August 31 Whitehorse, YK, to Toad River, BC

August 31  Bbbbrrrring!  Bbbrrrring!  My cell phone is ringing and it is 12:05 a.m.!  And it is the Brookview nursing care facility where my 96 year old dad is staying!  This will not be good news.

I answer wearily and am probably not very alert to talk to the nurse to begin with.  Diane tells me as dad's POA and also his Medical Power of Attorney she has to inform me that my dad had fallen earlier in the day.  I had received this news from my brother via email earlier.  She proceeds to tell me that dad's BP is now very low, along with his blood oxygen saturation is low.  And, because he is not urinating they have catheterized him.  At this time he seems to be resting comfortably though was somewhat incoherent when awake.

Diane says she has has called the ER at the Brookings, SD, hospital to see if he needs to go in. Their recommendation is that as long as his BP and oxygen levels don't drop further that he is OK resting.  What would I like to have happen?  I ask if she has talked to my sister who is a retired RN.  She had called her but there is no answer.  So, I decide that as long as dad is fairly stable to let him continue to rest in his own bed in his own room.  But I beg her to get in touch with my sister.  Diane says she will continue to try calling her.

Of course after getting this upsetting news neither Peggy nor I slept at all well during the night. We were up before our 6:00 a.m. alarm, packed up and on the road from our campground at 7:00.  The Caribou Campground about 10 miles SE of Whitehorse got quite good reviews, but there wifi sucked!  I was online for about 10 minutes, got kicked off, and never could login again!

As we drove Peggy and I discussed my dad's situation.  Because his condition seemed quite grave, we decided to not take the Cassiar Highway south through British Columbia.  That road is rough, narrow, and more off the beaten path, so to speak.  We instead will stay on the Alaska Highway.  It is relatively good, has a higher speed limit, and will allow us to get back home more quickly.

Peggy and I make good time going across the remaining stretch of the Yukon Territory.  The scenery is nice with some mountains, lakes, and rivers.  We did cross a bridge which is over the headwaters of the Yukon River!  It was downstream from here that the Stampeders took a river flowing out of Lake LaBerge into the Yukon for an all water route to Dawson.

We were about 15 miles west of Teslin, YK, when all of a sudden a black shape darts out of the driver side ditch and runs directly in front of our pickup.  It's a cub bear!  I slam on the brakes and lay on the horn narrowly missing this cub by mere inches.  Boy, that got my attention and heart rate going!  Fortunately as I looked in the rear view mirror to my relief both the cub and its sow mother were walking across the road to the opposite ditch.  Hope that little cub now knows the meaning of looking both ways before crossing!

Eventually we crossed back into British Columbia.  My navigator/photographer took pictures along the way.  There have been electric signs warning about Bison on the road near the Muncho Lake area.  However as we approach we see another bear, a grizzly this time we think, but it disappears before pictures can be taken.  Farther we see another black bear, but it ducks back into the woods before any shutters click.

But then we see another adult black bear in the ditch on Peggy's side of the pickup.  I break and am able to come to a stop in time for her to get several pictures taken.  We're anxious to see how they come out.

We do see large numbers of bison along and on the road.  Good thing we had been forwarned about their presence as it would hurt to run into them even in a pickup.  Of course they are good at posing for pictures!

The water of Muncho Lake is an aquamarine blue due to its mineral content.  When the sun shines on it, it has an attractive coloration.  We are now in the midst of the Canadian Rockies, and Peggy does her best to get some "on the move shots" through our bug gut splattered windshield.

We have now been on the road for 9 hours, and we are beat.  We came to the Toad River Lodge and RV Park.  You might remember the Lodge with hundreds of baseball caps hung from the ceiling.  We got the second to last RV site available.  Oh, yeah, Canada also celebrates Labor Day so many campers are out!

We do have wifi, though it is slow.  On the flip side we have cable TV so there is some entertainment!  I'll have to see if I can get any photos uploaded.  Ahhh...TR6Rt does not protect his/her wifi and I'm in!!!  :o)

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August 30 Dawson City to Whitehorse, YK

August 30  Gasp...it’s 6:15 a.m. and our camper’s batteries are dead.  At this time it wasn’t important to know why, but rather OK, now what do we do?  We get out our generator and plug the trailer into it.  The generator supplies the electricity to run the slides in and power the landing legs so that we can get hooked up to the pickup.  Whew!

We were in line for the ferry 6:55 a.m.  And to our surprise, the boat maintenance that was scheduled to last from 5-7:00 a.m. was already completed.  The ferry was offloading on the opposite shore, but came to get us at 7:05.  The ferry crew put a pickup in front of us and then we followed it with our pickup and 5th wheel trailer.  In all we are about 45 feet in total length. But we fit on the boat just fine.

The drive through Dawson put us on the Klondike Highway which parallels the Klondike River for quite a ways.  The drive itself was rather uneventful.  The scenery was of spruce and aspen trees, scrub brush, muskeg, lakes, and rivers.  Historically this road was responsible for putting the paddlewheel steamships out of business on the Yukon River.  Teamsters could use the road to get goods and people to and from Dawson with less expense than the boats.

We crossed the Stewart and Pelly Rivers which are quite wide.  We also crossed the Yukon into which those 2 rivers and many others flow.  We made stops at various locations:  The Five Finger Rapids on the Yukon where paddlewheelers had to use a cable to winch themselves through the rapids safely and the Montague Roadhouse which catered to those who traveled on the early road leading from Whitehorse to Dawson.

We did suffer a second casualty:  in a construction area we met a pickup pulling a utility trailer at a high rate of speed.  It throw a stone which put a bullseye nick in our windshield.  Fortunately, the chip is in the low center of view so it doesn’t bother either Peggy’s or my vision out the window.

Of course many things happen in groups of three.  Sure enough we pull into our campground, The Caribou, just south of Whitehorse, and number three happens- only one of the front landing legs is working.

So I bust out my tool box and proceed to dissemble the inoperable landing gear.  To my dismay, the machine pin which holds one of the 90º gears has fallen out so that the shaft driving that gear simply spins without cranking the leg up or down.  And, there is no way to get the landing leg out to reassemble it without having to remove things like the battery box, etc.!!  We are glad that the warranty on our trailer is still in force so at least when we do get it fixed it will not cost us anything.  And like most campers, the folks camped next to us came over to see if I could use their help or needed to borrow any tools.

Since we will not have a large metropolitan area to see about repairs for quite some time down the road, my fix was to get out my bottle jack and use it to hold up the broken landing gear when we are camped.  It seems to be an adequate fix for now.  Time will tell!

Tomorrow we continue our journey traveling farther south and east on the Alaska Highway.  We are planning on taking the Cassiar Highway south through British Columbia barring any more unforeseen complications or breakdowns.

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August 29, Dawson City and the Klondike Area

August 29  Wow!  We must have been overly tired!  We woke up at 9:00 a.m.!  We somewhat hustled to get ready for our day touring around the Dawson area.  Fortunately breakfast was easy as we ate our leftover cinnamon rolls from the day before.

Our first venture was to walk to the end of our campground and get onto the bank of the Yukon River.  Once there, we walked north to where there are at least 2 hulks of the early paddlewheel boats used to ply the waters of the Yukon.  It was sad to see the sorry state that these once magnificent steamers were in.  As you can imagine, the 100 years of neglect and abuse made for a discouraging scene.  We believe this site is referred to as the boat bone yard.  The boats had the indignity of simply being hoisted out of the water and left on the river bank to be ravaged by scavengers and flood waters.

We took pictures and hiked around the ships’ remains wondering what it would have been like to have ridden on these paddlewheel steamers back in their days of glory.

We packed some snacks, climbed into the pickup and were ferried across the Yukon River, drove through Dawson, and found ourselves driving up The Dome, a mountaintop which overlooks the area.  It was an impressive view.  

You could see the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers.  You could look up the Bonanza Creek area.  You could see the town of Dawson.  You could see up and down the Yukon River.  You could see the tailing piles left behind by the many dredges used in the early 1900’s to scour out every flake of remaining gold in those areas.  Needless, we were impressed by the sights from above the lay of the land.

From The Dome we drove out on the Klondike Highway to some pull outs that provided information about the tailings.  I found the need to leave the pull out and strike out on my own climbing up the tailing piles for that just right photo.  Climbing on loose rock piles was of some effort, though.  It seemed like I’d take one stride up and slide back a half stride.  Finally I made it top the top of the tailings pile.  

Peggy made a good choice in remaining where the trail was considering she had been doctoring her knee prior to leaving for this trip.  I did take a picture of her and yelled that see should take one of me, knowing what the outcome would be.  “But you have the camera and your iPhone.  I have nothing!”, was the reply.  :o)

I snapped off several pictures and then started looking for a way down.  With guidance from my DW, I was directed to an area that was not quite so steep.  Whew!

We then headed back towards Dawson and made a left turn to go up the Bonanza Creek Road.  This road would lead us to Gold Dredge #4 and then to The Discovery Claim.

Gold Dredge #4 was an awesome spectacle!  That thing is 66 yards long!  Statistically, that dredge could gobble up massive amounts of pay gravel and process it to remove the gold.  What did impress me was that it floated on water provided by the nearby  Bonanza Creek, and that creek could easily we waded across.

From the dredge we drove further up Bonanza Creek Road and came to the original glory hole, The Discovery Mine.  Back in 1897 three miners discovered the first flecks  and nuggets of gold which lead to the Klondike Stampede gold rush.  We were able to walk on the banks of the creek in the exact location where the discovery took place.  And, the creek was originally named Rabbit Creek until gold was found, and it was renamed the Bonanza Creek.

I’ve never been a history buff, but when I started thinking that we had put a beginning and an end to the locations where in the late 1890’s masses of people departed boats and where the gold was discovered.  We’d been to Skagway where steamers brought stampeders to take the overland route to the Klondike gold fields.  

And now, we stood on the very place where the gold rush started.  They only pieces missing where where the stampeders traveled overland to get to the Klondike/Dawson area.  And those pieces we will hopefully visit as we make the drive from Dawson to Whitehorse, YK.

Hopefully the photos I’ve take will assist us in remembering all that we have seen and read about.  Like I say, for a 62 year old neophyte history buff, I have been greatly impressed with what we’ve experienced.  With out gold, it would have taken decades to have gotten this part of North America explored and populated.  The Hudson Bay Company found out once the beaver populations had been depleted by trapping and furs lost their economic impact, they lost its interest in sending anymore trappers into the region.

We got back on the Klondike Hwy. heading into Dawson.  I stopped at a fueling station adjacent to the Klondike River.  After fueling we walked to the banks of the river, and I took photos of it because its namesake was used for the gold rush.

Back in Dawson we took some photos of recognizable places:  Jack London’s cabin, the Commissioner’s residence, an old church, and original buildings in general.  We did stop at a market and found O Henry candy bars.  Grant has a yen for them so we will include them with the matches when we get back to the states and a post office.

Peggy had seen a small pub, “Bombay Peggy’s”, so we poked our head in, and yes, they served Yukon Gold on tap.  We had our drinks, and I asked about getting Peggy a t-shirt but unfortunately they did not have her size.  Bummer!!

Since our next involvement wasn’t until 7:00 at Diamond Tooth Gerties to eat, gamble, and attend the Can-Can Dance review, we returned to our camper via the ferry.  I needed to run the generator to recharge camera and iPhone batteries.  

On the ferry with us was a manly RV.  It was a large, tank like, 4 wheel drive behemoth of a camper from Germany.  I had taken a photo of it when we were in Dawson.  I’m sure the family in it has great stories to tell of their journeys.

Around 7:00 we ferried ourselves back to Dawson to have dinner at Diamond Tooth Gerties.  We both chose the ribeye steak, potatoes, and Caesar salad.  I must say that the meal was very good.  Prior to getting our meal, Peggy and I played a slot machine.  After 4 tries and not winning we cut our losses and ate.

Since we were at the first show, we were among the youngest in the crowd.  We decided that most there were with a tour group as some of them wore their IDs around their necks.  If I ever go on a tour or cruise, please shoot me if I wear my ID to a casino or anywhere else were it is not required attire!

The show was very good and entertaining.  Fortunately we had opted to sit in the balcony so neither of us had to be involved in any part of the show.  :o)  Peggy and I both admired how limber the show girls were.  I know I wouldn’t be able to either kick my leg above my head or do the splits.  Watching those girls do it...well...it was entertaining to say the least.

We then boarded the ferry for the second to last crossing of the Yukon.  Tomorrow morning the plan is to get up early and get in line with our 5th wheel in tow.  The ferry undergoes routine maintenance every Friday from 5-7:00 a.m.  We should be in line by 7:00.  We will see how many crossing are done before our elongated menagerie is allowed to board.  And, then we will say goodbye to Dawson City, YK, with its gold fields. 

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August 28 Tok, AK, to Dawson City, YK

August 28  We were up early to make the drive to Dawson City, Yukon.  It has sprinkled some during the night.  The temperature was in the mid-40ºs.  As we were hitching up the trailer to the pickup it started to sprinkle again.  It would rain on us all the way to Chicken.

We left Tok and the Tok Cutoff Highway and proceeded east about 12 miles where we turned onto the Taylor Highway which is a new road to us.  It is an asphalt road in reasonably good shape.  It took us in a generally northerly direction to the old town of Chicken, reputably so named because the early settlers did not know how to spell ptarmigan (believe it or not).

As typical the road had its potholes and frost heaves as attested too by the firewood that must have been pitched off the carrier on the back of an motorhome that we had met earlier.  We saw logs on the road for quite a long stretch.  However, we made it to Chicken without any mention of incidents.

Always heeding the fill up your tank when you have the opportunity I did so while Peggy scouted the gift store.  After getting fuel we walked the town to other shops, taking pictures of some of the local “art projects” and a mining dredge.  We made a few purchases, and then went back up the hill to the cafe where we had parked as they advertised cinnamon rolls.  I got white frosting and Peggy had caramel frosting.  And as we have come to expect in these northlands, the rolls were huge.  We ate about half and took the rest for tomorrow.

We decided that so far of the northland cinnamon rolls we’ve had that the Shepard’s Inn rolls we had back in was it British Columbia on the way up are the best so far.  But maybe it was because we had the cutest waitress there??

We continued now in a more northeasterly direction on a road now made up of hard packed gravel with some intermittent re-graveling and grading .  Eventually we came to a fork in the road- go left and the Taylor takes you up to Eagle, AK.  Go right and you are now on the Top of the World Highway to Dawson, YK.  We stayed to the the right.

The first leg of the gravel Top of the World is under construction.  New rock and gravel is being laid down to improve and widen the road.  The worst parts were where they had put down what looked to be 2” sized rushed rock.  The rock was loose and forced to you go about 10 MPH or risk beating your vehicles to death.  However, we were in no hurry and construction during the summer is a way of life here as they have such a short season to get the work done.

We then came to the US/Canada border.  The Canadian border guard came out to “greet us”.  It was either a bad day for him, or he is totally bored with his job as he spoke in a monotone voice and made little eye contact.  After the “got a gun”, “where you going”, “why”, and “for how long” questions, he returned our passports and waved us on.  Never asked about how much alcohol we had or if we had more than $10,000 cash with us.  We were now in the Pacific Daylight Saving time zone.

The Top of the World now is asphalt in the Yukon for much of its length to Dawson.  There are sections that are gravel but all in all the road is in fairly good shape considering it is a unique highway that follows mountain ridges.  And the views are fantastic.  You truly are on top of the world.  Every direction you look you can see other mountains and mountain ranges.  I only wish it would have been a clear day as the views would not have had that hazy look.  And it was off and on raining for about half the drive towards Dawson.

We did find a pull off to stop and walk, stretch, and take some photos.  After spending some time relaxing and using the onboard facilities it was time to get back on the road.  However, this “pull out” I had selected was nothing more than a small area for dry camping.  So I had to back our trailer out and back onto the highway.  It’s always an adventure!

The rest of the drive to Dawson was quite scenic as we had found it to be previously.  The traffic was very sparce unlike the Taylor where we met large tour buses gingerly trying to make there way around narrow curves cut into the side of the mountains.

I knew we were nearing Dawson as there were small billboards advertising various places.  We came around a bend and below us was the Yukon River.  But the narrow road did not allow for stopping for a photo.  As we neared the Yukon we came to the Yukon River Provincial Campground.  We found a nice pull through camping site right on the river.  It was about 3:45 PM.

There is no bridge over the Yukon River going across to Dawson.  But they do have a free, 24 hour a day, ferry!  You get in a vehicle line for the ferry by small vehicles, truck and buses, and RVs.  Since we left the trailer at the campground we were a small vehicle.  We were fourth in our line, with 2 tour buses next to us, and a small motorhome only in the third line.

We the ferry docked those cars drove off and through the use of handheld signs, the ferry workers signal who then drives onboard.  The  three cars in front of us got on, then one of the buses.  The ferry is full and off it goes.

It takes about 15 minutes to go across the river, unload, and then take on new vehicles.  But we’d be next in line and the time went quickly.  We were loaded and taken across to the to the historic town of Dawson, Yukon!

The look of all the buildings give it a late 1890’s or early 1900’s look.  Our first stop is the Dawson’s Visitors Center operated by the Yukon Province.  They had good displays of artifacts and relics of the bygone days of the gold rush.  I was immediately impressed by the notion that we are at the terminus of the Klondike gold rush.  That all those stampeders who made there way through trial and tribulation were coming here!  And, we had had the opportunity to see Skagway and Dyea, AK, and the start of the trails leading up to the Chilkoot and White Passes heading north to Dawson.

After we got information and signed up for a walking tour of Dawson, we had the time to walk the streets of Dawson.  We took some photos and then happened upon a store we were on a mission to find- the Dawson Hardware Store.  Our host and friend in Wasilla, Grant, had been to Dawson on their vacation while we took care of their property.  He had found wooden matches that were unique to him, but he hadn’t bought them.  So, when he found we were headed to Dawson, he asked if we would get them for him.  And we did!!

By this time I had acquired a thirst, and we came to the Jack London Bar and Grill.  I wasn’t interested in grill, but the bar was a must.  I ordered a pint of a local brew Yukon Gold.  That first sip is always tasty.  As we sat and took in the surroundings, we decided to get an appetizer plate to tide us over until dinner.  Of course that took a second Yukon Gold!

We had signed up at the Visitors Center to take a guided walking tour of Dawson.  We would be informed about some of the history of the town and be able to enter several of the old, historic buildings.  

We met at the Center and we introduced to Sue, our guide.  She was donned in period clothing and did a fantastic job!  She was easy to hear, which for me is a giant plus, and kept her conversations lively and funny.  We walked from building to building getting insights on the who, how, and why.  We even saw “cribs”, small cabins where ladies of the evening stayed when they weren’t on the job.  The tour lasted just over 90 minutes.

Peggy had planned for us to go to Diamond Tooth Gerties, a place that has a can-can girls show, Canada’s first casino, and supposedly good food.  But the show started at 8:30, and being we were late getting away from the walking tour, postponed going to Gerties until tomorrow night.

We did find a restaurant, Klondike Kate’s, where we ate dinner.  The food was good as was the Yukon Gold.  After finishing we walked by to our pickup, boarded the ferry and made the very short drive back to the campground were we immediately went to sleep tired but very satisfied at the day’s events.

We had heard from the guide, Sue, that she’d seen Northern Lights the night before.  But, as luck would have it, it was overcast when we got back to our campsite.

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August 27 Heading Home- Wasilla to Tok, AK

August 27  Peggy's alarm woke us at 6:30 a.m.  We both slept soundly considering we knew we were leaving the Chapman's for the final time.  The other times we left their Anderson Lake property we were always coming back.

We were packed and hitched up by 7:45.  Of course the toughest part of the day would be saying goodbye to Grant and Debby.  Their open arms reception of us was as good as anyone could have hoped for.  Even though we will remain in communication with them, it was still hard to leave such gracious people. And, Joey, the hangar cat, and Ginger and Willow, their faithful dogs were there to see us off.  As I mentioned previously, this was a bittersweet moment.

Grant and Debby had just been in Dawson City, YK, a week ago.  But he was wishing he'd bought a box of wood matches from a hardware store there.  When he found out we were going to Dawson, too, he asked if we'd buy the matches.  Of course we will!  So, Grant, being Grant, gave us a prepaid mailer to send them in!

We said our goodbyes and pulled out at 8:05.  The drive to Tok was fairly easy and is territory that we had traveled coming into Alaska so there really wasn't  much of a need to stop anywhere.  The construction on the Glenn Hwy just before Glennallen is pretty well completed so there was no mud bath for the pickup and camper!  The Tok Cutoff Hwy is pretty good for much of the way. However around the Mentasta Mountains the road becomes worse and is said to be "a good highway going bad".  But, Peggy found that the area back in 2002 had a 7.2 earthquake and much of the area roads were destroyed.  That explains why about a 20 mile stretch is very wavy with some rather extreme dips.  Some construction is still being done to make repairs.

We arrived at the Sourdough Campground about 2 miles outside of Tok and were set up by 3:00. Yes, the wifi is working and we are online checking email and updating the blog.  We also drove into town to get fuel and stopped at the Visitors Center to get information about the Taylor Highway, Chicken, AK, and the Top of the World Highway.

We grilled our dinner, went for a walk, relaxed, watch the one and only PBS station on TV and called it a night.  Tomorrow we get to experience new territory.  We're excited!

Today's Photos Uploaded to Picasa

Today's Photos Uploaded to Picasa

August 18-26, Wasilla

August 18  Woke up to rain this morning.  In fact it rained all night long, and at times rained very hard. And, the weather forecast is for rain today through Wednesday.  Maybe this is the Alaskan Monsoon season??

Today my dad celebrated his 96th birthday!  We called him this morning, and he said he was ready to party!  My brother and sister called me after the party and said dad was a real trooper and seemed to enjoy this party.  Both of our daughters' families were able to make the drive from their homes in Nebraska to Brookings, SD, and party along with their grandfather/great grandfather. I'm glad they were able to make the trip to see him!

And of course it being a Sunday, I watched the NASCAR Sprint Cup race which started at 9:00 a.m. Alaska time.  My racer, Jeff Gordon, had a mediocre day finishing 17th.  He needs to really hustle the last races if he wants to qualify for the Chase to the Championship. I may need to find a young, hungrier drive to start rooting for.

It rained on and off throughout the day.  We needed to fuel up the pickup so we made a dash to the filling station.  The latter part of the afternoon we got a pause in the precipitation so Peggy and I got Joey the hangar cat out to exercise and get some fresh air.  It was fun to watch him as he got in the lawn grass, would strike a stalking pose, and then run as fast as he could for a short distance and seemed to pounce.  I'm sure in his mind Joey was pursuing a mouse!

I've started reading a book, "The Golden Grindstone", that Grant lent to Peggy, but she is reading another so gave it to me.  It is about attempts in 1898 at finding an inland route to the  Klondike goldfields rather than having to contend with the Chilkoot or White Passes coming up from an ocean voyage used by most of the Stampeders.

Because of the persistent rain we were unable, or I should say, unwilling to go for a walk.  Good thing we both have books to read!

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August 19   I think we have entered a monsoon season as it rained all last night and most of the day today, and the forecasters are saying more of the same for tomorrow.  Makes us really appreciate the nice, sunny days that have made up a majority of our days in Alaska.

With the rain it was pretty much stay in the camper, read, watch some TV, read, eat, read, watch some TV...you get the picture.  Because we are responsible for Joey the hangar cat this week, Peggy checked on him this morning, and I accompanied her to go care for him this afternoon. While she did that I got the mail from the street box.  All of it was for the Chapmans.  Peggy did make a batch of brownies this afternoon!

This evening wasn't much different from the day's activities because of the rain.  I'm still reading "The Golden Grindstone".  I'm amazed by what gold seekers would endure on their quests.  The book gives very good insight into the exploration of the Peel River drainage in the Yukon Territory as men looked for a land route to Dawson City.

And with that, it's "Say goodnight, Gracie!".


August 20  Guess what?  We woke up to rain this morning.  We keep commenting that we're glad that the rain is coming now rather than when we were often out to other areas of the state vacationing.

The rain quit mid-morning so I grabbed my bucket, long handled brush, and soap/wax and proceeded to wash the camper.  I hadn't been able to do so as is was raining all the time, and I wanted to get the road grime off of it since we had driven back from Ninilchik in the rain last Saturday.

After lunch Peggy and I went grocery shopping at Fred Meyers Supermarket.  Fred's is a subsidiary of Bakers Supermarkets in Omaha.  This store in Wasilla is massive with clothes, shoes, hardware, electronics, and of course groceries.

When we got back we got the trimming tools out of the hangar and went to work starting to cut brush and tree limbs that were overgrowing a section of fencing surrounding the property.  We had told Grant and Debby that we would be willing to do this since we have had such good treatment during our stay with them.

We got Joey the hangar cat out and let him exercise.  While Peggy did that I got the mail. Grant got a package that I'll bet is his purchase from eBay- an antique 12 volt siren.  The neat thing about the siren is that it was manufactured by the Chapman Co. and has "Chapman" in large lettering on it.  I think Grant plans on putting this working siren on his jeep.

After Joey went back into the hangar Peggy and I walked the grounds.  But it wasn't much later into the walk that it began to sprinkle, and by the time we got back in the camper it was a fairly good rain again.  There was no grilling our dinner nor walk for us tonight.


August 21  I checked between my toes and much to my relief I am not growing webs!  And we haven't been requested to start building an Ark...yet.  We have had 5 days in a row of rain. Fortunately nothing heavy, but it has been persistent and constant.

We cared for the hangar cat, Joey, checked for mail, and walked the grounds.  I didn't even hear any planes take off or land today.  We did get away to eat lunch out (Peggy had a coupon for buy one/get one free chili cheese dogs) and do some quick shopping.  But the soggy weather has kept us indoors again.

The forecast remains rain through Friday, and then supposedly the weekend is to clear up.  Time will tell!


August 22  We're like a broken record (to those of us old enough know what that means)...it rained again for much of the day.  There was a brief lull this afternoon.  I was a little cabin crazy so grabbed my gloves and a trimmer and went back to work clearing a border on the outside of the fence perimeter.

Peggy took care of Joey while I got the mail and walked the grounds.  Other than that we stayed indoors and listened to the rain falling on the roof and watched more TV.  We put out our awning and moved the grill beneath it so that I could grill our dinner.

The NWS has issued a flood advisory for our area for small stream flooding.  We are glad that the property sits comfortably above the level of the lake as I'm sure it has slowly risen this past week of rain.  Depending on how much credence you can put in weather forecasts, they are saying tomorrow should be the last of the rain.  Time will tell!


August 23  And on the 7th day of rain...the sun shined!  However, overnight we had the hardest rain we've experienced all week.  Ch. 2 TV out of Anchorage said that this was the 3rd wettest August on record which is saying a lot as August is the wettest month of the year here.

After a damp beginning to the morning the clouds parted, and we had sunshine!  Peggy went to the laundromat while I opened the property gate and sat with Joey the hangar cat in the office. We had missed a delivery yesterday from UPS, and we didn't want to miss him again today. UPS left a note saying they'd be back today. I'm sure that Joey liked all the attention.

When Peggy got back from doing the laundry she took over sitting in the office.  I got my work gloves and a lopping shears and went to work clearing the fence line of small trees and brush .  I am about 20' from having it done.

Around 3:30 this afternoon Grant, Debby and the dogs returned from their vacation to areas around Dawson City, Yukon, Canada.  Although they did get some rain there it was nothing like what we had.  They really seemed to have had a nice time touring around.  They said that Peggy and I should consider taking the Taylor, Top of the World, and Klondike Highways on our way back.  Not only is the scenery spectacular from the Top of the World, but the history associated with Dawson City and the gold rush would be special to see, also.

We grilled our supper. After we finished eating and the dishes were done we were going to go for a walk.  However, in just a short period of time as we ate the clouds built back in, and it started raining. So, we have assumed a familiar pose...sitting in front of the boob tube while the rain goes pitter patter on the roof. And, for the first time we heard thunder! We've been told that thunder is a rarity around Wasilla.

Maybe tomorrow will be rain free.  One can always hope!

Today's Photo Uploaded to Picasa

August 24  Woke up to nice sunshine today.  Grant and Debby walked over to our camper and visited with us about their remaining summer plans.  If things work out, we may be able to leave before the Labor Day weekend.  

Peggy and I went to Walmart to pick up a few groceries.  On our way a fog bank rolled in from the Chugash Mts, but by the time we got back to the camper it had blown off.  When we got back I replaced the truck's fuel filter, and  Peggy started working on cutting some of the brush along the fence line.  When I finished with the truck I grabbed a lopping shears and worked with her. We were able to finish this job!

Grant worked on getting his eBay purchase installed on his jeep- his Chapman siren!  And it works and works loudly!  Now all he needs is a blinking red light, and he could get cars to pull over.   :o)

When we finished clearing brush we were invited over to Grant and Debby's for a late lunch. What a spread of food!  She had 2 different kinds of salmon spread, smoked salmon belly fillets, pickled asparagus, a pepper loaf made of elk, and crackers.  Man, it was all good!  What a nice treat!

After we ate and were sitting outside visiting, wouldn't you know it, it clouded up and began to rain.  Funny thing is you could see blue sky around, but there was a band of clouds coming over the Talkeetna Mountains directly to us.  Good thing we got our chores done!

So, we went back to the camper and watched the NASCAR race at Bristol, TN, and more.  I have since learned that August is the month of the most precipitation.  It certainly is living up to that reputation.


August 25  Bright, blue skies again today.  Wonderful!  We visited with Grant and Debby this morning.  They are making their last trip to the cabin.  With that, they have given us their blessing to leave Tuesday or any time thereafter.

So Peggy and I are planning on leaving our gracious hosts and making our way back towards home Tuesday.  Since we will be leaving about a week earlier than we originally planned, our departure itinerary will include the Taylor Highway, the Top of the World Highway, and the Klondike Highway.  This will take us to new, fantastic scenery, and through Chicken, AK, and on to Dawson City, YK.  We're especially excited about the Top of the World for the scenery and Dawson City for its large part in gold mining and its history.

Today on our walk we noticed another significant change in the local fireweed.  It has transitioned from being the bright, fushcia colored blossoms, to dull pink pods, to cottony white seeds.  We were told that these wildflowers are used to forecast the changing seasons.  Hope the white, cottony seeds don't mean any immediate snow!

We decided we need one last Alaska splurge so went to the local ice cream shop and got large chocolate milk shakes!  I know I'm going to have to cut back when I get home as my waistline has grown.  Must be all the good Alaskan food!

Now that we know when we depart, we have set about doing the kinds of things one does to make preparations to get on the road: checking over the pickup and the trailer, buying groceries, filling the fresh water tank, emptying the waste tanks.  Having a short timeline, we are anxious to leave, but more so, we are also so thankful for the opportunity we have had to make new friends and see and experience new places.  And our time here seems to have gone by so quickly.

Today's Photos Uploaded to Picasa

August 26  Another beautiful day in Alaska.  Bright, blue skies accompanied by a few wispy, cirrus clouds.  This is our last full day with Grant and Debby as tomorrow we begin the journey back home.

We were happy because we got to Skype with Shelly, Macy, and Halle!  Macy told us about being in Kindergarten.  She even referred to the Principal as "the boss"!  Halle sang to us a couple of songs.  It will be nice getting back so that we can see the grandkiddos in person.

Peggy cared for Joey, the hangar cat, and watered the flowers.  After catching up with Grant and Debby who flew back in from their 2 day stay at their cabin, we had to return our cable box and Internet router to MTA.  We also filled the truck up with fuel and made other final preps for our departure in the morning.

We have finalized part of our route back to the lower 48 states.  Tomorrow we drive as far as Tok, AK.  The next day we take the Taylor Highway to Canada and the Yukon Territory where we get on the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City, YK, where we will most likely spend a couple of days.  We then take the Klondike Hwy down to Whitehorse, YK, and pick up the Alaska Hwy heading towards Watson Lake, YK.  However, just before Watson Lake we will turn onto the Cassiar Highway and take it through British Columbia.

We hope to swing west off of the Cassiar and go through Stewart, BC, re-enter the USA and go to Hyder, AK.  Supposedly there is a late summer/early autumn run of salmon at Hyder and the bears can be viewed catching fish.  Of course, our plans could change if the weather turns bad, especially on the drive from Tok to Chicken to Dawson City as much of that route is hardpack gravel.

Debby came over and gave us some parting gifts:  salmon fillets, smoked salmon, and squaw candy, a kind of sweetened smoked salmon.  Having had these before I know how tasty they are. How generous of the Chapman' to have shared some of their bounty!!  These are the kind of people Grant and Debby are- very generous, hospitable, and fun to be around.  They will be missed! 

Today's Photos Uploaded to Picasa

August 17, Ninilchik to Wasilla

August 17  We woke up to the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof.  Sure was good sleeping weather last night, and I'm sure we were both fatigued from our fishing excursion yesterday.  We were on the Sterling Highway on our way back to Wasilla around 9:00.

We drove in rain showers for about the first 150 miles which meant little viewing of the mountains.  However we still bid the Kenai Mountains goodbye as we will not be this far south again.  We were on the Seward Highway at the Turnagain Arm when things started clearing up. As we got northeast of Anchorage the sun was shining on the Talkeetna Mountains, and I told Peggy we were getting back to God's country!

We pulled onto our site at Grant and Debby's around 1:30.  Both dogs greeted us!  It was good to visit with Grant and Debby as we shared with them our "fish stories".

We grilled burgers for supper and watched the clouds begin to build up over the Talkeetnas. Looks like it might be a rainy night.  Despite the clouds we did go for our walk after we finished eating.

On the way back we went to the dock to check out how the little fry are coming.  Either they aren't growing, or they are continually replaced by others of the same size.  Back at the camper we watched the boob tube and called it a done deal for the day.

August 16, Halibut Fishing at Ninilchik

August 16  We were up and at 'em, anxious to go fishing.  Because we are camped in the charter's RV park we walked to the office at 7:30.  There we hear that the boat captains had reevaluated the tide charts and postponed leaving until 8:30 to try and optimize our chances.  We were able to check in so will not have to do that later.  They actually check your license to make sure it is valid. Back to the camper we went to wait out the hour.

We no longer got in the camper when we could hear the plink, plink of rain drops on the roof. OK...we'll take the rain but keep the wind reasonably calm, please!  I checked the weather radar, and it look like one small area of rain moving through.  And as indicated, the rain stopped a short time later, and for now, at least momentarily.

We met again at the Ninilchik Charters at 8:30.  There was little wind, but it was heavily overcast. We were assigned to Captain Nick and the fishing boat Arctic Expedition.  Nick loaded our gear which included rain suits, gloves, hats, food, and drinks on the boat.  We rode in the crew cab pickup pulling the boat down to the Deep Creek Recreation Area which was only a 5 minute drive.

Once there we climbed a ladder and boarded the boat while it was parked high on the beach. Nick unhooked and parked the pickup while the skidder boat launch crew hooked up to the boat's trailer.  Once Nick was aboard, he did a quick systems test, and gave the skidder crew the OK to launch us.

As soon as we had moved away from the shoreline Nick gave us the safety rundown and procedures for the boat. When he finished he pushed the throttles forward to the twin Yamaha 200 hp motors, and we were off for about a 25 mile ride which took about an hour to make.  Around half way through the ride he suddenly cut the throttles and came to a stop.

Off to the starboard (right) side of the boat was a mink whale.  Of course by the time I rummaged the camera out of our backpack the whale had continued to swim rapidly away from us.  I quickly snapped a photo when it surfaced to breath, but all I got was a faint glimpse of its dorsal fin. Oh, well, at least we officially saw a whale in person.

When we reached the halibut grounds Nick set the boat's anchor.  He then went over the operation of the tackle we'd be using.  The tackle included Penn Senator saltwater reels loaded with 100 lb. test braided line.  The rod was a 5', extreme duty/fast action whose manufacturer I can't remember.  Terminal tackle included a large brass swivel connecting the braided line with about a 3' length of parachute cord.  At the end of the cord was a large circle hook about 3 inches in diameter, and about 2 feet above the hook was a snap with 6" of cord to which a 4 lb. bar of lead was hung.  The hook was baited with cut herring.

We were fishing in about 250 feet of water.  Halibut are bottom feeders so you had to get your bait to the bottom.  The idea was to get the sinker just barely in contact with the bottom.  The ocean swells would then jig the bait up and down and entice the halibut to bite.

The first fish was caught by Jodi from Minneapolis, and it happened to be a cod.  Nick gaffed and removed the fish from the hook, and after getting Jodi baited back up, cut the cod up for additional bait.  After the cod the next catch was a skate, which is related to rays like the sting ray, and considered to be non-edible.  Nick doesn’t even want them in the boat as they can put up quite a thrashing fight.  It is released.

And then it started to rain, sprinkles mostly, but it persisted the rest of the day.  A front had moved through which was vastly different from the bright blue skies of the day before.  We were fortunate that at least it was not overly windy, although the wind did pick up some creating white caps and somewhat larger swells.  

Finally, Jodi’s husband Craig caught the first halibut!  It was about a 20 pounder.  With the limit at 2 per person he decided to keep it.  Over the course of time everyone in the boat had caught a fish of one kind or another.  Peggy caught a skate.  I caught a cod and a skate.  But the halibut fishing was very slow!

The other 2 persons making up the 6 clients onboard were Bill from Soldotna, AK, and Gordon who used to live in Alaska but now resides in California for 9 months of the year.  The other 3 he lives in Alaska.  Gordon and Bill are friends and get together to go fishing.

About midway through the afternoon we had only boated 4 halibut, so Nick decided it was necessary to fish another place.  The anchor was brought up and away we went to continue our quest on new fishing grounds.  Nick took us to another area, but this time we were going to try drift fishing.

Lo and behold, I had a bite.  As I reeled I knew this was different from the skate which when caught becomes immediate dead weight by turning its wide body perpendicular to the direction you are trying to reel it.  Now mind you, just the act of reeling in a 4 lb. weight that is 250 ft. down is a hard chore.  Now put a 25 lb. fish who is trying to swim away from you on the hook 250 ft. down, and you get a workout!  But I persisted and got him up to the boat to be gaffed and brought aboard.  Whew!  Another item checked off my bucket list!

Although the boat did not succeed in getting all its clients their halibut limits it was not for a lack of effort.  Nick worked tirelessly cutting bait and baiting hooks.  He would check your line to make sure you were properly presenting the bait on the bottom.  If you tired while reeling, he would take over to give you a rest.  He untangled our lines (yes, even adults get their lines tangled!).  He would re-rig your tackle if it was lost.  He always did so with a smile or a joke.  And, we were on the water from about 9:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.  Now I understand why these charter boat captains are so young as I put Nick's age at about 20 years old.  They need that youthful energy to do the job!

All totaled, our boat caught 7 halibut the largest of which was about 30 lbs.  But none of us complained.  As I said, our lack of catch was not because of a lack of effort!  Everyone fished almost nonstop and in a continuous rain.  (I do have to say that Peggy’s and my rain suits purchased at Cabela’s worked well to keep us dry.)

When we arrived back at the charter office Nick set about the chore of cleaning our fish.  If there is some good in not catching your limit, you don’t have to put out the big bucks to have the fillets vacuum sealed, flash frozen, and then shipped to someone back home.  And, another charter boat that we were paired with and fished in the same vicinities as we did had the same fishing luck.

If I do have a regret is that Peggy did not catch a halibut.  But I give her kudos because she fished as long and as hard as anyone.  And, she probably whined the least (actually not at all) of our group about the lack of halibut.  But in the end, all of us walked away knowing that is the way fishing goes, and that the best part of this day was making new acquaintances, enjoying a new experience, and knowing that we tried as hard as we could.  Like Tom Osborne would agree, it was the process and not the victory.

Today's Photos Uploaded to Picasa

August 15, Wasilla to Ninilchik

August 15  Today our oldest granddaughter had her first day of school as a Kindergartener!  Like I commented on my daughter's Facebook, it doesn't seem all that long ago that she (our daughter) was going off to start Kindergarten.  Time flies when you're having fun.

The drive from Wasilla was nice and uneventful, just the way you'd want it.  We pulled out around 7:30 waving goodbye to Debby who had just come outside.  Having driven around the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet several times now makes us feel like "veteran" Alaskans.  The best part is that all of the major road work along the Seward and Sterling Highways has been completed.

We got to Ninilchik and checked in with Ninilchik Charters as we are staying in their campground.  We had the camper all set up by 1:00.  The office gal told us that yesterday they had a client catch a 210# halibut! WOW!  We also confirmed that we have a 7:30 a.m. departure in the morning.

While we watched a couple of TV shows I noticed that Ninilchik Charters had a secured wifi.  I went to the office and asked about it, coming away with their password.  It is not lightning fast, but beggars can't be choosers.

Around 4:00 the first of their fishing charters came in.  It was time to snoop, or as I call it, scouting.  All 6 clients onboard had caught their two halibut each.  A young woman was teasing her boyfriend or husband about his puny fish.  But after the charter captain had unloaded all the fish he weighed the two largest halibut.  The woman's fish weighed 58 lbs and her boyfriend/husband was 59!  A close contest!

Shortly thereafter a 2nd boat came in with all limits filled.  It looked like most of those fish were in the 30-40 lb. range with the largest maybe 50 lbs.  The charter's 3rd boat pulled in and again all clients caught their limit of 2 halibut.  I didn't see sizes and at this time wasn't caring as my thoughts and optimism for tomorrow's fishing was high!

Peggy and I returned to Roscoe's for pizza.  We had eaten here on our last trip to Ninilchik and found the pizza to be good.  After we finished we drove down to the beach where the charter boats are launched, but the fog had rolled in and it was difficult to even see the small waves lapping on the shore.

And so it is, we're wishing the weather goddess looks favorably upon us for tomorrow's adventure.  The forecast is for light winds and a chance of showers.  I'll take the rain, but please don't let the wind blow.  Last time we tried halibut fishing with the wind howling, I looked out the front window of our boat.  As it climbed the next high wave all I could see was the sky, and all I could think about was The Perfect Storm.

But that canceled fishing trip is behind us, and tomorrow's a new day, and maybe, just maybe, our third attempt at fishing on the sea will be charmed!

August 11-14, Wasilla

August 11  Ahh!  The pitter patter of raindrops on the camper's roof made for good sleeping, and Peggy and I took full advantage by sleeping in.  And, it rained throughout most of the morning with sprinkles on and off in the afternoon, also.

Peggy fired up the slow cooker but was missing an ingredient.  I think she was looking for an excuse to get away as I had the NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Watkins Glen on.  It was worth it for her to have to dash to the grocery store as her ham, cheese, and potato meal was excellent.

Because of the weather Grant and Debby did not take a get-away on their two days off.  But with the weather both households stayed indoors so we did not get to visit with them.

We did go for our constitutional (walk) early this evening.  Before leaving I was able to get a photo of Anderson Lake and the Talkeetna Mountains.  The clouds sure seem to do funky things when the weather changes.

The Talkeetnas after the rain at Anderson Lake, Wasilla, AK

August 12  We had another rainy night and early morning.  These have been good soaking rains that have to be beneficial. Anchorage which is about 40 miles from here set an August 11 rainfall record at 1.2 inches for that date.  Grant and Debby took the dogs up on Hatcher Pass to let the dogs run this morning.  When they returned both dogs got baths in preparation for their veterinary appointments this week.

As the clouds became more scattered this afternoon Grant was able to take his plane for a ride. On weekdays it seems that many who have planes in the area go flying when they get off work as there is more plane activity during the late afternoon and early evening.

We took our walk this afternoon which allows us to catch our favorite TV shows tonight.  It is definite that some of the trees' leaves are beginning to turn colors.  It appears to be the birch trees and maybe some of the aspens that are starting to change. And, daily temperatures are lower than we've had, but that could be due to the rains of the past two day.  We will need to keep monitoring these seasonal changes as they do occur earlier here than back home.

We got a new gadget in the mail that I had ordered online.  It is a dashboard holder for a smartphone which clips onto the dash's air duct louvers.  The holder I had was not so good unless you were on exceedingly smooth roads, which are a rarity in Canada and Alaska.  Thursday when we go to Ninilchik halibut fishing will be a good test for the new mount as parts of the Sterling Hwy are quite rough. 

The nights are now darker for increasingly longer periods causing us to leave a nightlight on in the camper.  Sunrise this morning was at 5:56 and sunset at 10:10.  Wasilla is losing about 6-7 minutes of sunlight daily.  It would be ideal if we could see the aurora borealis, but local forecasting from The University of Alaska Geophysical Institute indicates we are a 2 (low) on a scale of 0 to 9 of having a visible aurora.  Besides, the clouds have built back in so the ability to see anything astronomically speaking tonight would be impossible.

August 13  It was another one of those Alaskan Chamber of Commerce days!  The early clouds gave way to partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the upper 60s.  We visited with Grant and Debby and then went to a sporting goods store to purchase our fishing licenses for Friday's attempt at halibut fishing.

I did get a phone call from Ninilchik Charters saying that our chartered fishing trip would meet at their office at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning instead of the original 4:30 a.m. time.  This later departure will take better advantage of the tide which does impact halibut fishing.  We're still keeping our fingers crossed that this 3rd attempt at fishing on the sea will happen!

During the day Grant worked on a couple of airplanes while Debby mowed the yard.  Peggy made the weekly sojourn to the laundromat.  All these things were done with my supervision and/or approval! :o)

We grilled our supper after which Peggy and I walked the subdivision before retiring to the TV for the remainder of the evening.


August 14  Alaska's fireweed is used as a calendar of sorts, especially in the fall.  When the fireweed stops blooming it is time for school to start and it is 6 weeks until the first frost.  Well, many fireweed plants around here have stopped blooming, and Wasilla school starts tomorrow. We won't be around to find out if 6 weeks from now there is a frost.

It was a cool, overcast day.  Our high today was about 60º.  Temperatures for the area are to remain in the 60s for the next several days.  Peggy and I went grocery shopping and also did our walk this afternoon.  Peggy has a lineup of TV shows tonight we've been watching.

Tomorrow we drive the 225 to Ninilchik.  We'll be staying at the Ninilchik Charters RV campground for the 2 days we are there.  Friday we go halibut fishing.  So far the weather looks favorable.  Winds are forecast to be about 10 mph with a chance of rain.  And, our departure time was moved from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. to be able to catch the favorable tide in the early afternoon.

We'll return to Anderson Lake near Wasilla on Saturday.

August 10, Fairbanks to Wasilla

August 10  We were on the road departing Fairbanks around 7:40 this morning.  The air was thick with smoke from the wildfires.  The region sits in a valley surrounded by mountains which tends to hold in the air and in this case, the smoke, when there is little wind.  There was a NWS bulletin about a smoke advisory, and that all should restrict their outdoor activity.

Fairbanks provided just what we were looking for.  We delved into the history of the area and also got in some very good sightseeing during our three day stay.  I'd recommend coming to Fairbanks to anyone who comes to Alaska.  There is a rich history here regarding the discovery and mining of gold and that Fairbanks played an instrumental part in supporting Russia during WWII with the airplane exchange.

And, it would not be traveling by road in Alaska during the summer without road construction. However, we've found that much of the major work is nearing completion with new asphalt having been laid down.  There was still a place where it was necessary to follow a pilot car around the heaviest work zones.

Heading west on the Parks Hwy we could see clouds coming over the Alaska Range.  And sure enough after we fueled up in Healey, AK, and got close to the entrance road to Denali NP the rains came.

We drove in rain for much of the remainder of the trip to Wasilla.  We were glad that it rained as much of Alaska has had high temperatures with little to no rain through most of the summer. Hope this wet weather will stick around as they need it.

Peggy and I have noticed that a few trees are beginning to change color.  We had seen this on a few trees that are around Grant and Debby's place, and it was especially true at higher elevations. But then it is nearing mid-August, and at these higher latitudes we are losing about 7 minutes of sunlight daily.

We rolled into Wasilla around 2:30 this afternoon somewhat tired from driving about 200 of the 320 miles in the rain.  We set up camp and then caught up with the news we missed during our 5 day absence.  Grant and Debby were glad that we had an enjoyable time.

Today's Photos Uploaded to Picasa

August 9, Fairbanks and Dredge 8

August 9  It's official- we've been there, done that, and now have the t-shirt.  Mid-morning we drove back to the Northern Alaska Tour Company to purchase Arctic Circle t-shirts.  We also stopped by the RV Park's office and bought t-shirts, especially since they are running a 15% sale on all clothing.

The air in Fairbanks is smelling of smoke and there is a definite haze in the air.  There is a wildfire burning along the Denali Highway southeast of Fairbanks.  And yesterday we saw a forest fire burning west of the Dalton Highway. When we talked to the clerk at Northern Alaska Tours she also mentioned there are fires along the Parks Highway near Denali NP but that they are not effecting traffic.  That's good since we will need to travel that route to get back to Wasilla tomorrow.

And I need to apologize.  I went back and reread yesterday's post.  I corrected a couple of typos, but also added a bit more as I recalled certain events of our journey to the Arctic Circle and back. The additions weren't anything major, but memories that I want to have available when I read these postings years from now.

After lunch we drove the 12 or so miles to Fox, AK.  Peggy (a.k.a. my CFO, my navigator, and my travel agent) had made arrangements for us to take the Gold Dredge #8 tour.  On the way we stopped at the Alyeska Pipeline pull-out and walked by ourselves among the pipeline and displays.  It is amazing the technology that was used not only to build this pipeline but also to clean and monitor the condition of the pipeline.  We were able to take a few pics here.

We then went to the dredge.  It was a very good tour!  It started out with boarding a narrow gauge train.  While we waited to depart the depot we were entertained by Earl who had opened for Johnny Cash.  He was a good singer and guitar player.  Then we had our train's guide (sorry, we can't remember his name) who did an excellent job of describing the gold mining operations in the Fairbanks area and specifically gold dredge #8 and finally the Alyeska Pipeline.  I knew he would do well because he is a high school teacher, and this was his last presentation before having to go back to his teaching job on Monday.

As he spoke, the train made its way to different mining displays.  It is remarkable to think about how mining in this northland happened and had to be so different from gold mining in the lower 48 states. In the winter gold containing pay gravel was shaft mined from beneath the ground.  The pay gravel was stockpiled because the freezing temperatures prevented the use of water to separate the gold from the gravel.

In the spring and summer until freeze-up in the fall the pay gravel was run through sluice boxes which used water and riffles to allow the heavier gold to separate itself from the gravel.  But this was a very labor intensive operation.

When it was realized how much gold was available through placer (eroded from the mother lode) mining, newer, faster technology was brought to Fairbanks.  These were in the form of mining dredges like the #8 we were informed about.

These dredges were mining monsters of the day.  It was compared to a giant gold mining chain saw.  Each bucket on the chain would take in 6 cubic yards of pay dirt.  The dredge would gobble 22 buckets a minute.  The pay dirt was dumped into a hopper which then fed a trammel.  The trammel was a large, rotating drum through which the pay gravel was fed with a strong water spray washing the gravel.  The water flushed out the small, heavy particles and gold which were then fed into sluice boxes to separate the heavy gold.  The dredge was much faster than human power alone could mine gold.

At the end of the train ride to see all these mining displays and live demonstrations, we were given a chance to pan gold.  Each tourist was given a small cloth bag of supposedly pay gravel. We then went to a bench in front of a water trough with a pan.  We were quickly instructed on the art of panning.  Swish, swish, swish, drain, drain, drain, swish, swish, drain, drain.  Each repetitive movement removed more and more of the gravel while at the same time allowing the heavier gold to settle.

In the final panning stages, there they were...small flecks of gold!  Peggy and I both had gold! We captured each small fleck on the tip of a finger and carefully put it into a plastic container.  We then took our gold into the office where it was dried and weighed.  To our surprise we had panned $31 worth of gold which we were allowed to keep!  Not bad for 15 minutes worth of work by 2 rookies. Laughingly, I told Peggy I had panned $16 and she $15!

We walked aboard the dredge to see first hand the equipment on this behemoth machine. It was hard to imagine this giant-sized technology being used from 1928 to 1959 and removing 7.5 million ounces of gold from the surrounding area.  We then also bought some t-shirts in the gift shop having felt smug because of our new-found wealth.

The final presentation was on the Alyeska Pipeline.  As I mentioned yesterday, the pipeline's technology is truly amazing.  The present flow rate is 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily.  It takes 15 days for the oil to go the 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.  And, Alaskans pay no state income tax because of the state revenue generated by the pipeline.  On the contrary...each Alaska citizen gets a yearly oil profits' dividend check in October!

By now it was time to have dinner since we had a very light lunch.  Fortunately, we did not have to go far.  Fox, AK, is home to the northern-most brewery in North America, the Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Co.  The food and drink was very good!!  And, Peggy even bought me a beer bottle cozy!

On the way back to our camper we filled the pickup with fuel and called it another fun, entertaining, and educational day!  Tomorrow we load up and head south back to Wasilla.

Today's Photos Uploaded to Picasa

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August 8, To the Arctic Circle

August 8  We made it! We really made it!  Cross another item off of the bucket list, because we made it!

The van picked us up at our campground at 5:45 A.M. and drove us to the Northern Alaska Tour Company's office.  There we checked in, made our lunch order, and boarded our tour coach.  We were introduced to Kailey, our tour guide and driver.  We also met some of the 20 other members who were going to the Arctic Circle.  Of the group, 8 were from India and 8 were formerly from India who now live in the USA.  It was fun to listen to them talk in their native language, and I was very impressed with their command of the English language.

The bus departed Fairbanks around 6:30 a.m. We left town on the Steese Highway.  Our first stop was at a gold mine where Kailey talked about the methods used to extract gold from the pay dirt (gravel containing gold).  About 15 miles out of Fairbanks we turned off the Steese onto the famous Dalton Highway.

Formerly known as the Haul Road, the Dalton was constructed to allow for the building of the Alaska (Alyeska) Pipeline.  This highway has also been featured on the TV reality show, Ice Road Truckers.

We stopped for a photo op at the sign designating this highway.  It was apparent that truckers really do haul on this road as 3 semi trucks heading north passed by.  This highway goes all the way north to Prudhoe Bay where the oil fields are located.

A few miles up the highway we stopped and walked a short distance to the pipeline.  The pipeline is nearly 800 miles long and goes from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean all the way south to Valdez.  Kailey did a nice job of talking about the pipeline while we took photos.

From there we stopped at the little area of Joy, Alaska.  It is made up of a couple of families and a general store.  We were able to browse the store, but more importantly use restrooms which are limited along the Dalton.

We then rode 140 miles north to the Yukon River.  The highway is a combination of part asphalt and part hardpack gravel.  And like other roads in the north is uneven and potholed.  For this reason I chose to not drive my pickup on it.  And by looking at the tour coach's windshield I knew it was a good decision.  And it seemed that with each truck we met we could hear stone's bouncing off the front of the bus.  The cracked windshield of the bus was proof that vehicles do take a beating. Car rental companies forbid that their cars be driven on the Dalton.

At the Yukon River we picked up a box lunch which we ate enroute. Farther down the Dalton we stopped at Finger Mountain.  This area of stone outcroppings was used by the natives to create scarecrows which helped funnel the herds of caribou to places where they were easier to hunt. The unique rock shapes were also used by the early aviators as navigational aides. After pictures and a restroom break we were on the Dalton again.

At about 1:45 we arrived at 66º 33' North Latitude- the Arctic Circle!  The Arctic Circle is significant because it is the most southern point capable of receiving 24 hours of continuous, direct sunlight at sea level (the sun never sets below the horizon).  If you go any farther south, those areas would have a moment of time when the sun slips below the horizon at sea level.  We had truly crossed into "The Land of the Midnight Sun"!

We celebrated our arrival at the Arctic Circle by crossing a red carpet with a dotted line on it. Photos where taken and then chocolate cake with whipped cream was served.  We even received a certificate indicating our crossing upon our arrival back at the company office in Fairbanks. There were two volunteers in the parking lot who stamped passports for those who had one.  They told me with our group a total of 92 people had stopped at the Arctic Circle sign which was a bit over the daily average.

After turning around it was back on the road and heading south towards Fairbanks, a distance of 199 miles.  Several miles down the Dalton we made a stop in a transition area between the boreal forests and the tundra.  Kailey walked us out onto the tundra.  It was squishy soft when you walked on it.  With a trowel, Kailey dug a hole into the tundra and allowed those who wanted to put their hand down the hole to feel the coldness caused by the permafrost.

She had also mentioned that there were blueberries in the area so while she dug, I harvested and ate a couple of handfulls of the ripen berries.  I only wish we had more time and a container to collect more!

At about 4:45 we arrived back at the Yukon Trading Post where we ate a dinner that we had pre-ordered on the first leg of our trip coming out of Fairbanks.  Peggy and I each had a burger which was grilled and tasted very good.  The trading post also had homemade pie, so we couldn't resist. Peggy had cherry, and I had rhubarb.

Afterwards, we all walked to the bank of the Yukon River.  In my imagination I could see the paddlewheelers going upstream to Dawson City and the gold fields there to deliver supplies and stampeders who could afford to travel by boat.  What a significant river to the settlement of Alaska by the influx of non-natives.

In between stops we were entertained and educated on the bus by the presentation of videos on the subjects of gold mining, the building of the pipeline, the tundra and permafrost, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  I have to admit that many, including myself, used these opportunities to take a quick nap.

From the Yukon River we were back on the bus with the next stop the Joy Trading Post for restrooms.  While waiting to board the bus for the last leg of the return trip I gained a new friend. For some reason (I can think of several reasons! heehee) I was befriended by the year and a half year old granddaughter of the trading post proprietors.  She had singled me out from the group and held her arms out to be picked up!  So the grandpa in me took over, and we played rapid lift and toss/catch.  The best part was her toothy giggle! This went on for some time as I would put her down when my arms tired, and she would come right back to me to be lifted up again. Hmmm??  Maybe I miss my own granddaughters more than I thought!

We arrived back in Fairbanks around 9:30 P.M. where we said our goodbyes to our tour mates and Kailey, and received our certificates.  We were then given a ride back to our campground where we wearily but happily were back home. What a fantastic day!!

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August 7, Fairbanks and the Discovery III

August 7  Please, don't pinch me!  I don't want to wake up from this most enjoyable dream! What another spectacular day Peggy and I have had in Fairbanks.  Let me start by saying that the temperature today was 78º.  When I think of Fairbanks, Alaska, I am reminded of snow drifts and -50º temperatures.  Not this summer!

Our day began with the Discovery III Paddlewheel boat tour on the Chena River.  Now this isn't some little puddle-about boat.  This is a 4 deck, bring on your tour buses by the dozens boat.  I'll refer to the tour bus persons as "The Hoard".  Peggy and I sat in the parking lot after getting our tickets and counted at least 15 tour buses of people who were all destined to ride the same boat we were.  Wow!  (Yes, I know I've just slighted some of you who have done the bus tour thing. And, good for you for having done so.  But, I can not see me doing a bus tour thing unless I really get desperate to wear a name tag badge around my neck.  For this I apologize!)

I'm guessing there were nearly 1000 people who rammed, jammed, and thank you ma'am (-ed), on board the boat.  However, Peggy and I were fortunate in that we happened to be in the right place at the right time.  After about the 10th bus rolled in we decided we better get out of the pickup and go to the side of the building where the gang planks for boarding were.  Holy cow...what a hoard of people already lined up!  But where we stood was a chained off walkway.  About 5 minutes before boarding began the nicest gal walks up, sets up her ticket taking materials and says, "You can start a new line right here."  Right where we were standing!  So, we were moved to the front of this new line of boarders!

Peggy and I made a beeline to the top deck towards the stern.  Our only mistake is that we sat on the right side of the boat.  As we found out after we were underway some of the demonstrations on the river were on the left side.  No big deal, however.

The tour was on the Chena River and we headed upstream away from Fairbanks.  One of the first demonstrations was a bush pilot who took off from the Chena River.  Peggy and I have watched countless float planes take off at Anderson Lake.  And, the announcer, who really did a good job, made the pilot sound like some aviation hero.  Heck, Grant is at least his equal, if not better!!

Farther down stream we went past the home of Susan Butcher, who was an Iditarod race winner. She has since died, but her husband still raises and races sled dogs.  He had a team of dogs hooked up to a 4 wheel ATV.  And at his signal, those dogs took off pulling that ATV at a high rate of speed.  They circled a small lake on the property and on his command came to a stop.

Further on we passed a rebuilt native village with a demo version of a fish wheel.  It was announced that we would be coming back as we would off-load and be able to attend various explanations of native life.

The Discovery III went a short distance farther to the place where the Chena River runs into the Tanana River.  The Tanana is the major drainage for the Fairbanks area.  The amazing thing was to see where the 2 rivers merged.  The Chena's waters are clear while the Tanana's are milky gray as it contains glacial silt.  It looked like cream slowly mixing with coffee.

The captain reversed our direction to head upstream and docked us at the native village.  There were three demonstrations given:  native clothing, native subsistence- hunting and growing food, and fishing with fish preparation.  All were done and done well by high school and college age students.  I was really blown away at the native clothing demo when a woman's ornate parka was estimated to have a value of $15,000 because of the furs, beadwork, and large amount of time it took to make it!

They also had a recently caught salmon that a girl filleted and prepped for smoking.  Only these salmon were not for human consumption, but for the sled dogs.  Because the dogs are vital to the survival of the natives during the harsh winter, there needs to be plenty of food stored for the dogs' winter survival.

After about 45 minutes at the native village the boat's whistle blew signalling The Hoards to reboard for the ride back to the docks.  Along the way the announcer talked about living in Fairbanks.  Like anywhere, Alaskans are proud of where they live, and rightfully so!

Once back on land, Peggy and I drove back to our camper for lunch.  I took a nap while Peggy got confirmation about our tour to the Arctic Circle tomorrow.  (Yes, for 1 day, we will be a part of A Hoard.)  Found out that we get picked up at our campground at 5:45 a.m. YAWN!

We then drove to downtown Fairbanks to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.  The focus of this center is on the native cultures that lived around Fairbanks and also the influx of Anglo-saxons settling the area.

From the Visitors Center we then strolled along the Fairbanks river walk.  We snapped some photos of things along the route.  After we finished, we went to the Hot Licks ice cream shop out by the University of Alaska.  YUM!  Homemade Rocky Road ice cream was especially good on a warm day.

We then went to Pioneer Park where a variety of different effects of pioneering were on display.  We saw a train car used by Warren G Harding, a huge old paddlewheel boat the Nenana, a number of older planes and aviation instrumental to the settling of Alaska, and old buildings and cabins from Fairbanks at the turn of the century.

By now we were getting a bit tired and hot, so we retreated to the camper.  Ahhh...AC!  After we collected ourselves and I loaded pics into iPhoto we went to dinner at the Pump House.  The Pump House is the building that was used in the 1930s when gold was discovered just west of the Chena River.  The pump house moved water from the river up to a nearby ridge where hydro-mining was used to wash the gold containing gravels down for extraction.

The meal was awesome!  Peggy had the grilled salmon, and I the grilled halibut.  OMG was it ever good!  And of course, when the desserts were presented we just couldn't say no.  Yes, we came back to the camper overstuffed!

What a day!  We are weary, but we have no regrets.  We look forward to tomorrow and crossing the 66° 33ʹ latitude.  Please, don't pinch me!!

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August 6, Wasilla to Fairbanks

August 6  Whew!  We made it to Fairbanks.  We were on the road at 7:30 and had smooth driving nearly to the turnoff to Denali NP.  However, from there on it was drive 10 miles and then stop for any amount of time waiting for the pilot car to escort us through the construction areas. Peggy and I are estimating that we sat waiting about 45 minutes total for all the flaggers to let us go on with the pilot car in all of the construction areas.  Ugh!

We passed Denali NP but as many come to expect, Mt. McKinley was cloud shrouded.  North of the park entrance we were in new territory despite the construction.  Once out of the Alaska Range mountains we were in the midst of boreal forests and muskeg.  This must be what is also referred to as taiga as it was hard to tell what was forests and what was swamp as they both seemed to be blended much of the time.

We drove across the Tanana River which drains much of the central Alaskan area around Fairbanks.  This river runs in a westerly direction and eventually empties into the renowned Yukon River of gold mining fame.

As we neared Fairbanks the highway climbed up into some low mountains which provided a good look from above at these taigas.  Far off to the west we could just make out some of the mountains making up the Alaska Range.  It was good to have them behind us for now as that's where the highway was torn up for repair.

We are now at the River's Edge RV Park in Fairbanks having arrived around 3:00. The campground seems pretty good as we have Internet and cable tv!  We are located on the Chena River in Fairbanks, the same river that tomorrow we'll be taking a riverboat cruise on.

Peggy was nice and fixed a meal indoors so that I didn't have to grill.  I think she realized I was a little beat from the drive.  After we ate we walked to the campground office to find out where we catch the shuttle provided to take us to tomorrow's boat tour.  But we found out they charge $4 per person, so we will drive the 2 miles to the boat landing. We also walked the grounds to the river.

And, the Fairbanks airport is very active!  We've had fighter jets, helicopters, cargo and passenger planes flying overhead at what seems a low level based on the noise they generate.

We are excited to be in Fairbanks!  Tomorrow the river boat tour, Thursday we go to the Arctic Circle which is about 200 miles north on the Dalton Hwy, and Friday we take a train ride out to an old gold dredge for a tour.  We will have a busy, fun 3 days here.  Saturday we make the drive back to Wasilla.

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