Taking the old road
I usually only take the time to take the old Richardson Hwy during moosehunting season. Since I didn't have fish on board I took the time to meander the old road. After 30+years of hardly any use its a little overgrown. Creeks and rivers run through it now and only affordable with 4wd or motorcycle. I think about the old days traveling this road in a Model T truck full of tools, gold and fish. Tooting my horn around every corner looking forward to Thompson Pass. 
This is the new road with hi-fi reflectors to show you where the road goes. Pictures taken early evening July 9th.
3 comments:
Wow, your not kidding when you say overgrown. Doesn't anyone live off that old road? How odd to have an abandon "ghost road".
And considering they stopped making them in 1927, aren't you a little young to have driven a model T? Either that or they really made them to last!
Great Post Kathy!
When the old road was paved in 1957 I figure there were still Model T's running the old road.
Interesting tidbit when researching the history of the Richardson Hwy: The southern end was open during summers only until 1950, when a freight company foreman who lived near the treacherous Thompson Pass plowed the snow himself for an entire season to prove the route could be used year-round.
Old Chester had a cabin off the old road that he lived in year around, coming to Valdez once a week for a bath and supplies. His children inherited it and I don't know if they use it now or not. Chester was a retired railroad worker who was hit in the head by a train in the Whittier tunnel and instead of accepting monthly diasbilty payments he opted for a huge payout (to him at the time) and bought the land and built the cabin deciding that was where he wanted to spend the remainder of his days.
Next time I take the old road I'll try and find his cabin and get a picture of it,
Thanks, K!
What a great story, you have me thinking a trip to Valdez to see this old road and that old part of town would be a blast. I have a friend who keeps telling me I should go see Valdez. Maybe next summer we'll fit in a camping trip.
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