Alaska, One off the Bucket List

[coachchuck]

June 22, 2012

I made it to Alaska today. In fact this morning. Guess what? NO RAIN today. It was a short day as far as riding goes, only 350 miles today. Over 3400 miles total. We got some bad gas in Delta Juntion. Steve’s bike quit running at the Golden North Motel in Fairbanks. As luck would have it the Harley dealer was just across the street. They knew the problem and fixed it at no charge. They were not even open, they had closed 5 minutes before. I went and got my oil changed at Adventure Cycle in Fairbanks. They run there shop out of their house garage and do a good business. They had 7 customers from around the world come in for something while I was there. . When I got back, I drained the tank and put in fresh gas, along with a cleaning additive. Oh yeah, I am in Fairbanks Alaska and it is over 80 F here. The locals think of it as a heat wave. No one has air conditioners.
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We got a late start this morning, it was around 9am. I had breakfast at the hotel restaurant. They had a buffet for the tour bus guests. I got there about the time it was leaving and only had oatmeal with fresh raspberries. I help the staff by cleaning the table before I set down. Then talked with them since I was the only one there. I ended up get the breakfast for what they charge the staff, so it was only $2.95 and that included the coffee.
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I watched some squirrels this morning after breakfast. At first I thought it was a baby since it was only about 5 inches long including the tail. But after watching for a while and seeing many more of them around that size, I think it was full sized.

I took time to stop and smell the roses today. Even took a picture of them. Also took a picture of a damsel fly (they eat mosquitoes). This was by a large lake that was glass still. It had trumpeter swans on it, but they were too far away for a decent picture.
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The speed limit in Alaska is 55mph. We have been warned several times to watch for moose.

Made reservations for Sunday to go to the Arctic Ocean, you have to do it 24 hours ahead of time, so they can do a background check on you. You cross the North Shore oil fields. Tomorrow we start up the Dalton Hwy or Haul Road as it is called here. Some 500 miles of mixed payment, rock and mud we will be at Prudhoe Bay, Deadhorse Alaska. There is only a low chance of rain along the route for the next 3 days. It is good to go.
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My days/nights/time is all screwed up. The sun sets, but it doesn’t get dark. So when does you day stop and the night begin?

[coachchuck]

June 23, 2010

Today I go up the haul road. Last night I got reservations for the Arctic Ocean tour at 9am Sunday morning. Got everything packed to go this morning. As I travel to get to the Dawson Highway (North Shore Haul Road),I run through twisting turns around the side of the mountains. The curves are fun and the scenery is gorgeous.
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At first the haul road is good. Nice asphalt, or groomed gravel. As I go further the gravel becomes loose like sand and the asphalt has cracks up to 8” wide along with pot holes that are 10-12” deep. They are rebuilding in one area so we get to follow the road through the ditch and back out. Steve missed his fueling point and did not think he could make it to Coldfoot, So we start riding in fuel conservation mode.

I am carrying a gallon in case he would run out.
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244 miles to the next gas

He made it only to find out they have not gas. I got 69 miles per gallon, the best I have ever gotten. We stop at the arctic circle for a picture. This is where we meet Bill and Karen for the first time. Karen is a 5 time cancer survivor and wanted to do this ride with her husband of 30 years.

The fuel truck is due to arrive today sometime. They are currently out of gas. The temperature is in the 70s. The road hasn’t been to bad. Very rough and some very loose gravel. Only a little mud. I had a $10 burger and fries. The burger was very large, good and filling. The fuel truck arrives at a little after 6pm. The original plan was to be in Prudhoe Bay by 7 pm and it is still 244miles away. We get in line for gas and we are off.
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The daylight will be no problem because the sun doesn’t set at this time of year. The road is getting rougher. There is stretches of gravel that is the size of your fist. They are applying calcium nitrate to keep the dust down. The dust become so thick when a heavy truck rolls thru that you can’t see the front tire on the bike or the road. You hold your breath becaue the salt in the dust burns. It is very slick mud when first put down. The wind is picking up at about 20-30 mph. It is getting colder. The temperature drops to 38 F. Even if the sun doesn’t go down it gets colder as you go far enough north. The sun is at its lowest point in the north sky and we are headed north. You can’t see if the road is wet and slick, or the potholes of the cracks or the deeps. It is miserable riding, but we push on along with 4 other riders at slower than normal speeds. I don’t see the scenery, I concentrate on the road. I would only see an animal if it was in the ditch or in the road. Any little mistake will have major consequences. I am over 500 miles from the nearest hospital. Both the metal and physical stress wears on you.
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Gas is getting low, The strong winds and bad riding conditions are eating it up. Steve has to stop 22 miles from Prudhoe Bay to put gas in, Karen has to stop 16 miles out, Bill adds some to his at this point, I have enough to make it to the gas station. I as running the smallest bike. The others are 1000 and 1200 CC bikes.

I arrive in Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay a little past midnight. The sun is still 20 degrees above the horizon. Prudhoe Bay is an oil camp town. Everything has a function or it isn’t there. The gas station is built to serve industry not the tourist. The gas hose had double shut offs and a catch pan is required to fill up. The card reader is inside the building, only the hose was outside. It took a while to find the place, because the industrial town is spread out over several miles. And there is no signs for us tourist to follow. Then it is time to find the hotel. The hotel looks like every other building in town. A bunch of modular units put together. At the Prudhoe Bay Motel, I split a room with Steve so it only cost $110 each per night. But because it is a working oil camp, food is served 24 hours a day and come with the room. Really it is not a bad price considering you can eat about $30 in food in a single meal at what food costs up here in the north.
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My legs hurt from holding having to stand and balance on the pegs. My arms and hand ache from fighting the handle bars trying to hold the track. My back aches from the stress it is in. I have a headache from concentration on the road looking into the sun for hours. It is a wonderful feeling. I finally made it to the top of the USA by road. I need to sleep , but I am giddy like a little kid. Wide awake, because only 6 hours from now I get to go to the arctic ocean.

[coachchuck]

June 24, 2012
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Today starts with packing the bike them into the café to grab a large breakfast. Find our way over to the tour bus. It is 36 F and the ice fog has rolled in. I got to stand in the Arctic Ocean. A guy from Texas probably in his late seventies stripped down to his skivvies and dived in. We all cheered. The beach was round rocks. Not far off shore is the ice. You can see it through the ice fog.. I did not get to see a Polar bear, but they are in the area. They have polar bear cages around the building and work areas. The cages are for people to get in if a polar bear is in the area and they can’t make it to a truck or building. The tour guide is a native Indian that is a police officer here. He was quite interesting to talk with. I was one of the few who found the tour itself interesting, Next we go back to the motel and grab a hot lunch and pack a sack lunch to go.
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Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay is in a arctic desert. They get less than 10 inches of moisture a year. There are sand dunes that the bears like to dig in to hibernate for the winter. But it is also in a swamp, so there is water all over the place. The tundra moves. The dirt shifts and turns with the freeze thaw cycle and plants and flowers were everywhere.
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On the road back I saw Musk Ox, Fox and Cariboo. Along with Arctic Goose and many water fowl.
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Well it is time to head back down the haul road. I sort of dread it. The group I am traveling with all agree we should stop at Cold Foot for the night. So that is our destination. We take off. The road is totally different than yesterday. Many of the potholes have been filled, the wet slimy calcium Nitrate has be crushed in to make a firm smooth bed. There is still some loose gravel. The big rocks are crushed down and it is firm over the top of them. It really wasn’t to bad. I got to look around at the scenery. About 30 miles from Cold Foot I run into rain that is really coming down. Speed slows to 10mph to see the road and stay on it. The Slick slimy stuff is back. Only lasts for maybe ½ mile. Then dry again. 17 miles north of Coldfoot there is construction. The semis in front of us pack ruts in the dirt/gravel mix about 1 ½ foot deep. Steve and Bill take the high route not in the ruts and sink the bikes about 5 inches, but can power through. I don’t have dirt tires so I take a rut and get through but have to step down 10 times to balance. Karen takes a rut and one of her panniers catches the side, this causes the rear tire to climb and over the bike goes at about 20mph. The only thing broken is a turn signal and she is sore but OK.
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We get into Coldfoot and fuel up first thing encase they run out of fuel again. Steve and I rent a camp site and set up our tents among the mosquitoes. The little device I brought for the bugs works, but it takes about 15 minutes to clear the area of them. The Storm we went through is catching up. We hurriedly finish setting camp. The mosquitos are thick enough to be a cloud. I set the tent up in full riding gear so no skin is available for them. This is the first tent camp site that offered me towels, shampoo, and soap with the shower. Karen and Bill rent the cheapest room for $200. We all meet at the café for a meal and a beer while setting out on the deck and talking about the last couple of days adventures..

It starts raining while we eat and talk. Around 11pm I head off to the tent. You can hear the wolves barking, growling and playing in the woods outside camp. A moose cow and 2 calves wandered thru by the tents. It is raining and daylight at 11:30pm as I lay down to go to sleep. The mosquitoes are even t in the rain.
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For those that are interested, ColdFoot has no telephone, internet, or cell reception. It has a 75KW generator to run all the electrical in the town. Whiles I was there, it had a population of 210 people and 2 dogs. Most of the people are road construction workers. These workers have 10 hour days for 14 days then off for 14 days. The room and board is paid for by the company that hires then.

[coachchuck]

June 25, 2012

It rained all night, but I stayed dry. As I wake, I can see the mosquitoes through the netting on the tent. So I put full riding gear on before getting out of the tent. The temperature is a warm 52 F. Of course it is light. I meet with the other riders for breakfast. It cost $12.95 for buffet or off the menu. After eating breakfast, I pack up a few fresh vegetables and fruit for lunch from the buffet, they do this for the workers. It still looks like it is going to rain more.
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We are off for Fairbanks with a stop at Hilltop for gas. It is 247 miles to the next gas station. The road is much smoother on this section of the haul road. We have about 90 miles of pavement. We average 56mph. The curves and mountains are fun and beautiful. We stop a couple of times along the way. The first time for a outhouse stop. The second time for a lunch break and the 3rd time is Hilltop for gas. All but Karen, her GS1200R runs out of gas going up the hill to the station short just a few hundred yards, and she has to put a little in to get to the station.

At Hilltop we part company. We talk about going to dinner together and then decide we are all too tired to be good company. We exchange good-byes. I head to Adventure Cycle shop to get the Calcium Nitrate washed off. That stuff will eat brake pads and aluminum up. Dan power washes it for me, gives me some advice on how to clean it better, and gives me a takeoff tire so I can make it home without having to buy and new rear tire. So now I am carrying a tire on the back of the bike with me.
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I go to the motel that I am splitting with Steve. I order Chinese and have it delivered. So the planes, and jets of all shape and sizes are going over while I eat and try to journal. I am just to exhausted mentally to journal. I dry out the camping gear, then fold it up and go to bed.
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Steve and I will say good-bye and part ways tomorrow morning. I am headed south. The temperature is warm enough that I don’t need to sleep under a blanket tonight.
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Well a little bit of bad news. The CF card in my camera got corrupt so I lost the last 43 pictures I took.

But here is a link to all the pictures I took on the haul road over the last 3 days. https://plus.google.com/photos/11168...06396481996033

[coachchuck]

June 26, 2012

I found WIFI today, so I have posted several days Journaling.

I was tired last night. I slept till 8am here. If you know me, you know that is not normal. But I feel great today. If you are looking for pictures, there are none today. I did not use the tracker on the SPOT since I was only running around Fairbanks all day.

Today is a day of catching up. After getting up this morning, I start packing to leave the hotel. Steve tries to leave to do his laundry but something is wrong with his bike. His clutch isn’t working right. After looking it over we decide it is low on clutch fluid. I lend him my bike and he runs to the auto part place. More fluid fixes it. Good thing it didn’t happen on the haul road at sometime we pulled over for pictures.

I inspect my bike and lube the chain for the millionth time. I find a nut missing that helps to hold on one of my side cases. I continue packing. Once that is done I head to the laundry place near the university. I do my laundry and while I am there strike up a conversation with a couple from Sweden that is hike across Canada and Alaska. They figure is will be about another month in Alaska, then back to work in Canada. They are looking at going up to Prudhoe Bay. It starts raining.

After the laundry, I find a hardware store to get a nut and washer to fix the side case mount. But I don’t put in on because now it is pouring down. I find a place to eat at Dans Sourdough Café. I get the special. This is a quarter pound hamburger with a slab of ¼ inch thick ham, 2 fried eggs, 6 slices of bacon, onion and tomato slices on a sour dough bun. With a side of potato salad of course. It tasted great. The food maybe expensive up here, but they believe that you should not go away hungry.

Since it is still pouring down rain, I find a little coffee shop/café on the second floor of a book store that has free WIFI. It is only a few blocks from the University of Alaska campus. Now I can get caught up on the journaling. While I am there, I meet a couple of motorcycle riders and some bicycle riders. We exchange information. I meet some of the local people who give me ideas of what to see and where to go to avoid the major tourist.

I now plan to find a camping place to stay the night and hopefully the weather will be clearer tomorrow. With the rain today, visibility was only about 1 mile, so I would not be able to see some of the things I wanted to. I will try again tomorrow. I am thinking of heading toward Whitter, Homer and Valedez. Maybe some pictures can be taken tomorrow.

[coachchuck]

June 27, 2012

Well I found a place to stay last night. Billie’s Backpacker Hostel. It was recommended by a couple at a little Ice cream stand on College Street. It was not very far away. Talked to several different people there. One was the manager of Silver Creek Restaurant in Fox , they also have a micro brewery. At about 10pm he brought out some beer called Growler. Then a few of us went for a hike into the woods behind to place where a flood in 1964 deposited a lot of cars. They are not in good shape and have had parts removed, but it was still very interesting. He then decided to cook snitzels along with green beans and mashed potatoes. So at 2am I had a good meal.
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After the meal I turned in for the night. A cab driver woke me up at 6am, but I managed to go back to sleep till 7. I then packed up, but not on the bike. Jeff wanted a ride to a hiking trail (Upper Dome) at Chena Hot Springs, so I gave him and his gear a 50 mile ride to the trail head. I visited the hot springs. On the road to and from I saw 18 moose, but still no bull. I also saw a strange to me sign. It was a dog crossing sign, put up by the highway department, this is not someones joke. I ran back to pick up my gear and tell Billie I was leaving. I said bye to 4 of the people I had met the evening before.
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I am now off to Anchorage by the way of the Parks highway. It is heavily overcast and rains about ½ the time. Riding from one shower to the next. But the scenery is great between the showers. It is somewhat cold, the thermometer on the bike is reading 11.4 to 12.7 C (I wish I had got one that had F and not C). I was unable to see Mt McKenzie. There was a fire somewhere, they had water pick up tanks at the rest area and signs up warning of fire in the area. I could smell the smoke a few times, but never saw it.
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I did see a porcupine. They are a lot bigger than I thought. But by the time I get the bike stopped, it is gone in the bush.
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Tonight I am staying at the Harley Davidson Dealership in Fairbanks. They offer free tent space to any motorcycle rider. This includes a free shower and the bikes are locked inside their fenced back lot. It is raining lightly as I set the tent. It took me along time to find it; I don’t have a gps and my Phone would not connect to data while roaming. I ask at least a dozen people who did not know.
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Here is a link to all the pictures for this day. https://plus.google.com/photos/11168...76350402394017

[coachchuck]

June 28, 2012

Well it rained most of the night and it still is this morning. I wait for the Harley Dealership to open, I need some chain oil. I figure I will buy from they since they let me pitch my tent. They have no chain oil. But do give me directions to the Suzuki dealer. They also have no chain oil, but I buy some grease from them. I find chain oil at the Yamaha dealer. I get back, fix breakfast and pull the rear tire to grease the axle. I visit with a couple who are from Germany. They are doing an Alaska to Argentina trip on BMW F650.
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Time has got away from me. I start for Homer. This is the most westerly point you can get by continuous road. , I took too long getting ready this morning and don’t make it to Homer. But along the way I see some sheep on the rock cliffs overlooking the gulf of Alaska. The mountains have snow on them and they form streams and waterfalls as the snow melts. There is a lot of traffic compared to the last week. For a distance the road runs at the foot of the mountains and on the shore of the Gulf. I am going down the Kienene Peninsula (spelling could be nowhere close).
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I turn and go toward Whittier, but decide not to visit the town. You have to go thru a 2 mile long tunnel to get into it by road. And they charge to go thru the tunnel, the price varies based on the size of your vehicle. I don’t see paying since I have no reason to go there that I know of. 3 ways to get to Whittier, 1 by land; pay to go through tunnel, 2 by air; pay to get a flights, and 3, by boat; pay for the ferry ride.

As I turn back, I go to see the Portage Glacier. I wonder why the ice in glaciers is blue? They look whole bunch better from a distance. Up close they are covered in dirt. Something I have been noticing is a lot of water bodies and streams up here are very blue to turquoise in color. It almost looks unreal. I have tried to take pictures of it, but the cameral autocorrects the color and the pictures don’t turn out.

Now to Seward. Once again the scenery is fabulous. I make it into Seward and stop at the boat dock. Many smaller fishing vessels. Someone brings in a 70 lb fish while I am there. I stand at the waters edge and talk with a couple of guys on Harleys, it is a father and son up fro m Louisiana. It talk with a couple of older local gentleman about my bike, and how they used to ride allover and the bikes they had. I tell them I want to try some local seafood and not a tourist place. They recommend a fish processing place that also smokes fish for the local retail shops. So I find the place and get me 1 ½ lb of smoked salmon and ½ lb of salmon jerky, all for the price of $10. I will be eating on salmon for the next couple of days.
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I catch a look at the time; I had better head back to Anchorage where I left my tent set up and get some sleep. This 24 hour daylight still is strange. It is midnight as I go to bed and I have been up since 5am. I got lost (again) trying to find the Harley dealership. When I arrive, there is a new tent and bike. Oh well I will meet them in the morning. After I shower, I fight off the mosquitoes as I crawl into the tent and zip the door closed. Then I do the nightly ritual of killing all the mosquitoes that are in the tent with me before I go to sleep.
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The weather today was mostly nice. It got up to 72 F, but got down in to 47 F on the ride back to the campsite. There was only one shower for about ½ hour in the afternoon. This was early in the ride. Partly cloudy, you couldn’t see the tops of most mountains.

More photos from today at this link.https://plus.google.com/photos/11168...14423450364769

[coachchuck]

June 29, 2012

As I write this, I am sitting in a little bunk house in Tok, eating smoked salmon and carrots. This campground (thompsonseaglesclaw.com) is a motorcycle friendly place, it even has a work shop with tools in case you need them. It was starting to rain last night when I arrived here around midnight and it is still raining at 9am. It is only $10 for a bunk in the bunk house, so I didn’t set my tent. I have been paying more than that for a tent site. It was so nice to just carry the gear in and toss it down, unroll the sleeping bag and be ready for bed. I will have to find the showers later. They have a wood fired sauna I might try out.
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More Rain; at Glenndale

I left Anchorage, if you look and the tracking, you can probably figure out I got lost getting out of town also. I headed for Valdez. There were several glaciers along the way. The pass though the mountains was wonderfully beautiful and abet cold, like 33 F cold. There were waterfalls everywhere from the melting snow. The sun was shining bright with some clouds in the sky. And of course a rain shower along the way. The Glenn Hwy is fun, many twisting curves along with up and down the mountains sides. The RVs were having trouble, but it was fun on a bike. Of course there were the straight stretches also, but then you got a chance to look around at the scenery. The wide streams running full from the snow melt on the steep tall mountains.
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I arrive at Valdez, it is a fishing town. Also the port that the oil for the north shore comes to. It was very busy with the 4th of July coming up. Many Alaskans have come here to spend the 4th . I did not stay long here. I was unable to locate a WIFI hotspot except for one campground and then I could only use if I was a camper there. Since I was not planning on camping overnight I did not get to use it.
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So I leave Valdez and head for Tok. There are RVs and campers all over the place, some I meet on the highway and some setting in the turnouts. Again this is the weekend before the 4th of July so everyone is headed to their favorite spot. The roads are ok, with only some breaks and gravel. I don’t see many animals except for the Arctic Goose. I notice a rainbow while I am getting gas. This would be a good time to put the rain gear back on, since I will be headed toward it. The rain comes down feverishly for 10 minutes then a nice gentle shower off and on for the next 30 miles.
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As I travel the sun drops behind the mountains and the tempature drops (it is not close to dark). It gets down around 38 F for a long time. Along with the rain showers, I am starting to get cold. I think about getting my winter gear out and put it on. About the time I decide to, the road goes up high and the sun is no longer behind the mountain.
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I reach Tok about midnight and gas up before heading to the campground where I can fall into bed. Tomorrow I have to get a tire changed.

More Pictures Here.https://plus.google.com/photos/11168...13107113331985

[coachchuck]

June 30, 2012

I spent most of the day in the entrance city of Tok. All roads from Canada run through Tok. Today was rainy. It rained all night. I liked it on the tin roof of the bunk house I slept in. I talked with the owner of the campground for a while and ask her where I could get a tire changed. I didn’t want to change it in the rain and even though they have tools they didn’t have a garage. She recommended CJ. I called him and he was busy in the morning. I tried to use the WIFI in town and it worked for email and browsing, but I couldn’t get any pictures loaded. So I was unable to update.

I went to the restaurant and called CJ. I bought his meal and followed him out to his house. I put the bike in his garage and he helped me change the tire. Of course it didn’t rain while I was there. I looked at his dogs, he races dog sleds in the winter. He is a teacher during the school year and a general do it all person the rest of the time. He didn’t want to any money for use of his place.

I headed to a different WIFI place in town and still had the same problem with it being to slow to even view images on the net. I stopped by the gas station to ask them about a charge on my card that looked strange and got it straightened out. I talked with 5 different riders while there. One was from Arkansas, it was almost like meeting someone from home. 2 were from Alaska, It stopped raining and looked like the sky was going to clear up, So I started for Beaver Creek in Canada. The rain stoppage lasted for about 20 miles and it started again. It pretty much rained all day.

As I stopped to put on my rain gear, One of the riders, John, caught up with me. We then traveled together to Beaver Creek where we both planned to camp. Since it was still raining and was colder, we decided to split a hotel room. He is removes asbestos for a living and hasn’t been out of Alaska in 4 years. He is now on a 30 day trip to the lower 48 states.

I have MREs for supper. It is good, but would be easier to eat with a plate.

It is still raining as I write this tonight. Hope it lets up some tomorrow. Because it has been a hard rain. The locals around Tok stated it was unusual since they only get an average of 13 inches of precipitation a year. And they got a couple of inches today.

[coachchuck]

I just uploaded several days of Journal (since June 27). I finally found a hot spot that will do more than email. It is not free, but it works.

July 1, 2012

The day started as like yesterday ended. It was raining, and not a light shower. I check the weather, and it is not suppose to get any better.
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So I pack the bike and take off into the rain. After about 20 miles of rain, it lightens up a little and starts to snow with the rain. I look at the thermometer on the bike and it says 2 C (I think that is like 34 or 35 F). Anyways it is cold. I turn the grip heater to high, but it is to hot on the hands and low is to cold, so I keep moving it from high to low and back. It is hard to see, because the snow sticks to the wet visor. I slow down to about 50 mph. It keeps this up the rain with intermittent snow for 120 miles more.

Then it is just low clouds and warms to 4 C. I decide to stop at a restaurant and get some coffee. There I talk with some bikers coming from the south, and I decide not put on my winter gear. After about 20 miles it warms to 8 C. You can see fresh snow on the mountains. I know because it wasn’t there when I came though about a week ago.
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I stop in Haines Junction at the bakery. I get a Elk hotdog with a cheese wrap like a pig in a blanket. I talk to a couple from Australia about our new health care system pros and cons. They are traveling for 9 months and started in Florida 3 months ago.

I turn toward Haines and the road is in very good shape, it is hard to keep slow around the speed limit. I have been running on bad roads since entering Canada and the road really keeps you close to the speed limit. Of course the scenery is terrific. The road is lined with wild flowers like someone planted them. I run through another pass. This one is different in looks than the one to Valdez. The ground is covered in rock that is covered in Lykens . The temp goes down to 2 C and the wind is about 20mph.

As I drop out of the pass on Haines side, I notice that the trees are much bigger and the ground plants have much larger leaves and more lush. It reminds me of one of the lost valley movies with the dinosaurs. It is such a contract. The temperature changed to 14 C when I dropped off the mountain into the valley. I saw a some fish wheels, but the salmon are running yet.

I am camping at the Portage Cove Campground in Haines. It is a tent only campground and suppose to be only for hikers and bicyclist. But the locals said there was no problem with a motorcyclist. I was warned that there is bears in the area and the campground furnishes a pole with ropes to hang your food so the bears don’t get it. It is right on the bay and looking across the bay is more mountains. An eagle is soaring over head as I write this. And I have the ThermaCell going to keep the mosquitoes away from me.

The campground happened to be a celebration point for a bunch of wilderness guides that had just finished the Wilderness First Responder course. And you wouldn’t expect wilderness guides to stay a motels, so the campground was there home for the last 2 weeks. We sat around the fire and talked, played Frisbee with the dog and had fun. The party ended about 11:30 since most had planned trips to kayak or hike or bike or something starting in the morning. It was a diverse group. From Canada, Alaska, Japan, Austria and Switzerland.
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I had seen a grizzly about 2 blocks from camp. I was walking and didn’t have my camera with me There is fresh bear scat in the campground and on the trail from the campground to the beach this morning (July 2). So the bears were close. They are mainly grizzlies in this area.

A few More Pictures Here.https://plus.google.com/photos/11168...12676713963873