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Alaska trip 2024
  • PW and JKW's trips
  • Phil Woodford
  • PW and JKW's trips
  • Phil Woodford

Alaska trip 2024

Starting out for Alaska with the teardrop camper June 1, 2024. Will drive there and back Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 1, 2024
    Alaska trip 2024
    1My new Quilt made by Dawn Carver from work. Keeping us cozy in the camper.
    Bossy rock climbing at Vedawoo.Phil relaxing at our campsite.Loving retirement already!

    Pre-trip camping

    May 30–Jun 1, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    We are camping at Vedauwoo Campground, 8,300 ft above sea level, before the trip. Last night we slept on our old foam camping mattress on the apartment floor. It was from Boise when we still had the van. It wasn't too comfortable so we decided to take the camper up to the campground about 15 miles from Laramie in the Medicine Bow Pole Mountain area.

    It's pretty windy, but very beautiful. It's cool at about 60 degrees. In the morning, we'll take the car to be serviced and in the early afternoon check out of our apartment.

    My last week of school/work, I got an award from my department called the "Conveyor of Wisdom" or C.O.W. award and along with that came a big basket of different cows. I have one on the trip with us and I will call her "Bossy". You can see her below rock climbing at Vedauwoo.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Flowers on my hike.
    A waterfall on my hike.View at the end of my hike.A mountain bluebird at the campsite.Yum, supper is cooking!Bossy visits the dinosaur fossil house.Bossy reads about the train robbers. Dramatized in the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.Me at Hell's Half-acre.Lupine and bumble bee at Hell's Half-acre.Sign about Hell's Half-acre.Our campsite on the Wind River.

    Thermopolis

    Jun 1–3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Last night we spent again at Vedauwoo. I went on a loop hike around Turtle Rock and Phil went back to the campsite as he had not brought his hiking poles on the walk and felt unsteady. All total, my phone shows I walked 9 miles yesterday.

    We checked out of the apartment and the storage room, took a few last minute things to Goodwill, and got the oil changed in the car, yesterday.

    Phil saw a mountain bluebird, which flew right up and perched on the picnic table. We had steak and foil-wrapped potatoes with onionsoup mix and butter for supper.

    Today we got up and left early. At 6:45, it was chilly and breezy at Vedauwoo. It was in the 30's F. We stopped in Laramie and used a gift card Phil had to get coffee. We each had a pop tart with our coffee and Phil drank a protein shake.

    We drove north on highway 30 and stopped outside of Medicine Bow to take pictures of the house made of dinosaur fossil bones. Later outside of Casper, we stopped at Hell's Half-acre. We stopped for a picnic lunch a few miles up the road at a rest area with a covered picnic table. Now we are sitting in our shady campsite at the Lower Wind River Canyon campground. There are wild turkeys nesting nearby and a flock drifting through the campground. I just saw a drift boat with fly fishermen float by, too.

    We are here for 2 nights, we are getting ready to head into town for a soak in the healing waters of the Thermopolis Hot Springs State Park. It's a free bath house with showers and a modern soaking pool. There is a 20-minute soak limit, but you can come back several times. We'll get our showers and a soak there today and tomorrow and maybe Monday before we leave.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Bath house in Thermopolis at the State Park.
    Phil at the Rendezvous site.We're just getting started exploring.Wind River Buffalo Headquarters

    Thermopolis Part 2

    June 2, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We have enjoyed the free 20 minute soaks and free shower facilities at the Hot Springs State Park now twice. We'll stop by on our way through town tomorrow for one last soak and shower.

    Today we drove to Riverton. We first located and started to explore the 1838 Rendezvous site. This was one location where Mt Men came to trade furs. Unfortunately, just as we were getting started, a man came by and said he had to lock the gate. Apparently a man and his dog had gotten stranded on an island in the river and a rescue was underway. The area had to be closed as a result (not sure why).

    Next, Phil and I went out to the headquarters of the Wind River Buffalo Project. We were not able to get a tour, but we could see 5 or six bulls in a pen near the headquarters. Last winter we met Jason Baldez who is part of the Intertribal Buffalo council, which helps tribes across the nation get Yellowstone Bison for their tribes. The Wind River has a herd for each tribe (Eastern Shoshoni and Northern Arapaho). We donated to their cause this year and have watched several short documentaries.

    On our way back from the bath house, we stopped at a hardware store. I accidentally left my fire poking stick at Vedauwoo so we sourced 2 new ones by cutting a wooden dowel on half and wrapping the handle with tape. Although I have a spare now, I hope they both last me the trip.

    Tomorrow will head up to Cody and then take Chief Joseph Highway up to the north east entrance of Yellowstone. We will drive through the Lamar Valley and out the Gardiner entrance and hope to stay at a campground between Gardiner and Livingston.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Bossy at the hot springs.
    Lunch on the Chief Joseph Highway2Bad selfie at YellowstoneThe outpost, typical MT bar.Phil watching TV at the Outpost

    Outside Yellowstone

    June 3, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Long drive today through the mountains and also Yellowstone. We left Thermopolis at 9:30 after a soak and shower at the bathhouse.

    Saw 2 and maybe more bears. One was under a tree with two smaller ones up in a tree. Another was in a meadow. We didn't stop, because there were already a ton of people there and Phil was just trying to deal with the traffic.

    Already tons of people and only June 3! We snagged a $5 campsite at Canyon Campground north of Gardiner. It rained much of the afternoon and was raining when we set up camp. As a result we are having pizza and Salad at the Outpost in Emmigrant, Mt.

    Tomorrow we are at Helena!    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Campsite in Helena at the Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds.
    Phil wanted Chilli so here's a dehydrated batch from Packit Gormet.View of mountains from our campsite

    Helena, Mt

    June 4, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 66 °F

    Short driving day no we could catch up on laundry with our US quarter cache before Canada. We are staying at the Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds which is quite a good deal. We have electricity and there are showers here for a total of $27 per night. Laundry was not too far and not too expensive. We're out here on the edge of town. It is windy, but not terrible. We dug out the electric blanket for tonight since we have electricity. Also charged up all our batteries for the camper, fridge, and CPAP machines.

    Tomorrow 250 miles to Prince of Wales hotel in Waterton, CA. We'll stay at the hotel there.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Dinosaur statue in Chouteaux
    Here's another dinosaur statue.Our new pal Ducky who showed us around the museum.Baby dinosaur discovered in 1978Duck dilled dinosaurPhil and I with Bob Marshall Wilderness behind.Big Chief Mountain near our Canada crossing in Glacier National Park.Lunch spot near the border1View from out hotel parking lot

    Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton, AB, Can

    Jun 5–6, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    A drive through big sky country today. Beautiful vistas of the front range of the Bob Marshall Wilderness and lots of waiting in road construction for pilot cars. A friend from from Montana used to say there were 2 seasons, winter and road construction and he was right!

    We stopped at the Montana Dinosaur Center in Bynum. Bossy was napping so her new friend Ducky, the Crested Duck-billed Dinosaur showed us around. This part of Montana has one of the six locations in the world where Dinosaur nests have been found. The nesting dinosaurs here were hydrosaurs or duck-billed types. Phil and I stopped here 5 years ago when the baby first went on display. The baby changed how we think of dinosaurs as more bird like instead of lizard like. This location has active dinosaur digs you can participate in and a big lab to watch the preservation work.

    We fought the wind all day but finally made it to the Canadian border. We saw a red fox while eating a sandwich lunch near the Belly River Trailhead. About 13 years ago, Phil and I did a back country hike into the Belly River for 5 days, so it all felt familiar.

    At the border, we were quizzed on guns, tobacco, alcohol and pepper spray. We told the agent about our summer plans and she gave us some tips on more road construction for tomorrow. Seems Montana and Alberta have a lot of similar thinking.

    Tonight, we are at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton National Park. That's the Canadian side of Glacier National Park. We didn't realize that there is a whole town of AirBNB's and other lodging, but it is still fun to be in the historic hotel. We are in a "budget" room, which means the 5th floor where the workers used to stay. Elevator goes only to the 4th floor. The room is still nice and spacious, but with views of the parking lot. Great bathroom and killer shower.

    Tomorrow we are heading to Banff for 2 nights.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Supper last night.
    1A deer walked up outside the picture window of the hotel after the ranger talk.Prince of Wales hotelBossy is ready with the bear spray at Banff in case we have visitors.

    Banff, night 1

    Jun 6–8, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    A pretty easy drive today, minus two idiots with campers (one from Texas and the other from Florida) who nearly cut us off and made Phil screech on the brakes.

    We really enjoyed the Prince of Wales Hotel. We had coffee and breakfast, which was just as good as our supper of charcuterie and salads. I saw a fox catch his ground squirrel breakfast from our 5th floor window while Phil was showering.

    We stopped at a grocery store to get a few supplies and a picnic lunch. We made it around Calgary on the bypass and then to Banff. We are at Johnston Canyon Campground with about a hundred other families. It is a high bear area, so we got the full briefing as bears have been in the campground almost daily.

    In the morning, we hope to walk the Johnston Canyon trail. Which is about 7 miles round trip. I have Phil's poles ready this time. If we have extra time we'll, go to Lake Louise, although that's at least a car or bus ride away.

    We had grilled porkchops tonight with Kale salad and rehydrated sweet corn. We have brats for tomorrow, but Phil and I scoped out the Johnston Canyon Bistro in case of inclement weather.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    2It is our 18th anniversary and Phil remembered with a card.
    Lower fallsAnother falls18 years of hiking and happiness.Another fallsAnd yet another fallsFinally the upper falls!Km sign back at the beginning

    Banff, night 2

    June 7, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    We slept soundly last night, and we're up about 6:45, intending to get an early start on our hike. It didn't quite happen like that, and we were not on our way until about 9:15 after chatting with neighbors, eating, etc.

    We also were not aware that the Johnston Canyon trail was among the most popular trails in the park! As we hiked from our campsite across the bridge to the trail head, a bus unloaded a group of Asian tourists. Also, several large family groups and people of all ages with children in strollers and backpack carriers were starting about the same time we were. The trail is paved for about 2.5 km(maybe further) but has a number of narrow walkways suspended in the Canyon over the river. The first stop is about halfway and is a turn out to see the "lower falls," and the trail climbs steadily the whole hike up to the "upper falls." There were 6 waterfalls between the grander upper and lower falls.

    Phil used his hiking poles but still lagged a little. We know he has some early emphysema from a test earlier this year, and that could account for why he's not as sure-footed or quick.

    Anyway, we turned around at the upper falls instead of going the further 2 miles away to the next site, which was even more uphill. We walked back to the campsite for lunch, and our phones tracked us at 6 miles for the morning already. Right now, mine is showing over 7 miles with all the walking around at the campsite and back and forth to showers and toilet.

    We went to town in the afternoon to get provisioned for our next 2 days in Jasper National Park north of us. We'll head out in the morning and it is about 250 miles.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Here's the morning coffee set up.
    1Black bear near the road and campground.1Castle Mountain near the gas station.Crowfoot glacierColumbia icefields are actually several glaciersElk in our campground at JasperDucky and Bossy guarding the Pringles from bears and elk in the kitchen hatch of the camper.

    Icefields Highway and Jasper

    Jun 8–10, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    We were waiting at the gas station for it to open at 8:30. On our way we say 2 deer and our first black bear near enough to see without binoculars. It was eating grass near the side of the road, and Phil looped around so he could see it, too.

    The Icefields Highway is part of the National Park system. We purchased annual Canada Park passes because if you use them 7 times, they pay for themselves. We've already needed them for 5 nights plus the Icefields Highway.

    We stopped and took photos of the glaciers in view of the highway. It's a weekend, so lots of busy trailhead, etc. Our lunch on the back of the camper consisted today of Baby Bell Cheese, olives, Pringles, and Phil polished off a container of blueberries while driving.

    We notice that there is much more diversity in the people camping here. Young, old, black, brown, yellow, white, and all types of camping gear from small tents, people camping in cars, expensive campervans, lots of rental motor homes, etc. We hear many different languages in the campground, too. It is nice to see more diversity than the US parks. Also, everything is much cleaner, and people take care of the resources more carefully.

    There was a herd of elk in the campground when we arrived in Jasper. We got the briefing to be careful near the female elk with babies and watch for bears. Our campsite has no fire ring this time, but we have both a gas stove and a gas grill, so no problem. We are near the showers and bathroom, which is a plus.

    After setting up, we drove into Jasper for another round of laundry. We were at the 3 Sheets laundromat and print shop. Quite a combo, but many interesting things to look at while our wash was underway. Afterward, we walked around the town and bought some T-shirts and postcards. We opted for "happy hour" priced pizza instead of cooking tonight, and the meal for 2 of us with a drink, entree, and large salad was only $42 with the tip! Phil had pizza, and I had meatballs.

    It's chilly, so we are back at the campsite in our camper contemplating an early night. Camping is hard work. My phone says I walked 4.5 miles today despite the long car ride. Most of the seems to be just at the campsite and back and forth to the bathrooms and showers. Tomorrow, we may take a short hike, but we need to reorganize and find some stuff in the depths of the pickup bed like hiking boots.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Trailhead for 5 lakes hike is in a stunning location!
    The trail crossed a very mosquito heavy pond where beavers live in this lodge.1Still hiking strong at 73 after shedding his coat due to exertion!2Phil at Lake 51Me at Lake 51Selfie at Lake ? Don't remember which number!

    Jasper Day 2

    June 9, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    We were so tired last night that we came home from our supper and just cleaned up and went to sleep! I woke up at 5:20 to a beautiful sunrise so I gathered my things and went to shower. No one was the bathhouse waiting before or after. Phil got up and showered afterward while I made coffee. I saw a piliated woodpecker foraging in the trees nearby. (The big Woody Woodpecker kind) It was about 36 F and Phil was really cold so we went to town and bought breakfast.

    We stopped at the bank for Canadian cash. We are told further north that many stations take only cash because of the difficulty with connectivity. I also called and got us a spot at a campground for tomorrow in Prince George, BC, which is about 206 miles west of here.

    We are taking the Cassiar Highway north due to fires on the Alcan and will come back in July/August on the Alcan. The Cassiar Highway was recommended by my friend Carrie Barr from Laramie. It heads north another 200 miles or so west of Prince George and joins the Alcan up north at Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory.

    Today, we went on a 4.9 km hike ( a little over 3 miles). We went to 5 Lakes Valley. Very pretty, and Phil tolerated the hike better than the one a couple of days ago. We also used his "Merlin" app to identify birds we heard and saw. It is from Cornell University and was part of Phil's birding online courses.

    We saw and heard several different birds, including a couple of mother hooded mergansers and their ducklings on some of the lakes.

    Afterwards we came back and I cooked us a skillet casserole lunch on the campstove using some leftovers (one brat, a diced shallot, some leftover corn, a half a pack of Bertolli's microwavable macaroni, a couple of squirts of tomato paste from a tube, a squirt of Italian herb paste, a squirt of garlic paste, a few chopped asparagus spears, a splash of white wine, and some Italian shredded cheese on top). It's very tasty. Now we are just hanging out watching new families come in to camp.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    First of 4 bears I saw today.
    Lupine at Mt Robson Visitor's Center1Mt RobsonCinnamon bear at the Visitor's CenterSome pretty iris at the Visitor's CenterWhere we ate in Prince GeorgeMy supper was squid with Brussel sprouts and a salad and caviar with chimichuri sauce.Phil has fried chicken with fried cauliflower, fried peppers, fried cucumbers, fried pickled onionsBossy and Ducky don't know what to make of all the big campers!

    Prince George

    Jun 10–11, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    A wildlife filled day! Just before the Mount Robson visitors center, I saw a bear on the side of the road. Another car was also stopped there, and as Phil slowed down, a second large bear strolled across the highway right in front of us. As I looked out the CLOSED window for a good camera shot, the first bear ran up the ditch into the trees. The other bear was just strolling.

    We stopped a short time later at the Mt Robson Visitor's Center when the excited man in the first car told us there had been a small grizzly chased away by the noise of his car first before the two large black bears appeared. While we were at the Visitor's Center, another black bear with cinnamon coloring appeared near a set of latrines, and Rangers were keeping people away from it

    Mt Robson is the highest mountain in Canada, and the top is nearly always obscured by clouds. There are lots of pretty flowers at the Visitor's Center.

    We saw several deer, 4 elk, a marmot, and another bear on the drive. I also saw either a moose or a bear in a marshy area.

    We are staying at an RV park tonight in Prince George. It was advertised in the Milepost, which is our road guide for the Alaska trip. I also got the next few nights booked since we are unlikely to have cell service over the next several days. It is a nice, clean, family run place. Very quiet except for some highway noise.

    We went into town and shopped at Walmart to get some stuff we needed. I must say Walmart in Canada is no less crowded or crazy than the US. We had supper at a place recommended by Jamice B, who is a Camino person from Canada who is following us.

    Sitting now among the big campers with our tiny little camper. It's pleasant tonight, but supposed to be raining in the morning. Tomorrow night we are at Tyhee Lake Provincial Park. We will have showers and electrical again before we turn north on the Cassiar Highway on Wednesday.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Phil in the rain in front of the World's Largest fly rod at Houston, BC.
    Tonight's campsite as the rain clears up

    Tyhee Lake Provincial Park

    June 11, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    There are not as many photos today since it rained all day. It was raining when we woke up, so we got dressed and headed to Tim Hortons, which is Canada's morning coffee and breakfast chain. We had coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and a hash brown patty and then headed back to get the camper.

    We stopped at a couple of community visitor centers along the trip to use the bathroom and get area information.

    Today, the highway was much busier. One information person told us the route from Prince George to the coast is a major transportation route. It still was nothing like driving on one of the busy interstates in the US. Most of the truck traffic was logging rigs, delivering huge logs to the saw mills.

    We found our campsite in the rain, dropped off the camper and went to Smithers to find a quiet dry place for a cup of coffee. We asked at the visitor center and we're told of a "used book store" which made me think of the old show "Portlandia". We both had a double expresso con leche (coffee and hot milk). Instead of being quiet, there was a loud conversation between an older woman and another local about a diverse run of topics starting with how he buys and fixes up junk cars for resale to the name and how to pronounce a local river to the use and/or overuse of Indian spices in cooking. (Really made me think of Portlandia!) We finished our coffee and headed for the quiet of our campground.

     It has stopped raining. The campsite host came by and will bring firewood later. There are showers and electricity so we are set for the night. Tomorrow about 220 miles tp Stewart, CA, and Hyder, AK.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Last night's awesome campfire.
    A mountain view on our trip early in the day.Bear Glacier on 37A going to StewartIris outside the Stewart Visitor's CenterAnother great view on the scenery in StewartA view of the Portland Canal from the boardwalk. That's the Pacific Ocean!Phil reading the information about Salmon and Bears on the fish viewing platform.A pretty roadside waterfall. There are hundreds here!Sign at the fish viewing platformAnother sign. They do mean it! We saw a lot of bear poop today, but no bears.Selfie at the Hyder, AK, post office.

    Stewart, BC, and Hyder, AK

    Jun 12–13, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

    We had a nice drive to the Cassiar Hwy and then took the 37A spur 40 miles to Stewart, BC, where we have a nice campsite in an RV park (Bear Creek RV Park). Its a good deal at $30 per night for a site with electricity and showers. The drive on 37A is spectacular. We drive down a wide (and sometimes narrow) valley with snowcapped peaks dripping with waterfalls almost the whole way.

    We were in awe of Bear Glacier in full view of the road. It turned into Bear Creek, which was really more a river. We only saw one snowshoe hare, but frankly there was so much beauty, you didn't really know where to look!

    After a few practice attempts , Phil and I finally managed to park the camper in it's back-in site. We ate our sandwiches for lunch and then went exploring. We stopped at the Stewart Visitor's Center and walked out on their elevated walkway over the estuary.

    Stewart is the home of Canada's furthest north deep water port on the Pacific. This is the Portland Canal which is a deep fjord. Stewart is on one side and Hyder, AK, is on the other. We crossed over into Hyder and went up to the Fish Creek viewing platform. When the salmon run later in the year grizzlies and black bears come here to feed. You can watch them from the forest service platform. Normally it is $5, but since there were no bears or salmon, we walked for free and enjoyed the views.

    We started to go up the road to Salmon Glacier, but after a few miles of slick, rocky, muddy roads on the side of a mountain, I had Phil turn around.

    We washed the mud and chemical additives off at the town car wash. We went back and showered and are finishing washing and drying a load of clothes. Afterwards, we'll go into town to eat since the mosquitos seem pretty big.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Remains of a snow avalanche
    Flowers at a rest areaView of Avalanche fieldOur campground view tonightOur campsiteThe Shack, a dining establishmentBear by the side of the road

    Dease Lake, BC

    Jun 13–14, 2024, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Ignore the map. We had no service last night and most of today.

    Today was a long drive over some roads without highway paint/lines. Pretty hilly with some wood plank a d metal grate bridges. It rain a little and then snowed. It is 45 F at Dease Lake.

    We slept until 7 am, which is late for us. Last night in Stewart, we ate at a really good Mexican restaurant (think fine dining) where all 45 town folk came by to say high and all the travelers to Alaska ate. We were waited on by a 13 year old boy. We had breakfast at Temptations Bakery run by Trudy. By far, the two meal highlights of the journey.

    On our drive today, we saw a black wolf. We looked for caribou at Gnat Summit Pass, but when it was raining and started to snow, we moved on.

    Tonight, we are at Water's Edge RV park, which is on a beautiful lake but is underwhelming in terms of amenities. No electricity or showers. Wifi is $5, so we passed on that. Bathrooms are pit toilets. It is on a lake which is nice. It picked it because it was advertised in the Milepost, but we probably could have had the same cheaper campsite with the same amenities at another location in town.

    Since it is cold, Phil wanted to eat out again. There aren't many choices in Dease Lake, so we are eating in our pickup at The Shack, which has just opened for the season.

    On our way back to the campsite, we saw a black bear. We watched it eating grass and other vegetation for about 20 minutes, just 20 yards from the pickup.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Here is the remains of the broken cigarette lighter plug.
    Fire damageMore fire damageWatch for caribou signs!Chicken and dumpling soup for supper!

    Teslin, YT

    Jun 14–15, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Interesting day. It was raining when we went to sleep. We discovered that the connector to our camper battery had been crushed in transit over yesterday's rough roads. See photo. It is fine. We have headlamps and can charge and run everything without it, but super annoying as now we'll have to get it fixed somewhere. We hope we can find a place in Whitehorse, YT, tomorrow. I could probably do it myself with the parts and a YouTube video if needed, but I hope it doesn't come to that since our cell and wifi coverage is very limited. There was no phone for a couple of days and some wifi tonight and earlier today.

    We woke up early and since it was raining, we just got up and left at 6:45 am. We ate a pop tart and some trail mix for breakfast. It snowed on us for about 40 miles and was 33 F. We were watching for the Caribou again, but only saw some snowshoe hares and a porcupine that had been hit by a car. We stopped at Jade City, which was the first "town" for 70 miles. They had free coffee flush toilets and wifi, so hallelujah! I was so grateful that I bought a T-shirt. We chatted for 20 minutes with the woman salesperson. She told us a large percent of the world's jade comes from Canada. There was an artisan working with Jade and many beautiful things for sale, but I am not a nic-nac person, but I will wear the T-shirt.

    After 140 miles, our road joined the Alaska Highway (Alcan). In the meantime, we drove through about 30 miles of completely burned forests(probably the smoke we experienced last year). It looked like a nuclear wasteland. Very sad as trees, lakes, and various ecosystems were completely destroyed.

    The Cassiar Highway was narrow and rough, but the Alcan was wide and relatively smooth. We fueled up and got more coffee at the junction, and then it literally felt we were flying at 60 mph after 30-50 mph all morning.

    Tonight, we are in Teslin at an RV park. Great showers and laundry. I rehydrated some chicken and noodles for supper. It has been raining on and off and is supposed to rain overnight. We've met people in giant campers worth more than a home, and tonight, our neighbors are tent campers on their way to Fairbanks to see a daughter who got an internship at a National Park.

    Hope to get the camper fixed tomorrow and spend some more nights in Canada before we enter Alaska on Sunday.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Bossy in charge of coffee this morning.
    New windshield trend on Alaskan Highway.Phil and I at Lake Kluan with mountains in the backgroundPretty legume flowers which grow by the road here.A mean raven messed up my citronella candle while my back was turned.Tonight's campfireTonight's campsite

    Congdon Park

    Jun 15–16, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    We are at a Yukon Territory Park site off Kluane Lake. This is part of a national park. Today, we had another issue, but it won't impact us much right now. As we were going around Whitehorse, YT, a rock truck gave is a gift, and the missile left a large crack and spot in our windshield.

    We stopped in Whitehorse to get some supplies and asked about a repair, but in the end, we decided that we'd wait until later in case of more damage. We did get stuff to fix the camper plug and will do that on a future day. In the meantime, it is day 15, and we're still having a good time.

    We saw two bears today grazing by the side of a creek, and Phil saw a fox cross the road. It was a pretty drive again, and we are camped tonight under the Elias Range of mountains. They have a glacier cap (Stewart Glacier), which goes clear to the sea.

    Tomorrow, we'll be in Alaska and will camp at Tok or parts further into the state.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    We are entering Alaska after 15 days on the road!
    Our campsite at Grizzly Lake.You can't see it due to the clouds, but I think that giant mount is Mount Wrangel.

    Grizzly Lake Campground on Tok cutoff

    June 16, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Wow! Long day over the roughest roads yet! We headed out at 7:45 and got gas in Destruction Bay near our site. This town was destroyed by an earthquake years ago, hence the name. It is on a beautiful lake in a World Heritage Site Park.

    I saw online that from Destruction Bay to the US Border was the worst stretch of road conditions. It was no lie! Lots of frost heaves (where the road is displaced due to freezing) permafrost breaks of dust and gravel from 50 ft to 100's of yards. Huge potholes, etc. Our top speed was 45 mph, and most of the time, we were going 10-15 mph.

    At the US Border, we got gas again, paid $2.16 per liter, so about $8.60 per gallon. We saw a mother moose run across the road with two young calves. After we crossed the border, we also saw a small bear near the road, but unable to say if it was a grizzly or black bear. With the camper, you can't just "whip around" and go back. We also saw a snowshoe hare today.

    We drove through some road construction, and they put this sludge on the road to keep dust down. That got all over our car and camper. We finally made it to the town of Tok, where we got more gas ($4.06 per gallon) and went to an RV/car wash.

    We took what is called the Tok Cutoff, which will take us to Valdez tomorrow. We plan a few nights there before we get to Anchorage on the 20th. We stopped tonight at Grizzly Lake RV and cabins. It's a family run place on a small lake. There are plenty of mosquitos, but great views. We are within view of the Wrangell St Elias National Park, largest in the US.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Moose at our campground last night
    Mt Wrangell with no clouds. 16,000 feetVisitors center at National ParkToday's selfie with mountains behindA sandwich lunch by the side of a riverOur campsite view in ValdezOld Valdez townsiteDown At the dockThe Fat Mermaid at our restaurant.

    Valdez, AK

    Jun 17–19, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    It was a full day! Last night we sat by the lake and saw a moose swimming, a couple of muskrat, and lots of ducks. We also saw a lot of mosquitos! This morning, there were 2 swans on the lake as well as loons and other ducks.

    We left the campground at about 7:30 on our way to Valdez. It was 190 miles, but we stopped for several hours at the Wrangell St. Elias National Park Visitor's Center. It's an amazing National Park with high mountains, lots of glaciers, huge expanses of back country. Only 2 dirt roads go into the park. We didn't take either, but we enjoyed the visitors center.

    The trip into Valdez had so much amazing scenery that we hardly knew where to look! Waterfalls, mountains, rivers, etc. were at every turn! Valdez is a deepwater harbor and cruise ships, and the Alasa ferry system comes here. It is also the end point of the Alaska Pipeline and has an interesting history. We are going to the museum tomorrow and I'll write about that afterward.

    It took a while to find a campsite. We visited 2 military supported sites, and they were really embarrassing! We finally settled on a KOA, although it was more expensive. We have showers, power, laundry, etc, and the sites are pretty quiet.

    We walked down around the harbor. Some fishing charters were just coming in. No cruise ship today so it was less busy.

    We had supper at the "Fat Mermaid" and both had Alaskan fish. It was not Gortons! It's very tasty and fresh!

    Tomorrow, laundry, th museum, and then to the harbor to look for seals and otters. I heard some boat captains talking today about whales, too.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Shirt in the restaurant about the Exon Valdez oil spill
    Hot pastrami sandwhichFerry terminalView from the harbor where cruise ships dockCruise ship mooringsInteresting art near the cruise ship dockWaterfall near the Salmon hatchery

    Valdez, Day 2

    June 18, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    We got up and washed our clothes this morning. Then we attended to a few housekeeping details such as a trip to the post office to mail postcards and a stop at Safeway for ice, a cheaper bundle of firewood, coffee filters, etc.

    We went to the Valdez Museum and learned more about the area. Originally, it was a jumping off point for 4,000 gold miners and prospectors in 1898. It was a deep water port, so ships could bring people and supplies. This port does not freeze over in the winter. The miners had to bring a year's worth of food with them. They first climbed the Valdez Glacier and it took 7 days to transport their supplies over the Glacier using individual sleds. With some teamwork the job was easier, but not by much. Also several were lost to avalanche, scurvy (lack of Vit C), cold injuries, etc. The gold was played out in a couple of years, but there were also copper mines such as the one near McCarthy about 100 Miles north.

    There was a terrible earthquake here in 1964, and 23 people lost their lives when the dock collapsed while a ship was unloading. Many were children as the ships cook often threw apples to children when docked, so children were playing on the dock. The town was moved 3 years later by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The nearby native village lost 32 of its 68 people to a tsunami caused by the earthquake.

    Finally, in 1980, a cruise ship caught fire. Passengers had to abandon ship and were rescued by the Coast Guard and brought to Valdez on an oil tanker, which increased the city population by 10%.

    Oil spill did not reach Valdez, but media were set up here. (Exon Valdez spill in 1989.)

    We ate lunch downtown at the dock again, but today split a hot pastrami sandwich about midafternoon.

    Late this afternoon, we went out on the road that led to the pipeline terminus and looked for sea life. We spotted 3 sea otters, many ducks, and at least one bald eagle. Also, there are a lot of gulls near the salmon hatchery.

    Tomorrow, we'll head north again towards Anchorage. I reserved a campsite about halfway. It's chilly and was overcast most of today.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Yay! Phil fixed it!
    Bossy is thrilled to have lights again although it is daylight most of the time here!Stunning waterfall!Keystone Canyon stop.Unfinished rail tunnel.Snow is still deep above Valdez.Glacier view.Mountain shot of the rig.More stunning sceneryGas is high here.Tonight's campsiteBossy and Ducky are glad we brought strong bug repellent

    Tolsana Wilderness Campground

    June 19, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Mosquitos are at max strength today. They drove Phil and I out of Valdez this morning. We were trying to enjoy our coffee and NPR radio news and finally couldn't take the bugs anymore. We were on the road at 8 am. Another breathtaking drive north through Keystone Canyon. Apparently, there was to be a trainline to the big mine at Kennicott years ago. A squabble ensued among the 9 rail companies. A shootout ended the whole debate with one killed and 2 injured, and the rail line went to Cordova instead of Valdez. Stunning mountains views, a glacier or two, and lakes.

    KOA was nice. It was very expensive at $63 per night, but it did have everything really. Tonight, we are campground for $27 per night. Water, showers, flush toilets. We opted not to get electricity as our batteries are charged up. We 'll be in Anchorage tomorrow at an expensive RV place with all that as well.

    Speaking of electricity, my hero, Phil, fixed my electrical connector, so we have lights inside the camper and can charge our phones inside. It is a good development!

    We arrived early at our campsite and have spent our time treating our clothes with permethrin for mosquitos. It is a spray that you apply and then allow the clothes to dry. It lasts about 6 washes. It kills mosquitos on contact. Hope it works as they are quite active here.

    Phil's also getting his Tenkara fly rod out to fish in this small stream we are camped next to.

    We'll have our steaks for supper and try to go to the commissisary at Joint Base Richardson in Anchorage to resupply in the next 2 days.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Lupine, a live this flower.
    I love fireweed!A large beaver dam.Beautiful bird.A view of our closest vault toilets.

    What a view.

    June 20, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    What a view! Seemingly endless forests and abundant wildlife. Just when you think you have seen the most stunning view, you go around the curve and see a new stupendous view.

    This evening I was sitting in my lawn chair with a view of 2 vault toilets (outhouse). I moved our chairs.

    Seriously, we have seen some beautiful things. Mountains, tiaga, boreal forests, moose, bears, deer, many types of birds, and the list goes on.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Today's selfie above Majestic Valley
    Matansuka GlacierMore viewsAnt even more views!Wild roses and a type of nightshade flowerThe Alaska Cultural CenterTotem poleLupines growing at the cultural center.Smoking salmon today at the cultural centerOur tiny camper in a sea of big campers!

    Anchorage Day 1

    June 20, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Well, the mosquitos drove us out of the wilderness (literally) at 7:30 without coffee and only a poptart to eat on the road. Phil was bit on the face and head several times returning from his shower, and even though I had on a thick hoodie, I got bit on the face, too, while trying to hook up the camper! We are told they will mostly be gone by July 4, so we will look forward to that!

    Another pretty drive through an area called the "Majestic Valley." We stopped to see Matsanuka Glacier but also had views of others along the way. Half the trip was wide road surfaces with passing lanes, and half was narrow, twisting, curving, hanging on to the side of a mountain cliff. There was also road construction to wait through.

    When we got near Anchorage, the shock of actual traffic was striking. We've been traveling 3 weeks now on mostly deserted roadways. Very few big rig trucks, although we have ben passed by a few gigantic camper rigs. Mostly, we toodle along at a top speed of 50 or 55 tops. Suddenly, the city life was around us again. We are in a 225 slot RV park in Anchorage where it feels safe enough to leave the camper when we fly to Katmai National Park in 2 days. We are across from Costco and near the Joint Army/Air Force base.

    After getting our site, we had lunch and made a trip to the base to the Commissisary for some groceries and price comparisons. Commissisaries everywhere carry the same stuff and brands, but this one is very large and has lots more of the same stuff. We also went into the PX, and it was also very large and carried a lot more of the same stuff you see in every PX. A bonus is that this facility has a Popeye's Chicken and a Starbucks, which we both love, so I am sure we'll go back someday soon!

    Finally, today, we went to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. We watched native dancing and listened to songs and drumming. We looked around at each of the traditional native homes of the six different Alaska peoples. Some beautiful craft work was also on display. Tomorrow, we will go to the Alaska Museum downtown to learn more.

    I crafted some little curtains using hand towels and some curtain clips for the camper since the days are so long here. Dawn was at 3:30 am. today. Tomorrow is the longest day of the year.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Flowers and rhubarb at our campground
    My makeshift curtains.Flowers downtownHumpy's Ale HouseAnchorage MuseumPublic Lands exhibits in the old Federal BuildingMore flowersEven more flowers1The Ulu Factory

    Anchorage Day 2

    June 21, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    We got up and were untroubled by mosquitos today. Hallelujah! After lingering over our coffee and talking to a camping neighbor, we went and got haircuts. Great Clips is our salon of choice. Normally, they have our "profile" saved in the system, so any location knows how to cut our hair. Apparently, the Alaska franchises don't communicate with the lower 48, but our hairstyles are not complicated.

    We drove downtown, parked, and walked to "Humpy's Ale House" for lunch. Humpies are one type of salmon here. I think they are the pink salmon. Phil had fish and chips, and I had the "health nut," which was salmon, salad, and some rice.

    We visited the Anchorage Museum, which was really good, but a little more than we could do today. After seeing half of it, we walked to the Public Lands Exhibition, which represents all the National Parks and Public Lands in this state. Great exhibit, which is free. We are visiting several national parks on this trip, so it was really worth it.

    We visited the Ulu Factory, which makes ulu knives that are used by native people to cut up meats and other foods. We bought some coasters that match the decor in the Gainesville house where we will be living soon.

    The King Salmon are starting to run here, so we walked out over Ship Creek bridge, but didn't see any from where we were. Several people were fishing, though. Phil will fish for Sockeye Salmon in another week or so.

    Everywhere there are beautiful flowers that my Mom saw when they were here years ago so I took lots of photos for her.

    We'll do a load of laundry and eat here at the camper tonight. We fly to King Salmon, AK, tomorrow afternoon. Sunday, we take a water taxi to Brooks Falls to see the brown bears eating salmon in the waterfall.

    Don't know if we will have service, but I will post when I can!    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Phil at the furthest north Denny's in the world.
    King Salmon airport terminal/arrivals/departuresSockeye Cabin #11, our home for 2 nightsCool fish decoration in the Sockeye SaloonLunch/supper: we split a BLT and each got a green salad.

    King Salmon, AK, on Bristol Bay

    Jun 22–24, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    We got up and went around the corner to Denny's for a big breakfast since we knew we would not settle into our cabin at the Antler Inn until at least mid-afternoon.

    After packing up and locking up the camper, I notified our neighbor in the camper van next door that we'd be gone a couple of days. I just wanted someone to know. There is security at the RV park, and we have a hitch lock, but it's good to have another witness next door if needed.

    We parked in long-term parking at the Anchorage Airport. It is a busy place serving 49 different airlines!

    I was surprised as our flight to King Salmon was completely full! We had first class seats as they were only about $20 more than coach class when I booked last winter. The flight went south over the Kenai peninsula and then across Cook Inlet, over the Alutian Mountain range and Lliamna Lake, and into King Salmon, which is on the Bristol Bay. We are in the Sockeye Cabins, which are owned by Antler Inn. Very nice room with a small table and chairs, coffee, microwave, fridge with a freezer, and TV with cable. It is spacious with a nice bathroom.

    The King Salmon airport is basically one big room where everyone boards and deplaned, and so there are very few seats and a lot of people standing waiting either for baggage or to get on the plane. You MUST check in 2 hours early, and they won't accept check bags after 60 minutes before the flight. Parking outside is a dusty area with a variety of pickups, vans, etc, waiting to carry passengers. I saw at least 8 different outfitters picking up people to go to fish camps. There was also a wedding party. Lots of people arriving to work fishing boats or work at the canneries.

    Phil and I had a late lunch early supper at the Sockeye Saloon, which is one of 2 options for eating here. We met a couple of fishermen. One who fishes crab (think the TV show Deadliest Catch) and Salmon on the sea. The other was retired from crab fishing. They seemed genuinely interested in our reason for being there and told us it could be a little early for bears, but that we were sure to see some.

    We also went to the King Salmon grocery store/ fishing tackle/liquor store where we got a bargain on 2 yogurts that were expired, so half off. Normally, they are $3.30 each. Gas was $6.99 per gallon.

    We catch our shuttle to the water taxi tomorrow at 6:30 on the front steps of the Sockeye Saloon. I think we'll need our mosquito coats and maybe rain jackets. I have packed bug spray and sunscreen as well. We'll catch the water taxi back tomorrow at 2 pm. Hope to have bear pictures for tomorrow.    Read more

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