Our Alaska Trip, The Final Leg

The sun was setting on our long journey but before returning home we wanted to see more of the north Pacific coast. Neither of us had been there in many years. Spike hoped to do a few more paintings.

We traveled south on I-5 and soon experienced the worst 3 hours of the entire trip, Seattle-Tacoma area through Olympia in drenching rain, bumper to bumper stop-and-go traffic and the roughest stretch of road we'd seen yet- cracks, pot-holes, lumps and bumps. Not  recommended for anyone towing a trailer. We were so happy to escape that urban mess at last, we stopped for the night at the first rest-area we saw.

Following the recommendation of another vintage Airstream traveler, Polly Pulver, we headed for Cape Disappointment on the mouth of the Columbia River where Lewis & Clark first reached the Pacific on their long expedition. This is at the very southwest corner of the state of Washington. We could see Oregon across the river. The Cape Disappointment lighthouse and Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center are part of the Cape Disappointment State Park where we stayed for two nights.

The Cape Disappointment campground was very large and well managed. We registered with a ranger sitting at a computer who assigned us a spot with water and electric for $27. Though not entirely full, the campground was busy. It was clamming season and the clam-diggers were out in force. It wasn't easy to smell fresh-dug clams cooking in campsites all around us while we opened yet another can of chili for dinner.

 

The Fish Cleaning Table, part of a public art project by Maya Lin called The Confluence Project. Maya Lin is the artist best known for designing the Vietnam Memorial in D.C. With the Confluence Project she is creating site-specific, permanent installations at seven locations along the historic 450 mile Columbia River Basin. Of those we saw at Cape Disappointment, we found the Fish Cleaning Table most interesting and effective since it not only refers to the historic importance of the Chinook people in this region, but is also being put to practical use by present day residents for cleaning the day's catch. Formed out of columnar basalt, you can see in this photo the top is inscribed with the Chinook emergence story. The structure includes a deep sink with running water.

We crossed the bridge into Astoria, Oregon. The north Oregon coast is dramatic with rocks and mist. We found another really nice campground at Nehalem Bay State Park.  Here we paid $20 for water and electric in a spacious and very empty campground. Empty of humans, that is. We had white-tail deer visitors who were curious enough to come within three feet of us as we sat in the sun while a large herd of elk grazed nearby.

We took advantage of a sunny day to explore up and down the coast, looking at crashing waves, big rocks, cliff sides and lighthouses.

It was time to head eastward towards home. We cut across the state of Oregon, aiming for the SE corner where we intended to enter northern Nevada via route 140. This was not to be. Near dusk we encountered a snow storm that worsened until the roads were slick with snow. We passed up our turn off and crept into Lakeview, Oregon where, with much relief, we found an open RV park. Safely parked and hooked to electricity, we were prepared to sit out the storm as long as it took.

With luck, the next morning was clear. We continued south, cutting through the corner of California into Nevada. We decided to go as far south as possible to avoid high mountain passes. The forecast was for snow all over the northern part of the state.

The coldest night of the entire 10 week trip was our last night on the road spent boondocking at a rest stop in Luning, Nevada. It was 17 degrees when we got up. We quickly made coffee and got back on the road towards home in time to see this a beautiful November sunrise looking west across the desert at the snow covered  Wassuk Range.

We arrived home November 4th. It snowed the night before. We had one clear, sunny day to unload and winterize before a storm arrived November 6th and left 8” of fresh snow. Nevertheless, we were glad to be home.

For travelers thinking of a trip to Alaska with your trailer

This is what we found: road conditions are fine if you take it easy and drive smart. After winter’s wear and tear, road repairs take place in the warmer months. By autumn there were still patches of gravel to beware of as well as areas with dreadful frost-heaves (especially in the Yukon along the boundary of  Kluane National Park.)  We learned to watch for small, red warning flags along the roadside marking pot-holes or other road damage. With trailer in tow you sometimes had to slow down to 35–40 mph. Don’t be in a hurry and stay alert for wildlife.  

We had no problem with availability of gas as long as we paid attention to the gas gauge and distance between towns. The Milepost guide is extremely helpful with information on availability of services but not always correct (as editions are updated yearly, use the most recent edition.)  Carry extra gas and top-off at ½ a tank or less. Since we live and travel a lot in the southwest, great distance between gas stations was not a new concept for us.

Gas is very expensive in Canada (as is booze!) prices are somewhat lower in Alaska but food prices are high everywhere up north, especially in more remote areas. We resigned ourselves to paying $7 for a gallon of milk or $5 for a bag of tortilla chips. A favorite staple became giant Idaho baking potatoes, at close to 1lb each, they were a meal in themselves. We never see those here in southern Utah.

Many public and private campgrounds close up for the season mid to late September. This made finding campsites difficult as we continued to travel in October. Again, the Milepost guide was very helpful to locate not only campgrounds but also roadside pull-outs and rest areas. We also relied on local visitor centers for camping and dump station information. We grabbed all the helpful, free tourist literature we could. Some of these publications can be acquired on-line ahead of time. Pre-planning is helpful but winging it is fun too.

Driving the Alaska Highway, as well as all the other routes we traveled is no longer the rugged, daring adventure it once was, but it’s a wonderful adventure nonetheless.

Summing it Up                                

Total days of trip: 69

Miles covered:  10,832

Fuel cost:  $3,691.79 (for an average price of $4.24 per gal)

Gallons bought: 558.89

Liters bought: 1181.84 (÷ 3.7854 = 312.21 gal )

Total fuel: 871.1 gal  (with an average of 12.4 MPG)

Gasoline used in generator: 6 gal 

Hours of generator use: 51:25

Camping                                                  
Total camping fees: $844.92  (an average of $12.43 per night)
Privately owned RV parks: 19 nights
National, State, Provincial, Territorial or Municipal park campgrounds: 23 nights
Paid campgrounds (including RV parks): 35 nights
Free campgrounds: 9 nights
Free roadside boondocking: 10 nights
“Courtesy parking” at friends' homes: 12 (11 nights at the Bear's in North Pole, AK)
Inside a home sleeping in a king-sized bed: 2 nights

Number of states, provinces or territories crossed: 11

Utah, Idaho, Montana, Alberta Canada, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California. Nevada

International border crossings, passport required: 6
Number of times we ran out of gas: 2
     1st in Idaho the first day driving
     2nd in Faibanks 10' from gas pump, put gas in from can, pulled forward & filled the tank, LOL!
Chips in the windshield: 1 (in Yukon Territory)
Repairs, patches and improvements on Moonshadow: 11
Oil changes: 2
Credit cards used: 3
Credit cards compromised: 1 (in Alberta, Canada)

Number of books read: 7.5

Paintings done: 12
Photos taken: 2,171 (thank goodness for digital!)

Airstream sightings: 66

Alaska scored the most with 14, Washington second with 10, in use 25, in storage 41.

Wildlife Sightings                                     

Mammals: black bears, brown bears (grizzlies), caribou, rock sheep, Dall sheep, bison, moose, muskox, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, mink, red fox, muskrats, steller sea lion, harbor seals, sea otters, red squirrels, coyotes.

Birds: bald eagles, gray jays, black-capped chickadees, varied thrush, sandhill cranes, harlequin ducks, trumpeter swans, brant geese, red-breasted mergansers, common mergansers, common loons, Barrow's golden-eyes, spruce grouse, spotted owl, American pipits, nuthatches, winter wren, and many others less significant or unidentified.

Fish: coho salman (silver), chum salmon (calico or dog)

Mosquitoes: NONE! We were there in September & October.

Best things we bought along the way: clip-on LED lights, strap wrench, Peterson's First Guide to Forests, Alaska Wildlife Notebook

Best things we took with us: Big Heat electric space heater, 12 volt fan, Italiano stove-top espresso pot, The Milepost Alaska Travel Planner.

Things we wished we had brought: more underwear and warm socks, bathing suits for the hot springs, 5-in-one screwdriver, more DVD movies to watch, a device to hang clothes to dry in front of the Panel-ray heater (will have to invent something if it doesn't already exist.)

Things we brought that we didn't need: dress-up clothes, pop-up shade canopy.

Things we wish we'd had more time for:  museums, visiting with friends - new and old, walking & hiking, painting, reading, eating crab & smoked salmon, and the list goes on...

If you have any specific questions we haven’t addressed here, please leave a comment below and we will do our best to give an answer.

The Cassiar Hwy to Lake Louise and back to the U.S.

It was about 34 degrees when we awoke at Boya Lake after a night of rain. Frost was on the picnic table and the van windshield. Boya Lake was so beautiful, in another season we would have stayed a week, but we felt a need to be on our way down the Cassiar-Stewart (hwy 37) then eastward on the Yellowhead (hwy 16) to Jasper and Banff National Parks. We packed up to head further south with hopes of leaving behind the cold, gray of winter and rediscovering autumn gold. We had many miles to go.

Scenery along the Cassiar stretch was especially beautiful.

We saw many wood planked bridges in this region of British Columbia. We were curious to know why this material was used in such an ice-prone area instead of the steel grating we saw in other regions of the north. We never found out, so if anyone has the answer, let us know.

Mile by mile the landscape grew more colorful. Aspen and roadside willows in orange and yellow, fireweed foliage a brilliant red.  There were even late season wildflowers in bloom.

We saw black bears munching on swaths of green grass.

A. Boya Lake, BC

B. Gitwangak, BC at intersection of Hwy 37 & 16

C. Lake Louise, Alberta

After a night boondocking roadside, we woke to dense morning fog. As we drove, the day continued overcast and damp. The Milepost guidebook informed us this region along the Stewart Hwy is totem pole country. Many Native villages have old totem poles still in place. We hoped to see some but time and weather conditions did not incline us to explore side roads. We were glad to come upon the Native reserve of Gitwangak, at the intersection with Yellowhead Hwy. Here the poles have been removed from original sites and gathered together in a row.

The word totem is derived from the Ojibwe word odoodem, meaning “kinship group.” Totem poles are like signposts, telling stories and honoring heritage, their symbols primarily representing the clans each pole belongs to. Usually carved of cedar or spruce, poles were traditionally painted in black, red, brown and blue-green, using paint made of charcoal, cinnabar, iron oxide and copper oxide mixed with oil from salmon eggs. The poles are typically not maintained or restored. It is generally believed the deterioration of poles is representative of natural processes of decay and death.

Another night of boondocking roadside. We woke to a sunny morning.

As we travel eastward we return to “civilized” agricultural areas in the broad valleys of British Columbia.

A classic BC farm scene. Would make a good painting. 

Nearing Jasper National Park we can see the high peaks marking the Continental Divide.

Going south from the town of Jasper we drove the 230km long Ice Fields Parkway, noted for passing within viewing distance of seven icefields (large upland glaciers) and about 25 smaller but notable glaciers. We then entered Banff National Park where we planned to stay at the Lake Louise campground.

It was dark and very cold by the time we reached Lake Louise campground. We were grateful to find electric hook-ups available though no water and no winter rate reduction. (Spike's U.S. National Park geezer pass did not help in Canada) however, hot showers and flush toilets in a heated restroom was a plus. We stayed two nights.

The glacier fed Kicking Horse River carves stone to form dramatic

waterfalls and turquoise colored pools.

Though the day felt gloomy with overcast, such subdued light reveals interesting reflections in water such as these here at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. In this region six national parks are clustered close together, Jasper, Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Glacier and Mt.Revelstoke. The $19.60 daily National Park pass is good for all six. Unfortunately, in October most side roads, campgrounds and other facilities were closed.

A bit of sun breaks through at picturesque Lake Louise the morning of our departure.

We moved camp to the town of Golden, near (Canadian) Glacier National Park. We found a nice municipal campground right in town. In between spells of rain and fog, Spike ventured forth in his mobile-studio to paint near Roger's Pass. “If the windows are open, it's plein-air!”

A. Lake Louise, Alberta

B. Golden, BC

C. Revelstoke, BC

D. Vernon, BC

E. Canada - U.S. Border

F. North Cascades Nat. Park

After two nights in Golden we moved on to the city of Revelstoke where again, we found a nice municipal campground next to this beautiful small lake.

Late afternoon view of wetlands along the Columbia River.

The next day we were ousted by a city worker due to seasonal closing of the municipal campground. He suggested we move a short distance to a parking area next to the city ballfields, a beautiful spot beside the Columbia River. Once comfortably parked we noticed a sign saying no camping but we determined we were not “camping,” just parking overnight. No one seemed to object.

It was raining on us nearly everyday at this point. We felt perpetually wet. Just like the trees, Spike sprouted a bit of witch's hair lichen on his face! LOL.

Seeing old friends and making new ones. LtoR: Paul, Sue, Barbara, Spike, Ron.

We took a welcome break from Airstream-living while visiting friends, Paul and Glenys Schorn, a couple we met 17 years ago on an Escalante Canyon back-country expedition. They have stopped by to see us in Utah a few times over the years. This was our fist opportunity to visit them at their beautiful home in a resort community near Vernon, BC. It's a gorgeous area of rolling hills and mixed vegetation similar to the wine country of California, and, in fact, it is called Canada's wine country.

Our first evening there, neighbors Ron and Barbara were invited over for “nibbles” and wine. It was a fun evening of lively conversation and lots of laughter.

Spike, Glenys and Paul with a painting by Spike. The Schorns are great art appreciators and supporters of living artists. Their home is filled with an eclectic collection of art and artifacts from their world travels.

Note to friend Roger: remember the Grand Canyon painting that you saw on Spike's website and wanted to buy, but Spike couldn't find it? Here it is! Paul and Glenys bought it last time they visited us in Utah. Mystery solved.

After a wonderful two days spent with the Schorns, we were on our way again. Midday we made our last international border crossing of the trip. After a quick inspection of van and Moonshadow, U.S. Customs confiscated half a lemon and two limp green onions.

A friend suggested we visit North Cascades National Park in Washington state. Since it was right on our route west to the coast, we made it our next stop. Along the way we drove through gorgeous forests of spruce, pines and golden larch. We encountered light snowfall on the summits and drizzling rain below. Campground after campground was closed for the season. It was dark by the time we found the one camp still open. We didn't even bother to level the Airstream, just ate dinner and went to sleep. In the morning we discovered ourselves nearly swallowed up in a Disneyesque enchanted forest where you'd expect some magical creature to appear from behind a moss covered tree at any moment.

We had a sunny day to explore the beauty of North Cascades National Park.

Autumn color was at its peak in this area.

One of many cascades in the Cascades.

From here we continued directly west heading for an area north of Seattle where we planned to visit friends and meet with, for the first time, another vintage Airstream lover who owns “Island Girl” a 1957 Caravanner.

Haines, Alaska

On October 1st we left Homer, our next destination Haines. It was a 1,000 mile drive that took 2 ½ days, including a stop to change oil in the van, a job Spike did himself on a freezing cold, windy day in Tok, AK.  At this point we'd driven over 5,000 miles since leaving home.

To reach Haines from Homer we had to go north, retracing our route back to Palmer, then northeast to Tok before turning south. There are no shortcuts in Alaska unless you go by aircraft or boat.

A. Homer, AK

B. 1st night in roadside pullout.

C. 2nd night in roadside pullout.

D. Haines, AK

From Palmer we took the Glenn highway, a new route for us which went past Matanuska Glacier. Clouds were dark and heavy, trees were bare, we saw snow along the roadside and ponds were iced over. Winter was on our tail.

 It was growing dark with no prospects for overnight stopping in sight. Thank goodness for The Milepost Alaska Travel Planner. We highly recommend this publication to anyone driving to Alaska.  It became our bible for this trip. Among many other kinds of information, the Milepost informs you of every rest stop, trail head parking area, viewpoint pullout or pullouts of any kind. It gives descriptions of condition and configuration (paved or gravel, large or small, double-ended, etc.) and exact location by mile-marker reference and which side of the road. Even after dark we could find overnight stopping places with Milepost guidance.

On the road early the next morning we see sunrise on a snowy mountain.

As we crested a 2,000 ft. summit we were at snow-line. Here and there we saw fields of cotton flowers looking like snow banks.

A field of cotton flowers.

To reach Haines from Homer required two border crossings, first a return to Canada's Yukon Territory. We re-traced part of the Alaska Hwy as far as Haines Jct. This was the worst stretch of the Al-Can where cracks, pot-holes and frost heaves forced us to slow to 35mph. It was a bucking bronco ride for many miles, very rough on our 56 year old Moonshadow but she held up well.  Our second crossing was back into Alaska 40 miles north of Haines.

The further south we go, the more we return to warmer weather and autumn colors.

This lifts our spirits greatly, more sun, more brilliant colors, more beautiful Alaska.

One thing we learned about Alaska is that in Alaska the law allows travelers to camp anywhere on public lands they can find a space to park. As we neared Haines roadside spaces were full of campers. Here we spotted a little Alaskan humor.

The Haines Hwy follows the Chilkat River where a late season coho and chum salmon spawn was taking place. Fishermen were numerous. This explained the large population of campers in October.

The only full-service Haines RV park still open in October was Oceanside RV Park, located on Portage Cove off the Chilkoot Inlet. Moonshadow shines like a lone star in a field of white boxes.

We soon learned the coming weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving. Haines would be further inundated with Canadian campers toting fishing gear. We decided to stay put through the holiday. This made our stay in Haines seven days.

Next morning's view of Portage Cove from the RV park.

The Haines area is noted as a location for massive congregations of bald eagles in the winter. As many as 3,500 have been counted along the Chilkat River between mid-October and January. Unfortunately we were a week too early. We saw only a few clusters here and there on gravel bars.

Another beautiful scene along the Chilkoot Inlet that may become a painting.

Morning Mist Beyond Portage Cove, 11x14 oil

Painted looking east from Oceanside RV park.

On approach to Chilkoot Lake.

The Oceanside RV park owners love to host crab boils for their guests. At $6 per crab we pitched in for two. These were the fresh catch of the day.

Once crabs were boiled and ready to eat, the RV park residents gathered together, each contributing a potluck item to the feast. We cracked crabs, talked and ate for hours.

Majestic mountains along the Chilkat River north of Haines.

Storm Over Portage Cove, 10x12 oil

Painted looking south from Oceanside RV park.

Our first Alaska sighting of Brown Bears, aka, Grizzlies.

This is a mother bear who has two nearly full-grown cubs.

 

We saw the mother and cubs everyday frequenting the Chilkoot Lake area. We could see she wore a tracking device and all three bears had ear tags. They were too busy catching fish and playing in the water to pay much attention to gawkers on the banks. Nevertheless, caution is always the rule.

Spike painting at Chilkoot Lake while grizzlies fish and frolic in the water below.

Chilkoot Lake on a misty afternoon. Our time in Haines included sunny, rainy and misty days. Spike especially liked the Chilkoot Lake scenes.

Riverside Totem pole. There were several beautiful, newly carved totem poles in the Haines area. We heard one could get a “totem pole tour” guide at the visitor center but we could never catch them when open.

Haines Borough Public Library Totem pole. This one was carved in 2009 by designer/carver Jim Heaton along with three Klukwan carvers and three teenage apprentices. It was designed specifically for the library. All the symbolism pertains to the library's history and purpose in the community.

Beautiful mountain view in Haines on our last day. We prepare to take the ferry to Skagway for the next leg of our journey.