Steese Highway- BLM campsite

It was really a nice day. We had no agenda but ended up doing a lot. We drove up northeast of Fairbanks and checked out a couple of campgrounds before settling on Cripple Creek Campground. It is $6 per night, and the bathrooms are very clean. It is also currently inhabited by about 8 million mosquitos, but this time, we were ready for them.

We got out of the car with bug jackets and head nets. We quickly put up the bug hooch, and we made sure we had our sprays, repellent, and bug lantern ready. We were so ready that we took a walk on a river trail that was a natural mosquito habitat, and we enjoyed it!

After a lunch of sandwiches, we drove to 12 Mile Summit, which is above the tree line on the tundra. No caribou there today, but they will migrate through next month or so. We also scoped out fishing spots for Phil. A State Trooper stopped and checked his fishing license and clarified some rules that Phil had found confusing in the state regulation book.

He lost a lure, but we went on to check out other sites, and we will come back tomorrow. I found some blueberries just ripening and will put them in pancakes tomorrow!

We had steak and potatoes for supper. A man Phil met last night at the last campground was here. He seemed very sad. It is his 7th trip here and maybe his last. His friends and family are dying off, and he's trying to find someone to go to Patagonia with him next year to fish. I felt sorry for him and thought about volunteering, Phil, but we have our own plans.

It's a nice fire, and it is starting to sprinkle. Hope it quits. In the meantime, we're spending our last nights here in Alaska and loving every minute.Read more