Tag: family

June 17-20 Valdez Alaska

June 15-17 Palmer Alaska

Heading to Valdez. Stopped in Palmer to do laundry and shop. Note that Palmer is a northern suburb of Anchorage. If you’re wondering what happened to our visit to Kodiac Island… read on. The ferry to/from Kodiac Island is the oldest and smallest of the ferry fleet and we did’t fit. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement.

June 12-15 Homer Alaska

Arrived in Homer at our campsite. Note the distant view of the Kenai mountain range across the fjord.

Out on the “Spit”which extends into the fjord and hosts docking, fishing and tourist facilities.

June 9-12 Seward

<June 9 Monday> We’re on our way to Seward. It continues to rain so picture taking is limited.

Becky using her new camera. View of campground in Seward which was built on the site of the 1964 tsunami that wiped out the industrial, docking and residential areas of Seward. What was left of the fish processing plants and docks were abandoned and replace with a shoreline RV park.

Trivia… Start of the famous Iditarod sled team race

Where Becky is standing is the base of the Exit Glacier in 1951. In a relatively short time it has receded 1000’s of feet.

June 7-9 Palmer Alaska

Spending 2 nights in Palmer a few miles north of Anchorage to dry out and do laundry. Also, strategizing on how/when to take the ferry to/from Homer. Finally getting a weather forecast for clear skies.

June 6-7 Cantwell Alaska

Southbound toward Anchorage with an overnight in Cantwell. Stopped in Denali for lunch. It was rainy and cloudy… mountains were clouded over so no pix of Denali 😦

June 4-6 Fairbanks

Decided to spend 2 nights near Fairbanks at a KOA RV park located in North Pole (Alaska). Visited the local Costco for supplies after buying a few “North Pole” related gifts items and post cards.

Santa impersonator. Naughty or nice?

June 3-4 Tok to Fairbanks Alaska

<June 4 Wednesday> What we thought was to be an easy trip to the legendary town of North Pole was plagued by road construction and weather damage. Not a bad trip but slow going at times. Roads were snow free but some rivers still frozen. Stopped at Delta Junction to get a completion certificate for the Alaskan Highway (ALCAN). We had lunch at a great roadside drive in famous for its buffalo burgers.

June 1-2 Top-of-the-World-Highway

<June 1 Sunday> Packed up and drove down to the ferry waiting area. Today we are crossing the Yukon River in a free, public ferry. The other side is the start of the Top-of-the-World Highway which connects Dawson City Yukon and the Alaskan Highway in Alaska. It’s a long drive on a mostly unpaved, winding road so we will split the trip and overnight in Chicken Alaska.

Yukon River and Dawson City side of the ferry “ramp”.

Welcome to chicken.

After a tiring and dusty drive we arrive in Chicken Alaska. This is a historic mining area that got its name when miners couldn’t agree on the spelling of ptarmigan (an arctic grouse) so they defaulted to “chicken”.

Pedro gold dredge that was used locally in Rabbit Creek. It’s a national historic site.

Artifacts: Water canon to remove overburden and water injectors to thaw the permafrost.

Land of the “Midnight Sun”. Photo 1 @ 1am; photo 2 @ 3:30am.

Top Of The World Highway was 170 miles of dust, frost heaves and pot holes. A mix of gravel and asphalt on both sides of the border (Yukon Territory Canada and Alaska. First picture is a “good” section of the road . Becky thought that she was on a roller coaster and held both arms up 😉

May 30-June 2 Dawson City

<May 31 Saturday> Field trip day. Drove out to see the gold discovery site and Dredge #4. It was about 15K up Discovery Creek/Canyon on a dirt road. Lots of evidence of dredging past and current. The #4 dredge shut down in 1956 but managed to extract enormous amounts of gold. To its current resting site, it literally chewed its way 15K in a moving, self-serving pond. This required thawing permafrost, removing overburden and extracting gold-bearing material down to 40′.

We took a formal park tour and got to view the interior in detail. The engineering is incredible. The operators created their own electrical power plant and a lake (water source).

View from front and internal water pump.

Gears driving giant trommel and gold-capturing sluce channels.

Control room with levers and heater. 3 ton Excavating bucket (1 of 36).

Can you spot the ravens nest?

May 29-30 Whitehorse to Dawson City

<May 29 Thursday> Finally northbound on the Klondike Highway. We’ll break the journey into 2 days overnighting at Pelly Crossing. On the way we finally found a source for the famous Canadian cinnamon buns. For over a 1000 miles every roadside vendor was closed or not serving. Becky is finally a happy Yukon camper after finding giant cinnamon buns in Braeburn. She is emotionally overwhelmed at finally finding the elusive famous giant pastry.

Stopped to take a few pix of the famous “5 Fingers” riverboat Yukon River obstacle. The riverboats were cable winched around/through the rocks.

Pelly Crossing for the night. It’s a “First Nation” campground right on the Yukon River. Free boondocking. I was a bit nervous about the proximity of our rig to the water with potential for Spring runoff increasing the flow. I placed a rock a foot from the water and went to bed. In the night I monitored my rock. The result? My rock was in the water and river level had risen about 2″. No more water front river camping in the Spring!

Pelly Crossing to Dawson City is “only” 156 US miles. However, we encountered major construction as well as countless frost heaves. The result? A tiring and extended drive.

Arrived in Dawson City and setup in a local RV park. The giant hillside slide in the background is several 1000 years old. The blue object in the foreground delineates individual sites and was repurposed from a gold dredge.

Dawson City is very interesting from a historic perspective. This is very early for tourism; I suspect it will be insanely busy during the Summer. And did I mention the golf courses everywhere? When I have booked a RV park I now time it to avoid commercial RV tour caravans which overwhelm RV park resources. Not complaining… just surprised at the changes since my previous visits to Canada, especially the first over 50 years ago.

May 26-29 Whitehorse Yukon Territory Capital

We’re spending a few nights here to shop, do laundry and sightsee a bit. Probably get another spare gas can before we go north to Dawson City and possibly “Top of the World” highway to Alaska. This whole area is full of historical Gold Rush history.

FYI – Becky has been exchanging information with the museum on Kodiac (Island). They were not aware of a trading post/school in the 1880’s which Becky’s ancestors founded. We have made it a priority to go to Kodiac and exchange pictures and history.

We are experiencing 24-hour daylight at this latitude. Summer Solstice is only a few days away.

Whitehorse is a modern, active city. It has most of the Yukon Territory population and is the province capital. Its most notable landmark is the Klondike rear paddle wheeler which now land-locked on the shore of the Yukon River. It is actually Klondike 2 as the original ran aground many years ago and everything above the water line has been salvaged and repurposed.

Found some mechanical relics from the 1942-43 construction of the ALCAN highway

May 25-26 Liard River Watson Lake

<Sunday May 25> The trip was a “bear” 😉 We lost count of the bears, big and small. All were black bear species (no grizzlies). Color-wise there was one exception. One black bear was light brown with some blond highlights.

There were a few bison too.

The ALCAN Highway crosses province boundaries multiple times. Here we are crossing into the Yukon for the 3rd time.

<Sunday May 25> Watson Lake is world-famous for it’s sign post forest. Started in 1942 by a homesick soldier building the ALCAN Highway. There are now 1000’s of street signs, personalized plates and graffiti.

Having fun.

May 24-25 Muncho Lake to Liard River Hotsprings

<Saturday May 24> Lots of Bison on/off the road. Some of the babies were very small, perhaps only a few days old. Most impressive were the bulls… HUGE.

Liard Hot Springs is a very well developed park. The hot springs were originally developed by soldiers building the ALCAN highway. The entire facility surrounded by electrified fences to keep bears out.

May 21-23 Fort Nelson to Muncho Lake aka “Mucho Lake”

<Wednesday May 21> Nice camp spot on the shore of Muncho Lake which Becky renamed Mucho. Weather has been a bit weird. Alternating rain and hail followed by sunshine. Nonetheless, enjoying being in one spot for a few days.

On this leg we’ve seen black bears and caribou but no elk, bison, deer, sheep or moose. Lots of signs suggesting to slow down for wild life but nada.

Muncho lake is large and cold.

Haven’t seen a water pump like this for many years.

<Thursday May 22> So peaceful… Allegedly, this lake (and most in Canada), have great fishing but I have yet to see a rising fish in the AM or PM. I didn’t feel motivated to get a license and wet a line… maybe in Alaska.

May 20-21 Dawsons Creek to Fort Nelson

<Tuesday May 20> This was a long drive of about 300 miles to Fort Nelson. It was boring trip with little scenery other than rolling hills. We saw very little wildlife… 2 deer, 1 bear, 1 moose and a beaver dam. Only excitement was almost hitting one of the deer.

Staying at Triple G campground. Filled with many Class C rental RVs being delivered to Alaska. It was a great deal for the drivers. Pickup a RV in the US and deliver it to Alaska in 21 days (then fly home from Anchorage). Their “rental” was heavily discounted.

We had a nice buffet meal in the rustic restaurant. The door picture is for the grandkids. The restaurant interior was filled with many stuffed animals. Sorry, bad light, no pix.

(Above) Looking more and more like a “local”.

Part 2

May 18-20 Dawsons Creek, BC – Lower terminous of the ALCAN Highway

<Monday May 19> Woke up to the strong smell of smoke a few minutes before 5am. A 1/2 mile away there was what appeared to be a “bonfire”. In a few minutes the “bonfire” grew and engulfed an entire house. Becky called 911 and I knocked ice off of everything and packed anticipating a quick move. We left about 8am and the fire had almost burned itself out.

Long drive to Dawsons Creek. Along the way we saw a small herd of migrating caribou and lots of deer. Also, during the drive we were impressed by the diversity of Alberta… Coal mining, oil extraction and lots of agriculture in the “flatlands”. Now spending a few days at the “Mile Zero RV Park” in Dawson Creek. We will do a little exploring tomorrow, take a few pix and do some last-minute shopping.

<Monday May 19> Not shown below but a wild time in the late evening. Loud thunder and bright lightening right over the campground. The concussion swayed the trailer. It was not reassuring that we were in metal trailer/truck combination.

<Monday May 19> The Dawsons Creek sign identifying the lower terminus of the ALCAN Highway. Planned to do some shopping and tourist things but it was Victoria Day in Canada and most business/activities were closed.

May 16-18 Hinton, BC

After a cold night at the Columbia Ice Field Center we headed north to Hinton, stopping on the way at Jasper for gas and lunch.

Jasper is a beautiful town reminiscent of (for example) Aspen, Colorado. It’s in a recovery from a devastating forest fire. The forest was burned for the majority of our drive northbound; over 1/3 of the city burned. The government has provided hundreds of trailers for temporary housing. So sad.

The drive northbound from Jasper was slow-going. We encountered many herds of Mountain sheep along and on the road. Lots of babies and surprisingly rams.

We’re now at the Hinden KOA RV campground for laundry, showers and shopping. Finally was able to purchase bear spray. Tonight it’s raining so it’s StarLink Internet movie time.

May 15-16 Columbia Ice Fields

<Thursday May 15> Now heading up Hwy 93 along the Columbian Icefields Parkway. Incredable, towering mountains along the highway. Got up to ~7,000′ a few times which literally took our breath away. Arrived at the Columbian Icefields Visitor Center to spend the night boon-docking in their RV area. I had been to this area 50 years ago… what changes!!! The Columbian Glacier has receded almost ½ mile and the area has become a tourist destination. To our surprise, they had a Starbucks so we opted for some very pricey hot chocolate. It is cold so we will bundle up tonight.

A bit of a challenge to find a level spot but you can’t beat the view. That is NOT the Columbia Glacier in the background. Every western view featured a glacier big and small.

That is the Columbia Glacier in the background. I am not getting fat… I have 4 layers of clothing (it’s cold!). I was here ~50 years ago and the glacier was much larger. I would estimate that it has receded 1/2 mile. Those dark rims a moraine deposits from eons ago when the glacier was 1,000’s of feet thick.

Just for fun… This is an antique snow cat in front of Starbucks.

More just for fun. Becky posing with faux eagle and grizzly bear to impress the grandkids. Earlier I missed a great photo opportunity when a chipmunk tried to run up Nana’s pant leg.

May 11-15 Banff, Alberta Canada

<Sunday May 11> Relatively easy drive from Cranbrook to Banff. The roads, turn-outs and rest stops are more common and well-maintained than we encountered north to the Canadian border. Banff is rift with Canadian tourists. We can’t imagine what it will be like later in the season. A bit of a surprise is the number of golf courses we have passed in British Columbia and western Alberta.

The Banff formal campgrounds are unique and presumably designed to handle the large influx of RVs. Basically parallel parking (camping?). Not complaining as it’s inexpensive and with power.

<Sunday May 11> A little rain today with more forecast tomorrow. Snow is even possible in a few days. We’re at almost 5,000′ here and feel it! Spent the late afternoon relaxing and listening to James Taylor music videos on YouTube… nostalgic!

<Monday May 12> Heavy rain today so cooped up and unable to play the “tourist”. We’re lucky to have Starlink Internet. It’s also a lifesaver for cell coverage which is poor to none in Banff/Jasper Parks.

<Tuesday May 13>

Woke up to a beautiful and rainless morning. Had a leisurely breakfast and then went shopping for a few items and some Canadian currency.

The Bow River runs through Banff and even has a very close picturesque water fall. Becky insisted we see the falls, so off we went to the Bow River.

Next, we drove North a few kilometers to Johnston Canyon.

On the way… This is Castle Mountain. A large monolith towering over Banff.

In Canada they provide animal overpasses for migratory and localized animals to safely move across the major highways. The smudges on the windshield are smoshed hail.

Johnston Canyon is actually a gorge about 5 miles long that features 7 waterfalls and a cave viewing portal. It’s the #1 tourist destination in Banff. Not surprisingly, it was overrun with tourists, even late in the afternoon.

This is the lower falls pictured from below. In the Winter it is frozen and a favorite location for “ice climbers”.

Entrance to a cave which is a viewing “platform” for a wet up-close view of the water fall. Very loud, wet and slippery.

Got back to the truck and had a bit of a scare. Becky was giving Tink (her Yorkie) a comfort break (on leash). They finished up and got in the truck. Then, a red fox ran from under the truck. Apparently the fox had been stalking Tink as a possible meal!! All is well… I sent the fox on it’s way 😉

May 9-11 Cranbrook, British Columbia Canada

Crossed the border into Canada via Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Crossing was simple… show your passports; explain where/what are you visiting in Canada. Now camping in Cranbrook, BC at the base of the Canadian Rockies and will next travel northward to visit Banff National Park. Went around Cranbrook trying to find bear spray to no avail. I guess the local bears are well-behaved 😉

Had a weird experience… checking out in the local Safeway we were unable to use any VISA cards. Speculation is localized rampant VISA fraud. Seems limited to Safeway as we are able to pay for fuel with our VISAs.

May 11 Happy Mother’s Day to ALL

All my girls.

May 7-9 Spirit Lake with Walt

After a long day traveling through the Washington Outback and Spokane Washington we arrived at Walt’s place near Spirit Lake, Idaho.

Walt’s place is an airplane hanger with a 2,500 sq. ft. house at one end. The hanger faces a real airstrip.

Most owners have one or more aircraft.

We met Walt through my brother Larry who had worked for Walt for over 20 years. Larry is gone now but his legacy remains as all the junk he scrounged with Walt is still there. Walt is very self-sufficient with tractors, trucks, trailers, saw mill and a very extensive machine shop.

May 7-8 Pendleton Oregon

Woke up to freezing temperatures, but managed to get on the road early. There was little or no traffic through the Oregon Outback other than the “hoofed” variety. Also managed to get their s**t all over the truck and trailer.

Here is a picture at the Pendleton KOA RV Park of the rig after a quick rinse.

May 5-6 Reno to Oregon Outback RV

Fought the wind northbound through Nevada and California to Oregon. Now relaxing in anticipation for the long 350 mile drive tomorrow to Pendleton Oregon. Jason had given us some home-baked cookies which made today’s trip easier. They didn’t make it to Oregon 😉

The mountain crests around us were covered with yellow and orange lichen. New to us… thought they might be flowers.

Part 1

May 3-5 Pinole to Reno

We arrived Saturday mid-afternoon at the Boomtown KOA RV park. The weather was cloudy and rainy (a good preparation for Canada/Alaska).

That evening, we were invited to join the family for a gourmet dinner prepared by son Jason. It was a wonderful experience catching up on family events and plans. Granddaughter Ava is graduating early from UNR with her bachelor’s degree. Her sister, Lily, is still in high school but getting an amazing level of interest from major colleges for her volleyball prowess. It’s so much fun watching the youngest generation mature and succeed. Can’t say enough good things about Jason and Anicia. Jason, as always, was the consummate host. Anicia continues to be the exceptional business woman. Jason also treated us to a tour of Anicia’s wedding studio (stunning) followed by a great Sunday morning breakfast Thank you Jason!

Following picture is missing Becky and Anicia… sorry 😦

Preface

We are embarking on a 3-month trip to Alaska. The first stage of the trip will be the Canadian Rockies route from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Jasper Alberta. To reach Coeur d’Alene we will journey from the Pinole to Reno to visit with family and celebrate the college graduation of granddaughter Ava. Then it’s north to Spirit Lake Idaho to visit with an old friend. We will cross the International border near Bonner’s Ferry Idaho.

We are taking the smaller Basecamp 20X trailer for the trip and have been “enhancing” it for the trip. The updates include a new mattress, minor structural changes for storage, items for cold, wet weather and insects as well as books/DVDs when our Starlink system is Internet-less in the Yukon Territory.

Our Ford tow vehicle got a few updates too. Solar panels, Bluetti 2.4kw battery system, DC-DC charging system, Dometic freezer and a new 3.6kw generator.

Work-in-progress.

Not full yet. Even more in the back seat area.