Category: Archives (Page 4 of 7)

Banff

September 16, 2023

Yikes!  We drove into Banff, which was like dropping into a crowded theme park.  Granted, it was a Saturday, so we deserved the traffic we got, but transitioning back to civilization is always challenging.  We were glad to be in the truck camper to find a parking spot in town! 

As always, we went to the Park Visitor Centre to chat with a ranger about advice, weather, and general information before catching some groceries and heading back north on the Trans Canada Highway to our campground at Johnston Canyon.  I had picked this campground as a base of operations between activities we had planned in Banff to the south and the Lake Louise area to the north, which worked well for the week we were there.

On Sunday, 9.10, we drove to Lake Louise, and I made a good breakfast before we joined a Parc Canada ranger for a guided hike to Hidden Lake.  It is usually a long hike with a steep, dusty road to the trailhead, but we got a shuttle ride to skip the road walk. 

As we hiked, the ranger stopped periodically to talk about the cutthroat trout and efforts to preserve it. 

The short story is about the cutthroat trout going extinct, so they found the perfect place for it (Hidden Lake), killed all the fish there, and reintroduced the trout.   It was a full day with a stop by the lake for the lunch we brought.

On Monday, we drove east to Golden for the Skybridge. 

This particular adventure was part of a discounted package I purchased through Pursuit Pass Rockies and I’m not sure I would have gone otherwise, but it was enjoyable.  The plan for the day was to first sightsee at YoHo National Park.  We drove up to Takakkaw Falls —a very steep drive with a switchback that vehicles over 24 feet must back up to maneuver.  The Falls had a neat rooster tail, and it was a quick walk out to them. 

On the way to Emerald Lake, we stopped at Natural Bridge, where the water eroded the rock across the river to form a cool bridge. 

Emerald Lake was truly emerald, and we walked around the perimeter. 

After that, a bit of a drive to the Skybridge,  where two pedestrian suspension bridges span the kicking horse river gorge.  It was a lovely day, and we enjoyed ourselves.

On Tuesday, we were at the Lake Louise parking lot before 7 am to get a parking spot in their RV lot.  To get there that early meant we left the campground in the dark, which is not unusual, but as we drove through the parking lot, we were surprised by a giant black bear!  We watched the sunrise over Lake Louise, then hiked the Plain of 6 glaciers trail up to Agnes Lake Teahouse. 

The trail climbed steadily to the Teahouse, and we watched a helicopter making multiple trips. 

We thought it was bringing  food, but on arrival at the Teahouse, we learned they were emptying the pit toilets.  We had hot chocolate and a snack – not the sandwich and soup we had anticipated, as the crew was primarily busy with the helicopter. 

Then, we hiked to the trail’s end, past and on glacial moraines, where you could see six glaciers across the valley and on the mountains.  It was spectacular!! 

We hiked back to the Teahouse and had a piece of chocolate cake (they still weren’t serving lunch). 

Not getting the lunch we’d intended left us a little flat on the hike back, but we met another hiker whose enthusiasm and joy were uplifting.  He shared pictures of his morning hike and plans for his vacation, confirming that one of the best parts of travel is the people we meet!  We shared our amazement at seeing one of the glaciers calve with a huge thunderous roar and our appreciation of all the beauty around us.

Now that’s one way to travel!

This chubby guy clearly gets food rewards for his boldness!

We drove into Banff early on Wednesday to get a picture with the Banff sign.  There was always a line of people for this, and in the afternoon, the light was from behind the sign, so we knew we wanted to do our picture in the morning. 

We walked the trail to Bow Falls and the overlook before going to the Banff Gondola, where we had tickets for 10:10 am. 

The views from the boardwalk and stairs to the top of Sulphur Mountain were clear without the recent smoke!  Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen had a delicious buffet, which we treated ourselves to at a table right by the window. 

We drove to Lake Minnewanka in the afternoon for the 6 pm boat cruise. 

The trip had no stops, but the narrator gave a great demo of how the “Stoney” people used hot rock to boil water and cook food!

  Thursday, we went back to Lake Louise, where we had reserved early morning shuttle tickets to Lake Moraine.  We climbed Rockpile to get the morning light and sunrise photos, then did the Larch Valley hike. 

The larches were not at peak yet but in a lovely grove.  Larch trees are the only evergreen trees to have their needles turn yellow/gold and fall off each year, so this area of Banff is famous for fall foliage (hike early!).

We started hiking the upper and lower Johnston Canyon Falls near our campground on Friday before sunrise.  We got to the upper falls as the light was getting pretty and enjoyed the beauty and solitude, though it was chilly! 

Our next adventure was a four-hour horseback ride to Sulphur Springs Mountain, and we ended up going under the gondola we’d taken the day before and then further on to Spray Creek.  All the horses at the stable are rescued from auction and well cared for.  From his lip tattoo, they knew my Arabian horse had been a Level 4 Dressage Horse, which is hard to fathom how he ended up at auction, but he was pretty popular with all the riders.

Saturday, we just had to go back to Lake Louise for one more gorgeous sunrise before heading to Calgary!

I did not mention that the young man we met on the hike down from the Teahouse walked with an unusual gait, which suggested some orthopedic issue, yet it didn’t stop him from hiking further than we did that day.  His hands started at his elbows and had missing or misshaped fingers, yet he could scroll through the photos on his phone faster than I could.  He will always be an unstoppable ray of sunshine in my memories.  Banff is a beautiful gem of a place, but the real treasure is people like him.

Be unstoppable.

September 20, 2023

Waterton Lakes campgrounds become first come, first served after September 10, and as it was a Saturday, we went with a sure thing and made reservations at Pincher Creek along the way.

Each Canadian Province has a unique look, and Alberta was more prairie and farming for a change of pace from mountains and glaciers!

On Sunday, we drove into Waterton Lakes, and the first thing we hiked was the Bears Hump to get a panoramic overview of the town.

It was pretty windy up there, which was an excellent introduction to how much stronger the wind would blow for the rest of our stay.

The town sits at one end of the deepest lakes of the Rockies so the wind has a long fetch to gather force. After getting a spot in the Townsite campground, we walked over to the visitor Centre, where Ranger Jack of the US National Park Service was out front for a talk about bears and skulls, skins, and other props.

Ranger Jack shared this quote about bears, which seems appropriate as we’ve seen 24 black bears and almost as many grizzlies on this trip. “In part because bears can be so dangerous, they force you to pay attention. They flood your blood with adrenaline and endorphins. They introduce you to terror, awe, amazement, and ecstasy. Bears connect you to the deepest pulses of life. This is their gift: the power to take your life, or to renew it; to re-create who you are, if only for a moment, and perhaps for a lifetime.”

Afterward, we toured the town and ate frozen huckleberry yogurt in a chocolate and coconut-dipped waffle cone.

Very relaxed deer all over town.

We spent the day driving, hiking, and exploring Waterton Lakes National Park on Monday.

We quickly stopped at Cameron Falls before driving the Red Rock Parkway out to Blakiston Falls, where we had to stop and let a doe with her two fawns cross a footbridge ahead of us. We could tell she wanted to cross, but we were in the way, so when we backed up, she ran past us, closely followed by her fawns.

This looks like a fun way to explore Waterton Lakes!

After completing the Red Rock Parkway, we backtracked into town and drove the Akamina Parkway to Cameron Lake, where we ate our picnic lunch. When I made our trip plans, Waterton Lakes was at the end of the trip, so I didn’t give it too much research. It’s a Waterton/Glacier Crown of the Continent, two parks joined together across the United States and Canada border. So, how different could Waterton be from Glacier? As it turns out, it’s very different!

In 2017, a fire swept through Waterton and burned about 90% of the trees you can see from any drive or hike. Additionally, the whitebark pine at higher elevations is dead mainly due to blister rust—you mostly see dead tree trunks and bare limbs everywhere. Some spots have shrubs turning pretty fall colors, but overall, it’s nothing like what I imagined. When we hiked around Cameron Lake, we met some locals who said it was tough to see the park the first time they returned after 2017, but the spring wildflowers are spectacular now due to all the sun they get. They sadly admitted that perhaps their grandchildren will see it in a semblance of its former glory.

On the way back into town, we stopped at the site of Canada’s first oil rig, whose production was short-lived due to the shallow and small oil deposit.

We hiked to Crandall Lakes, where the rocks around this lake were so white they almost looked whitewashed.

We hiked over 10 miles, and the wind was 30 mpg with gusts to 40! Thankfully, the camper only shook a little bit overnight in the wind.

Tuesday was a bit less windy, though still too much for a boat ride to Goat’s Haunt, so we did a peaceful early hike from our campground to Bertha Falls.

It was our last day in Canada, so we drove to the Prince of Wales Hotel, high on a hill where Upper and Lower Waterton Lakes meet. We had a delicious High Tea to celebrate our trip, which seemed fitting as we started Day 1 with High Tea at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island!

Recalling our trip and talking about our favorites overall and by location was fun- what a trip we had! We relaxed for the rest of the day and prepared to cross back into the USA.

And here we are, back home!🥹

 

I came across this quote when I was trying to find something about how you don’t get to choose home but that home tugs at your heart and chooses you.  At the end of our Alaska adventure, Drue’s advice seems more appropriate.

“Life should be a daring, loving, laughing adventure — or it is nothing at all. If you don’t start choosing, life and circumstance will choose for you. You can change or stay the same. You can grow or never leave the nest. All of life becomes about our choices. We choose our people, we choose our ways, we choose our thoughts, and we choose how we seize or surrender our days. Every day, every moment, and every thought is about choice. So everyday you must make your choices. Life isn’t ever really about what happens to us, but how we respond to life.”

― Drue Grit

 

Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Independence Rock, friends old and new

September 30, 2023

It’s so lovely to be back home!! We drove to Great Falls, Montana, and parked there for a few days while enjoying the opportunity to shop, change our phone plans as we no longer need Canada access, talk to friends about upcoming visits, receive packages, pay bills, and tend to chores.  Gotta say—Walmart in the lower 48 not only has better selection than Canada but very cheerful people!!

We took the time to visit the Lewis and Clark Museum nearby, which has a rotating selection of movies and several exhibits about their expedition. We then headed southeast for a quick lunch with our daughter’s in-laws before camping in Bozeman at the fairgrounds. After a quick oil change (Larry is getting good at these), we headed towards the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. Before we moved again into the land of no cell service, we chatted with our daughter and were delighted to hear she is pregnant with our second grandchild!

We had been to Yellowstone earlier in our travels but not to the Lamar Valley, called Yellowstone’s Serengeti, for the bison herds, pronghorn, elk, deer, and wolves. I had been lucky enough to get reservations for three nights at Slough Creek campground right at the start of the Lamar Valley, so it was easy to arise before dawn and park at an overlook where we hiked the Specimen Ridge Trail. There were bear tracks along the way, a busy badger, tufts of bison fur everywhere, and even scattered bones from a large animal.

Can you see the chipmunk—he does!!

Neighbors

The following day, before dawn, we parked at another pullout where an elk carcass had attracted some wolves. We did spot a lone wolf scavenging and were sad to see that its lower jaw was broken on both sides and hanging uselessly. Some “wolf watchers,” easily located by looking for groups of people with immense spotting scopes, opined that the park rangers likely would be sure it didn’t suffer.

On Wednesday, September 27, we drove to a pullout overlooking the Hayden Valley just north of the MudPots. We watched the fog lift and some geysers steam in the river in solitude until after lunch, when we drove south around Yellowstone Lake toward the Tetons.

We boondocked for free at Sheffield Creek campground off a forest road just south of Headwaters campground. One site nestled back by a little creek near some of the horse corrals was open, and the next campsite even had a few horses in their corral!

On Saturday morning, we drove through Grand Teton National Park to the National Museum of Wildlife Art just north of Jackson. Dave and Cindy had recommended it, and we wanted to stop in before seeing them that evening. We enjoyed the sculptures outside as well as the realistic portraits. 

In Jackson, we rinsed Marvin off and got groceries and fuel, and Google Maps was kind (& creepy) enough to remind us that we were here three years ago! We had a great time catching up with Dave and Cindy (MyTripJournal.com Albino Rhino) over pizza at Dormans, and then stayed on their work camper site in Gros Ventre campground.

It was hard to say goodbye the following day, but we headed southwest to Lander, Wyoming, through the gorgeous Wind River Range. We stopped at the Tie Hack memorial to those who cut the necessary railroad ties as the railroads moved west, and then we went to Sacajawea’s Gravesite just north of Lander.

At the Museum of the American West in Lander, there were several floors of local history, preserved outbuildings and cabins, and a friendly docent. A bearskin rug and rocking chair by a wood burning stove—I’m in!!

The Lander City Park was our free campsite for the night, and although it was a bit busier than usual due to a soccer tournament, we had a quiet night alongside the creek.

On the last day of September, we had a splendid day driving to Independence Rock.

This rock was especially significant as emigrants knew if they reached it by July 4, they should get to Oregon and beyond before the winter snows of the Rockies.

In the 1850s, many thousands scribed, painted, or carved their name on the rock to mark their passage, and you can still see some of them, especially in areas protected from the wind, sun, and blowing sand.

One hundred eighty years later, time is erasing their signatures as slowly as those who came before them.

Larry climbed to the top, where there was more recent “historical graffiti” from the 1930s.

We drove to Devil’s Gate and Martin’s Cove nearby, where a group of Mormons with handcarts traveled too late in November of 1856 towards Salt Lake City and got caught in a blizzard. 145 of the 600 perished before rescuers arrived to help them. There appears to be a campground, hiking trails, and a Mormon museum, so this would be a neat area to return to with more time to hike, bike, explore, and immerse ourselves in the history.

In nearby Rawlins, Wyoming, we spent the night in a Walmart parking lot where our Alaska tag made us friends with our neighboring campers from Kasilof, Alaska. After chatting well into the evening, we exchanged numbers and hope to catch up with them again in 2025. It is a small world, and adventurous travelers through the ages have always found they share much in common!

 

Pumpernickel turned 15 this month! He is such a great traveler and companion—what a life he leads ❤️

Valdez

August 7, 2023

We arrived in Valdez on Saturday evening July 29 and stayed until Monday morning August 7 to explore the Valdez area and enjoy the festivities of Gold Rush Days. 

Months ago, I made reservations at Bear Paw Campground for its central location downtown across from the marina.

I had read somewhere that Valdez has an abundance of rabbits, some of whom would follow pedestrians with shopping bags in hopes of a handout.  The ones at our campground were your normal shy bunnies! Valdez is decorated with chainsaw-carved sculptures along its very walkable streets, busy marinas and docks.

After arriving we first explored Valdez on an ATV tour with Valdez Off Road Adventures.  Our Athabascan guide Daelen took us up Mineral Creek Canyon to waterfalls and a mining site, to the braided outflow of the creek, and even over to wander through Old Valdez at the end of Valdez Arm.  Since Valdez is up a glacial fjord it is not on a bay but an arm (we learn a lot traveling!).  It was a wonderful overview of Valdez with an ATV ride thrown in for good measure.

This is the site of Old Valdez now

A few of our days in Valdez were foggy, which is pretty normal, so we toured the local museums. The Old Valdez Museum told the events of the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake.  Old Valdez was built on the alluvial plain outflow of the Valdez Glacier whose silty soil saturated with water liquified during the quake and slid into the arm.  The following tsunami caused more loss of life and damage to Old Valdez.  At the Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum, tucked in Prince William Sound College, we were fascinated by the large collection of Native Alaskan art and artifacts as well as the extraordinary wildlife mounts.

One foggy morning we joined 12 other kayakers on a small boat for a two-hour ride out to the Columbia Glacier, stopping a few times to view wildlife and the several faces of the glacier. 

The sun came out for a beautiful day by the time we reached the beach to unload the gear and kayaks. 

It was fun to kayak among the little icebergs, though we would have liked to have gotten closer to the glacier as we saw other groups doing.  This is one of the issues of taking a guided trip—your tour depends on the willingness, ability, and experience of the guide you get which can be luck of the draw even if you communicate expectations in advance. Not the first time this happened, so that’s all I have to say about that 😉.  (I think it would have been hard to top the recent stellar jetski experience in Whittier anyway!) We  chatted with other travelers in town who all raved about the  Lu-Lu Belle Glacier Wildlife Cruise. Even other guides spoke of Captain Fred with a kind of reverence and awe–so, next time!

We chose a pretty day to drive through Keystone Canyon to Thompson Pass and the Worthington Glacier. 

While at the glacier, we met a family who had also completed the Fairbanks Midnight Run! The view at Thompson Pass was spectacular, so we hiked out for a panoramic photo and spotted some possible boondocking campsites for the future. 

On the way back we stopped at Bridal Veil Falls, Horsetail Falls, and the Old Train Tunnel, where a historic gunfight ended all hope for a profitable train route from copper mines in McCarthy to the coast.

Around the other end of the Valdez Arm, we took a self-guided tour of the Solomon Gulch Hatchery where the pink and silver salmon who had made it into the main holding pens would spawn the next generation.  Outside the weir, the water was thick with returning salmon–and sea lions enjoying an easy meal!  Bears sometimes come to join in the feast although not while we were there.

Back in town, we enjoyed Gold Rush Days. The Kelsey Dock at the west end of town hosted a fun open-air market with live music and the Gold Rush store.  We walked to the US Forest Service Crooked Creek Information Station where we “staked a claim” before panning for “gold” and were rewarded with prizes.  Other activities included braided rug sewing, soap carving, and a Dutch oven demonstration. 

Later, we joined a guided tour of historic homes moved from Old Valdez to New Valdez after the 1964 Earthquake.  All the walking made us hungry so we had a delicious meal of tacos at the Nat Shack just up the street from our campground.

We finished our time in Valdez with “End of the Road” by Magpies on the Fly, a fun vaudeville musical about local history. They were a hoot!

Wrangell-St. Elias to Chicken

August 11, 2023

We left Valdez on an early foggy morning and drove up the Richardson Highway into a beautiful clear day.  Valdez to Base Camp Kennecott in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is only 179 miles but the last 59 miles after Chitina are legendarily rough. The McCarthy Road is a gravel and chip seal road built over an old railroad track that took copper ore from the McCarthy mines to Cordova.  There are still old railroad spikes in the railroad bed notorious for causing flat tires, though we luckily didn’t have any mishaps. At Pippin Lake, we took the Edgerton Highway to Kenny Lake where we took advantage of almost the last place to fuel up and fill with water. We stopped at Liberty Falls to stretch our legs and have an early lunch. 

From the Chitina Bridge, we could see fish wheels along the banks of the Chitina River harvesting the salmon run.

And then…the McCarthy Road!!

McCarthy Road was actually in better shape than we had imagined, but still took over 3 hours driving 30mph or less to travel the 60 miles.  It was a quiet day on the road, with less than a handful of vehicles, so we enjoyed stopping at scenic spots for pictures and videos. 

The Kuskulana Bridge

The Gilahina Trestle

Long Lake

We arrived at Base Camp Kennecott mid-afternoon and scouted about until we found this epic camp spot.

Since there was still plenty of daylight, we wandered across the footbridge over the Kennecott River to check out the shuttle pick-up point for the following morning’s adventure.  Looking down through the bridge grate and watching the water pound against the pilings made you dizzy and wonder how the little bridge survived! 

Pedestrians, bicyclists, and 4-wheelers use this bridge and there is a vehicle bridge downstream only for locals.  RigorMortis, a truck assembled by a pioneer from whatever parts he had available, is proudly displayed on the McCarthy side of the footbridge.

After a hearty breakfast and coffee by the river the next morning, we crossed the bridge to meet our St.Elias Alpine Guides van. 

It is a 5-mile drive from the footbridge to the town of Kennecott where we would start our hike to the Root Glacier.  Our guide Max fitted our shoes with spikes we would need later for walking on the glacier and as we hiked the 2.5 miles out to the toe, he filled us in with area history and glacier information. 

Once out on the ice, the spikes kept us steady on the hard-packed surface—like a giant ice cube! 

Max led us to blue pools, waterfalls, deep crevasses, and hilltop overlooks.  The beauty of the glacier hike was surreal and the experience is hard to describe. 

Lunch included a turkey sandwich, cookie, and chips from Kennicott Glacier Lodge in town, and Max even served hot chocolate!

The six-hour adventure was over all too soon and we had a brief rest before joining Max again for the Kennecott Mine tour. 

The stamp mill was similar to the Brittania Mine in British Columbia, with some of the same components in a different state of disrepair. 

It was a more athletic tour with steep stairways and narrow passageways to navigate!

At the end of the day, we took the shuttle back to McCarthy where we ate at The Potato.  Fresh black cod with kimchee seasoning and garlic rosemary fries-wow! 

We walked back to the footbridge and home to the truck camper where we slept well beside the noisy river.  We woke in the morning to the sound of rain and hoped the weather would clear for our trip with Wrangell Raft and Flightsee.  Colorful rafts perched on the opposite bank just across the river from our camper promised that the adventure was a go, so off we went across the footbridge for another day’s fun!

After a short van ride and a stop to get outfitted in dry suits, we launched the colorful rafts into the Kennicott River which rushes continually with a constantly changing course and no deep spots to slow down. 

The morning fog made us feel like we could have been early explorers charting unknown territory.  In reality, our guides were the company owners, who took phenomenal care of all of us and made sure we had a great time!  They set out a delicious deli spread for lunch on the gravel riverbed before oaring us through the Nizina Canyon with swirling currents between cliff walls. 

After the canyon, there was an area on the riverbank just large enough for two little planes to land and pick us up.  The rafts were deflated and folded, and it took two trips to fetch everything back to McCarthy. 

We took the second flight out, and the plane flew over the glacier we had walked the day before for a different perspective. 

This is the more remote and wild Alaska we love to experience!

It was hard to leave the next morning, but we made an early start for a 260-mile day to Tok.  McCarthy Road was a little more congested—wherever these guys are going, count me in (Say, do you need a camp cook? Someone to look after the mules? Srsly!). 

In Tok, we picked up mail we had sent from our mail forwarding service, did laundry, and boondocked at a rest area on the southeast corner of the Tetlin Bridge over the Tanana River just east of Tok.  It was so quiet after several nights camping by the Kennicott River! 

The next day we drove the Taylor Highway to Chicken, with gorgeous sweeping views of lower mountains, black spruce, and tundra with low bushes. 

We stopped at an overlook & picked blueberries—well, I picked and Larry ate all his as he said he had to keep his hands free to use the bear spray in case we got company (we didn’t, but a plausible excuse).

Our next stop in Alaska is named after ptarmigan, a type of grouse found plentifully in Alaska. Story has it that townsfolk settles on the name of “Chicken” since the spelling of ptarmigan eluded them. See you there!

Chicken to Dawson City

August 15, 2023

In our original plans, our stop in Chicken was on the way to Alaska in June.  Our timing would have coincided with “Chickenstock,” a music festival where hundreds if not thousands of people converge on the town of Chicken, whose average population is 12.  It sounds like a hoot, but with the tickets having sold out almost instantaneously in January, we scheduled to come on our way out of Alaska instead. This is Chicken, and I’m not sure where all those people stayed.

We toured the Pedro Dredge with Simon, who was very informative. 

The dredge was moved here from a mile away in 1998, restored for tours by 2005, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

After the tour, Larry had the best time panning for gold and stayed at the stand-up troughs for several hours.  I even purchased a gold pan and sniffer bottle to make it easier for him.

We boondocked that night in Chicken just beside the restaurant, which was super convenient for being first in line to buy a colossal cinnamon roll the following morning! 

Larry needed the fuel for the hours and hours and hours he spent later at the Jack Wade public gold panning area. 

We only left when the rain became more serious, chasing a cow moose down the road on our way to Top of the World Highway. 

We found a boondocking spot with epic panoramic views on the spur to Eagle- the kind of camping spot whose beauty and wildness are permanently etched into your memory.

 

The next day was Sunday, August 13, and we drove the Top of the World highway to Dawson City.  The name is appropriate as the road has stunning scenery and incredible views. 

We crossed into Canada at Poker Creek-Little Gold border crossing, and for such a lovely place, the border agent was grumpy.  We were sad to leave Alaska, too!

  From there, the weather in Canada deteriorated to match his mood, with rain making the roads slick and muddy.  We crossed the Yukon River into Dawson City on the free George Black ferry, and our first stop after arriving was to find a spot to wash the rig! 

Looking all fresh and clean, we parked on Main Street to make several Parks Canada tour reservations at the visitors’ center. 

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Gold Rush Campground is located right in town and was a very convenient place to stay, as Dawson City is a very walkable town!  After checking into the campground, we returned to the Visitor Center for a downtown walking tour.  Our guide, James, gave us a good overview of town history and peeks behind the scenes in some buildings.

The following day, we joined Lucy for a guided tour of the SS Keno.  The Keno is smaller than the Klondike in Whitehorse and meant to haul silver ore from the Mayo mines instead of passengers.  It is a remarkably well-preserved memory from a vanished era, and we enjoyed Parks Canada’s access. 

Afterward, we walked uphill to visit the Jack London cabin and then the Robert Service cabin, where Fred presented a program reciting many of Robert Service’s famous poems.

We had some time to relax before going to Diamond Tooth Gertie’s that night for a show based on Dawson City history. 

Of course, no visit to Dawson City is complete without a trip to the Sourdough Saloon for the “Sour Toe Cocktail.” Drink it fast or drink it slow; your lips must touch the toe—there are substantial penalties if you damage the wax-encased frost-bitten toe in any way!

Dawson City is a quirky town that grows on you, and we enjoyed our short stay there.  As we left, we drove uphill to the Midnight Dome, where sweeping views of the city allow you to see where the Yukon and Klondike rivers meet, the colors being different until the waters mixed downstream.

The Dredge #4 National Historic Site just outside town was one of the best we’ve been to, probably because of our tour guide, Sue.  Sue is a small, wiry, and knowledgeable local miner who explained that Dredge 4 was underwater when mining ceased, so the lower levels remained intact and unsalvaged.  The Canadian Army raised the dredge and restored it for the park, making it a wonder to behold.  It is undoubtedly the largest dredge we have been on!

Ah, but the best part is Claim #6, just down the road on Bonanza Creek, where you can pan for gold at no charge!! So Larry scoped out a spot on the creek and bought a three-legged stool for $10 Canadian from a fellow gold fever-stricken German tourist, which allowed him to pan for probably six hours. 

He found color in every pan, so how could he stop?  We ended up boondocking there overnight next to several old trommels. 

What a wonderful place to wake up and imagine all the crazy events and people this little creek has seen. 

After a long 8-hour drive that next day, we landed at a spacious, peaceful boondocking spot hidden across from the rest area on the Klondike Highway @298 km that talks about conglomerates. 

We spent a rainy night with no neighbors, two or four-legged, though a scant mile or two down the road the following day, we spied an enormous grizzly scampering away into the woods, so—who knows?

Skagway, Alaska

August 26, 2023

Cinnamon Rolls must be the siren song of travel to and from Alaska, and we’ve tried to be polite by sampling the most famous. I know it’s a job, but someone has to do it! 🤣  We stopped at the Braeburn Lodge, where Steve served up an enormous Cinnamon Roll that we almost finished in one sitting while we chatted with him about the Yukon Quest since this lodge is one of the stops on the famous sled dog race.

Full of a sugar rush, we drove the Whitehorse, where we did a some shopping, washed the rig off, and visited the Beringia Museum. It was too early in the season for the museum to be open when we were here in early June, so we were especially pleased to have a chance to tour it. Beringia refers to a vast shelf of land connecting Canada, Russia, and Alaska. Not the Bering Sea land bridge so many think of, this was a barren landscape that did not invite migration but was influential in the region’s shared history.

We drove to a boondocking spot near Conrad, and the weather lifted for us to spot mountain goats on the slopes across Tagish Lake.

The following day we drove Klondike Hghway into Skagway—and were blown away by the stunning scenery and multiple changes in climate zones. We had a lovely day for the drive and took our time exploring.

In Skagway, we stayed at Garden City Skagway RV Park, on the outskirts of town but just a 15-minute walk away.

On Saturday, August 19, we walked to the docks and took the Fast Ferry to Haines.

It was a quick 45-minute boat ride up the arm of the Fjord on calm waters.

In Haines, we first walked a mile to the Mountain Market for a breakfast burrito and coffee before going to the visitor center.

A friendly local (originally from Hawaii) helped us with ideas and suggested a car rental from Captains’ Choice Hotel for the day. We followed his excellent advice and were so glad we did. Our first stop was at Chilkoot State Recreation Area, where we watched a mother grizzly bear fishing for her two cubs on a weir. She was catching humpies (pink salmon) and sometimes sharing them with the cubs.

So, this guy, calmly counting salmon with his back to the bears?

Where does a wet bear cross the road? Wherever it wants to!

There were locals hooking salmon in the river below to watch as well.

The rest of the day, we visited the Chilkat Recreation Area to the south, where we circumnavigated the small islands to enjoy the views, ate an excellent lunch of halibut fish and chips at the Bamboo Room, and toured the Haines Sheldon Museum.

Our ferry ride back to Haines had us back at the campground by 8:30 pm, and – surprise – it was getting dark at night now! Just a little reminder that our endless Alaskan summer is drawing to a close, though we still have plenty of adventures planned!

Skagway is always bustling with people during the day as it is a cruise ship town, and it was fun to walk around and see everyone enjoying their vacations.

One evening, we took in the Days of ’98 Soapy Smith Vaudeville Show in town,  proceeded by “gambling” in the hall with $1500 in chips given to each person.  We enjoyed playing blackjack until the show started.

Another day, we walked into town and hiked to Lower Dewey Lake above the port for some exercise and views of the Fjord.

On Tuesday, August 22, we took the Fjord Express catamaran for a 2.5-hour ride to Juneau.

It was a picture-perfect day with views of the mountains and waterfalls around the Fjord and visits by Dall porpoises, humpback whales, bald eagles, Stellar Sea lions, and sea otters.

In Juneau, a bus picked us up from the dock and dropped us off in town for three hours of sightseeing. Our first stop was lunch at Pel’Meni for beef and potato Russian dumplings.

Since it was such a gorgeous day, we took the tram to Mount Roberts and enjoyed the spectacular views.

We watched the film about First Nations and met a gentleman who was a true artist carving a totem pole, but it would be nice to have a longer time in Juneau to do the longer hikes on and around the mountain.

Fortunately, we timed our tram ride down to have a very short wait and were able to explore the town before taking the ferry home. Captain Ketch and deckhand Hannah served us salmon chowder, sourdough bread, and a chocolate chip cookie, and the way home was just as scenic as before.

Just kidding, this is the lifesize humpback whale sculpture in Juneau, but Larry had fun positioning himself to make it look real!

One evening, we walked into town to take the Whitepass and Yukon train, which covered some of the scenery we saw on our drive into Skagway. Larry stayed on the back platform the entire ride and got the best pictures on a hazy Alaska evening.

We spent an entire day exploring the upper end of Skagway, including the falls and the cemetery at the edge of town with the gravesites of some of the characters mentioned in the Soapy Smith play.

The abandoned townsite of Dyea was the start of the Chilkoot Train for the 1898 Gold Rush Stampede, and there is a walking trail to some of the old building foundations or locations.

The cemetery there had many of the stampeders who died in the Palm Sunday avalanche that deterred others from using the trail. The deadly avalanche and the opening of the railroad spelled the end of Dyea.  The Floridian below died in the avalanche.

The first part of the Chilkoot Pass Trail is steep, narrow, and rocky, and hiking makes you admire the men who carried 50 to 100 pounds on this trail, 40 trips to the Canadian border and back, bringing in the required one-year supply of goods.

The bridge over the Taiya River at mile 3 washed out over a year ago, so much of the US portion of the trail is closed. Cruise ship tours only walk in a short distance, but we went to the (missing) bridge and back—the bears have gotten used to having the trail to themselves, and we saw lots of prints and tons of scat.

Although we had our bear spray, the brush was very close without much visibility, and we were concerned to find a fresh, steamy pile of scat on our way back that wasn’t there on our way out.

Our last day in Skagway was Friday, August 25, and in between chores and getting ready to leave, we wandered back into town to the Skagway museum.

We’ve enjoyed seeing this town and this part of Alaska. It’s hard to believe this is almost our last stop in Alaska, and as we crossed back into Canada early the following day, we thought about how blessed we have been to enjoy all these adventures this summer!

“August is like the Sunday of summer.”   – Unknown

Next up – more bears!

July 1, 2023

On Monday, June 26, we left Fairbanks and drove 115 miles to Denali National Park. We checked in at the beautiful visitor center and chatted with one of the ranger about our plans. She signed us up for a ranger-led Discovery hike, which I didn’t think would be available as those opportunities disappear fast.

Getting ready for some unbearable fun in Denali!

The only moose sign we saw in Denali.

We drove over to the kennels and enjoyed the dog sled demonstration, though not as much as the dogs clearly did!

Pika was Larry’s favorite sled dog.

Our next stop was Riley Creek Mercantile where we were able to get our permits for camping at Teklanika and Savage River as well as our passes for riding the green buses while we are out at Teklanika.  This means that once we go through the checkpoint at mile 15 tomorrow we won’t have to come back to the park entrance when we move to Savage River campground! With that accomplished, we drove about 16 miles south of the park to boon dock right alongside the Nenana River on an abandoned section of the Parks Highway.  It was a quiet peaceful night beside the river.

Tuesday morning we were up very early to drive into Denali.

We hiked Mount Healy in total peace and solitude all the way to the top! Except for this dangerous fellow – do you see him?

The views from the top were spectacular!

After a short rest and another cup of coffee we hiked the Horseshoe Lake trail, where the picture of the beaver dam does not do it justice for the intricate engineering work of art that it is.

Although we didn’t see them, the beaver are still quite active here and I thought the pattern of their treework was pretty cool as well.

The start of this trail is up the hill to the right of the train tracks but we had plenty of warning to get out of the way.

We stopped at Riley Creek to make sure we had enough water to last several days and then drove out to our campsite at Teklanika. At 29 miles from the park entrance, “Tek” is the furthest you can drive your own vehicle. You need to make a reservation for a minimum of three days and the permit makes it clear that your vehicle or RV cannot leave once it is there.  This means you purchase bus passes to ride (only) the green bus either deeper into the park or no further back than the permit checkpoint at mile 15. A bit complicated but oh so worth it to be far away from the crowds near the park entrance! 

Denali cat!

 From the campground you can walk to the braided river bed for beautiful views (especially good with morning coffee).

Wednesday we had to meet the 8:30am green bus to join our Discovery Hike ranger and group who had started together at the bus depot near the park entrance.

We rode out to mile 43, which is where the road stops because of the landslide two miles further at Pretty Rocks. Essentially the road melted off of the rocky hillside so the park is figuring out how to build a bridge over the unstable area. This may take several more years at least, as no contractor is leaning in to do the project. The ranger took us down to explore along the riverbed several miles to the landslide area.

We learned what we have affectionately dubbed the “Denali Song” for walking through brush in bear country: “If you can HEAR me, don’t come NEAR me” with the capitalized words loudest and drawn out. “You should FEAR me” can be added as an optional line. Another variation is “ If you can SEE me, you should FLEE me.”  The Discovery Hike lasted several hours and included some stream crossings, talks about plants, wildlife, geology and other topics. We saw several caribou from a distance and then one trotted just behind us while we were eating the lunches we packed.

This one is well camouflaged .

We did see evidence of a brown bear and learned that the Denali brown bear are mostly vegetarian and thus smaller than the coastal brown bear who feast on salmon. I’ll still carry my bear spray!

From the bus on our way back to the campground, we could see some Dall sheep—those white dots are them!  

On Thursday, June 29, we rode another green bus from Tek back to mile 17 to do an off trail hike to Mount Margaret.

It is not an official trail so the start is an inauspicious looking break in the trees by the road.

We hiked up about a quarter mile through the dense brush until it thinned out. It was early, overcast and gloomy, we were alone and couldn’t see more than a few feet around us—yep, we sang the song we learned! The hike took us up through tundra to Mount Margaret on the Primrose Ridge and incredible views! Though we didn’t see any wildlife, we looked out over the other side to endless mountain views, rock pinnacles and green alpine slopes unknown to less adventurous travelers. We enjoyed a hot lunch we had brought as we felt in awe of the wilderness around us.

Magical! The rain, wind and mountain mist that had been threatening swept over us, so for the journey down we put on extra layers and rain pants. That was most definitely our favorite hike of Denali and for our next visit (when the road is opened again) we’ll stay longer at Tek and do more explorations like this!

Flashback – before we came to Denali with our girls in 2009, Larry read an ad in his flying magazine about a lodge in Kantishna for one of the Denali aviation services. So we stayed there, slept in a very small cabin and ate family style with the pilots and staff. We rode serviceable bicycles of an uncertain age up and down hills to Wonder Lake and wandered the braided river bed before biking back again. All without a word of complaint from the girls in spite of biting bugs and tired legs! We hiked all day up past an old mine onto the tundra to a lookout where Larry identified a collection of instruments as a seismic monitoring station. Whereupon I pounded my walking stick into the tundra three times exclaiming “boom boom boom” much to his dismay!  No earthquake was reported in Denali on that day in 2009 and the story remains a family joke about how ridiculous Mom can be. So yes, we will come back when Denali is fully open again because there is still so much to explore and so many more memories to make!

Friday we left early and drove back to the Savage Alpine Trailhead where we were the first car in the parking lot! What a great hike, with a creekside trail to start, a narrow ridgeline crest at the end and panoramic vistas at the top.

And look who showed up! 

Just kidding, I meant this one! Only 30% of visitors to Denali actually get to see the mountain so we feel blessed.

We took the easy loop walk around the Savage River before taking the shuttle back to the camper in a full parking lot. We spent the night at Savage River campground where we had been warned the bears had been active, although we didn’t have any during our stay. 

Saturday morning we drove just outside the park to Denali Raft Adventures where we donned dry suits for an oar raft trip. The cast on my left arm was off now and the supportive wrist brace fit pretty well under the dry suit, although we all looked like colorful blow up holiday yard decorations.

Our guide, Andrea, kept us entertained and did a great job navigating the Class 1-3 rapids. During a float section we spotted a pair of bald eagles!

We celebrated afterwards with hot coffee and a pastry before checking into our Denali campground at Riley Creek where we were able to do laundry and take showers.

One of the campground hosts was from our Florida childhood hometown and his father had been a great mentor for Larry, so we spent the evening hours sharing stories around the campfire. On Sunday morning, July 2, we waited for the visitor center to open so Larry could get his Junior Ranger badge. Denali makes you work for this one but it was worth it!

Goodbye Denali, we WILL be back!

Jack Heine

1931 – 2021

Larry’s reflections on his childhood mentor

Everyone’s life is represented by the dash between the date you were born and the date you died.  That dash stands for the gift of time we get to live and make a difference.  Let me tell you about Mr. Heine’s dash and what it meant to me.  Mr Heine lived next door when I was growing up and he was the best mentor a boy could ask for.  He taught me how to work on boats, how to use tools, to keep a tidy and organized workbench (and life).  Long after I was grown and moved away, we stayed in touch and he continued to delight in my projects and successes.  His son, Mike, was kind enough to reach out to me when Mr. Heine no longer could.  The dash Mr. Heine leaves behind is that when I am at the workbench or contemplating how to tackle a project I am reminded that he gave me the greatest gift of all — the gift of his time and part of his dash.  I will always remember him and be grateful for that.  

Talkeetna, Hatcher Pass, and the Matanuska Glacier

July 6, 2023

After we left Denali National Park on July 2, we drove south to Talkeetna.  We were looking to reprise our fond memories from years ago of walking around the quaint little town and enjoying reindeer sausage and biscuits at Talkeetna Roadhouse.  It was a bright sunny day as we drove into the harsh reality that the world had also discovered Talkeetna since we were last there.  Multitudes of cruise ship passengers disembark at the train depot to clog Main Street. The Roadhouse only has a bakery window now, and meals are just for overnight guests.  The experience was so disappointing that we left without stopping.  Sigh – memories soften the rough edges and highlight the fun times and emotions, especially times spent with your children. But, ouch!

We had picked several boondocking spots on the banks of the Susitna River to choose from for that night’s camping, so we went to each to decide which was best. Our favorite choice involved a stream crossing to get to our camp spot. What fun! Other campers were fishing and riding their ATVs, so we felt like locals being there.

The next morning we decided to give Talkeetna another try, at least to have a pastry and walk around before the crowds. Sadly, none of the places we wanted to visit were open that Monday, and with the gloomy rain we decided some places you just can’t go back to.

On the drive south to Parks Highway, our spirits were lifted by the sighting of a moose grazing close to the road.  

We had a delicious reindeer sausage croissant with coffee at Black Bear Coffee, so warmed and nourished, we drove on into Palmer.

We refueled and re-provisioned before going to the Finger Lake State Recreation area campground.  Boondocking spots are usually available in the Hatcher Pass area where we would be adventuring, but I had reserved this sure spot nearby for the holiday weekend. Besides, it is always fun to be surrounded by celebrating campers!

The next day was July 4, Independence Day!  We drove up early to the Independence Mine in Hatcher Pass.  

The mine wasn’t open for the day yet, so we hiked the Gold Cord Lake trail. 

 It is hard to believe that there used to be a small town of homesites all up this hill for mine family, and thankfully this little one remains.  

The lake was just starting to thaw at the edges in early July, and you could see how lovely, clear, and blue the lake must be perhaps in August.

View from the lake looking down at the mine

Later, the historical mine tour took us into closed buildings to learn how the gold miners lived from 1938 to 1951.  

A century ago in the middle of nowhere, children read the classics in school!

After our tour, we met two pet reindeer out on a walk with their owners who said they are like “very needy dogs.”  

Only in Alaska!  While the lower 48 may have baked in the heat, our Independence Day at Independence Mine was cool in many ways!

On July 5, we returned to the Hatcher Pass area to hike the Gold Mint Trail.  Due to all the rain, recent reviews of our hiking trail options mentioned slick and muddy conditions.  

We opted for an 8-mile hike on the Gold Mint Trail, which goes further out to the Gold Mint Hut after a part of the trail that is currently “spongy.”  To explain, for one summer vacation our family hiked the Maine Huts & Trails system consisting of 4 huts with at least 12 miles of hiking between each of them.  We were told some areas were spongy, but what we didn’t know was that in Maine spongy means the trail boardwalks are washed away and you’ll be sloshing about up to your knees in water. (Our awesome teenage daughters took it in stride and did great!) The term stuck and now a spongy trail means it is underwater.  No worries, the Hatcher Pass area is gorgeous, and it would be a great spot to return for more hiking.  

July 6 was ice climbing on the Matanuska Glacier for Larry!  I talked to the guides at Matanuska Ice Climbing Adventures earlier in June who kindly refunded my portion of the trip as I was not a candidate for ice climbing or even spectating as my broken arms were not completely healed. We arrived early and were impressed to see the crew cleaning the interior and exterior of the vans that transported guests to either the glacier or the heliport.  That kind of attention to detail says a lot about a business! 

They carefully fitted Larry with boots, crampons, and a belaying harness before going to the heliport.

The helicopter then took him several miles to a remote area on the Matanuska Glacier.  

His guide, Thomas, did an outstanding job teaching Larry ice-climbing skills and then coaching him through climbs of increasing difficulty.  

For the last challenge, he rappelled down into a crevasse deep in the blue ice with a waterfall and river!  

 

Larry returned to the camper with a huge smile on his face and quite a story to tell about his day.  MICA guides let us stay in our parking spot for the night, and we had visitors!

Anchorage to Kenai

July 13, 2023

When we got up on July 7, Larry said his arms were only a little sore from the ice climbing workout the day before, though well worth it! Our plan for the day was a short 80-mile drive to Eklutna Lake along the beautiful Glenn highway.

We snagged a campsite at Eklutna Lake Campground in Chugach State Park before the campground filled that Friday afternoon and walked down to the lake.  

The weather was threatening to rain, but the lake was still beautiful.  

We hiked the Lakeside Trail where we found real bear signs (not the silly ones we’ve been showing you).

The locals we met were carrying firearms confirming our general rule to bring bear spray on hikes in Alaska.

The next morning on our way to Anchorage we took a quick hike to Thunderbird Falls. 

One of our friends in Fairbanks had recommended lunch at Tommy’s and they weren’t wrong.  The hamburger and onion rings were huge and delicious, but the chocolate peanut butter milkshake was outstanding!

We hadn’t been to Anchorage for over a decade so we revisited some of our favorite spots including Title Wave Bookstore before going to Mass at the Holy Family Cathedral. This car parked next to us and Larry got some information about sluicing for gold next week! 

We spent the next several nights camped overnight at the Lake Hood Seaplane Base.  While Airplanes have the right of way on all the roads, Anchorage locals jog, bike, and walk their dogs through the area. Larry was absolutely in paradise with the view out our back door.

He took photos of planes, the little huts by each seaplane dock, and planes taking off by water and land.

This half-truck takes float planes out of the water.

Sunday morning was a glorious sunny day so we hiked up Flattop Mountain for a panoramic view of Anchorage!  

The last part is an unmarked crab-walking rock scramble with down being decidedly more challenging than up.  

It was worth it for the views, and the reward—pizza at Moose’s Tooth!

On Monday, July 10, Larry made reservations for gold sluicing with Prospector Johns on July 12!  We ran some errands in town before heading down Turnigan Arm on the Seward Highway. This is the only route to the Kenai Peninsula, but unfortunately, a crash involving two RVs created a traffic delay of several hours. 

Eventually, we arrived at our boondocking site at Bore Tide Viewing #3.

The tide comes up the Arm with such a surge that it causes a wave either from a few inches to several feet.  For us, just seeing the silty quicksand bottom almost completely exposed and covered was incredible!

We spent a good part of Tuesday morning and afternoon at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center at the end of Turnigan Arm near the turn on the Seward Highway towards Homer.  Injured and orphaned wildlife who cannot be released get a good home here.  Animals at the Center include bears, wolves, moose, deer, caribou, musk oxen, an eagle, and other native wildlife.  The volunteers and staff were enthusiastic and eager to share information.  We arrived before morning feeding time and the wolves were especially active waiting for their meal.  After taking the walkable loop trail to the larger pens, we were pleased to see the parking lot full. Visitors support the work of the conservation center caring for and feeding their animals all year.

We found a sweet boondocking spot for the night on a forest service road overlooking a series of ponds. 

On Wednesday, July 12,  we were in Cooper Landing in plenty of time to get Larry geared up for his gold sluicing.  Prospector John has been featured in “Devil’s Canyon” on Discovery Channel and has a working claim on the Kenai Lake.  Prospecting is about finding gold and is different from mining gold where clearing access to a claim site, setting up and provisioning a camp, then moving in all equipment and supplies are key components. Sluicing is a lot of work, so this time I joined the adventure as a photographer. John took us out to his claim in his boat, where the group split up to work on two different sluices.

After John gave us a tour of the mining camp where miners Steve and Mike live, Larry and a father-son team received instruction on how to use the sluice and sluice box. 

 They got to work and rotated the duties between them for two and a half hours. 

In the end, Miner Mike cleaned out the sluice box and panned the pay dirt for gold.  

Wow—and  Larry got to keep 1/3 of it!

We camped that night at the Russian River campground before hiking to the Russian River Falls the next morning.  

Twice on our hike, we surprised some grouse hens with their chicks beside the trail, and they stayed long enough for photos. 

At the Falls, we were rewarded with views of migrating salmon! Larry took the top photo with the more athletic salmon.

We had a lovely day to drive into the town of Kenai and explore the Russian church and historic downtown. 

 From the bluff, we could see dip netters trying for salmon in the Cook Inlet below.  We looked at those expensive $150 dip nets at WalMart and they are several feet in diameter so they must take some skill to use successfully.

It was such a pretty day that a local commented “Summer came on a Thursday this year!

There are five species of wild salmon in Alaska, and we’ve been told multiple times how to remember them by the fingers on your hand:

Thumb – Chum (or dog) salmon. This rhymes so it makes sense.

Index Finger – Sockeye (or red) salmon because you use this finger to poke someone in the eye and make it red.

Middle Finger – King (or Chinook) salmon. The tallest finger is the king, and this salmon is the best-tasting of them all.

Ring Finger – Silver (or Coho) salmon. You can wear silver on your ring finger.

Pinkie Finger – Pink (Humpy) salmon. These are the smallest salmon