991 July 20, 2023 Nabesna Road Take Two

The sun was shining when we got up.  I took my morning walk along Nabesna Road.  After the rain yesterday, the whole world smelled like Christmas trees.

I walked to the Slana Ranger Station.  I shared our pictures of yesterday’s stream conditions. 

Slana Alaskans Unite posted this sign. 

Nabesna Road was built so that there would be easy access to a goldmine.  The road was built over sacred and burial grounds of the native peoples that had lived here for eons.  The Athabascans who made this place their home, took only what they needed from the land.  The miners wanted the road so that they could harvest and profit from the gold.  What a clash of cultures and values.

The phone in this booth actually had a dial tone and a phone directory.  Just another reminder about where we were.

Cinquefoil.

Pale Indian Paintbrush.

Bog Stars.

We moved the RV to Grizzly Lake Campground and we were lucky to get an electric site right beside the water.  This is a really pretty place. 

We could hear the haunting calls of a loon across the lake.

We watched a mama duck and her 9 ducklings.  The little ones were so cute.  They were gangly and still awkward.  I could have stayed and watched them all day!

An old wringer on the dock to help dry your wet things!

We prepared for an overnight tent camping trip.  We drove back to Nabesna Road.  The low clouds were lifting and we began to see mountains. 

Ptarmigan running!

We stopped at Kendesnii Campground at Twin Lakes and walked the interpretive trail.  We found several places where we could walk to the water.  There were lots of ducks here as well!

Yesterday, we were not able to travel to the end of the road because the stream crossing at Lost Creek was too treacherous.  We decided to check and see what it looked like.  What a difference a day makes.  The water had receded by about half.  The current was still fast.  Tim went out with his walking stick to gauge the depth of the water and the slope of the edges.  There was a couple in a pickup truck.  They too wanted to cross but they were also unsure.  Behind us, an Overlander, a huge 4WD camper, pulled up.  Once Tim saw the bigger more capable vehicle, he knew that we were going to try to cross.  There is safety in numbers.  If someone got stuck, there was now enough machine power to pull them out.

The Overlander passed easily through and we followed without difficulty.  The pickup followed us and we waited to be sure that they made it safely.

At the next creek there was a culvert.  We were in the lead.  As we approached, I saw a wolf scramble from the gravel streambed and up the slope.  It went around a tree and disappeared.  Tim stopped the car and we got out to look.  We didn’t look too hard.  Wolves are normally shy and they are very rarely seen in the wild.  They run from trouble, unless; they have a fresh kill nearby, have the pack with them, or have babies.  It was a cool thing to see!

There was another precarious looking stream crossing but the three men conferred and they made the decision to try.  The Overlander went first and we followed.  It was not as hard as it looked and all three vehicles passed through.

We were so glad that we forged the streams.  The scenery was incredible as we traveled further along. 

We passed a few homesteads.  These people definitely live off the grid. 

If I lived all the way out here, I would be grateful to have a plane to get in and out!

We made it to MM 42, the end of the Nabesna Road.  There is a trail here to the Rambler Mine.  We all prepared to hike the short distance.  We went only a few steps and encountered a huge puddle in the middle of the trail.  The guys tried to find a way around it but it was impassable. 

We all headed back the way we had come.  The couple in the pickup truck had their trailer parked along the road before the stream crossings.  They were headed back to their rig.  We bid them farewell and safe travels.  They were going to cross the streams on their own.

Max and Marion from Vancouver were traveling in the Overlander and planned to camp out overnight.  We found a pretty site along a creek where our Jeep and their rig could comfortably camp.  We enjoyed such a pleasant evening.  We had a fire and we shared some snacks.  The conversation revolved around our travels and our families.  We had much in common.  We stayed up until after 10:30pm.  It was still light out and I had no idea it was that late!