Stromboli's Rolling Log

Last 4 days of the trip--Sun., Mon., Tues., Wed., Sept 11th to 14th, Kansas to Home.

2011-09-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

Last 4 days of the trip--Sun., Mon., Tues., Wed., Sept 11th to 14th, Kansas to Home.

This is the end of the 101 day, 16,000 mile wonderful journey across North America. I hope you have enjoyed the days and the adventures along the way. The pictures that have been shown are just a representative of the thousands of picture we took throughout USA and Canada. If you are interested in the DVD that we will have ready later this fall, let is know either on Face book, or here on the blog. You can also write us through e mail at crazy4birds@comcast.net . I would love to hear from those of you in India, Romania, China, Thailand, Canada, Italy and any other country who have been following along through these months.

Windmills and corn

The four last days were through the United States heartland and what we call the “Plains” of the United States, where most of the basic crops for our food and many exports are grown. This is basically flat and fertile land ideal for the raising of row crops like corn and beans (soy) In Kansas, Minnesota, MIssouri and Illinois are the great corn fields that stretch for miles and miles to the horizon, along with millions of acres of soybeans that are used for oils, mainly cooking oils and biodiesel. The remainder is used for animal feed as it is 38% protein. Corn of course has a multitude of uses and 50% of it is grown in in these 4 states. 55% is exported mostly to Pacific rim Countries.

"The Arch" at St Louis Missouri

We took time in Kansas and MIssouri to stop in two National Wildlife and Recreation areas to observe a few more bird species. The birds were not as many as we had seen before, but it was good to see a few more. We ended up with 224 species total on the trip, and a few new ones for our “Life list”. The N. W. Refuge at Emporia Kansas was the Sand Hills NWR . One outstanding bird there was the Scissor Tailed Flycatcher that we had not seen previously. It was Saturday and the Refuge HQ. was closed so we were on our own. We did find a map of the area so got to most of the places of some note. It was quite open and skirted the Missouri River in places. The effect of the drought was seen as the grasses in that NWR were very dry. Even in the RV Park there were wide gaps in the soil where the heat and dry air had cracked the earth into gaping fissures. Although it was early in September many trees were losing their leaves prematurely. The RV Park at Emporia was “surrounded” by two Interstate highways and one Railroad so it was very noisy. In town there was a street Festival as they turned the main street into a Carnival atmosphere with booths, rides and lots of food. Some of the lines for food were very long. We did have a brief, 5 minute, heavy rain that evening.

By Sunday we had had communicated with cousin Barb and Chris Ramsey, (Shirley and Bob Atkinson’s daughter and son in law) to meet in a restaurant as we were headed north and would be a few miles from their home. We did that and ate at the “54 Grill” in the Truman Mall on US 71 south of Kansas City MO. It was a good visit and as we had not met before (at least not since Barb had been a young child) we had a lot to catch up on. Chris is retired military and headed back to school pursuing Pharmacy as a vocation. (The Truman Mall has the original homestead of the Truman family still standing.

Higginsville, MO water tower

From this point into Missouri there were few trees except for Juniper on the rolling hills of western Missouri. At times it was really reminiscent of the old prairie of many years ago before the plow cut up the soil. In the middle of this route is the town of Higginsville in which is a Confederate Memorial regarding the Civil War. We are reminded that Missouri was a “border” state in the Civil War and sent 110,000- troops to the Union side and 40,000 to the Confederate side, hence the Confederate Memorial which was a home to Confederate veterans and their families for 60 years. That brought us across the Missouri River (south side) and into Columbia MO, the home of the Missouri University (Tigers0 and that day a very large Bike Marathon for Muscular Dystrophy. In that particular event. 3,500 bikers raised more that 1 million dollars for MS. In the Cottonwood Park where we stayed many bikers had camped that weekend so we were there at the end of their stay and by morning the campground was 75% empty. Both of these days were sunny and moderate in temps at 75 F .

One of the Green Herons

While we were in Columbia we had the opportunity to “do” one last National Recreation Area along side the Missouri River. (The river still was at flood stage in some places) This Eagle Cliffs National Recreation Area (NRA) had many roads that were dry and very dusty. The effect on the truck was penetrating dust in every crack. There were however a few highlights that were unexpected. The best one was seeing seven young Green Herons in one place. A family evidently that had all made it through the summer and were in pretty good shape for the southward migration. We observed them for a long while and took some pictures of their activities along an embankment by a pond. That was the most of that species we had seen ever in one place. This NRA has corn and buckwheat planted that was standing and it used to feed the many geese (Snow and Canadian?) that come through here in migration the next two months. An MD from Columbia talked with us about the NRA as he and his wife came often and told us of an Eagle’s nest that we did not find. The gas price in MO there, was the lowest of the trip at $3.19 per gallon. (Ruth always said that MO gas was the cheapest.)

Then it was through St.Louis , get a few pictures of the “Arch” at 55 miles per hour and head into the heavier traffic on the east side of the Mississippi River toward Chicago on I-55. We did stop overnight at Bloomington, Illinois in another RV PArk that had two Freeways and an RR track surrounding it. On the way to this spot there are more than 75 wind generators on the flatlands of Illinois near Carlock, IL. We did get good Wi-Fi here so we could still communicate by internet one more night.

The next morning , which was the last day, we headed up I-55 toward Chicago, but when we stopped for gas in Dwight, IL, the lady cashier at the gas station indicated that we would do much better to go east and then north on I-65, rather than I-55 (NE) and then I-80 E as there was a lot of construction and we could save 2-3 hours doing that. We took her advice and did save quite a lot of time and stress and got to see some of the “small town” America on the way. Ruth got a picture the “Welcome to Michigan” sign which will be in the DVD I am sure.

Eagle Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge

The Missouri River in Missouri

The last stop we made was to get the truck and trailer washed at the 76th St. truck wash in Byron Center.MI just off US 131. We did that and arrived home just after 5:00 PM safe and sound..

Thanks for ‘tagging along’ and if there are any questions or pictures that you would like to have, please e mail me (see above) or write a note on Face Book (Jim Strohmer ). It was a “trip of a lifetime” to be sure and we are thankful to be home again safe and sound. We’ll let you know of our next adventure here on the blog!

Day 96, 97 Th. & Fri. Sept. 8,9 Dodge City to Emporia Kansas

2011-09-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

From Lamar Colorado to Kansas City Mo the stockyards are many

In case you missed it this is milo, which makes bird seed and sorghum.

The are right in the middle of corn harvest now in Kansas

This is a view of the prarie in Flint Hills NW Refuge near Emporia KS

A type of sunflower that has a yellow center, not black.

These are two views of Greensberg, KS that was devasted by a tornado in 2007

The upper photo shows the vacant land that was wiped ouut and the lower one

shows one block of the newly built "grreen" housing. The town has made a great recovery

Look closely and you will see the "oranges" on the Osage Orange tree

Day 96, 97 Th. & Fri. Sept. 8,9 Dodge City to Emporia Kansas

Dodge City, What can I say? The home of the good guys (Bat Masterson, “Wild Bill” Hickock, Wyatt Earp and others), who chased, arrested and and shot at the bad guys like the notorious Clanton Gang, all died in the botched Coffeyville Bank heist except Emmett. They also chased the bad guys in Abilene and Wichita as well. This all happened in the 1800’s when Kansas was young and restless. Even Jesse James was in on one of Cantrill’s raids that killed over 200 citizens of Lawrence. But those were the days that were. Today, it, (Dodge City ) is a thriving cattle shipping center and wheat growing region and is a vital community of more than 23,000 souls. They have modernized the main street by making four lanes about 200 feet toward the RR tracks and leaving intact the old “main street” with all the old stores and saloons visible from the new highway through town .(Main street)

East of Dodge City , or “Dodge” as it is called locally, are slightly rolling hills filled with range land and some hints of milo and wheat . As we continue east the milo and wheat are more intense in production as are the evidence of many stockyards and feed lots holding 100,000 head of cattle fattening up and waiting for market. All along the highway the “SWOOSH” of the tall cattle trucks going by is constant. Grain trucks (corn and wheat) move through the roads as well. The land gradually gives way to some deciduous trees and many more fill the small valleys and arroyos until after Wichita when all of a sudden the land is rolling prairie and not a tree in sight. This must have been what it looked like to the early travelers before settlements were established.

We did travel through the town of Greensburg, KS, which, in 2007 was hit by that devastating tornado that wiped out many homes and the entire business community. Today it has dedicated its return to life with a completely “green” use of codes and materials in the new buildings in town. (see pics) . The medical center was beautiful and fit the environment with sandstone colors that blended in with the land. It certainly is a tribute to the people of Greensburg and their perseverance.

A light rain shower came through as we neared Emporia, and the smell of the desert was evident. It is a unique and unforgettable smell. Rather sweet and pleasant to the nostrils. We checked in at the Emporia RV Park and as the manager was not home called him at his cell phone . (He does remodeling of vacant houses for a living.) We took a space as per his instructions and settled in for the afternoon at 3:15. After a brief rest , we decided it was a night to eat out. Inasmuch as we were in “steak” country (lots of beef here) , we chose “Montana Mike’s” as the steakhouse of choice. It was a good selection. Ruth had the special Ribeye with potato, home made hot roll and a salad , and I chose the 1/2 rack of ribs with sweet potato and salad. It was excellent and tasty and when Ruth says that you know the steak was good .She will not say so unless it stands up to critical analysis. That was $30.00 well spent on good food plus some ribs still not eaten for another day. Jim topped that off with a “house” Margarita.

. Emporia is a bustling city of some 26,000 people. The Emporia Gazette is still owned by the Wm.Allen White family . White started the Gazette in 1895 and was editor until 1944. He won a Pulitzer Prize (1923) for an editorial and has written over 22 books.

We did search the Flint Hills for birds today and did find some 29 birds . It was tough birding as we are in between the summer fledging and the fall migration. Perhaps the best bird find today and last night were two Great Horned Owls that perched in a dead tree about 100 yards from the trailer. I could see them from the trailer doorway. We also got the car greased and oil change today, filled wth gas ($3.54) had a Dairy Queen (DQ) and got the last of the groceries we will need for the last three days. Tomorrow we will meet a cousin for lunch, the daughter of my Dad's niece, on our way through Kansas City. More on that tomorrow. Thanks for watching and if you want to leave me your e mail address on my Face Book or here in comments I will communicate with you after we get home on Wed. search for Jim Strohmer.

Day 94, 95 Tues. and Wed. Sep. 5th and 6th From Poncha Spring to La Junta CO

2011-09-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Day 94, 95 Tues. and Wed. Sep. 5th and 6th From Poncha Spring to La Junta CO

A stellar Jay at Poncha Springs feeders

The Rockies from the Contintal Divide at Monarch Pass (11,330')

Teh Arkansas River canyon in Colorado west of Canon City

These two days saw only one trailer move as we stayed two days in LaJunta Co. (Reason coming below). Tuesday morning in Poncha Springs at 9,000 feet was leisurely spent watching for the birds in the higher elevations and especially at the bird feeder the park owners had set up. Hummingbirds (Black Throated and Rufous) were everywhere. So was the BEAR that wandered through the camp ground that night making a mess out of a steel trash bin that wasn’t locked. It knew how to get into it. he also left a calling card in the park road.

The drive was quite flat with many curves especially through the very twisty and rocky walled Arkansas River canyon. This opened It into a wider valley and then the cities of Canon City, and Pueblo. The latter is a city now of more than 100,000 population and really booming. The area is heavy with ranching , cattle (lots of holding pens) , truck crops and lots of veggies and some fruits. All of this area through La Junta is irrigated land from the Arkansas River water source. The Royal Gorge is near Canon City and it is a heavy commercial tourist stop now. We did not stop for that. Many horse ranches all through this part of SE Colorado. This time of the year there are many fruit and veggie stands and we did stop to buy at one of them. Our camping was at a KOA just outside La Junta.

Fruit and veggie stand in Canon City Colorado. Peppers anyone?

The following day we had two objectives in this two night stand. First was to do some birding near a reservoir in the area of the town of Las animas called Martin Reservoir. The town of Las Animas’ name comes from the “Purgatoire (sic) River and the River of Lost Souls”,. That was too long for the spanish words so ‘Las Animas ‘ was selected. We did many of the side roads in that area and did get the most birds we have had in many weeks. As there is more moisture here the bird habitat is better,. They are still in a drought situation as many trees have died as a result. See this web site for an animated map of the drought in the USA. http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/12_week.gif One road was a haven for hawks as in one spot we watched 5 hawks (three different kinds)at the same time, in flight and soaring above. (Swainson’s, Red Tailed, and Northern Harrier.) The day was mostly cloudy and one of the few we have had in the last month. The morning was cool at 60 degrees and you could feel the crisper air. Remember we had been in 90+ F heat for three weeks.

That afternoon was my turn to select a venue. I chose the home of the Koshare Indian Boy Scout troop right here in La Junta. This troop is more than 75 years old and specializes in Indian Dancing. They have been all over the world. (see their web site) They have a kiva, and a Museum with millions of dollars in art collected along with Indian artifacts that have been donated over the years. When I was a teenager three men from the Koshare Indian Troop came to Detroit to teach 200 boys how to do some basic Indian dances for the 35th scouting anniversary. They stayed three weeks and we did put on a program that year. As a result of that experience and the men’s instruction a Boy Scout Post was formed that specialized , in Detroit, in Indian dancing, I was a member of that Post as was my brother and about 20 other young men. We toured the midwest in the style of the Koshares for many years. So my trip there was a nostalgic one and it was worth the “look see” for my Indian dancing roots. The Koshares are a well established an funded organization.

The Koshares have both a Boy Scout Trtoop and a Boy Scout Post of Dancers

This is their main kiva for progarms at home in La Junta.

One of the many display cases in their museum where the kiva is located.

A group shot of the Koshares at an earlier time.

The Koshare Museum and headquarters in La Junta ,CO

That as it for these two days, and tomorrow we go from in Indians in La Hunta to the Cowboys in Dodge City Kansas.

Day 91, 92 ,Sep 3,4 2011 At Moab , Canyonland N.P and The Needles

2011-09-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Day 91, 92 ,Sep 3,4 2011 At Moab , Canyon\land N.P and The Needles

The National Park named Canyonland has two sections. They are the north unit and the south unit. They look out onto the same Colorado, Green River confluence, but are 100 miles apart by road. The trip we took this time was to the south unit which is some 50 miles south of Moab toward the AZ border and then 32 miles west on Route 211. This entrance is a long slightly uplifted plateau, which begins to get into the arroyos and canyons as we get closer to the Colorado and Green river canyons. The sandstone in these formations is White and Red mesa Sandstone , slightly different from the Navajo and Magenta seen in Arches.

This is Wilson's Arch actually on US 191 south of Moab seen from a pullout on the highway.

In this portion of the park there are a number of arches, but not nearly as many as Arches NP.

The first attraction was Indian Creek Canyon a slow meandering stream that has over the millennia carved a very deep (1-2,000 feet deep) onto the surface before it empties into the Colorado. (This part is miles downstream from here.) Here there is the world famous NEWSPAPER ROCK images that have been left many thousands of years ago. The archeologists have not determined the dates of them (See pic).

"Newspaper Rock"

Three cyclists (guys) were getting ready to ride down the mountain all the way from the top. There is a lot of bike activity here in this park as well as the other two parks. The road gradually got to 6,000 feet as we got out into the open again and headed for the rim where the maximum view is located.

"Wooden Shoe " Arch

We saw “Wooden Shoe” arch which looks like a wooden shoe, Pot Hole Point filled with bubbles or “pot holes” , and the end of the road is Big Spring Canyon overlook. This is a dynamic view that looks to the north and west and the entire portion of both rivers and their canyons is seen from Moab to the confluence and from the central Utah where the Green River comes through the plateaus. The relief is 4-5,000 feet in every direction. There is a hiking trail there that leads to the confluence of the two rivers, and is a 2 mile down hill trip (of course one must come up hill to get back).

View from Big Spring Lookout

The lunch we had was at the tables at the Visitor Center a very well equipped building. There were gardens with identified plants in them ,like the Rabbit grass, Mormon Tea, sat grass and a few types of sage. This center and many others are filled with good instructional tables and dioramas and certainly good gift and book selections. We saw a new squirrel (see pic) the Rock Squirrel. Yes, that is his ‘unique’ name.

The last part of the day was to return to US 191 and drive 10 miles north (tward Moab) to Route 211 and the road (22 miles) to the Needles Lookout. This is not in the National Park boundaries but the view from the needles encompasses all of the previous sights and more. (see pic).

"Needles Overlook"

The view is about 60 -70 miles across all the canyons. The colors are indescribable. ON the way out we came upon an Antelope close to the road and slowly drove along side as he wandered along about 30 feet from the car (see pic).

Antelope

It was the first large, four legged mammal we had seen in these parks. There are sheep, deer and others but it was hot and I can’t blame them for hiding in the shade. I would too.

It was still sunny and 95 degrees at 5:00 PM and time for a refreshing dinner in a cool restaurant. We chose “Zax” in downtown Moab which is an all purpose and slightly eclectic place, that had prime rib on special that night. Ruth had Prime Rib with baked potato and a veggie skewered while I settled for the buffet, which was a salad bar, choice of soups (beer cheese or asparagus) and your choice of pizza from a buffet of a dozen pizza types. Oh, did I choose a doozy on the first one? It had hot sauce and what i thought were green peppers and feta cheese and onions. I took a big bite! Right! It was jalapeno not green pepper. Surprise! Maria our waitress took good care of us. It was a god meal and we called it a day.

Day 92, Sunday Sep. 4, 2011- Laundry and the Colorado River drive.

Yes, it looks like the last time we will have to do laundry as we have about 10 days to go and we can stretch the socks use and underwear for that length of time. So after breakfast we took the sheets off the bed, packed the laundry, got the necessary liquids and change (need quarters always) and headed onto town. Jim had already scoped put the three laundromats in town so we headed for the one between the Burger King and the McDonald’s Drive In. We were fortunate as there were washers available at 9:30 so we could get the full load in. Ruth likes to use four washer to speed up the process, and the campground had only 3. We had to dry some clothes more than usual but it was a low price at $8.00 for the entire laundry. We headed for the trailer and put the laundry away, ate lunch and drove toward the Colorado River. There is a 15 mile section of road that leads to a mine (The Potash mine). But at the junction of US 191 and Route 297 where we turned onto the road, there is a huge UMTRA project. The U.S. Department of Energy has started a project to move 16 million tons of uranium tailings from the banks of the Colorado River, near the city of Moab, to a permanent disposal site 30 miles north, near the town of Crescent Junction. This project is called the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. They have already moved 540,000 tons to a site some 30 miles north. They move 25 rail cars each with 4 buckets per day. M-F. THis hole is getting larger every day.

We continued on the road taking pictures of the walls of the River canyon which now were above our heads and very close (see pic). This road had two small campgrounds (Rotary ran one) and many pullouts for pictures and also there is one “put in” for river rafts and canoes and kayaks to take the 15 mile stretch to Moab or beyond. (Very smooth water here,). One of the stops was a dinosaur track that was imbedded on a flat rock that had fallen off the cliff above. It was 80 feet above the river and a picture was difficult to get. Ruth climbed up to the rock...JUST KIDDING!... got a nice picture with the telephoto lens set on the tripod even though it was a few hundred feet away.(see pic). It is a Thesaurus type , like PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON. really, he was modeled after them. The lived in the Cretaceous period of the late Cenozoic Era or 135-165 million years ago. That would have been when those tremendous sand storms that swept across the continent were ending. Those sands created the sandstone we see here today.

I digress! We did see three Great Blue Heron on the pond by UMTRA.

Many pictures later we arrived at the end of the road where the Cane Creek Potash mine is located. It is unique because of the method used to extract the potash ore. The mine began as a conventional underground excavation in 1964, but was converted in 1970 to a system combining solution mining and solar evaporation. Hence, no coal has to be used while evaporating the potash using a system of evaporation pits turning the potash into crystals. There are 300 days of sun here and a 5% humidity rate. Over 400,000 tons of coal a year are saved. (see pic). Ruth took more pictures on the return trip as the sun was at our backs most of the way, Th river twists and turns in wide smooth arcs with many dead bushes along the banks of the river, which are the invasive Tamarisk shrub. The eradication of these plants has lead to the dead ones seen along this stretch of the river where the Tamarisk BEETLE has been introduced. That has been successful and will kill the shrub over a period of time and reduce its growth. The invasion of this plant has altered the Colorado River in places already, so it is a huge problem. (See ‘tamarisk on the Colorado River’ in a search engine.)That was the end of the day and we retired to supper with toasted cheese sandwiches and veggies . Tomorrow is pack up and leave day, when we head east to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. It looks like the 90 degree F day are over. See you in the “Rockies”

Day 89, Thurs. Sep. 1, 2011 At Arches National Park near Moab UT

2011-09-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

Day 89, Thursday September 1, 2011 Arches National Park

Geologic lesson on the formation of the arches in Arches N.P.

We visited Arches National Park north of Moab, UT today and found it to be most pictorial, as well as being great look at the landscape of this portion of he SW USA. The red sandstone (Entrada and Navajo) is the outstanding feature in almost all rocks and monoliths. The following brief scientific explanation can be a help to understand the pictures that accompany the article. I hope you will find time to read to and understand the formation of these rocks. Tomorrow we will do another National Park called Canyon- lands. Enjoy the article and a few of the pictures that we took today..-Jim

Arches National Park lies atop an underground evaporite layer or salt bed, which is the main cause of the formation of the arches, spires, balanced rocks, sandstone fins, and eroded monoliths in the area. This salt bed is thousands of feet thick in places, and was deposited in the Paradox Basin of the Colorado Plateau some 300 million years ago when a sea flowed into the region and eventually evaporated. Over millions of years, the salt bed was covered with debris eroded from the Uncompahgre Uplift to the northeast. During the Early Jurassic (about 210 Ma.,The unit of time, geologically) desert conditions prevailed in the region and the vast Navajo Sandstone was deposited. An additional sequence of stream laid and windblown sediments, the Entrada Sandstone (140 Ma), was deposited on top of the Navajo. Over 5000 feet (1500 m) of younger sediments were deposited and have been mostly eroded away. Remnants of the cover exist in the area including exposures of the Cretaceous Mancos Shale. The arches of the area are developed mostly within the Entrada formation.

The weight of this cover caused the salt bed below it to liquefy and thrust up layers of rock into salt domes. The evaporites of the area formed more unusual salt anticlines or linear regions of uplift. Faulting occurred and whole sections of rock subsided into the areas between the domes. In some places, they turned almost on edge. The result of one such 2,500-foot (760 m) displacement, the Moab Fault, is seen from the visitor center. (See pIcture)

(This is the Moab fault that dropped sme 2400 feet . Look across the valley on the left center of the picture. The visitor center of the Park is at bottom center. The Colorado River is the cut.) (See picture at right)

As this subsurface movement of salt shaped the landscape, erosion removed the younger rock layers from the surface. Except for isolated remnants, the major formations visible in the park today are the salmon-colored Entrada Sandstone, in which most of the arches form, and the buff-colored Navajo Sandstone. These are visible in layer cake fashion throughout most of the park. Over time, water seeped into the surface cracks, joints, and folds of these layers. Ice formed in the fissures, expanding and putting pressure on surrounding rock, breaking off bits and pieces. Winds later cleaned out the loose particles. A series of free-standing fins remained. (See pictures)

An example of the fins, now worn and well runded in th Park.

Wind and water attacked these fins until, in some, the cementing material gave way and chunks of rock tumbled out. Many damaged fins collapsed. Others, with the right degree of hardness and balance, survived despite their missing sections. These became the famous arches.

I hope that wasn’t too scientific for you , and helps with understanding the process over many millennia. Here are a few more ictures from the beautiful Park.

The "Gossips"

One of the "Windows"

Sandstone layering that has been uplifted

Sure, It's "Balanced Rock"

Sand Arch, duly named as my shoes were full of sand when I returned.

Not named.

Another of the "Windows"

Lonesome Arch

Later in the day ...Balanced Rock

Around the corner, a different "Balanced Rock".

Days 84,85,86 Sat., Sun., Mon., Aug. 27, 28,29 At Page, AZ.

2011-08-31T21:07:00.000-07:00

Days 84,85,86 Sat., Sun., Mon., Aug. 27, 28,29 At PAge AZ.

Saturday.--These days were filled with activities around the town of Page AZ, except for the trip to Flagstaff to see Ruth’s niece, Karrie, and her family. That meeting never came to pass, and although both of us made the trip, (They live in Phoenix) some place along the line we missed communicating the meeting place as we were both there but at two different places , which both thought the other had agreed upon. That was tough, as we had to find a way to consume the birthday cake we bought for her husband , Beau. Both going and coming it was a beautiful drive through the cliffs and changing desert until the mountains of the San Francisco Peaks of Flagstaff.There were many Native shops selling jewelry and pottery on that US 89 route.

The following day (Sun) we were scheduled to take a boat ride with the Waweap tours on Lake Powell to Rainbow Bridge. When we went to the Lodge to meet the group on the tour there was no one there that was going. We got our barding passes and sat for more than an hour as WE had still been on Mountain daylight time and Page was on Pacific Daylight time. We started that day an hour early. That boat trip the 60 miles to Rainbow Bridge was eye eye opener. Cap’n Jim and 1st Mate Laura did a fine job looking after the 1/2 capacity full, vessel that took us there in about 2 hours. Slowing for boat traffic was one safety procedure I thought was excellent. The views of the rock formations and the colors was fantastic. Accenting the red sandstone that is so prevalent on this area were whites, grays and pinks thrown in. We arrived and Ruth stayed on the boat and I took the camera and the pictures. It was not a long walk but discretion is the better part of valor when the knee is giving problems. Hence , Ruth stayed on board. The walk was on a gravel path and the temp was in the 90‘s with lots of sun, so I went slow and arrived just behind the main group. The heat was in the low 90’s, with less wind as we neared the Bridge.

It is phenomenal to be sure. As tall as the Empire State building and a bit wider than that. It is truly a remarkable site that the Navajos have kept sacred all these dozens of generations. There are no commercial entites of any kind there but a huge boat dock. We kept hydrated in the sun and on the boat and I think I consumed 10-12 cups of lemonade on the boat alone. We were greeted warmly by the captain on return with an apple and a granola bar if we chose. Ruth was happy with my pictures so I guess I “done good”. The ride back was similar with more chances to get pictures of the rocks and mesas and table tops in a brighter light. It was a fine trip that I would recommend to any who can do it.

That evening the wind came up and we had a very typical desert storm that skimmed by us, even though we were on the edge. It did bring , however , a wonderful set of rainbows and a beautiful sunset. All the campers in the area were getting everyone out to see the rainbow that filled the sky from one end to the other.

Then on Tuesday Ruth was looking forward to the Antelope Canyon tour since April when she made the reservations from Michigan. It was truly both an adventure and a marvelous witness to God’s handiwork here on earth. The Natives revere this place as it is an ancient meeting place with some of the guides telling of how they used to play here as a child. Today the Nation (Navajo) makes money on the tours they have .The day we went there were more than 20 tours of 10-12 people each just in the 3 hours that we were going and coming. Our tour was a photographers tour so we had more time and privilege to take pictures with no interference of time schedules. Other groups were “walk throughs” and had limited time to finish (less than an hour).

The "flame"

It was an adventure as we boarded a 12 passenger, covered truck with 2 padded bench seats and handrails for holding. The first 1/2 of the ride was on blacktop surface (smooth) but the second 1/2 was through the deep sand roads that lead to the Canyon and that was very bumpy and rugged. Al, the driver and guide kept it in low gear all the way. When we arrived just about noon (the sun is high) there were about 9 trucks there with passengers. It is a thriving business for the Navajos.

Note the open trucks and the hand rails!

The tour begins with a short intro and then we were the canyon. Picture not an “Open” canyon, but picture more a tall cave with light coming through at the top in places. Also visualize scoured rock some 30-50 feet high above you as you walk through the canyon. See the twists and turns it makes at each footstep, each one being different keeps you always looking up to see how the light hits the walls in this big opening above you. Our guide, Al has been doing this for 11 years and knew each place to get a good picture, intimately. He assisted Ruth immensely, especially at the last 1/2 of the walk. I believe he sensed that Ruth was good photographer and he wanted her to have the best possible pictures. I had told him that Ruth has a good eye for photos, and he commented later after looking at her pictures...by saying “you were right, she does”. The canyon by the way is only about 1/3 of a mile long, but worth every step of the way. Hard to describe the canyon in writing , but a few pictures will give you an idea. The guides have a good sense of humor and make the walk enjoyable as well as pictorially perfect.The ride back to town was windier and hotter, but we made it in the 90+F heat. We celebrated that evening with rib eye steaks on the grill. Ruth at the grill while Jim made the salad. Tomorrow will be Vermillion Cliffs and Marble Canyon and perhaps some Condors as they inhabit that area just north of the Grand Canyon North Rim.

Tuesday Aug. 30

This day we were to go to the Vermillion Cliffs and Marble canyon , both on 89 A heading for the road to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We did not intend to go to the Canyon, but as it was only 42 miles from the road we were on (89 A), we did get there in time for lunch.

Both the Vermillion Cliffs and Marble Canyon can be seen easily from the road, and the picture taking possibilities are endless. Seeing the scoured and slick rock portion of the Vermilion Cliffs takes some hiking time into the “back country”. We did not do that.

At Marble canyon (bridge over the Colorado River) there is a Visitor Center and a gift shop, and the walk across the pedestrian bridge is well worth the walk. Talking to Lucille at the gift store we found that seeing the Condors is not rare but they are not always around either. That day we concentrated on the bridge as they frequent there. We did not see them there nor any other place that day. Twenty five miles further on a sie road is a Condor Release site (which will be on Sept. 10). I started to take that side road (only two miles long ) but it was so rough and pitted (washboard) that wI turned the truck around and came back. (I needed that Tundra to pull a trailer some 2,000 miles yet.) As we were quite close (42 miles) from The North Rim of the Grand Canyon we decided to end our viewing for the day there .Well, it actually was lunch time, but we did go. The road south from US 89 A is AZ 67 and goes up hill definitely as we begin the climb onto the KAIBAB PLATEAU which get s up to 8,000 feet. Here again the juniper is replaced at 7,200 feet (exactly and that is not kidding), by the Ponderosa’s. Remember the ride to Flagstaff where same thing happened? It is beautiful with what appears to be a “parklike” appearance to the forests as the undergrowth is absolutely missing. On the road in, the results of the last big fire in 2008 were seen for many miles. Quaking aspen is replacing it very quickly. Fires in the PLateau (National Forest) have burned 196,000 acres since 1996. The changing moisture conditions in the SW (much drier) has contributed to that as lightning is the largest cause of fires there (60%) and untended or “not doused” campfires are the largest cause (37%) of human caused fires.

The North Rim a has a very different “feel” from the South Rim. It seems more intimate, close, and has fewer lookout points that the South Rim. It also is quieter, less people, and seems cooler at 8600 feet. (It is higher than the South Rim by some 2,000 feet) . We took some picture, had lunch over looking the canyon, saw a few birds, and returned to Page by way of Kanab (89 A to 89 at Kanab) about 25 miles further than the way we came. It was a good day and we looked forward to more scenery on the way to Moab going through Monument Valley AZ and crossing the Colorado River at Moab once again.

Day 82-83m Th and Fri August 24 and 25, 2011 Salt L. City to Page

2011-08-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

Thursday August 25, 2011

It was mostly down US 89 that we went and on some other roads as well.

Leaving Brigham City and driving the 120 miles (that’s right) through the Freeway construction until we reached the “countryside” near Provo was a “white knuckle” bit of driving. This is not your average 2 lane freeway but at times is five lanes wide and a DOV lane to boot. One stop allowed us some time to breathe and that was at a
“Flying J” truck wash and that was a miracle. We were in and out in 15 minutes. Just $40.00 and it was a great wash and any attention we needed they provided . The trailer looked great after that.

So we finally emerged from the construction and started to look for the “back road” and found it in order to have a quieter ride to Panguitch (Pron. Pang-’Gwitch). Mainly it is a ride through the canyon country and ranches of the Sevier River which is wide in most paces (the valley) and then we entered the headlands of the river where it gets narrow and beautiful. At this elevation therr are only Junipertrees. No pines or spruce (latitude and moisture). During all of this we ran through “hit and miss” rain showers, that seemed to linger in the air as the air was so hot and dry. Then between the Nebo, the San Pitch Mtns. and the Pahvant Mountains where the highest peak is at 11,000’ it created a long ridge of some 30-40 miles on the passenger side. The road continues to gain altitude and hits 6200 feet at one point. At one time in the day we hit 91 F and about 15 minutes later after it rained it was 63 F. Talk about a cooling effect!

This road crosses the Old Spanish National HIstorical Trail some 3-4 times. That trail runs through five states from Los Angeles and branches into three parts as it winds through Utah and Colorado on its way to Santa Fe, NM.

We arrived a bit early at “Hitch N Post” RV in Panguitch and were able to do a laundry before supper, That was a treat as some things were running low.

The campground is small but adequate. Panguitch (pop. 1,623) is a tourist town supply stop (ATV’s and many off road activities) with some residual agriculture, cattle ranching and logging although the big logging mill is just a shadow of its former self.. Plus the closeness of both Bryce and Zion N.P. adds to the activity.

Friday August 26, 2011

Moving on from Panguitch still on US 89 was generally a very good blacktopped road. This opened up the canyons and sandstone and colored rocks that this part of the country is known for. By the time we passed Kanab (gassed up here) the country was filled with beautiful cliffs, rocks, canyons and even some road cuts that were significant. We stopped in Kanab (pop. 3,564) where the store is called Honey’s Market to shop some (rib eyes on sale for $5.99/lb) and is just across from a beautiful red sandstone bluff. The store was adding $.15 a gallon rebate on gasoline at their gas station. Quite a boost for the community. Many films were put together on a set near here . Some of you you might remember ...”Daniel Boone”, “Gunsmoke”, “Windrunner: A Spirited Journey”, “Planet of the Apes”, “The Lone Ranger”, and “Stagecoach”. Then it was downhill all the way into Lake Powell and Page AZ. Lots of picture taking as we made a couple of stops to get it right. The elevation was 6,500 at Mt. Carmel and dropped considerably until Lake Powell. We stopped for lunch at Pah-raea (today called Paria ) a ghost town that was attacked by Indians in the 1840‘s and later flooded out in spite of the fact that there was community there. It is now a tourist attraction and movies have been made there as... “The Outlaw Josey Wales” and “Sergeants 3”. Don’t go there is there is water in the area. We missed the turn for the Waweap Campground and Lodge so went through Page (called on the phone) and were able to cross the Glen Canyon Dam two times. The canyon under the bridge is fantastic! (Not Ruth’s favorite activity!) It was an awesome view. We did get back to the entrance of the Park three miles back , registered and parked our rig. “Plug in the electricity right away, Jim” was the call for it was 99 degrees at that point. We settled in, cooled off and made plans for the four night stay. I registered us for the Lake Powell Boat trip to Rainbow Bridge on Sunday and Monday we will see the Corkscrew canyon up close. On Tuesday we plan to drive to Vermillion Cliffs and Marble Canyon and possibly see our first Condor. Tomorrow (Sat.) we will drive to Flagstaff to spend some time with Ruth’s niece, Kerrie, and family. I'll st pictures in the AM when the iternet is better. (Wi-Fi)

Day 79-81 Mon, Tues, & Wed Aug. 22-24 At Brigham City UT

2011-08-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

Day 79-81 Mon, Tues, & Wed Aug. 22-24 At Brigham City UT

Female Black Chinned at our trailer feeder

Sunflower at roadside.

Bear River NWR At Brigham City IT

Some of the many White Faced Ibis we saw (see other picture)

THis field had 700 White Faced Ibis feeding on new cut hay.

JIm got lucky on this WhiteFaced Ibis flying

A Swainson's Hawk at Bear River NWR

Perhaps it might be best to summarize these three days in little bits. First I should tell you that where we are staying is an HISTORIC KOA PARK. That’s right . It is the longest continuous running park in the KOA system. When we drove in I said to Ruth, “this looks like a very old park, tall trees, wide sites, and the old traditional office that was built in the 1960’s”. True it was. I\t was built in 1964 and will celebrate its’ 50 year in 2014.

They have a pool and I did get onto that two times. That was a treat as I had not been on the water since MN I believe. We set up our hummingbird feeder right away as we would be here four nights and what did you think? HUMMERS CAME in the first hour we were there, and by Tuesday evening there were three of them fighting for drinking rights. We have one of the new multi facet ones that The Birdwatcher’s Marketplace sold us.

Monday we had some chores to do , (not the laundry), so I set up a week ago an appointment in Riverdale some 20 miles toward S L City, to get a new tire, and move the others around some. Also to check the brakes (some noise ) and see if we could get a new seat belt for Ruth’s the]at kept “tightening up” on her at the slightest bump. They would have expedited one from San Francisco, but no guarantee it would get here by Wed., so we said no. Later I “tied” the seat belt in position and that seemed to work. The first two (tire and brakes) went fine as there was no brake problem. I asked for a lube and oil change and we did receive a free car wash as well. I felt better about the tire repair as that one we had the flat tire on was wearing. Tires and trailers need to have accurate air pressure. I do not know who is the authority on that? While the guys were putting the sealed air pressure in, they broke a seal so another 1 hour went by. That gave us time to get Ruth to the Chiropractor late in the afternoon so we did that in Brigham City. She was able to get on to a PAlmer Sch of Chiro. . DC.

While she was there I scoped out the Bear River NWR HQ and got ready for Tuesday.

Tuesday we did head for the Refuge and spent all day there , taking a lunch. While seeing some 25 bird species we did play “leap frog” in the cars with a family from the Netherlands. We talked to them a lot and they were very knowledgeable about birds and had been doing that for some time. We saw Swainson’s Hawk, White Pelican, Forester’s Tern, and more than 1,000 White Faced Ibis (see pics). Grebes, Gulls, no ducks), some sparrows,, pheasant (young ones too) swallows (3 types), kingbird (2 types) , killdeer and some others. After we were finished on the roads (the bridge was being repaired so the Auto tour was closed). This meant only 10 miles of road was available to drive on, but we did see much. The Refuge has dealt with flooding from the Great Salt Lake into which it empties. The visitor Center was awesome!

In the afternoon I got a long needed haircut in Brigham City at Wyatt’s Barber shop. Three generations work there. Hey, and it was still just ten dollars (USA). We did buy fresh green beans (just picked), watched a neighbor cut hay and bale it, and got ready for Wed and a trip into SLC (Salt Lake City). That evening the Netherlands family camped in our campground so we invited them to come and see the Hummers.(There are no Hummers in Europe!). They were delighted and took pictures as the hummers came. We will keep track of them to assist Ruth in finding relatives in the Netherlands.

Wednesday--Lots of construction in SLC so I think things here are going pretty well economically. We had three objectives there . First, stop at an Apple store to get a gift card. That was right in the heart of town so that’s a “dDop Ruth off and pick her up ...HERE, later”. It worked. Then a visit to my cousin Shirley the genealogist in the family . That was a lunch date at their senior residence near the south end of town. We shared some good things as I had not seen her in about 10 years. Another short visit was with a teacher with two sets of twins that I toured Korea with on a Fulbright Fellowship in 1986. She was VERY busy with two of her twins getting ready to depart for a mission in Chili next month. The younger set of twins are sophomores in HS there. Her husband died right after the second twins were born.

It was all good stiff and after gassing up at $3. 41/g (We beat Grand Rapids today!), we stopped at a I-Hop for some breakfast as Ruth needed some “comfort food”. She loves eggs in the evening.

So tomorrow e head south to Panguitch and then 5 days at Page AZ to see some canyons. We will send some heat your way...NO?

Pictures from Omak WA to Rich;and WA

2011-08-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

Scenes along the way from Omak to Richland WA.

Sunset at Omak RV Park

And you thought you had seen apple crates? -- Local melons going to market

This is "Dry Falls" after the ice age melting created this waterfall. World's biggest?

Hops up close

Young apple trees staked.

Irrigation ditches that return water to the Columbia R.

A general view that is repeated over many times near Yakima.

Days 75, 76, Th. August 18th; Fri. the 19th; 2011 Omak to Richland (2 days

2011-08-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

Days 75, 76, Th. August 18th; Fri. the 19th; 2011 Omak to Richland (2 days)

There is a very weak signal here so I will post pictures in a day or so . (Patience)

Day 75 , Thursday August 18, 2011---The Columbia River. I’ll bet you cannot draw, anywhere near the route that it takes on it’s journey to the Pacific Ocean? I thought I knew some of it, as a geographer of sorts, but while passing over it four times, and driving along side of it on both sides. I was totally confused as to which direction it travels. Well, don’t be baffled , it travels south (out of Canada) west (into Washington) , north (in Washington again) and then east as it tries to make it’s way to the southern boundary of Washington on the north side of Oregon. It makes a sharp northerly turn at Grand Coulee Dam (where the Dry Falls are located. It is as if it used to go there to the south (probably did if you see “Dry Falls” ) and then turns north again to get up steam, pick up a few rivers and then head south. Here at Richland it picks up the Yakima River (which runs west to east) and on the southern border it picks up the Umatilla River (which runs south to north) and many others. It is almost as if it picks up everything that is remotely close, absorbs it, and moves on. It runs through the desert country, the mountains, the great farmland (thanks to its water source for irrigation and it provides power, (we saw three of many dams for power) and provides fish for the table as well as water for general use. Without the Columbia River Eastern Washington would be a vast desert. It is mostly, but its abundance in fruit and wheat is due to the Columbia.

From Omak to The Dry Falls, we do see many fruit orchards and fruit stands that accompany them. This is along the lower reaches of the Okanagon River as when it reaches the Columbia the road keeps going along the Columbia. (N to S) There are many wheat fields (dry farmed) and three other lakes that have resorts and fishing activity. Then we move a bit SW and lo and behold there is the Columbia River again.It begins to move east again. We lose it as we continue south and get into the completely dry and arid grass land that make up the area of the Hanford Reach National Monument (Signed by President Clinton on 2000) and skirt the vast dry grasses of that 135,000 s.m. area until we reach the outskirts of Richland where the RV Park is located.

That evening we tried to cash traveler’s checks. Hey, no one told us that in the time we were gone that the policy of banks and credit unions would practically ban them from being cashed in. We tried three institutions before a Bank of America Officer kindly did that for us after checking his regulations. (I think he went over his boundaries.) Even the US Post Office would not cash them unless we purchased 50% of it from them. ($200.00 - $100.00 = $100.00) Are you kidding me? There is a problem that needs to be solved for future trips. (We do not use ATM’s if you think that would work). Any suggestions?

We aborted our haircut possibilities, (we were low on cash) but finally a shopping trip to stock up on foods since up in Canada, The Safeway took our Discover card (Canada and much of Washington would not. Advice is to carry two types of major credit cards). It was very frustrating for Ruth especially. We finally arrived back in the trailer and at 90 F we turned on the AC for the first time on the trip. It was a quiet night . a clear sunset, and great stars after 10:00 The sun sets here now at 7 :30 or so.

Friday the 19th (daughter Therese’s 49th birthday). Ruth put the crock pot on with pork chops and rice to cook, while we were gone. We were determined to see some part oa\f the Hanford Reach NWR. We ran into too many dead ends, as noone seemed to “really” know how to access it , and advised that we shouldn’t try as it was not ready for public use. Even the Kennewick Visitor Center with Sue who ran off some directions to one road, was not able to come up with more. We decided to go on two suggestions to look for N. Road 68 across the river out of Pasco. We did that and found a road that was about 2 miles long that accessed the Columbia River adjacent to many orchards and fruit farms. We did see some birds there and enjoyed the personal sight of the Columbia with some fisherman in boats trying their luck and the fish jumping near shore. An Osprey favored us with a rest on a nearby tree over the water, and some songbirds were seen. The workings of the orchards with irrigation was intriguing with the ditches returning water to the Columbia River and how they use their props for the trees. (see) . Ruth then wanted to see the Yakima fruit farms and stands. We drove west on I-82 until we came to Yakima Valley Road thinking the fruit stands would be on the “side” roads. All the way to Yakima (68 miles) and we did not see one fruit stand. An inquiry at a small store brought some help from Phong (Vietnamese woman) who directed us to a small town about 10 miles back the way we had come bit on a different road. So we dd that and found the fruit stands , many of them , made some purchases and returned by 4:15. Time for a rest and some log and blog before husking the fresh corn for supper. It was good and sweet and the pork chops were a change of pace for us. I did get the internet to work after some help from one of the staff. (Eldon) He taught me more in 10 minutes than I had ever heard before about Wi-Fi. There are ways to get better reception than depending on your computer . There are antennas , and power units that will help.

The evening was beautiful again and at 9:41 it is 73 F outside and cooling The moon has set and the stars start to shine. Tomorrow we head through Oregon and end up just over the border in Fruitland ID. The temp today was 90F , of course that is DRY heat!

Day 73 and 74 ,Aug 16,17 2011 Cache Creek to Hope,B.C. to Omak, WA USA

2011-08-17T21:46:00.001-07:00

Day 73 and 74 ,Aug 16,17 2011 Cache Creek to Hope,B.C. to Omak, WA US

A.The Boston Bar Tunnel south of Lytton BC. One of 7 tunnels on this road

1. Wooden carvings (One of many) seen throughout the town of Hope B.C. Long time project there.

2. The Simikameen River we followed out of Hope for 50 miles.

3. One of many rapids on the Fraser River .

4. These are California Mountain Sheep (ice age creature introduced into the area)

Tuesday Aug 16th, 2011---One thing I can say for the ride through these areas in Southern B.C.is that the scenery , and the climate really changes. From Cache Creek to Hope and a bit past that , there were many mountains close to the road, and the road mostly follows the edge of the mountains. Then when we left the Simikameen River south of Hope the climate changed abruptly. Instead of the lush , tall ,green evergreens especially the cedar, there begins a sparse ponderosa forest, and then desert sage all the way to Omak, WA.

But let’s take a trip down the Thompson/ Fraser rivers where the famous Hell’s Gate has spilled many a raft in the rapids there. The Thompson R. is on the east side of the road (BC#1) going south and picks up the NICOLA River (no kidding!) Then after we crossed to the east side, the Thompson joins the Fraser and the two great rivers are one magnificent waterway. There are many rafting spots along the way and one entrepreneurial person has placed a tramway that takes you down to the river some 2,000 feet. Ruth wasn’t interested. (!). The mountains reach up 5-7000 feet. The ubiquitous logging trucks fly by sometimes and I even passed one on an up hill as the road winds around the mountains for some 50 miles all the way to Lytton. After Lytton there are 7 tunnels (see pic) that go through the mountains for the vehicles and many for the trains on the track that parallels the road, (The train historically came first) (** That is a great trip from Vancouver to Cache Creek by train along this route). The trains (we saw 6 of them go by in less than an hour) carry mostly container boxes, coal, fuel (tankers) and some cartage. The trains are long , with well over 100-150 cars each. One train had a diesel engine at front in the middle and and the back end. I haven’t figured that one out yet.

Hope is a beautiful town set in the middle of the mountains, with a very good civic pride. The town has a park the likes of which I have never seen with huge 150 foot Red cedars that tower above the town. For a long while there have been wood carving on many of the street corners and they add new ones each year. (see pic), This was our night to dine out and we found a place called “Joe’s Restaurant”. Didn't sound like much but what’s in a name? Excellent decor, a patio, both booths and chairs (Ruth likes the softer booths), and a menu that had a wide selection. I tried a local “Berry” beer, and Ruth ordered the spare ribs (fall of the bone they did). It had a sauce that we found out had 10 ingredients in t. We narrowed down the apples, cinnamon, and the subtle tomato, but others were elusive. Not a salty Bar B Que sauce that we are used to (and accept). On Fri. and Sat. they serve Prime Rib cut to taste, with local mushrooms and all the trimmings. (Would that it were Friday!) The dessert we chose was a creme’ broule that was delicious. I told my friend Ian, my Australian friend who called that night, about that and he indicated that it was his favorite dessert. (He was visiting his daughter and two grandchildren in CA and called me for a pleasant surprise.)

Then on Wed August 17th 2011, we moved from Hope to Omak, Wa. and on the way experienced a tremendous change in scenery. We moved gradually down the Simikameen River and it’s great twists and turns (we were also doing the same thing) , until we found Princeton where the Okanagon River and Valley begins. This is an area of great irrigation and is filled with fruit from orchards and trees of all kinds.Right now the peaches, apricots and some apples are coming in. Here also is what is advertised as the ONLY Native owned vineyard in North America. Hmmm. Great idea. We did not stop to buy although we were tempted as the border crossing was just down the road and all fresh fruits and veggies would be confiscated. Now the terrain is rolling and dry, filled with sage, and dried grass where there is some. We saw again (2nd time) the sign that said “BADGER CROSSING”. I kid you not! Only in Canada. We never saw a Badger, but did see a tightly knit group of Mountain Sheep, probably members of the Okanagon heritage. (I will look that up when can.) The road didn’t twist as much nor did it have the ups and downs as before, but it was severely dry. The town of Osoyoos is almost on the border and that led to the BORDER CROSSING.It uneventful except for the giving up of a few tomatoes (she left the lettuce!). Then it was a short distance to Omak and that is where at 2:15PM we made a choice. Pick up a Pizza at Pizza Hut (first since Anchorage) or..what’s this? a Laundromat right next door. So we decided to do the laundry as we had lots of time to get to the campground. Carried it in, got it going and when the dryers got started I went over and ordered the Pizza to “Go”. It was a good plan and we got the laundry finished for another 10 days or so, (let’s see we last did it in Hyder (a small load some 7 days ago.) That laundry (Omak) is up for sale. Any takers?

We found the campground in a municipal park called the “Stampede Grounds” where they hold the rodeos and such. Very fine facilities . Honor system and full hook ups (WSE) under some trees .Trees were helpful as the temperature by 4:30 had reached 90 F .That was severe change for us as in Hope it was 77F and we though that was hot! So we had our pizza, rested, and watched the sun go down along with the temperature. By 8:20 PM it had cooled to 75 F and I believe by morning it will be well into the low 50’s in this desert country.The smell is singular as all the desert smells hit the nostrils. I remember my first impression of the desert in Bisbee AZ, in 1955 when at 2:00 AM I got off the train to await a truck to take me to the military post at Fort. Huachuca. It is still a vivid memory. Such sweet smells in the middle of a darknight. Tomorrow we head down the Okanagon Valley a ways and cross the Columbia River at least two times on the way to Richland,WA for a two nighter. Catch you then.

Days 70,71,72 Aug 13-15,

2011-08-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

1. The scenes begin to get pastoral in Central B.C. Lots of hay and only hay!

2. An avalanche along the Hyder/Stewart road is still there in August!

3.That quick storm that came through when we were setting up in Houston.

4. On the lee side of the mountains it is very dry through the valleys in Lower British Columbia.

Days 70,71,72 Aug 13-15, Houston, Quesnel to Cache Creek British Columbia.

Saturday- Moving from the tall timber to the dry lee side of the mountains. What a severe change of habitat in those 800 miles . We couldn’t have moved from Hyder without a few more time to stop an admire the scenery. Mostly it was mountains but one huge avalanche near Bear River on the road out. (Hyder access is a side road from the main highway). I found tht on this first stretch of road south, 4 things stood out os we drove.

We began to run out pf the tall trees (Sitka Spruce for one) as much logging had been done n the 1980’s and since.
Evergreen trees along the way were now interspersed with deciduous and especially quaking aspen. (All second growth)
We saw cattle and hay for the first time since the Matanuska Valley AK. (None in the Yukon Northern .BC.)
There were a few milk cows.

All that being said we are still in mountainous land that stretches for miles, has multiple mountain ranges that shall for the most part be nameless, and HEY! we saw more bear as we moved through the morning. KItwanga village was a stop that proved to be most informative. This is one of the centers of the PIne Matsutake mushroom picking industry, That species produces $35-45 milloin for the BC Provincial income each year. The Matsutake is a similar mushroom to the same one on Japan and is shipped there as well as to the USA. AKitwanga is a small town (300 pop) but important to the Provincial economy. PIckers follow the mushroom growth from California to BC. Three buyers were in town to buy the mushrooms and ship them.

A stop in Smithers for gas and a look at the World’s Largest Fly Rod (fully 80 feet high) and we were on our way to Quesnel for the night. The Shady Rest RV had the largest floral gardens of any we had seen on the trio,The owner , Val , had a greenhouse on the premises that housed tomatoes and her dahlias are magnificent. There were seven “formal” English style gardens there, We had a great time there watching the hummingbirds at the hibiscus. She had more than 20 hanging baskets as well.

Sunday- it was off to Houston (BC , not TX) and into the “Hay “ country. There was hay everywhere, rolled bales,and stacked bales, Some of the stacks were a pyramidical stye made of crossed bales about 8 feet high. Other ones were square stacks about 15 feet high> I had never seen them stacked like that. , There were more cattle and of course the ubiquitous logging mills for logs, lumber, chips, . One train was parked along side the road that had about 20 open cars full of wood chips ..heading for some processing plant. (16 years ago we used to burn all that waste.) but we saw no smokestacks these days. Ruth settled for an A and W root beer in Prince George (pop 50,000) where the forest industry really is king. Tourism is big as well, as it is a hub for a number of through highways. Here at Prince George the Fraser and Nechaco Rivers merge, the Fraser we will pick up again near Cache Creek along with the Thompson River. Ranching and mining also are important. A 72 mile canoe circuit tale sone around lakes to the beginning . Great fishing area as well . Often it is called the “Lakes District”. The town of Vandenhoof means ”of the farm” and it is well named. We arrived at Robert’s Roost RV off the main street and on a small lake there at Houston. We began to see more birds and Bald Eagle, Red Necked grebes were amoung them. We arrived just as a frontal rain poured down. We wisely waited in the car until it subsided in about 10 minutes.

Monday- We are doing about 200-220 miles per day and this allows us some “down time” after we arrive . Maybe an hour or 1 1/2 hours before supper. We still eat most all meals in the trailer. This morning I was in the shower and the inevitable happened. No water. Ruth had finished but I was just turning the water on.. I put on my clothes and checked all the lines and faucet. By the time I finished the water was working fine. Seems the Park is on a private water system and a “glitch “ happens every once in a while, so I shrugged off the shower and went on with the day. Our computer was not sending or receiving e mail so we had contacted the Apple guys, and he called in the AM and we “fixed” it. Only it didn’t allow our mail to go out now, We stopped at a McDonald’s to send a request for more help and the second time we stopped to do that we DID get our mail to work. It s working now quite well. The first Mcdonald’s we stopped at had Wi Fi , but no food (they were remodeling the store) , so we went our way to a visitor center in 100 Mile. That’s the name of the town. Now we are in the fishing, lodges, businesses and tourism area. This section has many lakes and the outdoor activities are all very busy at this time.

The Canadian National RR moved everyone out (burned some places) when they put the line through here to the north. Many of the towns have those “mile” names like 100 Mile, 106 mile, 70 mile, etc. The numbering started at Cache Creek as best as I can ascertain. We pulled into the Brookside RV Park at about 3:30 and got set up in site 66. It is a park that is surrounded by a cliff on one side and a small “brook” on the other. Very picturesque. We settled in and got caught up on some e mail and took a walk around the Park and up on the cliff on the north edge.

A note about driving, Some had wondered how we could drive that 10,000 miles (we passed that yesterday,) with all those hills and mountains to climb. On the Toyota Tundra there is a “Super” gear. It is labeled “S” and it has 6 (six) gears in it’s box. Usually I place it in “Tow Haul” on the shift lever and then drop the gear shift (hand shift) to “DS”. This allows me to use only the end of the handle of the gearshift to thumb up or down to the gear I want from 1-6. I can use the cruise control at the same time, but on hills the cruise will force it into a very high regular gear, so I take the cruise off just as I hit the upgrade. Got IT?

Three days to the USA border at Washington. HOpe and the Fraser River canyons tomorrow and Princeton on Wed

Day 6-7-8 Wed. Th.F. Aug. 10-11, 2011 Hyder AK

2011-08-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

Day 6-7-8 Wed.,Th.,F., Aug. 10-1112 2011 Hyder AK (Day 1-2)

1. A scene at Portland Arm (Stewart BC/Hyder AK This is the end of a 100 mile arm of the Inland Passage

2. Main Street , Hyder. It is not much.

3. An Arm of the Salmon Glacier , main part was fogged in. A 20 mile uphill, side of mountain, ride to get this far.

4. Bear Glacier on the road into Hyder/Stewart

5. A Sow teaching her cub to "fight"and defend on Fish Creek Hyder. Saw this 5 different times. Ruth will have a "bear video".

The morning was very cool at 36 F although there was a bright blue sky. The day warmed soon also closing the trailer went easily. The first portion of the road toward Hyder was newly poured gravel and very dusty. Fortunately it was only a few miles and then two road stoppages for road work (one was wet road and added mud to the vehicles) That didn’t last long as we got onto a good tar/pitch road for 100 miles or so. They make the tires rumble but are quite smooth. Two large switchbacks coming out of river bottom after bridges were the most difficult but after Telegraph Creek road thois was “duck soup”. (Where did that expression come from?) Two stops along the way for a stretch and four stops along the way to photograph the bears. They seemed to be out this morning. The road winds its way , (nothing like the Telegraph Creek road) but was smooth driving, and by the time we reached a half way point (140 miles) the road became a very tight surfaced blacktop road. So the driving was much easier. This road here winds through a number of mountain ranges in western British Columbia. In the early miles we caught sight of Mt Edziza that we saw on the way to Telegraph creek yesterday. It soon was hidden behind other nearer mountain ranges. There were many “hanging glaciers” and a few larger ones. The bears we saw were a large adult Grizzly (brown) and two, month old cubs (our guess), and two less than a year old cubs all seemingly alone, but with a Sow in the wings I am sure. One just looked up at me from the side of the road while he ate fresh clover in its prime. and headed back to eating not 20 feet away.

We ate lunch pretty much “on the fly” as we do sometimes , stopping just long enough to get some food from the trailer and get right back on the road again. Usually Ruth likes to cut up an apple and some yogurt. (Don’t tell the Canadian authorities we brought those across the border.) I settled for a sandwich and a carton of grape “Juicy Juice” (lots of vitamin C.) We gassed up at a place called Bells Crossing at 1.44/L (no effect of the drop in oil per barrel here, although I saw $80/bbl yesterday.) The “turn” to go to Stewart/Hyder is really not a turn at all as 37 is the road that turns and 37b heads straight for the coast. I told Ruth that I thought that the temperature near the coast would be warmer than the 36 F we experienced in the morning. It did get warmer and as we passed the Bear Glacier on 37b it was already 70 F . THis is a glacier that comes to its own lake with the ubiquitous river coming from under the glacier. We stopped for pictures there and the stopping lot to view the glaciers, was now on the other side of the road from where it was in 1996 , which takes it away form the huge “falling rocks” that we often see on the roads up here. The glacier seemed to have moved back (retreated) some 1/4 of mile since 1996.

We arrived in Stewart and slowly made our way through the main street (looks a lot like the “old west”), and past the border into USA and Hyder. Stewart has a few thousand people and Hyder has a few hundred. (A sign over one store says “Hyder--Home to 100 friendly people and a few ____ heads”. Many stores are boarded as it is not a prosperous townsite. They are both at the head of the Portland Canal (Arm) which is a 100 mile long fjord that starts on the inland passage (Pacific Ocean) and ends here. As you drive the mile out of Stewart to Hyder, you pass the huge port facilities which are mainly concerned with logging and at this time a huge dike building program to prevent the Bear river from overflowing each year into the port area. PIles of sandbags were seen at one facilty. Thousands of logs are laying there ready for shipment to overseas. We will visit the causeway to the dike on Friday. Should see some sea otters and eagles there.

This night after a simple supper, we visited the nearby bear viewing deck some 5 miles from the campsite .(The RV Park is named “Camp Run- A-Muck”. ) We drove the very dusty road (I was blinded ( a white out) by a logging truck driving at full speed ) and the dust was lingering as there was no wind. I came to a full stop as I could not see for a few seconds.We did observe the bears on the boardwalk there along with 200 other folks on a very long and wide board walk overlooking Fish Creek , where the bears fish for Chum and Pink Salmon. It was roomy and the people were very quiet and respectful of the bears.There were a few bears while we were there and some just right under the walk. I was a good close view for all. A large ‘griz’ chased two bears away just by his presence.

Tomorrow’s another day! ...of Bears and glaciers.

Thursday the 11th

The morning was very foggy and with low lying clouds on the mountains the chances of seeing the glacier up on the high mountains , wa slim, but we felt that we had a chance that the sky would open later in the morning. So, after breakfast wee packed a lunch and headed up the long and winding road to see the mines and the Salmon Glacier. THis is the glacier that feeds the mighty Salmon River right next to Hyder AK. Having lots of experience on the telegraph Creek road this could not be worse. It wasn’t but with the morning rain and the road getting muddier as we drove, I could see that it was just a shade under the difficulty of the Telegraph Creek road. Of course the saving grace was that ti was only 20 miles long as opposed to 65. This is an old ‘Mine road” so has had a lot of heavy duty travels over the 100 years it has been here . There are three mines on the road , only one of them recently resurrected in an attempt to cash in on the rising price of minerals in the world. IT was windy, but more it was the uphill constantly that was a “knuckle burner”. LOts of switchback, and edges to the steep valley of the Salmon River below,. Ruth was quiet most f the way and we stopped finally about 3 miles from the Summit, to tae a picture of the “toe” of the Salmon Glacier. IT was a good thing we did as we drove another 2 miles it became so foggy that I had to stop , turn around and return down the mountain. I could not see the road for the clouds . BUt we did get to see the least part of the glacier and Ruth got some “intriguing “ pictures of clouds, water and glacier. gain it is best to keep focus and on the downhill I used the “super gears” again and was in 2 and 3 most of the way. We saw no bears, Moose or any wildlife.

Because we were back soon, we ate lunch in the trailer a sort of “picnic” in the trailer. After a brief respite, it was time to go to Stewart to get a few groceries and pick up a better map of Northern BC, and maybe get a bite to eat. We did that , after a brief stop at the customs office (the Canadians want to insect every car that has already gone into Hyder unchecked, and check them on the way out. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but then government can be intriguing. e did stop to get a map from Tyler at the Visitor center and gleaned some info about the stores in town. He know the answers. Then a trip to the grocery, but the pick-ins were slim as it is difficult , (just like it is in the “bush”) , to get fresh veggies and fruits. We are so fortunate in the Lower 48 to be able to do this. Always count your blessings and thank the Lord for all the blessings we receive. Then I showed Ruth the Mobile restaurant LIke a 1940‘s diner on wheels) set up on a vacant lot . The man from Saskatchewan (Seam Ackerman) has cuisine dinners and homemade bread. I talked Ruth into looking at his menu and she ordered his homemade “pulled pork” sandwich (no BBQ sauce!) a loaf of his homemade bread while I had his vinaigrette salad with calmelized broule’ slice on top. It was delicious and Ruth loved it too. The carmelized Broule’ added a special taste.The bread (after tasting at our trailer) was excellent (white and no additives) . He makes his own hamburger buns as well. We hope he has a continued successful summer. We played with the computer at a Wi Fi hotspot, as the Comcast connection has failed to send our email in to us. We played with tat for an hour but never did get a connection. We crossed over the border back into USA again and settled in for the evening with a heart dinner made from scratch. (Sean (the chef) pulls his own pork for the pork sandwich. IF the rain lets up enough we will go up to see the bears again at 6:30 just about the time they start to feed in the evening. (6:30 it s still raining hard!)

Hyder...a town of some few hundred people in which there are no “lawmen” no town council and generally no rules at all. Most everyone totes a gun for bear protection, and as Wes says at the General Store , you don’t want to meet a Sow bear with two cubs standing in just your shorts and a T shirt. The entry to the townsite (that’s what they call it) it a very rutted 1/4 mile stretch that turns onto a 1/2 mile mud (with rain) road , that is dusty dry when it doesn’t/. There is no street maintenance , so the ruts stay there I assume year around. People either like it here, have some work, or move on. There are many boarded up businesses in the first block f town, and I would defy you to be able to pick out the two restaurants in town. They are there but unobtrusive as possible.

In the after noon Ruth and i took a drive to the “wharf” which is a wooden , one lane, raised pier that goes put into the bay about 1/3 of a mile. There at the end os a small “Island” that is both a boat launch and a turn around. It is a fascinating drive over the water (low tide ) some 15 feet below. This is an all wood ,laminated, wooden post 8 foot wide structure worth seeing. I’ll try to get a decent picture tomorrow when the sun comes out !!! We did see some eagles by the water, a Great Blue Heron, and a few Oregon Juncos. No sea otters, but lots of work on the dike project to protect the town from the waters of Bear River in the spring.

Day 69, Fri. Aug 12, 2011 Hyder AK “Crossing the border three times”

Today was unusual as I went across the border three times, once with Ruth and twice without her. But let’s start in the morning when we made an appointment in Stewart (remember we have to go through customs going INTO Canada only from Hyder) So with a appointment for an oil change , we decided to see the bears in the morning after I had the 8:00 oil change. After crossing the border , I stopped at the “all purpose” gas station,** (more later on that) , but the mechanic would be tied up all morning so we agreed on 2:00 PM time to come back. I crossed back into the USA again and picked up Ruth to do some bear watching in late AM. It was fortuitous as two bears (a Sow and large cub) were putting on a show as Ruth got there while I parked the car and had a walk from the overflow parking lot (This place really gets crowded ). That went on for more than an hour as the Mom was teaching the cub how to fight and played with it for long stretches. (good videos of that match) Then it was “learn to fish” time. It was probably lesson 25 or 30 as the little one finally did catch one on his own and Mom continued to eat and get her fill. Bears must increase by 2 X their weight by winter so they have enough fat stored up to make it through the long winter. The fish here as we said, are Chum and Pinks. That was a terrific “drama” put on by Mom and son.(?)

Then we went to pack a lunch to eat in Stewart waiting for the oil change, and on the road into Stewart/Hyder (37) there are two large waterfalls that Ruth wanted to get while the trailer was off. So, back across the border INTO Canada customs again, and right to the waterfalls (10 miles down the road ) which are about 2,000 feet in all. Ruth got a video and some sunny pictures. Then back into Stewart where we parked at the city park (next to the Visitor Center) and had one of our few picnic lunches at a picnic table. Today in Stewart is “Bear Festival Day” so they were setting up the band for the night on a bandstand there. After lunch we walked the long board walk immediately behind the bandstand into the tidal basin to look for whatever we could find. Usually we could find flowers or a bird or two and we were not disappointed . Two new flower pictures , arctic dock, and a potentilla type were there. There were also Barn Swallows that we hadn’t seen in a while, too. Earlier in the day we observed Richardson’s (Canadian) Geese , a bit smaller that the Canadians we are used to in the east. The same Kingfisher was seen as well. Birds are not as plentiful here as some places. Later in the day I spotted (no pun intended) a Spotted Sandpiper by the RR tracks at the end of town. But... back to town where we left Ruth. I took her back to the trailer as it was to be 2:00 for the oil change and we had 1 hour to go. After a bit I headed back across the border INTO Canada one more time. When I arrived at the Petro Station, they said that the mechanic was unable to do it at two o’clock, as he had three tires repairs and a set of brakes to finish, but he would be ready at 3:00. “OK”, I said, so I tooled around town for a bit looking at beautiful flower beds, (They get 150” of rain here) and catching up on my log. At 2:45 I arrived to have the truck serviced. and he was ready .I drove out at 3:45 after getting acquainted with the help and how that station works. It is a place that does “EXPEDITING” of services. Ambulances, helicopters (to the mines) , tools and equipment to all services, etc. Quite a lot of things to keep track of. Besides that they are the only parts store (auto /truck) within 100 miles+ and also operate as a hardware store. All types of fuel oil, Propane, car washes, and the mechanical work. Mary Jane runs a steady ship with great help.

So I headed the car back and returned to the trailer one more time. Ruth and I had supper and headed for the Bear watch after 6:30 PM. We waited a while, but in the bushes across a small creek I spotted the young black bear peek out from the bushes. It stayed out of cover until it hit the bank of the dike that the viewing boardwalk was on. Then it zoomed past everyone and into the bushes at the other end of the boardwalk. It finally emerged alter 25 minutes (probably eating berries) down the river a ways. Ruth had the large lens on so the close up didn’t come out. She got a few and I got to see a running bear up close. IT was another special treat of wildlife.

That was the today and the last one here in Hyder where everyone can be their own person. Tomorrow we head south toward Houston (BC that is!) and start a string of one nighters until we reach SL City.UT. Ride along with us!

Day 66 Tuesday August 09, 2011 to Telegraph Creek

2011-08-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

IT looks like I cannot download any pictures tonight , but I will keep trying ("Slow" Wi-Fi). I may have to try again in the morning when there is little traffic. I will place the three days here in Hyder all in one blog as it will be bears, a huge glacier, and a bit about the bears on the highway coming down here. Weather has been great with a 77 F today as we neared the coast. It stayed in the 70's until about 9:00 Pm. Stay tuned.

Day 66 Tuesday Aug 09, 2011 A side trip to Telegraph Creek BC

There is only one way to describe driving to Telegraph Creek, BC, on that road of the same name. Difficult! The 63 miles are filled with up and down hills, twists and turns at every curve (does that sound redundant?), switchbacks in both directions to the right and to the left so the steep mountainsides might be on the driver’s side or the passenger’s side. (Ruth did NOT like the “drop off”side.) The switchbacks that were most severe, (and there were many) were of 20% incline and 18% incline. All of this on an “improved” gravel road, so slippage is not to be tolerated on the gravel. I found that using the “Super low” gear on the Tundra and then using the 6 levels it offers saved a lot of braking. Usually #2 gear was slow enough to keep the car from speeding up going downhill, but a few times even that was not enough. Then I would put it into the lowest gear (#1) and let the engine do the braking. On uphills where it was the steepest I started slowly and accelerated after the wheels had good traction. Again the gravel , especially on uphill, and a 20% grade, will not stay in place easily. The key was focus and making sure you were in the right gear for the right circumstances. No admiring the scenery on that trip. There were a few turnouts where we did that.

I thought you would like to know all this before we started out on the day. A strange phenomena happened when I asked Ruth what she remembered about our trip here in 1996. She said until we got to the actual village she remembered nothing of it. How’s that for selective memory?

The forests that surround the first 40 miles of the drive are right to the edge of the road so there is not much else to see, but we did pick up a few birds along the way including some Spruce Grouse and Juncos. This portion of the road in all honesty is good packed gravel and although quite level, it has some curves. We moved right along at 35 mph except for the curves. One item there were a lot of was “bear scat” along the road all the way in to the end. There must have been hundreds of them and most of them as fresh as a day or two. Are there bears around, well I guess so.

Then came a series of switchbacks that allow the traveler to descend the canyons of three rivers that feed the Stikine River which runs to the ocean at Wrangell AK. I can picture the gold rush participants along trails here and in the 1940’s the trucks that moved equipment from Telegraph Creek to Watson Lake , via boat at Dease Lake when the Alcan Highway was being built. I am sure many an Army vet has stories to tell of those days. The road has awesome views if you are the passenger. The canyon views, the mountains in the distance especially Mt Edziza at 10,000 feet plus which is still encased in snow. There is a huge recreation area there for hikers and backpackers. Men were working on the bridge at the Tuya River, so there was a 20 minute delay (see pic). I got to talk to an Aussie there who was going around the world , working as he went. His job for BC Hydro (tech equipment) was a two year commitment although he had seen most of Asia already. We did not see bear or wolf but did watch a young Golden Eagle fly right over. We finally arrived at Telegraph Creek and got pictures and had an ice cream cone at the new restaurant that has taken the place of the general store that was there in that building. The store (now a restaurant) had changed a lot and was serving 10-12 people that noon. It was a short stop but worth seeing while touching a bit of North American History. (See previous days blog).

We settled for eating out after we got back, but were disappointed with the hamburger that was served Ruth. The management made some allowances for that in the bill. My fish was very good on the other hand. We caught the restaurant at a bad time as they have an interim cook until the new one arrives next week. We don't eat out often so it was disappointing to get a poor meal. The day was sunny and dry, and the temperature by the Stikine River was in the low 70’s (F). tomorrow we head fro Hyder, the bears, and three days of viewing. Should have some more great pictures of bears on the river salmon fishing. Wednesday AM it was 37 F.

Trip South Mon. Aug,08,2011 to Dease Lake Brit. Col.

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The British Columbia road 37 south to Dease Lake is improved gravel and without the intense frost heaves that the Alaska Highway had at times . Granted it is in permafrost country so one has to be aware. I found that 40-45 mph was about right so slowing quickly was not a problem.We did see a Sow Grizzly bear and her two young cubs (4-6 week) so that was a welcome sight and we watched her until she felt that moving away from this "big white thing" along the road was the better part of valor. There were no other animals. The road is mostly shoulder less, and the trees come quite close to the road. (See pic). There are many lakes along this route and the best gift of the area is its' fishing for grayling, trout and other lake fish. No salmon here. Tomorrow we head for Telegraph Creek (see Below), see some bits about that town. The sun is shining and it is 66 F. Good stuff

Telegraph Creek

Stikine River, Northern BC

On a terrace overlooking the Stikine River, one can step back in time in the beautiful little community of Telegraph Creek, which gets its name from an overland telegraph line to Yukon, the assembly of which started in 1866.

The project was stopped when the first Trans-Atlantic submarine cable was laid, then started again during the Klondike Gold Rush. The cable was finished in 1901, and abandoned in 1936, when wireless radio killed it. Though the Yukon Telegraph Trail is mostly overgrown over to the south of Telegraph Creek, a 265-km stretch still survives between Telegraph Creek and Atlin, and is open to the serious backpacker.

The fascinating history of the Dease Lake and Telegraph Creek area dates back a century to the Yukon Gold Rush era. Telegraph Creek witnessed the discovery of gold by prospectors on the Stikine River in the 1860s, and was the head of navigation for paddlewheelers during the plans for the Collins Overland Telegraph Cable.

Today, Telegraph Creek is a predominantly Native settlement, with many restored buildings dating back a century or more. There are many deserted historic buildings in the town itself, as well as some that have been restored, including the original Hudson's Bay Company Store, which is now a cafe, general store and lodge.

Probably the most remote town in BC assessable by road, Telegraph Creek is reached via a rough Forest Service road that runs southwest from Dease Lake, passing through the Stikine River Provincial Park, skirting the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River, and passing through Telegraph Creek to end in Glenora, another gold rush boomtown in its heyday. This is 60 mies and a tough drive with some 15% and one 20 % downhill

LAst Day on the Heron (Day 8) Mon. Aug 2, 2011

2011-08-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

These were the last pictures we took in regard to the Petersburg, Inland Passage Cruise. Some were on the plane flying back to Anchorage and we were fortunate and quick enough to get a few good shots. Mendenhall Glacier is directly opposite the campus of the U of A (Juneau), Herbert Glacier is a bit inland but near Juneau (north) , The "Thumb" is a excellent marker for ships at sea as it is almost due east of Petersburg. (We will see this when we get to Telegraph Creek this week from the other side.) And for your watching enjoyment, the crew of the "Heron" who treated us royally and made us feel like it was our home for a week. Hope you enjoyed this tour with us. I would like to hear any comments you might make even on e- mail.- Jim

Mt. Thumb, Canada/USA (AK) border marker.

Coastal Mtns. Downtown Petersburg ,AK Mendenhall Glacier (Juneau) Coastal Mtn.

Orcas moving in pods

Last day on the Heron (Day 8) Monday August 2, 2011

It would be very difficult to top any of the sights or sounds that we have been privileged to witness this week. But maybe this day had another gift to present? It was very foggy as we left Farragut Bay, but the clouds lifted by 9:30 as we headed out to Frederick Sound and headed in the direction of Petersburg (southeast). We had to be in port about the time the tide was still low and ideally at slack tide. Scott thought he spotted some whales and sure enough he did. But this time it was not the Humpbacks but the ORCAS. He had been told on the radio that they were headed north so thought

SCOTT, DANIEL, ARIA

we would miss them, but they were heading south and moving fast. They move much faster than the Humpbacks do. These weigh in at the 10-15 ton size.There they were with those tell tale fins protruding up in the water as they “bob” along up and down with brief surfacing time to breathe. There were pods of three, some single, and more pods of 5-6 catching up with us as we moved south. This was the surprise and we relished in seeing them as it was quite unusual to see so many at once. We did linger as they moved ahead of us and we returned to head for Port. It was a fitting ending to the cruise as we had pretty much ‘seen it all’. We had seen the sea at various moods, rain and sun, tidal zones on the rocks, glaciers, bears of all sorts and sizes, whales, bubble-net feeding, sunsets, rainbows, sea otters, seals, eagles, lots of birds, waterfalls, mountains, successful fishing and good food. It was glorious!

Aria and Daniel got the boat ready to dock with their chores (bumpers, lines, etc) and we finally docked at very low tide. We said our goodbyes and took a few last pictures while David was there to pick us up to shuttle us to the hotel Scandia right on the money. Scott took our fish to the Cannery where we would make arrangements to ship later that day. We did a walking “tour” of this small town , and did some shopping and exploring. We had an extra treat as Julie and Scott Hursey agreed to come to dinner with us where we reminisced about the trip and other trips we had and Scott’s stories that she found that he had related on the trip. Julie works at the hospital now and continues her Am show on NPR in OPetersburg . Could we ask for anymore than we received. No. We are grateful for all that we received. Deo Gratias

PIctures to accompany the last few days. (August 7-8th) 2011

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We drove from Kluane to Teslin on Saturday through the Takhini Valley and across many of the US Army's bridges that they build on the "Alcan"highway. Stopping at some places but seeing also many abandoned and shuttered places as well. Sunday we ended the Alaska Highway portion as on Monday we head south on the Cassiar Highway (B.C. 37) toward the Washington Border. This will be a 10 day trip with three nights at Hyder AAk, to see the bears there on Fish and Mark's creek's, and another day to drive to Telegraph Creek (Gold center in the 1890's) and back again and perhaps get some Tahlkan smoked salmon on the way. Probably no internet until 5-6 days , so hang on until then you faithful readers.

1. Campsite at "Baby Nugget RV Park" at the junction of the Alaska Hwy. and BC 37 (Cassiar Hwy. S.)

2. A basic mp that shows the routes we took in and around Alaska and the Yukon.

3. Sunset through the rain that caused the below picture (Rainbow) Teslin.

4. Grizzly bear that did not stay around long but Ruth did get a few pictures of it. I think it saw the snow on the mountains that morning and decided to get busy eating.

5. Rainbow opposite the sun shining through the rain . (above)

On the Heron days 4,5,6 and ,7

2011-08-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today ,(Sat August 16m 2011), we moved from Kluane Lake to Teslin Yukon. The morning was cold (42F) and there was "termination dust" on the mountains as it snowed above 6,000 the night before. There were some 40 sheep on the mountains below the snow. We also saw a Grizzly bear on the roadside. It was moving fast but got a few shots. The road today was much better than yesterday when we averaged some 25 mph the 230 miles from Tok. (many frost heaves) Today the average was above 40 mph. Also seen were many horses for the backpacking business near Haines Junction and a large group of mule deer along side the road. Beautiful Takhini Valley was in view for hours. Crossed the Yukon River and saw Lake LaBarge (Robert Service fame) , Marsh Lake and Teslin Lake which is 73 miles in length stretching across the USA/ CA border. OH...crossing the border yesterday was a breeze. Just smiled and went through HA!

NOW FOR SOME MORE DAYS ON THE "HERON"

Day 4 and 5 on the Heron (SE Alaska Inland Passage)

Coming out of North Dawes Bay the waterfalls were much subdued n the morning as the rain had stopped and they held less water, but still were a remarkable view from the boat. Scott headed into Endicott Arm again as we looked for bears and dodged icebergs . We did watch a mother bear (Black) and her cub for about 30 minutes and then proceeded to Stephens Passage once again. The day was less gray, but there was some ran in the air. A second short cove had lots of Eagles and Canadian Geese (an experimental Project locally), but still no brown bear that Scott anticipated. We now were out of the rock mountains and into forested areas once again . After a lunch of chicken roll ups, we headed for Woods Spit at the entrance to Stephens Passage and a walk on the beach (rocky shoreline) . Here after a zodiac ride to the shore we got our land legs going for the first time in 4 days, and started to “comb” the beach for whatever we could find. A nesting Lincoln’s sparrow caught both Daniel’s and my eye and he got some good shots of that with her young just fledged. Gerri looked for rocks for her garden (They go back to MI in our trailer, and we have a standing joke that she pays by the pound!). Ruth stayed on board as the rock walking would have been difficult. The tide was not low so water was about in the middle of the beach. I spotted two flocks of Harlequins and Oyster Catchers (about 25 in each) and pursued a few pictures of them away from where we walked. It was a bright afternoon so walking was easy. There was lots of kelp and sea weed on the beach, shells, and especially sea urchins. The water was calm so seeing through the water to the rocks was “cool”.

After about 1 1/2 hours we returned to the Heron where Scott found that the hoist to the Zodiac did not work so he tied it (at least temporarily) to the back of the boat. This lasted one more day. We headed for Admiralty Island a National Monument set aside entirely for wildlife and wildlife viewing along with the mountains, lakes and streams. The sun came out which felt good as it had not up to this point on the trip. We headed for a small cove on Gambier Bay between few islands. Even though it faces the open waters of Stephens Passage it is protected most of the time by the islands .Scott calls this cove “The Screaming Kayakers Cove” He told us the story of the kayakers who were camped here one time when they anchored here and the woman came out to chastise him when he anchored there, for interrupting their “wilderness experience” in no uncertain terms. Scott explained to the woman that it was ALL a wilderness experience and that she was welcome to go some other place to have her “wilderness experience”. In the morning she came back out, in her kayak, and asked him if she had been “too aggressive” the night before??? Scott had many more stories some funny and some sad that I will work in along the way.

Day 5 on the Heron (SE Alaska Inland Passage)

HALIBUT---WHALES---BROWN BEAR--SUNSHINE---FISH DINNER

Yes it was a “whale” of a day. (Couldn't let that pass). After breakfast we left “Screaming Kayaker Cove” and headed out of Gambier Bay entered Stephens Passage . Scott was heading toward Halibut waters. * As Halibut usually feed on ledges in the ocean bottom, Scott looks for some likely places that they would do that. After 30 years in these waters he knows many of them. On the way to that spot, we saw 20-25 Humpback whales some of them breaching (jumping out of the water and creating a huge splash which some interpret as pure joy and fun for the whales) and some with young ones in their first trip to Alaska from Hawaii their “birth state”. The young ones stay close to Mom for sure. The seas were rough out on the open waters and the boat rocked or the first time on the trip. Setting the downline and with hooks baited with herring, Andy caught the first one in a short time. It was raining with a stiff wind. Soon after that we moved to the west side of Grove Island and got out of the wind between the islands. This was followed by an anchorage at Cannery Cove , a rare piece of private land left from an old Cannery earlier in the 20th century takes up a portion of the cove. It is now a fishing resort run by a man that has had some run ins with the law in Alaska. We anchored there, however away from the Lodge. Immediately Scott spotted some bears in the grassy area at the end of the cove. THIS GUY IS GOOD! It was a Sow and her 3 cubs , a rare sight indeed, We followed them and behold more Brown bears come out and we were able to see 4 bears and the sow and cubs. Quite a sight as they grazed on grass and worked a small salmon stream that came out into the Cove. Remember that the salmon are running now until the fall so the Bears must fatten up for the winter . It is a great salmon year in Alaska, so they should all get enough nourishment especially those that feed on fish. The rain stopped. For supper we had stuffed Halibut as the main dish. Daniel taught us a card game from Israel called “Kaboo”. which is played with all dealt cards down. Then it gets complicated to find the cards. Fun!

A great day for and more to come tomorrow.

Another of Scott’s stories almost ended in tragedy at Endicott Glacier. A couple (man and woman) had beached the skiff on the rocks near the glacier (too close?) so that they might get some videos for a company. They had walked up the rocks to get a better few so were away from the skiff. A huge piece of the glacier calved and when it hit the water it made a huge wave heading for the rock outcropping. The man saw it coming and made a choice. 1. Go up to higher ground to escape, or 2. Try to get the skiff before the wave hit. He AND HIS WIFE chose the latter and they got to the skiff at the same time the wave hit which threw them into the icy water (40 F) and he lost the skiff , but saved a sealed, equipment box. Now they were both in trouble as they did made it back to the rocks but were suffering from hypothermia. Unfortunately there was a boat nearby that didn’t see that happen, but as the man was able to retrieve and fire off a flare from the box, the boat saw it and came to their rescue. The woman suffered for awhile but recovered. Moral: know you limits and stow your skiff adequately. Cold water can kill you.

Day 6 and 7 On the Heron (SE Alaska INland Passage)

Early in the morning we continued to see the Brown bears eating at the head of the cove where we anchored (Cannery Cove). Bald Eagles were around as well and as usual as they are part and partial of this SE Alaska. Three kayakers came from that Lodge I mentioned, and beached their kayaks and walked toward where the bears were feeding (Remember a Sow with three cubs is not to be messed with). The Kayakers started to walk toward the bears and after about 100 yards stopped to talk, and that was as far as they went after seeing the bears they wisely went back to their kayaks and headed back to the Lodge. Scott had us weigh anchor and headed for Halibut fishing as the tides were right (slack tide) for fishing Halibut. Scott moved to a favorite place between two islands. Hooks attached, downlines secured and Andy caught one, then I did. Now we got the ladies into it and Ruth and Gerri both caught one. Gerri also caugt three small crabs at once, and Andy caught two Sculpin. We now had enough to ship home for winter dinners. They were all under 38” in length as that is the South East (zone) size limit this year. Only one per day can be caught and a limit of three total.

Among a kelp bed we saw some sea otter. That is one of their favorite hangouts as there is plenty of food there. Scott cleaned the fish before lunch and stored them in ice for keeping. Ruth had a big smile on her face when she caught hers. I’ll try to put that picture in. Later we fished for, and caught, two salmon (Coho) both Gerri and me .

Scott headed for Kake, a small and historic (ancient) village that has a creek with bears by a salmon hatchery . After anchoring and taking the zodiac to the pier, we walked the 3/4 mile to the hatchery and sure enough, there were black bears all over the place. Sows with cubs, many by themselves and many getting fish at will out of Gunnuk Creek. The fishery there has built a visitor Center, a fine,safe boardwalk with a railing along the north side of the creek for viewing. Ruth watched one bear walk down a paved walkway right next to her while she was sitting on a bench. It was quite an awesome spot and the bald eagles habited the same spot in a tree viewing food as well. It is is a “NO FISHING” stream so the bears have free reign. On the walk back to the pier and the zodiac, I saw a flock (200) of Black Bellied Plovers fly by a few times and many Bald Eagles flew over our heads. The sun was shining. Dinner was the Halibut we caught cooked with Julie’s (Hursey) recipe under a sour cream sauce. MMMMMmmm. * {One secret to Halibut cooking is the take it out just before it is finished as it cooks a bit longer in it’s one juice.} We anchored in the Keku Islands in the Keku Straits. The cove there was situated so we could look east and west . The sunset was a beautiful one with ever changing colors and in the middle of it there was a rainbow on the brilliant white/cream clouds reflecting the sun in the east. What a fantastic day!

Day 7 on the Heron

This was the last full day at sea on the Heron and we still wanted to add to the salmon catch. We did catch one but it was a “pink” so released it. We caught nothing so proceeded to look for more whales. Scott had his microphone in the water to listen for their calls and he did hear what he said were “bubble feeding” calls . There were whales across the Sound , so we headed that way. It seemed to be a long way to pick up the calls but we saw none so returned to the galley to have some hot chocolate to warm up. Scott kept trying to find them and perhaps it was the same group as we approached some 45 minutes later it was obvious that we were seeing the whales BUBBLENET FEEDING near Cape Fanshaw. Here there is a ledge that goes out some 1/2 mile into the Sound and they were working this area for schools of herring back and forth from the point of the Cape to some distance out in the Sound and back. The herring were plentiful and the whales were feasting on them.

Here was a group of 8-10 of them surfacing, getting air and then,while one heads down to create the bubbles around the herring the others wait a bit and then dive under the “net” and come up in the middle gathering the herring as they refuse to go outside the “net. The herring do not go beyond the bubble barrier. When they surface the Humpback whales all come up at the same time with their mouths open and their baleen exposed to see. (see picture). A humpback whale opens its mouth some 15 feet or so from lower jaw to upper lip. It is a glorious display of 500 tons of creatures coordinating in order to survive. What a display. We watched them for fully 2 hours as the surfaced time after time .One surfacing was so close to the boat that we could have jumped onto their backs (wouldn’t do it!) from the boat. Scott did get some pictures of that one as he was the closest. So beautiful! At one point there were 12-14 of them and then they divided into two groups and “voila” we saw TWO pods of them BUBBLENET FEEDING at the same time on the surface. That really surprised us as no one got a picture of that!. Total numbers changed as some more whales came and others departed (Is there a pecking order in whales?...Probably). We stayed near them until we had our fill and came inside to warm up again as it was a cold wind on the seas.

We had a halibut paste and cracker snack with Pb and J sandwiches with fresh green peppers. That evening we anchored on Farragut Bay and had a supper of Coho salmon pasta, green beans and brownies a la mode (Tillamook ice cream). No pretty sunset tonight, but what a day!

One more day to post.

Day 1,2, and 3 on the "Heron" (SE Alaska Inland Passage)

2011-08-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

Today , August 04, 2011 , we traveled from Anchorage to Tok to start the journey south and saw one momma Moose and one rainbow. Could not stop in time to get a picture of either. A good memory. Following is the start of the "Heron" cruise.

The trip on the High Seas Inland Passage -(Alaska) July 25 to Aug 2

Where do I start? Do I tell about the land mammals (bears, black and brown,) the sea mammals (Orca and Humpback whales, sea lions, sea otters), the fishing (both Halibut and Coho Salmon), the scenery (mountains, water, tide, or snow pack), the glaciers (many), the many waterfalls, the forests (some designated as National Wilderness), the boat, the food, kayakers, other boats, or the weather? It isquite a list and maybe it is best to tell what we saw as the seven days progressed. So here goes and with a little luck and some condensing of the days, the story should be completed in a few days or less.

THE HERON

`Day 1 It was moving from the hotel (The Scandia House) in Petersburg where we had flown from Anchorage the day before, to the boat pier and carrying our luggage to the “Heron” our home for the 7 nights. (Petersburg, it might be noted is north of Ketchikan and south of Juneau on the SE Panhandle of Alaska.) We met the crew ...Daniel the recently discharged Israeli army young man who was the second mate and asst. cook,; Aria the able cook and 1st mate on this trip. Daniel would take her place for a few weeks as she attended two weddings in Washington in the next time frame. We were familiar with the boat having sailed with her on two previous occasions so brief rules and regs. were described by the Captain ,Scott Hursey. He especially brought our attention to the use of the to

ilet as it works on a vacuum procedure and can get clogged if not worked properly (We ended the week without a mishap.) Scott also commented that “Where was the rest of your luggage?” We had only 5 bags among 4 of us.

We got under way immediately heading northwest, on an overcast sky and a light, rain steeped morning (9:30 AM), and headed up Frederick Sound toward the first moorage for the night. Along the way on the first day it was the number of BALD EAGLES that we saw that caught our eyes. There were dozens of them and probably one every 1/4 to 1/2 mile or so. Many roosting in tall trees as they spend 80% of their days just resting,. Scott pointed out a mother Black bear and a cub on the shore and we lingered there for a bit watching her nibbling the barnacles and other goodies on the tidal rocks. N.B.; IT must be noted that Scott is a master at many things, but spotting wildlife while on the move in the boat is one of his best. I do not think he ever missed an animal as we move throughout the week. We did see some HUMPBACK WHALES spouting but never caught up with them. Until we reached the “Five Fingers Islands” where two Humpbacks were breaching and we lingered with them for about one hour. What a

BALD EAGLE

sight to see 30 tons leap out of the water and comedown with a huge splash over and over again. After a dinner of chi

cken marinated with olives, tomatoes and mushrooms, along with multigrain bread, green beans, and wild rice we ended with a slice of fresh carrot cake that had been wafting through the boat most of the day. As we were about ready to retire for the night, three ORCA WHALES moved through the dim light of the anchorage but we saw only their splashes and then they disappeared. (More of these later)

JIm kept a list of birds seen, although species were limited to 20-25, the numbers were voluminous of some species. More on those later, too. It was a good start to the week. We anchored in Port Houghton, a large bay, for the first night.

Day 2.

Each morning I tried to wake at about 5:30 to watch for wildlife, and although we were well south of Anchorage (and Juneau) there was plenty of light at 4:30, so by 5:30 the light was sufficient to see clearly. The first morning I saw the daily Eagles (Bald), Common Murres and some Mew Gulls. Breakfast at 7:00-7:30 each morning was usually a simple meal with cereal, yogurt, fruit and coffee or tea. One morning we had scrambled eggs and toast. (This was all our choice as they asked us our food list before the trip.) Then it was moving quickly to a salmon mode for fishing. Scott had us in between tides so we got the gear ready to fish. . Trolling with lines out affixed with lures was the method. Andy and I hit on 4 salmon right away and we began to fill the box for sending back home. These were Coho salmon and averaged about 12 pounds each. (27” or so). The first one was #20. That day we caught 9 fish in all. This was a good start as we paid the $35.00 to fish all week for Salmon and Halibut.- Lunch was veggie soup (with lots of veggies) . Afternoon it was WHALE watching as we saw some as close as 100 feet from the boat and then 3 of them surfaced with in 15 feet of the boat, looked up at us and then did the same thing on the other side, That was unbelievable. So close and there is so much intelligence in those creature’s huge bodies. Everyone was understandably excited at that rare sight. Later we did see sea lions and 30 Harbor seals on a small rock outcropping as we moved north. We stayed that night at Sanford arm just off Stephens Passage in a small bay. Supper was some of the salmon we had caught that day. Topped with pesto and dried tomato sauce. YUM.

HUMBACK WHALE NEAR BOAT

Day 3

As we moved into Endicott Arm from Stephens Passage, (Our farthest north leg of the trip) we began to see icebergs that came from the Endicott GLACIER some 30 miles up the Arm. We watched a mother BEAR (Black) and her two cubs eating grass along the shore at one point. The dynamics of old glaciation begin to show as we move from the forested western end of the 30 mile fjord toward the glacier. Gradually the trees give way to rocks and large scoured boulders and whole mountainsides that no longer have living plants on them, but only the striation marks of the glaciers that thousands of years ago made this fjord. The bare rock mountains continue right up to the glacier itself. All the while Scott is maneuvering the boat around the large icebergs (wooden hull), as we get ever closer to this massive 200 foot front of ice. IT is about 3/4 mile across. Occasionally a few pieces of ice fall into the water with a splash. Many gulls work the waters for food from the up welling caused by the calving ice. I saw a large, dark bird chasing the gulls for food. I thought it might be a sea bird,, but later Scott stated he thought more likely a Jaeger (Pomerine). I believe he was right after examining the features closely. He chased those gulls for 20 minutes.

THEN! an excited shout from Jim went out as we heard “WOW! There she goes” as a huge piece of the glacier fell onto a cove and crashed so hard it created a second wave off the wall of the glacier cove. A few minutes later we felt the waves under us and the boat. Every few minutes now the glacier calved and dropped huge pieces of ice into the Arm, each pnefalling the 200 feet before it hit the water, We recorded many of them both on camera pictures and in video format. (Check with that later) It was an awesome sight and won’t be forgotten soon. A glacier remaining from the ice age! Scott made his way carefully out of the face of the Glacier after about 2 1/2 hours of viewing. We could not get enough, even though the temperature of the water was about 40 F and the air somewhat warmer. The glacier is about 200 feet high at the water and 4 X that amount is under the water. The fjord at times is well over 1,000 feet deep. The glacier has retreated some 1/2 mile since Scott was last here 9 years ago.

The anchorage that night was at North Dawes Bay on the north side of Endicott arm, which has 5 WATERFALLS coming down within a 1/4 mile of the anchorage. Some are swift and filled with water and as it had rained that day all day , they were filled with gushing water. Some were many thousands of feet high , reaching up into the high mountains.-- Supper was shis-ka-bob with

COHO SALMON CATCH

shrimp. It was another peaceful night! Days 4-7 coming up.

Days 51- to 59 On the "Heron"

2011-08-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

A FEW SHOTS FROM THE LAST DAY ON THE "HERON"

1. A Humpback whale goes under the bow of the boat. WHEW!

2. The seals (maybe a 100+) on a rock outcrop at high tide on Farragut Bay . (You can look these places up on the internet search.) MOre coming!

3.The last day we saw 35-50 Orca whales on the way into Petersburg. ANOTHER WOW!

4. Out crew on the "Heron". Scott Hursey the skipper (pilot), Daniel Parey, (deck hand) , Aria Peterman (Cook and 1st Mate)

Day 51-59 on the High Seas of of Petersburg AK 7-25to 8-1

2011-08-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

The trip on the "Heron" in S.E Alaska

To start some postings on the trip on the "Heron" on the Inland passage, I will merely place some pictures to start as we have internet tonight for the first time in 9 days. The narrative will begin tomorrow.

1.The "Heron" is an 8 passenger vessel that stopped at 7 bays on different nights . The "Heron" is for sale.!!~!~

2. Some of theHalibut we caught.

3. Humpback whales doing "bubblenet feeding". (they surround herring with bubbles and come up in the trap to feed.)

4. A Humpback whale diving showing its flukes with water dripping.

5. Icebergs in Endicott Arm . There were many.

6. Some of the Coho Salmon we caught. Fishing was the best this year in many years.

7. Endicott Glacier, or a portion of it.

8. A Black Bear and cubs on the Kunnett Creek at Kake Alaska.

More coming as soon as I can get them posted.- JIm

Day 50 Sunday July 24, 2011 To Petersburg

2011-07-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

A last look at Homer on the Spit.

Some of those Sockeye salmon from the Kenai River

Marathon Mountain a July 4 race up and down! (4,900 feet)
Filling the fuel tanks at the Seaplane base Cabin used at Denali NP

Mud flats on the north side of Cook Inlet.

Travel day! That is, travel by air from Anchorage to Petersburg AK, if the weather is good. Some of those small airports nestled between the mountains of the Panhandle , are difficult to get into sometimes. Last time we made this trip (2002) the Alaska Airlines plane couldn’t land at Petersburg and we landed at Wrangell (20 miles south across the channel). That meant we either waited a day, flew to Juneau (on the north bound flight) and then flew back to Petersburg the next day, OR...pay a man to take us across in a boat with all the luggage to land on the south end of Mitkof Island which is 20 miles from the city of Petersburg, in the back of a PICK UP TRUCK. We did just that which included a walk across the tidal rocks that were exposed on the beach as we dragged our suitcases to the trucks. We did make it OK that time and it truly was an Alaskan experience.

The trip in to the ANC airport this day was uneventful and easy as we had downloaded the tickets ahead of time which meant we didn’t have to go through the lines to be checked in. As we were early, (always a good idea at airports), we had time to read, eat lunch and be ready when the gate call come. The flight stopped in Juneau for 30 minutes and then we proceeded to Petersburg further down the Panhandle.

This time, however the weather was with us as we landed on time although the clouds were low and it was soupy.

Scott and Julie Hursey, the “Heron “ boat owners”, met us at the airport, which they didn’t need to do, but it was so good to see these good friends one more time. Julie will be unable to make the trip as she is working both at the hospital (getting certified) and maintaining her long time part time job at the local radio station doing the morning NPR segment on KFSK in Petersburg. Scott is breaking in a new ship captain and he will be with us, as well as a new cook on this trip. We will miss Julie, but know we are in good hands. We did get our luggage and Jim picked up all the bags but missed one, so had to go back to get it, just before the airport closed for the day. (After the last commercial flight the airport closes for the evening.)

Petersburg is a town on the coast of Alaska on Mitkof Island, where fishing has been continuous for 2,000 years. It was through the forethought of one Norwegian, Peter Buschmann, that the city began. The fishing was near the ice coming from the LeConte Glacier nearby and used for packing and helped the city to grow. The ice is no longer used for that purpose. Today there are nearly 3,000 people living here and in the summer 1,800 (800 that move into Petersburg for the summer) are employed at the fish canneries , the main one being Icicle Foods out of Settle, WA.

Our stay is at the Scandia House overnight and in the morning we will get a shuttle to Scott’s boat, “The Heron”, for a 9:30 for departure on the seven night cruise on the Inland Passage. Here we will see Whales “bubble feeding”, as well as Sea Lions, Eagles, tidal zones, and many sea birds. Also we will do some kayaking, watch waterfalls and if possible take a side trip into the LeConte Fjord where the calving of the Le Conte Glacier is the most powerful of any on the Alaskan Coast (and one of the least visited). The food will be terrific and the host will be warm and welcoming. A later post will detail some of the trip day by day.

** LeConte Glacier has a face that is 200 feet high and 800 feet under the water. IT is about 20 miles length from top to bottom.

Back to Anchorage Day 49, From Kenai to Anchorage /Palmer

2011-07-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

Day 49, Sat. July 23 2011. Driving from Kenai to Anchorage (Palmer)

1.Our camp site in Kenai at Beluga Lookout RV

2. A coal car in Homer that was used to haul coal to the docks for transport to the gold town of Hope , AK circa (1904)

3. A King Eider at the Sea Center in Seward. (rehab)

4. McCarthy River on the north side of Cook Inlet from the plane to Big Lake. Drains the tundra from the Alaska Range 400 mies north.

5. The cleaning station for salmon at the RV Park

6. Anchorage Airport in the summer (waiting for baggage)

7. Cow Parsnip...poisonous. Lots along the roadside.

8. Yellow Paintbrush, a cousin of the Indian Paintbrush.

We said goodbye to our friends that we made at the Beluga Lookout Campground and watched some of the early bird fishermen that had caught their salmon already at 8:00 AM. The trailer was readied and hitched up ready to go. The road down to Anchorage was familiar and we didn’t make a wrong turn like last time. The traffic on this Saturday was unbelievable heavier than some freeways. (its a two lane highway most of the way.) The cars and trucks ( few big trucks on Saturday) were coming by at about 20-30 a minute. I counted that three times and then multiplied that factor by the time we were on the road and came up with more than 30,000 vehicles that we passed before we got the trailer to it’s destination. Where were they going? “Anchorageites” (and others like them to get to the reason they came to Alaska. There is fishing. the water, mountains, lakes and streams and all the beauty that surrounds them every day. After work is finished get out of the way as “here we come”. That is what Alaska is about. The great outdoors and all that it embodies. On Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage we saw 4-6 wind surfers in the 3-40 mph wind having a great time. Some stream and rivers were already seeing the impact of the salmon runs.

We stopped a few times to both admire the scenery and to continue to watch for the big animals if we could see them. We did not see any today! At Potter Marsh near the end of the day’s journey we did see an Eagle in a tree, and some salmon in the stream. Lunch was on the road and then some gasoline at $3.89 in Anchorage. The stopping place was a cul ‘de sac where some friends had allowed us to park the trailer for 8 days while we take the trip to the Panhandle on the boat “the Heron” out of Petersburg.

We decided it was better to park the trailer a day ahead of the flight , than to try to do everything on the morning of the flight. So we are staying in a motel in Anchorage just a few miles from the airport. A private parking garage near the airport provides shuttle service to the door so that will help immensely.

So this posting is short but I will place some more pictures as the Wi Fi in the Hotel is very fast tomorrow we head for Petersburg the Scandinavian community on the south panhandle of Alaska. Peter Buschman founded the town in 1890 when he used the ice from LeConte Bay to pack the fish in the first cannery. Today the population has kept steady at about 3,000+ people and more than three canneries that occupy many of the town. We may get one more night of blogs out before we board the boat.

Day 46, July 22, 2011 The Road to Homer AK

2011-07-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Day 46, Friday July 22, 2011-- The road to Homer AK

1. Caribou on the Sterling Road

2. Grewingk Glacier in Harding Icefield

3. Mt. Iliamna On Cook Inlet

4. Some of the stores on the Homer Spit

5. Assumption of the BVM Russian Orth Ch. (Ninlichik)

6. HOmer Spit from the bluff above

7. Three Eagles in nest (Adult feeding chicks)

The trip to Homer had been looked forward to as it was the last part of the Alaska trip (minus the boat trip next week) that we had to see.When starting out on the local road before the Kenai River Bridge we saw some Caribou, seven Sandhill Cranes and a new birds,two Pelagic Jaegers. Jim thought they might be them but we had a difficult time making positive ID as we had never seen them before. We just got started again on the Sterling Highway when two Caribou were seen on the opposite side of the road we were driving, Jim did a ‘cheerio’ and we came up near them on the same side, The Caribou tolerated us for some time before they became nervous enough to move back into the woods. Great shots!

Some stopes along the side on the Cook Inlet side gave more great shots of those three outstanding mountains, Mt. Spurr (11,000), Mt. Redoubt (10,900) and Mt. Iliamna (10,000+). These three make up the northern horizon when looking across the Cook Inlet from the Kenai Peninsula. ( The towns of Kenai and Ninilchik and Anchor Point can see this view from their towns.)

As we arrived near Homer there was a huge turnout so we had the ability to see the entire Kachemak Bay and the Homer Spit. The day was clear and there were just a few clouds near the mountains but not obscuring their view. As we got down into town (It is a 1,000 foot vertical drop to sea level) there was an Eagle’s nest near the postoffice and quite visible to the view. We took pictures of it and the three eagles that were there (an adult and two young ones) and watched the mother feed the young ones some salmon.

Then it was down to the spit and do a reconnoitering run through and take some pictures of the huge wharf and marina that is there .A cruise ship was docked and many ships were in port . There were hundreds of trailers and rigs and more hundreds of cars.The pleasure water craft were innumerable. By then it was lunchtime and we had planned to eat at “Crabbys” downtown (old town) in a small, but fine food place where sea food (of course) was the order of the day. We ordered the halibut (fresh) basket and a salad, so filled ourselves with good food. ‘Crabbys’ is up for sale and it is a well known, medium priced establishment and the owner will listen to bids.

Then we went back to the Spit and headed for the Frosty Bear Ice Cream Parlor on the spit. Oh, Boy! Lots of flavors and homemade waffle cones. We did good!~ It was a fitting end to the day to Homer Nothing out of the ordinary, but we did get taste of that Homer Flavor. JIm had Rocky Road and Praline and Cream in a waffle cup.

We ended the day by taking the “high road” out of town and drove up east hill and got some great views one more time.The rest of the ride back included some more pictures of the mountains on the north side of the Inlet and we made it home as the fishermen in the campground were wrapping up a MOST SUCCESSFUL day on the river. There were salmon all over the cleaning table area.

Tomorrow we head back to Anchorage , park the trailer for eight days and take a flight to Petersburg for that 6 night Ocean trip on the six passenger “Heron” with Scott and Julie Hursey. Might not see ya for awhile, but we will be back in 10 days or so.

Seward and Laundry Day July 20 & 21, 2011

2011-07-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

Mt. Redoubt across the Cook Inlet from Kenai. (10,000 feet +)

Typical Combat Fisherman when the Salmon run is on.

A view of Exit Glacier at Seward AK ---

A reflection on the road to Seward on the Highway

A campsite when the fishing for the day was over.

The Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward. A Magnificent Center

Cleaning fish on the campground provided cleaning station.

Below a young boy "touching" the sea creatures n the "hands on tank".

The two days included a trip to Seward from the Kenai campground (Beluga Lookout) and a visit to the Sea Science Center there. Thursday was laundry day so what can we say about that except that this was the neatest laundry we have ever been on. It had more than 20 big hanging green plants and a carpet, was clean and had lots of tables and chairs AND it had Wi-Fi. Besides, there were lots of washers and dryers. Impressive!

So here are some pictures from those experiences (not the laundry) and our campsite.

PIctures from Bear watch and Plane Flight (7-18-11)

2011-07-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

1. Plane flight to Bear watching at Big River Lake

2. Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet on the return trip.

3. One of the bears at Big River Lke.

4. Sled dogs at MacClaren Lodge on the Denali Highway (Susie and Mike's)

5. Ber gets fish runs up hill away from other bigger bears.

Day 42, JUly 16, 2011 Riding the bus into Denali National Park and Preserve

2011-07-16T23:39:00.000-07:00

Day 42,Sat July 16, 2011 Riding the bus into Denali .P. and reserve

1. The "Canyon" just outside Denali NP where the amenities are.

2. From a distance but it is a Grizzly Bear (Sow) and two yearlings

3.The road into the Park near Polychrome mountain.

4. The bus that took us into the Park.

5. The female Moose by the roadside. (No, they don't pose for you .

It was a good thing and perhaps an omen that we did see Denali in all it’s grandeur yesterday, because today it was behind the clouds. The morning started with rain that let up right after we were outside and ready to go to the Shuttle bus for the Park ride to the Eilson Center and back . Our bus was scheduled for 8:30 Am and everyone going into the Park must register to get on a bus or get a permit to ride in. It is 65 mies one way to the Eielson Center and takes about 3 1/2 hours to do on the required bus. All the way to the end of the road is 95 miles. It might be noted here that there are other busses that travel the park as the concession is owned by a major Corporation (Doyon) and they have a number of other alternatives to choose from . Ours was the “basic” package but gets you there and back without the frills. (All vehicles have to travel the same road.)

The object of the driver of the bus is to DRIVE the bus. The object of the 40 or so people on the bus is to see and ANNOUNCE the wildlife when they see it. The key word was “STOP!”. Then the driver (ours was Lee) will stop the bus and the person who sighted the animal can tell others where to look for the sighting. We use the military vision technique like a clock saying it is at “at 6:00 o'clock, or 9:00 O'clock”, etc.

Our first sighting some 30 miles out on the road was a female Moose just browsing. They eat grass so that’s where it was. It was rather close to the road (50 yards) and as the windows went down, all got a good view of it. It was well hidden in the spruce. (White).

Then came a number of Dall Sheep. These roam the highlands up the mountain slopes away from the bears that use the bottom of the floor . Not too good for picture taking , but some representative shots were taken. The sheep are usually along the high ridges and can hardy be seen. Then we began to see parts of the Caribou herd that lives in the Park in the summer. Some on ridges, some on the slopes.

By that time the windows had been cleaned three times from the mud splashing of the tires and road, as we approached the end of the journey onto the Park. It was time for lunch and we ate in the bus as it was a bit cold (42 F outside) ,and the tables in the Visitor Center at Eielson Center were already taken in the lunchroom. After lunch it was time to get a few pictures of the Marmots and ground squirrels and view the items in the Visitor Center. There was a quilt there which was given to the Park by a local woman, that was displayed on the wall. It was a five piece panel that depicted the entire life cycle of birds, animals, plants and seasons in the Park. It was excellent!

The sun tried valiantly to shine and did a few times , but not enough, for many of us. It was a very overcast day until the evening.

On the way back out of the park, we did see the Moose Mom and some caribou, and the Bear was moving more quickly, now, looking for better grasses to feed on. The berries are a few weeks away so they are not eating them. Again we saw a different group of Dall sheep high on a small mountain, and more caribou and the same bear who had moved considerable westward. A few miles from the end of the ride the front of the bus saw a Lynx, and that is seldom seen. So we did see “The Big Four” (Sheep, Bears, Caribou and Moose) so it was a successful day for the riders. The Park is a wonderful view of what life for the natural things can be and should be. Six million acres of the great out of doors.

Tomorrow we take the Denali Highway (gravel road for 138 miles) which has some great birding and a few mammals on it. That will bring us back to Anchorage via Glenallen.

Day 41, July 15, 2011 Denali National Park & Preserve

2011-07-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

In Denali National Park and Preserve

I am going to let the pictures speak for themselves today as we are n Denali National Park and on the way in saw "The Big One" without a cloud . Tomorrow we will go into the Park on the Park bus and report back. (We did see one Moose on a short ride into the Park today.

1. Denali National Park and Preserve entrance. (JImmy Carter tripled the size of it in 1980)

2. Alaska's Cotton Grass (actually a flower)

3. Sunset on the mountains in anchorage at 11:00 PM

4. Larkspur (wild)

5. Savage Creek area . (Last mile you can drive a car into Park- 12 miles)

6. Moose in the Park at roadside. He was HUGE!

7. The entire range including Denali, from the Parks highway 90 miles away.

8. A good shot approaching the Park of Denali (20,320 feet)

More tomorrow after the ride in although it is scheduled to rain most of the day. One never knows.

Days 38,39,40 July 13, 14, 15, 2011 Anchorage.

2011-07-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

1.. Potter Marsh in Anchorage

2. Ruth gets a Massage and adjustment

3. Wild Celery

Day 38-39-40- July 13, 14, 15 2011 At Anchorage

This will be brief as there has been few excursions away from the RV Park in the past three days. Oh, we got the vehicles washed, bought groceries, and did the laundry, but stayed close to home. We await the arrival of Ruth’s sister and brother in law Gerri and Andy, who come in tonight on the “red eye” from GR and Denver. Their plane was two hours circling the Denver Apt. due to storms.

But, we did get out yesterday to view both Potter Marsh and a Lagoon in downtown Anchorage called Westchester Lagoon. Although we are in summer and that period of time is when the mother’s are with the young and identification is difficult, we did ID some birds and saw a new one to add to the growing list of 170 birds species that we have seen. Potter Marsh is a large wetlands located on the south end of Anchorage on the road leading to Seward (Seward Highway!). Here the local bird support organizations and the city have built more than a mile of boardwalks into and around the north end of the Marsh, making access east and walkable as well as better for the birds and animals. Yes we did see salmon heading up one of the three streams that flow out of and make up this Marsh. One was in the 35040 # category. Ironically, the Alaska RR built a track along the exit of three streams that enter Turnagain Arm (the Ocean) there. This has helped maintain the Marsh as it limits the removal of the water to selected spots and allows chemicals to build up in the soil for plant growth for the animals and birds.

This is the time after the young have hatched and many have fledged already (flown) but a few were in the later stages of learning to fly, particularly the larger birds. An example were some Mew gulls that were still very fuzzy and mother was hovering around them constantly. We did see the Arctic Tern young ones flying to get their experience as they have 10,000 miles to go to return to the Antarctic region for the winter. The new bird was a Common Redpoll feeding in the willow trees at the edge of the Marsh. Sandhill Cranes, a Bald Eagle (lots of them around) Northern Harrier, many Lesser Yellowlegs, Red Necked Grebe, Spotted Sandpiper, and many Tree Swallows were among the ones we saw.

The Westchester Lagoon was not as active and by now it was noon so birds are down some anyway. Ruth did get some good pictures of Gadwalls and chicks of Mallards. This Lagoon is adjacent to the Knowles Trail a popular hiking skating, biking, running trail along the Cook Inlet. It runs through Earthquake Park (that’s another story!)

Later in the day we visited our good friend and house owner from the ’80’s, Ellie VandeVisse. She was delighted to have us stay for a while and invited us to an “all garden supper” meaning greens from the garden and a homegrown potato salad. The greens were steamed and there were at least 7 different greens from the garden. Ellie is a compost and nutrition expert (that is through plants and growing things) and has had a Composting business, teaches classes in environmental concerns and how to be the best gardener without invasive or destructive (fertilizers) techniques. We were able to share with her after supper as Ellie had just purchased a “Mac” computer and was open to Ruth giving her some instructions while she was there. They did that . Ellie is working on her second book in a series which will deal with animals and plants and how they cooperate with one another. Her first book “Ask Mother Nature” deals with her attempts to learn how plants and people can work together to get the best results in a garden. The book deals with a time I spent there in Palmer working on that very garden back in the 1980’s. Part of the residence we visited is a large birch grove that is a good quiet place to run on trails or walk in the woods.

Today we readied all for the 14 days of “whirlwind” tours we will have including tomorrow’s Denali trip (2 days) , an air flight to see bears , five days camping with the trailer on the Kenai Peninsula. (Homer, Anchor Point, Seward, etc) and then a six day boat cruise on the six passenger “Heron” out of Petersburg captained by the able pilots , Scott and Julie Hursey. Then we will see Whales, Sea Lions, Eagles, lots of birds, and do a little Halibut fishing and some kayaking. All this with Ruth’s sister and brother in law.

Sounds like a marvelous time. I may not be able to post after the boat trip begins so I gave you a heads up on that. Stay tuned, we will be back.

Views along the Glenn Hwy. coming west into Anchorage

2011-07-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

1.Reflective lake near Tok, AK

2. Mount Sanford (16,000+) in the St Elias Range (from the Glenn Hwy.)

3. Mount Drum (16,000+) from the Glenn Hwy.

4. Close up of Matanuska Glacier from Glenn Hwy.

There were many shots that Ruth took that were just as excellent as the day was perfect for photos. Hope this gives you some idea pf the magnitude of these mountains and of their beauty

Day 36 July 10, 2011 Driving from Tok to Anchorage AK

2011-07-11T23:39:00.001-07:00

Day 36 - July 10, Driving from Tok to Anchorage.

(POsting pictures tonight is very slow so will post in the AM if possible.)

Although the morning showed a little rain before we were up, it stopped and the skies began to open up by 8:00Am. We packed up the trailer and headed down the rest of the road which was the “Tok Cutoff” as it was originally called in 1941 when construction started in the direction of Anchorage. BUT...when the Japanese attacked the Aleutian Islands, namely, Attu and Dutch Harbor (bombed) that put that road on hold. The reason being that the Airbase (now Eielson AFB) was at Fairbanks and the US had been “hopping” planes to the Russians already so all military equipment should go there. Why not?

So the Tok Cutoff was finished in the early 1950’s to expedite the traffic to Anchorage and connecting with the Parks Highway to Denali and Fairbanks.

Now this stretch of road has a lot of beauty, but the main ingredient is weather. With all the mountains nearby, the chances of good weather (cloudy and partly sunny), are not very good. BUT as God is good (always) the sun shone and we snapped away at the beautiful reflections in lakes, the flowers and of course the mountains that were now exposed from top to bottom in all their glory.

Two sections of road rather split the views into two groups , although the mountains are seen all along. First section from Tok to Glenallen, has the Wrangell/St Elias Mountain Range in view . They are about 20 miles away and quite visible to the eye. Today Mt. Sanford was UNBELIEVABLY CLEAR. Ruth snapped away and the first mountain was a rounded form, much like a ball, and completely covered with snow. (The snow was a glacier or -glacier field). The second, Mt, Drum was more like a typical ”mountain” with small peaks made into one mountain. Both are over 16,000 feet in height. We could not see Mt.Logan (19,000 feet+) as it is on the back side of the range.

The road continued to be a problem as we could travel only about 40 mph and many times more slowly than that in order to sow enough to keep the dips from damaging the vehicle. One had to be alert or a transmission or axle could crack or some other part would break.

After Glenallen (1/3 of the way), the valleys that emitted from the range were closer and we could see the glaciers that came down toward the Matanuska and Tanzina Rivers . There were three main glaciers visible and only 5-8 miles away. They were the Nelchina, Tanzina and Matanuska Glaciers, the latter being closest to the road and public access was a few minutes away and downhill. The Matanuska River gets very wide and braided as it nears the city of Palmer. Many rocks and lots of gravel (no shortage of that here) along the river bed. There was a huge coal minenear Sutton before Palmer,but it is inactive now. We stopped at Palmer for gas ($3.88/gal.) as it was still 39 miles to Anchorage, continued on the Glenn Highway into Anchorage and found the RV Park. (Read the story about the Park in tomorrows post.)

All in all it was a marvelous day with sights seldom seen by those passing by on the Glenn Highway. Jim did see a lone animal and that crossed the road just out side of Glenallen. It was a wolf and the first we had seen. What a treat. Tomorrow ...we are in Anchorage and get the truck and trailer washed!

Day 35 0 July 09, 2011 Tok AK Across the border

2011-07-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

Day 35 - Sat. July 09, 2011- Over the border into Alaska!

1. Wildflowers at Kluane Cottonwood RV Park YT

2.The frontal range of the St Elias Mtns. in Kluane Park and Preserve

3.A form of Dryas in bloom.

4. View from the trailer window at Kluane Lake. YT

Well, after 34 days of traveling the North American Continent, we passed through CUSTOMS at the American side and had no problems there. A few basic questions, “Where to, where from? Carrying firearms, food, goods”? ”You are good to go”! Gee, that was easy. It is interesting to note that the border between Yukon (Canada) and Alaska (USA) was established between the Russians and the English in 1825, and the US accepted the border when we bought Alaska from the Russians. What a deal that was! Today there is a 600 mile long, 20 feet wide, swath cut between 1905 and 1920 (maintained by the International Commission) from the Arctic Ocean to Mt. St.Elias in the Wrangell Mtns. all along the 141st Meridian. It is a pretty sight and perhaps the longest unpatrolled border in the world ?

But that was later in the day, and to start out we had to overcome the FROST HEAVES for some 120 miles on portions of the Alaska Highway. The crews were out of course in the summer, and we had two “follow lead car” times , one with a 20 minute wait for traffic to clear southbound. There were many sections of “loose gravel” and “construction ahead”, as they were applying the pitch and gravel in many places . One section was 6 miles long with escort. But the scenery, especially as we travelled along Kluane Lake was magnificent. The 15,000 foot plus MOUNTAINS of the St.Elias range were in view and even the front range had a lot to offer. We saw no mammals at all throughout the day. No Moose! But we did see some Tundra SWANS and three young cygnets who had a small lake all to themselves. (They like that!). Ruth was excited to see some GOLDEN EAGLES albeit from a distance. Near the mountains in Kluane Park and Preserve they are seen often. Some villages along the way:

Burwash Landing (YT) was established as a trappers and traders post in 1904 and the Lodge there now was built in 1944 after the road came through. A Catholic church, Our Lady of the Rosary, was built n 1944 and ran a school until 1952, when it closed, The church still holds masses today as a mission church. I is one of three Catholic churches on the Alaska Highway.

Destruction Bay (YT) was named , when, as an army post during road construction, a terrible storm practically destroyed everything there. LIke many of the relay stations along the road in 1942, it gave relief to the truck drivers and many of then were also repeater, telegraph and telephone stops.

Beaver Creek (YT) was the original customs stop, but it was moved north after too many people tried to go through without stopping, creating sirens in the middle of the night. It is one of two places where the crews building the highway met in 1942 allowing passage all the way from Dawson Creek.

Tok (AK) is a town of 1300, and is the place you must pass through coming or going into or out of Alaska. When the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands, a priority was given to the road to Fairbanks (Air bases), and the proposed Tok Road to the west (the Tok cutoff) was put on hold. We will take this road to Anchorage.

Now a few words about the ‘tiaga’ or the “land of little sticks” as the Russian words denotes. All along the road from mid Yukon into Alaska it is the tiaga. It consists of short (20’-30’ tall) spruce trees that are only 2” in diameter that may very well be 100 years old. Talk about slow growth! That is why the trees are never cut this far north. (Commercially at least.) A large problem in Alaska’s vast land is that each year lightning strikes can start a fire in the dry tundra and tiaga very quickly. FACT: In one day more than 6,000 lightning strikes can hit the ground in Alaska. Fires in remote places can burn for days without fire suppressant reaching it.

In 1990 JIm was returning from Alaska when the great Tok fire surrounded the town . Total destruction was prevented when a sudden wind shift took the flames the other way.

Crossing the Tanana River before Tok felt like we were finally at ”home” .The Tanana joins the Yukon River at Fairbanks where the two rivers joining are called “nutchalaweya” or “ the joining of the waters”.

Maybe a mention just one time of the INSECTS that Alaskans put up with. First there are the mosquitos that are 30 different types. Then there re the ‘no see ums’, the saw flies, larval caterpillars, black flies, silver winged gnats and deer flies. It is known that mosquitos can take a pint of blood from a Moose in a day!

It has been a long 34 days, but a most beautiful and enjoyable trip along the way.We are blessed to be able to do this and like to think that we are taking you all along with us as we go.

The Tok RV campground has 181 sites and it is really a clean one. There is nightly entertainment (local Alaskan music) with a five piece band, all the amenities you would want including a huge RV wash. We will wait until Anchorage as there are still more roads under repair on the Glenn Highway into Anchorage. A short rain came through as we started to set up the site, but ended in 10 minutes and now the sun is shining again. See you Anchorage.

Day 34 -July 8, 2011 Kluane Lake, Yukon YT

2011-07-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Day 34, July 8, 2011-- Beautiful Lake Kluane and Preserve

Another beautiful day along with the weather,too! The day was sunny from about 10:00 Am on, with very little wind, and although we did not see any mammals during the day , there were more birds than the previous four days.

The journey from the Nusitlin Bridge at Teslin, YT, to Lake Kluane near Burwash Landing took us through the land inhabited for thousands of years by the native people of this area. Their influence is still strong and they have their own government, rules and regs. The Tagish, the Aishihik, the Tahkhini and the Carcross bands make up the main concentration. Takhini comes from the Taghish words for... tahk = mosquito and heena = river. I am sure that is true as there are many here. (mosquitos)

There is much subsistence living off the land as there is much wildlife here. Fish, Bear, Elk, Caribou, Deer, are the main animals hunted . North of the town of Haines Junction they have a main office building for services to their people. That same town has a great Convention center, just built, that is an an addition to the Ice arena there (curling , you know, eh?). Haines Junction is the center for the access into the Kluane National Park and Preserve.

The Preserve is some 2,225 sq. miles and holds the tallest peaks in Canada . They are; Mt Logan,19,545’; Mt. St. Elias, 18, 008’ ; Mt. Lucania , 17,147’; and 4 others all over 15,000 feet. These are all inside the Kluane N.P. and R. There are rafting, kayak, climbing, hiking and air pickup activities throughout the area. A great trip is to float down the Alsek River past glaciers and countless wildlife to the Pacific Ocean and get picked up by plane to return. Better be ready when they come. The Kluane Park and Preserve also contains the largest non-polar ice field in North America.

This area also is the area made famous by some authors , namely Robert Service, and can you name another Yukon “author” (Bet Marlys can?). Hint: He was a member of the Dalton gang!

Another native to these parts was George Johnson, a Tlingkit , a trapper and an entrepreneur who brought a 1928 Chevrolet to Teslin (before any roads were built), and built a 3 mile “road” to become the town’s “taxi and driver”. Lakes, creeks and a Museum are named after him. George’s photography was valuable in the years 1910 to 1940’s in depicting the native life in this area.

We crossed the Yukon River that carries many of these waterways as the Yukon assisted the gold seekers in the Klondike gold rush of 1898-99. At the point where the Yukon bridge is , there is a dam (Yewes) that was created to give the paddle wheelers more season to haul materials and passengers down the Yukon. ()It kept the ice from forming there. What took one day to go down would take 5 days to come back up the same stretch of river.

One of the widest and most homogeneous valleys appears between Whitehorse and Haines Junction. It is the Takhini Valley. It was an old lake bed before the glaciers and moved water down to the closer Pacific Ocean. Now it is forested and excellent wildlife habitat. The waters draining this area now join the Yukon in their 2,000 mile journey to the Bering sea. No paddle wheelers today ,but there is a relic of one at Whitehorse that one can tour. The Hudson’s Bay traders were on the Yukon River in 1840, with the missionaries shortly thereafter.

Now we come to the gem of this leg, and that is Kluane Lake. There were some great views as we came down the hill from the south. We were met immediately by a mother duck and 7 of her “followers’ on the Lake and we stopped abruptly , like we often do. We thought at first they were Wood Ducks, but it turned out the beautiful markings made them all Harlequin Ducks. What a way to start some time at this Lake. The last time we came (1995) through Ruth remembers that the wind was blowing a dust storm off the dry river beds into the lake. Today was pristine. The roads around this lake have always been a problem and inasmuch as it used mostly by Americans coming and going from Alaska, the Canadian and Yukon governments worked out a compromise with the USA to develop a cooperative project on the Alaskan Highway from here into Alaska. It is called the “SHAKWAK PROJECT”. In it the US agreed to fund the reconstruction of 300 miles from Haines Junction to the Alaskan border. That work continues this year but is almost complete . Some of that part of the road has befuddled the engineers as the road bed consists of a soft pumice like soil that “floats” and when it freezes and then thaws it doesn’t stay in place. Any suggestion out there?

The campground we are situated in is Cottonwood RV Park and is probably the best attired one we have been in. Lots of flowers, spacious sites, good visibility on the sites and you can park your RV either way , facing the lake of the mountains.Your choice! Of course looking at the surrounding mountains and the Lake in front adds to that ambiance. Tomorrow we head to Tok, Alaska and get ready for the last leg , the road on the Glenn Highway into Anchorage. It there are no pictures it is because the Wi-Fi will not handle the pictures. Thanks for reading.

Day 33 - Thurs. July 7, 2011 Into the Yukon

2011-07-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

Day 33, Thursday July 07, 2011 Into the Yukon!

Today was a better driving day that yesterday, when there were many curves, hills, bumpy roads and frost heaves. The section of road from Liard Hot Springs (River) to Teslin in the Yukon was much better. There were long level stretches so we could travel at 55 mph with ease for the most part. There were stops for gas and we did finally have to pay $100.00 for a fill up . It was around 59 liters at $1.74/L The next station had it for $1.34. Go Figure, but when you have to fill up , in this area, you fill up. There may not be a station for another 80-90 miles.

The morning was filled with good animal viewing as the Black bears were out , especially the mothers and their cubs, with both black and brown bears visible. Then came the Buffalo. There are a number of Buffalo herds on this road and this was the first. They were laying around and the little ones were nuzzling their mothers and learning to ”charge” if even they were only a couple of feet tall. Never did see a Moose YET! They are there but daytime is not the best to view them. At one point Ruth glanced over to see some birds at a carcass of some sort. Then in a rush, the three birds flew up . One was a young Bald Eagle evidently being interrupted at breakfast. Quite a sight just 10 feet from the car. In the afternoon we did not see any mammals of size . Good advice to get out early (or late) to see them.

This stretch of road has the longest bridges on the Alaska Highway, especially the one we last crossed the Nusitlin , here at Teslin. It is 1,957 feet long with seven truss sections. Tomorrow we will see another that is over 1700 feet long. We finally crossed the Liard River on it’s journey to the Arctic Ocean.

FACT: the Yukon River once emptied into the south portion of Alaska (near Skakway) before the ice age. It did not carry much water. After the glaciers blocked the water exit it began to reverse it’s flow and cut it’s channel north to the Bering Sea. The former journey was only a few hundred miles, and today (depending on the source) it travels some 2,000 miles to the Ocean.

We are now in the area where the Klondike Gold Rush prospectors went through from Chilkoot Pass (Skagway) over the mountains to these lakes that connect to the Yukon River. Once they got over the mountains they could float (rafts) from that point down the Yukon to the Klondike (Dawson City) area for the gold rush, Over 100,000 of them were reputed to have made that journey coming over the Pass with 1 ton of equipment each. (The RCMP checked them out!).

This area , especially Teslin, is the center of the Tlingkit Nation and many run businesses here and in nearby towns and villages. There is a lot of subsistence hunting and fishing as well. With all the lakes the fishing is terrific.

We crossed the Continental Divide at Swift River, had a piece of Donna’s apple pie at Toad River, noted countless bridges, creeks and rivers and camped on the shores of what is called the Nusitlin Bay on the river of the same name by Teslin Lake. Tomorrow we will tell you how “Jake’s Crossing “ got its name, putting Whitehorse behind us and staying at Destruction Bay YT.

Day 31 ad 32 -St John BC to Liard Hot Springs BC

2011-07-07T20:16:00.001-07:00

Day 31 and 32, Tuesday June 5, 2011, Travel from Ft. St. John to Fort Nelson BC (pictures in separate post)

We got a good start on the day at 8:30 AM after attempting to get the Wi-Fi working. It wasn’t. It did last night but that was another day! This portion of the Alaska Hwy, begins to show the frost heaves and undulating that shows up in the Northern BC and S. Yukon. So the idea is to slow down a bit and be ready for the holes and bumps to avoids problems. ( I missed a couple today.) Slowing down for me would place the speedometer at from 50-55 mph. Of course the hills demand a slower rate and especially the 6-8% grades that for the most part are not long. There were two long ones today, one descending in to the Chief Sikanni River and the other one into the city of Fort Nelson, but it was not as long as the Peace River descent. The old original wooden bridge over the Chief Sikanni River (not used) was a memorial until a few years ago when it was torched by vandals. Just the pillars remain from 1942. We passed through many roadside stops , some had gas but mostly they had lodging. These are only open in the summer. Gas at Pink Mountain (“Only use one side of the pump, please”!) was $1.36/L and at Prophet River it was $1.47/L (I thought you would like to keep up with the gas prices.) The sign there at Pink Mountain gas station stated “No dogs in drive or in store ...ever!” This was one big driveway, too They must have had a dog problem at one time.

Today’s animals seen were the Black Bear, some Sandhill Cranes and W.T. Deer, all by the side of the road . But the surprise came also in the flower category as we saw the first “Fireweed” flowers for the first time. That is the state flower of alaska and is the first flower after a fire, with it’s light pink, tall, (six foot) blossoms, . This means we are getting north for sure. We are nearing the 60th parallel which is the border between the northern provinces of Canada (Yukon and BC.). The hills are filled with White and Black spruce and some sections are devastated by the Mountain Spruce Beetle that has killed millions of acres of trees in BC , and we will see more in Yukon and AThere are many kinds of poplar , but the most prolific are the Quaking Aspen and the white leaved Poplar.The get huge in the Rivers beds.

There is a huge oil shale field in NE British Columbia and NW Alberta called the Dillon Basin that is THEE development in these parts. Much activity and all along out of Ft. St. John we saw side roads with dozens of signs advertising the oil and gas companies that were located down those side roads. Here, like the area near Williston ND, are the “Man camps” set up to accommodate the workers. Many come by themselves and commute on weekends to homes not too distant. Just outside of Fort Nelson is the Spectra Gas Refinery and depot. There are hundreds of people living there in a sort of “company camp”. Spectra is a big employer here in the region. Along the Hwy, there re many gas lines seen coming out of the forests.

Fort Nelson is located at the junction of three rivers, namely the Fort Nelson, the Prophet and the Muskwa all uniting near town into the Fort Nelson River , which empties into the Liard River and eventually to the Mackenzie at Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean. On the maps of the area there is a mapmaking phenomena. There are some roads that are labeled ‘open only in the summer’ (winter snow) and there are some roads that are labeled ‘closed in the summer’. Why is that? The roads are designated as ice roads in the winter only. If you have seen “Ice truckers” on TV , you will understand. In the summer the permafrost melts and it is impossible to drive vehicles on the tundra without ruining it.

Tomorrow we will see much wildlife as this is the area (across northern BC) that has Buffalo, Bear, Mountain Sheep, Goats, and Moose. Hopefully we will see them all...not at one time! The following day we will cross the Rocky mountains again as it heads for the Arctic Ocean and we move west to Alaska. A stop at Liard Hot Springs for a dip will be welcome.

Had a chance to talk top one of the workers on road construction as he stopped buy and asked about the Tundra .He is anticipating shifting from Ford to Toyota as he heard they hold up well after 150,000 miles of rough work. I can’t make that claim but I would believe it may be true. IT sure handles nicely and is as smooth as silk as they say. The word is from those coming down the Hwy. that there is some construction, but no major redoing or the road surface. That sounded good. This will be delayed as there is no WiFI here that is working. There was, but it ,too is down. We will be patient.

Here in the campground I did observe a American Redstart and some Yellow Warblers and right outside the door this evening, a Orange Crowned Warbled as seeking food. Had we a few days here this would be a good birding area. This is a long established park with a large restaurant and store.

Day 32 Wed. July 6, 2011 to Liard River and Hot Springs.

Confession Time! yes, I goofed in the previous narration. I was under the assumption, like many of us, that the Rocky Mountains extend past the Yukon Border, but that is not the case. The Rocky Mountains terminate at Muncho Lake (see pic ) and in the Yukon the range that is there is geographically different and is named the Mackenzie Mountains. The continental divide does occur, however, near Swift River not far from here and continues into the Yukon north to the Arctic Ocean.

The stretch of road from Fort Nelson to Liard River (and beyond) is a very twisting, and undulating length of road. The pavement is good, but those frost heaves and ups and downs can be disconcerting at times. During the day we ran into one road crew putting what they call “gravel patching”. The tar truck goes first and lays the tar on a “patch” and the dump trucks go behind (backwards) and gradually pour out the gravel on devices designed for that smooth layering. Almost immediately the traffic can proceed with caution. My, so dusty afterwards! The dust was extreme and signs reminded us to keep our headlights on.

As we rounded a curve before Toad River there was a sign, just ones small sign at the side of the road it read ; “Cinnamon Buns Ahead- 4km”. Ruth and I both said “Wow! Let’s stop!”. So we got those $5.00 cinnamon buns and they were huge at about 6 inches on diameter. We got two and I stopped a few miles down the road at a pull out and ate mine. Ruth saved hers for ??? I filled up with gas there and the sign on the pump said “Tell us the number of liters you received.” WHAT? I found this to be true and later in the day another incident that showed a lot of trust up here in the north. (see pic) The cinnamon bun place (Toad River Inn) has been there for a number of years as I have stopped there on my way up before. Because there are few travelers and few places to go besides on the road we run into people many times in a day that we have seen that day or a few days before.

Now for the animals of the day. People said that the animal sightings on both sides (east and west) of Liard River would be numerous. They were right . We sighted and pictured , Black Bear , Caribou, Deer, Rocky Mountain Sheep , and some of those multiple times. No Moose yet, but then we are not on Alaska yet!

Muncho Lake is a great vista (see pic). The road actually runs right close to the shore line for many miles and you get a close up view of the Lake and the mountans on the west side.. There is a high pullout at the north end of the Lake and many picture have been taken from here. We added to that amount.

Earlier in the day we passed Stone Mountain where the Rocky Mountain Sheep come right to the side of the road and lick the minerals that is on the gravel. (See pic) Ruth got some nice shots of them. People are patient if you pull off on limited shoulder. JUst watch out for trucks.

The last stop of the day was at the campground at Liard River Resort. This is so honest here, too, that the store manager (Ken) has a big window and when someone comes to get gas , he walks out there (leaves the store open) and gets the info from the customer about the gas (no automatic devices), then returns to the store , a walk of about 200’ feet. We applied for a campsite as we had called ahead. No need to rush as we were with only one other camper in the 50 spot campground. No dump, but water and electricity. Electricity here in this “up north” country is run by a generator (commercial) which we can hear from the camp site easily.

Then, Jim went to the Hot Springs and enjoyed it immensely . It is a long walk, and a $5.00 fee, and the surrounding swamp is loaded with fish, plants, flowers and “life’. We got to the pool (actually on a stream) that has three depths of pool and three temperatures as the water begins to cool. It was not crowded and the people were very friendly . I met a couple from north of Ottawa and we talked about Alaska and rural Alaska. There was time for some bird watching and picture taking along the 1/3 mile boardwalk to the Pools. There were some birds in the campground, but we will see tomorrow if that holds true.

So it was another great day (73F and mostly sunny) and we saw lots of Rocky Mtn. Sheep and some hawks and a few songbirds. a little rain cloud went through just before we grilled the steaks, and it was gone before we started. Ot dampened the dust at least.

Tomorrow we cross into the Yukon 6 times before the “official” crossing at Lower Post.

Day 30, July 4th 2011 Ft. St.John BC

2011-07-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

1. Dawson Creek, the "official" MIle zero city of the Alaskan Highway (Al-Can)

2. A Fox (Reynard) came out of the woods, ran along a fence and waited under the shade of the tree for me to take the picture.

3. A view of the countryside just outside of Ft. St. John, BC. Notice the agriculture at this high latitude.

4. The memorial for the WW2 men who lost their lives in a boat accident on Charlie Lake BC

Day 30 -Monday July 4th, 2011 Independence Day (235th year)

Here on the Al-Can (Alaska) Hwy., we will have no other other stop of more than one night from here on. There will be an evening at Liard Hot Springs for soaking in the outdoor warm waters, and some good historic stories as we travel, but we will keep moving along starting tomorrow all the way to Anchorage. (Original bridges and artifacts from the road building in 1942.)

Back in Michigan and the rest of the USA there will be a lot of celebration on this Independence Day with fireworks and parades and family picnics and get togethers. That is as it should be as we look back on the forming of the best government in the world. Maybe it’s not perfect , but it is what WE make of it.. So I hope you all had a good time remembering. I know that in the various locations of my family there will be a lot of fireworks and some sparklers for the children. Stewartstown PA;, Grand Haven MI;, West Branch MI;, Louisville, KY;, Grand Rapids MI:, and on the Muskegon River at the Hardy Pond. All across America they are celebrating the birth of this nation. Where is your family remembering?

Today here, gave Ruth and I a chance to look over the area on the side roads and trails and two Provincial Parks that are on Charlie Lake here near Fort St. John, BC. Lake Charlie is about 12 miles long and has great fishing. Right next to the RV Park is a huge boat launch and parking lot. The cooperation between local entities has even placed an excellent , fenced in , playground at the edge of it for children to use while dad is fishing. Mom’s bring their chairs and read, relax or push the swings. In the drive around the south end of the Lake today we saw dozens of boat launches. They call them “Sportsmen‘s Access”, here. More on that later.

That reminded me that when we were in Grand Prairie, we saw the use of ‘pheronome’ patches on Pine trees to selectively prevent the attack from the Mountain Beetle Pine borer. What the patch does is make the beetle believe that the tree is dying (same scent or attractant) and they go away. Of course it is used in limited places where decorative trees need to be preserved. It is a HUGE problem here in BC and the west.

Back to today! We did both Charlie Lake Provincial Park and Beatton Provincial Park, which are only about 10 mies separated and opposite sides of the Southern (populated) end of the Lake. Birding was slim but we did get a few species. The west wind has blown since we arrived at about 30-35 mph, and that keeps the birds deep in the forest away from the winds. Another trail was at Northern Lights College here and that proved to be a longer jaunt than we expected. Ruth was very tired at the end as there were lots of up and down hills. We ate lunch there at the end of the trail, picked up some bread and headed home . We saw two Flycatchers new to the list in the Dusky and the Least. At the end of the day two 3 year old Bald Eagles flew around the end of the Lake looking for food. Good stuff.

Gas is a bit higher here, but still good for this region at $1.37/L. By now you can figure the US cost.

We took one more walk around the end of the lake where we saw the Barrow’s Golden Eye yesterday (a mom and her six young ones), but they were not about to be on that Lake with the wind whipping up the waves to whitecap size. I might mention that Ft. St. John has a HUMUNGOUS ice arena and practice building. It is about the size of Grand Rapids Van Andel Arena. For a town of 30,000 that is dynamic. Of course the winters are long here. Oil, gas, timber, and agriculture are the main industries.

Tomorrow we get to see the historical portions of the building of the AL-Can highway. The Alaskans after the war didn't like that being referred to as ‘Al-Can’ so they finally got the official name changed to “Alaska Highway” which is used today.

During WW2 when the road was being built the 10,000 men stationed here had many jobs. One day in April, a crew was assigned to move equipment and dozers on small raft/boats with motors from the south end of the Charlie Lake to the north end to be used there on the road. They started out with small waves of 1/2 foot, but by the time they got to about 1/2 way and the waves were 2-3 feet, one of the sides of the raft/boat was taking on water, so the captain ordered the raft/boat to head for shore. Waves filled the boat and the boat capsized (this was April) and the men floundered. A man in his cabin onshore preparing breakfast, saw the boat earlier and looked again and it was gone. He got in his rowboat and rowed out to rescue the men. In three trips he rescued five men , and some 15 men drowned. There is a wonderful memorial to them and the rescuer just at the shore of this RV Park. Canada awarded the man many honors and now there is a memorial. (See pic).

Tomorrow we head for Ft.Nelson and the day after that Liard Hot Springs! Yes we will get in and soak! Thanks for reading!

2011-07-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

1. The Hoodoos. Resistant limestone that looks like Bears. Really! Can you see 'em?

2. One of the many mountains in the Banff/Jasper Parks.

3. Ruth on Bow Summit (7,000 feet) when it was 36 F and snowing. We went back the next day and the sun was shining...,At 36F.

4.Can you name the remains of the animals? There are eight of them, all different.?

On the Al-Can Highway at Fort St. John BC

2011-07-03T20:20:00.001-07:00

Day 29, Sunday July 3, 2011 in Fort St. John, BC.

Fort St.John was the largest camp and headquarters of the east end of the road,(Whitehorse was the west end cam)p) during the time the Al Can Highway was built in 1942. Into a town of 200 came 6,000 army men to help build the highway. Can you imagine the change for those citizens of this small outpost of a village? The Fort was established in 1794 as an outpost of the military and was the first white settlement on British Columbia.

Today Fort St. John is a bustling city of 18,000 with 55,000 in the area in the heart of the Peace River Valley. Gas, oil, timber, agriculture, tourism, hydroelectric power and consumer services are the highlights of its activity. One of the key crops is rape seed used in making canola oil. The seed is shipped to the Far East and to Alberta for processing. Honey , hogs, eggs and poultry supply much of BC with those products. It is set in the rolling hills east of the Rocky Mountains. Much of the land in the Dawson Creek area was donated to the National Government by the Province in exchange for bringing the RR into the area. After that homesteading families developed the land

We arrived here early as the trip from Grand Prairie was only 3 hours and we didn’t hustle. The entry into Ft. St.Johns was a 4 mile run down a 6 % grade hill and then the view of the Peace River and the very long truss bridge over it at the bottom. That bridge has been rebuilt three times e1942. Twice destroyed by flooding.

The campground is a Rotary Park run by the local rotarians for 30 years. THis will be a two night stay so we can explore ZCharlie Lake adjacent to the Park and two Provincial Parks that attach to the Lake. Th wind here is always very severe. Today it blew at 20 mph and gusts higher. The land is flat and nothing to stop the wind. The campground is open with no trees but is near a marshland and the Lake.

As the Al Can highway is at the edge of the RV PArk, the traffic heading for Alaska is quite heavy and steady especially in the summer. We are at the “back” of the park so that will help in sleep. I will try again to include some of those mountain pictures from the past few days. Ruth did a great job from the moving truck.

'Through the fur trappers town", Day 28, July 2, 2011

2011-07-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Day 28 July 2, 2011 Travel from Hinton to Grand Prairie. 100 miles of just trees.

(Looks like I will have to download pictures in the AM, Internet very slow)

It looked like a great day again with the morning temperatures hovering around 54F. It is a great improvement from the cool 30’s and 40’s of the previous days. The day got better and ended at a comfortable 75 F in Grand Prairie in the afternoon.

The road from Vinton on AB 40 to Grand Cache is a very hilly and old road .It was the first road built to Grand Cache as it was only a trail from here to Grand Prairie until the 1960 (Grand Cache became incorporated in 1969). The journey was through large tracts of forests that have been clear cut for many years. Now the new growth is filling in the old cuts with fresh light green colors. This area is heavy with logging but it was Saturday and there were NO TRUCKS! So the road was relatively devoid of traffic and the morning went smoothly. There is a large coal mine at Grand Cache that is in full operation and they produce electricity as well. Grand Cache Coal Corporation.

We did stop at Grand Cache after seeing some caribou along the roadside and Mule deer right after that. Grand Cache (3,000+ pop.) is a town that s getting onto the 21st century very quickly, and with good infrastructure and facilities. The people seem to understand that with the new connection to Grand Prairie and a shortcut around Edmonton after the Icefield Parkway, on the way to Alaska, they can capitalize on the opportunity to grow and prosper. The Visitor Center there is as good as any we have seen with memorabilia, history and wonderful displays. We usually scan the children's and nature books in the gift shop. We gassed up at $1.16/L = $3.48/gal. (US) much better than Sascatchewan River gasoline price at nearly $5.00/gal. The remainder of the road from Grand Cache was the newer road built in the 1990’s and was still in good shape with only some frost heaves occasionally were felt. It is a different feeling to go through the solid green forests and not see anything else but rolling hills with trees. It is a rather clean feeling with no houses, or structures of any sort for 100 miles. Can’t do that very many places.

Grand Prairie is the most northern agricultural area in the world at 54 degrees north latitude. It has cattle, hay, some grains and root crops.

The last landmark before the Tamarack (note spelling!) Campground was the Wapiti River named after the many caribou that inhabit this area. This campground, like all on this weekend, was full, but we did have a reservation so got site number 2 right up front for the short timers. (See pic)

We arrived at 1:45 so had some time to write cards, download mail, upload pictures and just unwind. It felt good. Supper was taco salad and then we watched a movie for the first time as we had brought a few Net Flix movies with us. We watched “Unstoppable “ about the runaway freight train in PA.

It was a good day and although the phone connections were non existent we didn’t mind a bit.It os good to have them quiet some days.

(Forgot to add) Last night at the KOA campground in Hinton a bright red, German “self-contained” bus pulled in. It carries about 24 passengers from Germany and tours North america for 60 days. They sleep on it, and have some meals so just keep moving. They started in NYC , went through Toronto, Detroit, Ann Arbor Chicago, Glacier NP and now will head for Alaska. You may have seen some of these on the road.

Tomorrow we head for the Al-Can Highway and Fort St.John up the road 200 miles.

Finally some picture! From Alberta July 2, 2011 Day 28

2011-07-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Mt Rundle just across from the campsite at Tunnel MT. Banff. SAw it each morning and eve.

The Black Bear on roadside

Peyto Lake the glacial fed 1.

A view of the Icefield Parkway just into Jasper P.P.

This is a sample just to get you started. There will be more later tonight. Today we made the trip from Hinton AB, through Grand Cache the old fur trappers town and onto Grand Prairie, the heart of the most northern agricultural area i the world. (54 degree N Lat.) . There is a Rodeo in town featuring the Annual Chick wagon race with a 4 team hitch. Whoa!

This is a one night stop and will head for Fort St John on the Alcan Highway tomorrow.

Day 27 At Hinton after the Icefield Parkway July 1, 2011

2011-07-01T21:41:00.001-07:00

(There is a day skipped and I will remedy that.)

Day 27 July 1, 2011 Enroute to Hinton,AB via the Icefield Parkway

We are going to try one more time to get to see and photograph Peyto Lake As we closed camp and headed up Hwy #1 it look propitious and a much better weather wise day than Thursday. The sun was peeking through, the Cougar did not show up in the park, and we were on our way.

It was good to see the wildlife overpasses (bridges) and the 20-30 mile long fences on both sides of the road to protect the wildlife. MOst of that project is now completed with a little finishing touches left. (Some of the bridges don’t have their trees planted yet. ) The main stop was Peyto Lake with both the Athapasca and Sunwapta Falls right behind. The weather Gods were with us as even though the temperature dropped to 37 F at 7,000 feet when we reached the Bow Summit (the look out for Peytyo Lake) the sun was staying out more than it was hiding. Ruth got her pictures and we assisted some tourists in taking a group shot. The blue green of the lake is caused by the dust particles of rock that float in the water and as the suns rays hit them they emit the blue/green colors to the eye. The walkway was icy and slippery from the overnight snow so we had to be careful.

Then it was to Sunwapta Falls where the river has cut a deep canyon through the granite-like rock and makes a very quick 90 degree turn into chasm below the falls, and there is a lot of churning water here. (Notice we are not mentioning the birds as we have not seen them at all. Maybe it is too cold?) There are two bridges that make access to the falls easy for most. The walk to the falls is a few yards from the parking lot. Most of the stops that are recommended have toilets and there are NO commercial entities anywhere on the Parkway except at Lake Louise and at Saskatchewan Crossing .(Gas and food, well, gift stores, too) . The stop at Saskatchewan Falls is similar only here the river (same name) is much larger and carries much more volume. It was probably one that undercut the rock at one time, but now slices through the hard rock and carries down the water some 1,000 yards of cataracts and drops. The old channel it cut is no longer the channel so it is dry but still cut deep into the rock. The river ends up in a frothing, white mass of water, with attendant spray, moving swiftly between two walls of resistant rock.

We found a quiet spot to eat at the side of the road and continued after stopping for gas at the only stop on the Parkway ... Saskatchewan Crossing . It was $1.65/L or about $4.95 /gallon. Whew! Remember we lose 7 cents on the Canadian dollar.

As we moved north it was obvious that the Sunwapta River which enters into the Saskatchewan is becoming wider and more like the glacial rivers in the upper BC and Yukon. They are flat , meandering, and filed with gravel. Now the valley is wide and the mountains start to get rounded , rather than with those sharp edges we have seen. The Canadian Rockies begin to move NW away from a true north to South line. We will pick them up again just inside the Yukon Territory at Swift River when the Alcan Highway moves west to Alaska. They rather parallel the Alcan Highway until that point and then the Continental divide travels north through the Yukon to the Arctic Ocean.

Technically there are two highways. First the Alaskan Highway that travels from Delta Junction AK to Dawson Creek BC and the East access route from Edmonton to Dawson Creek. The Canadian portion was first called the Canadian Military Highway. There are many good reads of the Alaskan Highway and how it as built so quickly. Today it is paved all the way with some construction improving it’s route each summer.

Back to the day’s event!

We did arrive into Hinton, stopped in town for groceries , and some reasonable gas ($1.18/L) , but when I turned into the KOA, just outside town I was directed to the “first drive” and a left turn. It happened that it was a residence and was downhill with no cul d’ sac to turn around. After about four attempts to reverse the situation I managed to get on track and turn into the KOA . We had reserved the site and it was good we did, as this was Canada Day weekend and would have been full had we not. It is an open campground but friendly and with warm host and hostesses. It is good to be off the road for tomorrow we take AB 40 for 180 miles, across a “timber and wildlife” road to get to the Alcan Highway at Grand Prairie. Hopefully we will see more than logging trucks on this potentially wildlife filled road through the wilderness. (There is one town about a third of the way.) It is a camping, hunting and fishing paradise.

Time in the Mountains JUne 28th 2011

2011-06-29T17:40:00.001-07:00

Day 24 June 28, 2011 Banff Alberta

Bikes, hikers, old cars and cycles.

Yes lots of them in the park and on some roads they have the right of way and cars are restricted. This Provincial Park seems to have all bases covered and encourages hiking, biking, and back packing as indeed it should. In 1885 it (Banff) was a stopping place for the CPRR (Canadian Pacific RR), with the main attraction at the time the mineral springs (still here) . The name BANFF comes from the home of the major financier of the CPRR in Banffshire , Scotland. The park is 6,569 Km2. (No I am not converting it!). The Park actually connects with Jasper P.P. to the north which we will traverse this week..

The first foray this day was the Bow Parkway that runs from just outside Banff to Lake Louise some 50 miles to the north. It is the original highway and has now been made into a “drive in the daytime only” parkway. Here there are chances to see much wildlife and we started the first 100 feet by seeing a family of Mountain goats (4 adults and 3 kids) (see pics). They had come right to the roadside to graze on grass and minerals . On this stretch of road the speed limit is 30 Km /h so traffic is very courteous for the most part. One can stop, take pictures, and move on.

Besides a few birds on the roadway, there were many mountains and three points of interest that caught my eye. First was the use of a prescribed burn back in 1993 on a large section of timber (1,000 acres +). This is done to allow the necessary growth that comes after a fire to reinitiate so the wildlife can have food. If the forest gets a heavy over story much of this is smothered and so to speak eliminating the food sources.

The second point was a memorial to the men who were incarcerated in WW1 because of their heritage. It seems that Canada had many Ukrainian refugees from Europe (Austria/Prussia) and that they were concerned about their loyalty and espionage potential. (SOUND FAMILIAR ???) So they placed them in immigrant camps as they called them all over Canada and the Provincial Park here was one of them. There were 200,000 of them in these camps in Canada. Recently the Ukrainian community placed an additional memorial here with only the words “WHY?” in English and three other languages. (The USA has since created some excellent testimonies to the Japanese interment.)

The third big stop on the Bow Road was at Johnson Canyon, a very heavily used commercial stop that does have a beautiful canyon and attending waterway (Johnson Creek) that has cut a deep canyon (500 feet deep in places) with attending walls and white water and falls for many miles upstream. The path is well traveled to see the lower and upper falls. We looked for Dippers here, too, but did not see any. One new bird was a Yellow Headed Warbler, which is new to our birding list. We walked the up and down mile to the lower falls and back. Again new construction (a visitors center) made the parking lot here a disaster.

We arrived at Lake Louise and headed right for Moraine Lake as that is a beautiful setting at the base of the mountains. Took some pictures in the rain, bought some post cards and headed back to the campground. Note the bridges for wildlife over the road. The fencing along the road must have cost many millions. (See pic)

Getting on the internet to send blogs and e mail is tight here . We finally found a spot at ...yes... Starbucks, and competed a quick download . Hey, had to have an iced Latte, eh?

After supper we “tooled” downtown Banff (not our favorite thing) and went to the south end of town where the Bow River Falls are located. This was NOT a long walk but only across the parking lot. (See pics). It was also a starting place for rafters (downriver from the falls) for rafting the Bow River. This river makes a splendid Valley through the mountains. The Bow River eventually runs south into the Saskatchewan River, then the Great Slave Lake and the the Nelson River to Hudson Bay. (long journey!)

Anyhoo,...Lthe te that evening we toured a short Vermilion road that encompasses a series of ponds that are good Moose habitats, but saw only a Common Loon and good views of the mountains at sunset. Earlier in the afternoon Ruth photographed a rainbow in the same area.

That was pretty much it for the day and another great day in the Canadian Rockies. Tomorrow a loop road of lakes and ponds and Yoho Provincial Park.

Day 23 2011, Wanna Cross over into Canada?

2011-06-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Last evening at Pend Orielle (ID) Rocky Mountains across Columbia Lake (BC)

The Rocky Mountains west of the continental divide in British Columbia

Castle Mountain approaching Alberta from west

Day 23 June 27 2011 Crossing the border into Canada.

So how was the border crossing you ask, Well hand on and we will tell you in some detail. VERY interesting, indeed. But first let’s get to that point some 25 miles north of Bonner’s Ferry ID. We did get a good start at 8:15 and were into Bonner’s Ferry by 9:00 AM. We crossed the Kootenai River , not for the last time as it now comes down out of Canada where it is spelled Kootenay and is very long and makes a hairpin turn in USA and returns to Canada. It eventually drains into the Columbia River system and the Pacific Ocean at Astoria OR. This is similar to what the Fraser River does as well. I digress!

Before we reached the border at Eastport Idaho, we stopped at an ver look of the Kootenai Valley. What a wonderful sight from high on the bluff with wheat fields and hay and cultivated fields showing their patterns . Then we arrived at the border.

They are “redoing” the border here at Eastport and it as a mess, temporary roads and tight turns and temporary buildings, but efficient in its own way. All vehicles pulling a trailer or motorhomes, had to stop, be checked o the computer inside the building and then hand the keys t the inspector while he goes through the trailer. Of course we had no guns, drugs, ammo, etc, but he did find Ruth’s Krispy apples she had just bought and those were confiscated. We had to remake the bed as their os storage under the ebed and he found it. He did not find the storage under the breakfast table where we store our vacuum and extra juices. (All the travel stuff (loose) in the kitchen is stored on that pad and it was intact. About 30 minutes to do that and we were given our passports back and headed for the Free Duty store to exchange some money into Canadian (.94 for the USA dollar) . They had a temporary shed to drive under but it was 8’ 6” and when I started to pull in I realized that my vents would not make it so I backed out.

Then the trip got really interesting in a visual sort of way. The mountains of the Rockies began to appear. Remember we are coming from the south and heading north and east to get t Banff area. So we cross from British Columbia to Alberta to pick up highway #1 (The Queen’s Highway) which goes north so we will connect to the Alcan HIghway eventually.

So it was the Moyie River that we crossed eight times which comes out of beautiful Moyie Lake . Then the larger town of Cranbrook as we started to get onto more Lodges, Hotels and large tourist accommodations. Some were “spa “ oriented. The historic site of Fort Steele a heritage town, the the statue of ‘Skookumchuck” the Native Canadian who’s statue stands by the side of the road. He is a legend here. Then the rolling hills and in the distance the Rocky Mountains. We get closer as we pass through Windemere and near Invermere, both resort towns. At Radium Hot DSprings, however the road heads directly onto the Mountains to the east. Got gas here for $1,27 /Liter or about $4.00 US. Last fill in USA was $3.55/gal.

Ruth was able to get some beautiful mountain shots on this stretch and we will share them with you when we get Wi-Fi. (None in the Park) From Radium Hot Springs to Banff is about 133 Km or about 78 miles .(Remember to multiply Km by .6 to get the miles.

We did find the park easily (Tunnel Campground #2) and got set up quickly on site number 423. Although t isn’t as beautiful as some parks, it s surrounded by the mountains and very quiet considering there may be 1,000 rigs here this week. *Canada Day is July 1, and we will be “out of here”. There is no question that the mountains are spectacular and still snow capped in some paces above 7,000 feet. There has not been the run off here nor the rain . Tomorrow we wilo drive the Bow River scenic road and scout for birds,. IT was pretty thin today with only 12 species and no new birds.

Sunday June 26, Day 22 at East Hope Idaho

2011-06-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

22 Sunday June 26 East Hope, Idaho

PIctures cannot download. Will try tomorrow!

Well yesterday may have been a “perfect day” but today was not far behind. Weather -sunny and “San Diego” weather IE: 65-75 F, although it did not reach 75 F quite. This was the day to drive up to the Kootenai NWR and see what the northern most city in Idaho has to offer in the way of wildlife. We were off before 8:15 and found the Sunday traffic at that time quite non-existent. Idaho 222W to US 95N and then north out of Sandpoint. It is rolling country between the Cabinet Range and the ranges of Eastern Washington where the Palouse land is famous for its pictorial value.

As we reached the hill coming down into the Kootenai River valley the river seemed full but not over the banks like many in the NW so far. A right turn along Riverside drive and we saw that this road along the Kootenai R. was excellent birding, with lots of flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, and a sitting Bald Eagle that was pretty skittish as that big Tundra drove slowly toward it. (No picture of that one!) The park headquarters was closed on Sunday (due to federal mandates to reduce funding), but after we walked a trail to Myrtle Creek we met the Refuge manager , Diana, who kibitzed with us indicating some highlights we might see. She was on her way to Eastern WAshington for a conference on that areas wildlife and birds. (Sunday work still!)

The road around the 2,270 acre Reserve is circular (!) and abuts Myrtle Creek on the west and the Kootenai River on the west. The Refuge is surrounded by a huge dike. Most of the Refuge is small ponds that are manged the year round for water level, (now at low stage of flood for the summer hatches and fledges). Those are surrounded by grass lands and some sedge and cattails in the wetland portions. We saw a few birds but have been spoiled by Bowdoin, Medicine Lake and other Refuges. The Refuge is used by the locals frequently and we did see and talk with some of them. JIm did see once again the elusive Common Yellowthroat and that made him happy. The ducks were few but Gadwalls, Wood Duck, a family of Coots, and a “blue billed” Ruddy Duck were present. The day was sunny all day so the air was good and the light excellent.

We looked for a Dairy Queen on the way home, but we are in Northern Idaho! There were some ice cream places, but we waited until we got back to the trailer to dive into that Tillamook “Fudge” . YUM. Oh yes and tell Tamara Camp that we found her family’s bar named “Camp’s Bar and Grill” it was in Clark’s Fork. It needs a little work, Tamara.

The day ended with a walk around the campground after “chicken roll ups”. The walk did produce a new bird on the trip (NBOTT) and that was the beautiful Stellar’s Jay. It is black around the head and a sheen colored blue on the tail, and very dark otherwise. It is quiet, and moves discreetly. Ruth found it on top of a camper at first and then in a tall cedar tree. The Calliope Hummingbird was spotted as well. So as I said it was a good day and we can be thankful.

Tomorrow we cross over onto Canada where US 95 becomes Canada 95 at the Eastport (USA) and the Kingsgate (CA) port of entries. We willlet you know how the border crossing goes in Northern Idaho! See you then, eh?

Lake Pend Orielle in Idaho Friday June 24, 2011

2011-06-25T13:44:00.001-07:00

Day 20 from West Glacier, MT., to East Hope Idaho

OLD LAKE MISSOULA ...FOR GEOLOGISTS AND MATHEMATICIANS

The drive from West Glacier to the Idaho border by the way we went is about 220 miles. That takes us south on US 93 through Polson, then through the Clark Fork Valley, a beautiful valley surrounded on both sides by the Lolo, Kaniksu and Kootenai National Forests alongside the Clark Fork River all the way. The peaks of the main mountains top some 5500 to 6500 feet. This valley is the result of a the outflow of the Ancient Lake MIssoula. The Lake was **4300 feet above sea level and about 2000 feet deep where the jam was formed by the glacial debris. It was about the size of Lake Ontario today. It emptied its water (glacial melt) in a very short time (days) and at one time the flow was at a rate believed to be 8-10 cubic miles of flow per hour. At its’ greatest flow the Mississippi River flows at “only” .02 cubic miles of flow per hour. The Lake Missoula flow equaled all the flow of all the streams in the world. (There is only one other place today that does that. That is the tidal flow in the Bay of Fundy two times per day.) At any rate the Lake Missoula flood was the largest single outpouring of water in known geologic history. This valley has many other geologic wonders like the basketball sized rocks that were pushed along at 45 mph, and the “gulch filling” with sand (large single sand dunes) that has been left and seen today between the hills.

Gas in the Valley was about $3.58/gal

This year like much of the Plains, here in the Northwest the water is at flood stage much like ND. The Pend Orielle Lake is about 8-10 feet above normal and docks, farms and marinas are under water while the many Osprey platforms along the water are only 1-2 feet about the water line preventing the Osprey from nesting on them. Here at Island BView RV it is the same with all the docks and marina under water. We are surrounded by deer in a local refuge and they walk right through the yard! LOts of them right out the kitchen window each day.

We arrived at Island View Campground at 3:00 as we gained another hour (PDT) and set up camp easily in a very quiet mostly wooded, long time used, campground. Many of the tenants have been here 25-30 years and counting.

Ruth and I took a short trip into Sandpoint to get a part I needed for a sewer hose that was broken and had supper when we returned (Taco Salad ). I watched for birds and although we did better than yesterday, we still only ID’d 24 including first sightings of a Black Billed Magpie, a Rufous Hummingbird and a Golden Eagle. The first and last ones were while traveling in the truck.

We have identified two good birding sites. One at the Bonner’s Ferry NWR , north of here, and just a few miles away at the Corps of Engineers site at the Clark’s Fork Estuary. We will try the latter tomorrow.

** Today Pend Orielle Lake is 2300 feet above sea level. Yes that's pronounced "Pend Oray". I'll have pictures tomorrow.

Last Day in Glacier ...Heading west!

2011-06-24T06:07:00.001-07:00

Clearing snow at Logan Pass in Glacier

Day 19, June 23, 2011 West Glacier , MT.

We truly took a “Day Off” in the sense that we did not actively pursue bird identification. Interestingly enough, we did ID only 8 birds today but two of them were new on the trip. They were the Evening Grosbeak and the PIne Siskin. Both were seen at two feeders in Hungry Horse residences when we went “scoping out” the area a bit. Sometimes we will pick a road or side trail to seek out birds. This was one of those time.

Mainly today we did a few necessary things, and started with a breakfast in the trailer of sausage and eggs and toast. (A good breakfast is always necessary!) Had we gone to the KOA “Cafe” here, that would be about $10.00- per head. It was good and it got us started off with good nourished . I will add some thoughts about the meals from

time to time, as they re a big part of the day especially making decisions about what to Aerial view of Hungry Horse Dam eat. Ruth and i share the decisions usually.

The morning was mainly determining a way to get that trailer (see post of dirty trailer in Devils Lake) looking a bit better and remove some of the bugs and road dirt that had accumulated. We used the “bucket” method and with rags, a long handled brush and some “ elbow grease” managed after a few hours to get it looking much better. The bugs will still need some work but it looks cleaner and I am sure it “feels” better.

Next we headed onto Columbia Falls (10 miles) to get three things accomplished. 1. A haircut for Jim, 2. check two tires that appear to be wearing too quickly on the outside (back truck tires) and 3. Get lunch. We started by stopping at a Wes Schwab Tire and service center (Didn’t they used to paint cars for $25.00?) to see if they could determine (and repair?) the tire problem. Although there was no noticeable difference in the truck handling , I didn’t want to run into an unexpected problem, either. “Willy” greeted me at the door and he actually opened it for me! Wow! When did that ever happen to you at a Tire store, or any store? He examined the tires and we talked about changing air pressure on tires as loads (weights) change from time to time. (Dodge trucks have automatic pressure change indicators so you can do just that- I didn’t know that either until today). So we finally agreed that increasing the tire pressure some 5# will flatten the tire treads somewhat to the road and give a better wear. Sometimes overload can cause that as well. but I don’t believe we are overloaded.

Then to get a haircut so we stopped in the downtown street at “the Barber Shop”, where Barbara proceeded to give me not only a haircut , but pretty much the history of her life from the age of four when the family left S. California for Libby, Montana in January. (Think about that.) We had some good exchanges about Israel (both of us had visited there), Seattle Washington and Camano Island where she will retire in a few years, as well as her two grandchildren and their exploits. It was fun and a good ,trim haircut.

Then it was lunch at Burger King, a treat for us. We were the only ones there so it was a late (1:30) and quiet stop.

The last stop of the day before the bird sightings in Hungry horse was a trip to see the Hungry Horse Dam built in the 1950’s . At 525 feet high it was the second highest on the world at that time. My brother in law worked here in the 1950’s as it was being built. He was a efficiency man and time keeper while there. One nephew was born at Hungry Horse as well. We took pictures for my sister who is adding them to her books for the grandchildren.

It was a good day, and ended with some of that Tillamook Mudslide Ice Cream. What a way to end the day. We have been waiting for that. It ranks just a tad better than Hudsonville.

Tomorrow we head for Idaho and a spot along the Clark Fork River where the Osprey will be waiting for us. We will stop at the National Bison Range southwest of Polson, MT., on the way. OIdaho 222 is a scenic route. Thanks for reading.

Day 17 and 18 Driving to and in Glacier NP

2011-06-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

Bear at roadside - Glacier NP

Bear Grass McDonald Lake in the AM Lake McDonald Glacier N.P.

The trip from Malta , Montana to West Glacier, Montana was under a sunny blue sky day. In the afternoon some of those “Montana Clouds” (as I used to tell the children they were), began to appear. They were those fluffy, lined up, cumulus clouds. There were a few road stoppages and one particularly difficult one coming through Shelby that was very bumpy, but the rest of the road was good all the way. A workman on the road commented that the day was beautiful but those gnats were about to drive him crazy. They were pesky.

After Shelby the Rocky Mountains began to appear and you could feel the adrenaline rush and remember what it must have been for those first pioneers coming across the pains and seeing the mountains. Or maybe Rogers and Clark and the men of 1804? Rogers and Clark did get into Blackfeet country as they shot two Blackfeet and “\A” in a hurry. That was the only confrontation they had.

I must pause here to remind folks to keep those residents of many towns along that route (US 2) that are being evacuated from the flood zones, and those who fear that will happen to them in the near future. We are blessed to not have that fear in most of our lives. Minot and Williston, North Dakota and Malta, Montana are the largest cities in the floods wake. Many farmers and residents will lose their farming continuity due to land loss, and property losses are irretrievable many cases.

But we did arrive at East Glacier in the mid afternoon with the mountains looming before us. The signage at Browning was noticeably Native American (Blackfoot) as it was at Fort Peck and Fort Belknap. The Blackfeet number some 10,000 tribal members at present.

We found our campground (KOA just outside West Glacier) after a very picturesque and winding drive through the south boundary of the park, where US 2 skirts the edges of some very high precipices following the Middle Fork of the Flathead River some 50 miles into Glacier N.P.

The following morning we found out that we could not drive up to the Going To the Sun Highway as the winter snow was still being cleared and there was no time table to allow traffic up that road. One could drive to Avalanche Creek Campground, but that was still at low elevations and a long way from Logan Pass. We did do just that and got an early start on the still and cool morning. McDonald Lake was very photogenic ( see pic) as there were no ripples at all and the reflections of the mountains was spectacular. Ruth did get some shots of it as well as McDonald Creek that flows into the lake and out again. The spring run off is very strong due to a moisture content of the snow (deep snowfalls) was at 49.5% as opposed to the usual 25% moisture. We did get some good cataract and waterfall pictures and spotted a few new birds albeit not many, for the day. The new birds seen were the Cassins Vireo, Willow Flycatcher and the Vaux Swift.

In the afternoon as we had ample time, by not driving up the “Sun “ highway to Logan Pass, we elected to seek out a new NWR called Lost Trail. It is being developed (1997) by securing property from old logging sections some 60 miles distant from our campground. It was a leisurely trip and we found that there was no formal development there although the potential was high. We saw a DNRC building not occupied, and later Jim found that the HQ for the NWR was some 20 miles further on the road that we started on. You don’t win ‘em all.!

The day ended with a Quick Lube oil change (and a patch of a windshield chip obtained near Williston from a truck, and then grocery shopping so the larder is full. The surprise in shopping was that we now can get Tillamook Ice Cream (and cheese) and Ruth did get a 1/2 gallon so we will have a treat soon.

Tomorrow we take a rare “day close to home” with time to do what we would like to do without a long drive. JIm’s going swimming for one,and Ruth besides reading a good book will work on her DVD of the trip. She is composing as we go.

See ya tomorrow!

Stromboli