Destruction Bay to Haines - July 30, 2014

The roads on the 200 mile journey from Destruction Bay to Haines were much better today.  We went through a variety of land forms from mountains to valleys and along rivers.  Also, the sun was shining most of the way and I could even take off my wool socks.  However, by the time we got to our destination, Oceanside RV, it was pouring rain so back with the sweatshirts and  wool socks.

The camp hosts asked us to come to a crab boil.  Gary and Jeff even went down to the dock and helped prepare them, as in cracking and cleaning them.  That is the nice way to put it.  They were delicious and many of the campers joined the feast.

After we ate. we drove along the bay north of town where we watched a grizzly trying to catch fish.  He must have been a young one because he didn't seem to be very proficient at it.  There also were several eagles seemingly waiting for fish to appear.  We say 2 black bears and four grizzlies today.

 Leaving Kluane Lake

 Mama grizzly and 2 cubs in the ditch along the highwya

 Crab legs are ready

 Eagle near Haines

 Grizzly "fishing" near Haines  Below:  scene approaching Haines

Fairbanks to Destruction Bay - July 29, 2014

We traveled the worst roads today that we have driven on the whole trip.  It was rocking and rolling all the way from Tok to Destruction Bay.  We had a lot of things shaken out, loose, and scattered.
There was some great scenery and we did see some Trumpeter Swans at lakes along the way.
We stopped for the night at Cottonwood RV Park which is a beautiful park along the Kluane Lake.

Arctic Circle Trip - July 26, 2014

We have now been  the farthest north that we will ever be.  Rather than drive the rough Dalton Highway in our own vehicles, we choose the do a guided tour.  We had a very well spoken, personable,  and knowledgeable young man as our driver/guide.  It was about 180 miles one way to the southern edge of the Arctic Circle on the Dalton Highway.  It is paved about half of that way and the rest was dirt/gravel quite rough and many pot holes.  The eight of us were the only passengers in the van so made it more enjoyable.
We made several stops along the way.  One of them was at the mighty Yukon River.  It is a wide river with a very strong current.  In fact, sometimes it actually has waves so high small boats can not navigate on it.  We stopped at a couple of interesting places for breakfast and lunch.  As you can imagine, there isn't many businesses along the way.  When we reached our destination, there wasn't much there but the sign, picnic tables, and bathroom facilities but we knew that because it had been researched.  While there, we celebrated Dee's birthday with cupcakes and singing Happy Birthday.

 The van we rode in to the Arctic Circle

 Moose and calf (can barely see its ears) we saw along the way

 The beginning of the Dalton Highway

 Bridge over the Yukon River

 Dalton Highway pretty much parallels the pipeline

 A stop at finger mountain

 We made it.  Below:  All eight of us.

 It was a long day but we all agreed that we are glad we did it.

Fairbanks - July 25, 2014

We all started the day by taking a guided

 Shows the path of the Alaska Pipeline

 About half of the pipeline is above ground because of permafrost

 The sternwheeler we rode on

 Float plane landing by the boat

 Susan Butcher's husband and co author, David Monson

 At the kennel with sled dog pups

 Native dependent and UA student demonstrating coat made of several kinds of skins

 Standing by the statue of Granite, the dog no one but Susan thought would be useful as a sled dog, who was the lead dog for her 4 Iditarod wins. Below:  David Monson, Susan's husband.  An not sure about the woman - may be their daughter.

tour bus on a city tour.  It drove by Pioneer Park, Downtown Fairbanks, the Alaska Pipeline, and the University of Alaska museum.  We spent a little time out of the bus at the pipeline and an hour at the museum.  All and all we felt the tour was very informative and well worth the price.

Then this afternoon, we went on the Discovery sternwheeler boat on the Chena River that runs through Fairbanks.  It joins the Nanana River in this area.  They are very different kinds of rivers.  The Chena is spring fed and the Nanana is glacier fed.  The trip was narrated by a gentleman who was informative and humerus.  It passed by the residence and kennel of Susan Butcher who won the Iditarod three consecutive years and won 4  times.  She died of cancer in 2006.  The runt pup that no one but Susan thought would be of any value was her lead dog for all of her wins.  She also took a sled dog team to the Summit of Mount McKinley.  There also were replicas of a native fish camp, and village.  We got off the boat to listen and watch demonstrations in the areas and learn more about the native cultures.  It rained almost all day so the reason for the ponchos in the pictures.
Still don't know what I do to separate the typing.

Fairbanks - July 23, 2014

Yesterday we traveled from Healy to Fairbanks.  There was road construction several places along the way where we had to wait for a pilot car the escorts us through.  When they do road construction in Alaska, the entire asphalt is removed with only dirt and a little gravel remains.  At least it wasn't raining but we quickly washed the truck when we got here.  The journey was only a little over 100 miles but it took us about 4 hours.

Three members of our entourage is coming down with colds.  Thank goodness one of them is not me - yet,  but Gary is.  So today he pretty much just stayed under cover in the RV.  I started the day out doing laundry.  I think that will be the last time I have to do that before we get back to Bates County.  I did 3 loads to the tune of $15.

We did schedule some sightseeing/information tours so we are pretty much booked up with things to do for the time we are here.  We are in a very nice RV park, much improved from the one we stayed in at Healy.  We all agreed that we would rate that one as pitiful.  It was in a mud hole, poorly maintained, and some campers (construction workers we think) partied well into the night.

I went with Jeff and Marcella this afternoon to a street market.  It was billed as a farmers market but there was a lot of craft booths.  It was enjoyable none the less.  Then we drove about 12 miles to North Pole (not THE north pole).  We did a little shopping at the gift shop, one of many we have visited since we started the trip, took some pictures, and mailed some cards so they would have North Pole on the postmark.

Jeff and Marcella fixed supper

 Scenery along the way yesterday

 Santa house at North Pole

 Santa signing books

 One of Santa's reindeer

 Hope your name is on this list.

  for all of us for supper.  Really hit the spot on this cool (cold) evening.  I think I heard on the news this evening it has been a record low summer for Alaska.  I can believe it.  However, when I hear about the weather back home, I certainly am not complaining.

Denali National Park - July 21, 2014

We all took buses into Denali National Park today.  Private vehicles can only drive the first 17 miles without a special permit to camp.  The buses we rode went 66 miles to the Eilson center.  We could have gone farther but that is an 8 hour trip and we thought that was enough.  The drivers are pretty good at spotting wildlife and stopping for everyone to get a good look and take pictures.  Our first driver had a lot of information about the park and the animals even though he did like to talk about himself a lot.  If he had done all the things he said he has done then I guess he could boast a little.  We saw moose, 7 brown bears, dozens of caribou, golden eagles, and many arctic ground squirrels .

At the Eilson visitors center, we ate lunch and then Jeff, Marcella, and I went on a hiking trail.  It was 1.1 mi. one way and  mostly steep.  I didn't know 1.1 mi. could be so long but I did reach the top.  The view up there was amazing. I thought the 1.1 mi. hike down would be a breeze but the legs and knees didn't think so.  They felt a little like rubber when I got down.  It was an accomplishment for me and I am glad I did it.

 Young moose

 First brown bear we saw

 Doll Sheep up on a mountain.  The picture doesn't show that they are.

 Thought this was hilarious.  He ran by the bus and I didn't have time to zoom so the bus window didn't show.

 The beginning of the hike.  This part wasn't too steep.

 I made it to the top.

 View from the top.  This is new snow.  They said it wasn't there 2 days ago.

 Another brown bear.  The others were too far away to get a picture

Hiking Day at Denali

Jeff, Marcella, Jim, and Dee went on a long strenuous hike this morning and we picked them up at the end of the hike and delivered them to their vehicles.  Probably thought correctly, that I shouldn't try it.  While we waited on them to reach the end of the trail where we were waiting, I hiked a trail along the Savage River.  I am not sure if it was 2 mi one way or 2 mi. round trip.  It felt like a 4 mi. hike but it started raining shortly after I started down the trail and rained all the time I was hiking.  I wasn't dressed very well for a hike in the rain as I had jeans on.  They were getting pretty heavy by the time I finished.

Because we had toured the bus used in the movie that Christopher McCandless lived and died in in Alaska, we watched the movie Into the Wild this evening at Jeff and Marcella's RV.  Jeff streamed it off the internet.  I guess when you are young and headstrong, you think you can do anything.

I must get to bed as we are getting up at 5 in the morning to go on the tour bus in Denali and doing a ranger led hike.

 Trail along the Savage River that I hiked

 Can tell by the raindrops on the lens that it was raining

 Bridge to cross to start back on the other side

 Scene along the way

 Trail I hiked up to the top of a little peak

 View from the peak.  Below the end of the trail.  Still don't know if it was 2 mi. one way or 2 mi. round trip.  It took me a little over an hour so am thinking 4 mi.