We left Valdez on July 12, Sunday. We had the most wonderful time there. The Columbia Glacier cruise we took was wonderful. The sun actually made an appearance and it made a tremendous difference in color and warmth. The glacier calved small bits while we were about ¼ of a mile from it. It is one big glacier too. Interestingly, there is an amazing optical illusion that is created by the sound water and the glacier when you are about 13 miles from it. Suddenly the glacier looks to be twice as tall and huge then as you approach closer the vision pops back to reality. The sea otters were out in force floating on the ice bergs. Although they were wary of the boat, they also were very curious which made for great photos.

The pink salmon were just beginning to run and fishing season for the professional fishermen had just started when we took our glacier cruise. It was very interesting to learn what the duties were of the different types of boats. All were using the “purse seining” technique. This was very interesting to watch how the nets scoop up the fish and get them into the fishing boat. Then the tender comes in…these are the big boats you see on Deadliest Catch…and buys the fish on the spot, siphons them up and eventually takes them directly to the processing plant in Valdez.

While in Valdez, we also went to the Solomon Creek Fish Hatchery to see the salmon returning to their birthplace. It was so exciting to also get to see the sea lions feeding on the salmon. Again, because of the confines of the area, we were able to take amazing close ups of not only the salmon but of the sea lions as well. A few harbor seals were also lingering nearby but they never came in close enough for us to photograph them. This hatchery is a good location to see bears at low tide. Unfortunately, we never were able to get back at low tide. We met an interesting employee of the fish hatchery who told us they actually can tell hatchery fish from wild fish by some rings on their ear bones so they have people at the processing plants whose job is to excise the ear bones from the salmon. The bones are then analyzed to see the ratio of wild to hatchery fish which helps the fish and game people and fishermen know what limits will be set on fish catches.

Because we became interested in the history of Valdez post the 1964 earthquake, we toured both history museums then drove out to Old Valdez town site. To see the photos of the before and after just really made an impact. My husband and I were in high school when the earthquake occurred but all we saw on TV or read in the papers concerned Anchorage. Kodiak, Valdez and Seward lost their docks and many people. Whole communities were destroyed if not by the earthquake then by the tsunami that followed. The movie that the Valdez historical society put together on the earthquake and aftermath was extremely well done.

Valdez is by far my favorite ocean town in Alaska. It is not as funky as Homer and is more friendly than Seward. We loved having our camp spot right on the bay front so we could enjoy all the activity. Between fishing boats, the ferry and private boats there is a lot of activity to watch. Town is small enough you can walk everywhere. There were great places to eat and interesting people to visit with.

So when we left Valdez, we drove to McCarthy, Alaska. Now, in all the guide books this road is hair raising and tire damaging but that is not what we found. Unfortunately, it was raining so our views of the scenery were a bit limited but the road was fine, a little narrow in places maybe. When we reached McCarthy we were a little taken back by the “campground”. Now I use the term campground very loosely…80 acres of glacier debris and two out houses, no garbage containers, no fresh water and showers, forget about it. All for a mere $20 per night or you can just park for $5 per day. After finally locating a semi-level, relatively boulder free spot, we set up camp. People were camped all over the place with no organization to the whole operation. It was interesting to say the least. Now we were surprised to discover the Kennicott Glacier dominating the view from the bridge across the Kennicott River. It is massive and the ice comes down the river almost 30 miles from the glacier. Of course by the campground the glacier looks like huge piles of rock and dirt. It is only as you get closer that you understand the rocks and dirt are on top of 300 feet of ice! We did see photos taken in the 1920’s where there was another 3-400 feet more ice on this gravelly area of the glacier.

The walk to McCarthy, which was the bar and red light district when the mine at Kennicott was in operation, is only about ¾ of a mile. There is a footbridge across the Kennicott River. Not too many years ago, you pulled yourself across the river in a basket dangling from a cable! McCarthy is tiny with all its power provided by a generator, summer and winter. Surprising, about a dozen people live there year round. This is a very isolated town. You must have all your food and other supplies on hand no later than the first of October. The road is not plowed in winter. The airport shuts down for winter. You are totally on your own from October until May.

It has a cute little museum and several small businesses including a bar, restaurant, hotel, coffee shop and a couple of backpacker hostels. We supported the tiny general store where we had two scoops of ice cream for $10! The other businesses deal with glacier hikes and rafts trips or kayak trips or with the airport which flies people to and from the area as well as flightseeing tours.

The foot bridge across the Kennicott River is interesting. It was supposed to be strictly pedestrian but people discovered they could squeeze a Subaru or other small vehicle across the bridge. So the bridge was blocked with concrete and steel posts and people came in and cut the posts off at ground level and threw them in the river…twice. Finally, the National Park put buffers that restricted the width that could use the bridge. Well, then came the small ATV’s that can just squeeze passed the narrow points and race right across the bridge. Pedestrian traffic is “supposed” to have the right away but we were nearly run over by two teens on an ATV in a hurry to get across.

Monday morning, we rode the shuttle ($5/person one way) up to the Kennicott Site to take the walking tour of the mill and town. Kennicott is preserved remarkably well. The recreation hall is still used by the locals for meeting and dances as it was when the mine was in operation. Several of the houses are lived in by park staff and the mine’s management living quarters has been turned into the Kennicott Glacier Lodge. I do not know what the rooms are like but the restaurant is excellent.

Our tour of town and the mill was great. The young man who was our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. Luckily we had a small group so it was easy to see things and hear the comments. The mill is unique and the Park Service is stabilizing and repairing it so it will last long into the future. We climbed through the trees to the top of the mill where the tram cars from the Jumbo Mine and from the Bonanza Mine delivered ore. The mines were 5 miles up the hill…the very steep hill. The miners actually lived at the mines. There were houses up there for them but during the winter they lived in the mine itself because it was warmer than the houses.

This was a unique mining situation. The copper ore was incredibly pure. The chalcocite was 70% copper and there were nuggets of raw copper in the limestone matrix. This was one rich copper mine. At first the mill simply crushed the rock, loaded on the train and shipped it to Cordova where it was loaded onto ships and sent to Tacoma, Washington for smelting. The silver content was pure gravy and paid all the overhead. A railroad track was built especially for the Kennicott site from Cordova to Kennicott. Two thousand employees kept the track and train in repair and hauled the ore out and supplies in summer and winter.

Once the rich, virtually pure deposits were exhausted, then the mill added chemical processes to extract as much copper from the limestone matrix as they could. Besides chalcocite, the mine had azurite and malachite in great quantities. Several different processes were tried with limited success until they began a floatation process which improved the amounts of copper recovered…remember this was all going on during the early 1900’s. The mine finally shutdown in 1938 because the costs were not being covered by product. A contractor was hired to remove all the structures but luckily he did not fulfill his contract. When the National Parks bought the property some structures still had plates and furniture. The Park Service are currently restoring some structures and stabilizing other. It was a wonderful place to visit for Jerry and I since we both grew up in copper mining towns.

One other point of interest is a railroad trestle, the Gilahina Trestle. This trestle is 90 feet high, 880 feet long and was built in 8 days during a January cold spell of -67 degrees. Can you even believe the hardship the workers must have suffered during the building?

On Tuesday, July 14, 2015, we left the marvelous (joke people) campground at McCarthy and headed to the other side of the Wrangell National Park. We had lunch in Glennallen and camped for the night at the Grizzly Lake RV Park. The little lake is lovely.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 we took the Nabesna Road into the northside of the Wrangell-St Elias National Park. This road eventually ends at the Nabesna Mine. This gold mine was active until 1947 but is still in private ownership and occasionally still worked. If the clouds hadn’t insisted upon hanging so low, we would have had nice views of Mt. Sanford, Mt. Drummond and partial views of Mt. Wrangell. On a clear day, you can see plumes of steam from Mt. Wrangell, the only active volcano in this group.

We camped at the crossing over Jack Creek. This creek is interesting because it flows north into the Tanana/Yukon River drainage instead of into the Copper River drainage as most of the other rivers in the area do. The camp site was quiet and entertaining. While snacking on peanuts, we had a friendly squirrel climb up my chair and sit on my shoulder begging for a handout. Jerry gave him a peanut and had a buddy. The squirrel would sit on his lap. A group of 4 Whiskey Jacks (gray jays) then came up to join the fun. While they were a little more reserved than the squirrel, they were so close we could touch them. Then a mama spruce grouse brought her brood over to show them off. One was a small male who delighted in fanning his tail and parading around. They all took dust baths and rested for a while under the camper. Later we finally saw Dall sheep…only two…high on the volcanic cliffs across from us. It was a delightful camping spot.

This morning, Thursday, July 16, 2015, we drove to Tok along the Tok Cutoff Highway. This is extremely scenic and we very much enjoyed the drive. The chores in Tok were refueling, washing the rig and lunch at Fast Eddie’s. We had wonderful food there when we first hit Tok way back in early June so we really wanted to try it again. The food was wonderful again! Now we are camped at Border City Campground…not a 5 star establishment by any means but we wanted to be able to cross the border early in the day tomorrow and this is as close as you can get without crossing.

Our stop in Skagway was a shocking experience. We never expected to fight our way through streets clogged with 6,000 cruise ship people the first day we were there and 10,000 the second day. Once we accepted that the gold rush was still going on only now the stampeders were cruisers and instead of 38 saloons there were 38 jewelry shops. However, town was quiet once the ships left port in the evening. Everything is within walking distance or there are buses and tour cars to take you everywhere…for a price. It was extremely noisy where we camped on the waterfront with the tour buses and trains moving people and supplies for the cruise ships. The small boat harbor is very small and there is no fishing activities to watch…besides you cannot really see the ocean for the big ships. There is a great little museum and some interesting exhibits if you are willing to make the effort to fine them. A trip to Dyea, the real start of the Chilkoot Trail that the gold rushers used, is interesting and worth the time.

Hyder, Alaska is the "friendliest ghost town in Alaska". Yes, it is. It is definitely worth a visit for the Salmon Glacier alone but when the salmon are running, the bear viewing center is exceptional. We saw two grizzlies and a black bear. The grizzlies were definitely catching salmon but the black bear was more interested in blueberries. After leaving Hyder, we spent the night nearby at Meziadin Lake. We took a stroll through the campground. No sooner had we returned to our campsite than a black bear appeared at our site. Now, was he following us through the park or was it sheer coincidence? We don't know but a couple walking dogs scared him off. In Alaska and Canada as well, if you plan on any backcountry hiking, I do recommend carrying bear spray and be noisy. Black bear are everywhere and while they seem to be wary of humans, it would be much better not to surprise them or get between mama and cub.

And now for some thoughts about the Alaska Trip.

First, all the young people you meet as tour guides are from somewhere else. All of them come to Alaska for the adventure, every summer then travel or work at ski resorts in the lower 48 all winter. All are bright, passionate about the state and love adventure. We had a young National Parks Ranger explain it all to us. She graduated from college in 2007. No jobs were available at all in her field or any other field. The recession was full blown. So she went to Alaska for grins, became a ranger and spends her summers in Alaska while getting her doctorate during the winter. She hopes the economy will be better when she gets her degree.

Most of the travelers you meet are from somewhere else usually Germany. On our boat cruises, we rarely heard English spoken, except by the people guiding the cruise.

The worst campground-Centennial Campground in Anchorage (although Border City is a close second). The best campground was Bear Paw RV Park in Valdez. It was the friendliest with the nicest showers and best washers and dryers. Plus the view was to die for. Oh, I am not supposed to mention that because then the campground will be too popular.

I cannot pick the best restaurant we ate at because most were wonderful. Fast Eddie’s in Tok is worth a stop. Best halibut meal…the Gold Rush in Seward. Best hamburger…Old Town Burgers in Valdez. We even eat at two Mexican food restaurants…very, very mild but good food, just not Mexican as we know and love. Favorite restaurant...Klondike Kate's in Dawson City.

Most fun town Valdez, hands down. The busiest town, Skagway. Take a small town and add 6,000 to 10,000 visitors daily all summer long and you get pure craziness. The cell services is poor but with that many people trying to use it, you cannot even send a text until the cruise ships pull out in the evening.

Now would I go to Alaska again, sure. Certain places deserved more time. I would love to go back to Eagle. It was beautiful there. Valdez, yes. Seward, yes. Homer…the bagels are out of this world and the beach was a great walking beach…maybe. I did fall in love with Yukon Territory in Canada and would like to see more of it. And British Columbia is fantastic, especially in the National Parks.

All the other campers we met along the way were on their second, third, fourth or more trip into Alaska. They fell in love with a piece of Alaska and go back as often as they can.

I do recommend if you decide to do a blog of your trip that it will be difficult to find any wifi service throughout Canada and Alaska. In Canada you will not have much phone service to begin with anyway even with an add-on Canadian plan.

The roads are in a lot better shape than guide books warn you about. You must be patient though because summer is the only time to get road maintenance done. Check with visitors centers if you have any questions about road conditions. Some roads are just not suitable for pulling a long trailer. They are unpaved, narrow with no place to pull over or turn around. We did see novice RVer’s on roads they should not have traveled and they did survive but we also saw them back into trees and telephone poles too.

Thompson Pass going into Valdez gets 50 feet of snow per year not 550...why doesn't auto correct work for numbers? So does White Pass going into Skagway. Now you see why the highways are closed during the winter. The trip was a wonderful adventure.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Of course the sun is brightly shining because today we plan to leave Homer! Now if we were to suddenly change our minds, would the sun mysteriously create clouds to hide behind? We decided not to take a chance and headed back across the Kenai Peninsula. Our initial plan was to find a camping place around Skilak Lake but this area in still closed to camping after wild fires in the area. Plan B was put into effect, so we moved to the south shore of Turnagain Arm and the Porcupine Campground near the town of Hope, Alaska. Where we spent the next two nights.

Day one was very peaceful but the 4^th of July campers began arriving day two. You throw in a handful of kids and there is no such thing as quiet. This does have advantages though. No bears in their right minds would hang out around a campground full of kids!

When it is quiet and you are very still wonderful little things happen. For example, a stellar blue jay landed not two feet from me. We looked at each other; studied each other and then when I offered no treats he hopped to the ground at my feet and poked around in the grass for food. During all this, where was my camera…in the camper, of course! Later a tiny mouse scampered by my toes from one patch of cover to another then returned by his original path. The song sparrows kept a running musical going and the little warblers chimed in with musical asides. Once I grabbed my camera, all the critters vanished and stayed hidden as long as that camera was out!

We hiked along the coast line of the Turnagain Arm trying to find a good viewing place to no avail on our second day at the campground. The forest is thick with clumps of cow parsnip and Devil’s club which go a long way in keeping you on the trail. Sensitive people break out in blisters just brushing up against the cow parsnip and the Devil’s club is so full of thorns, it is wicked. We did finally get to see a bore tide along the Turnagain Arm. It really very interesting to see this continuous wave of water racing up the inlet. Now the one we saw was now the big one but still it was fun to see. We never did spot any beluga whales though even though we spent hours glassing the inlet for them. We did spot Dall sheep all the way across the inlet on the cliffs on the other side. 

When we left camp on July 3, the inlet was at its fullest. It holds an amazing amount of water. We took a quick tour of the town of Hope before leaving the area. It was an old gold placer mine site and the town has been preserved very well. Jerry tells me the guy running the café looks just like a young Mel Gibson but I will just have to take his word because I didn’t go into the café. As we left the Kenai Peninsula behind, tons of traffic was heading out on to the peninsula.

We stopped in Palmer to shop for necessities with everyone else shopping for the holiday…crowded! After fueling up, we headed out on the Glennallen Highway and set up camp at the King Mountain State Recreational area on the banks of the Matanuska River. The camp host warned us about a troublesome black bear and that they had chased a brown bear (grizzly) across the river the day before. We took her quite seriously when she asked if we had bear spray because she and all the workers were wearing side arms. Another warning was about a mama moose with triplets...two were hers and the third she adopted when its mother was hit and killed by a car.

July 4^th dawned cloudy, again, after we had so enjoyed basking in the sun the day before. We decided to head a few more miles up the Glennallen Highway to the Matansuka Glacier Recreational area. This is a tiny campground with many a dozen spaces but each are very private. After setting up camp, we hiked to the lookout for the glacier. It is very dramatic and although you cannot see all of the glacier, it is very long. It is on private ground so you either pay to drive closer to the glacier or you enjoy it from afar. We chose to hike a nature trail that gave us very nice views of the glacier.

Since the sun made taking scenic pretty bland, I spent the afternoon taking flower photos instead and doing some sketching while Jerry planned the afternoon away so that we will get the most bang for our remaining days in Alaska. The last three campgrounds have all been small but with great privacy for each camping site. Although they were not meant for big rigs, we certainly have seen them in these campgrounds. This one could be quieter though. It is right on the edge of private property so we hear the constant noise of dirt moving nearby and down river a ways the constant shooting of pistols and rifles…must be reloaders! Otherwise, they could not afford the ammo they have used this afternoon. Who knows where we will end up tomorrow but it is nice out in nature. My rating of this campground went south when the guy doing the dirt work right by the campground continued to work until midnight and the private property owners whose land abuts the campground kept coming through the camp area until quite late. That being said, this was a holiday weekend and it may only be that chaotic during holidays, but it was very irritating.

July 5, we continued along the Glennallen Highway. We checked out Lake Louise which is an enormous lake created by glacial activity of the Alaskan Range to the north. It must be a very popular fishing location because the campgrounds were packed as was the boat trailer parking areas. This whole tundra area seems to be extremely popular with ATV owners. Huge groups were camped in areas set aside for ATV use all along the highway.

We had been hearing about the “mud volcanos” along the highway here so we stopped at the Tolsona Wilderness Campground on the Tolsona River so we could hike into the mud springs. These are warm springs that bubble methane and carbon dioxide gas from coal layers deep under the springs. Animals use these as watering holes all winter long when all else are frozen. A couple from Ontario joined us on our hike to the springs. It was more bushwacking than hiking over dead fall, through tussock and muskeg swamps and through thickets of alder and black spruce. It was our first true skirmish with mosquitos too. Once we arrived at the spring, we were a bit let down. They were much smaller than advertised in the travel books. The mud around the springs was filled with animal tracks, moose, caribou, dog or coyote and some sort of cat. We did get bubbles so I guess we got our money’s worth.

As to the mosquitos, I like Avon Skin So Soft Bug Repellant. It works well on everything but flies…why is there nothing that repels flies? Jerry prefers Ben’s 30% deet repellant. I think the smell alone repels the mosquitos.

On July 6^th, we stopped briefly in the town of Glennallen for fuel and ice then headed south on the Richardson Highway toward Valdez. The Wrangell Mountains are stunning. Even though we saw them through clouds, they are still stunning. Between 14,000 and 16,000 feet in elevation, they dominate the landscape. Mount Wrangell is the only active volcano in the range and has a distinctive shield shape of a volcano. They seem to create their own weather systems. Although we were in beautiful sun shine, they were cloaked in clouds. 

At the Worthington Glacier State Recreation Area, we hiked to the terminal end of the glacier. It was so amazing to actually touch a glacier! The ice looked like crushed ice but had no whisper of air bubbles in it. Thompson Pass, just a few miles from the glacier, gets 550 feet of snow per year…yes, feet is correct. No wonder there are so many glaciers around this area. And so we ended the day camped at Blueberry Lake Campground. It is such a glorious view, 360 degree view, from this campground. I bet you can see at least 10 glaciers from the camp. It is beautiful. Now, none of the famous blueberries were even close to being ripe, so we saw no bears.

Once again, rain is falling as we break camp on July 7. If we are going to the ocean, it is going to rain! So Valdez, I hope you need rain because we are heading your way. One thing I have been wondering is how rain effects the glaciers. I have never read anything about rain and glaciers. Once the road drops down to the river level, you enter a deep rugged narrow canyon, Keystone Canyon. Then suddenly, there is this beautiful waterfall coursing down the cliff, Bridal Veil Fall. It is truly amazing. But save a few oohs and aahs because around another corner there is Horsetail Falls. It is very aptly named because it does look like a horse tail blowing in the wind.

As we enter Valdez, the elevation is 89 feet! Tsunami Escape Routes are posted everywhere. In 1964 Valdez was destroyed in a 9.2 earthquake centered not too many miles west of here. Valdez was relocated to this new higher location when rebuilding began. We are camped at Bear Paw Campground right on the edge of the water. At high tide, we sit maybe 4 to 5 feet above the water.

Since it was both foggy and rainy all day, we spent the day watching fishing boats appear suddenly out of the fog as they entered the harbor. About 6 this evening, the fog lifted but the clouds stayed low so we still have not been able to see the mountains that surround the town.

 Homer view

 Ninilchik Russian Orthodox Church

 Matanuska Glacier

 Arctic Squirrel

Iron stained gypsum...Sheep Mountain

Mud spring

 Worthington Glacier

From Blueberry Lake Campground

 Bridal Veil Falls

 Horsetail Falls

Fishing vessels in Valdez thru the fog

Ninilchik with Mtn Iliamna an active volcano in background

June 28, 2015

Homer is a true fishing town. We arrived about lunch time and set up camp on the “Spit”. This is exactly what it is…a spit of land going far out into the bay. During the earthquake in 1964, the Spit dropped over 8 feet in elevation. As is, you are not at a very high elevation here. When the tide is out, you can see that the land drops off steeply but not without mud flats and sand bars. There is lots of activity around the harbor at all hours. Big oil tankers and barges come into the harbor. The ferry lands nearby.

We walked to the point of the Spit for the start of a sailboat regatta. Apparently, there is quite an active sailboat group here. It was fun to watch them jockey for position but it did not take long before they were in a long string heading for the next buoy.

June 29, 2015

I may have mentioned that both Jerry and I got colds in Fairbanks. Well, we still have them. Jerry seems to be getting over his while I have a tenacious cough which is holding me back from the enjoyment I should be having. So other than walking the beach this morning…there are shells here…I pretty much vegged all day. Jerry, on the other hand, visited the marina and hiked around taking pictures. It has been quite cool and very damp with clouds hanging so low you can almost brush them with your fingertips. What I wouldn’t give for some sunshine! Now if Seattle would quite hogging all that heat and send some this way…

June 30, 2015

The sun came out for a bit then returned about 8 pm. So we walked the beach and caught a few flicks. I apologize for my hit or miss technique for this blog. I may just do the blog part and add photos when the wifi is  particularly fast. This has been struggle.

June 27, 2015

We moved down the coast to Ninilchik Overlook Campground. Ninilchik is an old fishing village with a Russian Orthodox Church. It is perched on a steep bluff above the Ninilchik River with a tiny boat harbor before the river flows out to sea. It looks like it would be challenging to get into or out of the harbor at anything but high tide. Several fishing boats had nets just off shore. Even people along the beach had nets out. I am not sure what they were fishing for but several different salmon are running right now and it is important to catch them before they get very far inland.

Up the coast, people were cleaning fish judging by the audience of sea gulls and eagles they had. The eagles actually got into sparring matches over the fish scraps.

June 26, 2015

We drove across the Kenai and turned up the coast. The Kenai is interesting. I guess I thought it would be filled with mountains but it is flat and only about 400 feet in elevation. Unfortunately, the coast was pretty socked in with clouds so we were unable to see the wonderful mountains on the far side of Cook’s Inlet. The ocean here was very muddy and sand filled. Then when we saw it at very low tide, the mud flats extended quite a long way out and were dotted with huge stones making navigation a hazard. Oil rigs, tankers and other support vessels were far out on the horizon. All the big names in the oil industry were in the nearby little towns.

Discovery Campground was right on the bluff above the ocean and had marvelous views. The beach was a good walking beach but no shells were to be found along it.

This was taken at 10 pm!

June 25, 2015

We left Seward this morning after a visit to the laundromat and the grocery store. It was such a nice laundromat too with large machines so your visit was relatively short and sweet. The grocery store was a quick stop too…ice and fruit. On our way out of town, we decided to take the drive up to Exit Glacier. It was pretty amazing to see the markers along the road with the dates that the glacier was at each point. It has shrunk dramatically even in the last 10 years.

While we were hiking up to the moraine end of the glacier, some young men stopped us saying they saw a black bear just up the trail from us. Some German and French tourists were not too sure they wanted to chance a meeting however we all proceeded with loud talking, clapping and laughter and never saw the bear. It was probably heading for high ground! Anyway, as we left the park 45 minutes or so later, 5 Alaska trooper cars with lights, one Seward police car with lights and siren and two Fish and Game trucks with lights all came roaring into the park. I guess they planned on arresting that bear!

We continued on into the interior of the Kenai Peninsula and never saw any of the forest fire. We were, however, the first campers into the Hidden Lake Campground. We followed the rangers in as they removed the “closed to camping” signs. Hidden Lake is quiet and nice. Loons serenaded us all evening. It was finally warm enough to eat outside and enjoy nature for a change. After the chaos of camping along the beach in Seward, it was a very nice change indeed. 

June 24, 2015

A big cruise ship entered Seward harbor early this morning. It was the Seven Seas Navigator of the Regent line. It was a surprise to see it in the harbor where it spent the day.  We headed to the Sea Life Center for our morning adventure. It was much smaller than I thought it would be but it was quite interesting. Not only do they have this center for research and rescue but they have a big research vessel and live TV monitors on a couple of the islands frequented by the sea birds and sea lions. Their major concern is the diminishing numbers of sea lions in the region.

We lunched in town then returned to sit on the beach and watch the sea otters and one lone sea lion in the fjord. It was delightful to have some sunshine for a change and if you managed to find a place out of the wind, it was almost warm!

Late in the afternoon, the Seven Seas Navigator left the harbor. Watching it maneuver out of the tiny boat harbor then spin on a dime and head out to sea was our entertainment for the evening. The bear photo was from our fjord cruise. It posed quite nicely for us.

Our cruise to the Kenai Fjords was chilly to say the least but we did see a lot of marine wild life: humpbacked whales, Dahl porpoises, sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, and sea birds. The crowning glory of the trip was the Aialik Glacier which even calved while we were there. I could not believe the sea otters floating among the bergie bits at the edge of the glacier as if the water alone is not cold enough!

By the end of the 6 hours, I was ready for hot food and hot drinks. Talk about cold.

June 22, 2015

We actually drove onto the Kenai Pennisula today. With lakes, streams and rivers everywhere, it is hard to imagine the fire danger here. We decided to go to Seward and leave the fire area more time to be controlled. Seward is located a the head of one of the fjords. All day a strong southerly wind has been blowing into the fjord.  We spent the day on the beach watching the sea otters. It is quite wonderful to be able to camp right at the shore even though you share it with a couple of hundred other campers. We also walked around town and booked a cruise to the Kenai Fjords State Park for tomorrow. We really hope to see lots of marine wild life but we may have to wear layers of all our clothes to stay warm.  The natives think we are odd in our jackets while they run around in shorts and flipflops!

June 21, 2015

Portage Lake is over 600 feet deep and being a glacial lake, filled with glacial silt, it is a totally dead lake. Sunlight cannot even penetrate a few inches into the water. It is also a very cold lake hanging barely above freezing on the warmest days. We took an hour long cruise on the lake to see Portage Glacier. No calving of bergs here though the glacier was quite pretty. We also saw mountain goats on the steep peaks around the glacial lake.

We decided to stay in the Portage Valley at the Black Bear Campground. This offered us the opportunity to take a few hikes along the glacial river that run through the campground. The opal colored water is very lovely and though this river was relatively clear, we saw no fish. We hiked to a view point for another glacier in the valley. The Chugach National Forest is the largest by far in the US and has a tremendous number of glaciers.

June 20, 2015
 Centennial Park in Anchorage is a poorly maintained city campground so I do NOT recommend it at all. RV camping in Alaska is either a resort with the resort prices or it is a gravel parking lot with no charm. The state parks are often very nice though but the romance of wilderness camping is somehow lost.

We had lunch in town after visiting the Ulu factory. Anchorage was totally involved with getting set up for the Summer Solstice, parking blocked off, booths going up and little bands playing on every corner. In a funny way, Anchorage reminds me of Seattle without the panache that Seattle has.

Once you get through the city traffic, you find yourself driving along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet. We saw Dahl sheep on the steep cliffs bordering the highway and even a black bear with cubs but no beluga whales in the inlet. The tide was on its way out.

Alyeska Resort was a fun stop. We rode the tram to the top of the mountain where we had lunch at the deli. By the time we had finished lunch, the tide was out and Turnagain Arm was a giant mud flat. This area is famous for its bore tides but unfortunately none were expected while we were in the area.  
Tonight we are camped at the Crow Creek Mine. It is a dusty road with a hokey little gold panning spot but it was an interesting place to camp.

June 13, 2015, Saturday

After leaving Fairbanks, we stopped at Tatlanika Trading Post and Campground on the banks of the Nenana River. We spent a lazy day poking around in the gravel of the river bottoms and photographing all the interesting treasures scattered around the property. I had time for some sketching. Jerry watched the owner takeoff in his plane from a short grass strip. These bush planes are amazing how little runway they need to take off and land.

The Nenana River is a glacial river that forms the eastern edge of the Denali National Park. It is quite interesting because the Nenana goes through a steep, deep gorge just north of the park. The river did not cut the gorge through the mountains. The mountains actually rose up around the river. True!

June 14, 2025, Sunday

So as you continue south along the Parks Highway, you suddenly round a corner and whoa, there is Denali in all its glory. Amazing! We stopped at every overlook after that first sighting. Each one presented just a little bit different view of the mountain and its sidekicks. At one of the early stops, we met a fellow camper from our Tok stop and caught up with him on what he had been up to. He went fishing in Valdez and caught a 94 pound halibut!

If you remember the Griswolds and their family vacations, this next scene might bring a chuckle. A bus load of about 12 people pulled into the overlook. Everyone jumped out of the bus, cameras at the ready, click, click, click then leaped back on the bus and tore out of there. It was such a fast stop, it made my head spin. At least they can show photos of Denali and I guess that is what counts.

We spent the night in the Byers Lake Campground. This actually was a wonderfully quiet campground and very enjoyable. Jerry hiked back up to the Veteran’s Memorial at the highway and took more pictures of Denali. Here he met two young men from Poland who had just finished climbing Denali. They had allowed themselves three weeks for the climb and finished in nine days, so they were excited to have more time to see more of Alaska before flying home.

June 15, 2015, Monday

We drove on down to Talkeetna. Since the Willow fire was still causing problems, we decided to spend a few days in Talkeetna before heading on south. Jerry had the foresight to fuel up before we headed into town…of course, half of Alaska was at the station fueling up as well. It took 30-40 minutes to fuel up because the pumps were so overtaxed. Later we heard the station ran out of fuel so we were glad we had been patience.

A lady at the Pioneer Park in Fairbanks had told us that she though the best views of Denali were right in Talkeetna. She was not wrong. The mountainview is spectacular as you walk through town. What an amazing sight to wake up to each morning. Talkeetna is an artsy little town and totally tourist oriented. The shops are fun to visit. It is at the confluence of three rivers: Susitna, Talkeetna and Chulitna. It was founded in 1916. Its current mayor is a cat named Stubbs who is quite friendly. It is the primary base for all climbs of Denali. It also has every known adventure to participate in while in town, summer or winter. We are camped at the Talkeetna Camper Park. This is not the most restful camp. It is at the trail depot and airport and cruise ships buses pollute the air constantly. After 3 nights, we were more than happy to say goodbye. I walked to town one day with an EMT who rode the train up through the fire area. They decided extra EMT’s would not be a bad idea going through the smoke in case people had breathing problems. She was from Eagle River and said the ride was not a problem. Although the air was smoke filled, it was not so thick to cause problems.

June 18, 2015, Thursday

We left Talkeetna early in case the delays through the Willow area might be long but there were no delays. We followed a pilot car through the burn area. Patches of heavy burn were followed by nothing then heavy burn again. We did see loss of homes or at least buildings along the highway. The smoke was hanging more to the south and we saw no flames.

After lunch in Wasilla, I got to visit a very nice quilt shop then we picked up a few things in Walmart then drove to Palmer to visit the musk ox farm. Now this was fun. The musk oxen were gentle, fun and entertaining and the tour guide was great. I got to feed a treat to a one year old male who was very sweet. They told us about qiviut, the undercoat of the musk ox. It is extremely soft and strong and makes wonderful yarn. I bought some for my sister-in-law to play with. I wanted to take one of the baby musk oxen home with me but I figured Texas would be way too hot for them!

Independence Mining District was our next stop. This, too, was extremely interesting. A great deal of the town has been preserved plus it is in a beautiful locale. After hiking around the area, we drove over Hatcher Pass and did a little exploring. All this area is above timberline. It looks like you should be above 9,000 feet in Colorado but here you are at about 3400 feet. It is that latitude again. After our exploring, we returned to a small camp area for the night. Here we met an interesting couple from Idaho who have our same brand of camper. They bought it unfinished and finished it themselves. We also met an elderly gentleman who moved to Alaska in the 60’s and recently relocated to Tucson. Every summer he and his wife make the trek to Alaska to see their kids and camp all summer in Alaska then return to Tucson for the winter. He told us some tall Alaskan tales and advised us on places to see while we are here.

June18, 2015, Friday

Today we visited Anchorage. Town was crazy getting geared up for the Summer Solstice on Sunday. We visited the Ulu Factory. Ulus are traditional native knives are popular for hunters and cooks alike. I think they are wonderful tools that still look like they have for 1000’s of years. We walked around town, had lunch and need I say, found a quilt shop which I did visit.

Tonight we are camped at Centennial Campground…again, not a quiet campground but I will take it over the one in town which is right by the railroad---24 hours a day of trains! Tomorrow, we will continue on south and see where our next adventure takes us.

June 10, 11, and 12, 2015 Fairbanks, Alaska

By leaving Chena Hot Springs early in the day, we were able to arrive in Fairbanks early enough for important errands like getting an oil change for “ye olde” truck and new wiper blades. Fairbanks, as I may have mentioned, lies in a basin surrounded by hills and mountains thus making it the record cold spot and the record hot spot for the Alaskan interior. But people who live here, seem to love it and have activities for all seasons.

Fairbanks came into being in 1901 when Mr. Barnette opened a trading post on the banks of the Chena River. Gold was discovered on the Cripple Creek (named after the Colorado gold mining town) which became the richest mile of creek in Alaska and attracted gold rushers from Dawson City, Circle City and other gold rush towns in the Yukon and Alaska. Instantly, it became the third largest city in Alaska. Once the gold rush ended, oil became king in the area with the construction of the Alaskan Pipeline.

After the oil change, I finally was able to visit a couple of very nice quilt shops: Northern Threads, which is also a yarn shop, and Material Girls. I traded money for lovely fabric in both shops. Then we stopped at Fred Meyers. We were first introduced to Fred Meyers in Seattle and really like it. Like WalMart and Target, it has everything. It was very difficult not to go completely crazy in the produces department.

On Thursday, we took a ride on the Riverboat Discovery III. The riverboat travels the Chena River to the point where it joins the Tanana River with a stop at the old trading post site, Chena. Now this is a cultural education site giving you a chance to see how the Athabaskans lived in the past. During our ride, the captain slowed to a stop by the sled dog kennels of Susan Butcher. Susan was the second woman to win the Iditarod Race and went on to win it three more times. Although Susan passed away in 2009, her daughter, Tekla, continues to operate the kennel and train dogs for mushing. In fact one of her dog handlers completed the Iditarod this year…I her stats were 12 days, 12 hours, 22 minutes and 2 seconds! She brought three dogs from her team and several retired dogs from the kennel to meet and greet the boat passengers on Discovery III. Tekla gave an exciting demonstration of dogs working as a team pulling an ATV rather than a sled.

Friday, we visited the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. It is famous for its studies on the aurora. It is a beautiful campus. One of the gems on campus is the Museum of the North. I highly recommend a visit here. You may think you know all about Alaskan history but trust me, you do not. One of the things I found interesting, the aurora produces an induction current. So when building the Alaska Pipeline, the engineers had to adapt the design for this induction current to prevent oxidation of the pipeline components.

One last tidbit about Fairbanks. In August of 1967, there was a devastating flood along the Chena River destroying much of the town. The Chena is a glacial river so in August it is at its highest level for the season. Now add 6 inches of rain in 5 days and there was a major problem. When we visited Pioneer Park the high water mark was at about 2.5 to 3 feet. The problem now became getting rid of the water and starting reconstruction before the weather turned cold. It was a nasty miserable mess.

We spent three nights at the Riversedge Campground. Beautiful old cottonwoods shade the grounds and guess what I discovered…I am allergic to cottonwood! By the way, I forgot to mention, Fairbanks claims the farthest north Harley Davidson dealership and they were having a rally so Harleys were everywhere.

Tonight, we are camped on the banks of the Nenana River at the Tatlanika Campground and Trading Post, a very fun place. We will head on down toward Talkeetna tomorrow. This is the place I have been waiting for.

June 3, 2015, Wednesday

We stayed in Tok, Alaska at the Sourdough Campground. It was so nice to do laundry and take hot showers. The Sourdough is a delightful campground owned by friendly, fun loving people from Bullhead City, Arizona. Talk about going from one extreme to another! One of the clever ways they have of getting campers talking to one another is wild, weird sourdough pancake toss game with the winner or winners getting a free pancake breakfast the next morning, hopefully not of the pancakes used in the toss! Jerry actually won a breakfast but my aim was off and my breakfast cost money.

Our rig is a Four Wheel brand of pop up truck camper. Surprisingly, we do not see many of these on the road. Here we were camped with two others. One was driven up from Tucson and the other had been driven up from Brazil. What an amazing journey. Before we left the campground, I talked to the gentleman from Brazil. He imports the campers to Brazil and sets them up for people. Besides this trip to Alaska, he has been in Africa, Europe, Russia, Japan and all over the US in his pop up camper. What an advertisement for the rig.

We ran a few errands in Tok (by the way it is pronounced Toke not Tock) before leaving for Delta Junction where we stopped at the official end of the Alaskan Highway. Next door is the Sullivan Road House which dates from the gold rush time period. Originally, it was located on Fort Greely and was moved via helicopter to its present location. It is now a little museum full of items that were really in the road house when it was in use.

After lunch we turned south on the Richardson Highway which is the oldest highway in Alaska and parallels the Alaskan pipeline. We went through a pass which separates the eastern Alaska Range from its western segment. It had turned rainy and foggy by this time so our photos are rather moody and gray. We did jump a female moose, who absolutely refused to hang around for a photo session.

The campground at Fielding Lake is a free one and is very nice, right on the edge of the outlet river for the lake. It had turned pretty darn chilly by now then the wind kicked up dropping the temperature even more. A flock of pintail ducks were calling this area home and were fun to watch. No large animals could be found though we glassed the hills and marshes for them.

June 4, 2015, Thursday

A male ptarmigan raised a great fuss this morning, ordering us to leave the area. Though we had hoped for sun, we had more rain. I believe it rained all night. It was about 39 degrees when we broke camp. We had our first official glacier sighting (we missed Black Rapids Glacier in the rain and fog yesterday). This one was Gakona Glacier. Just around the corner was Summit Lake which is quite large and, even though it was chilly…cold…, people were getting ready to go out on the lake for fishing.

At Paxon, we turned west on the old Denali Highway. As the highway begins to climb, not only are you able to see the Alaska Range to the north but in the southeast you are able to see the Wrangell Mountains. There is an overlook that allows you to see the glacial erosion effects with a deep U shaped valley with lateral moraine deposits and “kettle” lakes which were created by the weight of the glacial ice as well as melt from the glacier. It is really very dramatic. An interesting fact, the Alaska Range is still growing as the Pacific Plate is grinding under the North American Plate. Tectonic action in progress.

Tangle Lake Archaeological area is a sanctuary for artifacts from first people in the region dating back 10,000 years and some even older into 20,000 year range. Also a great deal of fossilized remains of mammoths are found in the area. At the boundary of the area, a fat porcupine waddled across the road. Although he was not pleased to grant photos, he did pose nicely for one or two. Then a trumpeter swan took off from one of the nearby ponds with great fanfare. Around the corner, a bald eagle perched on the top of a white spruce and surveyed his domain as ptarmigans chattered away in the willows.

We set up camp in the Tangle Lakes BLM Campground. The lakes here form the head waters of the Delta River which joins the Tanana at Delta Junction then together they flow into the Yukon River. Dodging rain drops, we walked around the lake area and checked out the Tangle River as it made its way into the lake. We spotted fresh moose tracks but no moose. Later in the afternoon, the rain finally caught us when we hiked up a ridge trail that treks around the lake and into the mountains. And so another damp but great day in Alaska comes to an end.

June 5, 2015, Friday

Guess what, it was raining again this morning. If it were warmer, we would be growing mold by now. As we left the Tangle Lake campground, we spied a female moose up high on the ridge. She was much too far away for good photos so we simply watched her through the binoculars for a time. Our climb toward Maclaren Pass began in rain which gradually turned into a snow/rain mix then finally big fat fluffy snowflakes swirled around us. The snow actually accumulated on the shrubs along the road and the grassy areas. There was ½ inch or better on the ground. There is a winding area of the highway which meanders between two high moraines. This is Crazy Notch formed by a glacial stream cutting through the moraine. Here the snow drifts build up in winter causing the closing of the highway. After crossing the pass, the snow began to lessen and reverted to rain. Then lo and behold, a patch of sun shine graced us with its presence.

After crossing Clearwater Creek, the highway follows the ridge of an esker, a ridge of sand, gravel and cobbles deposited by a glacial stream trapped between walls of ice. You get a wonderful view of the countryside from this elevated vantage. As we crossed the Susitna River, we could see two golden eagles dining on a sand bar in the river. The Susitna is a major drainage in the Denali region. It begins at the Susitna Glacier in the Alaska Range and eventually runs into the Cook Inlet. There are some spectacular views of the Alaska Range along this highway.

We stopped for the day at the Brushkana Creek Campground which is right of the banks of the Brushkana Creek. As we drove through the campground, we came upon a moose mama and her very young baby. I saw her climb a ridge behind the campsites and was finally able to get some good moose photographs. Seeing the baby made my day but getting photos of mama and baby was the crowning glory. A whole family of gray jays came right over to welcome us as we set up camp…mama, papa and three youngsters. They later accompanied us on part of our hike.

I spent hours trying to identify a pair of warbler sized birds I spotted but could not photograph. They were lovely and the closest id I have come up with is bramling though these birds were much more colorful and pretty than my bird books show the bramling. The rains returned this afternoon, thunderstorms. Now the sun is valiantly trying to burn through the clouds. I would dearly love some warmth from the sun.

June 6, 2015, Saturday

No rain this morning! There was even sunshine, briefly. I am beginning to think a cloud is tethered to our radio antenna because clouds follow us relentlessly. We finished the Denali Highway today. It was so nice to take our time and enjoy the drive, even if our wild life sightings were few and far between. The country was distinct and exciting. We were treated to a lovely rainbow. I would very much like to travel this road again going from the west to the east. Another trip vibe is tingling away.

We arrived at Denali National Park before lunch. Luckily, we were able to get a campsite within the park. When we went back to the Wilderness Access building later in the day, they were taking reservations for campsites for Thursday and nothing was available until then. Tomorrow, we will be taking the shuttle bus into the park. Our fingers are crossed that we will be in the lucky 30% that actually get to see Denali while in the park. Apparently, it creates its own weather patterns and is not visible all the time. We will be in the area several more times so we may still have a chance to see this dramatic mountain if we are unlucky tomorrow.

After lunch, we walked to the visitor center which has a very nice display about the animals that call the park home and the history of the park. And of course, there was a book store. We did not leave it empty handed. The mercantile near the park entrance has a little bit of everything. The one thing that really surprised me was the cost of showers, $5 for 10 minutes. You certainly have to bathe fast! I didn’t dare check to see how much a load of laundry might cost.

Our one pot meals or freeze dried meals have worked quite well. Freeze dried food is so much better than it was when we backpacked in the Colorado Rockies years ago. It is tasty and variety keeps one from getting bored. The “homemade” freeze dried mixes, while not a total bust, are much too salty due to the freeze dried meats I purchased. This is one time I should have done a test run before we left home.

June 7, 2015, Sunday

Our tour to Eielsen Visitor Center in Denali Park was an amazing adventure. When we arrived at the departure point, the line was long, wrapping around the side of the building. We were 20 minutes early! What a sigh of relief we breathed when we discovered that the bus for the tour before us had not loaded yet. Our tour bus driver, Craig, gave us the spiel about Denali not being a zoo and not to expect to see many animals and don’t expect to see Denali either. But just the opposite proved to be true.

A female moose walked right up to the bus, around it, crossed the road and climbed the hill. Although she had her hackles raised, she chose to ignore 40 crazy people snapping pictures of her. A little farther on we stopped to view some caribou and saw a bull moose climbing a glacier delta. Unfortunately, he was much too far away for photos.

The first time you have an opportunity of seeing Denali is about 9 miles into the park. We were rewarded with a beautiful view of the tips of the south peak and the north peak of the mountain but the middle section was clothed in clouds as white as Denali itself. Still everyone on the bus was delighted to see as much as we did. It is an awe inspiring mountain. I hope we will catch at least one very clear day to see the whole mountain. Polychrome Pass lives up to its name. The colors are fantastic. It would have been wonderful to spend an entire day there photographing the color changes as the sun moved through the sky. Our fifteen minutes were up too quickly. A brown bear (it is totally wrong, according to our driver, to call them grizzly bears) was climbing one side of the hill as we walked down the other. It was a beautiful blonde bear when we were finally able to see it.

At Sable Pass, we were lucky enough to see a fresh caribou kill and a female wolf dining upon it. It is very rare to see wolves because the park is so big and the wolves move so warily through the landscape. Even the bus driver was taking pictures of this rare sighting. The magpies perched nearby hoping for left overs as did a big raven. When we returned to the spot later in the day, we expected to either see more wolves around the carcass or bears but there carcass was by itself. The Park rangers had already put out signs limiting access to that section of the road.

A couple of miles down the road we came to a big brown bear sunning itself on a tundra slope. When we returned, he was in the same place but had rotated around to better catch the rays. Caribou seemed to be everywhere, in twos, threes and fours but no big herds. A flock of Dall ewes and lambs were also sunning on a wide grassy slope high on a mountain ridge. A willow ptarmigan posed nicely for the bus full of photographers. On our return trip, we saw a beautiful red fox. It could care less that we were around and headed straight for its den.

Most of the road is above timberline so you are traveling through the tundra. You are able to see great distances. Once we arrived at Eielsen, we should have been able to see Denali since we were only 30 miles from the peak but of course, clouds hid it from our view. This is a steep tundra valley surrounded by high peaks. The visitor center is excellent with many interesting exhibits and get this…flush toilets!! You appreciate the small niceties in the wilderness.

Tomorrow, I hope to post this blog. While we have cell service at the park entrance, we do not have access to wifi. We plan on going to Fairbanks tomorrow.

June 8, 2015, Monday

We drove to Fairbanks and restocked the groceries and ice then headed to Chena Hot Springs. On our way we stopped at a roadside pizza bus, Wagner’s Pizza Bus, for lunch. The pizza comes in one size, large, and is very good. We had enough for both lunch and dinner.

Chena Hot Springs is more resort like than Liard Hot Springs. It offers many activities besides soaking in the hot spring. One of which is a tour of the Ice Museum, which we plan to do tomorrow. There is a hotel, camping yurts, cabins and RV park besides the restaurant and café. The most interesting thing here is the use of the geothermal activity to power the entire resort. The hot water from the spring is also cooled to 65 degrees and used to water the massive greenhouses on the property. Not only do they grow all the flowers for their landscaping but they grow many vegetables and fruits used in the restaurant and to feed the employees.

The drive north east from Fairbanks is through heavily forested country with meandering rivers and roadside lakes and ponds. The drive to Fairbanks from Denali National Park was also forested ground with rolling hills. The Nenana River Gorge was quite dramatic but unfortunately, that was exactly where the highway department was resurfacing the roadway making a photo stop impossible. Alaska has all these “scenic” pullouts, marked with a sign of a camera. However, very few of them actually have any scenery to photograph. However, if you don’t check them out, you might miss extraordinary scenery.

No photos today. It remained cool and rainy all day.

June 9, 2015, Tuesday

We soaked in the hot springs first thing this morning. It was wonderfully relaxing. The outdoor pool is surrounded by large boulders (I think to keep the resident moose out) with a gravel bottom. The water temperature is about 100 degrees. It is the perfect soaking temperature. The indoor pool is much cooler, 85 degrees, and is specifically for families with children. No children are allowed in the outdoor pool so it remains very peaceful. Several hot tubs are also scattered around both, inside and out, for soaking. This is a year round resort. In the winter there are dog sled rides, cross country skiing and ice skating. In the summer, horse rides, dog sled (wagon) rides and hiking.

The campus is lovely with beautiful landscaping and old tractors, cars and other equipment used artfully in association with flowers and plants. The gardens are tucked in everywhere as are the enormous greenhouses. Two ponds are labeled for “ducks and moose only”. Moose can read! They used the ponds daily. The Ice Museum is amazing. It is a huge building kept at 20-25 degrees with a bar, three sleeping chambers (and yes, they occasionally get used) a wedding chapel and studio space for the ice sculptors to work. The gallery is filled with wonderful ice sculptures. Even the chandeliers are made of ice. In the studio area very large blocks of ice are stored as raw material for the sculptures. This ice is harvested right on the property from the beaver pond. The signature drink of the ice bar is an apple-tini served in a glass made of ice. Very cool…literally!

Our visit to the sled dog kennel was quite enjoyable…we were the only people in the tour! The tour guide, Karen, is a musher and dog handler. She came for a visit and has been here 3 years! We got to pet the dogs and visit with them. I had the mistaken idea that they would look like Siberian Huskies but they are all mutts picked for their speed, intelligence and enthusiasm for running. Most were very thick coated and big pawed but all were very friendly. When Karen took down a harness to show us how the dogs are assembled into team, all the dogs went wild. It was like a kindergarten class going, “Pick me, Pick me”. They really enjoy their work.