We All Have That Favorite Road To Drive - Here's Mine

To be crystal clear, this is not my favorite drive. This is just my favorite road (I promise they're two different things). My favorite drive would be that of the Steese and Dalton Highways, which stretches over 400 miles from the Interior of Alaska to the Arctic Ocean. However, the story of that drive will be saved for a different day. Today, we'll talk about Crow Creek Road in the small town of Girdwood, Alaska.

Girdwood was founded in the last 1890s after gold was discovered in Crow Creek, which drained down from the Chugach Range. It is home to one of the most famous ski resorts in the world, Alyeska. Originally, the town sat on the shores of the Turnagain Arm; however, the earthquake of 1964 nearly sank half the town and it had to be moved back into the valley. Luckily enough, the road which led from the inlet to the mine survived the quake and is still utilized to this day.

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f/4.0 | 1/400 | 38mm | ISO 320 - Some of the best light I have ever seen in all of Girdwood graced us at this very moment.

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The road isn't very long, but it leads to some very beautiful places, such as Crow Creek Mine, the Double Musky, and Crow Pass Trail. It is gravel and silt the whole way and eventually becomes impassable by low clearance vehicles. During the winter, it remains unplowed, but the people who dwell in the beautiful, quaint cabins found along the road, press the snow with their tires everyday, keeping it open year-round.

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f/2.8 | 1/200 | 85mm | ISO 400 - The Double Musky Inn

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f/2.8 | 1/50 | 3.61mm | ISO 131 - Driving my Jeep down Crow Creek Road in the dead of winter.

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We've even gone out and shot the Northern Lights here, as well as a good sunset or two. The road is just unbelievably beautiful all year long.

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f/1.4 | 2.5s | 24mm | ISO 1600 - This was my first time capturing images of the Northern Lights south of Anchorage!

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f/5.6 | 1/60s | 70mm | ISO 500 - A winter sunset striking the Chugach Mountains.

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f/2.8 | 1/50 | 3.61mm | ISO 115 - Our last drive down Crow Creek before the winter blanketed it white for six months.

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f/1.4 | 1/320s | 85mm | ISO 160 - I've even shot a few portraits down this way. I love the way the trees seem to engulf the view and they frame everything up quite nicely.

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So there you have it! Crow Creek Road in Girdwood, Alaska is my favorite road. I hope you can see why. What's your favorite road and why is it special to you? I'd love to know so that I have even more wonderful places to drive!

Your fellow back road explorer,
Dimitri