Travel Notes

Homer..A Visit To Ninilchik

After spending an hour or so photographing Arctic Terns at Tern Lake, we continued our drive to Homer 131 miles down the road.  We soon started to see Mount Redoubt in the distance, one of four volcanoes on the far side of the Cook Inlet.

Thirty miles or so from Homer we drove through Ninilchik.  This tiny little town has an interesting Russian Orthodox Church just off the road which we will visit tomorrow.

We pulled into the Ocean View RV Park early afternoon.  This RV park sits on a bluff overlooking the Cook Inlet. It turned out to be an excellent choice.

After getting the rig parked and hooked up, we took a walk on the beach.

We found this shelter built for beach parties.

As the tide went out there were a lot of people walking (and riding) along the beach.

This image, taken with a very wide angle 15mm lens, provides a different perspective.

We explored the tide pools.

Here is a close up of barnacles on one of the rocks. 

Later we walked into Homer.  While Seward is very much a fisherman's town, Homer has attracted many artists as well as fishermen.

There are many interesting restaurants and art galleries on Pioneer Street.

Reflections "in a golden eye?"

The following morning we left early for Ninilchik Village to catch the early morning light at the church we had seen the day before.

Ninilchik was established at the turn of the 19th century at the mouth of the Ninilchik River by "creoles, Russians, Aleuts, and Indians," according to a sign at the entrance to Ninilchik.  Russian fur traders first came to Alaska in the early 1700's seeking a variety of furs including sea otter, black and other foxes and fur seals.  Early Russian Orthodox missionary work began in the late 1700's, with the first priests arriving in the 1840's.

In 1847 a Russian Orthodox missionary, Grigorii Kavasnikoff and his family moved to Ninilchik.

Although Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867, the descendents of the Kavasnikoff family remained in Alaska and today number more than 3,000. 

On a bluff above the old village is the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1901. 

 

This church continues to serve as a house of worship for the Russian Orthodox Community.

 
  
In the church cemetary is a simple memorial to both American and Russian veterans of all wars.

 
 
 Not to be confused with the descendents of the early Russian missionaries are several communities along the Kenai coast of Russian Orthodox Old Believers. Members of this reclusive religious group came to Alaska in the 1960's via Brazil and Oregon.  There are between two and three thousand Old Believers living in the southwest corner of the Kenai.   We often saw them on the streets as well as in stores and restaurants in Homer.  The women wear ankle length dresses and traditional headwear.  The men have long beards and wear traditional Russian collarless shirts.  They continue to speak Russian amongst themselves.

In the mid-1600's the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Nikon enforced reforms in church rituals and beliefs  which were not accepted by all, leading to the Great Schism in the Russian Orthodox Church.  The Old Believers held to the old ways.  They rejected what they saw as a growing western influence in their church.  To avoid persecution and torture they fled Russia. Eventually their journey brought them to Alaska, which in many ways closely resembles their homeland.  They live in small villages along the coast and are active in commercial fishing.

Out of respect for their wishes we took no pictures of the Old Believers we met in Homer.

On the bluffs near Ninilchik we saw several interesting homes.

At first we thought this was a light house.  After taking a closer look we realized it is a private home with a watch tower.

Nearby is another house which seems to have three levels of  watch towers.  I wonder what was going through the owner's mind when he built this house.

  
 
Along the highway near Ninilchik we saw a large field with a trail leading to a bluff overlooking the beach.

Grabbing our telephoto lenses, we headed across the field to see what we could photograph.

 

Below we saw dozens of people digging for clams.

In addition to salmon fishing, the coast of the Kenai Peninsula is famous for  razor clams. These clams are found on sandy tidal beaches from the Bering Sea to Southern California.  Of the eight known concentrations of razor clams along the Pacific Coast, four are on the Kenai Peninsula between Homer and the Kasilof River, including this beach near Ninilchik.  Each year 1.2 million razor clams are dug up from the Kenai beaches.

It doesn't take a lot of equipment;  a good pair of rubber boots, preferably hip boots,  a clam shovel or a clamming tube and a bucket. 

You have to work quickly.  A razor clam can dig an inch a second, so digging fast is important.  And you need to keep an eye on the tides so you don't get overrun by an incoming tide.

It's hard, dirty work.

But the results are rewarding.  Each clam digger can take home up to 60 razor clams each day. This couple has a good start on filling their quota for the day.

We also saw eagles riding the air currents above the beach, looking for food.

 

This juvenile Bald Eagle flew quite close to us on the bluff.

While below, just off the beach, three seals sat on a rock and watched all the action, seemingly with amusement.

We were told in Homer there is a Bald Eagle's nest across the street from MacDonalds, with two chicks. Tomorrow we'll see if we can find it.
 
 
 

Tern Lake

Driving from Seward to Homer on July 11th we stopped for a few minutes at Tern Lake and ended up staying more than an hour.  Nestled in the Kenai Mountains, Tern Lake offers views of a variety of birds and other wildlife in a spectacular setting.

Rumor has it that state law in Alaska requires that every lake have a resident Common Loon. In fact, I have it on good authority the Governor has appointed a Loon Patrol, called "Loonies" to make sure the law is enforced.

Here is the obligatory Loon for Tern Lake.

Of course, the Arctic Terns are the star attraction at Tern Lake. I started taking photos of the Terns with a 400mm lens.  Because they are so thin and move so quickly, I had difficulty getting them in focus. I switched to a 600mm lens, with better results.

I offer the following photos without comment.  They speak for themselves.

 

Just before we left a family of Green-Winged Teals passed by.

Shortly after leaving Tern Lake Margie spotted this Canada Goose and three goslings waiting to cross the highway.

On to Homer...
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kenai Fjord National Park

On Friday after several cold, rainy and windy days the skies cleared and the sun came out.  It was a glorious day to visit the Kenai Fjords National Park.  We had two options, both nine hour trips.  The first was to go on a 95 foot boat with a capacity for 150 passengers.  The second choice is a 53 foot boat with a capacity of 16 passengers.  We took the latter.  We could have also taken a four hour trip, but we rejected that out of hand.

After discussing the groups interests with Captain Sherry  of the Misty and First Mate Orion, we departed around nine in the morning.  With this particular cruise the Captain has the flexibilty of routing our trip to meet the interests of the 16 passengers.  In addition to seeing one of the Glaciers, most of us were interested in seeing whales and Puffins. And anything else that flys or swims!

Taking photos from the back of a small boat is a challenge.  Both the boat and the subject are moving in different directions. Plus the boat is bobbing up and down in the surf while the deck is getting soaked with the spray from the waves.  What a hoot.   

There were fishing boats  and sight seeing boats of all shapes and sizes on the bay.

 

We saw several Mountain Goats on the slopes high above the bay. Tricky footing. This first photo demostrates just how steep the the cliffs are.

We watched the goats move quickly across the face of the mountain with strong footing and a sense of balance.  Not a good spot for anyone with acrophobia!  I wonder if goats ever get acrophobia?

Here is a nanny goat with one of her kids.

 
 
 We also saw a number of Bald Eagles nesting high up on the mountain side.

Mid morning we transited Spire Cove. The combination of water, rock and forest is beautiful.

 

Enroute, we saw several humpbacked whales. We stopped each time to watch them perform.

In the morning we didn't see much more than whales surfacing, exhaling air through their blow holes.

Here is a photo Margie took of a cloud of mist and water left behind after the whale dove below the surface.

In the afternoon the whales were more lively, leaping into the air after surfacing from their dive.

Margie got the shot of the day with this humpback leaping out of the water.  Like salmon climbing a fish ladder, timing is every thing with this image. 

Here is a final wave goodby. 

 

I was amazed to see this tiny boat near one of the whales.  I wonder if a whale ever tries to capsize a boat like this?

As the sky becomes overcast, the reflected light on the water also turns gray.  Bright blue in the morning  with full sun and gray and overcast in the afternoon.

Here is a family of Surf Scoters.

And a Common Murre.  Depending on the angle, it looks almost like a Penguin.

And here is a Pidgeon Guillemont.

Three Red Faced Cormorants and Gulls

Here is a Peal's Peregrine Falcon. The Falcon just captured a Common Murre on the water. A Gull is flying overhead in attendence.

With this closeup that Margie took, it is easier to make out the shape of the Common Murre.

Here is a Sea Otter enjoying the warm summer sun.  We will later see hundred's of Sea Otters off the beach at Homer.

Here are more Cormorants, at their rookerie.

The Horned Puffins in their nests were sometimes hard to spot in the grass.

In rocky habitat the Puffins are easier to spot.

This little  Puffin seems to be waiting for the throngs to gather so he can make a speech.  I wonder if he uses a teleprompter.

Here is a  Puffin in flight.

We saw several groups of Steller Seals.  Unlike other seals, they have developed the capacity to climb on rocks. For reasons not yet understood the population of Steller Seals is currently 20% of what it was in 1960.

Here is a Common Murre rookerie.  Don't they remind you of Penguins?  Not even a little?

A Common Murre in flight. 

Here is a real find.  A pair of Parakeet Auklets. Very rare in this area.

 

 

Margie took this photo of a Parakeet Auklet.

 

As we drew closer to the glacier the landscape began to change. 

 
In the distance we saw icebergs.

We began to see ice in the water.

Our Captain placed us right in front of this 500 foot tall glacier.

Margie took a series of photos of the glacier calving.

 

 

 

Looking back on the Aialik Glacier we took in the majesty of the Kenai Fjords.

 

To finish off a very interesting day, on our way back to port we raced three Porpoises for fifteen or twenty minutes.  Running at nine or ten knots, the Porpoises criss crossed just in front of the ship's bow.  Standing on the bow I took these photos of the Porpoise just a few feet away. With the lens I was using they  filled the frame.

 

 

At the end of the day Margie still had a smile on her face. Wonder what she knows that I don't know. 

It was a great outing.  We are looking forward to similar trips in Haines and Valdez in the coming weeks. But first, we are going to Homer and Soldotna to see the other coast on the Kenai Peninsula.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Seward, Ak

On July 5th we left Anchorage for Seward, 122 miles away on the Kenai Peninsula.  Traffic in Anchorage was light on this holiday Monday, although once we were on the Seward highway holiday traffic returning to Anchorage from the Peninsula was steady.  Shortly after leaving Anchorage the Seward highway runs along the north shore of the Turnagain Arm for the first  47 miles. 

The wind was strong with gusts up to 40 miles per hour and there were rain squalls in the distance.  The surrounding snow capped mountains moved in and out of view.

I parked the truck along the road to take a quick look at the view. With the wind I didn't stay out very long.

 
 
 The tide was out, revealing mud flats with interesting patterns shaped by the waves. There was a warning to not walk in this area because of the "quicksand" nature of the soil. It looks like if you tried to walk on it, with one giant sucking sound you would disappear!

 

We saw stands of dead trees along the road.  The 1964 Good Friday earthquake caused the land to sink eight feet in this area.  Spruce trees had their root system invaded by salt water when a Tsunami hit the Alaskan coast following the earthquake.

We arrived at Stoney Creek RV Park shortly after mid-day. 

Stoney Creek is six or seven miles inland from Seward.  It is a great little park on a small river surrounded by snow capped peaks and forest.

After parking the rig we went into Seward to find out about boat tours into the Kenai Fjords National Park.  Although the weather was cold and rainy with a similar outlook at least until Thursday, keeping our fingers crossed we booked two seats on a nine hour trip to visit one of the glaciers and several bird rookeries for Friday.

While driving into Seward we spotted this Moose cow and two youngsters walking in a river just off the road.

With a population of just under 3,000, Seward is the home of the Mount Marathon race. Around 1908, two sourdoughs got into an arguement as to whether they could run up Mount Marathon and back to Seward in less than an hour.  They agreed to try it, and the loser would buy drinks.  In fact, they completed the circuit in sixty two minutes.  This race has be held annually on July 4th since 1915.  The winning time this year was 59:31.

This photo of Seward from across the bay will give you an idea of the steepness of the ascent to the top of Mount Marathon, 3,022 feet above sea level. The total circuit is 3.1 miles.

 

After booking our seats on the bay excursion we drove out to Lowell Point, an area on the bay south of Seward.  We saw a small boat that we liked.  I think with a little paint and a dab of grease here and there it should be just fine. But I couldn't talk Margie into buying the Santa Flavia.

Near the  rv park is a weir on a small stream.  We watched salmon as they climbed the fish ladder. Taking the photo precisely when the fish made its jump was tricky.  Margie took this photo at just the right moment.

 
 
We often saw Bald Eagles flying near the rv park. Here is an adult and a juvenile flying overhead.

Here is a juvenile Bald Eagle that sat on this branch near our rig for three or four hours one afternoon watching the world go by.

 

Seward has a wonderful aquarium, the Alaska Sea Life Center, that features birds, fish and other wildlife found in this area.  We visited the aquarium on Tuesday.  We took  photos of several birds that we hope to see when we take a boat trip into the park on Friday. We fdound all of these birds to be fascinating. 

Here is a King Eider.

This is a Harlequin Duck.

This is a Tufted Puffin.

This is an Oyster Catcher.

This is a Rhinocerous Auklet.

 
 

After visiting the aquarium we went to the Seward Library to view a film about the great earthquake of 1964. Late on the afternoon of March 27, 1964, Good Friday, Seward was destroyed by a 9.2 magnitude earthquake and tsunami.  The movie included interviews with a number of residents of Seward who survived.

Alaska has an active Tsunami warning system. Here is a warning siren.  We saw these along the Kenai coast.

We also saw tsunami evacuation signs. This one on Lowell Point. 

 

Wednesday it rained all day, so we slept late and got caught up on photo processing. 

Thursday afternoon we drove out Nash Road on the other side of Resurrection Bay from Seward.  One of the staff at the Kenai Fjords National Park visitors center suggested it might be a good area to photograph birds.  Jackpot!

 We saw the usual gulls snacking on bits and pieces of fish left by fisherman.

 

There were aslo Arctic Terns flying just off the beach.

The highlight of the afternoon was a "David and Goliath" struggle between a gull and a Bald Eagle sitting in a tree nearby. 

The gull made several passes at the eagle.

Finally, in frustration, the eagle flew off chased by the gull.

 

We hopeFriday's weather will improve  for our boat trip on the bay.  We'll cover that trip in our next post. 

 
 

Talkeetna...Palmer...Anchorage

Talkeetna, Ak

On June 29 we drove 154 miles to Willow, near Talkeetna.  Along the way we stopped at a Veterans Memorial along the highway, honoring Alaskans who served in the military.

 

 We stayed at the Mat-Su RV Park in Willow , a small but well equipped park just off the highway about twenty five miles from Talkeetna.  With the benefit of hindsight it would have been better to find a park in downtown Talkeetna.

Talkeetna is a funky little town with a main street only two blocks long.  The space between the two white lines serves as a side walk.  Well...it saves making curbs

 
Initially inhabited by gold miners and trappers, today it is the jumping off point for climbers heading for Mount McKinley who fly in to the base camp from here.  You can also arrange for flightseeing trips to McKinleyfrom the airport. Talkeetna is also the base for charter riverboats taking fishermen on the Susitna, Chulitna and Talkeetna Rivers.

 
There is a small cemetery near the airport where there are memorials for climbers who died on Mount McKinley and one from Talkeetna who died on Everest.

Here is a memorial to all climbers in the fashion of a totem pole.

Ray Genet, a mountaineer who climbed in this area, died on Mt. Everest.

Here is a memorial to a climber who died on Mt. McKinley

This memorial is to a group of Korean climbers who died on Mt. McKinley in 1979.  One of them, Il Kyo Lee, had climbed Everest.

Don Sheldon, perhaps the most famous bush pilot in these areas, saved many lives over the course of his life flying out of Talkeetna.

 

I like the sentiment expressed in this headstone, "We'll see you further up the creek."

Travel by private plane is common in Alaska.  Many fly from a lake near their home or cabin. This lake is just outside Talkeetna.

 

On the edge of town is the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, built on a bluff by the Cook Inlet Region Native Corporation.  This hotel has a magnificent view of the Alaska range, with Mount McKinley sitting in the middle. This view can also be seen along the river, at the edge of town. Not a bad spot to hang out, waiting for the clouds to clear.

One afternoon in Talkeetna we ate lunch at the Roadhouse.  There were three or four large tables, each with ten or twelve seats, family style.  Good food and terrific atmosphere.

And there is a hotel in downtown Talkeetna.

And a liquor store

And a town fire hose.  I think it needs a nozel.

 
 
There are over a dozen shacks where miners and trappers lived.  They are furnished as they were a hundred years ago. 

One item in particular caught my attention; a bath tub. Doesn't look very inviting to soak in.

 

Not sure who lives here, but they have an airplane parked on the front lawn.

Although we didn't see any live moose on the main street, we saw painted moose around town. 

 

And a "kissing" moose Margie took a liking to.

 

And finally, every town needs bird houses.  Talkeetna is no exception.

 

Palmer, Ak

On June 30 we drove to Palmer, near Wasilla.  We stayed at the Homestead RV Park.  This park is on a bluff, overlooking a large wetlands.  There is a pair of bald eagles living in the trees below the park.

We had the truck serviced at the Ford dealer in Wasilla.  The tires have taken a beating, so we ordered tires to be picked up on our way through Wasilla in late July.  We also noted one of the tires on the fifth wheel was badly worn on the inside, so we swapped it with one of the spares.  It looks like the camber is off on this tire.  My guess is it was damaged going over one of the frost heaves in the Yukon Territory.  We hit a couple of them pretty hard.  We've found a place in Anchorage that can realign the wheels on the rig.  We'll get that done when we come back through Anchorage in a few weeks.

One afternoon we visited  the "Oomingmak" Musk Ox Coop.  It was interesting to see these ancient animals up close, with their heavy coats that enable them to survive in the arctic. This farm was set up to domesticate the Musk Ox so their hair, called qiviut,  can be used to provide yarn to natives in remote areas to make scarves, hats and other garments.  The garments are very light, very warm and very expensive! Musk Ox at 900 pounds are about half the weight of the Wood Bison we saw earlier in the trip.

When Musk Ox are threatened in the wild, they form a circle with their heads facing out, to fend off the threat.  Several years ago Margie gave me a wonderful Inuit carving of Musk Ox in their defensive posture.  As they weren't threatened on the farm, they didn't go into their circle.  Even so, it was great fun to see them up close. Here is a two year old.

"Little Man" is nine years old.  Musk Ox don't have sweat glands.  Like a dog, they respond to heat by panting.

 
 
We saw this Smart Car towing a fifth wheel.  Hmmm....wonder if I could trade in my F-350 one ton for this Smart Car?  Sure would save on the cost of fuel! At $4.00 a gallon of diesel, with 8 miles per gallon, I could save a lot of $$$!

 

Anchorage, Ak

Large city.  300,000 people.  Wow.  Seems huge compared not only to our little town of Nevada City  but all the small towns we've been visiting over the past several weeks.  They have freeways, stop lights, huge shopping malls and all that stuff!

We made the short trip to Anchorage on July 3.  We stayed at the Golden Nugget RV Park.  It is an old park with crowded facilities and full hookups, but perhaps the easiest to get in and out of in Anchorage.  Anchorage is in need of a good RV Park. 

We visited a classmate and good friend from my days at San Jose State.  The last time we had dinner with our wives was in 1970 on Treasure Island, near San Francisco. It was good to catch up on the pasty forty years.

While driving around Fort Richarson we saw a porcupine crossing a field.

We followed him into the forest to see if we could get a close up photo. He went up a tree and tried to hide from us.  Fighting off the mosquitos, we got our photo.

Near  Ship Creek Landing we photographed several Mew Gulls with babies and a family of Mallards.

Not sure who was teaching who in this photo.  Maybe they are singing a duet.

Two of the little guys.  Some day they will grow up to be a beautiful white gull.

A Mallard.

 

And the youngun's. 

We were also able to get close to several Bald Eagles, both adults and juveniles.

 
 
While in Anchorage we suffered an electrical failure in the back of the rig affecting the main fan and the electrical outlets.  We spent a couple of hours with an electrician looking for the problem, without success.  We don't have a wiring diagram  so I will check with the factory on Tuesday to find out where the junction box is located. The fan isn't a problem as the weather is cool.  We are using an extension cord to run the computer and monitor screen.  Once we find the location of the junction box we'll look for another electrician to get it sorted out.

Next we head for Seward on the Kenai Peninsula.  We plan to spend nineteen days on the Peninsula, splitting our time between Seward, Homer and the Kenai River.

Denali...AKA Mount McKinley

Denali

On June 25 we left Fairbanks for Denali.  The 123 mile drive took us initially along a ridge south of Fairbanks following the Nenana River. Great views in all directions were marred for the first hour or so by smoke from wildland fires in the area.  We camped at the Denali RV Park & Motel in Healy, six miles north of the Denali Park.  While there are a number of RV Parks near "Glitzy Gulch" just outside the entrance to the park, we preferred  the tranquility of Healy.

Here are two photos of main street in downtown "Glitzy Gulch".

 

Margie did her best to bouy up the economy.

 On Tuesday we drove to Cantwell and took the Denali Highway toward Paxson for thirty miles. This 134 mile dirt road drives through beautiful tundra areas, passing many lakes and streams.  It is a great road for viewing wildlife. 

 

Margie hard at work with her 100-400mm. It has been her favorite lens on this trip because of its flexibility.

 Here is a Lesser Yellowleg we photographed along the Denali Highway.

 
 
If we were to make this trip again, I think we would leave our rig in Healy and drive up to Paxson and back, spending the night in Paxson.  Because of the condition of the road it can be slow and bumpy, but well worth it.

On Thursday we took our ride into Denali. Earlier in the week  we booked seats on one of the bus trips into Denali.  There are several options from four to twelve hours in duration, depending on  how long you want to sit on the bus.  The buses are similar to school buses.  Not terribly comfortable for a twelve hour ride.  However, the bus stops every ninety minutes for a break so folks can use the rest rooms and stretch. There is also a more expensive bus that looks like it has slightly more comfortable seats and stops  for lunch midway.  We reserved seats on the twelve hour trip and brown bagged it.  This will take us to Kantishna  at the end of the road.   

It was suggested we get in line for the bus early, and get a seat toward the back.  Since most people prefer sitting in the front, sitting in the back will give us more room to move around with our cameras.  We showed up at 7:15 for a 7:45 departure, and were the first in line.  Another couple, also interested in wildlife photography, were right behind us.  They had made this trip many times and provided a wealth of information about the area.

There are no black bears in the park, only grizzlies.  We also saw doll sheep, moose, caribou,a golden eagel, a harrier hawk and a family of wolves. 

As we started into the park on the right we saw several herds of doll sheep up on the ridge peering down on us.

 

 

On the left side of the road we saw a family of wolves, two adults and seven young pups.  They were sitting out on a sand bank next to the river, enjoying the sun. We both used 400mm lens.  We could have used the additional reach of 500 or 600 mm.

 

 

 

 

  
 The road winds its way through the park with snow capped mountains in the distance.

 

At times the road hugs the mountain side.  It reminded us of roads we had traveled in the Andes many years ago, except there were no large trucks to pass.  In fact, the bus drivers have it well organized so there is room for all.
  
We saw several herds Caribou.

 

And quite a few Moose.

 

 

 

 

And this Moose up close and personal... 

 

And many Grizzlies of all sizes and colors!

 

 

 

 

 

These teenagers were right on the road, looking for mischief...

 

 

 

 

In Kantishna I photographed a Loon, sitting on a nest.  Although we were not very far from her nest, she never budged the entire time we were watching her.

 
Here is the best photo I took of Denali.  I added the notations so you will know what you are looking at!

 
In fact, despite a desparate call to a juju friend in Jamaica, reciting every prayer we could think of, wearing every good luck charm we had in our position and keeping our fingers and toes crossed, we never saw Denali. It was overcast the entire trip. 

If I were to make this trip again instead of four days I would stay in Denali seven to ten days, so that we could make the bus trip at least three times.  We would probably go only as far as Eielson (eight hours round trip). Over ninety percent of the wildlife we saw was between the park entrance and Eielson.  Others who made the trip had similar reports.  Also, you can get off the bus anywhere along the road, and then catch a later bus.  If I saw something really interesting, I would do just that. As to camera lenses, take the biggest lens you have.  Margie and I both used a  400mm lens.  With the exception of the two young bears we photographed along the road and one moose, all the other animals were some distance away from the bus.  It is possible to lower the bus window and stick your lens out.  Of course, if the driver doesn't turn off the engine there is a fair amount of vibration that precludes getting a crisp shot.  For that reason I think I would get off the bus from time to time to take photographs. As a footnote, the driver we had was excellent and made every effort to park the bus along the road so people could take photographs. Others I spoke to had similar experiences.

Wonder Lake close to the end of the road and Kantishna are on private property outside the park. Kantishna was originally a mining community but now has several lodgings with rooms running around $800 a night.  You can also fly into Kantishna.  One of the classic photos of Denali is taken from Wonder Lake, with a reflection of the mountain in the lake.  If you have the time  and extra cash, it's worth waiting for an opening in the clouds to get the photo.  Otherwise, stick to the bus running out to Eielson which also has an excellent view of the mountain but no lake.

Another option worth considering is to camp at Teklanika Camp ground at mile 29 of the park road. There are 53 sites for RV's up to 40 feet.  This is dry camping. There are restrictions; to keep traffic down you must stay a minimum of three nights and cannot use your vehicle while at the campground.  However, there are buses running all day up and down the road into the park, so it would be an interesting way to see wildlife.

Also, you can drive your car or truck for the first fifteen miles of the road into Denali.  There is a short hike at the end. We saw moose and caribou along the road when we drove in one evening.

We greatly enjoyed our few days in Denali.  Even with the overcast sky.

What Happened to the Moon?

Tok, Alaska

We arrived in Tok before mid-day on June 21, after an easy 88 mile drive.  The first ten miles were gravel and under construction.  Along the way we have had a few stops each day for construction.  No one seems to get perturbed by the delay.  They get out of their vehicles and visit, and even play catch.  If you look carefully you can see three lads tossing a football around.  I took this photo in my side mirror.

The rest  of the day was easy.  The dreaded "frost heaves" seem to have skunked back into the forest.  At least for the time being.  Our drive took us through forests and beautiful lakes on the south side of the highway. All part of the Tetlin National Wildlife Reserve.  I suspect this area is filled with a variety of birds during Spring and Fall migration.  We did see three Trumpeter Swans.

Black Spruce is the predominant tree along this part of the Alaska Highway.  Their growth patterns are very different than the Blue Spruce. They are thinner with less growth because of the conditions on the tundra.  A two or three inch tree may be more than one hundred years old. 

 
  
We stayed in the Tok RV Village, a nice park on the Alaska Highway. The park has a terrific facility for washing RV's, which we quickly used despite the rain.  With all the gravel roads we had traversed, both rig and truck had taken on a beige color. It was nice to get it clean again, even if it only lasted for a few days.

 There are only two roads in Tok.  The Alaska Highway that goes to Fairbanks and the Glenn Highway that goes to Anchorage.  Our plan is to go to Fairbanks, and return to Tok from Anchorage late July on the Glenn after spending three or four weeks on the Kenai Peninsula.

A tiny little town with a population of only 1,400, Tok is dedicated to servicing RV traffic driving into or leaving Alaska. Not much else going on in Tok. With the Alaskan road network, you have to go through Tok.  Unless you put your vehicle on a ship and take the Inland Passage. 

A fellow in Tok told us that Tok has no politicians, no lawyers, no government and no taxes!  When asked why they had no municipal government, the answer easy. Since no one seems to like their local government,  the folks from Tok questioned why they should set up a local government that no one would like.  Works for them!

The day before we arrived in Tok fire fighters from the Eagle Trail Fire were demobilized.  The fire was one mile south of Tanacross, near Tok. Over the course of a month the fire burned 17,934 acres of forest land on both sides of the Alaska Highway.  We drove through the burned area the next day. Before we left Tok, we saw three fire engines on  trailers that were very different than anything we had seen in California.  I think they were trucked up from Montana.  The engines are  bull dozers with a nozel on the front that can be remotely controlled from inside the cab and used to direct water or foam on the fire. There are also hose connections in the back.  The dozer also has a 1500 gallon water tank, so it can operate as a dozer clearing brush or as an engine. Or both at the same time. Because they have a soft track they can work on the tundra.  What a beast!

Fairbanks, Ak

The following day we headed for Fairbanks, arriving early afternoon.  The road was good for the entire trip.  We stayed at the Riverview RV Park, on the banks of the Chena River and near Fort Wainwright.  After an obligatory nap we sat on the banks of the Chena, our thoughts interrupted only by skidoos and other craft racing by on the river, helicopters flying overhead in and out of Fort Wainwright, and F-16 Aggressors from nearby  Eielson Air Force Base. We also heard there was a Moose grazing nearby, but we never saw it.

This Canada Goose floated by, with her young family.

This looks like fun.

Fort Wainwright is just up the road from our RV park.  Wainwright hosts a Stryker Brigade, an Aviation Brigade and the 6th Battalion 17th Cavalry Regiment.  Eielson AFB is home for the 354th Fighter Wing and 168th Air Refueling Wing.  Lots of activity. I think we must have been on the glide path for helicopters flying in and out of Wainwright.

We found Fairbanks, with a population of 30,000, an interesting city.  Well laid out and easy to get around.  We stayed for three nights to allow enough time to get more work done on our slide.  Over the past week or so the kitchen slide topper started binding at the top.  A slide topper is an awning that protects the top of the slide from rain and whatever else may come down.  You may recall it was the same problem that caused us to take a detour to Kansas from Idaho to have it worked on at the New Horizons Factory.  Apparently they fixed "a" problem, but not "the" problem.  We were eventually able to open it each day, but not without significant pressure at the top that sooner or later would damage the slide.  At Alaska RV Center in Fairbanks we found a terrific lady who seems to be a walking encyclopedia on slide toppers and awnings.  She quickly figured out the slide topper bracket was installed incorrectly at an angle, causing the awning mechanism to bind.  She removed the bracket and reinstalled it in a few minutes.  Problem fixed...and we were on our way.  Remember the 2400 mile detour to Junction City to get it fixed the first time?  Oh well, it was a good excuse to visit with good friends from Bushy Park high school days in London who live in Topeka. And eat a great Kansas steak. 

We had gorgeous weather all three days in Fairbanks, a welcome change after the overcast skies and rain of the past few days.

While in Fairbanks we visited Creamer Field Wildlife Refuge, a former dairy farm just north of the city.  Although early afternoon is not the best time for viewing birds, we did manage to photograph a pair of Yellow Warblers tending their nest.

 

We also photographed a young Sandhill Crane in the field.

 
And a sparrow, sitting on a wire.

 
Our last day in Fairbanks we visited the Museum of the North at the Fairbanks campus of the University of Alaska.  The museum is housed in a very interesting building that has a variety of displays the social history and native customs of Alaska as well as Alaska geology.  There is also an interesting presentation on the northern lights. 

This modernistic building housing the museum opened in 2005. 

 

 

 In a parking lot near the museum was saw electrical outlets.  We later saw the same outlets in the WalMart parking lot. We were not able to find out if they were for electric cars to recharge their batteries or for cars and trucks to plug in their manifold heater during the winter when temperatures can get as low as minus 60 degrees farenhydte.

 

After visiting the museum we had dinner at the Pumphouse Restaurant.  Built in 1933, this building on the Chena River originally housed ten 14 inch centrifugal pumps that delivered water through three 26 inch pipes  for a gold dredging operation.  The abandoned facility was converted to a restaurant a few years ago. The food was excellent. 

Our last evening in Fairbanks two German ladies pulled in behind us. They were a tad frazzled.  They explained they had just driven over "The Top of the World Highway."  It was raining, the road was slippery and the shoulders soft.  A Class A Motorhome (those are the huge motorhomes that look like a converted bus) strayed onto the soft shoulder and slipped over the side.  The coach landed in a tree!  Fortunately no one was injured. Not sure what it will take to get the motorhome back on the road.  Or if a tow truck large enough to lift the motorhome is even available up there in the middle of nowhere. After hearing their story Margie was convinced we made the right decision to not drive "The Top of the World Highway."  "Not in this lifetime!" said Margie. 

Not sure what happed to the moon.  It seems to have disappeared.  We sat along the river bank around 10:30 or 11:00.  It seemed like it was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The sun in Fairbanks at this time of year sets around 12:30AM and rises again at 3:30 AM.  But it never really gets dark.  Curious. I suppose this helps to make up for winter, when there are only three or four hours of daylight in December.

On to Denali...The Mighty One!

On To Alaska

Fort Nelson to Toad River

We left Fort Nelson on June 14,  heading for Toad River, BC.  We had a good road surface the entire trip and traffic was light.

We pulled into Toad River around 11:30 AM.  No one seems to know for sure why it is called Toad River.  One version is the river in that area is difficult to cross, requiring that boats be towed across.  Since spelling was flexible in the early days, the name was translated to "Toad" River.

The Toad River RV Park is on Reflection Lake.  Power is provided for the community by BC Hydro, with a 2 X 200 KW generator.  Although the generator was only forty feet or so from our rig, it was so quiet that we didn't notice it.  The quality of the power wasn't stable.  Voltage frequently dropped below 105 volts, so we kept our eye on the meter.

The school in Toad River is attended by students who live as far as fifty miles away.  Some students walk to school, others ride on horseback, others drive to school and at least one flies in by airplane landing on an airstrip near the school.

In the afternoon we photographed a moose feeding on the far side of the lake.  Margie used her 500mm lens, while I used a 600mm lens.  Not sure why we didn't pull out our tripods.  I think we were excited at the prospect of watching  and photographing the moose.  We were surprised at how long he held his head under water looking for food. 

 

 
 
  We also photographed an American Widgeon...

 
 
 and a pair of Ring Neck Ducks. 

 

Great fun.  But hand holding these heavy lenses without a tripod was something else.  The tripods were stowed under the bed, awkward to access quickly.  We've  moved them to the truck so they are more readily available when needed.

After spending the afternoon taking photographs we had dinner at the local diner.  I think the cook was Ukrainian, because there was a Ukrainian plate on the menu.  When asked what was included on the plate, the waitress said it was "something stuffed with cheese."  We ordered it despite her appetizing description.  It was sausage, pierogis (some of which were stuffed with cheese) and stuffed cabbage.  A great meal. Apart from their fine fare, the lodge is famous for their collection of hats.  There are more than 7,000 pinned to the ceiling. 

Toad River to Watson Lake

We left Toad River early Tuesday, heading for Watson Lake.

Along the Alaska Highway vegetation has been cut back over a hundred feet on either side of  the road.  This provides a fire break and also opens up vegetation so that motorists will see any animals trying to cross the road.  This works well during the daytime, but isn't much help at night.  We came across a dead Wood Bison that had been hit two nights before.  The F-350 truck that hit the Bison went off the road, avoiding a culvert and several large trees and running into brush that helped slow the truck down.  The driver survived with serious injuries but the bison was killed.

We saw several Wood Bison along the road.  A Wood Bison, aka Mountain Bison, aka  Buffalo, is a cousin of the American Plains Bison or Buffalo.  Heavier than the Plains Bison, the male Wood Bison when fully grown weighs over 2,000 pounds. It is the largest land based mammal in North America.  In the early 1900's the herd was estimated at only 200 as a result of over hunting and disease.  Efforts to save the Wood Bison have been successful. The herd has now been built back up to roughly 5,000.  They are a magnificent animal, for sure.

We saw this fellow trotting along the highway.

I'm afraid we woke this Bison up.  He doesn't looked all that pleased with us.

After watching him for a few minutes, he finally stood up.

There was a young Inuit controlling traffic at a construction zone a few miles before we got to Watson Lake.  She explained she had just been told there was a mama bear with a cub nearby, so she was staying close to her truck in case she "needed to bail".  Three motor cyclists came up behind us.  With her can of "Bear Attack" on her hip, she suggested they move in front of us so they would be closer to her truck, should they also "need to bail." We had our cameras at the ready, but didn't see any bears.

 Watson Lake is famous for a their Signpost Forest started by Carl Lindley, a GI working on the Alaska Highway in 1942. Over the years travelers have added their own personal signs, with the sign count now over 61,000.  

Here is one from Person County, NC, where Margie was born.

Across the road from the RV park is Wye Lake.  While hiking around the lake in the evening we saw another pair of Ring Neck Ducks.

and a Red Neck Grebe, although we weren't able to get a decent photo of the Grebe.

Along the trail we met three school teachers from Beaver Creek, YT, near the Alaskan border.  One, who taught art and photography, was fascinated with our cameras and peppered us with questions.  She mentioned that she often went hunting and fishing up on the Nahanni Range, north of Watson Lake.  As in other communities, the folks here are very friendly and eager to visit.

Watson Lake to Teslin

Wednesday morning we left Watson Lake for the Dawson Peaks RV Park, a great spot on the banks of a beautiful lake and a short distance from Teslin. Since leaving Calgary what seems like a lifetime ago, the beauty continues at every turn in the road.

The restaurant at Dawson Peaks is famous for the owner's rhubarb pie. Deciding to stop there  was an easy choice.  And the pie was excellent.

I  doubt the owners of the lodge knew that one of their guests that evening was the 1965 Sixth Army Ladies Horseshoe Champion.

The following morning we drove through Teslin, a beautiful little town on the banks of Teslin Lake. Approaching Teslin from the east we crossed the Nisutlin Bay Bridge, the longest water span on the Alaska Highway.  According to the Milepost, "Teslin has one of the largest native populations in the Yukon Territory and much of the community's livelihood revolves around traditional hunting, trapping and fishing."  We made a note to spend a night here on our return south.

Teslin to Whitehorse

During the drive to Whitehorse  on Thursday we saw a large number of blue, purple and yellow wildflowers and clumps of pink wild roses.   In fact, much of the highway this time of year is lined with wildflowers. Unlike the roadside in British Columbia which was well maintained, in the Yukon we found the roadside often over grown, so it was more difficult to see animals grazing near the road.  We arrived in Whitehorse shortly after mid-day on Thursday.  We stayed two nights to do a few chores as well as explore Whitehorse.  With a population of 26,000, Whitehorse is the Capital of the Yukon Territory and has always been an important transportation hub for the northwest.  Shortly after the U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, steam boats were introduced to move cargo and people up and down the river, particularly between Dawson City and Whitehorse.  The main cargo was ore, mined in the Dawson City area.  The ore was then sent by train from Whitehorse to Skagway, where it was loaded on board freighters.  The steam boats provided an important mode of transportation for almost one hundred years.

While wandering around Whitehorse we came across the Whitehorse skyscraper. Apart from being well known in these parts for its architectural uniqueness, it is also rumored to be a great party pad. Or so we were told by a little old lady we met on the street in front of the skyscraper.

If you are a young lad in Whitehorse  on  a warm 58 degree Friday afternoon with  time on your hands, what else to do but get into a water fight.

We saw similar parks in other Yukon communities.   Note the faces on the water spouts.  The one on the left is an eagle.  In the middle, on the yellow pole, are buckets filled with water that turn over from time to time, dumping their contents on anyone below.

At the local Visitor Center, we found this beautiful lead glass window.

Around the corner under a bridge, we found another expression of art.

Whitehorse to Lake Kluane

After two days in Whitehorse, on Saturday morning we left for the Cottonwood RV Park on Destruction Bay at Lake Kluane.   We had our first exposure to the dreaded "frost heaves."   A result of permafrost and the freezing and thawing of water in the gravel underlying the pavement,  frost heaves quickly got our attention, causing us to slow down. Other than a few RV's, passenger cars and an occasional truck, traffic continues to be light.

Cottonwood RV Park is a beautiful spot on the lake...

 with mountains on all sides.

Although we didn't have a visit from the resident grizzly family that lives nearby, we did see lots of swallows and sparrows. And lots of mosquitos.

Here is a barn swallow we photographed on the beach near our campsite, gathering material to make a nest.

 
 
 And here is a Chipping Sparrow.

Here is a very shy Tree Sparrow Margie photographed.

Best of all is this Violet-Green Sparrow Margie captured with her camera.

Lake Kluane to Border City, Alaska

Sunday morning we headed for the Alaska border and the Border City Motel and RV Park.

 And finally...we made it to Alaska, 5,264 miles from home! Via Kansas, of course.

The RV park in Border City is a staging area for road construction crews and equipment. The RV's are parked in a large field that will get muddy if it rains much.  It started raining during the evening and continued most of the night.  Although there were large puddles of water (almost small lakes) and the ground was very muddy, we put the truck in  4-wheel drive and pulled the rig out without any problem.

 The "frost heaves" between Lake Kluane and Border City were much more severe than yesterday, so we kept our speed down.  Despite our best efforts we failed to see one or two frost heaves and were bounced around a bit.

Along the road we saw this little church, characteristic of many churches we've seen in the past couple of days. 

I haven't found the roads to be all that difficult to drive.  Margie has a different perspective as captured in this photo.

 

The geology along the highway is interesting and constantly changing.

From Border City we headed for Tok.  This section of the road from Lake Kluane to the border was rough, with one frost heave after another. After the first ten miles of gravel, we understand the road to Tok improves.  We are looking forward to Tok. I wonder if there is also a Tic?