors have just started to kiss this region   even with it so dominated by black spruce  we will need to find more deciduous forests  

And so we continue on though taking our sweet  time reveling in the Majesty unfolding to our left it’s Alaska in September so we still have plenty  of daylight left this area receives 14 hours of   sunlight at this time of year plenty of time  to sniff out some fall colors we drive head  

Long into matusa Valley a drive near and  dear to our hearts before long it begins   to happen patches of vibrant color dot  the route and we stop to see what we can see we know more must be ahead and we  have a feeling that it will be on the  

Flanks of an old friend that  the show will really begin to start and sure enough it does  we have introduced you to this   friend before but never when they were  surrounded by the burgeoning colors of autumn would you like to take a moment to  fly over one of the wonders of the  

Natural world it’s difficult to put  into words the sheer Grandeur of a   glacier like matusa sometimes we  just need to let the glacier show us for those of you just joining us on the art  with are yet Journey this is matusa Glacier  

One of the gems of South Central Alaska the  colors are just beginning to blaze along its   lower flanks as well as among the branches  of the braided river that it feeds we can   see the shift from deciduous trees along the  river banks to the coniferous forests that  

Climb the mountain sides until even they cannot  withstand the conditions and Alpine tunder takes over as we continue West descending deeper into  matusa Valley we begin to understand something   important we just witnessed colors along the  glacier but now here just a few miles south  

The land is still blanketed in lush green  we are beginning to see that in Alaska the   autumn colors do not sweep across the state  in one decisive brush stroke they show up in   patches and Pockets at different times  even within the same region the colors  

Along matusa were beautiful no doubt but  we are on a mission for something heart   stopping for a landscape set a fire it will  require not only location but timing in short   we are learning that we will have to get  ourselves to the right place at the right

Time as we cross the KCK we inch ourselves closer   to Anchorage who will be our  destination and home for the night Anchorage is our place to resupply rest  and take stock before continuing onwards   we will need that for the push tomorrow and  the Epic Landscapes we are about to pass

Through have you ever heard heard that old saying  that in Alaska small planes are like pickup trucks   we’ve said it before we’ll probably say it again  but here at lak Hood in Anchorage the constant   coming and goings of small aircraft make this  fact abundantly clear set to the backdrop of  

The chugach mountains there’s nothing quite like  coming here on a clear autumn day and watching the show we’re on our way again back in our old stomping  grounds with the turn again arm we love it here  

And there are a lot of good reasons why this  is our route having made it to Anchorage we   are now driving headlong towards the Kenai  Peninsula where we will snake our way through   the mountains and route to Seward will we find  the colors there this is the Seward Highway it  

Stretches 125 M from Anchorage to Seward and  it is without a doubt one of America’s most   scenic roadways just about every inch of this  highway is spectacular and the turnig again   arm is quite an entrance the turnig again arm  forms the boundary between the Kenai Peninsula  

And Mainland Alaska and quite a dramatic  boundary it is resembling a giant tear in   the fabric of the state the Seward Highway  snakes through alongside the historic Alaska   railroad who knows if the tides of Time  had been different perhaps this railroad  

Never would would have been built here after  that historic gunfight halted all development   of the railroad in Valdes Seward became the  primary Railway Port of the early 1900s Seward   not Valdes became the seed from which the Alaska  railroad grew and expanded across the territory  

It’s interesting is it not how one single  event can create profound ripples throughout time this remarkable Waterway is not only  famous for boasting the highest tides   in the United States but also  for a unique natural spectacle  

Known as a bore tide a tidal wave that  travels up the arm so large it can be served the Waters of the arm are an important  feeding ground for endangered Cook Inlet beluga   whales who can be seen here especially during  salmon season and the shores along turn again  

Arm are rich with history hosting some of the  earliest archaeological finds of human settlement   in Alaska if you have been with us for a while  you know that we Dove deep into all of these   fascinating facets of the turnig again arm and  if you’re curious we highly recommend that you  

Experience episode 9 the upper turnig again arm  is marked by Wetlands that play an important role   as habitat for many migrating bird species just  as the highway and the railroad must find their   way through the Maze of mountains dominating  South Central Alaska so too do migrating birds  

As they make their way to the vast Tundras of  the north Wetland and Estuary environments such   as these play a crucial role in their Journey  we notice that while some trees along the arm   have not yet yet turned others are beginning to  show color while some are already bare the turn  

Again arm is well known for its high winds and  this must play A Part this only highlights the   patchwork nature of autumn colors and how  tricky it can be to get your timing just right for those little patches that  we do find we take time to soak them  

Up and enjoy the bright Sunshine  of this beautiful day colors or   no colors the sights along this  drive are quite a thing to take in right where the turn again arm meets  the mountains we say hello to the   Kenai Peninsula and this is where  we find another little taste of autumn o

O welcome to the place we have  called home for nearly a year now   what keeps calling us back here  really requires no explanation close get out ofin all it is matter let it if I could I would be right here with you the  Kenai Peninsula is celebrated for its Majestic  

Mountains expansive Wilderness and pristine Rivers  brimming with trout Dolly Varden and salmon during   the season it spans over 25,000 square miles and  features the impressive keenai mountains home to   the Harding ice field and the many glaciers  that it feeds the name Kenai is derived from  

The native athabascan people who resided along the  Kenai River the history of this place runs deep only CH I will let you into my the Fall Tears that have been long asleep the lights are out in Heavens  open we can be everything we want

Oh the Seward Highway weaves and works  with the landscape the Alaska railroad   comes and goes as it chooses sometimes  accompanying the road and sometimes not   it is currently on the other  side of the mountains to our left we can’t help feeling like with each  mile we are inching our way closer to

Home deep in the heart of the Peninsula sits Turn  Lake shallow and Marshy it is another Haven for   migratory Birds on their way through the range mu  gos Arctic turns and trumpeter swans nest and feed  

Here in May and June when many of the nesting  Birds depart the salmon arrive in force all the   way up from the Gulf of Alaska the lake is home  to muskrat and beaver the occasional moose wads   through and every now and then black bears can be  spotted foraging for berries in the surrounding  

Meadows even dull sheep can be spotted on the  slopes above Once Upon a Time this was the final   stop of the Alaska railroad Prospectors heading  to the gold strikes of the Interior disembarked   here and began a long journey by pack Trail  hundreds of miles north the Advent of winter  

Brings a magical transformation to turn Lake  as temperatures drop the surface freezes over   as clear as glass turning it into what locals  fondly call Wild Ice it must be quite a sight   to behold and to skate on it is here at Turn  Lake that the road branches one road heads  

Towards Homer and the Kenai Low Land side of the  peninsula the other heads onward into the range   toward Seward we are delighted to be seeing more  and more color and we just wonder if we’ll catch  

Even more on our next stop which just so happens  to be one of our favorite places to park on the peninsula unfortunately we strike out at  upper Trail Lake for now but did   we really strike out with scenery like this  I don’t know if that’s the right phrase to use

The snow dusting the mountaintops  is new it is a sign that winter is   just around the bend but where are the  colors when they do arrive they will   be a bright vivid flash in the pan  some years they never quite come at

All where the clear waters of a mountain  Stream flow into upper Trail Lake we see   the Stark difference in sedimentation between  the two bodies of water the creek must be fed   by snow melt or spring maybe both and the Waters  of upper Trail Lake are obviously glacially fed  

Positively Laden with the fine Rock flower that  glaciers Mill from the Rocks they pulverize along   the way we consider camping here for the night  and we will be back at some point when we will   show you this amazing spot but we do know of  one other spot that is calling us to drive  

Just a little bit farther the road there is  a little bumpy word to the wise for those who   visit Alaska in the summer which is most prepare  for road construction lots of it the Deep Winters  

Freeze thaw cycles and in many parts of the state  melting Perma Frost lead to roads that need a lot   of TLC this stretch of the Seward Highway along  Kenai lake is getting a much needed facelift in no time we reach the place we will call  home tonight a pull off just past mile

12 the Keen Peninsula is home to three unique Eco  regions the Pacific Coastal ice fields in tundra   the Northern Pacific Alaskan coastal forests  and the Cook Inlet tiger together these regions   underline the importance of the Kenai Peninsula  in supporting a wide range of biodiversity and  

Natural processes up here in the mountains we  are in the ice fields and Tundra Eco region and   we witness the clear transition between vegetation  zones Tundra and Ice dominate the highest reaches   of the Peaks then hearty shrubs take over after  that subalpine forests of spruce and Hemlock  

Climb as high as they can and finally Alder and  cottonwoods enjoy the warmer Valley floors we   will get to catch a glimpse of the coastal  Forest Eco region when we make it to Seward tomorrow today’s the today  the sun is shining and Seward

Awaits it feels so good to be rolling into  Seward once more this has been our home of   homes here in Alaska we spent last winter  tucked away in a cabin on a snow covered   Hillside just outside of town we were back in July  for Independence Day and now we’re back again once

More even now the tourist season is happening  with cruise ships and Port the ships are here   because this is where the Alaska railroad ends  or more accurately where it begins remember those   tides of Fate that led Seward to be the primary  Port where the maritime world would link to the  

Interior through the Bonine Alaska Railroad well  here we are here Cruise passengers disembark their   ships and board the Alaska Railroad and ride  that Historic Railway into the interior if   the history of the Alaska railroad interests  you we think you really might enjoy episode

14 now we would like to take you to  a part of town where we can witness   up close and personal that Coastal  rainforest EC region we spoke of before this is the road to Miller’s Landing  and low point the area is highly prone to  

Rock falling landslides in fact in May  2022 a massive Landslide occurred here   luckily no one was hurt needless to  say when you drive this road you don’t   stop you wait till you get to the other  side to enjoy the incredible scenery out

Here now that we are at the sea we are within  the Northern Pacific Alaskan coastal Forest   Eco region this Eco region stretches from  here to Kodiak Island and all the way down   to katchan it is a Mecca of biodiversity its  Forest dominated by cka Spruce and Hemlock  

Which in turn are home to a wealth of FAA the  climate is mild due to its proximity to the   ocean and the Alaska current leads to high  precipitation rates most impressively this   Eco region encompasses the largest area  of old growth temperate rainforest in  

The world making it one of North America’s  wildest and best protected regions and yes   you heard that right here on the shores  of the Kenai Peninsula we are in the rainforest well now that  we’re here we need a place   to park our old beast and we know now just the

Spot we are about to show you one of  our favorite wild camping spots in Alaska welcome to the exit Glacier special use  area this is the outwash plane in braided River   of exit Glacier which means Mama Glacier cannot  be that far behind we came here hoping that the  

Cottonwoods blanketing this glacial Valley  would give us the colorful show we seek but   what we’re seeing now doesn’t look promising  half the leaves haven’t yet turned and half   are already gone Fallen before they had a  chance to turn and that’s how it is some  

Years will the remaining leaves turn and give  us a show in the meantime we are surrounded   by The Towering Kenai mountains who look as  if they are expecting a bit of rain tonight   we are in the rainforest after all this  is wild camping at its finest we are kind  

Of experts at finding epic wild camping spots  and we’ve racked up a fair few here in Alaska   we share each one and a guide that we made  for wild camping in Alaska we hope you enjoy

It turns out that the rain the mountains were  expecting fell as snow we feel so lucky to have   witnessed that first snowfall upon these Peaks  that we love so much from this point forward that   snow will continue to creep farther and farther  down until the land is completely blanketed and  

Pure Pure White yet the colors are still not here  but we have a sneaking feeling that if we wait   just a few days they will show up right at the  place we are hoping that they will what is that  

Place we want to take you will the colors happen  there like we hope and what will we do while we   wait given that it’s September and Seward winter  is coming and we have a freezer to stock well  

Place your bet and we’ll see you next time on Art  We There Yet hey guys if you enjoy this video be   sure to give us a like subscribe to our Channel  send us a comment below and for exclusive content  

And a behind the scenes view of the art we there  at Journey join us on patreon see you over on patreon

The road trip from Valdez to Seward is full of jaw-dropping scenery, natural wonders, and a healthy sprinkling of Alaskan history. Add in the colors of fall, and the majesty is complete. Join us as we hunt for the colors of autumn, in one of our most beautiful road trips across the Last Frontier.

13 Top Wild Camping Spots in Alaska | An Insider’s Guide
🏔️https://bit.ly/WildCampingAlaskaGuide

Join Patreon & Support the Next Episode!
🔥 https://www.patreon.com/artwethereyet

Art We There Yet Travel Vlog | Season 1 | Episode 22
🔹Featured Places: Featured Places: Keystone Canyon, Thompson Pass, Glenn Highway, Copper River Valley, Ancient Lake Atna, Tazlina Lake, Matanuska Glacier, Lake Hood, Seward Highway, Turnagain Arm, Kenai Peninsula, Tern Lake, Upper Trail Lake, Seward, Lowell Point, Exit Glacier

About ART WE THERE YET 🚌🌎
Art We There Yet is a project co-created by artist José Luis Vílchez and songwriter Cora Rose. Our mission is to create art inspired by the Americas, and to give back to communities along the way. Aboard a school bus converted into an art and recording studio, we are traveling 30,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina, touching 23 countries of the Americas over 7+ years! We create art and music that highlight the beautiful people and landscapes of the Americas. And we provide murals and workshops in schools and communities that lack access to arts funding. Because ART is meant to be SHARED! ❤️🎨🚌🎼❤️

Also Follow Us On:
Web 👉 https://artwethereyet.com/blog/
Insta 👉 https://www.instagram.com/art_we_there_yet/
FB 👉 https://www.facebook.com/artwethereyetbus
Jose’s Website 📸 https://joseluisvilchez.com/
Cora’s Website 🎹 https://corarose.com/

🎥 The gear we use to make our videos:
Mavic 2 Pro Drone 👉 https://amzn.to/39ELqeE
Canon 5D Mark IV 👉 https://amzn.to/380XlTV
iPhone 13 Pro 👉 https://amzn.to/3O6tQkw
GoPro Hero 10 👉 https://amzn.to/3lpqH14
GoPro Media Mod 👉 https://amzn.to/3MDfOVK
Adobe Creative Cloud 👉 https://amzn.to/39zvYk7
Epidemic Sound 👉 https://share.epidemicsound.com/beb82w
ccTravel Graphics 👉 10% off storewide (Code: AWTY): https://ccreation.store/?dt_id=228492

Artwork Attributions:
Icon in Person Graphics: https://bit.ly/happypersonicon

#alaska #roadtrip #fallcolors #seward