Trip Report: Cordova, Alaska
When: 12/28/2017
Location: Cordova, Alaska
Conditions:
As many who have been to Alaska know, the weather can be terrible one minute and beautiful the next. In this case, the first few days were snowy, then icy, then rainy, then windy, and finally on my last day I got some beautiful blue skies and temperatures almost into the 50's. It was a treat to get such an epic day at this time of year.
Duration: 4 days
Difficulty:
I guess when discussing difficulty related to this trip overall, I would say that there is a lot of effort required to end up in Cordova- you don't just end up there by accident. After a flight to Anchorage, one must continue on another half an hour flight, or 4-hour ferry ride into Cordova, as there are no roads in or out and air or sea are the only options.
There are hiking trails of various difficulties and epic river floats. It truly is the last frontier with vast expanses of wilderness and rarely traversed trails. The place is breathtaking and wild. The Chugach National Forest borders the city limits and is accessible in minutes from downtown.
Kid Friendly:
Cordova is super kid friendly- they have great schools and tot time twice a week at Bidarki Community Center.
Pet Friendly:
Oh yes, pets are welcome!
Usefull links:
wikipedia.org
www.cityofcordova.net
The Full Report:
Cordova Alaska is a gem located south-east of Anchorage in a super rainy and slightly warmer region of the state. The only way in or out is boat or plane and a large portion of their economy is fishing related. They have a ski hill that runs the oldest (still functioning) chairlift in North America, and ice skating on one of the nearby glaciers is a popular past time. There are a million and a half places to go kayaking, or you can float the Copper river over the course of 9 days or so depending on where you put in.
Although the town is small the variety of outdoor activities available and easily accessible is out of this world and the frontier/homesteading/sustenance culture is alive and well. I highly recommend checking this town out- it's quaint, isolated, and has a great pizza restaurant/bar called Harborside Pizza, as well as some other fine establishments to check out.
The mountains and delta areas that surround the town are out of this world and provide copious opportunities to observe wildlife such as bears, moose, eagles, porcupines, and so much more. The salmon season is epic, just make sure to pay your dues and get a fishing license if you plan to partake. Abundance is only abundance until people abuse their ability to exploit it. Fishing responsibly is very important. Orca whales are a sight to behold in the aptly named "Orca Inlet," which is part of Prince William Sound.
The Full Report:
Cordova Alaska is a gem located south-east of Anchorage in a super rainy and slightly warmer region of the state. The only way in or out is boat or plane and a large portion of their economy is fishing related. They have a ski hill that runs the oldest (still functioning) chairlift in North America, and ice skating on one of the nearby glaciers is a popular past time. There are a million and a half places to go kayaking, or you can float the Copper river over the course of 9 days or so depending on where you put in.
Although the town is small the variety of outdoor activities available and easily accessible is out of this world and the frontier/homesteading/sustenance culture is alive and well. I highly recommend checking this town out- it's quaint, isolated, and has a great pizza restaurant/bar called Harborside Pizza, as well as some other fine establishments to check out.
The mountains and delta areas that surround the town are out of this world and provide copious opportunities to observe wildlife such as bears, moose, eagles, porcupines, and so much more. The salmon season is epic, just make sure to pay your dues and get a fishing license if you plan to partake. Abundance is only abundance until people abuse their ability to exploit it. Fishing responsibly is very important. Orca whales are a sight to behold in the aptly named "Orca Inlet," which is part of Prince William Sound.