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Up Front Exploring Thompson Pass by Mark Arvid White click for larger pic     As one nears the wonders of Valdez heading south on the Richardson Highway, the looming Chugach Mountains begin to pass away on either side. You are heading through Thompson Pass, one of the most beautiful scenic drives in all of Alaska. Thompson Pass was so named in 1898 by US Army Lt. William Abercrombie on a trailblazing mission from Valdez inland. The pass itself is just below 2700 feet in elevation at the head of Ptarmigan Creek. Beautiful vistas, alpine flowers and plants, scenic lakes, and more await travellers to and from nearby Valdez. Here fog rolls away over nearby ridges, revealing a valley of diverse alpine vegetation. Wildflower lovers will enjoy discovering mountain harebell, Aleutian heather and others as they clamber over rocks and venture off the highway in search of adventure.     Dwarf Fireweed is one of the many beautiful wildflowers that can be found in Thompson Pass and surrounding environs. Even the leaves of some plants can provide a beautiful display. Visitors can also pick blueberries and fish for grayling and rainbows in nearby Blueberry Lake State Recreation Site.     Thompson Pass is located above timberline, so many of the plant species are of the dwarf variety. When travelling through here at different times of the year, I have noticed its beauty in each season. Summer is perhaps my favorite though, as the rich colors spring up everywhere. During the winter, Thompson Pass has set records for snowfall in the state, with 974.5 inches for the 1952/53 season, 298 inches for the month of February in 1953, and 62 inches for a single 24 hour period in 1955. Snow poles are found along the edge of the highway to mark the road for snowplows. Skiers, snowshoers, and the like utilise the area, but many more activities can be accessed during the summer months, such as bicycling pictured here. Worthington glacier is the most visited spot in the Copper River Basin. Few glaciers in Alaska are as easily accessible as this one. Because of the altitude, however, and the thick snowfall in Thompson Pass, visitors usually only have a small window of opportunity at the height of summer. Worthington Glacier heads on Girls Mountain, which rises to an elevation of 6134 feet. A very nice little terminal morraine lake rests at times at the foot of the glacier, and there is much to do for the intrepid explorer. Surrounded by breathtaking mountains of the Chugach Range, such as this one across Heiden Canyon from the highway, containing glaciers, rock climbing, wildflowers, small animals, hiking trails and more, Thompson Pass is truly a wonderful part of the Alaska experience that should not be missed. click for larger pic