Alaska trip 2024

czerwca - sierpnia 2024
Starting out for Alaska with the teardrop camper June 1, 2024. Will drive there and back Czytaj więcej

Lista krajów

  • Włochy
  • Kanada
  • Stany Zjednoczone
Kategorie
Camper, Kemping, Rodzina, Natura, Dzika przyroda
  • 40,7kprzebyte mile
Środki transportu
  • Lot-kilometry
  • Pieszy-kilometry
  • Wędrówka pieszo-kilometry
  • Rower-kilometry
  • Motocykl-kilometry
  • Tuk Tuk-kilometry
  • Samochód-kilometry
  • Pociąg-kilometry
  • Autokar-kilometry
  • Samochód kempingowy-kilometry
  • Karawana-kilometry
  • Samochód terenowy-kilometry
  • Pływanie-kilometry
  • Wiosłowanie/Rzucanie-kilometry
  • Motorówka-kilometry
  • Żeglowanie-kilometry
  • Łódź mieszkalna-kilometry
  • Prom-kilometry
  • Statek wycieczkowy-kilometry
  • Koń-kilometry
  • Narciarstwo-kilometry
  • Autostopem-kilometry
  • Cable car-kilometry
  • Śmigłowiec-kilometry
  • Boso-kilometry
  • 84ślady stóp
  • 92dni
  • 641zdjęcia
  • 366lubi
  • Congdon Creek return

    17–18 lip 2024, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    It was a great find at Deadman Lake. We'll try to stay again if we are back. We stopped in the Tetlin Wildlife Preserve Visitor's Center, and they gave us info on how to volunteer. They even showed us the volunteer campsite next door.

    The border crossing was uneventful. We paid $8 per gallon for gas in Beaver Creek and bumped our way along for another 100 miles over terrible roads to Destruction Bay. They were working on the highway, but only enough to cover us in that gray sludge. At first, it was raining and washed the mud away, but the closer we got to the campsite, the sunnier it got. Imagine us wishing for a gullywasher!

    About a mile from the campground, we saw a black bear on the side of the road. It is a good reminder to keep our site clean and free of trash or food left out.

    Tomorrow, we will head for Nordic Eclipse Hot Springs and campground outside of Whitehorse for 2 nights. Hope to find rain or a car wash in between!
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  • Nordic Eclipse Hot Springs and Campgroun

    18–20 lip 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    We got up late as we switched time zones entering Yukon Territory, so it was 8:30 when it seemed like 7:30! After a breakfast of coffee, poptarts, and yogurt, we set out toward our new destination, which has both a campground and hot springs spa.

    We stopped on Haines Junction looking for a car wash, but it has turned into a laundromat without a car wash. It was a beautiful sunny day, but our car and camper were still dirty. When you wish for rain, you get sun seemed to be the secret!

    We arrived at about 1:30 and had some sandwiches. Then we went to the Yukon Wildlife Park, which is just a few miles away. We walked the 5 km loop and saw many Yukon animals in a parklike environment. We also saw a fox that came right up to us before slipping through the fence. They chase the many groundsquirrels and are not part of the park.

    Phil has gone off now in search of a shower. They have only one here, so I am getting things ready for supper. We're having a stir-fry of leftovers with rice and quinoa.

    Tomorrow, we'll hit the hot springs and maybe take a quick trip to town (Whitehorse) for groceries and to see a museum.
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  • Nordic Eclipse Campground day 2

    19 lipca 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    We awake later than planned but had already decided to go into Whitehorse for a hearty breakfast. After brushing our teeth at the campground facility, set out.

    "Turn right?" Phil asks. "No left." I reply, and soon we are traveling along. We see a mule deer and then a moose, and after 15 minutes, I realize we are now 30 minutes from our chosen destinations instead of 15! We turn around and finally reach Ricky's, where we both inhaled 2 giant cups of coffee and large breakfast combos.

    We went to the "Canadian Superstore" next door for groceries and then found a car wash for the pickup. We'll bring the camper there tomorrow on the way through town.

    We paid a visit to the Whitehorse Berringia Museum and learned about the area in previous ice ages. Did you know the Yukon River used to travel south, but due to glaciers now traveling northwest?

    After fueling up at $7.56 Canadian, we made time to call my stepdad. It is Mike's birthday, and it sounds like he celebrated with BBQ from my sister-in-law who brought in lunch. While I am at it, Happy Birthday also to Katherine Z. who has a birthday on Monday. Congrats also to Dan Woodford for a promotion!

    After our visit to town, Phil and I visited the Hot Springs resort. It was nice. We got a discount, but it was still a little pricey. There were 8 scenic pools of different temperatures, two temperatures of saunas and two steam rooms--one eucalyptu, and one no scent. It was quiet and nice, although I waited for Phil 20 minutes in the locker area before I realized he had gone ahead and was enjoying the hot springs without me!

    Tonight, we had another night of cheese and crackers as we were both full from breakfast and a little lazy after the hot springs. Tomorrow, we will wash the camper in Whitehorse and then head for Skagway for two nights. We cross 3 time zones going to Skagway, so we may be really mixed up by then!
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  • Skagway

    20–22 lip 2024, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    We woke up late again. We had poptarts, bananas, and yogurt for breakfast and then prepared to head out. We left two of the three books we'd finished at the campground office lobby for others.

    In Whitehorse, we went to the car/camper wash and came out with a clean camper. It was a beautiful drive to Skagway. We drove through a mountain area and were above the treeline for a while. Then, the plunge down from the White Pass ended at US Customs. We were pulled over and inspected, and the agent dumped my dozen eggs. They were not in the original carton but in a plastic carrier, so I think it was a bird flu precaution.

    We are in the Garden City RV Park. We have electricity, and there are showers and a pretty nice laundromat on site. We set up camp and walked into the old part of town about 7 blocks away. Many places are run by the Narional Park service.

    In 1896, gold was discovered in the Klondike region of the Yukon. In 1898, a ship docked in the US carrying a large quantity of gold, and after this news, the crowd went wild. Over 100, 000 gold seekers called stampeders arrived here and hiked with a year's worth of supplies over the Chilcoot or the White Trail. Only 30, 000 ever arrived, and they came over several different routes. By the time they arrived, all the claims had been taken, and they had nothing to show for their efforts. Eventually a train was built over the White Pass so the Chilcoot became obsolete.

    We watched a movie and walked through town. We stopped at a local pizza place for supper. Tomorrow, we'll do a load of laundry and go see the "dance hall" show in the morning. Tomorrow after lunch, we'll drive out to the beginning of the Chilcoot trail.
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  • Skagway day 2

    21 lipca 2024, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    We woke up early and walked to breakfast. We have no picnic table or fire ring here, and while we can make coffee without either, if we are in town or it's raining, we tend to eat breakfast out. Today, we selected a Cajun Breakfast place, and the food was home cooked by Mom.

    We walked back to the campground afterward and then drove out to the former boom town of Dyea nearby. Dyea was a boomtown on the Klondike trail for about a year. In that time, they built a 2 mile dock to get men and goods into town on the shallow port. The Chilcoot trail was an old trail used by the Tniglit Indians for trading, but overnight, it became a route to the Klondike. It is 33 miles long. Normally, you can hike it and camp along the way in summer, but it is being worked on, so you can only hike 4 miles of it this year , nd no camping is allowed.

    After Dyea, we came back and washed a couple of loads of laundry. We had some leftover pizza for lunch and then went to the Days of '98 Show with dancing and singing saloon girls, a piano player, and the local villan, Soapy Smith. It was based on a true story about Skagway. It was funny as they involved the audience a lot, but it came to a serious ending.

    After the show , we walked around some more. Skagway is known for beautiful flowers and gardens. We ate an early supper at Olivia's, which is a B&B with a restaurant serving local foods. Our salad was from their garden, which we could walk through outside. Phil had Baked Alaska for the first time, too.

    Now it is sprinking, so we are sitting in the camper reading. If it isn't raining tomorrow, we may take time to wash our bedding (sleeping bags) since the laundry here has big machines at a reasonable price.
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  • Teslin again

    22 lipca 2024, Kanada ⋅ 🌩️ 72 °F

    We were in Teslin last on June 14 on our way north. It's hard to believe that was 5 weeks ago.

    Our departure from Skagway was delayed as I washed our bedding in the reasonably priced laundromat. It was $2.50 per wash and $1.25 for a dry in the extra large tumble dryers. We've paid as much as twice that to wash a load 4 times that for dryers.

    The drive was pleasant, and we stopped for a picnic lunch at a rest area. When we arrived, we fueled up and selected our site. It seemed familiar because for the first time this trip it really was!

    After setting up, we visited the local grocery store. Sadly, there continue to be grocery supply issues, especially for these small First Nation's communities. (Teslin is the largest First Nation's community in Yukon.) There was no yogurt and only limited fruits and veggies. We bought 4 bananas and a tray of butter tarts (kind of like little 2-bite pecan pies without pecans).

    Back at camp, we spoke with a couple returning from family "fish camp." They live in Whitehorse. Fish camp is a tradition especially among native families in this part of Canada and also in parts of Alaska where there are salmon runs. The wife's family had a fish camp near the community of Telegraph. She said they stayed for 5 net pulls, and her 7 year old daughter stayed with grandparents for another week. You put the net in the deep water and then check it after a certain number of hours. In the first net pull, there were 70 salmon! The family group cleans all the fish. Some is smoked, and some is frozen. Later, the family will bring salmon up to Whitehorse for this couple. The couple were admiring our little camper, and they had their youngest daughter with them who was perhaps 3 years old.

    As we went our separate ways, the child asked me, "Can I have one of your snacks?" I offered her a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, and she said, "Can I have a banana instead?" Such a wise child. I am sure as a kid, the Doritos would have been my choice! She happily went off with a banana.

    No firepits here, so I fixed a brocoli salad (from a kit) and a kind of tuna helper with a bag of cheesy Knorr noodles, a can of tuna and a box of shelf stable milk. We must have been hungry as there were no leftovers!

    Tomorrow we are headed for Watson Lake. It is supposed to be raining, but I will try to take more photos.
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  • Toad River

    23 lipca 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    Words for today. Rain and Smoke. It started raining hard overnight and never really quit. We ate breakfast in Teslin at the diner due to the rain.

    As we headed out, it got smokier and smokier and rainier and rainier! Soon, we were questioning following the Alaska Highway Route, and we were considering retracing our steps on the Cassiar Highway. We gambled and drove into Watson Lake on the Alaska Highway for gas and stopped for lunch. I called a couple of Inns and Lodges as camping wasn't looking like much fun tonight. All were full, so we took our chances on maybe the rain stopping at least. NOPE! Campgrounds were full too on this stretch...

    Anyway, we saw some wood bison (a rare kind of Buffalo) and a black bear. I am sure the views were stunning, but we couldn't see anything... there was supposedly a beautiful valley, river, lake, etc. We saw nothing...

    Finally, after 366 miles, we happened upon Toad River Lodge and RV Park. What a gem! We got a room with a full kitchen and a gas BBQ grill! It's in a pretty location, and it is quiet, and guess what?! No smoke, and it quit raining! (At least for now...)

    Tomorrow, we'll check out Fort Nelson, which is only about 2 hours' drive. Tonight, we had grilled pork chops and cooked apples. We will need to stop at the store for more groceries tomorrow.
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  • Toad River Part 2

    24 lipca 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    We slept in a little and had a leisurely breakfast of yogurt, butter tarts, bananas, and coffee. It was raining as we carried everything out to the camper and pickup.

    We headed down the road about 10:20, and we were planning our day in Ft Nelson. After about 15 miles, we came to the crest of a hill, and Phil had to brake hard to keep from crashing into the rear of another camper.

    Up the road about 4 cars was a small temporary sign that said "Construction." We waited. And waited. And waited. A few trucks with rock went by and after talking to a family from Minnesota that was walking up the side of the road toward the "construction" concluded that the rain either triggered an avalanche of some kind or caused a washout.

    We waited some more. A few more rock trucks went by. After about 2 hours, the family from Minnesota came back and said it would be at least tomorrow morning before the road reopened. We executed a turn around and came back to the Toad River Lodge, and requested a campsite. (It is cold at 56F, but currently not raining.) Our campsite faces a small quiet lake.

    We did see a bear while waiting in line. We also saw a woman throw out some sandwiches by the side of the road, so maybe the bear will have a treat? Please don't do this or feed wildlife if you are traveling! Feeding wildlife can result in a reduced fear of humans, and eventually, they have to be destroyed for raiding campsites.

    Our campsite today is next to a couple from Joplin, MO. No smoke and no more rain yet.

    We ate lunch in the Lodge and will spend the afternoon reading. There is a burn ban in effect, so I'll fix something on the campstove tonight.
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  • Float Plane At Tood River RV Park

    24 lipca 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Watched a float plane land on the lake by our campsite. One person got off and stuff was unloaded in small bags. Then the plane taxied and took off. First time I have ever seen that.

  • Somewhere past Ft. Nelson

    25 lipca 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    We are eating lunch at Ft Nelson and will get groceries before heading to a campground somewhere about 100 miles further.

    It was a cold, but nice day yesterday. We ate lunch at the lodge. We had chili frito pie for supper since it was cool out. A float plane landed on the lake. Phil took a nap... I read a book.

    We had some limited wifi, but no phone service. It didn't rain. Overall, it was a day off.

    Today, we showered and set off after coffee and poptarts. We split a banana. At the first road block, you could see how the road had been completely destroyed and washed away, and they were building a new lane. It was single lane alternate traffic. Later up at the top of a mountain pass, the road was blocked by the avalanche of rock, and a payloader was clearing it as traffic alternated directions.

    So far today, we've seen a wood bison lone bull, a herd of elk, and a caribou. We also passed by the fire area that closed the road for a couple of weeks in May and caused an evacuation of the town.

    We are eating at a Boston Pizza, which seems to be a Canadian sports bar chain. We've seen them in lots of towns. I think we will be using the gas grill or campstove tonight due to a burn ban.
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