977 July 6, 2023 Finally On Our Way
I had another nice walk on the paved path. It was a gorgeous morning, 61 and sunny with a forecast of 75 in Fairbanks today.
We spent the day waiting to hear from the Jeep dealer. Tim called at noon and he was told that they were actively looking at it.
I took a nap this afternoon and when I got up, Tim had gone out on his bike. He got tired of waiting for the dealer to call and so at 2pm, he was biking the 5 miles to the shop. As he pedaled, a text came through from the service department. When he got there the Jeep was finished. Apparently, there is a recall for loose bolts and fittings in the coolant system. That is exactly what happened. The bolts loosened causing a seal to break and then leak. Fortunately, this was all covered under warranty and because it was a warranty issue, they agreed to pay for our towing as well. YAY…all fixed, all covered, all ready to roll!
Tim called from the dealer and asked if I might be willing to leave today. Let’s go! I made phone calls to ensure that we would have reservations for the camps and the bus tour and then I extended our stay at the campground in Fairbanks and we packed and we left at 4pm!
We stopped at Hilltop Truck Plaza to top off the tank. We went inside hoping to find something for an easy dinner but all we could find was homemade blueberry pie!
Here we are further up the road than we made it yesterday!
This was our first glimpse of the Alaska Pipeline. This pipeline follows the road all the way to Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay.
There was very little traffic and far fewer trucks than there were yesterday morning.
There are lots of dragonflies. This one met his demise on the front of the Jeep. Dragonflies eat mosquitoes and there are plenty here!
We ate our dinner at the Colorado Creek Trailhead along the Tolovana River.
We found a primitive campsite a couple of miles further. The water cascaded over a bench of stones and the music of the river was soothing.
Fireweed blooming on the riverbank.
We set up the rooftop tent and enjoyed our blueberry pie while we watched a beaver swimming in the river. I was trying to get good pictures and when I stood up to get a better view, he plunged into the water with a powerful slap of his tail. He came back again and we repeated this performance. The third time, I left him be and he dove gently into the water. We have seen 4-inch fish. Maybe he is looking for supper.
Tim caught movement at the edge of the water. The beaver had cut some small branches and he was having a feast.
He finished his meal and swam to the small waterfall. He lumbered up and over the rocks and then gracefully dove into the river and headed upstream.
A cool bug; a common sexton beetle or carrion beetle.
