August: Kenai Peninsula to the Lower 48

Another busy month, still lots to see as our summer whines down. It’ll be snowing here in September, already feels like fall.

                                 

The Kenai Peninsula has lots to see. After a few days at Ninilchik watching locals clamming, and enjoying Cook Inlet, Donnie and Jill, Linda and I take the rigs and move down to Homer and find a spot on the “Spit”. This thin 4.5 mile long finger of rock and sand extends into Kachemak Bay. The weather is good and the tides expose a quarter mile of beach in front of the RV’s only to swallow it up again 6 hours later. Donnie and I took a guided hike at the Alaska Coastal Studies Center high above the spit, and we all went to Hidden Harbor for a fabulous dinner across the bay. A nice boat ride and a great restaurant. The scenery is great as the sun moves across the sky and changes the light on the glaciers and distant volcanoes. From a “look out” above Homer, you can make out 3 volcanoes on the western coast of Cook Inlet, part of the “ring of fire”, one active in 2006 and 2 inactive since the 90’s.

                                

As we enter the second week of August, It’s time to leave Homer and start back up the Peninsula. Sadly, this is the beginning of our journey out of Alaska. It’ll take the rest of the month, with lots more to see and do, but the unspoken end is near. On the way past Soldotna we spend the night dry camping at a small lake. To our surprise a black bear walks out of the woods next to Donnie's rig and enters the water at the boat ramp. Looking for fish and leftovers from boaters, he makes 2 visits into camp enjoying his find. After a stop in Portage and a drive through the tunnel to Whittier we take a glacier cruse in the fog. Despite the weather the boat and the ride was good, and the captain did show us a few glaciers.

                               

We pass through Anchorage and stop one evening in Palmer on the Kink River and continue over the Glenn Hwy, towards the Wrangell mountains. This area of Alaska has an outstanding range of mountains, and the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The largest park in the country, and twice as big as Denali at 13.2 million acres. Nine of the sixteen tallest peaks in North America are in these ranges, and Mt. Wrangell is the largest active volcano in Alaska. We work our way down the Richardson Hwy. from Glennallen to Chitina (chit’na) and camp along the Copper River at the fish wheels. While there we take the cars into McCarthy and Kennicott. 61 miles of gravel road, but a nice day visiting old mining towns at the foot of the Kennicott Glacier.

                                

One of our last stops in AK. is Hanes. We’re camping along the Chilkat River near the Eagle preserve. The drive down from Hanes Junction and into Hanes is beautiful. We pass from the USA into Yukon Terr. then into B.C. and back into the USA all at this northern part of the Alaskan panhandle. Once in camp we take the cars and go sightseeing to the fish counting station often frequented by bears. After a few days it’s time to say goodbye to Don and Jill, and for us to leave for the “Lower 48”. We make our way back to the Alaskan Hwy. and back to Whitehorse, Yukon Terr. 2 days later while having happy hour in the Wal-mart parking lot in Whitehorse, Don and Jill pull in with an electrical problem. It’s Saturday and we can’t get parts and repair it until Monday morning, and we say our goodbyes again. We close out the month driving in the rain back to B.C. All in all it was another good month, in a couple of days we’ll be back in the USA where it’s warmer!

                                     

 

July Denali National Park to The Kenai Peninsula

As July starts we’ve made reservations for week inside Denali National Park. Along the road south on Parks Highway is a stop at Nenana. Each year people try to predict the ice break up where the Tenana and Nenana Rivers Join, down to the month, day, hour, and second. Tickets are sold and last years winner pocketed over $300K. A giant tripod on the frozen river stops the clock by cable the instant the river starts to clear. The Nenana Ice Classic is a big event.

                         

Park Service allows RV’s as far as the 29 mile Teklanika River Campground. Our Jeep will have to be left at the visitors center. On Friday before our reservation we take the Jeep in the Park, pick up tomorrows RV permits, and drive the paved park road to the mile 15 checkpoint. All vehicles without passes are restricted beyond this viewpoint. Saturday morning we drive the RV’s in, our backcountry passes are checked and they make sure we have plenty of food and water for the next 7 days. There are no stores or restaurants past the visitors center and the RV can’t leave the campground. Transportation for the rest of the 92 mile gravel road is now provided by Park Service. Shuttle busses run all day, you can flag down a bus any time, they'll stop if they have an open seat. The mornings are in the low 40’s and a sunny day will reach 65. A day trip on the bus to “view points” or mile 66, Eielson visitor center is 5-7 hours. We’ll pack a lunch, flag down a bus and bounce along the gravel road looking for wildlife along the rivers, on the mountains, and in the meadows. Around mile 58 we reach the top of Stony Hill. Everyone on the bus gasps, for there, on this glorious clear morning, Mt. McKinley comes into view, 20,320 feet high and indescribably beautiful. And, were still 40 miles from the mountain, only accessible by hiking or flying to the 7000’ basecamp. We’re fortunate to have this beautiful morning, by early afternoon the “Big One” is shrouded in clouds. Only 30% of visitors to Alaska ever see the “mountain”. Our week is filled with activity, a Ranger led hike, or a bus rides, recuperating from bus rides, and evening Ranger programs at the campground. All 6.2 million acres is still wild, and thanks to the stewardship of the Park Service it will remain so. A great week in the Park.

                      

As we continue south from Denali National Park there are stops in Cantwell, Talkeetna, and a few days in Anchorage to stock up on supplies for the drive south and the Kenai Peninsula. After a few nights near Portage Glacier we drive down to Seward for four days and find two spots on Resurrection Bay right on the water. We’re within walking distance to the boats and shops, and all the daily action that surrounds the harbor. The unseasonably cool weather warmed up a bit in Seward, we enjoyed the sun and a few naps by the water. We end the month on our way to Homer with stops in Soldotna and Ninilchik.

                                              

May: Oh Canada….Alberta and British Columbia

As we travel north toward Canada our last stops in the USA are in Montana. A week visit with Handy Bob and Noreen in Roundup, a few days in Great Falls. Then overnight in Browning at an Indian casino before crossing the border at Babb into Canada and onto Calgary. The city is bustling with activity and new construction, the oil companies are moving their operations here. We watch from the Calgary Tower while having lunch. It has been a while sense we visited a city, we usually try to avoid them.

                                       

                                         

Springtime in the Rockies. We’ve decided to drive the Canada Hwy.1 through Banff and Jasper National Parks and it’s gorgeous. The skies are overcast but the views are spectacular. We spend the night along the highway in a huge rest area. That night we take the cars up to Lake Louise for desert and coffee at the 90+ year old Fairmont Chateau. This is the first time Linda and I have ever seen a large lake freeze over. Only the area close to shore is starting to thaw, and this is late May. The winter lodge visitors ice skated on Lake Louise just in front of the grounds. The old world elegance of the lodge allows a view of the Lake from behind large windows in a quiet area adjacent to the banquet dinning room.

                                                    

Our next stops before leaving Alberta is the Columbia Ice Fields, Hinton, and Grande Prairie. It’s been cold and cloudy most of the time but the mountains and lakes are beautiful. Snow is still melting and the rivers and creeks are running strong. We’re stopping a lot to enjoy the scenery, taking our time. The last week of May we reach Dawson Creek, British Columbia. This is the official start of the Alaskan Highway. Mile 0. Thousands of US Troops, and civilian contractors built this road in 9 months, starting in 1942, ending in 1943. An unbelievable feat considering the winter, supplies and lack of experience. The bears have come out of their dens and are looking for anything to eat, they will forage about 18 hours a day and there’s 19 hours of daylight now.    

                                                     

 

                                                      

 

                                                      

 

                                                     

As May comes to a close we take a 3 day break at Toad River. The campground there is a welcome stop, it’s time for housekeeping, a rest and watch the moose in the pond in the early evening. Toad River is a haven for campers, road maintance  crew and travelers. They have fuel, restaurant, cabins, laundry, post office, Greyhound Bus stop, convenient store and more. We’ll soon go into Yukon Territory as we travel down the Alaska Highway……Skip and Linda

June: Alaska, “land of the midnight sun”

One of the “current events” of the long history of Alaska has been the building and maintaining of the Alcan Highway, built in the 1940’s. More recent is the “haul road”, the Dalton Highway built for the construction of the Alaskan Pipeline in the 70’s, In June we complete the Alcan Hwy.to Delta Junction and later in the month, drive a portion of the mostly unpaved haul road (in the Jeeps) to the Artic circle. As our journey continues north the days are getting longer.

                                                        

                                                                                                                                      

Started the month in Toad River, BC. resting a few days by the pond. Washed the RV and it rained the next day. An overnight stop at Liard Hot Springs and then cross into Yukon Territory for a stop in Watson Lake. Tomorrow we’ll tag our sign in the “sign post forest” with a date stamp for 2012. Linda walked right to the sign (put up in 2008) out of 65,000 signs, amazing! Soon my sister and brother in law will be in Skagway on a cruise, we’ll try to meet them for dinner. After a stop in Rancheria Falls Recreation area, the rivers and streams are swollen with snow melt and rain. South with a side trip to Atlin, BC. checking out the still active mining town and electrical problems in Donny’s rig. Four days by Como Lake was great even with light rain for two days. While in town at the visitors center we learn the roads are washed out behind us at Rancheria, and just north of Whitehorse at Klune Lake, also south on the road into Skagway. This 100 mile triangle has Whitehorse (and us) trapped in the middle and Whitehorse store shelves are emptied in one day. Luckily they repaired the washout to Skagway the next day and the drive down is cold and rainy, but beautiful. Dinner for 8 turned out to be 5, Donny and Jill, Linda and I, and sister Linda. Ed was quarantined in the stateroom with the flu and their neighbor couple got lost. We leave the restaurant and the sun is still out. The next morning it’s on to Whitehorse for housekeeping and supplies, the grocery shelves are just now being restocked. A rest area on beautiful Klune Lake, at the mud slide, is our next stop before entering Alaska, the skies are clearing and the Dahl Sheep are on the mountain. It’s a easy drive to Tetlin Junction, were back in the USA, camp near the Tanana River and have breakfast in Tok. A day later the Gerstle river crosses the Alcan Hwy, we camp under the 8 span bridge along its bank. It’s sunny, the wind has calmed, we stay for two days. It’s summer solstice, barely dusk at midnight. In the morning a moose walks through camp.

                                          

                                          

Fairbanks!  We finish the Alaska-Canada highway in Delta Junction and turn north to Fairbanks to look up Rod and Joni. We met them in Yuma, Az. two winters ago flying the Alaska state flag. They just returned from Salmon fishing on the Copper River and had 2 large filets on the BBQ grille. It was a feast. We now have 22 hours of daylight (with sun) and 2 hours of dusk. One day around noon we leave for the Artic Circle and returned at 9PM, more driving than were used to but a good ride. Changed one flat tire for a research group from UA Fairbanks but had no trouble ourselves.

                                         

                                         

After returning to Fairbanks a side trip to Chena Hot Spring brings us to the end of the month. We camp 4 days by a lake and enjoy some good weather and moose in the lake. Next month Denali National park and the mountain.