August 9, 2009

Home at 6 pm.

Thoughts and impressions.  It is a long long drive to Alaska. Montana is not up north.  Alaska is a huge and sparsely populated state.  There is so much land untouched.  Wonderful.  The mosquitoes were not as bad as expected.  Forest fires were worse.  Didn't see many birds, strange. Sorry we didn't see the mountains.  There is alot of subsistance living.  Shacky cabins.  Didn't see many large houses.  Must be in cities. Internet and Sirrus radio reception is not reliable.  Salmon is so important and the count is getting less.  Fisherman are crazy to catch the fish.  Salmon is important to people and animals. Alaska has much that reminded me of Montana only bigger and farther and more.  More wildness, more forests, bigger and more rivers and glaciers, more animals not just in parks, homesteading not to long ago($2.50 per acre).  Interesting trip.  Cost $5500.  Otto and Spoon did well.  Otto is glad to be home.Conrad too.  Me, I suppose.  Spoon,I don't know.

August 7 and 8 2009

On to Glacier.  Hadn't been here is  a long time.  Drove over Logan Pass,"Going to the Sun".  Narrow and beautiful.  Ate at Saint Mary's.  Camped at Lake McDonald's campground.  Finished up the last of the meals I cooked.  Good timing.

August 6, 2009

Shelby"s BD.  Mailed Travis his BD present.  Some very interesting towns along the Highway 20 across the top of Washington.  Stopped at a lake for lunch and are staying at an RV park in Kettle Falls on the Columbia River and and LakeRoosevelt, formed by Grand Coulee Dam.  Hot so enjoying the air in the RV. Home soon.

August 5,2009

We arrived back in the lower 48 and went into the Cascades National Park.  We took 2 short walks.  On the first one I got stung 2 times by I guess a hornet.  He was powerful and my hand an leg got quite swollen.  We went to a talk that night on Native Ameican stories.  We camped by a lake that was a beautiful blue.  It was on the Skagit River and there were 3 dams and lakes on it. Too badfor the salmon that used to spawn there.  No more. Nice park created in 1968 so fairly new.  to see it one must hike.  A black tailed deer in campsite.  Old growth forest surrounded our RV. Conrad is a tree ugger and lumberjack.

August 4, 2009

Heading home fast.  We camped at Spences Bridge at a very old RV park.  It is not even in the books and most of the electric plugs are for 20 amp which is what my mom and dad used.  It was a place from the way past.  The washer and drier were in an old vacant house that at one time was the home of the owners,but now housed a Mexican picker to help the new owners harvest their crops.  Oh, they had a fruit stand and the fruit and vegs were great. We took a short walk up a goat trail to a waterfall. I did fine until night then started getting bad dreams. All was fine and we moved on the next day.

August 3, 2009

We camped at Boyes Lake.  It was a provincial campground and nice like all the others.  So clean.  It was hot so we stayed quiet.  Otto stood in the lake to cool off.

Aug 1 and 2nd, 2009

We drove to Stewart BC and Hyder, Alaska.  We camped on top of the hill and then drove down the 44 miles.  We camped by a lake and went swimming both days.  Stewart is a very quaint little town that retains some of the charm of days gone by.  Hyder, Alaska is quite rundown.  Stewart has paved roads and a border crossing, Hyder has dirt roads and no border crossing.We did see bears at the viewing platform.  We saw 2 brown bears fishing for salmon and 2 black bears strolling the road.  Beautiful scenery.  Glaciers and glaciated mountains.

July 30and 31, 2009

Moved on to Whitehorse, Yukon.  We camped at an RV Park so the animals could have air(It is hot) and I wanted to wash clothes and shower.  We went out to dinner at the place 3 people had told us about.  We had ribs and they were good.  Will have left overs tomorrow.  We bought some groceries in some very confusing stores and went home to bed.

July 28-July 29, 2009

Hurray, the mail came.  We paid bills and left and drove to a small lake on the Teslin Wildlife Refuge.  We camped by the water.  We met a nice couple from New Mexico and traveled with them to Congdom Lake where we camped on Wednesday.  Thursday we headed to Whitehorse .  Camped , washed clothes, cleaned the RV and went out to a great dinner at the Klondike Salmon and  Rib BBQ.  I had been told about this place by 3 couples so saved my dinner out for here.  Tomorrow on down the road and on to a new road, the Cassier Highway.

July 27, 2009

Went to get the mail but it had not arrived so we toured the town and bought fish and watch sea lions eat salmon.  It was rainy on and off.  We grocery shopped and walked. The mountains are covered with clouds but still this is a beautiful town.  This town is fishing.  The oil spill must have scared them about maybe losing the fishing.  There is a glacier out of town that is retreating quickly.

July 26, 2009

Arrived in Valdez about 10:30.  Checked in and then drove around .  It rained and misted all day.  We went to a visitor center and learned about Valdez before the earthquake and before it was moved to firmer ground.  I washed clothes, 6 loads.   A rather quiet day. 

I will post picture when I have better internet.

July 25, 2009

Left Chitina on the way to Valdez.  We decided to stay in a state campground on the pass above Valdez.  It was advertised as one of the prettiest campgrounds in the state and it was.  Above timberline with fantastic views.  It is clear today so we can see the mountains.  We drive into Valdez after setting up camp.  What a beautiful setting for a town.  Awesome is the only word.  Glaciated mountains all around.  In my mind it is what an Alaskan town should be.  If only it didn't get 25 feet on snow on average each year.  We stopped at a ranger station and found out some things to do and watched fish spawn the drove home for dinner and bed

july 24, 2009

We left our camp about 9 am and it was clear so we hoped to see mountains,but the farther we drove the smokier it got .  A big fire in the Wrangell-St Ellis.  We drove to Chitina and were going to stay at the only RV park there but it was a terrible place.  We got information at the National Park station there and found a state park by the Copper River.  There were many fisherman there.  It is a famous salmon stream Huge river. All the rivers are full of silt from glaciers, not beautiful mountain streams.  We drove up to McCarthy after we got set up.  Sixty miles on  DIRT ROAD.

It took 3 hours.  McCarthy is an old town that was started to provide housing and services for the Kennicott mine.  It is now a destination and run by a a company bringing kids from around the country.  We were shuttled to Kennicott on the side of the hill next to the Kennicott Glacier.  The copper mine was started in 1910 and closed in 1938.  A huge operation.  What a place to live all year around.  A company town. Very interesting and a good visit.  Then 3 hours back.  Dinner at 9 pm.

July 23, 2009

We left Sterling and drove to through Anchorage and Palmer.  We stopped at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.  They take care of animals who can no loger be released.  It is like the Nature Center in Red Lodge only bigger.  

We stayed in a state campground at Glacier Park.  The glacier is Matanuska Glacier and we were able to walk out on it.  I appears to be owned by a family.  They offer ice climbing and walking on it for a price of course.  I don't understand how a glacier can be owned unless it was park of an early claim.  

We saw a mother moose and 2 babies standing in the middle of the road.  Many moose get killed on highways up here. 

July 22,2009

Today has been a real day off.  We washed clothes, cleaned house, mailed a package and read.  No sightseeing, no pictures, no more rain today.  On the road tomorrow.  We are rounding the bend toward home.

July 21, 2009

Woke to sunshine.  Conrad decided to hike to Russian Falls.  It is on the Russian River which is famous for its fishing.  All the things we read said bears most often were fishing below the falls.  Conrad had high hopes for bear activity.  He say men fishing, sea gulls, and lots of salmon below the falls.  Perfect for bears. But no bears were getting breakfast.  They were climbing up the falls, falling back, and trying again.  On the way back he did see bear scat.  Just like the mountains they are there but not for us to see.  Conrad enjoyed his hike.

Otto and I drove the 19 mile scenic drive through the animal reguge.  I saw a bear, 2 loons, and 1 moose.  After I picked up Conrad we drove home on that road and saw ravens and the bear.

Tomorrow wash clothes and get ready to leave Thursday.