Alaska Canada Trip Log , Interior Travels

June 17, 2008; Tuesday; Day 15

0400 hours was a bit early to be awakened but we had a sick pup in Ruger who desperately needed to go out. He was turning circles in front of the camper door and making quite a racket! At 0700 hours we all did make it out of bed as the Zortmans fired up their diesel rig and headed off to Anchorage. Stephen played Doctor for Ruger’s tummy and I applied ointment to his nose which is once again bruised and bleeding.

Our morning agenda before heading out included a much needed power wash (just water, no soap) for the camper/truck/trailer at a cost of $16 at the Tok RV Park. Stephen and I were both soaked about 40 minutes later but at least we changed some of the dirt around. It was actually 0915 hours when we left Tok, Alaska on the way to Delta Junction (the end of the Alaska Highway) and our day’s destination of Fairbanks.

Early on in our travels we ran into road construction so our first hours’ start was a bit slow. A construction worker saw the Colonel “Eagle” on the windshield and while his right hand was busy with gearing on his equipment, he did throw Stephen a salute with his left! We soon crossed the Robertson River which was still laden with snow and ice! A rest break at Bear Creek turned into a nice photo op and a chatting opportunity with a couple from Daytona Beach, FL. Their home location is due to his career that began with the Apollo Space Program.

A few miles south of Delta Junction we saw a factory that makes reindeer and buffalo sausage. Might need to make some sausage out of our buffalo meat! We stopped at Delta Junction and marked the end of the Alaska Highway at the Visitor Center. Our trek to Fairbanks will take us on the Richardson Highway. After picking up some souvenir ball caps, we headed over to the Buffalo Center Drive In (complete with car hops) for a $10 buffalo burger basket (which we shared). We were able to chat with Marlene Russell to get updated on East Coast family as we headed up the highway.

We saw the Alaskan Pipeline next to the Bridge over the Tanana River about 9 miles north of Delta Junction. Bright yellow dandelions along with the lighter purple flowers and now joined by white alyssum looking flowers continue to line the highway . . . just beautiful!

Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus and “The North Pole” exists! A small community just south of Fairbanks lays claim to that title and it is Christmas 24/7 for 365 days a year! Eielson AFB, home of 2 fighter squadrons (F-16’s & A-10’s) also lies south of Fairbanks with the hangers running alongside the Richardson Highway!

Road construction is rampant in the Fairbanks area as it is summer. Betty’s directions to the Wright house were excellent and by 1530 hours we were parked! The pups loved running around the yard and the vacant and treed lot 2 blocks down. We did a lot of catching up, had halibut for dinner, shared some pictures and a couple of bottles of lovely red Zin from Turley Vineyards. Exhausted, we fell into bed at 2230 hours.

Weather today was sunny in the morning, cloud cover, heavy winds (20 knots) and rain squalls by noon. The rain abated in Fairbanks but the winds & cloud cover did not. Temperatures peaked at 58F. Distanced traveled on paved roads today was approx. 210 miles.

June 18, 2008; Wednesday; Day 16

Everyone slept soundly last night awakening at 0700 hours to the street construction a block away, and more cloud cover. We drank coffee together and came up with a plan for the day. The guys took the camper/truck to the Dodge Dealer for an oil change and break inspection. The pups and the gals hung out at the house and then met the guys at Deb’s Café for breakfast. AND we met Deb!

After a hearty breakfast the guys headed to Dodge for an update (new front brakes recommended) and we women headed to the house for regrouping purposes. Our next step was to all pile into Betty’s jeep (including the pooches) to visit the Alaska Fish & Game Dept. for fishing licenses and to see the Sand Hill Cranes and Canadian Geese at Creamer’s

Dairy. Creamer’s Dairy was purchased by a group of local Fairbanks citizens in the 1970’s to keep it from the developers. It was eventually turned over to the state of Alaska as a migratory wildlife refuge.

Our next adventure took us past the Chatanika River and to Kokomo Creek to fly fish for grayling. We were skunked. However the water was muddy brown from the runoff so are certain that the fish were unable to see any of our flies. The pups thought the entire trip was wonderful however and really enjoyed running around the creek area. There was a snare set for some game animals which fortunately had been let as the pups were all over it. The mosquitoes also keep us at sixes and sevens.

We then left to stop at Chatanika Lodge for a beverage and a look-see at the gold mining film from 1949 about the processes for gold mining in this area. It was awesome and the lodge was very unique. Across from the lodge was an old gold mining dredge that had been abandoned for years . . . and its skeletal remains made a dramatic backdrop to the area.

We made our way back to pick up the Dodge (after having front brakes redone and an oil change) . . . left the guys to do the financials and headed back to the house with the pooches. We waited for the guys . . . and waited. They had stopped off at Bobbie’s Downtown to have a libation and ended up meeting lots of friends of Ricky. Apparently there were lots of folks wanting to buy our guys drinks. They made it home around 1900 hours!

Meanwhile Sharon was doing laundry, Betty was watching the pooches and the gals after chores, were hanging out and chatting. The guys arrived and after downloading and setting the camper we got to the business of cooking. Stephen made back strap, Sharon made gourmet wild rice and Betty made the spinach. Dinner was late as we ate at 2100 hours, groan, but it was so VERY WONDERFUL and the sun was still high in the sky! Sharon chatted with the CSM and got the skinny on the Russian River.

Weather was in the high 60’s; partly sunny with lots of cloud cover and wind. Light rain during the night. Miles traveled today were zero.

June 19, 2008, Thursday, Day 17

The Russell’s were up at 0700 hours and the pooches were so very happy to dash down to their new favorite pee platz. After showering, Sharon continued on with the laundry – doing a total of 7 loads . . . yikes! Still no internet connection so we are hopeful to find one in the next couple of days.

After showers and starting the final 2 loads of laundry we stowed the pooches in the truck cab and the four of us walked to a local restaurant for breakfast and to solve the world and USA issues. We also made a plan for the balance of the day. We split into 2 groups with the guys headed out to do some target shooting and the gals & pooches in the Dodge headed to Eielson AFB for some provisioning and to diesel the truck. We had moderate success at the BX and Commissary. Limited success fueling as the Base Fuel Station was out of propane. As we left the Base a young Airman signaled to us and stated that our camper lights were not operational. Groan.

We made a stop at the library to download and send emails. It was at that point that Stephen called asking if the guys should be worried as it was 1530 hours and we were no where in sight. Our afternoon proposed activities after the shopping & shooting had been to do some more grayling fishing and stop at the animal park to view the Musk Ox and Caribou and their kidlets. Instead we were all trying to determine the cause of the non functioning lights. Fuses were checked – not the issue. I called Artic Lights RV, spoke with Ray who was pretty insistent that we check the camper/truck connection because of the bad roads we’d just driven. He felt that if we cleaned up the connections then our issue would be resolved.

We did have to move the camper, then lift it and move the truck out a bit in order to be able to locate the connection. Stephen had quite a comical look on his face when he went to retrieve the cord. The connection certainly was bad he announced, as there was NO connection! Apparently the plug had wiggled out of the socket. Plugged back in, the lights all worked! I telephoned Ray, gave him the update (to his barely suppressed chuckles) and he wished us well and safe travels. Stephen meanwhile took the opportunity to clean the truck air filter with his K & N kit. Man was it dirty!

It was at this juncture that we noticed the time . . . 1730 hours! and felt that it was definitely cocktail hour! Dinner was steak, baked potatoes and salad . . . and more of that lovely Turley Zinfandel (Dog Bark Vineyard) to drink. We continued to chat into the evening and finally put ourselves to bed after 2200 hours.

June 20, 2008, Friday, Day 18

This morning we awoke at 0655 hours. Stephen cajoled and sweet talked Jesse to the point that she actually willingly took her morning med’s. (These have to be shoved down her esophagus and not chewed; one can imagine her increasing reluctance!) The pups greeted Betty before our morning ritual constitutional, much to her delight. After securing the camper we sat down for coffee and some early chatting prior to making our departure.

Instructions to Denali and Parks Highway in hand, we said our farewells and thank you’s for this wonderful stop in our travels. Stephen filled the propane tank while I secured breakfast across the parking lot from Burger King. Then we were finally off and running, leaving Fairbanks at 0900 hours.

The perma frost has caused much heaving of the highway and the now standard curves, ascents and descents made for a long, if picturesque morning. We stopped a couple of times for photo op’s (Sharon missed the black bear that was 15 feet from the highway thinking it was a wavy haired big dog and missed the female moose that was chowing about 10 feet from the highway . . . of course Stephen’s accidental horn honk didn’t help!). Just after 1230 hours we arrived in Cantwell - & our stop for the day . . . the campground (where there had been a moose and Grizzly in camp the week prior).

We walked to Jack River (1/4 mile west) with the pooches where supposedly there are grayling. Unlike our earlier sightings of rivers that were running wildly and had a distinct grey color to them, this one had quite a bit of clarity although it too was running swiftly. And then the wind came up . . . .

Weather today was sunny with loads of clouds and light to moderate breezes. We felt the temp’s fall significantly once we were in Denali. Rain in the evening. Total miles traveled today were approximately 150.

June 21, 2008; Saturday; Summer Solstice; Day 19

Out and about early morning as we made preparations we chatted with our neighbors from the West side of Washington State and whom had a 40 ft. Monaco Beaver Motor home . . . that they purchased for about $118K out of Texas and should have cost them at least twice as much. Guess the oil prices hit Texas early?? They love it and was fun talking to them about the Top of the World Hwy and mileage!

After waiting our turn to use the dump station we were finally on the road about 0830 hours. The weather was supposed to be sunny and cloudless and was of course cloudy, foggy and rainy. The Denali Range was still spectacular; however our pictures of the Range and Mt. McKinley were not as they were clouded in.

We did see a couple of Moose today. One we have a picture of and the other we don’t. The second one was wandering along Moose Crossing at Ft. Wainright Army Post (just outside of Anchorage). Who knew there would actually be Moose just because there are signs posted everywhere?

After a quick stop at the Black Spruce Army Travel Camp (no room at the inn) we ducked into the Commissary and PX for a couple of items. It was then back on the road and looking for an RV Park with pull-throughs. The 2^nd try we found one however locating them (Ship’s Creek RV) was a chore with the detours due to the highway construction/repairs. When contacted the RV Park was pretty clueless about road conditions in their city. We do have full hookups but no TV and have spent an exorbitant sum of $42 to stay here for one night! (We’re used to the low to mid $20’s!) There are lots of foreign nationals, particularly Germans, exploring the Alaska wilderness. Its fun to attempt my ancient Duetsch; fortunately their English is up to par!

The roads were pretty nicely paved although we ran into quite a bit of perma frost dips. We also noticed that the roads lean to the East . . . not fun for

Stephen. I do want to mention that he has performed magnificently on these roads and hills and the obstacle course with our little caravan.

We are downtown Anchorage, next to the rail yard so we have the melodic whistles of the numerous trains to sing us lullabies. This is the Equinox so no

amount of towel draped windows will be dark enough as we attempt sleep, however we do look forward to at least 15 minutes of twilight . . . soon! Hopefully Stephen’s back will be nicer to him tomorrow than it was today.

Weather was high 50’s; cloudy, lots of rain and a moderate breeze. The sun did come out in the afternoon however the breeze nullified the warmer temperatures. Distance traveled today was approximately 260 miles.

June 22, 2008; Sunday, Day 20

The rain came down all night long with a vengeance . . . and we were glad to be cozy and dry in our camper! During my morning constitutional with the pups, we waved to an Alaskan Passenger Train receiving many return salutes. The drizzle didn’t keep us – well the pups actually - from our appointment with Mother Nature! By 0915 hours we were on the road to the Russian River and to hook up with the Zortman clan.

Our route took us south of Anchorage on the Seward Highway, where at Tern (arctic bird) Junction, we headed west on the Sterling Hwy. Mile Marker 58 just south of the Russian River Ferry Landing put us on the Skilak Loop and to our Federal Campsite of Hidden Lakes. The roads at the campsite are paved and the site sits on Hidden Lake. Mama Black Bear and her two cubs were inadvertently treed here yesterday afternoon. Golden Age Passes puts this campground at $5 a night – quite a bargain!

Today’s geography was one of mostly flat roads however very curvy with gusting winds as we drove a good part of it along the bays off the Cook Inlet (Turnagain Bay). Beautiful snowcapped, craggy mountains, more rain and mist were pretty much the order of the day for the waterside views. As we left the coastal regions to drive inland, the curvy roads continued with the topography becoming more treed and lush . . . perfect for bear and moose.

Arriving at our campsite around 1230 hours we found a drive-by in site 7 of the Skyview Loop and dropped the trailer. We then went in search of the

Zortmans . . . who were loading up their 5^th wheel! They are headed overnight to Ninilchek & a campsite and to put Sister Janice & Brother-in-law Arnie on a charter tour for halibut fishing in the morning . . . and to take showers! We are staying put as we’re tired of driving.

Stephen took a bicycle ride to look for the trash containers, we walked the pooches, re-organized the trailer and got caught up with the camp host, neighbors and did some route recon for salmon fishing. Late afternoon the sun attempted to peek out but temps remained in low 50’s for the day. Stephen fired up the generator to charge systems. We used our portable grill to do Johnsonville Brats and beans, then a campfire to burn all the paper garbage. We took a walk up the Burney Trail to a spectacular evening view of Engineer and Hidden Lakes. The mosquitoes kept us company to and fro and upon breaking out into the clearing near our campsite, we were assaulted by the cotton ‘fuzz’ molting from the cottonwood trees. All in all a very nice day and evening.

The weather was cold (high 40’s to low 50’s) misty, raining, with cloud cover and a late afternoon sliver of sun. Mosquitoes are beginning to multiply and I had to spray the pooches! Miles traveled today were approx. 180.

June 23, 2008; Monday, Day 21

We awoke to sunshine and a cool but breezeless morning. Breakfast was on the picnic table and then we were off on a long and scenic walk with the pooches. We found the EMS Divers from Soldotna were doing practice dives to about 70 feet and reported the lake temps were down to 39F.

Hidden Lakes is fairly clear and has salmon (Coho & Sockeye), Dolly Varden, Rainbow, and a couple of other varieties. We’d hoped that we’d be able to fish from shore but found that a boat or at least a pontoon was necessary to fish these waters.

We chatted for a few minutes with the camp host and his wife, a retired Navy Submariner. After exploring the amphitheatre and finding quite a bit of fresh bear scat we began to sing songs along our walk! Ruger had two fetching sessions with Stephen and then it was time for the afternoon

activities . . . reading, running the generator, relaxing and more walking with the pooches.

The temps were in the mid 50’s all day with lots of late morning cloud cover with threatening looking skies. The breeze picked up quite a bit between 1300 and 1500 making that cup of tea sipped outside just the ticket. The Zortman crew returned just before 1600 hours . . . Ruger picking up the specific sound of their diesel truck and whining to let us know of their

imminent arrival. The Halibut Charter was successful and we were invited over for a fresh Halibut fish fry! Delicious; it was our 1^st fried halibut.

The CSM and Colonel left about 1830 hours to try their luck at the evening fishing . . . just as a rain squall hit. Arriving back ‘home’ at 2200 hours they reported that their fishing had been cut short due to a very large Grizzly that wanted their’s and a couple of others fishing spots. So they took their rod and reels and called it an evening. They did note that Jim’s Landing on Skilak Hwy near the Sterling Hwy entrance was closed to bank fishing due to erosion. The locals had indicated that it was a superb spot and didn’t have the numbers of folks that the Ferry Landing (i.e. Meat market) does.

Lessons Learned: In our planning sessions we knew that storage would be an issue on any trip longer than a couple of days or requiring fishing gear and room for the pooches. The utility trailer with bicycles seemed to be the answer. After realizing the need to haul equipment and be a bit more mobile to drive to fishing sites, it appears that dragging the ‘right’ secondary vehicle rather than a utility trailer would be a wiser choice. A tow vehicle could be utilized for storage plus provide the mobility needed without having to upset the camper and campsite.

Weather was alternately sunny and cloudy – getting cool and breezy late morning to early afternoon – then clearing and sun again. Temp’s in mid to high 50’s. Mosquito spray is a necessary item. No miles traveled today.

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Sidebars:

1. We’ve noticed in B.C., the Yukon and Alaska that there are shortages of workers. It’s interesting to note that we’ve seen starting wage prices for Fast Food establishments beginning at $12 an hour.
2. Many of the black spruce trees are very small in stature and are slender. The reason for this is that the perma frost layer is a mere 2 feet below the surface and their roots are unable to travel further downward. It looks like a midget forest in places.
3. The Alaska Pipeline comes in 40 foot sections. When it was manufactured and installed the sections were purchased from Japan. The USA factories were no longer making the types of metals (7 layers) needed for the pipeline and had they been able to make then, the Panama Canal wouldn’t have been able to handle their lengths. The friction (and subsequent heat) generated from the movement of the oil through the pipeline eliminates the need for heating the pipeline (although it does have a layer of insulation surrounding it and located just under the outside layer of metal piping).
4. Caribou migratory habits. Apparently a significant factor in the migration of the huge herds of caribou has to do with the mosquito. When the mosquito population becomes too large and too bothersome, it drives the herds from the tundra to areas where the mosquitoes don’t so abound.
5. Grizzly and Brown bears are actually the same genus. It is merely their location (interior or near the water) that accounts for their size and hence the difference in their names.