North to Alaska

We are heading out on a RV adventure........north to Alaska!

Friday 24 June 2011

North to Alaska

Second week or is it the third? Hmmmmmmm? 
We have made it part way through Yukon and are seeing quite a bit of wildlife, moose, black and grizzly bears.  Many birds, a porcupine but luckily no more mice.
Could be our retirement home?
Railway snowblower in Skagway
We wander around Carcross and decide to drop south into Skagway, Alaska.  The landscape on the road down is amazing, almost a moonscape, it is so barren and inhospitable!  We pass by the Chilcoot Trail and are amazed that people walked through this area to get to the gold fields in Dawson City carrying so much in supplies.  
We stay the night in Skagway, right downtown by the cruise ship docks.  Yup, must be back on the coast, it is cold, windy and rainy.  Low clouds obscure the mountains but you know they are very close by and big!  Wander around town with the other tourists the next morning and of course a visit to the quilt shop is in order.  The White Pass railway goes right by our campsite.  








Rainbow Lake

Marshmallows over the fire!

Evening fish on Teslin Lake, Yukon
Back into Yukon and by lovely Rainbow Lake and on to Whitehorse for supplies and a windshield repair.  We get our fishing license and some inside information from the local outfitter, including a suggested camping spot.  It is a beautiful mountain lake, the water is clear and very cold, the ice has only been off for a week or so.  Camp right beside the lake but no fish from the shore.  But it is time for the camping staple of hotdogs and marshmallows for dinner :)
Now we get into the worse section of road so far.  It is built on permafrost and really doesn’t stay where they put it.  The frost heaves are huge, have to take it quite slowly and still the trailer is getting beaten up badly.  We have to repair something almost every day, mostly loose screws and broken latches.  I am getting to be an expert on holding doors closed with bungie cords.
Joe and the moose.






































Momma moose and babies






Midway Services
Cross over into Alaska at Beaver Creek, the road improves right away but only for a few miles, just to tease you I guess.  Starting to see trumpeter swans in the ponds near the road.  Moose continue to cross the road now and again and bears as well.  

Stop for supplies in Tok (rhymes with smoke) and fishing licenses.   We are stopped beside the road when a fellow stops his car and comes over to talk to us about the fishing.  We are not sure of him at first and his invitation to stay for free at his place and he will show us some fishing areas.  So we go to a government campground for the night and then decide to stop in at his place the next day.  Midway Services, highly recommended if you are driving on the Tok Cutoff. 







Mentasta Lake 




It turns out he is one of those people that it is a pleasure to meet.  He and his wife homesteaded the property, he bow hunts, fishes and traps as well as runs the mom and pop store.  Kind, generous, full of interesting stories, a real character.  He took us down to the river and gave us a short lesson on fly fishing and left us to fish his favorite spot where the creek joins the river.  






Arctic Greyling for dinner
Of course we didn’t get the salmon we were hoping for but we did spend a few hours and catch some greyling so at least we had fish for dinner.  Jay lent us a quad for the evening if we wanted to take it out, and of course the free camping.  He had a group of hunters in as well, staying in his famous old bus in the back.  The store was well stocked and had quite a display of pelts and hunting pictures.  Coffee is always on, and free, and there is always time for a story or two.  It was one of the nicest days of the trip.
Jay's bus
Matanusta Glacier
We had our first flat tire the next morning, but no problem, Jay helped to fix it.  And of course had some more stories to tell, this time about the big earthquake in 2002.  Shook them very badly and took out the road, and in November when it is cold.  He has a book of amazing pictures of the destroyed road and colorful anecdotes to go with it too.


After a days rest we are back on the road again and making our way to Anchorage and south to Homer on the coast.  Finally find a library and check emails, gee just like real mail, only bills.  Well, and one from Rosie letting us know she is doing well at her boarding place and getting the woman taking care of her trained well.
Turnagain Arm, Anchorage, Alaska
The scenery continues to amaze with huge mountains, glaciers, rivers, lakes and finally Turnagain Arm as we get to the ocean.  In Girdwood you can stay in the parking lot at the ski hill in the summer, only 300 feet above sea level but huge mountains.  





Sailor's Memorial


Small boat harbour, Homer Alaska
Halibut charter


So now we are in Homer, Alaska.  Camped on the 3 mile long spit south of town.  Mountains, glaciers and the ocean on both sides, fantastic views.  Joe went out on a halibut charter yesterday and came home with fish for dinner and now we have 10 lbs of it in our freezer as well.  I wasn’t able to join in as I pulled a muscle in my neck the day before and really couldn’t have reeled in a fish.  
Waiting for dinner.
Now that's a fish!

Walking on the spit





Tonight it is king crab for dinner, yummmmm.  And daylight till after 11pm!  
I really can see how people fall in love with the North!  


Longest Day   Solstice  Alaska
Ok, maybe a brief update on that thought,  we just had a tsunami warning!  Magnitude 7.4 earthquake off the Aleutian Islands tonight.  The sirens go off, the loud speakers say tsunami warning- everyone evacuate.  We grab the passports and head out in the truck.  Traffic is getting thick on the only road off the Spit.  It takes about 10 minutes but we reach high ground and the radio says the warning has been cancelled.   So back to the trailer and our now cold crab dinner, but it was still good and what a story to tell!  

1 comment:

  1. Dear Cathy, Sounds like a fantastic holiday! Great pictures. Love Mom.

    ReplyDelete