The Sun Shines on Homer!

Herring Gull auditions for Crested Puffins

sea otters

Seldovia

* A note on the photos.
I spend a silly amount of time arranging the photos so that they fit the text. Blogspot has its own ideas about where they should go and rarely do they match mine.

Thursday, Aug. 19th - Homer Spit

Last night's dinner saw us back at Captain Pattie’s: Dar has scallops wrapped with shrimp and I have a very rich seafood linguine.

On Thursday the waves have calmed and we take our charter and include a stop at Seldovia on  the other side of  the Katchemac Bay. Lots of gulls and murres and cormorants but only two crested puffins among the thousands of birds nesting on Gull Island. We see lots of sea otters too but they are wary of boats and are not really close enough to photograph. Seldovia is a pretty little town but it suffers from its isolation - only accessible by boat or air - and the First Nations Co-op will close in September because it has ceased to make money.
Dinner is steaks on the BBQ with garlic bread and a great salad.

OBSERVATIONS:

Just strap it on, fire it up and go

• Bungee cords and pool noodles are an essential part of RV life.
• So is an ipod loaded with tunes. Sirius has serious problems up here - no signal.
• Alaskans seem determined to have fun. On just our bit of beach we have seen surfers, kayakers, paraboarders, long boards with paddles, horses, a donkey and this morning a guy who strapped a large fan to his back, shook out a parasail, and took off over the beach!
• Homer has the only Farmers’ Market I’ve seen where the jewelry kiosks outnumber the food kiosks by 10:1. It was actually very sad.
• Alaska King Crab is everywhere and everywhere it’s ridiculously expensive. I can buy it cheaper “outside” - which is how Alaskans refer to the lower 48.
• As soon as you’re two miles outside any city the average number of bullet holes on any traffic sign is 6.4.
• In spite of the fact that guns are prevalent and hunting is a way of life, there don’t seem to be a lot of gun shops.
• The ladies and girls dressed up as Snow White in bright coloured satin, head caps and long flowing gowns are not going to a party. They’re ethnic Russians. This seems to be the daily wear. The men are much more subdued but I did see a belted tunic and Tevye’s cap!

By the side of Silver River

Friday, Aug 20th, by the side of Stormy Lake

We’re getting better at this “boondocking” thing. (Pull up, drop the stabilizers, shoot out the slides and call it home for the night. Buying the generators has proved to be a smart idea; they’re getting a lot of use.) We tried Capt. Cook State Park but the angles were wrong or the site was too short and after two attempts we decided to move on. Now we’re overlooking a lovely lake and that $15 shall go back into our pockets.
In the morning we bike back to the park to check out the bluffs and Mt. Redoubt and then drive back into Kenai, visit the river’s edge, a historic Russian Orthodox church and an art market and then on across the peninsula. Lots of people drift-fishing the river. It’s Saturday and sunny and Alaskans are making  the most of it.

Sat. Aug 21st, by the side of Silver River. (I  think)

Another boondock - this time beside a small river with lovely rapids; kayakers and rafters entertain us as they shoot through. Just across the stream we have a bald eagle, keeping an eye on us lest we leave a salmon unattended - or a small puppy.
At dinner time two suspicious layabouts pull up behind us in a beat up car and - after a cigarette and much discussion - haul a bunch of stuff down to the river’s edge. Just your average two guys out on the town, wearing their Sponge Bob t-shirts and camouflaged hip waders ......... panning for gold! It’s Zane and Jessie and when they get too cold they pack it in and we talk for 30 minutes about the vagaries of gold panning and how, if they had a dredge ($4200.) instead of just a sluice they could process 20 yards of gravel in four hours and maybe take home a 1/4 ounce of gold. When they leave Zane presents us with a gold pan in case we catch the fever. My god I love this state! Eagles, kayaks, rafters, and gold seekers - just ‘cause we pulled over and stopped for a night.

Monday, August 23rd, by the side of the Taklina River

We’ve moved on. Spent last night at the Mat-Su Tourist Information Centre in Wasilla so that we could pursue a leaky faucet with Earl at Valley RV in the morning. He can’t find the cause either, but I do buy a can of spray lube to soften the squeaks and squeals of our rear stabilizer jacks.
Leaving Wasilla I miss the exit to Palmer (not uncommon when I drive anywhere) but this takes us to Eklutna. We decide on a bike ride by the lake which is approached by a literal “ribbon of highway”.  And someone has tangled the ribbon. And cut off the edges. There are no shoulders, just a really skinny winding road with drop offs on either side that would cripple us were we to visit one. So, of course, I try.
In a fit of thoughtless generosity I pull over to let a car pass on what I think is a fairly stable edge. No, no no. Tires spin, rubber burns and we slide slightly backwards. Hearts race and adrenaline pumps.  And so for the first time on the trip I switch to 4x4 and now the truck pulls easily back on to the road. Crisis averted.

By the side of Eklutna Lake

The bike ride by the lake is really beautiful along rocky paths and dirt trails. It ends when  we see very fresh bear scat, full of the berries we’ve been passing. We both decide we’re ready to move on to the Glenn Highway and set out for Glenallen where we turn right on to the Richardson Highway and head for Valdez. After dinner tonight we go for a walk, cross a bridge, and discover that a mountain has appeared in the distance garbed in sunset hues of pink, purple and salmon. Just another day in Alaska.

Mt. Drum shows itself in  the evening

Life in a Gray Mist

August 15th - Clam Gulch National Park

We left Anchorage on Wednesday, Aug 11 stopping at the Alaska Native Medical Centre on the way out. Not for illness - this hospital has an amazing gift shop where First Nations artists leave their works on consignment. I looked at a paddle and a ptarmigan mask - both exceptionally beautiful and both about twice what I could afford. Even the walls of the different wards were hung with artwork.
At Portage we stop in to see the Alaska Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and I learn just how much bigger an Alaskan Brown bear is than a Grizzly.

Kenai Fjords

Sea Otter

Stellar Sea Lions

From Anchorage we drove down the Turnagain Arm and gradually lost the sun. We camped Wednesday night next to a salmon stream beneath blue glaciers on the mountains that surrounded us. It was lovely but would have been more so if we weren’t cloaked in mist.
We’ve now worn that mist - cloud, fog, rain, drizzle - for the last three days. We camped in Seward, on the beach. I’m sure it was beautiful - but it was difficult to tell. On Friday we took a boat tour of the Kenai Fjords National Park, which I highly recommend WHEN IT’S SUNNY! Half of a fjord is the water. The other half is the mountain that surrounds it. We saw the first half.
There was wildlife too: sea otters, seals, sea lions, humpback whales and a host of birds but everything was overpainted with a coat of wet gray.
Apparently this part of Alaska is having its wettest summer in the last 30 years. One has to feel sorry for these people. They don’t get a long summer. To have a month wiped out by rain makes it very hard on many of the local businesses.
On Saturday we walked up to Exit Glacier and I asked Darlene “ Tell me again why I said I didn’t need to bring my rain pants.”

Dar at Exit Glacier

Today - Sunday - we motored out of Seward heading for Homer on the other side of the peninsula. The biggest educational opportunity came in a Fred Myers (big grocery superstore chain where you can get five types of Mexican beans, fifteen types of tofu or a bottle of Gefilte fish.) I found a long cylinder with a “T” handle attached. Turns out it’s for digging clams but a friendly clam enthusiast said the shovel method was better as long as you dug beside the clam and not behind it.
In Ontario, grocery stores will soon be putting out all the supplies for putting up preserves. Here they sell the supplies for doing your own salmon canning! It’s a shame that all this fish is lost on me.
This afternoon we try for  the State campground at Johnson Lake. It turns out to have access roads like a battlefield and we are both seriously worried about damaging the hitch when the truck twists one way and the rig, the other. And so we move on to Clam Gulch where we are the only people camped high above a popular clam beach. Clam season for August ended yesterday and now this place is empty.

Tuesday, August 17th - Homer, Alaska

And still the rain continues. We pulled in yesterday and have found a beautiful spot, camped on a beach, the rear window looking out on Cook Inlet and the Kenai Mountains. And for about two hours, in the late afternoon, we got to see it. Right now? Grey waters and mist. ( Darlene is becoming a weather network junkie: searching for the sun but never finding it close by. )

Homer is a fishing town. Halibut is the name of the game. I was considering an afternoon’s trip, but what would we do we 20 kg of halibut? And some of these monsters go up to hundreds of pounds. Soon we shall head for the library - free Wi-fi - where we can catch up on some banking and then we’ll probably do a scenic tour. Had a great clam chowder yesterday at Captain Pattie’s - will probably return so that Dar can get a fish dinner tonight. I may even try fish & chips.

Land of Dreams

Denali National Park

August 6 to 8th - Denali National Park, Alaska

Ian is having a beer - at lunch! Unheard of! He is celebrating.  This is because he has performed a masterful parking job getting us into a spot in Denali’s Teklanika campsite, 29 miles inside the park. We are the only 5th wheel here. Everyone else is in truck campers or small motorhomes. Just before leaving the Grizzly Bear campground south of the park we were treated to an amazing display of 5th wheel virtuosity when a neighbour driving a 35’ fifth wheel did a three-point turn in about the same time as one might turn around a small car. We applauded and he was good enough to give us some pointers. (One of which I used to get parked today.)

Grizzly sow and cub

Big excitement. On the way into the park we see our first grizzly. And our first guy on a bicycle as I came up behind them. I was so impressed! As the bear approached he dismounted, held the bike between himself and the bear and stood his ground. When the bear got to about 15 ft, it finally turned away. And there am I trying to figure out how I can help if it attacks, so much that I forget to take photos! A shame, because none of his friends are going to believe him when he tells this story.

Dall sheep - This is NOT photoshopped!

August 7& 8 - Denali National Park

Two glorious days! No private cars are allowed in the park but they run shuttle buses all day long. It is these that we travel on both days. We see grizzlies, fox, moose, wolves, golden eagles, Dall sheep and lots of caribou. Today we got off at the Eielson Visitors’ Center and hiked down to the river bed and then along and up into the tundra plateau. Tougher going than we’d expected. Lots of low plants that tried to break our ankles and plenty of willows to hide bears. ( It didn’t help that we saw a grizzly just as we reached the river bed. It was eating blueberries and wasn’t at all interested in us.) The hillsides were steep and at one point I think we both wondered if this was a mistake. Walking along the edge of plateau - to avoid the ankle-twisting brush - the wind was strong enough to make me concerned about losing my glasses. 

Golden Eagle

Caribou

But perseverance rewards the stout of heart and we made our way back to the road without mishap. Only two minutes later a bus picked us up for the return journey. Just flag them down and hop on. IF there are seats. Our bus filled up very quickly and we left a number of campers at the edge of the road hoping the next one would have spaces.

Denali - Mt McKinley

And then there’s the mountain. I’m pretty blaze´ about mountains. Seen a lot in a lot of countries. So I wasn’t really sure what all the fuss was about; whether one could see Denali (Mt. McKinley). Yesterday it was mostly covered in cloud and I gather that’s pretty standard. Well today was clear and the mountain was glorious! It towers over its neighbours, cloaked in snow, gleaming in the sun. It’s the perfect backdrop. Wow!
Denali is a magnificent park; it combines grandeur and majesty with beauty and silence. In a strange way it feels like coming home and yet everything is new and exciting. I understand why people keep returning here. I’m wondering if I’m too old to do a backcountry trip.

Dawson City To Fairbanks

Ian pans

July 29th - Aug 1  Dawson City, Yukon
We arrive at the Bonanza Gold RV Park to discover that my glasses have yet to arrive. Further investigation reveals that they are in Edmonton. They will not arrive before we leave because they were not sent promptly from Burlington. I shall have to have them forwarded on to somewhere else.

Dar plays

Dawson proves to be a lot of fun. We take in the show at Diamond Gertie’s, a historical walking tour, a drive up the Midnight Dome and we try our hand panning for gold on Bonanza Creek where it all started. (Ian finds gold but Darlene washes his storage container for sandwiches. Yes, it was a few VERY SMALL flakes.)
On Saturday we tour Dredge #4 - a fascinating introduction to the power of the Dark Side of gold mining. A mining monster that creeps forward 10 feet a day, ripping the river bed apart down to the bedrock in its hunt for gold. The tailings from the dredges surround Dawson - piles and piles of washed gravel in long squirming lines.

We also visit the Moosehide Gathering, a biannual get-together for all of the Han people who live in this area of the north. First Nations people ferry visitors to the gathering down the Yukon by boat as it is inaccessible by road. Native crafts are on display and this afternoon there are lessons on moose hair tufting. We see a number of dance groups but it is very hot and we decide to head back before the feast. (We head back to a beer at the Snakepit complete with honky tonk piano and two types of beer - Canadian or Budweiser)

Tlingit Dancer

Monday, Aug 2nd Tok, Alaska

In the morning we roll the truck & trailer onto the Yukon ferry, cross the river and head up the Top of The World Highway. This, and the Taylor Highway on the Alaska side are the roughest, dustiest roads so far. The road has been closed for a week because of wash-outs and has only recently opened. There are sections that look like a mine field - after the explosions. At one point we are doing 10 km/hr and it’s still a little too fast.We arrive in Tok covered in dust and a thin film has settled on everything in the trailer. We lost the cap to the waste pipe somewhere along the line and the night table drawer has fallen out and come apart. Fortunately the dishes and the latte maker have all survived.

Ferry to the Top of the World

In Tok we get some wonderful advice from a German couple next to us and the next day we are able to reserve a campsite well inside Denali for Aug 6,7 &8. That will give us time to see Fairbanks.

Tuesday, Aug 3 - 4 - Fairbanks, Alaska

The Chena River State Park in Fairbanks is well laid out amidst trees but very noisy due to the traffic. On the road into town we pass the USAF base and are treated to a series of fighter jets taking off, one after the other. ( This may be my highlight for this part of the trip.) Fairbanks is trying hard but we cut our walking tour short. I do like the headquarters of the Yukon Quest dog sled race - 1000 miles from Fairbanks to Dawson. They switch directions every other year. This is a part of the world where they say “I mush dogs” with a straight face.
We also visit the LARS - Large Animal Research Station to see some musk ox and caribou. I hoping for lots of photos but this really is a research lab - it’s double fenced and I come away with just one bull musk ox. Another highlight is restocking at Fred Meyers - haven’t seen too many big stores lately. We are sorry to miss the museum but somehow time has moved on and so must we - to Denali.

NOTE: If the photos seem oddly placed that's because the blog has issues - or an attitude -  I'll take what I can get.

Whitehorse to Dawson City

Darlene at Miles Canyon

July 25th - 27th - Whitehorse -Yukon

The last few days have been wonderful. On the morning of the 26th we hike the 15 km trail looping around Miles Canyon and Schwatka Lake. Although there must be a number of people around, we rarely see anyone. The trail hugs the edge of the canyon for a couple of miles before heading inland and then back to the edge of the lake. The half-way point is the immense wooden fish ladder, but we are a couple of weeks too early for salmon. If The Top of the World Highway is still closed when we finish up in Dawson City we have another look when we return.

First paddle in kayak

On Tuesday we dig out the kayak and take it for its inaugural run on Chadburn Lake. Although we’re a bit slow getting it into the water, we’re very happy with it - strong and stable! And the loons! Nine of them fishing together! Out in the lake one pops up about ten feet from us and remains there, pruning himself and occasionally checking us out with his ruby red eyes. ( And because this is our first time out in the boat I don’t have a camera with me.)
In the afternoon we get an oil change for the truck at the only Ford dealer in the Yukon. In one of the art stores we discover a spindle-candle from Don and Carol Morrison’s Trading Co.

July 28th - Tatchun Creek - Yukon

Mom's Bakery

Dar "on the marge..."

We leave Whitehorse, heading for Dawson City on the Klondike Highway but we’ll dawdle, taking our time and stretching out a six hour drive to two days. Almost immediately we make a side trip to Lake Leberge. We stop at Mom’s Bakery - almosthidden by trees on a dirt road -  where I pick up a monster cinnamon bun to eat after I read “The Cremation of Sam McGee” to Darlene “on the marge”. And I’m tickled by the fact that I’m reading “Tales of a Sourdough” as an ebook which I’ve downloaded onto Dar’s reader.

I love this piano!

We camp tonight in one of the Yukon’s small parks, right beside the water, and I finally get a chance to pull out the piano and get some practising done. (Lots has been lost in the last four weeks - much work to do.)

Three Weeks Along The Road

July 4th  -  Aloha State Park, near Mackinaw, Michigan

We get going about 9 in the morning, hoping to get to Munising on the northern Michigan peninsula, but find it a longer drive than expected, so pull in to Aloha State Park, just south of Chiboygan, off the 33 about 7 pm. A good drive and only one missed turn that takes Darlene on to a small gravel road where the locals look at us in bewilderment.

Wandering Wheels campsite

Although busy, this is a fine park on the shores of a shallow lake and several people help me back the trailer into place. It has been stinking hot all day - 90 degrees - and hooking up the AC is wonderful. Sadly the water pump isn’t working. Not a major problem, and I’m about to phone Vincent back to see if he’s got any ideas.


July 5th - Wandering Wheels RV Park, Munising, UP Michigan

The name of this place had me trembling as we approached yesterday afternoon, but it has turned out to be very pleasant - heavily treed with reasonable privacy. And rain. Nothing horrific, but we lost power last night. First time in a campground so we were concerned it might be the rig; but no, everyone else was out too. In a campground, when you lose power, you lose water as well.

And speaking of water, we got the pump sorted out yesterday. Heartland had left the main valve turned off, and had secreted it away as well. I’m going to have to learn where all the hidden things are.

The weather forecast promises more rain so again we will bypass the Pictured Rocks and move on to Duluth where we hope to sort out an American phone number and Darlene’s data roaming. The morning is spent driving through rain, mist and fog. Lots of fine views but nothing to see - and, sadly,  I think I’m out of “Pasties!” country.


July 6th - Top of the Morn Campground, Iron River, Wisconsin

Not a chance of making it to Duluth. Instead we stay at the “Top of the Morn” campground in Iron River. Decent site, nice lake, good wi-fi. I am still trying to sort out Darlene’s data roaming and in the morning  spend a frustrating 20 min with a Rogers rep who has never heard of the OneRate plan for US/Canada data sharing. Here we stay beside Gleta and Dave Hagerman who spent 30 years in Alaska and are full of suggestions


July 7th - Gull Lake Dam Recreation Centre, Minnesota

Ech! A day of lousy driving. In the morning we head into Duluth to find an 8GB card so that I can take video with the 5D MkII. We find a Best Buy that has what I want and then head out for Fargo.  The 35 is a mess! They’re rebuilding and I drive for an hour through a nine foot wide temporary lane towing an eight foot wide trailer. When Darlene takes over on the 210, she gets a really rough road that has everything bouncing around including us. No Fargo tonight - we find this great campsite run by the US army Corps of Engineers  just north of Brainerd and I do an excellent job of backing in to to a site on my off side. ( If I say so myself)

Ok -we’re now fans of the US Army Corps of Engineers! Absolutely first rate showers!
In the morning we make a stop at Gander Mountain for bear spray and Home Depot for mouse traps, ant traps and light bulbs. Ian finally gets a Rogers rep who know’s what he’s doing and we set up US & Canada data roaming on Dar’s phone. Now I just have to figure out how to tether it to the laptop and we’re all set.


July 12th - Havre, (have ‘er) Montana - Great Northern Fair Campground

A glass of Blue Sail by my side, I am rapidly recovering from another disastrous “parking the rig” episode. It turns out that there are numerous subtleties that I have yet to grasp  when it comes to backing up and parking this thing. If this were grade school I would be in grade One. It is embarrassing

Wild Horses - Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Buffalo - Theodore Roosevelt National Park

It really doesn’t feel like a holiday until we get to North Dakota. We spent two nights in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the Badlands. So glorious. Early morning drives through the buttes and coolies yield a few photos but nothing I have any real hopes for. We hike two trails - Coal Vein and Lower Cottonwood and realize that if it were any hotter we would need more water.
Electronics are slowly resolving themselves. Dar’s phone will now tether to the laptop, but this is still a really slow connection. ( There are MILES and MILES of the States where there is “No Service” ) We can finally use our Tracphone to call Canada - when the is service. On the other hand, I still can’t  figure out how to charge Dar’s ereader,nor can I figure out how to watch the movies Aaron gave us. WiFi is definitely in short supply.
Last night we stayed at Fort Peck Dam - another Corps of Engineers site and an amazing earthen works dam where we get to rollerblade on an asphalt track that they have laid around the perimeter. And tonight we have landed at our worst site so far - low electrics, right beside busy Hwy 2, and little in the way of scenery.

July 14th - Glacier National Park - Montana

Well, in spite of the pathetic campsite in Havre, Dar and I get our morning run in. We check out the Big R before leaving and discover one of those huge stores that sells everything ranch related - including generators. Dar does her wonderful “bargaining” thing and soon we have 5% off the already lowest price we’ve found in Montana or Alberta. Plus she gets them to throw in the gas can and the 10‘ chain we’ll need to keep them safe in the truck and secure on the ground. We’ve bought 2 Honda eu2000’S that can parallel together easily. I love the fact that we can easily pick them up - but so could anyone else. Hence the chain.  

Glacier National Park - Montana

Havre also brought us wind. Heavy unrelenting wind. Weird wind. In Ontario, wind like this is accompanied by clouds and heavy weather. Here the sky is blue, just a few clouds, but a wind out of the west that keeps us inside at our lunch stop.  This is doing serious damage to our gas milage as we head towards Glacier.

July 18th - Saskatoon Island Prov Park, Alberta (just west of Grande Prairie)

Glacier National Park in Montana was a wonderful introduction to mountains again. We spend three nights in the Two Medicine Campground off of the 49, arriving in the late afternoon but still finding a campsite. Not really a pull-through; when I moved the rig far enough to clear the slides we couldn’t unhitch because of the curve, and leaving it straight enough to unhitch meant having the living room slide at 3/4s because of a tree. That worked well enough in good weather. The next day we drove the “Going to the Sun Hwy” - very lovely but with serious construction. We do some little hikes but nothing strenuous. The snow on the way to Hidden Lake is very slushy and we need both our boots and poles to make headway.
The next day Dar and I hike around Two Medicine lake - a beautiful walk through woods and fields with the lake below us. I see my first Western Tanager and a Least Weasel. We decide at the half-way point to turn around as the other side promises more uphill climbs and we’ve already been at it for 3 hours.

On Friday we head for Calgary, but learning that the Stampede is still on, decide to push for Edmonton and make it to a Lions campground in Leduc, about 10 miles south.

My Edmonton highlight is a visit to The Royal Alberta Museum where we see an exhibit of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year images. This is a world-wide contest run jointly by the BBC and the Natural History Museum. The photos are spectacular and leave me exhilarated. ( The link is www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto  - check it out!)

For lunch we find a Cactus Club Cafe not realizing that it is one of several in a group owned and operated by Canada’s Iron Chef Rob Feenie. Yes, lunch was great! Dar has the Rocket Salad and I have the Short Rib sandwich with Yam fries - served with a cilantro jalapeno mayonnaise and jus for dipping. The beer is an Udder from Vancouver.  After lunch we head into the West Edmonton Mall. This is a place for kids. Lots of entertainment, everything from ice skating to roller coasters. Too many people for me - I am happy to have seen it and happier to leave.

Sunday takes us to a wonderful little provincial park - Saskatoon Island. Ian does an amazing job of backing in to the site and restores his confidence somewhat. On the drive north we found a small Hutterite vegetable stand where I am introduced to Saskatoon Berry pie. Wow! This may become my favorite pie. A gentle bite followed by a succulent embrace of the tongue. Oh my, my, my.

Dawson Creek - the beginning of the Alaska Highway

July 19th - Mile “0” Campsite, Dawson Creek, B.C.

Upon arriving at this camp we are immediately set upon by Bob, handshakes and smiles all around, who mistakenly believes that we are part of a Tracks caravan that he is shepherding to Alaska. We clear up the mistaken identity and we get a Tracks catalogue detailing the numerous trips they organize and the outrageous prices they charge. Darlene and I explore Dawson Creek in the afternoon taking a rather sad self-guided tour around the town. Because of progress and a serious fire, very little of the 1942 town that played host to thousands of American soldiers and engineers is left, so we are left reading a brochure that says “On this spot there used to be ........ - but now it’s a hairdresser or a bank”


Sunday, July 25th, Skagway, Alaska

Broadway Ave. - Skagway - Alaska

Hard to believe it’s been six days since I’ve written anything. We arrived in Skagway yesterday having taken the cutoff from the Alaska highway at Jake’s Corner. A gorgeous drive south but not a lot of wildlife seen. Skagway is a neat little town, nestled by mountains on either side and sitting at the tip of a fiord. It has been well preserved by the National Rangers, and in the afternoon we see a video on the Klondike Gold Rush and then take a historical walking tour with one of the rangers where we get a sense of the sudden population explosion that hit this little town, the lawlessness that prevailed, and the gruesome trek that faced would -be stampeders over the Chilcoot Pass.
We have a good lunch at a local brew pub (gratuity included 18% - a result of being subject to the hordes of tourists off the boats, many of whom don’t tip.) And the boat people drive the economy too. Skagway has many original buildings but they’re 90% occupied by gift stores and jewelers and all are over-priced.
We also visit the Alaska Ferries office and purchase tickets for the inland passage. We’ll leave from Haines on Sept. 8th and spend a week, getting off at Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg and Ketchikan before leaving the boat at Prince Rupert.
Dar and I are just about to go for a run. We’ll forgo the trip on the narrow gauge train up the White Pass - we’re hemmed in by clouds. Today we’ll drive up to Whitehorse. Back to the Yukon - where they got cell service three years ago and our Rogers phones have no service!
    On The Way:
    In Dawson Creek we solve the mystery of a drip leaking down one of the support legs. The day before we’d had an outdoor shower using the trailer pump. One of the taps wasn’t completely turned off. Not a problem when using the trailer pump but when we connected to city water the next day it dripped steadily until we found it.
     In Watson Lake we make a sign for their sign forest - but I am wishing I made up something fancy before we left. Who knew we’d be joining 63,000 others?
    In Whitehorse Darlene tries her hand at backing the trailer into the campsite. She/we/I apparently chose the skinniest site we could find! It takes time but she handles the stress magnificently and I get to see what it’s like on the other side of the operation - not so much fun either. Difficult to be everywhere at once.

Soon soon soon

Tomorrow is Darlene's last day at work. The rig is ready to be packed. By Friday, we should be away.

Yellowstone & The Rodeo

Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Although we find ourselves in Minnesota, this is really our Yellowstone story. We were both lukewarm about Yellowstone – Darlene had been there before and I had seen a lot of thermal areas in New Zealand - so we really went because it was on our way. Perhaps it was because we brought few expectations to the Park that we were so taken with it.

For me it was a visual feast. My photography tends to turn things into colour abstracts on most occasions so Yellowstone was just one photo after another. Only the truly interested should ask to see my Yellowstone photos – and have lots of time on their hands.

Nor were we really expecting to see so much wildlife. Five minutes after we entered the park we came across a bald eagle perched beside the road, then five minutes later, a herd of elk crossed our path. And the buffalo were stupendous! These were not the quiet, docile animals we encountered in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba. No,no,no. It’s rutting season in Wyoming folks, and that means lots of grunting, head-butting, rolling in the dust, and – if you’re a bull – keeping your favorite cow away from the rest of the boys. And when all this happens ten feet away from you, it’s quite exciting.

Yellowstone kept us busy for three days solid.

Our next stop was Cody, Wyoming – home of the rodeo and a huge Buffalo Bill Museum. We spent the night in a motel. It was still 39° in the evening and the campgrounds weren’t offering any shade. That night we took ourselves off to the rodeo, ate pulled-pork sandwiches and drank Bud, while the locals – and one Australian - competed in bareback bronc riding, barrel racing, calf roping, steer wrestling and bull riding. I think we were most impressed with the kids. It’s one thing for a twenty-five year old to climb on the back of a bull – it’s gut-churning when the rider is only ten years old. I don’t think many of these kids have to worry about a poor self- image.

It was particularly exciting when the Aussie cowboy got tossed by his bull after he’d managed to hang on for the 8 seconds. The bull went after him. And again. The animal ignored the exit chute and kept his eye on the rider, who was by now behind the fence. Even when one of the safety riders lassoed the bull it didn’t give up. It pulled horse and rider over to the fence to continue its staring contest with the Aussie. That has to be unnerving if you’re the rider.

Darlene’s favorite moment came when another bull also ignored the exit chute and jumped over the fence into the public area. ( This is a big, heavy bull and a fairly tall fence. Think Andrew, standing next to our garden gate, and in one leap, diving head-first over it.) The bull got a lot of applause. And a lot of attention – helpers and riders came from all over to get him back in the right area.


Next stop, the South Dakota Badlands!

Hot, hot, hot!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

It’s Tuesday evening and we find ourselves in West Yellowstone, camped just outside the park.
We caught the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles last Friday night and grabbed a room at the Flagstone Inn when we landed. On Saturday we drove down to Bainbridge Island and caught the ferry into downtown Seattle. ( It was important that we get to Pikes Market before they shut down so that Darlene could see the men throw fish.)

We did, and they did, and the market lived up to its reputation. We decided that the next day we would visit The Museum of Aviation and the Art Gallery and so headed for a campsite just out of town.

The campsite was full. We drove on (south). The next campsite disappeared as we chased their signs and suddenly it was late and we were way south of Seattle. Quick change of plans! We’ll go and see the Mt. St. Helen’s monument. That takes us further south, but we’re not worried because we’ll forget about pitching the tent and get a motel.

In each little town we visit, the motels are full – weddings, baseball tournaments, you name it. This is the first time we’ve had trouble finding accommodation. By now we are too far south of Seattle to consider going back. When we eventually do find a room we’re even south of the Mt. St. Helen’s turnoff.

The Forestry Dept has done a wonderful job with Mt. St. Helen’s. Excellent interpretative centres, good roads and knowledgeable park rangers. The power of the mountain is still very evident and the constantly growing lava dome in the crater is evidence that it is only resting, not at all asleep.

After a great morning on the mountain we grab the I 84 and head towards Idaho along the beautiful Columbia Scenic route. We get as far as Deschutes and spend the evening in a lovely Oregon State Park.

It is the next day – Monday, Aug 7th – that brings us one of the most exciting days yet. As we left Oregon and entered Idaho, the woman in the Tourist Info office at the border suggested that we get away from the freeway and take some of the scenic routes through the Sawtooth Mountains. (Mountains? I thought Idaho was flat! Potatoes, yes?)

Idaho turns out to be mostly hills and mountains and very very beautiful. It is also very hot. At mid-day it was 41º and we were thinking motel + air-conditioning. At 6:30 it was still 39º . But as we drove along the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway I watched the sun sink below one of the ridges and decided to at least sample the air in the next campsite I found. We turned into the Bonneville camp on the 21 and found, not only cooler air, but a sign for hot springs as well.

These springs are part of the campsite. They flow naturally from the rock as they have for hundreds of years, and drain into the local river. The result is a series of ponds of varying temperature where one can sit and soak the dust and grime away. After Banff and Jasper, with their crowds of people, it seemed something of a small miracle to sit and share all of this with one other couple – who we couldn’t see anyway. All of this, a great campsite beside a river, no bugs, crows, seagulls, trains, trucks or planes – at the cost of $8.00!

We were sad to leave the next morning but managed to get in one more soak before climbing back into the car and heading for Yellowstone.

Whales? Whales!

Friday, August 04, 2006

We’ve spent the last six nights on Vancouver Island in search of some sun and sand and whales.

Having driven up the “sunshine coast” we caught an evening ferry from Powell River over to Comox and camped at a place that referred to itself as a “resort”. The Resort was really just a tenting and RV camp but we found a satisfactory site and friendly people on either side. From them we learn that we must stop in Coombs and check out the goats on the market roof. We do, the goats are there, and so is Darlene’s favorite dressmaker. While she’s buying, Ian gets trapped by a enthusiastic iridologist and is informed that lettuce is bad for the bowels and that flies excrete all over black peppercorns. This man is extremely friendly – and would like to sell me some “silver water”, guaranteed to kill germs as they enter my system.

Monday night we camp in Stoat Lake Prov Park, home to some ancient petroglyphs and two very impressive water bombers. (These planes can scoop up 23 million tons of water when fighting forest fires!) We have been very clever and actually made reservations at a campsite in Ucluelet for Tues and Wed. Although our site is rather close to another couple, we rarely see them – and we have a great view of the harbour. Tuesday is spent hiking, checking out Tofino and arranging for a whale tour on Thursday. On Wednesday we hike some more – through a rainforest trail – and then grab a few hours at Long Beach, sunning, reading, and watching the surfers. What a beautiful part of the world!

Thursday we pack up quickly, full of anticipation, and head for Tofino and the whale tour. Darlene and I have chosen the small Boston whaler – 20 ft – rather than the huge enclosed launch. This means we get suited up in thick, warm all-weather gear. We get great seats – right at the front – and the day is sunny. In fact, the only thing that was missing was whales. NO WHALES! ( OK, not quite true. We saw a fin here and a tail there and the odd blow or two, but this was a really disappointing trip.) My best photo of the day was of a kelp bed!

We left Tofino about 3 p.m., soured on whales, and headed for Victoria. And as we drove, things got progressively better. There was sunshine in Cathedral Grove, a beautiful hike through old-growth Douglas Fir, and we took the time to see the murals in Chemainus and the totem poles in Duncan. We arrive at Goldstream Campground in Victoria about 9 p.m. and get the last tent site.

We had pretty well given up on the idea of another whale tour but the German couple beside us extolled the virtues of “Prince of Whales” and their Orca tours, so Friday morning saw us up early and into Victoria. This time we chose the larger boat so that I wouldn’t spend the whole trip cradling the camera in a plastic bag to keep it away from salt water. And what a great trip! We saw lots of whales as they swam by our boat and we came away happy that we’d tried again.

We caught the 7:30 p.m. ferry to Port Angeles and managed to find a cheap and cheerful motel – The Flagstone – where I now sit and write.

Karen, Happy Birthday!