Alaska 2009

[fisher205]

ALASKA 2009

In April I could tell this year was not going to be good business wise. Everybody is usually contacting us or we are in design for this year’s projects. The problem with this year was we that weren’t in either of those. I had already decided to move my office to my home and I was going to have to lay off my two remaining employees. It was not a happy time for me. I’m not an optimist nor a pessimist but a realist, a glass twice as big as it needs to be kind of guy. So with no workload, or employees I realized now was a good time to take the trip to Alaska that I’ve wanted to do for 25 years. My plan was to leave June 15th so that I could be as far north as possible for the summer solstice. That was all the planning I had.

As with most plans, life gets in the way. Besides moving my office back into my house I had a commercial building to get ready to lease out or sell, and Sherri my significant other (there has to be a better term) decided she didn’t want to teach in Gillette anymore. So we needed to get her moved back and our house there ready to sell. My vehicle for the trip would be my 15 year old Dodge Ram diesel truck with a 25 year old Alaskan Camper on it. I have taken it on many trips from Moab, the Cave Hills, and many trips to the Big Horns and Montana. I have a lot of faith in it and know it well. I have put it together to be a very simple rig yet provide basic comforts that I want. I had intended to do some improvements to the Dodge for the trip and had the parts here. Some Hella driving lights, some tow hooks, Lorenz springs, Thuren Control Arms and if I found a grill guard or heavy bumper install that. I had been steadily improving The Alaskan and I would leave it alone other than to start using a Britta pitcher to filter the water after adding chlorine to the water tank.

I just ran out of time to get any of the work done other than to buy a Britta filter. Driving lights? It’s the land of the midnight sun. Besides always be camped by 4 in the afternoon. Front Suspension? 190,000 miles and the stock suspension worked. Grill Guard? Don’t hit anything. 43 years of driving and only one deer, go with the experience. Tow hooks? The ones I had didn’t fit and left me with the most anguish. But I’ve been nursing that anguish since I bought this thing 4 years ago, another couple of months won’t change much. Just don't get stuck. The tires and wheels were new, so with a complete service, belts and hoses and away we go.

I did come up with a general route a week before I left. That was as far as route planning went. Trust to the “Milepost” Guide book Sherri got me for my birthday and which way the wind blew. My time line was to be home in 6 to 8 weeks. I thought of getting a new GPS, but decided that my old Garmin Vista would work. Besides I am a map and compass, moss on the north side of a tree kind of guy. I have had this Vista for ages and know it. Well the Vista died on the third day. Which side was it that moss grew? The one thing that did help was that my cell phone had a compass in it which I used on a couple of no sun days and there really aren’t that many roads to take a wrong turn on. Time to hit the road.

Trip Log

July 4th 2009

We left Spearfish at a little after 8 July 4th Sherri is following me in her car which we would leave with the dog in Missoula at her daughter’s while we spent a few days in Glacier National Park. We decided to stop in Belle Fourche,SD at the Hardees for a breakfast biscuit, There was problems right away. The counter staff was yelling at the cook staff about getting the orders right. So much for an early start. The next problem appeared when we needed to go through Belle Fourche. The Fourth of July parade was setting up and that was all we needed to help speed the process of leaving town was to get stuck behind it. Shades of Easy Rider crossed my mind… We were waved through

Well 2 miles west Belle Fourche we did get stopped and we had to wait for the pilot car to take us through a construction zone. We then were stuck in a parade of trucks that we to Broadus, MT and left them at the weigh station on the east side of town

We pulled into Broadus to find another parade lining up. This one was not shaping up to look good. Broadus on has only 2 streets and they were going to use them both for the parade. But again we were waved through and our journey continued.

Wyoming was green and. lush. Lot's of antelope fawns out. When we drove through Hardin MT the, Bighorn River was running full, as was the Yellowstone at Billings.

I lost Sherri at the rest area before Columbus when I decided not to go into it as we had agreed to do. She did. I didn’t know it at the time but her phone was dead. We were reunited in Columbus and on to Missoula we went.

It was very hot in Missoula. We went to watch the fireworks at the baseball stadium with her daughter and her boyfriend, but had the wrong night. We did catch the finale of the fireworks@ the Fairgrounds. Sherri and I stayed in the camper though I worried about the heat and noise. It was not a problem I was asleep as soon as I went to bed.
Start Mileage 195,470 End 196,051 *581mi
• All end miles corrected 5% speedo error

[fisher205]

July 5th

Sherri and I loaded up, left the dog with her daughter and took off for Glacier. We again got a late start (No parades to blame) but got up there midafternoon. At Polson, came around a downhill corner and a Highway patrol was sitting there. On came his lights. I didn’t think I was going that fast so I kept going. Here he came, so I pulled over and there he went to my relief. We came across him at a motorcycle wreck. Looks like a group of tourers on BMW’s and Kawasaki KLR’s. One of must have been not paying attention and hit a guard rail. It was very sobering.

Speaking of sobering we promptly found a little winery. We went in for a tasting and ended up buying a few bottles. They had a chocolate wine that is one of the best dessert wines I have had. They had an Osprey nest out back so Sherri and I played with the new telephoto lens.

We got a camp at Fishcreek in Glacier Park and went to the evening presentation at the amphitheatre. The girl giving the talk could have been Harold from the Red Green show’s sister

July 6th

We moved over to Sprague Creek campground. In the afternoon we walked over to MacDonald Lodge and went to hike up the Sperry Creek trail. It then started to drizzle and lightening. We started to head back, and then got caught in a down pour. It completely soaked us. Sherri's raincoat kept her dry but mine sure didn’t.

Went back to MacDonald lodge and bought some firewood. We took the shuttle this time. Sherri fixed a good supper of rice mixed in a french soup. I tried to keep a fire going. Really poor wood we got at the store. We dried clothes.

It started to rain again. There was a couple camping next to us in a tent with young children . Sherri said she was not missing those days.

July 7th

We snagged a good camping spot next to Lake MacDonald. We then took the shuttle to Logan Pass visitor center. The shuttle was a good idea, between the road construction, and traffic, I wouldn't have seen much if I would have had to drive. We took another shuttle to St Mary's Visitor Center on the eastside. Saw a bear with two cubs along the way

On the way back we got off at Sunny Point and walked up to St Mary's Point and caught the shuttle back to Logan Pass. Huge Crowds at Logan Pass. Rode the shuttle back to Avalanche Creek where we had left the truck.

We then hiked up to Avalanche Lake to a spectacular view.


We got back to camp and had spinach salad and a red pepper omelet. We watched the evening fall over the lake with a glass of the chocolate wine.

[fisher205]

July 8th

We got an early start and got Sherri back to Missoula. The dog had been fine there. I was anxious to get going north again. It was bittersweet leaving Sherri but I was still ready to go. I drove to Polson and stopped at a Safeway and Wal-Mart, then continued north.

I drove through Whitefish and was looking for a place to camp. Ended up taking the Talley Lake road where Rick Cordes and I camped years ago. I just wanted a place along the road. The first spot was an old log landing that with the heavy clouds threatening I wasn't sure I would make if out of. Finally found a spot closer to Talley Lake. Cold night but never did rain. Missoula 196,390 End 196,534 151 miles

July 9

I took off early, saw all kind of places to camp on the way out. I must have been tired not to have seen them.

Crossed the border without any problems and went to Cranbrook. Found a great sporting goods shop with really helpful people. Went next door to a little coffee shop and used their wifi to check email.

I got confused coming out of Cranbrook and ended up headed west. I had totally missed the turnoff to the north just before town. Got turned around and headed in the right direction.

I drove to White Swan Lake. I got there about mid afternoon. Stayed in the Home Camp Provincial campground, Went out and fished for a couple of hours only caught a small one. The idiota in the camp spot next to me talked to past midnight. One of them had a really weird laugh. 196774 252 miles

July 10th

Left camp fairly early. The road in yesterday was terrible with potholes and washboards and then rain. The truck looks expedition like now. I stopped Lassiter Hotsprings. It was packed yesterday so I didn't stop. There was only one truck this morning. The springs look inviting but I decide to pass them up. I talked in the parking lot with a guy from Vancouver. He had just crossed Canada and was coming back. He offered to smoke a doob with him. Passed on that also and “hit” the road (pardon the pun).

I got to Radium Hot springs, Good visitors center. I bought a National Park pass and fishing license. I picked up some bread and beer. The guy at the liquor store and I got into a conversation about skiing. He highly recommended Revelstoke and the area cat skiing.

I got into Kooteny Park and was continually blown away with the beauty. I was headed to the town of Banff and possibly Canmore when I realized that all the traffic from the other direction was everyone getting out of Calgary for the weekend, so I'd better find a place to camp. The campground I had planned to camp in was closed. Lake Louise was a total mess for people so I escaped it and ended up at Mosquito Creek campground. Nice CG and the host was a volunteer who usually worked for Synfuels of Edmonton. The C. G. filled soon after I got my spot. I was farther north than I had wanted to be, Missed Banff and Canmore and had done no fishing. I did see a bear cross the road in front of me. It was too fast to get a picture.

July 11
Cold night last night. I did not want to get out of bed this morning. I left a little after 8 towards Jasper. The Scenery is getting more impressive with the glaciers. I stop at the ice fields but decide to miss the crowds and head on. Columbia ice fields are impressive.


There are all kinds of rivers here. I try to fish one but its way milky and have no luck. I stop in Jasper at-the tackle store and a little Rasta Kid has some good info. Another guy is also getting info. On the way back to the truck I run into him. He's also an unemployed civil engineer fishing his way around and living out his Toyota Tacoma. He'd been to Spearfish when he broke his Acura and was there 3 days getting it fixed. Talked to him too long and the CG that I wanted to stay in and fish was full. I ended up almost out of the park at Pocahontas CG. I got a spot and then went-back to Rocky Creek to fish for a couple of hours. Nothing. Back to camp,

The guy across from me has decided to share his music with the whole C G. We're out in the woods. Why does he have to play loud horse**** music? He could have stayed home and done that. 197,114 (2 days I forgot) 357 miles

July 12th

It was fairly cool this morning and a heavy dew. I turned off the Yellowhead highway and went north to Grand Prairie on 40. A ski area right after-the turn off turned out to be the Athabasca Ski trails with a biathlon center, a jump and a luge run. This drive is beautiful
.
I keep it about 50-55 mph (80-90k ph) and the truck is getting almost 20 mpg. I at the same time saw a coyote and a raven cross the road in front of me just after Grand Cache. What kind of an omen is that?

I got to Grand Prairie and finally talked with Sherri. Back corner of the camper was loose so I tightened it down.

I stopped at Beaver Lodge at 2:00. The municipal campground has clean showers which I really need. Read for a little bit and then walked around town for an hour. Reminds me of a small version of Gillette... Maybe Williston would be a better example. I feel like I quit too early. Tomorrow I start the Alaskan Highway. I'm pretty excited to finally 'really" be on it. The trip so far has been pretty spectacular.

Notice the Canadians enjoy their power toys also. 4 wheelers, motorcycles and diesel pickups all over the place. Warm tonight and the rain showers this afternoon have it kind of muggy 197,343 241 miles

July 13th
I left Beaver Lodge at about 7:30 this morning overcast and cool. Stopped in Dawson Creek, got to use email there. Picked up some postcards, took the "mile zero’ picture. I also stopped at a Safeway there and got some more items. I am planning on going to Buckinghorse River today. I didn't need to worry about going to Safeway, there was another in Fort Saint John.

Got to Buckinghorse creek and it was really muddy, the campground wasn't very good so I decided to keep going. It’s rained on and off all day, but it doesn't seem to clean the truck off. I filled with fuel at Buckinghorse. There was a huge man camp there. All kinds of natural gas work here. Fuel was $1.12 a liter which is about 11 cents a liter cheaper than regular unleaded. So fuel is about $4 a gallon here but about $0.35 gallon cheaper than gas.

The scenery so far has been pretty mundane lots of forest similar to driving in Wisconsin or Michigan. Actually it’s not bad. I think my scenery module has been over stimulated the last few days and can probably use a day of rest.

Saw a bear alongside of the road. It's the biggest black bear I've ever seen (like I’ve seen so many). It was lying down and looked like it was eating grass. There was too much traffic going too fast to stop for pictures. I drove onto Fort Nelson. Not much there and I kept going on. I tried to stop at some gravel pits that had been stocked with fish. Access was not good so I didn't fish,

I drove to Testa River. It was supposed to be good fishing for grayling and Dolly Warden. I fished for an hour and no luck. The river is pretty murky and I don't have clue to what I'm doing.

Today has been my longest driving since going from Spearfish to Missoula. I covered just over 400 miles today. But most of the drive was boring and didn't offer much opportunity to get out. The next area will be more interesting, with Summit lake and Liard Hot Springs. Also the scenery has improved since Fort Nelson. 197,726 402 miles

[kai38]

I'm looking forward to following your story to Alaska, have a good trip.

[teebes]

+1.

Looking forward to tons of great pics

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

Keep posting...By chance are you selling the rig now? I only ask because I was searching Alaskan's and saw an ad that looks like your set up.

[Rot Box]

Thanks for taking the time to post this I've really been looking forward to this one

Again cool truck and Alaskan can't wait to see more

[fisher205]

Thanks for the comments. The camper isn't for sale, at least right now. I can't really afford to replace it. I've only got to use it once since getting back and that was for the opening weekend of pheasant hunting.

[fisher205]

July 14

Last night 2 guys touring on a tandem from Cleveland pulled into the next space. They had both gotten laid off so just decided to go to Alaska. They had a solar panel on a BOB trailer with a frame and all their stuff packed in the frame for it. The solar panel charged a homemade 12 volt battery that they had in PVC tubes along the bottom of the bike frame. It powered 4 minimag lights that they had rigged with LED bulbs. I talked to them until dark. I started to get really cold so I went into bed. I then started getting the chills. Okay no problem turn on the heat. Problem the heat wouldn't come on. I put on a bunch of clothes, covered myself with towels in the sleeping bag and finally quit shivering.

This morning started slow. I fixed an omelet. Then tried to figure why the furnace wouldn't work. After tracing all the wires I found out the fuse was bad. So now I have heat.

I looked for a place to fish along the road but all the streams are still murky.

A lot less traffic now, I'm only going about 45 mph most of the time. I waited a long time for pilot cars as they chip sealed the roads.

I got to the top of Summit Pass and there were caribou in the road. Got past them and was checking out this pond as a possible place to fish when the brown rock in it moved. It was a bull moose feeding under water. I stopped and got some pictures and some more Caribou with calves.



I talked with a guy from Texas who had spent the night there with a flat tire on his trailer. He'd been traveling for 7 weeks but was headed home.

I didn't drive far and there was some Mountain sheep in the road, Amazing Scenery but I
Still wasn't getting much of an opportunity to fish.

I finally got pictures of my first bear, He was young one along side of the road. I think they are eating sedges. Stopped and fished in the Toad River, Still very murky and fast and nothing...



I stopped and got pictures of a bear with two cubs. At 4:00 I stopped at Liard Hot Springs. The campground was full but they allowed me to park in the day parking. I was parked next to 2 guys from Italy. One spoke very good English. They were from the Dolomites and were skiers, climbers and both retired.

On the other side was an odd trio of two older guys and a younger girl (30's). Couldn't
figure out the relationship. But the one guy was a heavy equipment mechanic ex logger who had a little farm that was totally off the grid. The older guy had the North American
Record for Sturgeon at 436 lb 10'1" long. They were from around Nelson B. C. and had been up salmon fishing with an Indian friend.

The Italian guy pointed out that this was the hot springs that Chris McCandles had stopped at on his way to Fairbanks. Well a short day today only 130 miles. A soak in the morning and then get going. 197,856 136 miles

July 15

Got up early and went and soaked in the Springs. Said goodbye to my neighbors and hit the road. Just drove through some incredible territory. I tried to fish a little but with no luck. I’m noticing a lot of places closed along the highway. Some are for sale. It sprinkled a couple of times. Saw a herd of buffalo. Buffalo in the Yukon… Stopped in Watson Lake and bought a Yukon fishing license. They had a good visitor’s center with helpful people and some good exhibits about the Alaskan Highway.

I decided to take the Campbell Highway north instead of the usual Alaskan Highway. Immediately hit a bunch of construction. There are not many people go this way. One of the flag girls said I was only the 6th person she had seen all day. I got out of the construction and basically had a gravel road to myself.

Stopped at Simpson Lake but the wind was blowing so hard there were white caps on the lake. Nice campground. I saw a bear in the road, but as soon as he heard me he ran into the woods. Drove on to Francis Lake but the campground didn’t appeal to me and I would need a boat to fish it. I pulled out and immediately crossed a nice stream Money Creek. I decided to camp along it. I caught my first grayling and few trout.
198,084 239 miles

July 16th
It was cold this morning and I didn’t want to get out of bed (kind of a recurring theme here). So I turned on the heat. I had started this journal using Microsoft Journal. It seemed it would be nice to be able to sit with a stylus and just write my journal. The reality was that it didn’t work as well as I thought. I couldn’t sit outside with it; I was going to have to send my notes as images. So I have been working at switching it from hand written to typed in MSword. I worked on that this morning before taking off.

I stopped at Finlayson Creek and fished. Caught 6, 12 inch grayling about the same number of 8 inch fish and I don’t know how many smaller ones. That kept me occupied for an hour. I went on and tried Mink creek. The fish would hit the fly but not take it. I then went to where the Hoole River meets the Peely. I fished that for a while. It was a beautiful spot and I had lunch there.

I went on to Ross River. I got fuel. It was a depressing town. It looked like a reservation town. There was ferry there and a huge suspension pedestrian bridge that was originally built for a Canol pipeline during the war.

I went to Faro and they have a great municipal campground with showers and a Laundromat. There is a young couple from Switzerland next to me. They have been on the road for 2 years. They started at the tip of South America Tierra del Fuego and drove up to Prudhoe Bay. They are now heading back towards California.



This is a strange town. It was a modern mining town that closed down in 1998. Half the town is empty buildings and the rest have been fixed up with flowers. The remaining people take care of the place and it is really pleasant staying here. It has a 9 hole golf course through town and people were playing at 10:30 at night. It has nice municipal buildings, and school but no gas station. That burned down two years ago. But a shower felt good and I am getting some clothes washed.

July 17

I did some more editing of this log this morning, and downloaded my camera. I went over and paid for my camp site since they weren’t open last night. They have a great interpretive center. The lady told me about the town. I washed some more clothes and put some from last night in the dryer. I decided to have a big breakfast and clean out the camper. It’s getting close to lunch and the visitor’s center has wifi so I’ve decided to stay another day.

I went to check my clothes and a lady is doing her laundry. I talked with her a bit and find out that her husband was at the South Dakota School of Mines the same time I was. I think I remember him. He was working at this mine after graduation. He then stayed here as the public works director after the mine closed. They are now in Whitehorse bur have some land nearby.

I went to pay for another day and was told I may be staying longer. There is a forest fire and they’re afraid it may jump the road.

July 18

It was another cold night and I was slow getting out of the sleeping bag (definitely a trend going on). I filled with water and left Faro. The Swiss Couple are staying another day. They are taking a break from the road and really like staying in Faro. I found out I couldn’t have left yesterday anyway. The road was closed because of the fire. I never did see the fire, but the smoke was pretty bad. I saw 3 bears along the road. Two scurried off into the bush as soon as they heard me but the third one seemed quite content in his grazing.

The smoke from the fire has put a haze on everything. I didn’t take many pictures. I stopped at one creek to fish, but it wasn’t that good. It looked better from the road.

There are lots of tour buses now. At the overlooks all of them seem to be filled with Germans. There is a lot more traffic now that I am on the Klondike Highway. It has about as much as the Highway to Faith SD. It seems like a lot after the Campbell Highway. I was disappointed in how little wild life I saw along the Campbell Highway, but I actually enjoyed getting off the pavement and driving gravel roads again. I just feel more at home on them. I do wish I had brought along a boat of some kind. There would be a lot more fishing opportunity with one. But I’m not sure some of these small lakes have much for fish if they haven’t been stocked.

About 4 this afternoon I decided to camp at Moose Creek. There was supposed to be good grayling fishing here. Well creek access is hard due to brush and the bottom is muddy, but the mosquitos are the worst I’ve encountered. Note to self. If the guide book mentions that repellent is needed, don’t stay there. I went back to camp and started a fire. I’m the only one in tenting area. Some guy’s on KLR 650’s set up for touring pulled though but didn’t stop. They saw me and my rig and probably heard a banjo sound track in the back of their heads. 198,507( forgot to record for a few days) 423 miles

July 19

Way warmer temperatures last night. I didn’t even need the sleeping bag. It’s still real smoky. I took off a little after 8. The next two creeks had way better access and I could’ve camped for free. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. If I had kept going I probably wouldn’t have found anything.

I got out of the smoke and drove into some fog. Light sprinkles. The upper Klondike looks as though it maybe good fishing. But I’ve decided to get on up to Dawson. The tailings piles from dredging are incredible. They basically dredged the whole valley.

I get into Dawson and they are still having their music festival. That means that there are a bunch of young drunk kids running around. Since I am neither (young or drunk). I check my email and get one off to Sherri.

I decide to get out of town. I take a back loop that goes through where the richest placer creeks were. They have a tour through the biggest dredge that I did take. The amount of material it could move a day was incredible.

I went to the market and they had some locally grown lettuce. I pick up other food stuffs and grab the ferry across the Yukon to a Provincial campground over there. The ferry ride is pretty cool and free. I got a camp site, fixed supper and then went down to where there is a graveyard for the old paddle wheelers. When they quit using them in the 1920’s they just beached them here. They are pretty deteriorated and getting overgrown, but it is still interesting to see them.





It’s 10:30 (still daylight) and the concert is still going. I hope everybody is burned out and ready to go to bed. Not come back and keep partying. I’m ready to head it in.

I plan on spending a little time in Dawson (means I get to ride the ferry twice) tomorrow then heading for Chicken Alaska. 198,650 150 miles

[KEENO]

Great trip report Fisher205....

You inspire me to complete my 1968 Alaskan restoration and put it back on my 17 year old Dodge/Cummins and head North!

Thanks.... KEENO