Alaska – We Made It!

(2018 Alaska Ep 26)

At 11:30 am on Friday, June 22, we crossed into Alaska from Canada. WE MADE IT!!

Our journey has taken us 9391 miles and 69 days thus far.

Many thanks for your prayers and good wishes as we endured camper slide problems early on, and a medicine cabinet that fell off the bathroom wall a couple days ago. More on this and several Alaska Highway updates in a couple days.

For now, we are exiting the Alaska Highway in Tok (RabbiTRAILS Alaska Map pt. #35) and are headed to Valdez for a week (map pt. #37). Then we will move on to Anchorage (map pt. #38) for July 4.

Alaska Highway – Liard Day Trip

(2018 Alaska Ep 25)

From Muncho Lake (RabbiTRAILS Alaska Map, pt #31) we made a day trip to Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park.

The 10-minute walk from the parking lot took us past a shallow swamp area. Fortunately the mosquitoes weren’t interested in us and there were no bears or moose in the area.

The spring flows into two natural rock-lined pools.

After changing into swimsuits, we eased into the lower pool and learned the water cools as it flows downstream. The right soaking temperature could be found by moving upstream (warmer) or downstream (cooler).

We found the warm waters to be very relaxing, much like the builders of the Alaska Highway in 1942!

Critter Count (Liard Hot Springs Day Trip)

stone sheep – 11 (several groups)

Alaska Highway – Segment 2

(2018 Alaska Ep 24)

On June 15 we continued northwest on the Alaska Highway. Our destination was Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park, a must see and do for anyone driving the Alaska Highway.

We crossed valleys framed by majestic snow-covered mountains and skirted lakes that were an amazing shade of blue. These satisfied our beautiful-view expectations of the Alaska Highway!

The Milepost (a mile-by-mile guide to the Alaska and other area highways) suggested a stop at Tetsa River RV Park to sample their world famous cinnamon buns. The small campground store was busy as travelers bought buns and coffee. We ate ours outside as the owners’ dog eyed us wishfully. Sorry, boy, not this time…

We decided to stop early at a campground on the shore of Muncho Lake (RabbiTRAILS Alaska Map, pt #31), and to make a day trip the following day to the hot springs. We got one of three remaining sites in the campground and were glad we decided to stop when we learned the Liard Hot Springs Campground was already full.

Critter Count Day 2 (Fort Nelson to Muncho Lake)

black bear – 5
deer – 2
stone sheep – 5

We declared the bears to be the day’s victor – each bear was seen at a different time. The stone sheep were all in one group.

Alaska Highway – Segment 1

(2018 Alaska Ep 23)

We are on the final leg of our journey to Alaska – it has taken us nine weeks and close to 8000 miles!

Anyone making the drive from points south or east to Alaska will likely drive some or all of the Alaska (Alcan) Highway. From Dawson Creek, British Columbia it extends nearly 1500 miles to Fairbanks, Alaska. The Alaska Highway is renowned as one of the most scenic drives in the world, and although we are not even halfway finished with the drive, it certainly rates up there with the Blue Ridge Parkway in the eastern US.

Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and the capture of several Aleutian Islands in early 1942, the highway was deemed a military necessity as a supply road to defend North America against the Japanese. The construction of the highway began officially on March 8, 1942 and it was completed eight months later on October 25, 1942. It’s been said the engineering accomplishment building the highway is second to that of building the Panama Canal!

Today’s highway bears little resemblance to the original, with the exception of the incredible scenery. It is a scenic route that is completely paved and open year round.

We began on June 14 from Dawson Creek (RabbiTRAILS Alaska Map, pt #29). The first day took us 285 miles north though gentle mountains and valleys to Fort Nelson (map pt #30). To the west we caught view of majestic mountain ranges that we would soon pass through.

Critter Count Day 1 (Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson)

We’re keeping tabs on the animals we see during our drive. The first day started slowly:

white tailed deer – 2

Welcome to Canada!

(2018 Alaska Ep 22)

On June 6, after nearly 7000 miles and more than seven weeks, we crossed into Canada near Sweetgrass Montana.

We were a little stressed – we had to have passports, auto and camper registration papers, and proof of insurance. We needed details about prescription medications. We had to ensure we didn’t have any food items that weren’t allowed. And we needed proof that our bear spray was for bears only, not people! Still we wondered if there was something we forgot or if we would have to endure an extensive search of our truck and camper.

We weren’t alone in our concerns about the border. There are numerous YouTube videos with border crossing horror stories.

We reached the Canadian Customs checkpoint and gave the agent our paperwork. He asked us a few questions and we were on our way in just over five minutes. We were wonderfully relieved!

After our first night in Taber, Alberta (RabbiTRAILS Alaska Map, pt #25), we continued to Drumheller (map pt #26), a small town well known for several significant dinosaur discoveries. At the Royal Tyrell Museum you can walk through exhibits of the various eras of the dinosaurs and other prehistoric life. There are lots and lots of full-sized dinosaur fossils to gawk at.

And to think it all happened in six days!

Later we witnessed the world’s largest dinosaur in the center of town – an 86-foot T-rex. We even saw him breathe a little smoke – this was a sight to behold!

Thinking back to the first few days of our trip, we wondered how Superman would fare with an 86-foot tall T-rex. Apparently others have wondered about this as well as chronicled in Action Comics!

We camped at Pope Lease Pines, about 10 miles outside Drumheller, surrounded by gently rolling wheat fields that extended as far as the eye could see. The campground was in the midst of tall trees that provided protection from the wind. We enjoyed the evening breezes and sounds of the prairie.

Next to the entry road was a Sawyer-Massey Peerless Separator, Model 1315 thresher. This was used in the early 1900s to harvest wheat. It must have taken weeks and weeks to harvest the wheat. How things have changed!

On to the Alcan and Alaska

This morning (June 12), we headed northwest to Alaska after several days in Edmonton (map pt #27).

We expect to reach Mile 0 of the Alaska-Canada (Alcan) Highway tomorrow (map pt #29) and take up to two weeks to cross back into the US near Tok, Alaska. This will be the most remote part of our trip and we will do our best to provide blog updates every few days!

Great Falls: If Only Lewis and Clark Had Known…

(2018 Alaska Ep 21)

We left Cody on Monday, June 4, headed for Great Falls, Montana (RabbiTRAILS Alaska Map, pt #24).

On the way we had an interesting experience near Billings. Our GPS routed us to the middle of nowhere (actually to the very small town of Molt, Montana). We reached a point where our only choice was one of several dirt roads.

We decided to backtrack, and after 30 minutes, we were on the correct road to Great Falls! This was a lesson to be careful what you put your faith in and to double check routing with a map!

During our stay in Great Falls, we learned the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the area in 1804. As they travelled upriver, they were expecting a single set of falls on the Missouri River. There were actually five!

The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center located on the bluffs above the river gives an excellent chronology of the expedition.

Adjacent to the center is a great bike trail along the Missouri River. We biked part of the trail to see views of three of the waterfalls encountered by Lewis and Clark, and the dams that have been built to control the river.

Giant Springs State Park is also on that trail. More than 150 million gallons of water flows from the springs into the Missouri River each day. Lewis and Clark even noted the springs during their expedition.

The springs reminded us of some of the first magnitude springs in Florida. At 54 degrees year-round, the Giant Springs would be a bit cold for Florida manatees however!

After two nights in Great Falls we continued north and became international travelers when we crossed the border into Canada!

Yellowstone NP: Final Blog

(2018 Alaska Ep 20)

By all accounts, Yellowstone is a great place to spend a day, a week or even longer. It is unequaled in its scenery, thermal features, animals and much more.

We’ve compiled a list of our faves and not-so-faves. The not-so-faves are not complaints, but reminders that Yellowstone is wild and remote and lacks some of the comforts of home. These require some forethought and planning when visiting.

Faves

(Pat) Wildlife
(Ed) Great campgrounds (and hotels) throughout the park that allow visitors to be closer to the other faves.
(Pat) Solitude – gives an undistracted chance to recognize and enjoy God’s amazing creation.
(Ed) Snow-covered mountains and beautiful views throughout the park.
(Pat) Hiking and biking trails that give an opportunity to exercise and to see things not seen from the main areas of the park.
(Ed) The foresight of leaders 240+ years ago to create the park, and the National Park Service who maintain and manage the park and many others like it.
(Pat) Geysers and other thermal features found only in a few places in the world.
(Ed) Roads and facilities – in good shape overall considering the harshness of winter and heavy use by visitors.

Not-So-Faves

(Pat) Crowds and traffic – we were in Yellowstone during Memorial Day weekend. The park is busy through early September.
(Ed) Weather – some facilities and parts of the park are closed/inaccessible until mid-June. In addition, weather can quickly change, from sunny and cool to rainy/snowy and bitter cold.
(Pat) Prices – gas, groceries, dining, souvenirs and camping fees are all much higher.
(Ed) Drivers and pedestrians – you have to be continually watchful for drivers/persons excited to see wildlife who forget/ignore rules of the road and overall safety.
(Ed) Connectivity – only a few areas have cell phone service. Service is limited to voice calls only, data/Internet access is very slow or nonexistent (at least for Verizon).

The faves FAR OUTWEIGH the not-so-faves. We look forward to visiting Yellowstone again one day.

Perhaps the sign when leaving Roosevelt Lodge says it best…

Yellowstone NP: Heels and Wheels

(2018 Alaska Ep 19)

Heels

There are great day hikes throughout Yellowstone. We enjoyed a couple.

After a visit to Lamar Valley in the northeast corner of Yellowstone where we saw lots of buffalo and a group of big horn sheep, we decided on the Lost Lake Hike.

From Roosevelt Lodge, we followed a series of switchbacks as the trail climbed more than 400 feet to the top of a mountain. A short ways further we found Lost Lake, a quiet lake in the cradle of several surrounding mountains.

The trail continued along a creek to the parking lot for a petrified tree. This was a bonus as we didn’t associate petrified trees with Yellowstone.

From there, a very steep 300-foot climb led to a mountaintop meadow. The view of the distant mountains was spectacular.

Hikes don’t always yield the expected.

We hiked the Elephant Back trail later in the week for a grand view of Yellowstone Lake and the distant mountains.

The trail was muddy and as we neared the top, we discovered it was covered with deep snow! We were unable to continue. When it started to rain, we put on ponchos and trudged back to the parking lot, muddy, cold and tired.

We caught a glimpse of the lake and mountains part way up the trail. A more interesting find was a small pine tree growing on the top of a rock. This reminded us of the perseverance and faith needed when facing day hikes in the rain, long trips to Alaska and the challenges of life. Praise God for His presence and steadfastness in every situation!

Wheels

We learned about and rode several bike trails added to Yellowstone in recent years.

Our first ride took us 2.5 miles to Lone Star Geyser.

A few short sections of the trail were still covered with snow and we had to walk our bikes through them.

We parked our bikes when we arrived at the geyser and to our delight, Lone Star geyser began to erupt!

A couple days later we rode four miles down another road to the backside of one of the largest and most beautiful thermal springs in Yellowstone, Grand Prismatic Spring. We parked our bikes and followed a short trail to an overlook with a phenomenal view of the spring.

On the way back, we rode close enough to a group of buffalo to hear them grunting and snorting! Fortunately we passed by safely.

Yellowstone NP: Animals, Oh My!

(2018 Alaska Ep 18)

Yellowstone never disappoints with an amazing diversity of wildlife. And the reaction of visitors to the wildlife is sometimes more interesting than the wildlife itself.

More than our previous visits to Yellowstone, buffalo could be seen throughout the park – singles on hillsides, groups of a few walking down the road, larger groups grazing in the meadows and so on. In fact, unless there was a danger to traffic or walkers/hikers, it seemed the reaction of most persons to the buffalo was pretty much ho-hum.

The buffalo were everywhere, or at least the telltale signs of buffalo were everywhere. One buffalo below seems to be viewing a hot spring near Mud Volcano (below). When we were camping at Madison, a fellow camper stopped by to remark the biggest buffalo he had seen spent the day in our campsite. Wish I had a picture of that to share.

We didn’t see moose or wolves during our visit, but we did see a coyote and several big horn sheep.

What created the most excitement were bears.

Anytime cars were stopped in the middle of the road, people were crossing with cameras and binoculars with no heed to oncoming traffic and waving at their family members to do the same, a bear had been sighted.

Fortunately, both bears we saw were a long distance away and no danger to anyone. We only had to worry about the crazy drivers…

Yellowstone NP: Thermal Features

(2018 Alaska Ep 17)

People come to Yellowstone to view fascinating geothermal features. Although these features are located throughout the park, many of the features are located close together in areas called basins – these are the areas most park visitors frequent.

There are various types of thermal features – fumaroles (steam vents), geysers, hot springs, mudpots and travertine terraces (the link above has details about each).

What would a visit to Yellowstone be without seeing Old Faithful! Contrary to what you might think, Old Faithful doesn’t erupt hourly – it is more like every 90 minutes.

The rangers have gotten pretty good at predicting the time of the next eruption. Although we missed one eruption when it occurred 10 minutes early, we enjoyed an eruption later in the day that occurred exactly when predicted!

What this photo doesn’t show is the wide boardwalk along one side of Old Faithful that includes benches and standing areas for hundreds of people. Behind that is Old Faithful Lodge, stores, restaurants, a gas station, huge parking areas and more. Everyone wants to see this iconic piece of Yellowstone.

We saw another geyser erupt while driving Firehole Lake Drive, a couple miles from Old Faithful. It was starting to rain, but White Dome Geyser didn’t disappoint.

You may have seen recent news about another Yellowstone geyser that has erupted eight times this year after infrequent eruptions in recent years. Steamboat Geyser’s eruptions are much larger than Old Faithful. Unfortunately we weren’t there when it erupted – we missed it by three days.

Another interesting thermal feature several miles away from Old Faithful is the Mud Volcano. This feature is pretty tame now, but in the past it eruptions were a lot more vigorous, like a volcano!

You can hike a short trail from the viewing area to see several interesting hot springs and the impressive Dragon’s Mouth fumarole. This feature sounds (and smells) like a dragon’s mouth!There are MANY more thermal features in Yellowstone – 10,000 by one estimate. We are blessed to have such a place to visit. Even without the amazing scenery and wildlife, the thermal features make a visit to Yellowstone a must!

(we’ll share some additional photos in upcoming Yellowstone blog posts)