|
7/26/96
I woke about 5:30 this morning and didn't really want to get up so I dozed until about 7:00. I still didn't want to shake my body loose from the mattress but I thought I had better get to moving. While laying there I thought I must be in some kind of shelter from the wind because I could hear it but it wasn't moving the trailer. When I finally got up and went outside I found out the noise was the river running alongside my rig and every once in a while a breeze would bring the sound a little closer. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, but the trees shaded everything so well that it seemed darker than it really was. I was on the road by 8:00. Driving through the Matanuska Valley was awesome. I stopped for a few pictures of the glacier. With the binoculars I could see the sunlight sparkling of the ice. I used the telephoto so I hope I get the same effect. Stopped in Copper Canyon for gas. They sure are proud of it judging from their prices. I decided to spend the night at Squirrel Creek State Park and drive the truck to Valdez. So by 1:00 I was unhooked and on my way. Everything I have read about the place says it is beautiful so I am looking forward to seeing it. Jeff had some tickets for a cruise that he would have sold me for half price (he won them) but I didn't need two and he had a pair. The weather could have been nicer. It didn't rain but it was cloudy most of the way. That detracted somewhat from the beauty of this place, but it gave it its own special scenery with clouds cascading down over the mountains. I walked out on one of the glaciers that almost came down to the road. It was interesting seeing the little icebergs in the pond at the foot of it. I saw more waterfalls that I could count. The road to Prince William Sound is something everyone should experience at least once. In part there are huge towering cliffs on both sides of the road with waterfalls cascading over sheer cliffs. One of the falls made about six stops before it finally reached the river running along below.. At other times the vista opens up and there are snow covered mountains and glaciers in the distance. Valdez was OK but a bit of a disappointment after all I had read. I don't really know what I expected but I guess it was more than I got. I did visit the museum and it was quite interesting. It had memorabilia dating from before the gold rush. The town was originally in another spot but was destroyed by an earthquake some time back and rebuilt on its present site. On the way back I stopped at a Salmon spawning grounds. There were hundreds of Chum and Pink (I think) Salmon doing their last thing. It was interesting to watch for a while as they wiggled around, making nests in the pebbles, in the shallow water. I arrived back at my campsite and took a closer look at it. There was a beautiful little brook about 15 feet from my door and it babbled all night. It emptied into a river about a quarter mile from my site. The brook was runoff of melted snow as it was clear but the river it emptied into was from a melting glacier so it was cloudy with glacial silt. On the other side of the campground there was a large pond. It was really a nice campground. I talked with the hosts for a bit. They have been coming to this CG for a while and really like it. 7/28/96 I cleared out of Squirrel Creek about 9:00 AM and headed for Tok, my last stop in Alaska before entering Canada. Tok was also my first stop back in June. I arrived early enough so that I could have continued through and stopped in Canada but I wanted to gas up, get some propane, perhaps some souvenirs and call G. I also looked at my trailer tires and I really do need to replace them. Hopefully I can get at least one in Whitehorse. The CG was small and near the river. The sites were very close together so I took two. I got a good nights sleep and was on the road by 8:00 AM. The road to the border was OK. It was paved all the way but it had a number of frost heaves. After going through Canadian customs (I don't know why I feel so intimidated by them) I was into construction again. Part of it was loose gravel but for about 30 miles it was like no road at all. In fact there were times that I wondered if I had wandered off the road except the trees were cleared. I had to dodge rocks and potholes and pray the tires held out. I noticed while in Tok that I had a bubble on one of them. I decided to push on into Whitehorse and try and get some new rubber. I drove by Kluane Lake. It is long and very beautiful I couldn't get over all the colors that it reflected. I gave new meaning to the color Aqua. It was just incredible. I stayed at the same campground that I stayed at when I was on my way to AK. The owner said he remembered me and showed me what they took out of the sewer line in my previous site. Someone had dropped a piece of concrete down the line. I got all set up and settled in to watch the Olympics. It was nice to see them. I received them on two channels (they have cable here). I got the US version from Detroit and also the Canadian version. Not only did I get two different interpretations but they also showed different events. I watched the Canadian Women's Volleyball team win for the first time in their history. Later I watched the American Women's team on the US channel. CBC showed more events and less of the background and hype then the US channel. I like that better. I almost woke G. I set my watch for Pacific time (I thought) and was going to call her when I realize that I had set it back an hour rather then forward. So when my watch said 8:30 it was 10:30. I am sure glad I caught the error 7/29/96 I was up and to the tire store about 7:30 AM. They have the tires I need so I will go ahead and get them. I honestly don't think the one's I have on there will make it back. Three of them are almost bald and of those one has a bubble. The other is the spare we had put on in Nevada last year. Fortunately I purchased two before I left so I was able to get by with two. I used the older one as a spare and I now have four new ones to ride on. By 10:00 I was on the road. By 11:30 I had stopped for my morning nap. All of a sudden I need them again. The trip was just as pretty coming back as it was going up. What I could now see in front of me I only saw in my rear view mirror previously. I hit some rain but it was while I was on paved or good roads so other then obscure the view it wasn't to bad. It even kept the dust down. I stopped in Swift River for gas. I sure don't understand how they price it here. In the middle of nowhere (Swift River) gas was 5 cents a ltr. less than in Whitehorse and 8 cents less than the Cassiar and Alaska Highway junction where I am now. I arrived here about 5:00. This is the campground that I tried to stay at when I was up here on my M/C, but then, the wind was blowing so hard that I couldn't set my tent up, so I had to stay in a motel. I would like to be in Hyder, AK tomorrow evening, That way if I want to stay another day I can. I am driving farther than I did on my way up. I guess I am just anxious to get home, but I may slow down a bit tomorrow as the Cassiar (Hyw 37) is a very pretty drive. My original plan was to take a side trip to Skagway, to see the Chilkoot and White pass but I missed the cut off and didn't realize it until to late. Just outside of Whitehorse, I crossed a river and the sign said Yukon. I didn't think it was that far south. The view of the Teslin was almost like a gift from heaven. The way the sunlight sparkled of the water gave it a blue and silver sheen that I have never seen before. I stopped and took a picture but I really don't think it will show up on film. 7/31/96 I was on the road by 7:30 yesterday. I had a bowl of cereal with dried cherries for breakfast. I was so tired by 9:00 that I had to stop and take a nap. The rest stop was very nice, almost like a campground. A sign said you couldn't spend more than 8 hours there. After a 20 minute snooze I was on the road again. Just when I was getting into the most beautiful part of the highway the weather shut down. It started to rain and rain and rain. The weather let up between Ikut and Bell II so I stopped to take some pictures. I sure hope they come out. It came down hard again for a while and then turned to a light drizzle. Highway 37A from the junction into Stewart/Hyder was gorgeous. Sheer mountains on both sides of the road kept my head turning. The mountains on the south side of the road had glaciers and waterfalls. At one point the glacier (Bear Glacier) came right down to the roads edge. There was also a sign that said no stopping as this was a year round avalanche area. I couldn't see much on the right (north) but the left side, while it had plenty of snow and ice, didn't look threatening. I drove through Stewart and arrived back in the US at Hyder, AK. The population is about 85 and it bills itself as the friendliest little ghost town in America. After finding a campsite and unhooking I drove to the Fish River. Here Chum Salmon come to spawn. These are a different species as they can be 45 pounds while a normal Chum is less then half that. They are protected here. From humans that is. There is a bear viewing area where you can watch the bears (black and brown) come down to the water and fish. I watched a Grizzly sow catch a few and a Black boar try and catch some. The black seemed to be a lot more particular. He caught one smelled it then walked off and left it. I guess it didn't smell good enough to eat. Perhaps he wants them before they spawn. Watching the Salmon spawn is also very interesting. The water is very shallow, so much so that you wouldn't even think the fish could swim there. But, they manage, then they die. After a while I came back to "town" and called G. There is only one public phone in town and this jerk wouldn't get off. After about a half hour he hung up, looked at me and said with a grin "I sure made you wait a long time, didn't I." Judging from his phone conversation he was on his way to Alaska, full of misinformation, on how to catch fish. After talking for a while I came back, fixed dinner, watched the Olympics, (they had a special exhibition of gymnastics on) and went to bed. When I woke during the night I think it was dark outside. I was told about a glacier about 15 miles up the road so I will probably go there this morning. 8/1/96 I went to the Salmon Glacier. I didn't get as early a start as I wanted because after I finished this morning I decided to take a nap. It was 11:30 when I finally got up. The weather was not at all what I had hoped for. It was very cloudy and the clouds were low so I was unable to get any good pictures of the glacier or mountains. I tried to drive on to the next one but the clouds (fog) were so thick I couldn't see very far in front of me. The road is dirt and very narrow in spots and there are no guard rails on the side. It is also very prone to rock slides. So, I carefully turned around and headed back down. I had driven about 30 miles on that washboard and knew I had to drive that far to get out. The trees are interesting. There were some clinging to life on the edge of the hill with their roots at right ankles to their trunks. When I arrived at the bear viewing area I stopped for a while. A black came out but I don't know if I got a good shot of him. On my way back to the trailer I saw a Bald Eagle in a tree. I sure wish I had my tripod. Using the telephoto I am not sure if I held the camera still enough. If it is still there when I go back I will try again with a different lens. I changed lenses when I went back so hopefully I got a better picture of the Bald Eagle. When I arrived back at the river there were two Brown Bear cubs playing and trying to catch fish. They were about three years old so they had left their mother and were on their own. One of them wanted to play and the other didn't. They worked their way from the river onto the road and put on a little show for us, then they went across the road and back into the river to try and catch some more fish. There was a Black in the water where they had been and I was trying to get a picture of it when I heard a yell. Both of the Brown's got frightened by somthing and were headed back. The Ranger opened his pepper spray but they ran right by him without even looking. Back across the road and into the water on the other side again. I don't know what startled them but they sure didn't pay any attention to us. I had just read a report on the bulleten board that a Brown of that size had killed a lady in Canada. I wasn't being mean, it was just curious and playful. After I shot up almost a whole roll of film I decided to head back, eat, and try and get a good nights sleep so I can get an early start tomorrow. Without pushing to hard I should be able to be at Noel's by Sunday or Monday. I had better call her tomorrow though to let her know what my plans are. For all I know they will be on vacation and not even home. I hope I can get the kids to stay with me one night and have Noel over another evening for dinner. It would be nice to be able to talk to her without the kids around. Hyder is an interesting place. I could probably spend a few more days here, especially if the weather got nice, but I had better move on. I did learn something interesting about the township of Hyder. All the prices are in Canadian. They don't have a bank here so they have to do all their banking in Canada. They don't have schools here either, so all the kids have to go across the border to Canadian schools. I didn't find out who pays. 8/1/96 I was up at shortly after six and on the road about 7:00 this AM. Now that I know that I am going home I am in more of a hurry and the roads seem longer. I know I am driving farther. Today I did almost 500 miles. After leaving Hyder I stopped at Bear Glacier and took some pictures. When they built the highway the glacier came all the way down to the road. It has melted about a quarter of a mile and formed a nice little lake. I only wish the weather was better so I could have gotten a picture that would do justice to this place. The Yellowhead Highway is really a Picture Postcard road. The snow capped mountains, when they are not obscured by the clouds are really impressive. It was interesting to be back in "civilization" for a while. There were a number of towns along the road that had banks and supermarkets. I stopped at a Safeway and a bank in Smits. The bank even had an ATM so I was able to get cash and not have to use plastic anymore. They did not have a bank in Hyder and the one in Stewart did not have an ATM, so I was unable to get cash there. After I passed the nicest part of the scenery the drive got kind of boring. I drove through Prince George and stopped at a BC Provincial park about 40 miles SE of there. It is a beautiful park but there are no hookups and no phone. I didn't need the hookups but a phone would have been nice. BC really has some beautiful Provincial Parks. I will have to stop tomorrow and call Noel. I had thought that I could possible be there by Saturday but now I think that is unreasonable. In fact I am not even sure about Sunday. I had hoped to arrive for at least one weekend day but I guess that is not to be. Tomorrow the drive should be nicer again. I will be going through Jasper and Banff National Parks. I am going to try and get as far as Radium Hot Springs. I have driven that road on my m/c and with G so I probably won't need to stop and sightsee. It is a beautiful drive though. It is after 8:00 and it is starting to get dark. That seems strange. Perhaps tomorrow or the next day I can take the foil of the windows. 8/3/96 I was out of the park by 7:00 on 8/2/96. The drive was interesting to say the least. The scenery was gorgeous. I got up close to a couple of Elks that had come to nibble on the plants along the side of the road. Some of the mountains had waterfalls that were inspirational to say the least. There was one that had probably 20 or 30 falls coming out of it. I stopped in Jasper for gas and the place was so crowded it took me almost 15 minute to get out of town. Once I was in Jasper Park the views were just incredible. There were more glaciers then I could count. Some of them looked like a chocolate cake with white frosting on the top and running down the sides. I didn't notice the blueness in the glaciers in this part of Canada as I did farther west and in Alaska. South of Lake Louise the scenery was still great but not as dominating. In the Northern part of the park the mountains, with their rugged spires and ice caps dominate the area totally. I passed lots of sheep but after the bears, elk and other animals they didn't seem as exciting as before. I stopped for the night in Resort Hot Springs at a Coast to Coast park. They didn't have a full hookup site so I camped dry for the night. The Campground is really nice. The regular sites have covered patios, wood decks and gas bar-b-ques. I think they also have cable TV. The clubhouse is also nice. They have an adult area and there were no children there which is a surprise. They also have two hot tubs on of which I sat in for about a half hour. It was so relaxing. I also was able to take a nice long hot shower. The rest of the trip out of Canada was the same one I had taken twice before so it was not to exciting. At the border I was able to get the GST back for the tires I purchased in Whitehorse but I was surprised that I could not exchange my money but I was able to when I got to Bonners Ferry in Idaho The lakes around Sandpointe and Coeur d' Alene are very picturesque. It has been over 30 years since I have been on this road south of Coeur d' Alene so it was interesting to see again. Going south on 95 the road passes through gently rolling hills which have farms. It kind of looks kind of like a picture postcard. Coming into Lewiston is really an experience. The hill is about 10 miles long and is about a 5 to 8 % grade. Not the kind of place you would want to loose your brakes. From the top the view is incredible with the whole valley spread out and the town of Lewiston there with a river running through it.. After driving through town I thought the scenery was going to change drastically. All of a sudden I was in large canyon with a forest on both sides. But, I gradually climbed out and it was back to rolling hills with farms. It was really quite beautiful. About 6:00 I decided I had better stop for the night so here I am in Grangeville less then 300 miles from Mt. Home. 8/5/96 I was on the road about 8:30. I missed my cut off at Prairie Meadows and continued down 95. I wasn't even aware of the mistake and I couldn't find the towns, I was going through on the map. When I finally got to I84 I was able to see where I was, and it was about 50 miles farther West than I thought I would be. I arrived at about 3:00 and am staying in the campground here at the AFB. We all went to K-Mart where I had the films developed. After I returned I found another roll that I hadn't taken so I will try get back there today or tomorrow. Most of the pictures were fine but some were quite blurry. I didn't see the wolf so I hope it is on the one I didn't get developed. The pictures of Denali were OK but not quite what I had hoped. I fixed Caribou stew for dinner tonight. I think it will be OK. Tonight I will also go with the family to Karate, Joe may test for his Orange Belt tonight. Everybody liked the Caribou stew I fixed the other night. Joe thought it was great when after he had eaten I kidded him about eating Rudolph. They didn't test on Monday but will tonight. I hope Joe makes it. I don't think Ariel or Dan have a chance. Yesterday, Joe helped me clean the truck and trailer. Actually he did most of the outside of the trailer while I did the inside. I told Noel I would pay for his swimming today for a thank you, and Joe is thrilled. It's hard to believe how big they are getting. Ariel is almost as tall as Dan and probably outweighs him. She wears a size eight. It looks like she will be tall like her mother. Dan hasn't changed much. I wanted to get an early start this morning, so I left Noel's shortly after dinner. After I had taken a shower and was in bed there was a knock on the door. Ed had come by to tell me goodnight and say thanks for coming by. He brought Ariel with him. She had given me a picture to take to G and I forgot it. It was sure nice of them to come by and bring it and say good bye. While in Mt. Home I also stopped by the Forest Service Ranger Station to pick up some information about volunteers in National Forests. Some of the jobs and places sound exciting. I sure hope G will go with me. I want to stop by a station in CA and see what they have to offer closer to home. It is hard to believe that I will be home tomorrow.
8/7/96
|
| Previous Page 5 | |
Back to Alaska Page | |
Pictures |