CARCINOID CANCER

A rare form of "slow-growing" neuroendocrine cancer

Susan Anderson - An advocate for Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Awareness

Howard and Susan Anderson’s

13+ Week Alaskan Adventure

Plus: Alberta, Yukon Territory & British Columbia, Canada

And

Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado & Utah

June 28 – September 28, 2007

By

Susan L. Anderson

June 28 –  July 5, 2007 … Week One -- All is going very well on our Alaskan Adventure … this first week has really sped by rapidly.

The first day we were tourist in AZ.  The last time we crossed the Navajo Bridge it was the old one … the new Navajo Bridge was dedicated in 1995.  We spent out first night in Kanab, Utah.  The next day we toured Zion National Park.  Rather cool to have traffic held so we could do through a cool tunnel (with curves and going downhill) taking our half out of the middle.  The second night we spent in another nice campground in Provo, Utah.  We spent the next two nights in Idaho Falls, Idaho and enjoyed the rest .. camping under a huge cottonwood tree.

Monday, July  2^nd we leaded north through Idaho and Montana.  This was a beautiful drive up and down mountains, the lovely Breaverhead River, Wolf Creek and the Missouri River.  We saw Clark Canyon Dam and Reservoir and evidence of the drought.

We camped for the night in a nice campground.  The next morning we went across the street for big breakfasts.

The next day we left the campground and drove to the visitors information center on a high hill over looking the wide Missouri River called Broadwater Overlook.  Took photos of the of the large statue of Lewis, Clark, a dog and the Clark slave that accompanied them, then we visited the center.  Then we drove along the River Road along the edge of the Missouri River.  We first stopped at Black Eagle Dam, built in 1891, for the view.  Lewis and Clark ran into five major water falls on the Missouri River here during their 1804-1806 expedition west to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase.

Then we spent several hours at the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center.  An impressive center telling the history of our country through film, dioramas and interactive displays.  Beautiful views of the MO River below the center, and lovely flowers.  Howard walked down to the river and enjoyed talking with park service employees about building fires and etc.  Then Howard hiked about a mile or so up the river bank and back down.  Susan stayed in the center viewing exhibits and visiting the book store.

We continued down the River Road, stopping next at Giant Springs State Park and Fish Hatchery.  America’s largest spring, pouring about 388.8 MILLION gallons of clear water into the Missouri River each day via the Roe River, that is recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the worlds shortest river.  It is reported that Lewis and Clark visited these springs in 1805.

After enjoying Giant Springs State Park we continued along the River Road to overviews of Rainbow Dam, built in 1910, and observed the water falls (cascades) there.

We then retraced our drive along the Missouri River, and then drove north about 90 miles on I-15 to Lewis and Clark RV Park in Shelby, MT, for the night.  We only drove a total of 105.8 miles this day.

 On the 4^th of   July we left  Lewis and Clark RV Park in Shelby, MT, about 7:55 a.m., another bright blue sky, cloudless.  Headed north in I-15 about 55 miles north stopped at the US/Canadian border …. Sweet Grass, MT and Coutts, Alberta.  One car ahead of us in line when we arrived about 8:25 a.m.  We were asked a few questions, none about insurance, and had to show our passports and that was all.  We stopped a short while late on Alberta 4 to take pictures with the Welcome to Alberta sign.  Next we stopped at an information center in Milk River, with a large dinosaur statue, purchased a highway map and talked about a route to Drumheller without going through Lethridge or Calgary. 

We continued north on Alberta 4, then Alberta 36 mostly farm land … everyone is irrigating and we saw many crops …. sugar beets, maybe potatoes, barley, oats and bright yellow fields of canola!  We also a mother pheasant and her brood of chicks cross the highway in front of us.  The Chin Lakes were beautiful as were Old Man River and Bow River.  North of Brooks we drove in Canada 1 until came to Alberta 56 and continued north to Rosedale and Drumheller, located in Alberta’s Red Deer River Valley. http://www.TravelDrumheller.com

We checked in to the Dinosaur Trailer Park for two nights, arriving about 2 p.m.  We set up the motorhome and Howard sent up the “internet”.  Later we walked the few blocks to downtown and crossed the large Red Deer River.  Drumheller has approximately 6,500 residents and is in the heart of the Canadian Badlands.  We visited the world’s largest dinosaur, a 86 foot tall T-Rex …. and splash park along banks of the river.   We then had splendid food at the Athens a Greek restaurant, then walked back to our motohome.  In the campground purchased a pan of homemade cinniman rolls yum.

The Canadian Badlands, a unique geographical region, which tells a story of glaciers and erosion that formed this landscape.  It is also the historic home of Canada’s great dinosaur finds, the largest in the world.  The Badlands also provided protection from the elements for generations of plains aboriginal people, as well as gangs of outlaws – horse thieves who avoided authorities in the seemingly endless gulleys and canyons.  The valley has many “hoodoo’s” natural formations … the had rock caps on top of the pillars act as umbrellas, sheltering the softer sandstone beneath.  The hills are a wide variety of colors in the various stata.  Made reservations for a half day Wild West Jurassic Tour for the next morning. 

We were picked up in our camp ground about 9 a.m. by “Pat” in a van of the Wild West Jurassic Tours www.wildwestjurassictours.com  .  This was a very interesting three hour tour called  the Badlands, Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Times Tour.  We took the Bleriot Ferry across the Red Deer River (there are seven cable ferries still in use in Alberta).  We also walked a suspenstion foot bridge over the  Red Deer River.  We visited the Badlands Passion Play site, the HooDoos ,,, formations of sandstone with harder rock as caps or umbrellas on top, and drove to the ghost town of Wayne … crossing eleven bridges in six kilometers.  We saw live deer and life size dinosaur statues throughout the area.  Approximately 8,500 people live in the valley.  We also saw the Little Church that only holds six people.

We were returned to our motorhome about 12:20 p.m., and after a snack we drove to the Royal Tyrrell Museum … Canada’s largest dinosaur museum … located in the heart of the spectacular Canadian badlands where fossil hunters have prospected for over a century.  http://www.tyrrellmusuem.com.  After several hours in this really really good museum we drove into town to a Wal-Mart for milk and water.  Also stopped at a produce truck for really great tomatoes and bing cherries … then back to the campground.

Susan finally checked her email, first time since we left home a week ago this morning ….. there almost 500 messages, but she cut that down to less than 50 to see about.  Then she did our on-line banking.

This was another bright blue sky, beautiful day.  The people here say this is “hot” as in the 80’s and they aren’t used to this heat …. we find it just fine.

Hope this is not too much blab but many people have said to send trip reports.  This shall be it until I write again next week from Dawson Creek, BC, Canada.

July 7, 2007 -- Nice 179.8 mile drive on good highways with beautiful scenery.  Tall pine trees, canyons, valleys, beautiful lakes and rivers, crops of canola, fescue, alfafa, oats and lots of oil wells.  Moose country, and deer, too, according to the signs but we didn’t see any.  Stopped at Valley View, Alberta, visitors’ centers then ate lunch in the motor home as usual.  Drove on to Grande Prairie a city of 45,000 and about five miles south of town to Camp Tamarack RV Camp ground.  Again camped along tall pine trees with a few aspens.  Bright blue sky, but cooler than it has been.  Men in campground office say they winter in Mesa, AZ, and they heard that we had 121 degrees yesterday.  Two other camp grounds we’ve been in the owners/managers said they winter in Yuma, AZ.

July 8, 2007 -- Cloudy sky morning, for the first time.  Worked on photos and a bit of email before leaving about 10:30 a.m.  Drove the five miles back into Grande Prairie and then west on AB 43 towards “Alaska” as the signs say.

Stopped in Beaverlodge, AB, to take photos of their huge beaver sculpture.  This beaver is 15 feet high, 28 feet long and weights 3,000 pounds.  The Beaverlodge area has spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains and rolling river valley landscape. 

 Continued west with off and on light rain.  Was misting when stopped at the “Welcome to British Columbia” sign.

Continued on into Dawson Creek, stopped at the Mile O sign for pictures; took ours, then took for others and they took a couple more for us.  To the campground, but office closed for lunch.  We went back into town and ate lunch at a KFC, which reminded us of the KFC we ate at in Quito, Ecuador …. rather strange slaw and potato salad.  After lunch we shopped for milk and groceries at an IGA store.

Checked in to Mile “O” Campground about 1 p.m., we are in site 55 with trees around us and green grass.  A large Fantasy Caravan is here that shall leave tomorrow morning, our groups meets Friday, and leaves Saturday, we are the first here.  T-V and free wi-fi internet, so we plan to relax and rest for a few days …. go back in to town and etc.

CANOLA …. Have seen the beautiful bright yellow fields throughout Alberta and in this far northeastern part of British Columbia.  This crop is a member of the mustard family that was developed as a low cholesterol oil seed.  The term, CANOLA, was derived from the words Canadian Oil.

July 9, 2007 -- Stayed cloudy most of the day.  We enjoyed unlimited hot water in the showers.  Howard did a big load of laundry in the coin washer and dryer.

Shelly called about 10:30 a.m.  It was 117 in Phoenix area yesterday, told her we had the electric heat on, hee hee.  Have used the A/C until now <G>.

We met our “trail boss” Skip and wife Sue (had spoken on the phone and vie email earlier), and our “tail gunner” Roy and wife Joyce.  Visited with them awhile in Skip and Sue’s big bus type motor home.

Did email and read most of afternoon.  In evening watched a DVD loaded to us by Skip and Sue, Making The Alaskan Highway, an American Experience, PBS program, very interesting. 

The Japanese landed some troops in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, after bombing the area in the Aleutian Islands in early 1942 (Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was bombed Dec.  7, 1941). 

The Alaska Highway runs 1,488 miles through Canada and Alaska from Milepost 0 at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, through Yukon Territory to its official finish in Delta Junction, Alaska, and its unofficial finish in Fairbanks, Alaska.  Each town claims and “end of the road” status and has a much-photographed milepost marker outside its visitors center.

The highway was built by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in eight months working south from Delta Junction, Alaska, north and south from Whitehorse, Yukon, and north from Dawson Creek, British Columbia.  The building of the highway was recognized as one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20^th century.

Two major sections of the highway were connected on Sept. 23, 1942, at Contact Creek, Milepost 588.1.  The last link was completed Nov. 20, 1942 northwest of Kluane Lake, at Milepost 1200.9.  After World War II, the Alaska Highway was turned over to civilian contractors for widening and graveling, replacing log bridges with steel and rerouting at many points.  Road improvements continue today.

We’re heading into the area of the “midnight sun”.  It is still light out at 10 p.m. or later.

July 10, 2007 -- Clear blue sky, bright and sunny.  About 65 or 68 outside, inside motorhome temperature was up to 72 as we had the electric heater on for awhile.

About 9:30 a.m. we left the camp ground and drove into town to the local Wal-Mart to shop for food and several items.  They no longer carry the mosquito net hat covers and “shirts”; will need to get elsewhere, especially for Howard.

We then returned to the big sign for start of AlCan Highway by the traffic circle and the visitors center.  We took pictures and talked with others there for the same purpose.  We then walked downtown Dawson Creek.  Tourist from Montana and Chester, England, took our picture and I took their picture with the Mile 0 Post in center of the intersection of 10^th Street and 102^nd Avenue. We continued to the post office and purchased stamps then returned to motorhome.  Howard used a stamp to mail his quarterly tax form to the city of Tempe.  We again visited the Dawson Creek Art Gallery and Northern Treasures Gift Shop located in one of five grain elevators built in the early 1940’s.  We returned to Mile “0” Campground about 1 p.m.  A strong breeze blowing, but sunny and nice.

In afternoon Sue and Skip (the wagon masters) came over with our trip log book, and lots of information …. plus the release forms we knew that we would be signing.  Everything is VERY well organized, superb amount of good solid information.  Susan quite favorably impressed (as was Howard).  The Fantasy RV Tours appears to be the way to go.  Roy, the tail gunner, came over and went over the rig with Howard, plus put was on front and back and place the Fantasy RV Tours sign and our number in the group, we are number 5.  The tours take a max of 20 rigs plus wagonmaster and tailgunner.  Our trip has thirteen rigs plus wagon master and tail gunner, for total of 15 all together.

After dinner those of us here early all met at the motorhome of the wagon masters and the tail gunner for snacks and introductions.  They went around the circle and had each of us tell our favorite trip, plus names and where from.  We broke up about 9 p.m. and then we (Howard and Susan) downloaded the pictures we took today at Mile Post 0 and the start if Alaskan Highway sign in downtown Dawson Creek … population about 12,000.

July 11, 2007 -- Another sunny day with bright blue sky and some clouds.  We went into Dawson Creek to the Canadian Tire store … rather like a Wal-Mart or Target … much more than a tire store.  We purchased our “bug jackets” with attached hoods (that cover whole head and face), plus two cans of insect repellent.  We are told we may need these jackets one or two days, yuk.  That was our only stop and we returned to space 55 in the Mile “0” Campground on the north edge of Dawson Creek.

Susan gave herself her Intron-A (interferon alfa 2-b) injection at noon instead of waiting until 10 p.m. or later as usual at home.  Howard got out his air compressor and checked all of the tires …. also checked all of the fuses and other electrical things.  Howard set up a tri-pod and cable up on the roof of our motorhome connected to the computer so he can do some time lap photography of the sun set tonight.  It is sunny until 11 p.m. or so here.

Those of us here met again at 7:30 p.m. between the large motorhomes of the wagon masters and the tail gunners.  Went around the circle and told what we had done in our prior lives (pre retirement), nice mix of people.

July 12, 2007 -- Absolutely beautiful day, clear blue sky, bright sun.  About 9:30 we drove in to town (we are camped just on the northern edge of Dawson Creek), topped off our fuel gasoline tank at an ESSO station and then went to Safeway for groceries.  Our major things are milk, water, bread, cheese, ham, Diet Dr. Pepper, and some Stouffer’s frozen foods, today also purchased some yummy Bing cherries.  We returned to the campsite and Howard reconnected our electricity.

Talked with the wagonmasters and tail gunners.  Gave Sue (wife of wagonmaster) the list of optional things we would like to do.  Of course, since “organization” is Susan’s middle name we were the first to turn in our list.  MOST things were covered in our initial fee --- all campgrounds, special boat rides, special dinners, tours, trips for the same.  Each of us is responsible for our gasoline, food, and of course any extras and souvenirs we purchase.

It is now noon, the last of our group just pulled in, they are driving a pick-up with camper on it and Oregon tags, so we are NOT the smallest rig.  There is a retired Marine and wife from Las Vegas who also have a Winnebago about our size and are NOT pulling a tow vehicle. 

There are a total of fourteen in this caravan (do NOT drive together, leave in groups of three) …. Skip and Sue the Wagonmasters who are full-timer RVers amd use South Dakota as home …. Ray and Joyce the Tail Gunner ware call Colorado home.  Then there are the twelve of us who signed on for this 48-Day Heart of Alaska Tour.  We are from: Colorado 1, Nevada 3, Arizona 1, Florida 3, New York 1, Oregon 2 and Texas 1.

Tonight we shall again meet at 7:30 p.m. and shall go over tomorrow which is the official start of this tour.

July 13, 2007 -- Beautiful clear blue sky, but HOT, especially for here.  Yesterday the high here was 100 degrees … a real heat wave, toady 95 degrees.

            Today most of the fellows fixed rigs … dumped holding tanks and did other odds and ends getting ready to head out on the Alaskan Highway tomorrow.

            Instead of meeting at 7:30 p.m. as we had the last three nights, our briefing and group meeting was held at 3:30 p.m.  We talked about tonight and tomorrow and were given yellow highlighters and the page of info for tomorrow to go along with our Trip Log book with the daily schedule, information about gas, food, turn-outs, special things to see and do along the highway, plus a map of area we shall spend the night in and info on the nights campground.

            Car pools were formed.  We rode with Ray and Opal Reed from Sheridan, OR.  We all met at the sign re: start of Alaskan Highway by the traffic circle, visitors center and art gallery.  Took a group photo for Fantasy RV Tours.  Then we all drove to the George Dawson Inn where we looked at the many historic photographs, then went in for a very nice buffet dinner (both chicken and roast beef).  We all had plenty to eat and a nice variety of chocolate deserts.

            After dinner a lady from the visitor’s center gave a very interesting presentation of the area, the highway, comparing the US, Canada and other things.  Howard and I were each given a pin of crossed Canadian and USA flags (as we were from Arizona).  My name was drawn for one of five small door prizes; mine were post-cards … which I like very much.  Then all present were given a pin of the Milepost 0 marker and we could take more for grandchildren, I took five pins.

July 14, 2007 --  We were to start leaving at 7 a.m.  But, everyone was eager and lined up by 6:30 a.m.   The Wagonmaster #1 and four others were sent out at 6:40 a.m.  We were in the next group of four rigs and left at 6:55 a.m.

            Last night lightening and rain storm with strong winds.  Howard and about half of the group heard the storm … Howard was awake but I didn’t hear anything.

            Mostly farm land and then forest and mountains on the drive today.  Like Alberta, British Columbia, is big into oil and gas exploration.  We saw a number of small refineries burning off natural gas. 

Stopped and took photographs of beautiful lavender flowers (several kinds) above Peace River Bridge and several other locations.  The Peace River Bridge has metal grating as flooring.

            Near Fort St. John (population 17,000, elec. 2,275) we stopped at Shepherd’s Inn Family Restaurant.  Most of us had their specialty, huge blueberry pancakes, but not Howard who stuck with us usual omelet containing ham.

            The fourteen rigs spread out and we didn’t see others often.  Howard and I stopped at Sasquatch Crossing, a cute business and took photographs with the very large carved Sasquatch.

            When we stopped at Buckinghorse River Lodge for gasoline, three others from our caravan also pulled in.  We were soon on our way, stopping next at a small turn-out (rest area) with more beautiful lavender flowers.  Gary and Cindy (from FL) also stopped and later Ron & Joyce the tail-gunners (who bring up the read).

There were many small creeks, crossed Small Beaver Creek several times and also Big Beaver Creek.  Susan saw beaver dams twice on the creeks.

South of Fort Nelson we passed Duke Energy the world’s largest natural gas processing plant on one side of the highway; and on the other side was Petrosul a recovery plant processing a by-product of natural gas, sulfur, into a marketable, pellet form.

We arrived at the Fort Nelson Truck Stop and RV Park about 2:20 p.m. having driven 274.3 miles.  We were assigned space 4 with all hook-ups, we only used the electric.  Howard and I then drove up the road a bit to Trapper’s Den, wildlife emporium, mile 293, Alaska Highway, run by John & Cindy Wells.  http://www.trappersden.ca.  We took pictures outside and inside and we purchased a skunk skin hat for Howard, a tee-shirt, two books and several post-cards.  In one of the books Cindy showed us a photo of her mother (age 17) in 1942.  We then returned to the RV Park.

Most of the people went into town to the Heritage Museum, but we elected to stay with motorhome and turn on the A/C, as they are also having a heat wave.  Susan fixed egg beaters with green chili’s and mushrooms for supper along with milk.  We were to have eaten in the truck stop café, but it closes at 4 p.m.

Fort Nelson is surrounded by the Muskwa, Nelson and Prophet Rivers on the sheltered side of the Rocky Mountains.  The whole area is heavily forested with diamond willows, white spruce, poplar and aspen.  Fort Nelson was developed as a supply post for miners, trappers and natives.  All the forts were destroyed by fire, flood or unfriendly natives.   Trappers still harvest beaver, wolverine, weasel, wolf, fox, lynx, mink, muskrat and marten skins from the surrounding areas.

Group met in the rec hall at 7 p.m. for a brief on what to expect tomorrow and to get an information page for our trip logs.  Each couple was given a 5” x 7” copy of the group photography taken with the start of Alaska Highway sign in Dawson Creek.  Tonight we had question four …. at earlier get together we’ve had to tell: 1. our favorite trip, 2. what we did in our former life, 3. what our hobbies are and tonight 4. how we met.  The questions help to get better acquainted with everyone.

July 15, 2007 -- Left Fort Nelson Truck Stop and RV Park starting at 8 a.m. we left at 8:12 a.m. and headed north on BC Hwy 97, the “Northern Route”.  Our first stop was at Kledo Creek, then Steamboat Creek.  Tall evergreens, aspen and other trees.  Beautiful scenery … mountains, creeks, river, animals.

We all stopped at the summit of Steamboat Mountain, elevation 3,500 ft., but it appeared higher, it was the scenery that all of us came to northern Canada and Alaska to see.  The Northern Rocky Mountains are breath taking.  The next stop was at Tetsa River Outfitters for huge cinnamon buns and other goodies baked daily.  Lighting struck a tree by the main building Fri. night so their credit card machine was down, cash only.  Their campground was lovely along the Tetsa River.  www.canadianrockymountainadventures.ca.

  We saw several beaver dams during the drive today.  We saw many Caribou today; they lick the salt from the roadway surface and do not move for vehicles.  Saw several groups of Stone Sheep, which were wonderful and adorable.

We both took dozens and dozens of digital photographs of: Stone Mountain, Summit Lake, McDonald River, Tesla River, Toad River (flows to the Arctic Ocean), Folded Mountain, various creeks and streams, plus the many Stone Sheep, many caribou, and one young moose that bounded away from the road!  Stone Sheep are found only in northern British Columbia and the southern Yukon

We ate a late lunch at the Toad River Lodge after getting gasoline.  www.toadriverlodge.com, they have over 7,000 caps tacked to their ceiling.  Howard had a basic cheeseburger and Susan had a great buffalo burger….too much food, but good!

We arrived at the very beautiful Muncho Lake that is nestled between the Sentinel Range on the east and Terminal Range to the west, Highway 97 drives along the edge.    The lake is seven miles long and a mile wide, located at 2,680 feet elevation, the deep blue and green colors are attributed to copper oxide leaching into the lake.

  We are in site #24, parked facing the lake on the very edge of the shoreline.  These sites are the campground with the very special Northern Rockies Lodge. www.northernrockieslodge.com/mp

The 7 p.m. daily briefing meeting was held inside a log “hut” on the lakes edge due to threatening rain.  When it didn’t rain, a fire was built in the camp-fire ring area and some of the group (including Howard) roasted marshmallows and visited.

 The Milepost says to use caution as there are bears in the area.  Others have seen a few bears while driving, but so far we haven’t seen any bears.  We have seen many bears over the years in Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and last fall in Sequoia National Park, California.

July 16, 2007 -- Light rain off and on all night.  Love the campsite right on edge of beautiful Muncho Lake.  The Great Northern Lodge, like many places, has a grass landing strip and also a float airplane.

Our caravan left the campground at 8 a.m. for the 30 mile drive north to the world famous Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park.  About half of our group went into the springs; others of us took the quarter mile stroll (each way) on a boardwalk through marsh land to the springs, and additional walks around the hotsprings.  The water ranges from 108 degrees to 126 degrees F.  “Liard” is the French world for poplar.

On the drive to Liard Hotsprings we drove across “Gallolpin Gertie” the 1,143 long suspension bridge over the Liard River.  We also enjoyed the beautiful Trout River, Coal River and other smaller rivers.  The Liard River is large, about like the Missouri River where it empties into the Mississippi River above St. Louis, MO.

Today we saw several large groups of Bison, including some young calves; a group of five wild horses; and a fox with white tipped tail cross a bridge in front of us.

We ate lunch in the motorhome at a turn out overlooking the fast moving Trout River.  Later most of us stopped at a large turn out to check for ripe raspberries … bears and/or tourist had gotten all that were ripe although we saw some still green.  Howard and Susan stopped at the official “Welcome to the Yukon” sign on the British Columbia / Yukon border and arrived at the Downtown RV Park in Watson Lake, Yukon about 2:15 p.m.

The Yukon Territory takes its name from the Indian world Youcon, meaning “big river”.  It was first explored in the 1840’s by the Hudson’s Bay Co., which established several trading posts.  The Territory, which was then considered a district of the Northwest Territories, remained largely untouched until the Klondike Gold Rush, when thousands of people flooded into the country and communities sprang up overnight.  The sudden expansion led to the official formation of the Yukon Territory on June 13,  1898.

Watson Lake was originally known as Fish Lake.  It was renamed after Frank Watson who settled here in 1898.  Watson was born in California and had come north to join the gold rush, but after a year on the trail, he abandoned his pursuit of riches and decided to settle down in this beautiful place.  He built a cabin on the lake shore, married an Indian woman, Adele Stone, and made his living hunting and trapping.

Earlier on our trip each couple signed a wood “sign” and some of the group went to the Sign Post Forest to place the sign.  This “Forest” was started in 1942 by a US Army solider, Carl K.Lindley of Danville, IL.  While working on the Alaska Highway, he erected a sign indicating the way and number of miles to this home town.  Through the years visitors have continued to add more signs.  As of September 2006 there were 61,298 signs in the Sign Post Forest.

While some went to the Sign Post Forest, we went to the Northern Lights Centre www.northernlightscentre.ca, to view the good space exhibits and attend the 3 p.m. show.  This is the only planetarium in North America featuring the myth and science of the northern lights.  Using advanced video and laser technology, the centre offers presentations on the aurora borealis inside a 100-seat “Electric Sky” theatre environment.

At 6 p.m. we all gathered in a screen tent for cook-out / pot-luck.  The tour provided hamburgers, buns, the trimmings, bean and potato salad … the rest of us filled in, I took a fruit salad.  Don, the tail-gunner griller the hamburgers.   After eating we had our briefing about what we’ll see tomorrow, and were given packets of information from the Yukon Visitors Center and certificates saying we shall be known as” Honorary Sourdough”.  Some took games to the tent to play; others took their laptop computers to the porch / patio at the office, while Howard got us connected here in our motorhome.

July 17, 2007 -- We left the campground at 8 a.m. and headed north on Hwy 97 that almost immediately became Hwy 1.  The wide fast moving beautiful rivers became even wider.  The highway has been super good, almost all well painted and smooth.  Through Alberta and British Columbia the sides are mowed …. possibly 50 to 100 feet on both sides of the highway.  We are very pleased with the LOW traffic density … most of the time we do not see any traffic ahead of us or behind us.  We are pleasantly surprised with the small amount of truck traffic …. oil tankers and semi’s, we expected much heavier truck use.

Soon we were viewing the snowy Cassiar Mountains to our west and in front of us.  The scenery appears to get better with each mile we travel … we LOVE IT!!

Many homes, storage buildings and businesses have bright red or turquoise roofs, we suppose so they can be seen in the winter snows.

We all stopped (not at same time) at the Rancheria Recreation area and took the 10 minute walk through boreal forest to both of the Rancheria Falls … well worth the short hike.  The Alaska Highway followed the Rancheria River most of today.  The Rancheria River was named by Cassiar miners working Sayyea Creek In 1875, site of a minor gold rush at the time.  Rancheria is an old Californian or Mexican miners’ term in Spanish, meaning a native village or settlement.  It is pronounced ran-che-REE-ah.

We surely enjoyed the beautiful rivers …. Upper Liard, Rancheria, Swift and Smart …. stopping frequently to take photographs.  We had lunch at noon by Morley Lake.

The Continental Divide divides two of the largest drainage systems in North America, the Yukon River and the Mackenzie River watersheds.  Water draining west from this point forms the Swift River.  This river drains into the Yukon River and continues a northwest journey of 3,680 kilometres (2,300 miles) to the Bering Sea (Pacific Ocean).  Water that drains to the east forms the Rancheria River which flows into the Liard River then the Mackenzie River.  These waters flow northward and empty into the Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean) after a journey of 4,200 kilometres (2,650 miles).  Pacific salmon migrate up the Yukon River watershed providing a reliable and relatively abundant food resource.

Just before entered Teslin, Yukon Terrirtory, we crossed the longest water span bridge on the Alaska Highway at 1,917 feet … beautiful bridge with metal grating for flooring and no painted lines.  The bridge crosses the Nisutlin Bay on lovely Teslin Lake.   Our campground is just across the bridge … Yukon Motel and Lakeshore RV Park.  www.yukonmotel.com  The community of 450 people was originally a summer home for Tlingit from coastal Alaska and British Columbia.  Teslin was founded in 1903 as a trading post where the Nisutlin River meets Teslin Lake.  Teslin is still home for one of the largest native populations in the Yukon Territory.  Teslin is the Tlingit word for Long Narrow water.  The lake is 78 miles (125 km) long, 2 miles wide with a maximum depth of 700 feet.

We drove several miles north of the town to the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre.   www.tlingit.ca   This is a modern new building with five totem poles outside … they presented the culture, history and art of the Tlingit people in a very interesting manner.  On the way back to our campground we stopped at a small market for milk and cereal.

We visited the very impressive Wildlife Museum (and gift shop) here at the campground.  Next we connected to the internet and got our mail and started work on photographs from the past several days.  We had space 23 by the lake.

 Soon it was 7 p.m. and time for our evening briefing (about tomorrow) and the tour provided watermelon to eat.  There are 14 rigs with a total of 28 people.  20 of us shall meet tomorrow morning and have breakfast at Mutluk Annie’s Salmon Bake restaurant about nine miles north of town on the Alaska Highway.  Most of us will have the all-you-can-eat Yukon breakfast. 

Those of us up late had a real treat tonight.  About 10:45 p.m. Howard noticed a rainbow outside, so naturally we both took our cameras and went outside.  We saw both “legs” of the rainbow, and then it filled in at the top for 180 degrees, then a second 180 degree rainbow formed.  Everyone awake came outside to view the unique and rare doubt, full, rainbows by the lake!  Howard took video and still photographs, I took 21 photos, Howard went on to bed and I resized my photos and fixed and email to friends and family with four rainbow photos and one of clouds.

July 18, 2007 -- We left the campground at 8:30 a.m. and drove to Mukluk Annie’s Salmon Bake for an all-you-can-eat breakfast including blueberry pancakes.  Fourteen of us at one long table and six at another table.  After eating many of us walked along viewing the beautiful Teslin Lake, mountains across the lake, and Fireweed flowers in full bloom.

We continued north on the Alaska Highway.  Short wait at the Teslin River Bridge that is being refloored, so one very narrow lane, long waits.  The bridge is a 1,770 foot span the third longest water span bridge on the Alaska Highway.  It was constructed very high so steamers could pass underneath, since all freight and supplies came this way from Whitehorse.

Viewed the very beautiful Squanga Lake and the large Marsh Lake, both with very blue water.  We stopped at the Yukon River Bridge and walked around ….. some wild roses were in bloom and we saw the first dam built on the Yukon River.  A short distance before the Yukon River there was a highway sign stating that it is 1010 miles to Fairbanks.  We arrived at Pioneer RV Park about 1 p.m. in Whitehorse and were soon parked in space 100, having driven 104 miles today.

Whitehorse has been capital of Yukon Territory since 1953 with a population of 22,000 and an elevation of 2,305 feet and is located on the upper reaches of the Yukon River in Canada’s sub-arctic.  The mean July temperature is 57 degrees F.  More than two-thirds of the population of Yukon Territory lives in Whitehorse where the world-famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) territorial headquarters is located. 

Fantasy RV Tours provided a catered buffet dinner tonight in the campground.  Susan injected Intron-A (the once a week form of Interferon Alfa 2-b)

July 19, 2007 -- We left at 9:30 a.m., taking Opal and Ray Rice with us.  We went to the Beringia Interpretive Centre.  www.beringia.com  This multimedia exposition features life-size exhibits of animals of the last ice age, interactive computer kiosks, and dioramas depicting the unique landscape, flora and fauna of Beringia.  Highlights of the Centre are a full-size cast of the largest woolly mammoth ever recovered and a reconstruction of the 24,000 year old Bluefish Caves archaeological site.

We viewed the Centre’s half-hour film which combined breath-taking scenes of modern-day Yukon and computer animation with rare archival photos.  We observed the results of scientific research work in the Old Crow region of northern Yukon – an area often referred to as a “palaeontological supermarket”.  We heard stories of North America’s First People who ancestors actually lived in the ancient world of Beringia.

The lost sub-continent of Beringia dates back to the last great ice age.  While the rest of Canada lay frozen under massive sheets of ice, a region encompassing eastern Siberia, Alaska and Yukon remained untouched by glaciers.  Sea levels dropped by as much as 125 meters and grassy tundra appeared, supporting an astonishing variety of animal and plant life.  The Beringian steppe was home to a wide range of herbivores and carnivores.  Most symbolic of Beringia is the woolly mammoth, predecessor of the modern Asiatic elephant.  Standing three metres high at the shoulders – the height of a basketball hoop – these hairy, jump-backed giants roamed the steppe for thousands of years.  They fed on the tundra’s tough, dry grasses, and eluded predators – chiefly human hunters. 

After leaving Beringia we went to the towing company / garage that had towed Ray and Opals truck from Teslin … it was fixed and ready for them to pick up.  We all returned to the campground.

The tour bus arrived at 1:30 p.m. and we were all off. Sightseeing as we drove along the banks of the fast flowing Yukon River.  We went to the S.S. Klondike National Historic Site a Canadian heritage place.  The S.S. Klondike was the last sternwheeler ship to travel the Yukon River from Whitehorse north to Dawson City.  We viewed an interesting 20 minute video telling the history of the ship and era.  Then we split in to two groups and had an hour tour through the ship.

Our next stop on the tour of Whitehorse was the Whitehorse Rapids Dam and Fishway – fish ladder and hatchery, built and operated by the Yukon Electrical Co.  At the end of the last ice age, some 10,000 or 11,000 years ago, the great glaciers melted and the Yukon River linked up with the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Sea.  It took thousands of years for the glaciers to melt and many more centuries for the melt water to be clear of glacial silts.  Once the silts settled and the water was clear, salmon began to migrate up the river.  Until that time, the people in this area had been hunters.  They may have originally come here following the herds of caribou across the Bering land bridge to the ice-free area of the northern Yukon and Alaska, known as Beringia.  As the ice receded, vast grasslands opened up, drawing the grazing animals further to the south.  When the salmon began to run in the rivers, however, the people soon became very proficient fisher folk, making the annual migration of salmon part of their yearly harvesting routine.  www.yukonenergy.ca

After the Fishway we stopped at the Whitehorse, Yukon, Visitors Center where we saw an interesting 15 minute video about the Yukon.  After that we continued our bus tour of the downtown area of Whitehorse and returned to the campground / RV Park about 5 p.m.

Some people were going back into town for a salmon bake before the Frantic Follies we’re gong to night, but this is the fourth Thursday.  This morning Howard flushed my implanted “port”, and after returning from the bus tour her mixed and injected my every 28 day shot of Sandostatin LAR.

We rode in to town with Dick and Bunny Adams to the Westmark Hotel.  Our Fantasy RV Tour had reserved seats for Frantic Follies a delightful vaudeville revue / gold rush variety show of entertainment.  We were seated in the second row for the show that began at 8:30 and concluded at 10:15 p.m.  www.franticfollies.com.  This is the 38^th year of the show.  Lots of good laughter, singing, can-can girls and even a number with eight banjos!  The theater seats 450 people.  Bunny suggested we stop at Dairy Queen but they were closed for the night.  Of course it is daylight outside and will be until after 11 p.m.  We’ll have longer and longer days the further north we go.  After we returned to Pioneer RV Park a light rain / mist began …. Just as the weather service had forecast.

July 20, 2007 -- It rained during the night, last night, cleared off this morning.  We spent the day in Whitehorse, Yukon.  We went to the Real Canadian Superstore, as everyone said it is mostly better than the local Wal-Mart and the Wal-Mart here doesn’t have a grocery section.  Susan wasn’t favorably impressed with the store.  Like the Safeway in Dawson Creek, BC, the grocery carts are locked and you must unlock with a one dollar coin, which you get back after use.

We drove further downtown and parked in the RV lot at the Visitors Center.  We did some shopping and walked around.  Mac’s Firewood Books is a marvelous bookstore with great selections and huge magazine section; we couldn’t get out without spending more than $100.  www.macsbooks.ca   www.yukonbooks.com.

 We visited several jewelry and gift store, and then made a few more purchases in the Paradise Alley Gift shop.  After shopping we went to Dairy Queen for lunch.  After lunch we walked around and took pictures of the skyscraper log cabin and other things downtown.  We then moved the motorhome to a parking lot on the Yukon River by the riverboat S.S. Klondike and walked along the river for awhile.   Then we sat in the motorhome and looked at some of the books we purchased.

We next drove to MV Schwatka Yukon River Cruises on Schwatka Lake, a part of the Yukon River.  www.yukonrivercruises.com  We were on the 4 p.m. cruise up Schwatka Lake, Miles Canyon and the Yukon River.  The first 30 minutes were great and we were seated on the top of the boat and not inside below.  Then the rain started …. and it increased and increased.  Beautiful Miles Canyon and views, but damped somewhat with the rain …. Returned to the dock about 6 p.m.  The rain stopped about 7:30 p.m. and the sun came out again.

In 1883 US Army LT. Frederick Schwatka led a small expedition on a raft down the Yukon River 3,200 kilometers to the Bering Sea.  Schwatka Lake was created by the construction of the Whitehorse dam in the 1950’s, which flooded the “white horse” rapids.  This lake is an important resting area for migrating waterfowl, which many mammals such as coyote, beaver and mule deer may also be seen.  We didn’t see any animals, but did see a large beaver dam and many birds. A footbridge crosses the Miles Canyon.

Our evening meeting was held at 8 p.m. to go over the Trip Log and tomorrow.

July 21, 2007 -- We left Pioneer RV Park in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory at 8:06 a.m. on Highway 1 for 14 miles then turned onto Highway 2, the Klondike Highway headed north towards Dawson City, YT.

The Klondike Loop” refers to the 323 mile / 520-km-long stretch of Yukon Highway 2 (the North Klondike Highway, also sometimes called the “Mayo Road”), from its junction with the Alaska Highway north of Whitehorse to Dawson City; the 7-mile / 127-km Top of the World Highway (Yukon Highway 9); and the 96 miles / 154 kms of the Taylor Highway (Alaska Route 5) that connects with the Alaska Highway near Tok. Very small amount of traffic on the two lane black-top highway… fairly smooth with a few spots of loose gravel. 

We drove along beautiful Fox Lake and Braeburn Lake.  Everyone stopped at Braeburn Lodge to purchase the HUGE cinnamon buns …. one bun enough for four people.  These cinnamon buns were shown in the video shown at the Whitehorse Visitors Center. 

We made a number of photo stops including photos at Conglomerate Mountain and Twin Lakes.  The Conglomerates were formed 185 million years ago (early Jurassic period) by volcanic mud flows.

  The remains of Montague House were interesting … Montague House was one of 52 typical early day roadhouses for the stagecoach route between Whitehorse and Dawson City.

We passed through Carmacks, YT.  Carmacks was named for George Carmack, who established a trading post here in 1885.  In 1896 he unearthed a 5-dollar pan of coarse gold, during a time when a 10-cent pan was considered a good find.  That same winter, he extracted more than a ton of gold from the creek, which he renamed Bonanza Creek, and its tributary, Eldorado.  When word of Carmack’s discovery reached the outside world the following spring, it set off the Klondike Gold Rush. 

About 130 miles north of Whitehorse we stopped at the overlook for Five Finger Rapids of the Yukon River.  There is a ¾ mile walk, with 219 steep steps near the parking lot that goes to an overlook platform nearer the rapids of the river.  Howard and about half of the group made the trek down to the platform and the ¾ mile back up to the parking lot.  We also ate lunch at this stop.

Five Finger Rapids named by early miners for the 5 channel, or fingers, formed by the rock pillars.  They are a navigational hazard.  The safest passage is through the nearest or east passage.

We made a couple of more photo stops.  There was White River ash layer that is dated to 700 AD and is used by archeologist for dating artifacts. 

We had a small patch of loose gravel and a semi-truck did not slow and a small rock hit our windshield making a small crack.  We only met a few trucks and other vehicles all day.

About 3:15 p.m. we arrived at Whispering Willow RV Park at Stewart Crossing, just before the Stewart River.  Stewart Crossing was the site of a trading post established by Arthur Harper, Alfred Mayo and Jack McQuesten to support gold mining in the area.  Later a roadhouse was built here as part of the Whitehorse to Dawson overland stage route.  Stewart Crossing also functioned as a fuel stop for the riverboats and during the 1930s was a transfer point for the silver ore barges.

Our evening brief was held around a campfire at 7:30 p.m.  Howard and I sprayed on bug repellant for mosquitoes and weren’t bothered …. several people wore their bug netting jackets.

Howard downloaded four days of photos.  Susan downloaded photos she took today as she downloads daily and places in a folder with the date.  The internet had been up and down but stayed up for awhile and Susan sent four messages with photos.

July 22, 2007 -- We left the Whispering Willows RV Park at Stewart Crossing (a gas station and the campground were it), crossed the Stewart River and continued on our Klondike Loop trek.  The highway was mostly paved, two lane, blacktop, with area of gravel.  Where it was gravel we felt it was very good and not that rough … until the last patch and then after that the blacktop had many dips and swells from the winter freezes…. frost heaves.

We stopped at Moose Creek Lodge to take photos of the six foot Max the Mosquito and Murray the Moose.  www.moosecreek-lodge.com.  We continued stopping at Gravel Lake and the Tintina Trench.  The latter is the largest geological fault in North America, and is one of two major travel corridors for migratory birds in the Yukon.  Soon the highway had the beautiful Klondike River on our right side.

 Today we saw one wolf that started across the highway, saw us, and reversed course.  We also saw dead moose that looked like it had been hit by a vehicle a short time before.

We arrived at Bonanza Gold RV park www.bonanzagold.ca at 11:30 p.m. on the edge of Dawson City, 108.3 miles from Stewart Crossing.

Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada, is located 165 miles / 266 km south of the Arctic Circle on the Yukon River at its junction with the Klondike River, and 333 miles northwest of Whitehorse.  The current population is approximately 2,000.  This was once the summer fish camp of the Tr’ondek Hwech’in (The People of the River) people (now referred to as the Han People).  Dawson City was Yukon’s first capital, when the Yukon became a separate territory in 1898.  In 1953 the federal government moved the capital to Whitehorse along with 800 civil servants.  www.dawsoncity.ca

In July the average Celsius temperature is +15.6 and there are 20 hours of daylight.

Some trivia …. Gold is 19 times heavier than water.  88% of all gold mined in the Yukon comes from the Dawson area.  A gold nugget was unearthed in the Klondike that weighted over 72 oz.  It was nearly 6” long.  In 1898, the nugget was valued at $1,158.  Today, it would be worth well over $30,000.  More than 250 sternwheelers plied Yukon waters from 1896 to the mid 1950s.  At one time, there were up to 70 of the majestic riverboats on the Yukon River alone.

The Yukon government estimates the mammal population as:  Arctic Fox 50, Black Bear 10,000, Caribou 190,000 (Woodland 25,000 and Barren Ground 165,000), Deer 500, Elk 100, Grizzly Bear 6,000 – 7,000, Moose 65,000, Mountain Goat 1,700, Muskoxen 200, Thinhorn Sheep 22,000 (Dall Sheep 19,000, Stone Sheep 3,000), Wolves 4,500 and Wood Bison 230.

We car pooled to the Diamond Tooth Gertie casino and show.  We rode with Opal and Ray Rice … and sat at a front (stage side) table with them and Norm and Anne Wells.  Nice song and dance show, no humor, just music and can-can dancing …. very good dancers.

At 10 p.m. car pools left for “Midnight Dome” a spot on the mountain overlooking the Klondike Valley and Dawson City.  Again we rode with Opal and Ray Rice.  Great views of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers and the town, but it remained over-cast so we didn’t get to see the sun set at midnight.

July 23, 2007 -- Went to bed about 1 a.m. last night, it was still light outside!  Awoke this morning to gentle rain so went back to sleep.  Before time to leave for our walking tour the sun broke through the clouds and it turned into another beautiful day.  Our group car pooled in to town and met a bit after 10 a.m. in the Palace Grand Theater.  A costumed interpreter then led our Fantasy RV Tour group on a 90 minute walk, and history lesson, through downtown Dawson City.  Ann the interpreter was very good and gave many insights into the history of the area and the “gold rush”.  We saw many buildings, the first funeral home, visited the ornate post office that opened in 1901, and the bank among other things.  Over two dozen buildings in Dawson City are Dawson Historical Complex National Historic Site of Canada.

After the tour it was noon.  Ray and Opal Rice, Howard and I went to Sourdough Joe’s restaurant for lunch …. good but somewhat costly.  After lunch we did a bit of shopping along Front Street.  We (Howard and Susan) purchased an opal pendant and silver chain for Susan at the Amber Casa; and looked at the gold nugget/Canadian diamond jewelry at Klondike Nugget and Ivory Shop www.knis.ca

On the drive back to the RV park the Rice’s truck developed engine trouble, so we left it at a Napa Auto Parts store / garage and walked back to our motorhome.

The daily brief about the road to Tok and on into Fairbanks was held at 2:30 p.m.

At 3 p.m. car pools left for Dredge No. 4 National Historic Site of Canada.  We rode with Bob and Pat Farris from New York.  Dredge No. 4 if located 13 km (8 miles) up historic Bonanza Creek.  This is the largest wooden hulled, bucket line dredge in North America and is representative of the numerous machines that worked the valleys of the goldfields.  This dredge was in operations from 1905 to 1960.  The one hour tour leader was quite informative.  It started a gentle rain as we returned from the tour, so a nice evening to stay inside, work on photographs and various things.

July 24. 2007 -- We stayed in the campground until about 10 a.m. and then drove into Dawson City, Yukon Territory.  We drove past the Jack London Cabin and the Robert Service Cabin and then parked downtown and went to the visitor’s information center.  After the latter we went to a hardware store where Howard purchased a brush and long handle to use in washing the motorhome.  After that we visited various stores on 2^nd Street and later Front Street (fronts along the Yukon River).  The camera shop did not stock the camera filter Howard is looking for.

We returned to Klondike Nugget and Ivory Store www.knis.ca that we visited yesterday, after going into additional jewelry stores today.  We purchased a gold nugget with tiny Canadian diamond and a gold chain for Susan.  After that purchase we visited a few more stores and then a grocery store for milk and a few items.  As Howard said, “We came, we saw, we bought.”

We got in line for the free Yukon River Ferry at 1:35 p.m. with only one RV and one pick up truck in front of us.  The ferry arrived just after we got in line so we were on the next trip …. this ferry can carry two 18-wheel semi rigs or two large motorhomes at one time.  We then drove 11.4 miles up the Top of The World Highway to an open area for the night.  Although Fantasy had paid for three nights in Dawson City, there is often a three hour line to cross on the ferry in the mornings, so we were given the option of staying in the campground and taking our chances on Wed. morning, or going crossing during the afternoon and dry camping for one night.  We all chose to dry camp.  We were the first to arrive, followed closely by Len and Joy Winter from FL.

Warren (our retired Marine) fixed a rock fire ring and scrounged up wood for a fire.  Most of us were at the fire and Howard had been asked to play banjo when it started to lightly rain.  He played a couple of song with Bunny holding an umbrella over him.  Then the rain came down a bit harder and we even had some small hail.  With the hail and heavier rain the group broke up for the night.  While still outside (out of the rain though) we had another 180 degree rainbow!

July 25, 2007 -- We left the dry camp at 7:50 a.m. PDT (but 6:50 a.m. Alaska time) and started our 175 mile trek to Tok, Alaska via the Top of The World Highway, Yukon Highway 9.  To Alaskans it is the Taylor Highway, but to everyone who has driven the beautiful road, it is known as The Top of the World Highway.  This 174 mile / 278 km highway is winding and narrow in many places.

The free George Black ferry carries passengers and vehicles in summer across the Yukon River between Dawson City and the beginning of the Top of the World Highway.  It is seasonally maintained gravel road open in the summer only.

The highway has a bad reputation as being loose gravel, pot-holes, no shoulders in many places, rough and very dusty.  We were in luck, due to rain last night there was hardly any dust and many of us found the rough much better than advertised.

After going through US Customs on the border we stopped at the beautiful welcome to Alaska sign.  Our caravan tour started July 13, plus Howard and Susan left AZ on June 28, and now finally on July 25 we all entered Alaska.

While stopped at the sign taking pictures a small herd of caribou appeared to our delight.  Susan got two good photographs and Howard got several good video clips of the caribou herd.  Soon we were on our way to Chicken, AK (population 37) where we stopped at the Goldpanner store and to eat lunch in our motorhomes, no restaurant but we were told next summer they will have a restaurant.

Author Ann Purdy who wrote the good Alaska book Tisha lives in Chicken.

We continued on and joined the Alaska Highway for the last part of our journey in to Tok, AK, arriving about 4 p.m. Alaska time.  We filled with gas and then came to Tok RV Village and got in line for the vehicle wash (for dust) which took much longer than expected as a Tracks caravan had arrived a short time before we did.  Howard helped wash all of the motorhomes and tow vehicles.  When our unit was completed I drove it to our camp site, #512.

About 6 p.m. Howard returned as all motorhomes were washed.  We then drove to Fast Eddy’s Restaurant and enjoyed steak dinners.  Back to Tok RV Village, next door, Howard let Susan out at the office and we took the motorhome back to our site to park.

We got ice cream cones for desert and the free entertainment began at 7 p.m.  Howard was asked to go get his banjo and sit in with the people playing music and he did for awhile.  The “Songs of the Last Frontier” by Dave Stancliff accompanied by Stephen Mattson ran an hour.  www.alaskamusicartists.com  Some of the original songs they did were:  Welcome To The Last Frontier, It’s A Moose!, My Homesite in Alaska and many others …. all were good.

At 8 p.m. Fantasy RV Tour group had our briefing for tomorrow and the next several days in Fairbanks outside at picnic tables.

As our brief was ending Dave Stancliff wanted to know if Howard would like to jam for awhile.  Of course Howard was pleased.  They played and sang for almost two hours and had an audience the whole time, more the first hour but some until the end.  He gave Howard an autographed CD (I had already purchased it at the store), “Alaska Time” later then I told him I would like to trade the one I purchased, he said no give it to someone and he gave me another CD ….. we’ll give the duplicate CD to Ron the tail-gunner on the trip and a big fan of the music.

After they stopped jamming, Ron, Howard and I walked back to our sites in the campground about 10:30 p.m., and a RED FOX walked out into the road, stood looking at us and then sauntered on into the back part of the campground.

Howard needed to check business email; I gave myself my weekly Intron-A injection, brought my diet info up to date and starting to catch up on a few other things.  It is now 12:58 a.m. so I had better join Howard in bed and finish this another day.  We have a special dinner and show tomorrow night when get in to Fairbanks and then two additional VERY busy days before the free day Sun., when we’ll fly to Barrow, AK.

July 26, 2007 -- This morning we left Tok at 8 a.m.  We stopped at the Tok US Post Office thinking all open at 8 a.m. …. wrong the gal there said read the sign the window opens at 8:30 a.m., so we continued along on Alaska Highway (Highway 2) headed towards Fairbanks.  We stopped at Dot Lake and drove around trying to find the post office, no luck.  We got back on the highway and found another post office sign and finally found one in another part of Dot Lake, AK, population 30.  Susan purchased her stamps for post cards and we continued on our way.

We made numerous stops at turn-outs to view rivers, lakes and mountain scenery.  Good road, very little traffic and frost heaves at a minimum.  Where the fir / pine / evergreen trees are short it indicates they are on perma frost and their roots cannot go very deep into the soil.

A very interesting stop was at Delta Meat and Sausage, mile 1413.3 of the Alaska Highway, near Delta Junction, Alaska.  www.deltameat.com  We samples summer sausage and meat snack sticks made from buffalo, caribou, elk, yak, reindeer and other meats.  We left with a large supply of yummy meat.

Nest we stopped in the small town of Delta Junction, the end of the AlCan (Now Alaska Highway) to view the signposts and other items of interest.

The group had decided to stop at Rika’s Roadhouse for lunch …. Although we would arrive at different times.  Rika’s Roadhouse and Landing at Big Delta State Historical Park Delta Junction, AK, with great view of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Tanana River crossing.  www.rikas.com  We had a nice lunch and visited with the couple in our group from Kent, England, then walked around viewing the log buildings and beautiful flowers.  After lunch and leisurely walking around the grounds we left and continued ahead towards Fairbanks.  We stopped for gas and milk at the Salcha Store.

We arrived at our campground, Riverview RV Park on Bader Road in Fairbanks about 3 p.m.  We were parked in site 112.  www.riverviewpark.net

The bus was here by 6 p.m. to pick up all 28 of us.  We drove to Pioneer Park at Airport Way & Peger, Fairbanks for all all you can eat meal of prime rib, grilled salmon, halibut and cod, plus salads and all the trimmings, plus a wide variety of deserts.  Alaska’s only pioneer theme park.  www.co.fairbanks.ak.us

At 8 p.m. we boarded our bus for the ride out of town to the Ester Gold Camp in Ester, AK for the Malemute Saloon with a show of songs, music, dance, stories and Robert Service poetry.  Our Fantasy had tables reserved on the side in the front, and we sat at the very front table with Warren and Barbara and Don and Pam, both couples from Las Vegas, plus our wagonmaster and wife, Skip and Sue.  It was a delightful show.  We have been to three “shows” so far on the tour, each is quite different from the others so very enjoyable.  After the show our bus brought us back to the Riverview RV Park arriving about 11 p.m., another long but very enjoyable day with bright blue sky and sunshine … the weather has been great.

I was without the internet for several days, so have just downloaded 188 new messages, I trashed as many as possible and do not have the time or energy to go through them now ….. but shall tomorrow night (at least that is my plan), as it is now 1:04 a.m.

July 27, 2007 -- We had some gentle rain during the night.  The Riverview RV Park bus met us at 8:30 a.m. and we were off … it was cloudy.

First stop was the Ice Museum in downtown Fairbanks; they opened at 9 a.m. for our groups, normal time to open is 10 a.m.  We heard a short talk and then a very interesting video about the World Ice Art Championships held in Fairbanks the end of Feb. and through March each year.  Then we went into the various “freezers” to observe some ice sculptors up close, it was about 10 degrees in each of those rooms.  One unique sculpture was a “xylophone” or “marimba” with two wooden mallets, which played music when struck with the mallets.  We finished with a young Chinese man giving a demonstration of doing an ice carving of a bird from a plain block of ice.  We purchased the DVD and a small book about the ice carvings and the Ice Art Championships.

Next we walked a block to the Fairbanks visitors information center in a large log building, then took photos of the mileage signs from Fairbanks to various cities around the world.

In Gold Rush fine jewelry, 531 2^nd Ave., Fairbanks, AK 99701 we purchased a pair of gold “nugget” post earrings to go along with the gold nugget pendant we purchased in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada.  www.goldrushfinejewelry.com

It was 56 degrees when we arrived downtown at 8:55 a.m., by 12:30 p.m. it was 65 degrees and still cloudy with mist or light rain.

In Raven Mad Susan purchased an Alaska shirt, tee shirt and sweat shirt.  We then went to the New Horizons Gallery.  We’ve been gone from Arizona for four weeks and this was the gallery that contained original art work that we both liked.  Naturally the painting we really wanted was $4,900 so they still have it, we could have ordered a print and had it framed, but Howard only likes original art.  We did purchase a smaller acrylic framed painting “Arctic Winter Caribou” by Martin Baumes.  After this we went to meet others in our group at the Fudge Pot (no we did not purchase any fudge) and enjoyed salmon chowder for lunch.

Our bus picked us up at 12:30 p.m. and we were off to the University of Alaska Museum of The North.  www.uaf.edu/museum  We enjoyed the culture and history of the various sections of Alaska.  At 2 p.m. we attended “Dynamic Aurora” program that showed the beauty of northern lights and explains this high-latitude phenomenon from scientific and culture perspectives.  www.alaskascience.com/aurora.htm

The next stop was the Georgeson Botanical Garden on the Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks’ Experimental Agricultural Farm.  There were beautiful flowers, even if it was raining.  www.uaf.edu/salrm/gbg  This is also the location for reindeer research; five us walked over to the pens (in the rain) to take pictures of the reindeer / caribou.  We left the Univ. of Alaska and returned to Riverview RV Park www.riverviewrvpark.net about 4:30 p.m. still light rain, but the sun soon broke through with lots of blue sky.

July 28, 2007 -- The Riverview RV Park bus picked us up at 8 a.m. in a fine mist.  On our drive to Riverboat Landing it started raining …. hard.  Riverboat Discovery II loaded first; we were on the much larger paddle wheel riverboat  Discovery III.  Gross weight 280 tons; beam 34 feet and passenger capacity of 900  www.riverboatdiscovery.com.  Fairbanks is located on the Chena River and we started out on this river with demonstration of a float airplane taking off and landing on the river. 

We stopped for a very nice talk and demonstrations at Susan Butcher’s Iditarod sled dog kennel.  Susan died in Aug. 5, 2006 of leukemia.  She won the 1,100 mile Iditarod Dog Sled Race from Anchorage to Nome four times, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990.  The rain had stopped before we reached this spot on the river and did NOT rain again all day. 

When the boat turned into the Tanana River the waters were quite different.  The Tanana River is the largest glacier-fed river in the world and home to the “Glacial Flour” (silt).

The Tanana River averages 6 miles per hour, but can flow as fast as 10 miles per hour.  The Tanana River is about 500 miles long, and is a tributary of the Yukon River.

We had lecture and demonstration at the fish camp of Dixie Alexander … she had a fish wheel and a smoker for salmon.

 We had a guided walking tour of an authentic Athabascan Indian Village, divided into four talks / demonstrations.  Dixie Alexander who does beading and skin sewing was first.  Then we visited a sled dog kennel.  After that we head about various animal skins / pelts and storing things in a cache and also why log cabins sometimes have sod roofs (the grass roots absorb water and help protect the cabin.  Our final lecture / demonstration was about reindeer (which are caribou that have been domesticated).  After the large paddle wheel riverboat turned around and started back to the landing in Fairbanks …. they provided samples of Captain Jim’s smoked ocean caught red sockeye salmon.  This canned salmon tasted so yummy that we purchased three can ($10 per can). 

Back on the bus, and at 1 p.m. we enjoyed a very good buffet luncheon at the Historical Pump House Restaurant and Saloon, a national historical site.  The Pump House was once part of a gold-dredging operation by the Fairbanks Exploration Co., as it pumped water from the Chena River to clear the way and help prepare for gold dredging in the Cripple Creek Valley.  This landmark has been reconstructed as a restaurant.  www.pumphouse.com

Our next stop was at the Alaska Pipeline to observe it above ground and have a person from the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. explain information.  The 800-mile-lone Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) is one of the longest pipeline systems in the world.  It stretches from Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’ North Slope to Valdez, the northernmost ice-free post in North America.  Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. has operated TAPS and transported more than 14 billion barrels of oil since start-up.  Pipeline construction began in March 1975 and was completed in June 1977.  Crude oil began flowing through the pipeline on June 20, 1977 and the first tanker load of North Slope crude oil departed Valdez on August 1, 1977.

The pipeline is 800 miles lone, 420 miles above ground where unstable permafrost makes it necessary to elevate the pipeline; and 380 miles below ground, where the pipe is buried in stable bedroom.  The pipeline is 48 inches in diameter.  The pipeline crossed three mountain ranges: the Brooks, Alaska and Chugach.

Today oil moves at approximately four miles per hour and it takes about nine days for oil to move from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.

Our next stop was the El Dorado Gold Mine www.eldoradogoldmine.com the two hour tour began with a ride on the Tanana Valley Railroad through the gold fields of interior Alaska.  We saw demonstrations of early mining techniques, including a stop in a permafrost tunnel where underground mining was explained.  After arrival at the camp, Alaskan gold miners gave an informative course in mining and then we each received a “poke” of paydirt to pan.  We were instructed how to pan for gold and all of us did find gold to bring home.

The bus dropped us at the campground (by our motorhome) at 5:30 p.m.  We have the Fantasy caravan meeting, briefing for leaving here on Monday at 5:45 p.m.

July 29, 2007 -- Today was our adventurous trip to Barrow, AK, an Inupiat town of 4,000 people; the northernmost community town/city in the USA with Northern Alaska Tour Company www.northernalaska.com via Air Arctic.

We left Riverview RV Park at 7 a.m. and drove to the “east ramp” of the Fairbanks Airport, parked in long-term parking ($2.00 a day) and checked in with Northern Alaska Tour Co., and Air Arctic, we were about an hour early ….. but Susan is always early.  We ordered our “box” lunches that would pick up when landed in Coldfoot, AK.

The weather report for Barrow was not good, and at 9 a.m., just before we left, the visibility was less than one-half mile.  The tour company went over the alternative places to visit if the weather did not improve.  We took off in a nine passenger Piper Chieftain, with the pilot Hayden and seven passengers.  They said due to weight they usually do not take nine, but only seven and the pilot. 

We had a nice flight from Fairbanks to Coldfoot at about 2,500 feet.  We enjoyed the good views of the White Mountains, the Alaskan Pipeline above ground and also where buried, Pump Station #7, Livengood, the Dalton Highway, Yukon River, Stevens Village and crossed the Arctic Circle during the one hour flight to Coldfoot.  We saw beautiful mountain sides with Fireweed in bloom.  This flower is the first things to grow again after a forest fire.  We saw two moose eating in a lake and circled around so everyone could have a view.

The Dalton Highway was built in 1974 preceding the construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline, the Dalton Highway also known as Haul Road, cuts a 416 mile path through Alaska’s arctic.  Pipeline construction was 1974 – 1977.  Originally a private road owned by the oil companies, the Dalton Highway was opened to the general public in 1980.

We crossed the Yukon River that flows east to west, and bisects the state of Alaska and drains the vast area between the Brooks Range and the Alaska Range.  Seven months out of the year, from mid-October to mid-May the river is frozen over.  The only bridge spanning the Yukon is on the Dalton Highway.  We saw Stevens Village one of many Koyukon Athabascan villages along the Koyukuk and central Yukon River valleys.  Peak population in this village is about 80.  The Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge is also in this area of the state of Alaska.

We crossed the Arctic Circle the imaginary line scribed around the earth at 66 degrees 33’ north latitude.  It marks, in theory, the southernmost point from which, at sea level, the sun’s rays can be seen on the horizon at midnight of the longest of the year (summer solstice).  It is also the southernmost post at which the sun’s rays cannot be soon at noon of the shortest day of the year (winter solstice).

After one hour flying we landed on the gravel airstrip of Coldfoot, AK.  While the pilot topped off the four fuel tanks from one of the four tankers sitting by the airstrip for the different charter planes to use, a van met us and took us into “town” population 13, to the Coldfoot Truck Stop www.ColdFootCamp.com to use the rest rooms and walk around.  Coldfoot is located 55 miles north of the Arctic Circle on the east bank of the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River.  Coldfoot was established during the Koyukuk gold rush of 1898-1900 and then deserted until the 1970’s when Coldfoot came into its second existence as a Pipeline camp.  In the 1980’s, Dick Mackey, a well-known Alaska musher, established the world’s northern-most truck stop.  When we returned to the plane our sack lunches were there, and we were off …. the visibility at Barrow had increased to 10 miles.

Due to lack of visibility through the Brooks Range of mountains we flew at 10,000 feet on the two hour flights to Barrow.  The mountains of the Brooks Range extend from the western Canadian arctic to the western coast of Alaska.  The tallest peaks, located in the eastern part of Alaska, are slightly over 9,000 feet.  The range is named after Alfred Hulse Brooks (1871-1924) who did extensive work in Alaska as a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Before we completed our two hour flight from Coldfoot to Barrow it became clear with bright blue sky and was beautiful.  We were surprised to see icebergs floating in the Arctic Ocean just off the coast at and near Barrow.  The ice pack is about 150 miles north of Barrow now, but lots of smaller icebergs and ice flows were visible just off shore.  Flying toward Barrow we observed miles and miles of treeless tundra covered with many lakes.

We landed in Barrow at 1:10 p.m.; it was 50 degrees, sunny with a clear blue sky.  We were met by our Inupiat (Eskimo) guide Ryan Rock, at least that is his name in English, I didn’t write down how to spell it in the Inupiat language.  We boarded a small bus and were off, then picked up a group that would leave Barrow via Alaskan Airlines later that afternoon.

There are two Inupiaq spellings from Barrow: Ukpiagvik and Utqiagvik.  The name means “place to hunt snowy owls”. 

The home of Alaska’s Inupiat Eskimo people is a treeless tundra, bordered by the nearly impassable Brooks Range to the south, the vast Colville River Delta to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Chukchi Sea to the west.  The 70,000-odd square miles of tundra is whipped by bitter winds and suppers winter temperatures of minus 30 and below.  The sun refused to set for 72 days around summer solstice, but every November it hides behind the horizon and plunges the region into darkness until January.  The Arctic plain is a “polar desert” where precipitation averages no more than 5 to 7 inches of rain or snow each year … most snow blows in from elsewhere.  Rivers, streams, lakes and sea are all frozen for most of the year, and the pure, blazing white light that reflects off the snow can blind a person.

The Arctic Slope is a dynamic place.  Millions of birds migrate here every summer from around the world, and the great bowhead whales migrate to the cold waters of the Beauford Sea every spring to calve.  Hundreds of thousands of caribou roam the tundra in summer.  The ocean teems with varied marine life, including the ringed and bearded seals, walrus and polar bears.  Using these resources, the Inupiat people were able to not only survive, but to flourish, building a complex society in one of the most demanding climates on Earth.

Ryan showed us; sign post at the Visitors Center (it was closed), the memorial to Will Rogers and Wiley Post (killed near here in 1935), the City Hall, Police Headquarters, elementary school, middle school, the Barrow High School …. known as The Whalers, radio station KBRW, the hockey rink, the DEW Line (U.S. advanced radar warning system), the old Naval Arctic Research Laboratory was renovated in 1994 and became the Ilisagvik College, many other sites in Barrow, and Inupiat Heritage Center. 

We spent quite a block of time in the Inupiat Heritage Center looking at the exhibits, seeing local residents show and offer for sale their arts and crafts ….. Susan purchased a “jaw bone” sled with various petrified bones, made by Rick L. Rice “Native Craft Artist” and left it to be shipped home.  A group of youth performed many Inupiat dances and songs accompanies by their drums.  They then demonstrated games they play to pass their free time during the dark winter.  The final activity was a “blanket toss”and asking the men to assist.  This was not a cloth or woven blanket but a large square made from animal skins … Howard joined in the fun of have various boys and girls, one at a time, just on the “blanket” and to see just how high they could be tossed.

We reboarded the bus upon leaving the Inupiat Heritage Center and drove to the end of the road by Point Barrow.  We stopped and walked across the “gravel beach” to put our hands into the cold Arctic Ocean at the top of the world.  Next we viewed more sights ad Ryan gave us more humor and information.  Then on to the Welcome to Barrow sign at the Arctic Ocean where we all took photographs.  Next to the whale bone arch at an old whaling station, again we all took photographs.  Last stop was the Top of The World Hotel to use the rest rooms and see the small gift shop.

Our charter flight was to depart Barrow at 4 p.m., but we kept wanting to see more, so we left Barrow for Coldfoot at 4:50 p.m.  Most of the two hour flight was beautiful with blue sky and sunshine, some clouds and we could see the ice flows near the coast in the Arctic Ocean.  The Brooks Range was beautiful and we flew through the Anaktuvuk Pass.  This is a broad pass in the central Brooks Range and of the Nunamiut Inuit village located there.  The name Anaktuvuk means “the land of many caribou droppings,” which, to a people highly dependent on caribou hunting for their livelihood, was not meant as an insult, but rather indicated a land of plenty.  Incorporated in 1957, Anaktuvuk Pass is home to approximately 300 people today.

We landed again in Coldfoot at 6:50 p.m.  While the pilot topped off the fuel tanks we got out of the plane and walked around the gravel landing strip.  We took off from Coldfoot again at 7:05 p.m., but made a third landing there at 7:20 p.m.  The governor or something on the right propeller didn’t sound quite right so for safely sake we returned to Coldfoot.  A van can for us and we again went to the Coldfoot Truck Stop to wait the outcome of the mechanics opinion on the problem.  The plane was worked on, and then Hayden and the mechanic took it for a rest flight … couldn’t locate the problem, sooooo.  Fortunately there were many Air Arctic and other charter flights during the day and evening into and out of Coldfoot.  Many tours do fly – drive, others drive – fly, others fly – fly to this location in order to be above the Arctic Circle.  It was decided that we would take another Air Arctic plane that had just arrived and unloaded passengers, back to Fairbanks.  We boarded this older Piper Chieftain at 8:40 for the flight back to Fairbanks arriving at 9:40 p.m.  We were due back between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.  We were met with our individual certificates saying we had crossed the Arctic Circle on Sunday, July 29, 2007.

We then went to the large Wal-Mart that opened in Fairbanks about four years ago.  Fortunately they were open until midnight so we were able to do some shopping and get everything on our list except milk.  We then drove back to Riverside RV Park arriving about 11:10 p.m.  Others that did trips to and from Coldfoot this day got back to the RV park about midnight.  It was a wonderful, interesting, educational day that was warm (for the arctic) sunny and bright … we are very glad that we made this side trip.

July 30, 2007 -- Today we left “late” as did others that went to the Arctic Circle yesterday.  We left Riverview RV Park about 9:25 a.m., stopped for milk and were one our way for the short trip of 125 miles to our next campground. 

Another beautiful day as we drove along the Tanana River and later the Nenana River.  We stopped at the Clear, AK, USAF Radar Instillation part of the old BMEWS (early warning system for incoming missiles from Russia).  We purchased gas and more milk at Healy, AK and were soon at our riverside camp site in the Denali Riverside RV Park www.DenaliRiversideRV.com.  We are in site 23, facing the fast flowing Nenana River with mountains all around us.

During the late afternoon Howard spotted Dall Sheep high on a mountain side and took some photos.  He spotted them again later and took additional photos.  Howard’s digital camera zoom is 12X where Susan’s zoon is 3.8X so he can get better long distance photographs.

Tonight some of us attended the Alaska Cabin Nite dinner and show at the McKinley Chalet Resort.  We rode there with Rob and Elizabeth (from England), picked up our tickets and rode the shuttle bus to the dinner/show site.  Some of us were at table B and some of our group were at table C, both right by the stage in the front.  Dinner was served family style; barbecued ribs, grilled salmon, corn on the cob, baked beans, biscuits, tossed salad and finished with a fruit cobbler.

After our return from the Alaska Cabin Nite Howard sat out on the rivers edge visiting with others and playing his banjo.  We watched a group of rubber rafts doing float trips down the Nenana River.  Susan stayed inside and brought the trip log up to date through last night and our return from Barrow.  Some light rain off and on and cloudy no longer seeing blue sky.

July 31, 2007 -- Some rain off and on during the night.   At 8 a.m. we met Dick and Bunny Adams from Las Vegas and we drove to the strip of businesses.  We had breakfast at the Denali Salmon Bake (we paid for all four of us).  Then we “shopped” various stores in the area.  After the shopping we drove around the area some before returning to the camp ground as it rained off and on.

At 2:30 p.m. our group of 28 boarded a bus for the parks “Tundra Wilderness Tour” in Denali National Park and Preserve that covers six million acres, one million of the acres are ice covered.  We drove to the wilderness access point and picked up 24 more riders and were off.  The heavy rain had stopped and we had sprinkles for awhile until it quit all together.  We actually saw some blue sky along with clouds and a lighter sky.  This bus tour is led by a naturalist guide who narrates the whole 7 ½ hours.  A box lunch with a bottle of water was provided.  www.nps.gov/dena.

The first fifteen miles of the Park Road is paved and that is as far as visitors may go on their own, without a special permit.  There is a small parking area, restrooms at this area known as Savage River.  After this the rest of the road is dirt, two lanes and later one lane all the way to Kantishna 90 miles.

Our first stop for restrooms and to walk around was at Teklanika River.  Our next stop was at mile 47, Polychrome Overlook, which gets its name from the multi-colored bluffs in the area.  There were also spectacular views of the Alaska Range.  Later at mile 53, the Toklat River we had another restroom and exercise stop.  The Toklat River is an area of merging glacial rivers.  This was the turn around point on our trip …. 53 miles out and 53 miles back.

We made MANY stops to view wildlife and take photographs.  Today was a very good day, the morning rains helped bring out the animals this afternoon.  We saw in various places:

8 Grizzly Bears (two, four (a mother with 3 cubs) and two)

Caribou several times

Dall Sheep many times in groups and then a herd of about 50

1 Willow Ptarmigan the state bird of Alaska

Several Golden Eagles

Moose, cow

Moose, bull

Hoary Marmot

Dozens of Snowshoe Hare’s

Magpie

Several Arctic Ground Squirrels

We were returned to Riverside RV Park about 9:45 p.m.  A very nice day and quite successful in finding animals.  Susan took a lot of photos, but Howard with the 12X zoom took many more AND took some video.  He took video of the three bear cubs playing on a patch of snow, other grizzly bears and other animals.   We enjoyed the day very much.

Grizzly Bear weighing in at up to 600 lbs, it is estimated that 300 – 350 grizzlies live in the park on the north side of the Alaska Range.  These grizzlies eat roots, berries, bulbs, tubers, and fresh vegetation early in the season.  They also eat ground squirrels, caribou, moose and sheep.  The bears hibernate from October to April.

The 2,000 Caribou in the park roam in groups. The caribou favor open tundra, where they find lichen and escape the bugs. 

The beautiful Dall Sheep live high in the mountains of the Alaska Range where they eat low-growing alpine plants year-round.

An estimated 2,000 moose roam north of the Alaska Range.  They forage for vegetation on gravel bars or wading through ponds in the summer and eating willow leaves.  During the winter, they roam the park, eating leafless vegetation and wading through snow to escape predators,

Hoary Marmot …. hoary means old and silver-haired.  The silver-gray marmot has thick, wild-looking fur and a big bushy tail.  It’s know as “the whistler”.  Its shrill alarm warms other marmots.

The Snowshoe Hare is bigger than cottontails, snowshoe hares are known locally as “rabbits”.  They are different, they are born fully furred.  They have furry paws … “snowshoes” … and they turn white in winter.  Snowshoes are an important part of the cycle of larger animals, like lynx and fox.

The Arctic Ground Squirrel is found in Alaska and northern Canada, an herbivore it hibernates during the winter.  It eats berries and seeds, doubling its weight in the summer.  In the winter, it burrows with its colony, and its body temperature drops to almost 6 degrees below freezing without harm.

August 1, 2007 -- Today we left our site by the edge of the river about 8:30 a.m. and drove a short distance to the McKinley Chalet Resort.  We went to the Sourdough Studio and had our picture taken … four shots.  Susan in parka sitting in a dog sled, Howard in mukluks and parka standing on back of the dog sled.  We chose the “pose” we liked the best and had one 8 x 10 and two 5 x 7 prints made and purchased one 8 x 10 picture frame.  We then ate breakfast in the resorts restaurant (open 4:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.).  We sat with a couple from Rochester, NY, and enjoyed the full breakfast buffet and visited with them for awhile.  After breakfast we returned to the Sourdough Studio and ordered 150 Christmas cards made with our Alaska photograph.

We then drove to the Denali National Park and Preserve (another mile or so south), stopping at both signs to take pictures.  Then we drove the beautiful Park Road, as far as private autos are allowed, the 15 miles that are paved.  On the way out some Natural History tour busses were stopped …. so we had to stop and there were several Willow Ptarmigan by the side of the road.  At the Savage River turn-around and parking area there was no space to park, so we started back.  We stopped at a good turn-out about a mile down the road.  Beautiful sunny day, some blue sky and some clouds, but windy.

We spent about 1 ½ hours stopped at this turn-out overlooking the Savage River, green grass, trees and beautiful mountains in the background.  While standing outside Howard looked down and there was a Snowshoe Hare checking him out …. he ran when another car stopped.  Later Susan was also outside and this curious Snowshoe Hare reappeared, he was not afraid … he stood on his hind legs to sniff (check out) the bumper of our motorhome, then Susan’s shoes, the step to our motorhome and the underside.  When another car stopped he went over towards them, too.  Besides still photos we both took Howard also took video of him.  Twice while we were parked there a mother Willow Ptarmigan and her brood of chicks (9 in all) came up to the road (from area of river) and walked along the edge, making soft “barking” noises.   We both took photos and Howard also took some video of these birds.  The Willow Ptarmigan is the Alaska state bird, in summer rust, brown and a tiny bit of white, during the winter these birds turn snowy white.   We enjoyed the birds and the hare … things very difficult to see from the road driving past.

Next we drove around for awhile and then had lunch at the Denali Salmon Bake just outside of the park.  After lunch we returned to Denali National Park and Preserve and went to the Visitors Center.  We enjoyed the small museum and then the good video shown in the theater.  Next stop was the Natural History Associations large bookstore at the Visitors Center.  After purchasing two photo books and a copy of the DVD we had just viewed in the theater, and a copy of the winter patrol …. Denali is the only National Park where the park rangers must patrol via dog sled during the winter months.  After this it was back to the campground about 5 p.m.  “Cold” and windy sitting on the river bank.  At 8 p.m. Skip and Sue held the briefing and had additional information for reaching the RV park in Anchorage tomorrow.

August 2, 2007 -- Today we left Denali about 8 a.m. for the 238.5 mile drive to our next campground in Anchorage, AK.  Due to mist and clouds we were not about to see Mount McKinley, but it is only visible about 20% of the time and that is usually during the winter months.  The drive was pretty but would have been better if the sun had been out and the sky cloud free. 

We did make several stop for photos and found some very tall (probably 4 feet) Fireweed that was beautiful all along the highway.  We also stopped to eat lunch in the Sunshine Restaurant.

We stopped at the Medal of Honor Loop to Alaska Veterans Memorial / POW-MIA rest area.  This is near the Byers Lake Campground.  The memorial consists of an alcove and a semicircle of five 20-foot-tall concrete panels, one for each branch of service and each with a large star on the upper part and inscriptions on the lower part.

Panels and plaques also memorialize the Alaska National Guard; the Merchant Marine; and victims of the Air Force C-47 crash on nearby Kesugi Ridge in February 1954.  Three flag poles stand at the site; the center pole flying the American flag, and the pole to the left flying flags on special occasions.  The memorial was erected in 1983 and dedicated in 1984 by Governor Bill Sheffield, a veteran, and other civilian and military leaders.  The Byers Lake site was selected because it was centrally located between Alaska’s 2 largest cities, Anchorage and Fairbanks, and when not cloudy there is a good view of Mount McKinley / Denali from the entrance to the memorial.

The Alaska Veterans Memorial reads: “We dedicate this quiet place to the remembrance of the veterans of Alaska who have served their country at home and throughout the world.  We honor their heroism and dedication.”

We stopped at a Wal-Mart; the parking lot was packed as was the store under going remodeling to make it much larger.  Howard stayed in the motorhome while Susan braved the mob scene, where she purchased milk, bread and a few other items.

About 3 p.m. we arrived at the Golden Nugget Camper Park, 4100 DeBarr Road, Anchorage, AK 99508, and we directed to site 144. Some after our arrival it started to rain.  The local NBC TV station has stated the official high today was 60 degrees.  The weather forecast for the next five days is scattered showers with highs in the mid 50’s.

Howard set up his “repeater” in the bus of Rob and Elizabeth from Kent, England, as they are parked between us and the Wi-Fi here in the park.  The internet is not stable and although I’ve tried to send messages I’ve written (four so far) I’ve lost them all before they could be sent as the internet went down … rather frustrating.  Overall through this is a great trip, good highways, good weather and having a marvelous time.  So far we’ve driven 4,156.2 miles since we left home in AZ on June 28, 2007.

August 3, 2007 -- This morning everyone met at 9:15 to car pool to the Alaska Native Heritage Center (a non-profit organization), 8800 Heritage Center Dr., Anchorage, AK 99506.  The theme this summer is “Living from the Land and Sea”.  We rode with Ray and Opal Rice from OR.  The center has large gathering place, theater, hall of culture, and five villages set up around Lake Tiulana.  Inside there was a busy schedule of dance and craft demonstrations and videos.  www.alaskanative.net  Four couples of use visited all five villages around the lake and listened as a youth, in each village, explained their culture.  We watched various demonstrations and or attended videos, including the film “Raven Tales” and saw the end of the film “Inupiaq Whaling and Subsistence” (made by Arctic Slope Regional Corporation).  We were pleased to see our Barrow guise from last Sun. was shown in the film.  We purchased four videos (DVDs) in the gift shop and a small totem pole carving.

Alaska’s Native people are divided into eleven distinct cultures, speaking twenty one different languages.  In order to tell the stories of this diverse population, the Alaska Native Heritage Center is organized based on five cultural groups, which draw upon cultural similarities or geographic proximity. 

Athabascan:  Made of dentalium shells and beads, the T’uyedi or Chief’s Necklace symbolizes the Athabascan culture.  It is a symbol of power, pride and protection.  Great chiefs throughout the vast Athabascan region wear such necklaces.

Yup’ik / Cup’ik:  The Ellanguaq or Eye of Awareness is universally recognized and appreciated by all Yup’ik and Cup’ik people.  Its design is frequently seen in masks, dance fans, hunting tools and handles.  The Ellanguaq also helps educate others about the depth and richness of the symbolic universe of this cultural group.

Inupiaq / St. Lawrence Island Yupik:”The first thing we do when we all get together is sing