Daylight at this time of year in south central Alaska lasts from 5:30am to 10:30pm and we took full advantage of it on a day which featured crystal clear blue skies and perfect hiking temperatures. We returned to the Copper River Delta following the gravel “highway” to its end. Most of the wildlife in the delta is avian and our favorite encounter was with this pair of Trumpeter Swans which helped us appreciate why they are so named.

Changes in the Copper River water flow last August compromised the integrity of the footings of the bridge at mile 36 and the highway has been closed indefinitely blocking access to the remaining 12 miles of highway and access to the famous Million Dollar bridge and Child’s Glacier. Surrounded by mountain ranges on three sides the panoramic views at this very remote location are nothing shy of spectacular.

We returned to Cordova for lunch before starting a climb of Mount Eyak, a popular local ski area. Snow obscuring the path at higher elevations prevented us from reaching the top but the views of Prince William Sound from the vantage point we reached were breathtaking and well worth the steep ascent.

Cordova has three main roads which leave the town all of which dead end (access to the town is only by sea or air). Having thoroughly explored the Copper River Highway we decided to investigate the other two roads and got a treat when we arrived at Hartney Bay.

Here we could see hundreds of salmon acclimating to the fresh water in preparation for their spawning runs upstream. Seals would work in concert to coral the salmon for an easy meal while bears patiently awaited their arrival further inland.