RHH's photos with the keyword: thompson pass

Horsetails Falls (there are many others) is found in Thompson Pass between Glennallen and Valdez, Alaska. The weather on the way to Valdez was the worst of the whole trip. We had to take these pictures from inside the car. It was raining so hard that we could not keep our lenses dry. As to other falls with the same name, there is another Horsetail Falls near Whittier, Alaska, one in the Columbia River gorge west of Portland and another In Yosemite National Park. There are also falls with that name in the Ozarks and near Tahoe.

These were photographed along the highway in Thompson Pass between Glennallen and Valdez. We found three different orchids in the place where we stopped, this the tallest and the one that caught our attention as we drove by. Its Latin name is Platanthera huronensis and it is a common orchid across the USA and Canada. This species can be as tall as three feet (90-100 cm) but these were 18 inches (45 cm) or less.

Worthington Glacier is along the Richardson Highway in Thompson Pass and on the way to Valdez. We spent quite a bit of time there climbing up to the glacier and exploring the area. The day was overcast or rainy but that helped capture the colors of the ice.

Worthington Glacier is along the Richardson Highway to Valdez and is an easy hike. There is a viewing area near the car park but it is possible to hike both to the hills above the glacier and to the foot of the glacier, both of which we did. Like so many other glaciers this one is receding and the pond and debris are in the area where the glacier reached not long ago.

There are two Bridal Veil Falls in our area and must be hundreds of others, but this falls is in Alaska along the Richardson Highway between Glennallen and Valdez - in Keystone Canyon, a part of Thompson Pass. The day was the worst day of our trip, with rain and very low clouds, but we managed a hike to Worthington Glacier and stopped for pictures at various points in Thompson Pass before heading back to Glennallen.