Valdez to Cordova Traverse

I should mention that we got this trip idea because we heard that a pair of Canadian guys, I think one’s name is Ryan Bougie, did this traverse by a slightly different route. The travelled up Browne’s Basin out of Valdez and skiied Meterorite along the way. They continued down the Cordova glacier and were able to float the length of the Rude River, I think they were a little later in the season than us. Bad Ass!!

During the third week (I think) of March 2009, Meaghan Loughlin and I Traversed from Valdez to Cordova. We Flew from Anchorage to Valdez on a web special ticket on Era. We arrived at the Mountain Sky inn to an annual party put on by the hotel with music and extremely cheap beer. Somehow we wound up drinking bloody marys with a guy named Zach and a Pallister brother. We spent the next day hungover and launched the day after at mile 19.
v2d1.jpg
We skiied up the Wortmans Glacier With 7 day packs. Including glacier travel gear, packrafts and drysuits. Heavy!! We travelled for three days in glacier country, flying on instruments in whitouts only covering a fews miles an hour at best. We skiied down the Cordova Glacier to the firn line. Recieved a generous donation of an airdropped double cheeseburger from a Points North helicopter pilot.
v2d3.jpg
We bushwhacked down to the Rude River which we found was not floatable. So we put on our drysuits and skiied about 20 miles down the river to where we could float to the Ocean.
v2d5.jpg
We waited 24 hours for the right tide and weather and then followed a Humpback Whale to Cordova.
v2d6.jpg
Once there, Leo Americus picked us up at the Points North Heli Operation where were once again treated to a cornacopia of free awesome food in exchange for a story. Leo took us skiing the next day after generoulsy feeding us and putting us up in his spare apartment. Thanks Leo! We caught another web special back to Anchorage and went directly to the MT for pizza and beer. I highly reccomend this trip!
v2d8.jpg
Cody Arnold