984 July 13, 2023 Catchup Day

We elected to stay in Fairbanks for one more night.  We needed a day to get stuff done. 

The first order of business was to exercise.  I haven’t taken a good walk in days and it was so pleasant this morning; 64 and sunny!

We had phone calls to make and then we went out to get fresh water, fill the Jeep with fuel, and then, a super huge trip to Walmart to get supplies.

We did more laundry and I went to REI to replace my broken fanny/hiking pack.

Another task we accomplished today was to upload another of Tim’s musk ox videos from the trip up the Dalton Highway.

We have been thinking so much about our new friend, Chen.  I neglected to tell the story of the remainder of his trip up the Dalton and back to Fairbanks.  Chen did stay overnight in the shelter that we found.  The next morning, Sunday, he resumed his journey.  He cycled for 15 hours and completed the entire 150 miles in one day.  He met a guy at the Brooks Store in Deadhorse who was escorting a bunch of motorcycles.  Ed drove the truck with the gear and supplies…he was their roadie!  Chen asked Ed for a ride back to Fairbanks. 

Chen says he is often fortunate to meet kind people on the road.  If he cannot find a suitable place to camp, he will knock on a door and ask to spend the night in someone’s yard.  He is seldom turned away.  Often, he is invited to sleep inside, shower, and most of the time, he is fed.  It makes me feel good about the world.  I have always believed that most people are good.  Chen has proof on an almost daily basis.  Chen has determination.  He is persistent and strong and self reliant.  We have been inspired by his story.  We hope one day, we get to read his book!

This evening, we went to Growden Memorial Stadium to watch the Goldpanners play baseball against the California Halos. This is an amateur summer league for hopefuls. As we walked up to the ticket booth, a young man asked if we had tickets. He gave us free passes! It was a small park and we had a good time.

We left in the sixth inning. We took a walk at the nearby Pioneer Park.

The Chena River on this beautiful summer evening.

We are headed to North Pole, Alaska tomorrow.