978 July 7, 2023 Dalton Highway Or The Haul Road

 Each time I woke up during the night, I looked out to see what was happening in our neighborhood.  Then, I quickly went back to sleep.  At 2:30 in the morning, I took this picture from the tent.  We could occasionally hear trucks barreling down the highway but it was otherwise a peaceful sleep.

There was an intense mosquito presence this morning.  We used our whole arsenal of bug deterrents.  We sprayed with OFF and used yard fogger and built a fire and Tim tossed some green spruce branches on top to produce some smoke.  Those interventions calmed things down and we were able to enjoy our coffee by the river. 

We left our campsite at 7:00am. 

In a fire ravaged landscape, fireweed is one of the first things to regrow.

This was the view as we traveled.

The Dalton Highway!!!!

This road is a Utility Corridor for the Alaska Pipeline.  The land is managed by the BLM.  All of this is public land.  This area was the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge.

There was an area of road construction for 20 miles.  They were not allowing vehicles to pass through unescorted.  We had to wait for a long while for the pilot car to come and then we followed it to the end.  This highway is an interesting mix of surfaces.  There are a few paved portions, lots of patched sections, lots of gravel stretches, miles of mud, and too many potholes to count.  The industrial traffic and equipment have the right of way.  We drove slowly and carefully and gave truckers wide berth.

 We saw a doglike critter cross the road in the distance; maybe a coyote or a wolf.  By the time we passed, it was long gone.  There were poor little ground squirrels darting around…the bottom of the food chain out here.

We had driven this part of road 5 years ago.  We didn’t remember just how pretty it was.

We stopped at the Yukon River Crossing.  The bridge is 2000 feet from one side to the other.  The pipeline is close to the highway here.  This pipeline begins in Prudhoe Bay and travels 800 miles to Valdez.  To see it and to drive with it for hundreds of miles is really impressive.  The engineering and ingenuity that it took to cross three mountain ranges, the Arctic tundra, and over 800 streams and rivers is mind boggling.

At the Visitor Center, we picked up a brochure about the Dalton Highway.  There are so many warnings in the book.  There are no groceries, no banks, no ATMs, no medical facilities, and only 3 gas stations.  If you are going to travel this way, it is important to have the right vehicle and to be prepared!

There are also no billboards, no streetlights, no trash, no houses; it truly is a remote wilderness area.

It was at this point that the weather turned.  We had rain and it got foggy.  We were robbed of the beautiful views.

We stopped to walk at Finger Mountain Wayside.  This rock structure is a tor and rises 40 feet above the ground.

Mountain avens.

We arrived at the Arctic Circle.

We visited Gobblers Knob.

Prospect Camp lies in the valley below.  It is here that the official coldest temperature in the US was recorded; -80 degrees F.

This area receives about 5 inches of rain a year.  This is less than the Sonoran Desert.  Here, the summer temperatures are cooler, there is less evaporation, and the permafrost retains moisture like a giant sponge.

Grayling Lake.

There were heavy storm clouds ahead.

In Coldfoot, we went to the Arctic Visitor Center.  This place is a gem.  There are lots of incredible displays and the staff was very friendly and helpful.

There is no sunset here in Coldfoot from May 10^th until August 2^nd.  In the winter, there is no sunrise from November 18^th through January 23^rd. 

We arrived at the “town center.”  Ha-ha!!  We pumped gas for $7.49 per gallon.  Then we bought stamps at the small post office which could not accept credit cards…only cash.  We had dinner at the Trucker’s Café.  Then we checked into the swanky Coldfoot Camp.  This was a dormitory for pipeline workers.  It is very rustic and had no amenities.  But we are warm and dry and we have a nice shower!

We had a brief period of sunshine this evening and so I went out to take pictures of the town.

The forecast for tomorrow is for heavy rain.  We will see what the day brings and modify our plans if we need to!

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.

976 July 5, 2023 Lemonade

We were up before our 6am alarm getting ready for our trip up the Dalton Highway. I did get a nice walk in down to the Chena River.

We were packed the Jeep and we were on the road at little after 7am. We traveled a short distance on the Elliott Highway. We heard a ding and looked at the dash. We saw bright red warning lights indicating the engine was overheating. Steam emerged from under the hood. We pulled off the road as far as we could and we saw fluid running. We tried to add water but it ran right through. We tried moving but the light immediately came on again.

When we first checked, neither of us had phone service. We needed a tow truck. Tim suddenly had a few bars and we were able to get Ron’s Tow Service. Nick arrived to rescue us within the hour. He towed us to the Fairbanks Jeep Dealer.

The service department is fully booked but once they heard our story, they promised to at least diagnose the problem this afternoon or tomorrow morning. They had a shuttle that took us back to the RV park…but first, we had to unload all the food and coolers and clothes and pillows that we had packed for our adventure. The guy was kind enough to help us load it and then unload it.

We were lucky! The trip up the Dalton is 499 miles. Fortunately, we were only 20 miles from Fairbanks when we broke down. We also had cell service to make a call for help and there is a Jeep dealer here that can take care of us. It could have been way worse!!!

We unpacked the cold things and left everything else kind of packed. We are still hopeful that we can make this trip. The company we booked through has put a hold on everything and will work with us. The campground put a hold on our site for the next two weeks so that we have a place to stay. We are certainly hoping it won’t take that long but it may be hard to get parts. We shall see.

Until then, we decided to make the best of it. Today was a gorgeous day for a bike ride. There was a farmers market a little more than three miles away. There was a nice sidewalk to ride on and Fairbanks is surprisingly flat. The market was very nice but there was nothing we really needed. The price of produce here is crazy! $20.00 for a pound of blueberries, $10.00 per pound of heirloom tomatoes; it is very hard to grow things here.

We talked to David and the boys tonight. Austin was telling us that they watched fireworks twice this weekend. I told him that it never gets dark here and that we couldn’t watch fireworks or see the moon or stars. He said “That’s impossible! It must be very hard to sleep when it is freezing and light outside!” It is fun to tell them about the places we go. Oliver wanted to know if we had seen grizzlies and sockeye salmon. They bring us such joy!

There was a nice restaurant within walking distance of the campground. We had good food and enjoyed sitting outside.

On the porch posting the blog.

Marcia, thanks for today’s quote!

975 July 4, 2023 Getting Ready

I walked huge laps around lots of big box stores this morning.  There was a nice sidewalk and I was able to do 4 miles.  We knew there was no rush to get to Rivers Edge Campground in Fairbanks.  We were just 8 miles away.  We left way too early and arrived at 9:30am.  We were told that there was a firm policy in place and that no one could check in before noon.  They were kind enough to let us dump tanks and use the car/RV wash for both vehicles.  They gave us the WIFI password so that I could post the blog and they gave us the codes to the laundry room.  We had an extremely productive morning!

At noon we moved to our site.  We spent the day packing and preparing.  Tomorrow, we begin our grand adventure.  We are planning to drive the 499 miles to the Arctic Ocean.  We are leaving the RV here in this campground in Fairbanks.  The Dalton Highway is no place for our RV…though some people risk it! 

Tomorrow we will cross the Arctic Circle and we have a room reserved at Coldfoot Camp.  Thursday we will sleep in the rooftop tent.  Friday, we have a room at Deadhorse Camp.  Saturday morning, we will take the bus at Prudhoe Bay to the Arctic Ocean because no one is allowed to travel there without an escort.  This is the site of the largest oil field in North America.  That evening, we plan to tent out.  Sunday we will stay in Coldfoot and Monday, we will drive back to Fairbanks.  This trip required some planning and coordination.  Security clearance is necessary to take the bus to Prudhoe Bay. 

We are excited…we never know what we are going to see!  It is unlikely that we will be able to post the blog.  To be sure, we will be taking lots of pictures and we will have stories to share when we get back next week.

974 July 3, 2023 Nenana

I walked this morning from our site to each end of the lake and back several times.  I was careful to keep the RV in sight.

There was another early Jeep tour.

The swans had paddled across the water and were as close as I think they might get to people.  I took more swan pictures.

When we went to leave, our slideouts would not budge.  We finally figured out that it was a blown fuse.  We were able to replace the burnt out one with the one that controls my captain’s chair.  The slides moved in and we moved on!

There was a small gas station at the end of Denali Highway where we were able to fill with propane. 

We drove past Denali National Park.  We will return here in the beginning of August when Kyle and Allison come.

The view…stunning!

We stopped again for diesel and a few groceries.

Nenana is a quaint little Alaskan town.  We left the RV at the Visitor Center and took a walk to the train depot. 

On our way we met Jerry Riley.  This man was walking down the street and he stopped to talk with us.  He wanted to know where we were from and what we used to do for a living.  He is now 86 years old.  In 1976, he was the fourth person to win the Iditarod.  He competed for many years after that.  It was fun to chat with him!

At the train depot, the guy there was full of interesting information.  He told us about the Ice Classic.  This is Nenana’s claim to fame.  Each June, the town erects a 26-foot tripod made of spruce.  In the spring, this tripod is placed over the frozen river.  The tripod is placed on the ice.  When the ice breaks, the tripod tips over and a clock records the time of break up.  In the meantime, from February to April, the town works hard to sell tickets.  Each ticket is $3.00 and the entrant guesses the date and time that the ice will break.  The winner gets 60% of the proceeds.  The remaining money pays for expenses and then the rest is donated to local scholarship funds and food pantries.  Usually about 100,000 tickets are sold.  Tim bought his ticket and made his guess!  There is a website with a live feed where you can check to see if the ice is breaking.  In 2023, the official time was May 8^th at 4:01pm.

One of the longest single trestle railroad bridges in the US.

Over another river!

As we traveled the remainder of the Parks Highway, we could see glimpses of the Alaska Range.  The view across the Valley was beautiful, even on such a cloudy day.

We were on our way to the Ester Community Park.  Last time we were in Alaska, we stayed here.  We pulled in and there was a guy doing the landscaping.  He lives onsite.  He told us that we were not able to stay.

We decided to head to the Walmart in Fairbanks.  We had planned to go tomorrow anyway, to stock up on supplies.  We did a big shop and then went to Fred Meyer for some groceries.

973 July 2, 2023 Joe Lake

I walked through the campground this morning.  I stayed on the pavement until the end. 

I walked part of the Moose Flats Trail.  I wanted to see the view from the rock where Tim sat yesterday.  Denali was almost entirely invisible.  The giant, hiding in the clouds.  It is difficult to fathom how something so immense can be completely hidden from view.

At over 20,000 feet, Denali, similar to other high peaks, dictates its own weather…though today the whole sky was thick and grey.

Later in the morning, we caught tiny glimpses of blue sky and bits of sunshine.  The views as we traveled through Broad Pass are usually the prettiest on this stretch of highway.  Today there were lots of clouds.

We made a stop at Jam Jams Spot.  This terrific little restaurant sits on the corner of Parks Highway and Denali Highway.  I made some phone calls and made some reservations, making use of the good phone service.  Tim went in to get us coffee and came out with the most delicious breakfast sandwich I have ever had!  We were able to use their WIFI to post yesterday’s blog.  It was a very productive stop.  We will come here again when the kids come!

We took Denali Highway to the east.  The first 2.5 miles were paved, then the road was gravel.  It was decent and hardpacked and we drove another 5.5 miles to Joe Lake.  There was a couple fishing but they soon left and we pulled next to the fire ring and set up to spend the night.  This is our front yard!  This is where we live today!

There was more blue sky.

I took a walk for a short distance in each direction.  There were lots of moose hoof prints in the mud.

We watched a family of swans.  They stayed on the distant shore.

In late afternoon, a couple in a truck camper came to fish in the lake.  Tim helped the woman get her inflatable kayak into the water.

We enjoyed a campfire and then grilled our dinner. 

The swans swam closer and they became our evening entertainment. I took dozens of pictures trying to get a couple of good ones.

After 8pm, a Jeep tour, about 10 Jeeps, stopped at the lake. They had 5 minutes to take pictures and appreciate the beauty of this place. The Jeeps drove in a long line. Everyone got out and the guides posed the groups on a rock by the water and took exactly the same three views for each. Wow…we get to spend 24 hours here, enjoying all the moments and taking it all in!

This is a lovely spot.

972 July 1, 2023 Majestic Denali

I was walking near the campground in Trapper Creek and I had a clear view of the mountains.  I had a feeling that today was going to be a great day to see Denali.

A crazy store stuffed with all kinds of odds and ends.  There are actually lots of places that look like this here in Alaska…even some houses!  You never know when you might need a piece of something!

We drove north on Parks Highway and it wasn’t long before we could see it!

We saw a mama moose and her two calves grazing in the roadside ditch.  We saw another solitary moose in a broad meadow.

We planned to drive to Denali South Viewpoint where we knew we could also camp.  We got out and took pictures and walked the short trail to the top and took more pictures.  Denali was in full glory today.  The weather was perfect!

We decided to try other Denali State Campgrounds.  This viewpoint was really busy with busses and lots of other traffic.  It was early in the day and so we moved on.  This was the best decision.

Just about a mile down the road, there was the K’esugi Ken Campground.  This is a relatively new park.  The entrance road went uphill.  We could see glimpses of the mountains as we traveled.  There were no available campsites and we were disappointed.  We had seen some interesting trails.  We parked at the Interpretive Center.  I got out to pay the day use fee and saw that if you talked to the ranger, there was a place for overflow RV camping. 

We are parked in the day use area and can now stay here overnight.  We rested for a short time and then we went to see the sights and walk the trails.

This is a beautiful park and the scenic views were incredible.  There was no one else out hiking with us and so we could just stop and sit on rocks and in the silence, we could appreciate the grandeur. 

This was the best place to see the terminus of the Ruth Glacier.  It actually sits in the deepest gorge in the world. 

Looking at my pictures, I see that most of them are of THE MOUNTAIN.  Only about 30% of people who come here actually get to see Denali…how lucky are we?

We went to the ranger talk this evening.  The tile was “The Fiercest Predator.”  Ranger Cindy talked about the life cycle of the mosquito.  Nine months ago, last year’s mosquitoes laid their last raft of eggs in the water.  The eggs lay frozen over the winter season.  About 8 weeks ago, the eggs began to hatch.  The larvae lived in ponds and lakes and in the past week, are now fully grown and ready to begin the cycle again.  We are in peak mosquito season.  They are annoying to be sure but there are not near as many as in the Outer Banks or in Assateague.  The ranger is a retired science teacher.  She had lots of research to share.  Her message though was simple.  Mosquitoes have a purpose in this place.  They are accidental pollinators and they are a primary food source for many species of bats and birds.  Mosquito larvae also leave a pond cleaner and less polluted.

The ranger told us that there is a mama moose in the park. Female moose like to be near people and dogs when they give birth. This gives them some protection from large predators like bears and wolves. This mama had two calves in May. Two weeks ago, during the night, a grizzly took one of the calves. Another reminder about where we are. This is sad but it is also the circle of life. Only 10% of moose babies make it to the following autumn.

The wood frog is the only amphibian that lives here.  There are no snakes or reptiles at all.

After the program we took another walk on the Moose Flats Trail.  Denali looked completely different in the evening light.  It was 8pm and there are still 4 hours until sunset at 12:14am.  I wonder what it might look like then!

971 June 30, 2023 Petersville Road

I had a great place to walk this morning.  I did laps in the town of Talkeetna.  The first time I passed, I stopped at the riverfront to see if Denali was visible today. Just clouds.

The second time I passed, there was a small snow covered peak.  I stood and watched as the outline of the mountain became defined.  I’m not completely certain that I saw Denali or if I saw one of the attached mountains but it was very cool!

Today we moved again, traveling only a short distance to Trapper Creek.  We parked the RV, packed the cooler and set out to explore Petersville Road.  This was an old mining road.  Now, lots of people come here to enjoy riding ATV’s.

We saw a porcupine. 

It was such a pretty ride.  The road was hardpacked gravel for a while and then became pockmarked with potholes.  It was muddy and bumpy and fun!

The old abandoned mining town.

More pretty pictures.

Waterfalls everywhere.

A water crossing.

There are lots of active mining claims here and we saw a couple of guys panning for gold.

Lots of moose poop!

We drove about 36 miles in 3.5 hours.  We stopped only when the creek was too deep to cross.

We had a picnic of apples and peanut butter and veggies and hummus and then we had the long trek back. 

This road is the back or south entry to Denali National Park. Climbers and hikers often use this this as an access point. On a clear day it might have been possible to see Denali and a few glaciers as well. We were the blue dot. Another road less traveled…and I’m glad we found it!

970 June 29, 2023 Talkeetna

It was cloudy but not raining when I got up.  I was able to walk this morning without getting wet.  These tiny and dainty flowers are ground ivy.

This new house sat on property adjacent to the campground.  I love it!

Coffee at Lead Dog Espresso on our way out.

We drove just 40 miles today to the town of Talkeetna.

We had no reservation but got the last campsite at Talkeetna Camper Park.

We walked the half mile to town, taking our umbrellas; which was a good thing!

There were lots of people walking around.  It looks like cruise ships bring busloads here to enjoy the town.  This is a quirky little place.  There are lots of gift shops with all things Alaska.  Lots of art and craft items and lots of Native American things as well.  It was fun to browse.

Lots of shops had furs for sale. This was a caribou hide.

This Jeep was so souped up that it didn’t have many original Jeep parts on it!

We walked down to the confluence of the Talkeetna, Susitna and Chulitna Rivers.  On a clear day, you can see Mount Foraker, Mount Hunter, and Mount Denali.  Today was overcast and there were no mountains to see!

Cow parsnip can cause a skin irritation if you touch it!

We walked in a restaurant and we each had a midday beverage.

By the time we got back to the RV, it was naptime.

This evening, we went back into town.  We ate smoked salmon cheese crunch at Talkeetna Tako. 

We went to the Denali Brewpub and I had a berry cider and Tim had stout with an appetizer of smoked salmon spread. 

We sat at the bar and there we met a wonderful couple, Suzie and Steve from California.  Their children bought them plane tickets to Alaska for their birthday gifts.  They have rented a tiny house on a lake near here.  They had wonderful energy and we enjoyed chatting and sharing our stories.  They also love travel and being grandparents.  Sometimes, you meet people and you click!  Travel blessings to you both as you finish this adventure and plan for the next!

WE walked back to the water and we could see a little bit of mountain poking through…maybe tomorrow before we leave the mountains will appear!

My grandmother grew columbine in her beautiful gardens.

969 June 28, 2023 Hatcher Pass

There was soaking rain all night and this morning it was rainy and raw.

We were ready for the service technician to take the RV before 8am.

While Cummins was taking good care of the RV, we went to the laundromat and the post office and then to McDonalds to use WIFI for the blog.  They also let us fill our fresh water.

At 1pm, the RV was ready; oil change, transmission oil and filter changed, new air filter, and new fuel filters.  Everything good!

We drove through traffic and north out of town to Willow.

We stayed in the Hatcher Pass RV Park.

After resting, we packed dinner and went to explore.  It was raining when we left.

We took Hatcher Pass Road.  As we climbed in elevation, we were driving among the clouds.  Ordinarily, this is a spectacular ride in alpine country with mountain views.  Today, the mountains were shrouded in dense clouds and we couldn’t see much. 

When the visibility turned to zero, we turned around and so did not make it to the summit.

We found an old abandoned bus.  Tim rigged a tarp so that I could cook our eggs.  We ate our meal in the bus as it was the only dry place to be.

A moose and her calf were in a roadside pond.  They were about 150 yards away.  We watched for several minutes.  Mama moose gently nudged the little one and they turned and walked away.

A short distance later, Tim spotted a beaver on the bank.  He posed for a picture and then slipped away flashing his paddle tail as he went.

We stopped by Willow Creek and made some hot tea and Tim made a small fire. 

We were damp and muddy but we had a fun outing!