990 July 19, 2023 Nabesna Road Reconnaissance

We had drenching rain again this morning.  I went for my walk wearing Tim’s yellow raincoat and I carried an umbrella.  We didn’t get any exercise yesterday so I was determined to get out there.  I walked on the bike bath along Glenn Highway.  On the way back up the hill, the wind was in my face and the umbrella was useless…I was wet but I did get a 3-mile walk done.

I went with the Jeep into the small village of Glenallen to get a few groceries and a bundle of firewood.

Tim drove the RV in the steady rain to Slana.  It was a slippy, sloppy, goopy, soupy day.  The good thing about all this rain is that the wildfire danger is low. After last year, that is a blessing. for those that live and work here.

We stopped at the ranger station for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.  We wanted to inquire about road conditions.  It has been raining and all the streams and creeks and rivers and ponds and lakes are overflowing.  There are three stream crossings on Nabesna Road.  The ranger said that they were flowing fast and that we should use our best judgement before crossing any of them.

We were headed to Hart D Ranch to camp.  When we arrived, there was no one at the office.  The place appeared to be deserted.  No one answered the phone.  We decided to back into a site and wait for someone to come.  All at once, an older woman popped out of the door.  She told us that the campground was closed.  She had broken her leg and she was not open for the season.  We were not welcome to stay.  We asked if we might leave the RV for a short time while we looked for another place to stay???  NO! Go park at the Post Office!

So, we turned around and parked at the tiny log cabin Slana Post Office. 

We called and found a place to move the RV tomorrow. 

It rained and rained.  We rested and then we decided to go looking.

We ended up driving on Nabesna Road; doing reconnaissance.  We were looking for a spot to camp overnight if the weather improves tomorrow.

The rain stopped and we had a few spots of sunshine.  The clouds lifted just a little.  Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is America’s largest park.  It is more than 13 million acres.  It is accessible only be two roads.  Nabesna Road is the northern entrance to the park.  It is very remote and not well traveled.  That makes it even more appealing for us!  We know that there are gorgeous mountains out there; some of the highest in North America and we want to see them!

The first 15 miles of Nabesna Road is paved.  It has lots of potholes and it is kind of like a video game where you have to avoid the obstacles.  Then, the road was gravel with potholes.  There were lots of trees and lots of lakes and creeks.  We saw a ptarmigan and a couple of squirrels. 

We got to the Trail Creek stream crossing and it was okay.  I took video while Tim drove through.

At Lost Creek, the current was muddy and swift and we could not tell how deep it was or how steep the bank on the other side might be.  We did not cross.

We did find several promising campsites and we will return tomorrow for the rest of the Nabesna Road adventure!

989 July 18, 2023 Glenallen

We had some sprinkles last night that chased us into the tent early. No matter, I had the Mary Carey book to read! Then, the rain stopped and it was so silent!

There were road crews working nearby yesterday in the evening. They stored their equipment at the beginning of the trailhead.

This morning we had mostly cloudy skies. This is as near as a sunrise picture as we get. The sun actually rose at 4:30 this morning.

Some last pictures of the mountains.

We went back the 16 miles to Tangle Lakes Campground and unpacked our gear and reorganized. Then, we got the RV ready to go. We need a full service campground tonight. The tanks are both empty and full. The hamper was full. I had days of blogs that needed to be loaded and published. We turned onto Richardson Highway. Much of our drive was heavily forested with some pretty ponds and lakes. We traveled through the foothills of the Alaska Range to Glenallen.

Once again, we had to wait for a pilot car to take us through an area of road construction. Yikes…yes this is the road…

It was in this section that we had to go through a soft spot. We were going uphill so Tim knew he shouldn’t stop. We could hear crashing behind us. The fridge door had opened and contents had spilled out. I was able to shove stuff back in. Thankfully, nothing was broken and the refrigerator latch was still intact. There was a very large container of grape tomatoes…everywhere! We stopped at the next turnout to get things put away correctly and then we were on our way again.

We were able to get fuel in both vehicles. We stayed at Northern Nights Campground. We spent the afternoon checking things off the list. Lee and Claudia were only 15 miles away. They arrived this evening with pronghorn tenderloin, new baby potatoes, a wonderful salad, and a bottle of wine. We feasted and chatted and the lovely evening passed quickly. What a treat to have visitors! Thanks to both of you for all of your generous hospitality!

We hope tomorrow to travel to Nabesna Road where we plan to have another adventure. We understand that the weather might be uncooperative and so we will modify our tentative plans accordingly!

988 July 17, 2023 Today Is Our Someday

We woke to cloudless blue skies and sunshine.  I do believe that these rainy days make us appreciate the sunny days so much more!  I took an easy walk because I knew we were going to hike the Tangle Ridge Trail. 

This was a great hike with spectacular views of the world below.  The elevation gain was about 300 feet, but the climb was gradual and well worth it.

We could see the campground and the RV.

We could see the peninsula where the moose and her baby were hiding and the tangle of water.

Higher still we could see Landmark Gap where the caribou will migrate.

We reached a large open space where we just stood and tried to take it all in.

I try to notice the little things.

Ahead, we could see what looked like a manmade pile of rocks.  Curious, we followed a narrow trail through high brush.  The rocks were arranged in a labyrinth.  The rocky path was packed and worn.  I am not sure how long it has been there.  We are in the Tangle Lakes Archeological District.  There are hundreds of ancient sites here that are protected.  Maybe this has been here for a couple of years or maybe thousands.  I walked through the spiral slowly, thinking of joy, kindness, love, living in the moment, blessing, and gratitude.  What a beautiful place to consider and reflect on all the goods things in my life.  I also love the idea of following in the footsteps of all who have gone before me here with a similar mission.  We never know what we will stumble upon. 

On our way back, we scared a family of ptarmigan with babies.  The adult birds were distraught and flew in short bursts further and further down the trail as they tried to keep track of their chick who had all become separated when they felt threatened by our presence.

We decided to pack for another overnight.  Again, we headed west, awestruck by the difference in the scenery.

This was Landmark Gap today!

We thought we might try the Glacier Gap ORV Trail.  It was very slick and muddy and then we got to a dicey looking stream crossing and we could see a muddy incline on the other side.  We aborted and turned back.

We drove further on the Denali Highway.  The Alaska Range was visible and in full glory!

We drove to McClaren Summit at 4,086 feet.  This is the second highest highway summit in Alaska.  The highest is at 4,800 feet; Atigun Pass on the Dalton Highway. 

We took the southern trail toward Oscar Lake at MM37.  This trail follows an esker.  This is a gravel ridge left behind by glaciers long ago.

We passed several beautiful campsites but continued on.  We were disappointed to see that the Alaska Range was receding from view and we could see a challenging section of road up ahead. 

We decided to go back and camp closer to the highway. 

We set up and Tim made a fire and we took turns walking and resting.

We had expansive views of the McClaren River Valley and we watched the Alaska Range as the sun and clouds moved across the sky. 

We could see Mt. Hayes and the McClaren Glacier beneath it.

We could see the Eureka Glacier to the east.

I was initially disappointed that we settled so early in the day.  I had wanted to travel further on the Denali Highway and see more.  But this was a wonderful place to just sit and be.  Sometimes Tim has to quell my need to see more, more, more!

Last night I realized that my books did not properly load to my iPad.  I thought that I had nothing to read and then I remembered that my good friend, Vicki, had given me a book by Mary Carey; Alaska-NOT a Place for a Woman.  I started it last night and read a good portion of it today.  I love to read a book that is written in the setting in which we are traveling!

987 July 16, 2023 Denali Highway

The rain stopped after we settled for bed last night.  This morning, it was raining again.  I put on Tim’s big yellow raincoat, determined to take a good walk.  There were paths through the campground and down to the lake.  As I was walking toward the entrance, Tim was coming the other way.  We walked together to the bridge over the Tangle River.

It was wet and cloudy and chilly but we were undeterred as we packed for an overnight trip in the Jeep.  The remainder of the Denali Highway is rough and not great for the RV.  So, we left it behind and began our journey. 

Our first stop was at the Tangle Lakes Lodge where we were able to purchase two bundles of firewood. 

Landmark Gap came into view.  The Native American peoples who inhabited this land for 10,000 years, hunted caribou in this pass.  Caribou from the Nelchina herd will migrate here in the next couple of weeks.  Sometimes, hundreds of caribou can be seen here as early as July, but we saw none today.

We turned into the Landmark Gap Trailhead.  It started as a mud puddle. 

We drove about 3 miles north toward the gap.  The road was rough and it took about an hour to make our way.  The view was spectacular even on this rainy day.  If the weather had been better and it had been later in the day, we might have stayed here to camp. 

We made our way back to the road and continued west.  We passed McClaren Summit at over 4,000 feet.  It was 46 degrees and misty and yucky. 

The McClaren River.

A palsa.  This was a frozen mound of ground.  When the highway was cut, the palsa was damaged and collapsed.  There are still layers of peat and frozen ground in the remaining portion.

Then, it began to rain steadily.  We pulled over to rest but the weather didn’t improve.  We decided to keep heading west in an effort to find blue skies.  At MM59, we quit.  We turned around and headed back. 

I was driving.  After a couple of minutes, the warning light for the right front tire came on and read low tire pressure…9…inflate tire to 37…

So, I pulled over and Tim got out the tire gauge.  Fortunately, the tire was properly inflated.  We drove on and the warning light went off and the tire pressure read correctly.  False Alarm!  SHEW!!!

As we traveled east, the road was dry at Landmark Gap and it was not raining.  We decided to try a campsite not far from the highway that had a nice view of the pass.  Tim made a fire and I rested.  It was dripping rain and chilly on the knoll.  I tried to have a good attitude but I was damp.  We made a deal that if it was not raining at 4:30, we would set up the tent and stay.  We packed up and returned to the RV.  It was disheartening but it is supposed to be fun!

We made our salads and soup and enjoyed bring warm and dry.

As we were eating, we saw the eagle return.  He dipped into the lake near the boat ramp and lifted off.

I took an after-dinner walk.  When I got down to the lake, I saw the beaver swimming.

Later in the evening a moose cow and calf were eating at the lakeside.

We have such a nice site with a beautiful view. 

986 July 15, 2023 Tangle Lakes

There was steady rain all night and into this morning.  Just as the rain stopped and I got ready to walk, I got a text message from Bank of America with a fraud alert.  It turned out to be from an imposter, but it took a long time on the phone to resolve.  

Finally, we were on our way.  We stopped at Delta Junction.  I walked to the post office to mail my Santa letter and some postcards.  The Visitor Center had these mosquito sculptures out in front.  The mosquitoes aren’t actually this large but what they lack in size, the make up for in numbers! 

We walked through the Saturday Farmers Market.  We found some fresh greens, yellow squash, and zucchini.  We also bought blueberry bread, garlic and herb bread, focaccia, and Tim chose a rhubarb bar.  We got back to the RV and he shared his treat.  I put the focaccia and the blueberry bread in the freezer so that we wouldn’t be tempted to eat all of our goodies at once.

We drove toward Paxson.  The mountains were all hiding behind the clouds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The road initially followed the braided Delta River. 

We stopped at Darling Creek.  Here the mountains were gradually revealed.

We stopped at the terminal moraine of the Black Rapids Glacier. 

As we continued, it became misty and foggy again.

We passed through Federal Subsistence Hunt Areas.

The Rainbow Ridge.

Past Summit Lake, and then our turn onto the Denali Highway.  The first 21 miles is paved; albeit rough!

The Gulkana River.

Then we were above the treeline in the alpine tundra.

We stopped to admire the view at a scenic point.

Over the single lane bridge and into the Tangle Lakes Campground. 

We found a gorgeous pull through spot right above the lake. 

We watched a bald eagle dive into the water and swim to the shore.  He looked like his load was heavy and he was struggling.  He stood with his prize on the shore and then took off over the lake.  A gull chased him, looking for a share.  We couldn’t tell what he had but I am going to call it supper.

It rained all afternoon, hampering our plans to walk and explore.  Tim did go out later with an umbrella.

It is chilly here.  There are still a few isolated patches of snow at this elevation.

We watched a beaver swimming in the lake.

We are absolutely hoping for better weather tomorrow.  We want to take the Jeep and drive the unpaved portion of the Denali Highway. 

985 July 14, 2023 North Pole

It was sprinkling this morning when I went out to walk. 

Anyone looking to relocate? We were told that the average salary of men and women working at Prudhoe Bay is $150,000.

We were ready to leave early.  Our first destination was The Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska.  We got there at 9:30 and they didn’t open until 10am.  I took a walk to the property next door. 

The Antler Academy is the home of Santa’s reindeer.  Caribou and reindeer are two different names for the same animal.  For an admission charge, you can go on a tour, learn more about the reindeer, and feed them.  Or, you can stay outside the fence and take pictures! 

Big guy.

Little guy.

When The Santa Claus House opened, Tim and I went in with all the other grandparents who were waiting.  I had read that you could have a letter sent from Santa to your little loved ones.  We picked one out and then went on search of postcards.  As I walked through the shop, I could smell the aroma of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and brewing coffee.  I resisted and walked past.  As I wandered, I found Santa and Mrs. Claus.  Santa was doing a video with a grandfather for his grandchildren.  I went to get Tim and we stood in line.  This Santa was the real deal.  He had the perfect manner and personality and he made this amazing video with us!  By the end, both Tim and I had tears.  Such joy!!! We could hardly wait to get outside to send the video to David and Dre.  We were thrilled later in the day to get a video back with the kids’ reactions.   What a fun time.  This was definitely something we haven’t done before…and probably wouldn’t have…except for those two boys!

We traveled south on the Richardson Highway.  We saw this guy running with a cart. The message on the back : Walking around the world from Alaska to Argentina…WOW…just WOW!

The road parallels the Tanana River for a while.  We could see parts of the Alaska Range in the distance.

Crossing the Tanana River. There is also a suspension bridge for the pipeline.

We continued on our way to Delta Junction.  There was a Harvest Host site at Delta Meat and Sausage.  We called and they told us to come on in!  We arrived in late afternoon.  We purchased some elk sausage, some buffalo summer sausage, and some ground buffalo.

We passed a quiet evening in the parking lot, riding bikes, walking, and relaxing.  Home for the night!

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.

983 July 12, 2023 Home Again, Home Again

Happy birthday Tim! 

The morning was cool, misty, and raw. 

I took the first shift of driving.  The road was riddled with potholes and I did my best to dodge them all.  There was very little traffic and I was able to use the whole road.  I was looking for any changes in the road surface but sometimes, the potholes sneak up on you!  It did make for some slow and tedious driving.

We saw a couple of rabbits, a mole or vole or mouse, squirrels, grouse, and sandhill cranes.

Wildfire residue.

At Gobblers Knob, the fog was dense and visibility was poor. 

This part of the ride is much less dramatic than the rest of the Dalton Highway.  There are trillions of trees! 

The pipeline is a constant presence.  This section zig zags.  The pipeline is designed this way near fault lines to allow for movement in the event of an earthquake. 

The sky was clearing as we approached the Arctic Circle.

We could see the Yukon River in the distance.  We stopped at the Yukon River Camp.  We enjoyed egg sandwiches for brunch.

After the river, the road had been recently graded and it was a relatively smooth ride.

We waited at a construction zone for the pilot car.  Suddenly, Chen was standing at Tim’s window.  He had hitched a ride back to Fairbanks and just happened to be in the car behind us.  We told him where we were staying and then it was our turn to go.

After the construction area, we pulled over and Chen and his driver did as well.  We invited Chen to come and join us for dinner.

We got back to the RV park.  We unpacked and I cleaned and organized gear.  Tim took the Jeep to the carwash here and he was able to knock the worst of the mud off. 

Chen arrived in early evening.  We all walked to the Chena’s Alaskan Grill.  It was great to learn about China and Chinese culture.  We also learned a lot more about Chen.  We had such a nice time visiting with him.  Maybe our paths will cross again.

982 July 11, 2023 Antigun Pass In The Sunshine

Last night, we crawled up into the tent at 8pm.  Soon after that, the winds stilled and we slept.  This campground exists in a depression left by a glacier.  It is ringed on three sides by towering mountains.  The sun doesn’t set at all here right now.  We got up at midnight and the sun shone brightly in the northern sky.  As the night progressed the sun continued to skirt the mountaintops, never sinking below the horizon.  At 3:40am the sky was blue and the sun cast a rose gold light on the snowy peaks and it was breathtaking.

We took a walk this morning.  3 days ago, when we stopped here, the river was a muddy torrent.  Today, the glacial water was crystal clear.

This was a beautiful camping spot.

We were excited for the drive today.  I knew I could never capture all the beauty around me so I tried to take less pictures and just enjoy the ride.

Pump Station Number 4.

More mountains.

This is the Antigun River and the view that we are leaving behind.

The truck barreling down the highway was creating a cloud of dust.  Dry and dusty or cloudy and muddy…I choose dust!

This is the view from Antigun Pass…WOW!

The trees are back!  Scenery beyond the pass.

We saw a musk ox at Nutirkwik Creek.  We watched at he slogged across the river and then was looking for a place to climb the bank.  He caught us looking and turned back and walked away.  When we realized that our presence had changed his behavior, we left him.

We drove to the other side of the bridge and had the perfect place to enjoy our breakfast.

More mountains.

Remember that three days ago when we passed through, everything was draped in thick clouds and all of this was invisible to us!

This shoulder is cracked up!

We arrived in Coldfoot in early afternoon.  We got settled and I worked on the blog.  We had really great hot showers.  We went to dinner at the Trucker’s Café.  We went back to the Visitor Center and watched a video presentation on the Arctic.

This evening, we are making use of the free laundry room…woohoo!

If you are going to travel the Dalton Highway, it is cool to cross the Arctic Circle.  Coldfoot is the place to refuel and the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center is very well done and worth your time.  But in my opinion, the section of highway from Coldfoot to Galbraith Lake is the prettiest.  Keep in mind that we didn’t see much wildlife until we were almost to Prudhoe Bay.  Then, you might as well dip your toes in the Arctic Ocean. Keep driving my friends…you will not regret it!  We have been spellbound, humbled, and moved by the grandeur of our surroundings.

Wait…we still have one more day!  We are 250 miles from Fairbanks and the RV.  Tomorrow will be a long driving day.  For the most part, we are not driving much over 40mph.  What lies ahead?!?

981 July 10, 2023 Galbraith Lake

Good morning from the end of the northernmost road in the United States…extreme northern Alaska! 

We are so very far from home.  Thanks for the picture, Leanne!

We made one more trip to town.

We planned to camp out this evening and the mosquitoes have been ferocious.  We decided we needed to get more protection.  We walked out of the Brooks Supply Store with $39.98 worth of repellants. 

There was a guy sitting in his truck outside the store.  He saw our purchases and laughed.  He told us to look for caribou if there are lots of mosquitoes.  Those buggers love the caribou.  Scientists think that herds of caribou move to escape the hordes of mosquitoes.  They will expend unnecessary energy trying to get away and will even leave a place where the food source in ample.  I might have something in common with those caribou!

These machines are used to build the ice roads.  Ice roads leave less of an environmental footprint than gravel roads.  The ice roads allow equipment and supplies to be delivered all over the 250,000-acre oilfields. 

There was no sign of the grizzly bear in Deadhorse today.  Black bears don’t live further north than the Brooks Range.  Polar bears will sometimes make it across Prudhoe Bay on the ice pack.

The sign as we left town said that next services were 240 miles away in Coldfoot…here we go!

We heard yesterday that the majority of the musk ox herd was stranded on the east side of the Sag River.  The current is still too strong for them to safely cross.  Musk oxen who have crossed are in danger of being attacked by predators like grizzlies and wolves.  The larger herd more successfully protects its members.

We saw a single musk ox resting in the grass.  His ears were twitching, so we knew he was alive.  Not sure if he was injured.  He was surrounded by tons of flying insects.

A short while later, we saw this family group.  There were 6 members of all sizes.  There was even a baby that looked like a small pig in size.  He is mostly hidden by the grasses.

What an amazing sight! 

We are elated to be out here doing this together.  We talk about it every day.  With the exception of visiting family, there is nowhere I would rather be!

We traveled through more than one hundred miles of open tundra, dotted by lakes and ponds, and wildflowers.  We saw lots of birds this morning, gulls and cranes, and geese.  The land is lumpy with palsas.  These hummocks of soil and vegetation are heaved up by freezing and thawing.

The pipeline is 20 years past its engineered expiration date.  Designed to last until the early 2000’s it raises lots of questions and concerns.  The entire line was built in 3 years but it takes a lot to keep it safely maintained.  It can transport 2,000,000 barrels of oil each day but right now it is only sending 340,000 barrels a day.  This is to minimize the chances of an environmental disaster.  Portions of the pipeline are continuously being repaired and replaced.  There is a system of constant monitoring and inspection.  An agency called Clean Seas is mandated to immediately respond to any spill on the tundra greater than 16 oz.

This buried portion of the pipeline is called a sag bend. The line is designed this way to allow for animals to migrate.

We stopped at a wayside and the mosquitoes were worse than ever.  Needless to say, we didn’t hang around very long.

We had a long wait for a pilot vehicle in an area of road construction. 

The flagger could see that I was trying to take pictures and she walked over to let me know that there was an arctic squirrel out. She stood, chatting with us about the wildlife she has seen while working out here!

16 miles on a pitted loose gravel road behind the pilot truck!

We went down the hill at Icy Cut and the view was spectacular.  The water was sparkling in the sunshine.

We started to see the mountains of the Brooks Range.

All day, we were looking for Chen.  We thought we might pass him biking to Deadhorse, but we didn’t see him.

We stopped at Galbraith Lake. 

The plan as far as I knew it was to stop for some lunch and maybe to put the tent up and rest before continuing on.  We were worried about the mosquitoes here.   They were out but it was also windy.  Tim was able to situate the Jeep so that the wind was working in our favor to keep the pests away.  I crawled up into the tent with a blanket and an apple and peanut butter and a book and thought we were going to rest.  When I saw Tim moving the fire ring and gathering firewood, I knew we had decided to stay for the night.  It is very blustery.  I have spent the afternoon working on the blog from the tent.  Hopefully, the wind will calm down but still be breezy enough to blow the bugs away!

The view from my perch!

Tim took lots of pictures and made a video!