Alaska 2009

[fisher205]

July 20

It’s a little cool this morning. With a large lunch and supper, I decided to forego breakfast and get something in town later. I packed up camp and was sitting in the line for the ferry when I got to thinking that there wasn’t anything I really wanted in town except fuel. I had enough fuel to make it to Chicken AK or Tok if I needed too. So I wheeled out of line and headed west. Driving the Top of the World Highway is nice. It’s pretty much a gravel road with a few paved spots.

I had a guy drop his motorcycle (BMW GS1200) in front of me. He had passed me earlier and then stopped and was turning around to get a picture when his bike fell over. I stopped and helped him pick it up. The traffic on this road is horrible; I bet I met 5 cars in two hours on the way to the border.

The border crossing was quick. A tin shed on the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere. I think this is where they send the Border Patrol guys that screw up. I actually liked the spot. You could see for miles. But pretty windy and cold. The road got worse from there. It was like driving Higgins Gulch road above Crowe Peak.

I got to Chicken and bought fuel. $4.35 per gallon. This was as much as the highest I paid in Canada. As I was driving off, the clerk came running out, flagging me down. I didn’t think I had left my credit card, Hope it was good. Nope he was from Spearfish and we chatted about home.

I went to the downtown Chicken had a piece of pie and used their internet to check my mail. Headed on to Tok. I got my fishing license ($80 for 14 days) then talked to the girl at Game and fish about area fishing. I drove to Moon Lake and was going to camp but didn’t have the correct change. I wasn’t going to give them anymore after paying the $80 for fishing. So I headed down the road a ways.

I came across an RV with a flat tire. It was a father with his 3 grown daughters, doing a father-daughter trip. The RV had no jack or lug wrench. They had rented it in Anchorage and couldn’t get the guys to return their call. While we were changing the tire, the guy texted back that it didn’t have a jack for liability reasons. Loaned them a jack, lug wrench and helped finish changing the tire. Then I drove another ½ mile to a turn off next to Yerrick Creek. Set up here and called it a night. 198,846 206 miles



July 21

It was another cool evening. But I did get up and got going. Nothing too exciting on this trip. I stopped by Delta Meats and bought some reindeer sticks and some jalapeno and olive summer sausage. Finally talked to Sherri and we got an offer on the Gillette house. It’s low but we figured out a counter offer.

I was going to stop in the North Pole and have a cup of coffee. There was construction and I was always too late to exit by the time I saw it. I ended up driving through Fairbanks so I just went got fuel at this truck stop north of town. I was going to get propane also, but it still felt pretty full. So I didn’t exchange it. The girl at the truck stop wasn’t too into her job and seemed more interested in flirting with the two truckers in front of me. Forever to get out of there.

I’ve decided to head up the Haul Road (also known as the Dalton Highway). At least to Coldfoot. We’ll see about Prudhoe Bay. I am leaning towards going so pushed to past the Yukon tonight.

Stopped at the BLM visitors’ center at the Yukon Crossing. A couple was working it. Almost seemed like they were to busy reading their books than to talk to me. I don’t think I would have gotten any of the brochures from the guy if she hadn’t prompted him. He barely looked up from the book he was reading and acted annoyed that I would be so rude to even talk to him. So back on the road.

The BLM “campsite” 5 Mile is a big parking lot with a privy. I decided to set up here anyway for the views to the south. Nice breeze to keep the bugs away, but pretty warm out. Two guys are hiding in their tent to get out of the sun. They are riding their bicycles. Well get up early tomorrow and see how many miles I can get put away. 199,150 319 miles

July 22

Woke up at 4:30 because of cold. I didn’t get the sleeping bag out, because it was so warm last night. Not that cold now, just uncomfortable to sleep. So start coffee and decide to go all the way to Deadhorse. I’m up early for a start. So GO.

It’s getting cooler with a light rain shower as I am getting ready. It sucks to be riding a bike now. Well the trip to Deadhorse is an ego thing, just to say I did it. But as every mile progresses I get into more and more breathtaking country. It’s like having the Teton’s on one side of the road and the Rockies on the other side. I note numerous streams that I’ll want to check out on my way back. The road conditions are all over the place. They range from good gravel to really bad chip seal. My speed varies from 35 to 50 mph. I usually run 40 to 45. It just seems easier on the truck and I’m not in that big of hurry.









The scenery is great. What can I say? I try to get some pictures but it’s hazy out and I don’t think they are very good.



I don’t see much for wildlife except for a White Ptarmigan and finally after I get out in the tundra, I see some musk ox.



The wind starts to get pretty hard as I hit the tundra. Of course it’s right in my face. Some delays for road construction. As I get closer to Deadhorse, they are really applying a lot of magnesium chloride and the truck is getting drenched in it. Meeting a lot more trucks as I get closer.

Deadhorse is pretty industrial and the wind was cold. Since it’s coming right off the Artic Ocean I guess it doesn’t have much time to heat up over the ground. There isn’t much for wind breaks there either. I fuel and call Sherri. We had a counter to our counter on the house. It still isn’t close enough. We put another counter back. This is as far as we go.





I then get out of Deadhorse. I drive 100 miles south to get by some of the worst of the construction. I am parked beside the Sag River. The wind is still cold. I turn the heat on in the camper.



With this wind I can find almost every leak in this old camper. It’s still warmer than a tent. I can hear all the truck traffic on the haul road and the river and the furnace. But I am tired. I drove almost 450 miles of gravel roads today and took lots of pictures. So time to go to bed.
199,579 450 miles

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

I'm digging it. Paints a more realistic, everyday (Down to earth) picture of overlanding in Alaska.

[conifers4]

Subscribed Can't wait for more.

[elmo_4_vt]

Very nice... Must me an awesome adventure to finally be doing it after waiting so long. Good job.

Don

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[fisher205]

July 23

I awoke to the sound of rain. I woke up at 2:30, thought it was time to get up due to the light, woke again at 3:30 and 5:30, finally I got up at 7:00. It was lighter earlier than now. Stayed warm with the sleeping bag and the heat on it’s lowest setting. Later I talk to a trucker who told me it was 34 degrees in Prudhoe this morning. A heavy cloud cover is hanging just over the valley. Some coffee and oatmeal and hit the road.

The road is just drenched with magnesium chloride and the rain is making it really mucky. I drive through the clouds going up Atigun pass. It’s a beautiful view with the sun above and the clouds below. I talk to a guy riding an 800 BMW from Las Vegas. This seems to be the Ultimate Road Adventure for them, because there is a lot of motorcycles. I stop on the other side of the pass for pictures also. It was too cloudy yesterday to get good shots. While I am standing there a couple rides up on another BMW GS1200, turn to pull in and he drops it in the middle of the road. I run over and help them get it out of the road. Just then a truck comes flying over the pass. A few minutes earlier he would have smucked them.



Down in the valley I keep stopping for photos. My limited photography ability just cannot capture the majesty of the Brooks Range. I stop and have lunch then fish in the Dietrich River. Just some very small ones. I decide to head down river for some larger fish (seems logical doesn’t it?). No luck, but I don’t get to fish long when it starts to rain. I head back to the truck and get in just as it starts to pour. I drive to Coldfoot in the rain.



Once I get there I go to the BLM visitor’s center and hang out while it rains. They have some nice interpretive stuff. I take off as the rain quits. I get quite a ways down the road and think about setting up camp, but it starts to sprinkle again. I end up going down to the Artic Circle BLM campground. It’s under construction. Glad their not charging for it yet.

Looks like another storm coming in from the west. I think I’ll read a little and go to bed.
199,770 201 miles
July 24

I am heading down the road for Fairbanks. Pretty unexciting trip except the road goes from smooth to really rough. There is not much for a happy in between. Stopped at the Yukon again, but didn’t test the information people this time.



. I stop in Fairbanks at Safeway for some food and fuel. Then get a regular RV campground. I get a shower and do laundry. It’s a rip off. I am uncomfortable around this many people and actually feel lonely for the first time this trip. I am also pissed because part of the reason I stayed at this place is that they have a car wash. The truck is totally pigged out from the mag water, mud and gravel roads. If you even get near it, the dirt jumps off of the truck on to you. Any way the high pressure doesn’t work and they still want $8 to spray the truck off. So the truck stays dirty until I find a real car wash.

My one washer (of course it’s the one with the sheets) doesn’t start right. It’s because I’ve pushed the “hot” setting and they don’t allow that. Now how in the hell can someone ethically charge $2 for a cold wash. I could have beat them on a rock in the creek and got them cleaner. Then it’s $2 for an hour of drying. Now none of loads take an hour. So I start my synthetics and then throw the sheets and towels in there. So I feel only semi totally ripped off. 199,957 196 miles

July 25

I get up at 6 and go for a walk. It’s impossible to walk along the river. I get back and have a long talk with my brother Scott while I fix breakfast, do the dishes and fill the camper with water (it was a long talk).

The wifi is soooooo sloooooow. I give up on it. I go and check the device, it has a crank on the side of it. Time to get out of here!!

I hit the road around 11. Dink around on my way to Denali. Missed a turn going into Anderson and ended up at the Clear Air Force Station. The sergeant that was guarding the gate was friendly. I don’t think he’d seen anybody for awhile, because he was telling me all about the area. He was better than the tourist information booth I finally get away from him and head towards to Denali. I didn’t intend to get there today but not that much to hold me up on the way.

The campgrounds in Denali are full, but the reservations guy recommended a place down the road. I go there. At least the campsites aren’t piled up on each other like the entrance and it’s near the river. The river isn’t that good of fishing. So I hangout here for a day. The odometer turned over 200,000 miles today. 200,091 141 miles

July 26

I get over to reservations and set up to move into Teklanika campground on Monday morning. It is the only way that you can drive your camper into the park past Savage Creek. It requires me to stay there for 3 days, but it saves an hour each way on the bus and is the most reasonable way to spend a few days at Denali. I will stay at Riley Creek campground tonight. A couple I met at Dawson City from Colorado is at the Mercantile. We compare notes on the trip so far.

I set up at Riley Creek at 11 this morning, fix some lunch and read a little bit. I then walk up to the visitor’s center and check that area out. I ride the free shuttle up to Savage Creek turn around. There is a 1.5 mile loop so I walk it. At about the ½ way point I come across a Dall sheep. He is at a mineral lick along the trail and doesn’t seem too ready to move. I go around and get a few pictures of him. I get back to the trailhead in time to catch the bus back to the visitors center.



A quiet evening in the camper.

July 27

I stop and get a shower and few supplies (beer) before heading to Teklanika Campground. I can’t cross the Savage turnaround until 10. It’s 10:20 when I clear the checkpoint. I stop and film a caribou and drive slowly. I don’t get camp set up and lunch finished until 12. The bus leaves at 12:10. I won’t make it. I could catch an hour later one, but I wouldn’t be home until 9 tonight. I try hiking around here but the Teklanika River is over my boot tops and I really don’t want wet feet. I try the road, but it really doesn’t appeal to me. I head back and charge the camera batteries, start some beans, and edit some photos. I’ll start getting some things together for tomorrow; it will be a long day.

I run into some people from Sturgis. They are 4 spaces up from me. I talk to them for a while. They invite me over popcorn later.

July 28

Catch my bus, it’s pretty full, but I catch a window seat in the back. A high school kid slides in next to me. I very quickly realize why this seat is empty. It has the wheel well in it. Probably wouldn’t be bad if I was only 6 years old. The kid next to me is a young tormented artist who knows everything and his mother thinks is precocious. After looking at his sketches I realize why he is tormented. If I was his mother I would encourage him in to another line of work. This is going to be a long trip.

The other people around me are a family of brothers and sister traveling from their nephews wedding together and stopped off to see Denali. The one guy spots all the wildlife. He has a great eye. I told him I needed to take him hunting. We spot some grizzlies and of course caribou. The bus had got to see a wolf before I was picked up. I get some good pictures of Denali. It’s cloudy around it, but the wind blows some good openings. It is a majestic mountain.



The kid and his mom get off at Eielson Visitor Center. Got some leg room! By the time we get to Eielson the wind has switched directions and is blowing smoke from the fires to the west and limiting visibility. I get a few later views of Denali, but they aren’t real good.

I find the end of the Muldrow Glacier is interesting. I wouldn’t have known it’s a glacier if it hadn’t been pointed out by the driver. Our driver Mike Reifle was real knowledgeable about the whole trip and seemed as excited as we were to see animals. Anyway the glacier is so old by the time it gets to it’s terminus that it has grass and brush growing on it. You can’t even see the ice.

We go on to Wonder Lake (name is from two miners discovering it after being in the area numerous times says “Wonder why we haven’t seen this before”). We see the reflecting pond where Ansel Adams took his famous picture and then on to Kantishna (I love that name). Just an old mining town that includes some privately owned property. Kind of interesting. Two guys get off at one of the lodges. I decide to move up to the front spaces that they vacated.

The ride seems to go back a lot faster than we went out. Everybody is not as excited to look at caribou any more, but we do stop for a swan and couple of more bears. The ride is a lot more comfortable in the front and I can see a lot more.



We get back a little before 7 and I hurry and eat to see the ranger presentation on moose. A good talk and a lot of fascinating facts given that I did not know (like I’m a moose expert). I go back to my camp site and talk to the neighbors for a little bit. They have sold everything but their pickup and camper and are moving to New Zealand. They are touring the US and Canada and then will sell the camper and pickup prior (hopefully) to leaving.

July 29
I awoke this morning to the camper being rocked by the wind. At least I hoped it was the wind and not a bear. I had planned to hike up at Eielson Center, but it was very windy there yesterday and today would be worse. I also thought about the bus ride and rolled over and went back to sleep. I got up made some coffee and a large breakfast, did some work on this journal and the photos. I then did some dishes.

I can’t stand it anymore, so go out and catch the shuttle to Toklat River. We see a couple of bears and this bus is way nicer than yesterdays. I catch another shuttle back and we see a red fox. It just sat along the road and let us photograph it. If it had been back home I would worry about rabies.



I walk the mile back from Teklanika rest area to the campground. I walk with a couple from Ontario. It turns out they are camped next to me.

July 30
Last night I managed to run the batteries down in the camper. I’ve been meaning to defrost the fridge anyway. The refrigerator will shut itself down if the batteries get too low so that you don’t ruin the batteries. I had figured it could run 4 to 5 days without charging. So I was surprised when they went down in three days. But when I really thought about it I realized it had been close to 5 days with only a short drive to Teklanika. I had also been using the computer a lot and charged the camera.

There had been a large chunk of drift wood in the fire pit that the previous campers had left. I had gotten a lot of it burnt the night before last, but decided to burn it all last night. At 11:30 we had total consumption. I then couldn’t go to sleep. It was hard to get going this morning. It was a beautiful calm sunny morning at the campground. I started back and got over the Teklanika divide it got windy and smoky. Just before Savage River I got to see a lynx cross the road in front of me. It had something in its mouth but I couldn’t tell what it was. There was a bunch of young Ptarmigan nearby and I wonder if the lynx got their mother. It was too quick to get a photo.

I was going to fish Savage River since it is not glacial melt, but the wind and the smoke was horrible. There were people wearing masks for breathing there. So in other words, I kept going. I got back to the main area and took a shower, refilled the rig with water and then went out to the Famous Denali Salmon Bake. I had a baked salmon sandwich and Oosland amber ale. Both were good. To the south I go.

Drove to Troublesome Creek and camped here. I fished the creek and no luck. They would hit the fly but not take it. I fixed a sandwich and am now having one of the best Indian Pale Ales I have ever had. It is from 21st Amendment Brewing and it is in a can no less.

Tomorrow I’ll check out Petersville, Talkeetna and then on to Wasilla. I’ll try to get my oil changed and truck washed there. I am going to hang out in this area and then head down to the Kenai Peninsula after the weekend. 200,261 179 miles

July 31
There was a hard rain last night. A lot of road noise so I didn’t sleep well. Got up fairly early anyway and got going.

I checked out Petersville road. There wasn’t much to see. Denali was clouded in so couldn’t see it. I drove over to Talkeenta. It was full of tourists and no place to park. I drove through and didn’t stay. Tried to go down to a lake but didn’t see the sign so drove on down to Wasilla. I got to the bank and also got a haircut. I also stopped and got some groceries. I camped south of town at Lucille Lake. It was lousy with dirty bathrooms and no care given to the campground. There is some white trash “living” at the other end of the campground that seems to think a normal tone for conversation is a screech or a holler. I need to get to camping back in the wilds again. It really bugs me to be in town again. I think I am getting more antisocial than usual. 200,452 276 miles

[locrwln]

I'm digging it. Paints a more realistic, everyday (Down to earth) picture of overlanding in Alaska.

No kidding. This has been great. My wife and I are heading up there next year, unfortunately, we won't be able to go until September. We are going to be on the end of the "season" for Prudhoe bay, but that is part of the adventure. Plus we only have three weeks to do it in.

Much like you, we will be in our F350 PSD with our 10' Lance camper. Should be fun.

We both really enjoyed your write-up so far.

Jack

[mph]

Well done...Great report and pictures!!!

[Funrover]

Great report, and so many great pics!

[Martinjmpr]

Yes, AWESOME report.

One of these days I will do this...

Wife and I are going to Alaska next year but we will cruise up and fly back. My hope is that she gets bit by the "alaska bug" and either agrees to the drive (not likely, she's not a road trip person) or at the very least, agrees to another trip where I'll drive up and then meet her in Anchorage, and we'll tour a bit on our own before I send her back on a plane and I drive back myself.

[canadianjk]

Great reports, I don't know that I could ever get sick of reading peoples trip reports and looking at photos. I get a kick out of reading about people that are passing through Grande Prairie and Dawson Creek, I really take for granted where I live and the fact that I get to drive these roads daily. It motivates me to get out and explore more.