Day 44: Kasilof to Homer

We are maintaining a “home base” at Kasilof RV Park, but today we took the rental car and traveled to Homer, about 65 miles south.  Homer sits at the end of the Sterling Highway, with a four-mile spit at the end extending out into Cook Inlet.  From Homer, one can see quite a view of the volcanic mountains across the inlet, part of the Aleutian Chain. 

Our first stop was the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center which had displays about the area including some about the research being done in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.  It also had a good trail down to the water, the Beluga Slough Trail, which allowed views of some sandhill cranes and also provided a nice spot for lunch. 

Taking Sterling Highway to its end on the spit, we saw a number of RV “parks” which were right on the water, but basically parking lots with campers lined up one next to the other, very close together.  The spit is also home to an amazing number of restaurants, gift shops, and so forth, geared to the many tourists.  Parking spaces were at a premium, and along the road were hundreds of people shopping and browsing along the beach.

On the trip back we stopped in Ninilchik to see a very old Russian Orthodox Church which had a great panoramic view of the mountains and the inlet.

The evening was a quiet one: grilled chicken for dinner, walked the dog, and read.  Dan has scheduled a salmon fishing trip tomorrow, so it was early to bed for both of us.

Day 43: Kasilof

AHH….sunshine and warmth!

On a foggy morning with low-hanging clouds hiding the huge mountains around us, we continued south along the Seward Highway.  We stopped for a short visit to Tern Lake for some bird watching and finally picked up the arctic tern which has been mentioned repeated in the guidebook.

Turning west on Sterling Highway, we followed the path of the Kenai River, in the middle of impressive mountains and great scenery.  The river was full of fishermen in their waders, going after salmon, and the roadsides were full of small companies that offered fishing guides.  At Kenai, we turned off to go to the airport to pick up the rental car that I had reserved for the week, to allow us to do day trips from our campground in Kasilof.  While online, it appeared that the only available vehicle was a full-sized pick-up truck, when we arrived we found that they had one Ford Fiesta which we took for the week’s exploration.

A short drive south along the coast of the peninsula led us to Kasilof.  Kasilof RV Park is small, but its location appealed in that it’s an easy drive north or south to visit the various small towns and interesting spots along the coast.  It’s a friendly mom-and-pop business with clean showers and restrooms, a community fire pit for campfires, free Wifi,  a large den with sofas and TV for (please no!) rainy days, and a large lake just across the lake.  Our site is a good one, a pull-through with trees and shrubs on both sides for privacy, level and graveled.

Looking forward to a week of exploring, fishing, walking, and relaxing!

Day 42: Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula

All right, enough with the rain!

The day did start out pleasant, warmer than it has been (mid-50’s) and sunny.  Ranger and I had a good walk around the campground at Bird Creek, and after breakfast we headed south along the Seward Highway.

The highway continued to run along the Turnagain Arm, with enormous mountains, some snow-capped, along both sides of the water.  At one point we saw a glacier in the distance, right ahead of us.  We took a side road toward Whittier and stopped at the Portage Glacier Lodge adjacent to the Beigich-Boggs Visitor Center on Portage Lake, to get tickets for the cruise to see the glacier.

The cruise was only one hour, but it took us right up to the side of the glacier.  While the day was warm and sunny when we boarded, out on the lake, especially near the glacier, there was a cold wind.  I was surprised at how blue the glacier was and how ridged with big crevasses.  All in all, a nice activity for us.

The RV was making a strange metallic sound when we started or stopped the engine, and Dan was worried.  We considered going back to Anchorage to find a mechanic, but decided to go on.  Meanwhile, the clouds moved in and as we drove on toward Seward the rain started up again.  We stopped shortly thereafter at Tenderfoot Campground, in Chugach National Forest, on the shores of Upper Summit Lake.

Hoping that the weather pattern would be similar to the previous day, we settled in to read and relax for a few hours. Unfortunately, the rain went on and on and on for the next eight hours, until I fell asleep to the sound of drops on the roof.  Poor Ranger---it was a long day of lying around inside for him! 

It was a relief this morning to wake up to quiet.  The clouds are hanging low over the mountains that surround us, but perhaps the sun will come out later….please?!

Day 41: Talkeetna to Anchorage

On our early morning walk, Ranger and I happened to follow a gravel road about a half-mile from the campground, and it took us to the edge of the Susitna River.  Looking to the north, THERE was Mt. McKinley, bright in the morning sunlight, as well as the other neighboring high peaks, Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter, Mt. Russell.    Not a single cloud blocking them! It was the best view by far, so Ranger and I hurried back to the RV for my camera, walked back the half-mile, and stood and looked and looked and looked. 

After breakfast and packing-up, we headed out the Talkeetna Spur Road, but we took the time to stop at the overlook on the edge of town to take one more look at the big mountain.

Heading south along the Parks Highway, we arrived in Wasilla which was the ugliest town we have been in on our travels---tacky strip malls, lots of auto parts stores and auto repair shops (not sure what that was about), and lots of chain restaurants and stores.  They did, however, have a big Fred Meyer supermarket where we stocked up on food for the coming week in Kenai, where we expect only small general stores.

Continuing south, we passed through Anchorage, the largest city in the state, and at the south end of the city we pulled off at Potter Marsh, a wildlife refuge.  It must be full of water fowl at other times of year, but there weren’t many in July. (However, Dan did add two new species to his bird list.)  There was a long boardwalk over the water and marshy areas which made a nice walk after a few hours of riding, though Ranger was not allowed in.

By this time, it was midafternoon and we could see rain clouds over the mountains ahead, so we decided to stop in nearby Chugach State Park, about 20 miles south of Anchorage, at a campground called Bird Creek.  The road we traveled, Seward Highway, runs right along Turnagain Arm, off Cook Inlet which connects with the Gulf of Alaska, so this was salt-water.  The guide describes Turnagain Arm as “having one of the world’s remarkably high tides, with a diurnal range of more than 33 feet”.   Along the way, there were scenic overlooks and from one of them a person might see beluga whales, but by this time it was raining hard so we went directly to the campground.

Just before the drive into the sites, we passed a bridge over Bird Creek, and looking down we saw dozens of people fishing. Salmon season!  After settling into our site, when the rain let up, we walked down to watch, and it was strange to see the bank lined with fishermen on both sides, with plenty more standing in the middle in their waders.  We were there near low tide, and the mud-flats extended far out into the Arm. (Think anyone is doing research on the worms in that mud, Kelly?) 

Back at the campsite, the rain stopped, and we enjoyed an evening outside.  The campground is small (28 sites) and is without hook-ups, but it appears to be fairly new.  The 13-mile Indian to Girdwood multi-use trail passes through it, and that provided a great walking path along the water.  Of note in this location are the magpies---there are many of them, and depending on how you interpret it, they either entertained Ranger or drove him crazy. They landed on the picnic table, right in front of him, squawking and scolding, and when he lunged at them, they went up into a nearby shrub and continued their noises. At times there were four or five within sight.

Day 40: Mt. McKinley (Denali)....finally!

We finally have a somewhat warm (low 60's) and sunny day in Talkeetna.  Within about the first ten minutes of our bike ride this morning, I looked back behind me and could hardly believe what I saw.  That mountain is enormous!  

Day 39: Rain, Rain, Go Away!

It rained the whole way to Talkeetna.  It rained through the afternoon…and the night….and the next morning.  The forecast said clearing around noon, but it rained on and on.  It was steady enough to keep us inside with the heat running and the warm drinks coming.  A long, dull day!

Around 4:00 a few patches of blue showed in the sky, and the rain stopped.  After giving Ranger a walk, we went into town and browsed in the gift shops and galleries.  In Nagley’s General Store, we found that they carry a little of everything, but what prices!  A box of Quaker Instant Oatmeal was $6.89! 

We settled in at the local pub for a beer and ended up having dinner there. The place was all decorated in photos and articles about mountain-climbing, as Talkeetna is the starting point for many people who try to climb Mt. McKinley/Denali. There's also a mountaineering school in town.

Then we checked along the river to see whether Mt. McKinley was visible (no) and walked back through the mud and puddles to our campsite, where it was---for the first time in too many days---warm enough and dry enough to sit outside and enjoy the evening.

Day 38: Denali National Park to Talkeetna

The 140-mile drive south along the Parks Highway should have afforded us the opportunity for several good views of Mt. McKinley, but today was rainy, with clouds hanging low over all the mountains. At several points, it was obvious that there were very large, snow-covered peaks to one side of the road or the other, but nothing we could actually look at.   The campground owner here in Talkeetna says that on a clear day one can see the big mountain from the end of Main Street in town. If it ever clears up, we’ll test that out.

Meanwhile, we are in Talkeetna for the next three nights.  The RV park has electricity (hurray!) and water, so we are no longer roughing it.  The sites are very small, however, and ours backs up on the local train station where (strangely enough) there was a large crowd of people waiting to catch the train when we first pulled in.  Who would guess that so many would be traveling from the depot in such a small town?

Talkeetna is supposed to be the town that was the model for the TV show “Northern Exposure”, and it does appear to be a quirky little place.  Despite the rain, Ranger was feeling antsy so we took him for a walk up to the “historic district”, a row of log homes that have been turned into shops.  There are a number of art galleries, gift shops, and coffee shops along the narrow Main Street, and there were plenty of tourists.  Dan did some inquiring about fishing guides, but without luck.

Returning to the RV, we read and napped while the rain pattered on the roof.  It was definitely too wet to grill dinner, and this campground did not provide a table (strange!), and we felt like eating out.  The campground owner had mentioned that the restaurant next door, Latitude 62, was where the locals go, so we gave it a try.  It reminded me of a Wisconsin bar, and indeed it did appear that was where the locals gathered, with many greeted by those at the bar as they entered.  There were animal skins, skulls, and old guns hanging on the wall, signs advertising various types of beer, and posters for a local festival.  We noticed the predominance of women there, and they ranged from one who looked like she could easily handle a sled-dog team in winter to one dressed in gauzy, hippie-like clothing with long frizzy grey hair.  The food was quite good and the people-watching better. 

Upon our return, the two sites on either side of us had become occupied, so we are hemmed in by RV’s within a few yards on either side, but the people are friendly and quiet, so all is well. 

Day 36: Trip into Denali

I think I'm off a day on the records here, but I'm going to keep the day count consistent.

Today we got moving early and caught the Toklat River bus, which was supposed to provide a 6 to 6 1/2 hour tour, going 53 miles in on the park road.  We got off to a good start, but at the first rest stop, it was found that coolant was dripping out from under the engine, so the driver had to call the garage, and they sent out a mechanic.  That resulted in a delay of almost two hours, standing around at the rest area, but ultimately it was concluded that the bus was fine, and we continued on our way.

The shuttle bus (this was was for a fee, not complimentary) is billed as a way to get out into the park and see the wildlife.  We did see Dall sheep, way  up on the hillsides, several times, and we saw quite a few caribou.

We saw one moose, way off in the distance, but no wolves, foxes, or bears.  

There was some spectacular scenery along the way:

It was a LONG day of being bounced around on a bus seat along a gravel road, and it was a little stressful knowing that poor Ranger was left alone in the RV for more than eight hours, due to the bus's mechanical problems.

We made up for it somewhat by taking him along to the evening program at the amphitheater, where he was surrounded by kids who all wanted to pet him and give him lots of attention!  He was happy to receive it.  

Day 35: A Much-Appreciated Sunny Day at Denali

Overnight the temperature dropped to 43 degrees, 52 inside the RV---another chilly night.  However, the sun came out and rather quickly raised the temperature, so that by late afternoon it was in the upper 60’s.

Today we took the shuttle bus fourteen miles into the park, to Savage River.  There is a campground at mile 12, then a turn-around for cars and buses at mile 14, with only special buses (which require a fare) permitted after that, along with a few campers who reserved at Teklanika campground, mile 29.  Beyond mile 14, the road is gravel and dirt. 

The Savage River Loop Trail is only 2 miles long, but it provided a pleasant walk, and finally we saw some wildlife.  (One of the mysteries of the trip is why we have seen so few birds.)  There were numerous Arctic ground squirrels, running every which way, chasing one another all over---quite amusing to watch. 

We also saw willow ptarmigan---a mother with chicks who was very protective of them, both because of our presence and because of a ground squirrel that seemed to want to go down that path, right where the babies were.

After the hike, we picked up the shuttle bus again and debarked at another stop, the Mountain Vista Trail.  It was only a bit over a half-mile, and although I had hoped to see a mountain vista along it, it actually was an interpretative trail, telling about the experience of visitors to the national park in the 1920’s. This area of the park used to be “Savage Camp” with rows of two-person wall-tents, complete with cots, washbasin and small stove for heat.  The camp had a dining hall in which the tables were covered with white linen and fresh flowers were on the tables, all for the comfort of the visitors, who would arrive on the railroad and be taken by wagon from the station to the camp.  While there, they could go out on wagon expeditions with a guide, horseback ride, or go out with a fishing guide.  What an adventurous vacation that must have been for people at that time!

Poor Ranger was in the RV much of the day (and will also do the same tomorrow when we have reservations for a longer bus ride that will take us in farther, to mile 53).  He greeted us enthusiastically; at least he does not hold a grudge. 

And a late afternoon treat:  a hot shower!  Only $5 up at the mercantile, and worth every penny. 

Day 34: Fairbanks to Denali

We woke up to drizzle.  After packing up, we made a short visit to Cream's Field Migratory Bird Sanctuary to bird watch---no luck--- and after re-fueling and topping off the propane, we headed south on the Parks Highway for the 120 mile drive to Denali National Park.  It sounded like a short trip, but as we neared the park, we hit a number of road construction delays, with one lane open and long lines of cars and RV’s.  Dan reminded me that they have many months of cold weather to do damage to the roads but only a few months to make repairs.

I had made reservations at Denali months ago but they only guarantee a site, not a particular one.  We checked in and then had quite a time trying to find a suitable site, one that was somewhat level.  The one we pulled into isn’t bad, but it is on a stretch of campground road (dirt and gravel) that has been flooded, so we have a “lake” outside our window: a puddle the width of the road, about 75 feet long, and deep enough to reach the bottom of the door panels on smaller vehicles.  I told Dan we need to erect a “No Wake Zone” sign as the waves keep splashing up along our site.

However, this is one of those “So glad we are not in a tent” situations.  A light rain continued all night, with temperatures in the low 40’s.  I had read in preparation for the trip some accounts of others’ visits to the park in which they said that they never did see Mt. McKinley/Denali due to the ever-present cloud cover.  Also I bumped into a college student coming out of the post office, wearing a University of Mary Washington sweatshirt and I stopped to chat; she said she was up here for a summer job, working at the youth hostel, and yes, it does rain almost every day.  So I think we’ll just need to ignore the bad weather and get out there and explore. 

The campground we are in is Riley Creek, right at the entrance to the park.  It has a mercantile that sells all sorts of groceries, camping supplies, and beer & wine, and it also has pay showers which will be appreciated in the coming days.  There are well-marked trails all around and also a shuttle bus service we can use to get to points farther into the park.   The main park road goes 92 miles in, with no pavement after the first stretch, and cars are banned from much of it.  We will not be able to make the full trip in on the bus---an 11 or 12 hour ride---due to Ranger needing to stay back in the RV, but we will get a bit closer to the Big Mountain. Maybe the clouds will even lift long enough for us to actually see it? 

I’m glad I packed the long underwear!

Day 33: On the Riverboat Discovery III

This afternoon we went to what must be the most-visited site in Fairbanks, participating in a “must-do” activity for tourists: a boat tour on the Riverboat Discovery.  People arrived by the busload.  The boat is owned and operated by the Binkley family, a family which apparently owns much of the city.  It holds over 800 tourists for each three-hour trip, and it makes two trips per day, so you know that the Binkley are bringing in LOTS of money.

However, it was worth going.  The tour starts with a bush pilot flying his small plane over the boat and landing on the Chena River---with commentary about the importance of pilots in Alaska.  (Did you know that 1 in 6 Alaskans is licensed to fly?)  Continuing along the Chena River, the “host” provided comments on various buildings along the river.  Then the boat pulled up along the property of the late Susan Butcher (first woman to win the Ididarod), where her husband still runs Trailbreaker Kennels.  He described how they train puppies to become part of the team and demonstrated by having a team of dogs pull him around in his ATV.

Continuing on, the boat reached the Tanana River, where it turned around and then pulled into a replica of a Native village, where young guides (all actual Native Alaskan people) tell about life in early Alaska, fish camps, hunting, making clothes from hides, and so forth.  Later, there was time to walk around the island and spend some time visiting with the sled dogs and asking questions about their training and care.

Then it was back to a leisurely boat trip along the river, returning to Steamboat Landing.  On the return trip, they provided samples of some excellent salmon spread (canned salmon for sale, of course, by the Binkleys). 

This was a good way to spend a cool, overcast day.  We were told on the boat tour that Fairbanks actually gets very little precipitation annually, but we certainly saw some of it, with pouring rain for the first ten minutes or so after we boarded the boat! 

Tomorrow we will head to Denali, so we may be without cell service or internet for the coming week.  

Day 32: Exploring Fairbanks

The day began with a heavy cloud cover, but by late morning there were some patches of blue.  Dan got the bikes ready and we set out to explore the city.

The campground host had suggested that from the campground we cut through a residential area to reach the main bike path, and naturally I managed to get us lost.  However, we did eventually get to Pioneer Park.  It is a theme park along the Chena River with several big playgrounds, miniature golf, picnic tables, concessions, and a reconstructed gold rush town made up of log homes that were moved there from various places around the city.

Continuing on the bike path along the river, we reached downtown Fairbanks.  There is, indeed, a downtown with banks, a courthouse, stores, and so forth, though no skyscrapers.  The area along the river is nicely done with a park, grass, lots of flowers, and various pieces of sculpture.  We walked through the visitors center which had a display of life---both natural and human---in the Fairbanks area, season-by-season.  We also had the obligatory picture taken at the antler arch.

We returned to the campground along a different bike path, one that runs along Johansson Expressway.  Despite the fact that snow covers the ground for quite a few months, the city seems to have committed to a fairly extensive network of bike paths and bike routes.  The return trip was a bit strange, in that the path ran right along the expressway, so to our left, cars and trucks whizzed by as we pedaled along. 

We enjoyed a lovely campfire, with the sound of airplanes and cars in the background….but a nice end to the day.

An aside about the length of the day:  I had wondered whether I would be able to sleep with it light most of the time.  That has not been a problem.  Dan checked the other day on the GPS unit, and official sunset was around 11:30 pm and sunrise about 4:00. However, in between those times, it does not really get dark but stays rather dusky. 

And for those of you who asked prior to the trip about going to such a cold place:  It has been warmer  in Fairbanks than it was for most of the way through western Canada.  Daytime highs upper 60’s or low 70’s, with 50’s at night. 

And yes, Alaska does have many, many mosquitoes!

Day 31: Tok to Fairbanks

Driving about 200 miles west, we passed through Delta Junction, the end of the Alaska Highway, and continued on to Fairbanks.  The road was paved and fairly good, and the scenery was pleasant, not spectacular, with rolling hills and a mix of spruce and aspen, along with many small lakes and ponds. Just before getting to Fairbanks, we passed through North Pole, AK, but we chose to forego all the many Santa-related tourist spots in that town. 

Fairbanks is the second largest city in the state.  My reaction in coming up on what appeared on the map to be the densest part of the city, the downtown, was to wonder where the city was.  No skyscrapers, no major industrial areas, just a sprawling group of buildings along the Chena River.

We did a major grocery shopping trip, knowing that after Fairbanks, it will be about a week before we see any big stores again.  Then we settled into our site at Chena River Wayside, a state park in the middle of the city.  It is apparent from here that we are no longer in a remote area: airplanes are coming in for a landing or taking off from the nearby airport, and we can hear the sounds of cars on the two roads that form two boundaries of the park. Still, the park itself has many trees and shrubs, which is not a common thing in private RV parks, and our site is spacious.  We are getting some experience with the oft-lamented Alaska mosquitoes, but they don’t seem to be nearly as bad as we saw back in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The campground host assured us that this is an easy city to bike around, so one of the two days we are here, we will head out to explore, using the bike path that runs along the Chena all the way to downtown.  

Day 30: Hiking near Tok

For the first time in several weeks we went hiking today.  There are no trails close to Sourdough Campground, so we unplugged, put everything away, and drove about 15 miles south to Eagle Trail State Recreation Area.  The website said that there was a 2 ½ mile trail and a 1-mile nature trail, and we decided to take the longer one.  Unfortunately, it was the “outlook trail” and like many similar trails that lead to views of the landscape below, this one went up and up and up.  Having done so little hiking recently, it was a challenge.  While the view of the Tok  River  Valley from the top was good, it was also extremely windy up there on the rocky ledge, so we took a quick look, then headed back down again, a much easier walk returning to the RV.  We did see two new birds for our list along the way, a spruce grouse and a three-toed woodpecker.  

Ranger slept for several hours after we got back.

On our last day at this campground I took advantage of both the good hot showers and the clean Laundromat. Then we had dinner at the café---one item on the menu, that being reindeer chili served in a sourdough bread bowl.  We ate with our new “neighbor”, a man from Prince George, British Columbia, riding his motorcycle around Alaska.  Then we attended one last pancake toss---lost again! 

Tomorrow we head for Fairbanks.  

Day 29: Sourdough Campground, Tok

The campground at which we are staying bills itself as “Alaska’s Funnest”, and it is certainly entertaining.

Last night we attended their famous Sourdough Pancake Toss.  All who are interested gather at the park pavilion at 7 pm to enter the contest.  It is exactly like it sounds: one steps up, grabs a pancake, and tries to throw it into a bucket about 20 feet away.  The first throw is considered a warm-up; only the second may result in a win, for which one gets a free breakfast of sourdough pancakes the next morning.  While this is going on, their emcee exchanges comments with people around the tables, teases the kids, and leads the group in chanting “Buck-it, Buck-it”. 

Well, neither Dan nor I won the breakfast, though we did enjoy those sourdough pancakes (paying for them ourselves) this Monday morning, along with reindeer sausage.

Following the toss, there was live music by an older gentleman named Dannylee Whittle who performs four nights a week at the campground.  He and his wife do a sort of karaoke act, singing mostly old country hits by Johnny Cash, George Strait, and such other country music stars.  His dog lies calmly on the state listening throughout the whole act. 

Quite a unique feature, one we are not likely to encounter at other RV parks in Alaska!

Today's weather is perfect, sunny and low 80's, after last night's temperature of 38.  It was a good day for cleaning up the RV, followed by a bike ride into town (about two miles on flat, paved bike path) for a few supplies, and then some relaxation.  

Day 28: Tok, Alaska

Today's drive was a short one, just about 65 miles.  We are now in Tok, Alaska, at a campground that has electricity, water, internet, and good cell phone service.  I was even pleased this afternoon to be able to do laundry!  We'll be staying here until Wednesday, taking a break from all the driving and just relaxing for a few days.

Now that I have the internet again, I'll post a few photos from the past few days:

Our campsite on Kluane Lake

Bear along the highway

Approaching the Kluane Mount Range

View across Tetlin Wildlife Refuge from the Alaska Highway

Day 27: Paved road? What paved road?

When you read about people traveling the Alaska Highway years ago, it sounds like quite the adventure. The road was dirt and gravel, with sections that were washed out or covered with rocks from slides.  But today’s Alaska Highway is all paved, right?  Not exactly.

The guidebook had warned that the road from Haines Junction to the Alaska border was rougher, and they weren’t kidding.  We traveled over occasional stretches of pavement, but much of the 180 miles or so were gravel and dirt and lots and lots of dust. Our speed varied from around 25 to 40 mph.  The RV no longer looks white.  There is dust in and on almost everything. Once in Tok, we will have a major cleaning job for ourselves.

However, after 5030 miles of driving, we crossed the border and are now in Alaska! Back to distances in miles rather than kilometers, to using dollars rather than loonies and twonies.

Shortly after going through customs, we stopped at a pull-off above a lake, and Dan got out his spotting scope to view the trumpeter swans.  The road beyond that passes through the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, and at their visitors center we learned about the thousands of birds that pass through this area during migration, as well as their many pairs of trumpeter swans.  We also got information on the wildlife refuges’ two free campgrounds, and we decided to make it a short day of travel, stopping at one of them.

So we are at Deadman’s Lake Campground, a short walk from the lake itself. The campsite is small (15  sites) without electricity or water and there are no flush toilets, but it’s a well-kept area, even having resident campground hosts.  They are a pair of retired science teachers who volunteer for the US National Wildlife Refuges for stints of two to three months in various places around the country.  This summer, they are here at Tetlin, trimming bushes, cleaning bathrooms, and assisting with some research projects.  In the evening, the gentleman conducted an interpretative program about permafrost. It was not the most entertaining of such programs we have attended, but it did go some way in explaining why it is that engineers in this part of the world cannot seem to get a road laid down that does not heave, sink, and crumble.  Most of the other people camping in the campground attended, including someone from Minnesota, a recently-retired couple from Oregon, a young man who was recently discharged from the Army and was heading home to San Francisco on his motorcycle, and a woman who lives up here and works in a remote area with Inuit children.

Cold night---41 degrees!

Day 26: Whitehorse and Kluane Lake

After our big breakfast at Johnson's Crossing, we continued on toward Whitehorse, about 100 miles ahead.  Along the way, rain started again, and by the time we stopped in Whitehorse to shop, the raincoats came out once more.  Whitehorse is the capital of Yukon Territory and the biggest city we have been in for a long while, but it was small enough to find our way around without any trouble.  Given the weather, we did not explore the town much, but we will be passing through it again on the way home so we can spend a bit more time then.

Heading toward Haines Junction, one becomes aware of bigger and bigger mountains ahead. These are the Kluane Range, in Kluane National Park.  Beyond the mountains in the forefront one could glimpe even taller mountains of the St. Elias Range in the distance; some of the mountains there approach 20,000 feet!

The Alaska Highway beyond Haines Junction runs along the mountains for quite some distance until, going over a peak, one sees a huge lake ahead----Kluane Lake.  Our campsite tonight is in Cottonwood RV Park, on the shore of the lake.  Our back window is just yards from the water.  There is a high wind today, so looking back toward the east, there's a big cloud of dust being kicked up from the wind sweeping down the mountains---in fact, while we were registering someone came into the office to ask whether it was smoke from a forest fire.  The wind is also causing whitecaps on the lake, quite pretty on the bright green water.

We are now within 250 miles of Tok, Alaska, our first destination in that state!

Day 25: Continuing up the Alaska Highway

We packed up everything wet again before leaving Liard River Hot Springs and heading north. We stopped briefly in Watson Lake, trying to get a cell  phone signal in order to check email.  Dan and Ranger took a walk along Wye Lake while I fooled with it until I determined that the signal was too weak. 

The road continued through miles and miles of pines, with many small rivers and streams. In a few areas, we went through large, snow-capped mountains, the Cassiars. 

What was notable about the day’s trip was finally seeing some wildlife.  Shortly after leaving Liard River, there was a black bear along the highway, just munching on his breakfast, and shortly after that another…and another.  I think we saw a total of about ten bears on this one day.  In addition, there were road signs warning motorists to watch for bison on the road.  Bison?  Yes, there was a fairly wide swatch of grass along the road bed, but beyond that it was solid trees.  It certainly did not look like the wide plains in which one pictures bison!  But yes, we did come upon one group of about ten, including some calves, and a single bull later on.

We passed through Teslin, a small town that has a museum and a number of other businesses related to Native arts and history.  There was a small RV park there, and we considered staying for the night, but decided to go on a bit farther.  We pulled in at Johnson’s Crossing RV Park, right next to the bridge over the Teslin River, and that turned out to be a good choice.  The RV Park was nothing special, but unlike many we have passed, it went well beyond a gravel parking lot with rows of electrical hookups.  This one actually had some trees and shrubs between sites!  It also advertised hot showers and a Laundromat.  The hot showers turned out not to be the case, in that the complex’s hot water heater had broken, but being somewhat desperate for a shower, we both took bracing cold ones.  (The owner tried his best to get some hot water going for us, but without success.)  The Laundromat was also without hot water, but I was able to do a couple of loads in cold water, getting our laundry bag back to manageable size.  It had really gotten stuffed!

In talking with the owners, we found out that they had just bought the place and opened for business in mid-June.  So far their efforts had gone into renovating the five motel rooms and the café, but they had plans for fixing up the campground area as well.  Very nice people.   We decided to splurge and have a big breakfast of eggs, hash browns, toast, and bacon in the café this morning before leaving to continue the trip.  

Day 24: A stressful morning, a soothing evening

Our “campsite” behind the office/store was noisy with truck traffic much of the night, and before 5 am, another dog  barking in the campground got Ranger going.  I couldn’t get back to sleep, so we took his morning walk very early---and it was a good thing because by the time we got back to the RV, huge black clouds had moved in and within minutes, it was pouring.   I pulled mats and so forth underneath the awning so try to keep things dry.  It continued to pour, turning our parking lot “camp” into a mess of mud and puddles.  Dan got up early (due to the pounding on the roof); we made coffee and tea, unplugged, and were back on the highway by 7:30.

To the south and west, the sky was a bit lighter and we hoped to drive out of the rain, but that did not happen.

At the time we stopped the previous night we were getting under halfway on fuel, and we figured we’d fill up at the next station listed in the book.  No, they sold diesel only if you had a special card from one of the oil companies.  The next one….no longer in business.  So we were out in a very remote area, with our fuel gauge going lower and lower, about 90 miles from the next town.

Well, I lived to tell, so we were able to get to Fort Nelson, on the last bar on the gauge, with the warning light on.   At the first station we got to, we filled to the maximum allowed on our credit card, $100, and it still wasn’t full!  Using a different credit card, we added another $24’s worth. 

Not wanting to risk another night in a dismal parking lot, while in Fort Nelson and having cell service, I called ahead and got a site at Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park, about four hours’ drive ahead.  Sigh.  There is some comfort in having reservations!

The day continued to be overcast with rain on and off.  Much of the scenery would have looked more spectacular with sunshine on it, I suspect.  From Fort Nelson, we traveled through Stone Mountain Provincial Park.  No question as to its name: after driving through rounded, tree-covered mountains, suddenly a huge grey stone mountain looms!  The striations in the rock were very clear and told of the upheaval of a plate, causing striations that now show almost perpendicular to the ground!  The guidebook warned to be on the lookout for Stone sheep on the road, and we kept watching until, almost at the end of the park, there was a small group of them munching grass on the roadside. 

We had expected to see more wildlife along the way, given all the warning signs about moose, caribou, bison, sheep, and bears, but the only other large animal we saw all day was one moose standing in a roadside pond.

We next traveled through Muncho Lake Provincial Park, which in my earlier planning I thought might be our stopping point for the night.  I was glad for the change of plans.  Muncho is an impressive, huge green lake, right up against a large tree-covered mountain---quite picturesque.  However, the side of the lake on which the road runs is dominated by large tracts of rock and pebble-covered wasteland where the sides of the mountains have collapsed into avalanches.  The campsites were located at the edge of those open expanses, under some small trees, but it still would not have been a very hospitable place to stay.

So we are now about 130 miles south of Watson Lake, the next significant large town.  It’s just over the border into the next province, Yukon.  Liard River Hotsprings Park is fairly primitive (no electric or water hookups, no showers, and outhouses rather than flush toilets).  However, our site is surrounded by trees and shrubs for privacy, and the outhouse is nearby and very clean.  We pulled in around 2:30 and had a late lunch, then read (and dozed a little) as the rain continued to fall.  Once it let up, I was able to give Ranger a much-needed walk, and a little after that, there was a pause in the rain that allowed us to walk to the feature for which the park is known, the hot springs.

One reaches the springs on a boardwalk of about a quarter-mile over boggy ground with dense trees and shrubs and grasses.  At the end of the boardwalk there’s a changing house and steps leading into the water.  I was surprised on this cool, gloomy day to see that there were many people there before us.  Naturally, I had to give this a try, and having brought along my swimsuit, in I went.  Ahhhhh!  It was wonderful.  You could vary the temperature by walking up or downstream with temperatures ranging from 106 to 126.  There was a heavy sulfur smell in the air, and the far bank of the pool was covered with all sorts of plants, almost tropical in nature.  Well-worth the stop along the Alaska Highway!

A word about the highway:  In the past I had heard about the dirt and gravel road with wash-outs and landslides, but the “modern” road is paved the whole way.  Sort of.  One encounters stretches where road “repairs” were done by adding gravel on top of the holes, and while they provide warning signs of rough-road-ahead, one bounces around and the rocks ping loudly on the bottom of the RV.  The road itself is narrow with not much shoulder and few turn-offs.  And one does go miles and miles and miles without any sign of civilization other than the road itself.