ALASKA TRIP 2016 CLOSING SUMMARY

It is amazing how quickly Real Life wraps its arms around you when you return from vacation. It was right there, waiting for you all the time and has to be dealt with. Since our return to Sopchoppy on September 8, we have been so engrossed that I haven’t had much time to reflect on our wonderful trip.

For the record: We left NC on May 5 and returned to Sopchoppy  126 days later, just over four months on the road. At that point we had driven 16,765 miles and stayed in 57 different campgrounds. We were only out of the camper two nights; once on the ferry to Juneau and again at a cabin at Glacier Bay National Park. After returning to Florida we stayed in the camper at Ochlockonee River State Park for four more nights. And “No”, I never got tired of it.

My FB friends know that we wore out the Magic Bullet (our travel trailer) and our return home was delayed by two long stays (in Reno and in Kansas City) getting it repaired. We considered ourselves extremely fortunate that we were already in large cities when our problems occurred and that help was readily at hand.  We had hoped to get the TT back to Florida and then make a decision but it seemed safer and more prudent to dispose of it in KC. That is how we got our beautiful Villiagio!!!!

Buying a Class B+/C- unit, which is self-contained, required us to drive two vehicles back to Sopchoppy. I drove the truck and Butch drove the Villiagio. Of course, we continued to camp at night and immediately relearned the “B-Shuffle”, from our days in our Roadtrek.  (The B-Shuffle can be done “back to back” or “belly to belly”. It involves drawing in your stomach and being careful where you put your feet. It can be done with musical accompaniment or you can just hum. )

We arrived in NC on 9/21 and it is lovely here. Not much sign of fall but it is getting cooler every day. We are ready to slow down and enjoy the lake and the mountains for awhile, then back to Florida to enjoy the river and the coast.  There are simply no words to describe the wonders that we have seen and the experiences that we have had. Many, many thanks to those of you who followed along with us.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Our progress over the past 10 days has been steady with lots of interesting experiences which I am calling the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The Good is that despite some set-backs this entire trip continues to be magical. The interactions with our family, the interesting places that we stay, and the on-going magnificence of the scenery has contributed to a wonderful experience.

The Bad is that our feckless ways finally caught up with us and upon arriving in Reno we learned that our travel trailer (the “Magic Bullet”) was in serious condition. It is a 24’ Keystone Bullet Ultra-Lite and simply was not built for over a thousand miles of unpaved roads. The frame was broken and torqued in the left back corner and cracked on the right. All four tires had worn from the insides because the bearings were shot and we had issues with the springs. Wow! We were told again and again how very, very fortunate we were that we made it to Reno and did not break down on the road.

Also Good, is the fact that my cousin in Reno built race cars there for many years and knows everybody in the metal fabricating business. He found us an outstanding company that took on the work of rebuilding a frame and another company to handle the bushings, bearings, & etc. Discount Tire replaced two of the tires, using our two good spares to replace the other two. We left Reno confident that we were road worthy again.

Goodness continued with our journey on US 50 across the desert from Fallon NV to Delta UT. This road may be lonely but it is also very beautiful. The weather was great (temps in the 70’s). Northern Nevada has a multitude of mountain ranges and high plains that are just marvelous. There are also lots of archeological sites, gemstone and mineral deposits, and Great Basin National Park. We camped at Cave Lake State Park; a sweet little canyon nestled in the mountains on a small reservoir.

Next morning we started out to access I-70 and start our cross country trip in earnest.

 I-70 ends at I-15 in southern Utah and driving it eastward to Denver is as good as driving hundreds of miles through a national park. It is breathtakingly beautiful. I knew we really were homeward bound because we kept going despite the temptation to turn south and do the Great Circle of national parks. We passed the turn-offs to Capital Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands but gritted our teeth and continued driving, promising ourselves that we will return. Our destination for the day was Fruita, CO and about 4:30 I called ahead and made reservations

.

The Bad: At about 5:30, we blew a tire on the travel trailer. It made a single “pop”; like bubble gum popping, we heard it and Butch pulled over instantly. The TT stayed under control and nothing was damaged. A deputy sheriff stopped and helped Butch change the tire and we reached our campground just as it began to pore down rain. I hardly remember the campground at Fruita as we came in after dark and left early in the morning.

This morning we took the tire to Discount Tire in Grand Junction CO. The tire that blew was one of our spares (it was four years old but has never been on the ground). Turns out the shop in Reno did not mount the tires as recommended. We were given two new tires and they remounted all four. Very Good.  Also good was the continuation of our drive on I-70 along the Colorado River, through the Glenville Gorge and on to Idaho Springs where we are tonight. 

The Ugly? When we got back into the lower 48 the ugliness of the political situation hit us right between the eyes. We saw signs and heard conversation that made us want to go hide in the wilderness again. After a summer of wandering around among extremely diverse people and environments it is saddening to realize what a narrow view some people have of the world.

Our plan is to continue through Denver today and start across Kansas. We may even reach Lawrence tonight. I am very much looking forward to visiting with my college roommate who lives there.

The Bucket for my Bucket List has a Hole in it.

In the past five days we have driven just over 1,000 miles down the Pacific coast from Canada to northern California. This jaunt is a bonus as we had not anticipated doing it but we are so glad that we did. For one thing, it has kept us cool! I wore shorts for the first time yesterday on our river trip. It was in the 50’s when we left Gold Beach this morning, but after we turned inland this afternoon it went up to 101! 

It is easy to see why everyone who could do so went to the beach last weekend. This created a scarcity of campsites but we were fortunate to find a place at Port Garibaldi OR. It is a working port and the Port Authority runs the harbor, marina, and a campground. All of this is only two blocks from the village so it is a fun place to hang out. We left the truck and drove south on a loop road (131) to see more of the coast. We visited several lighthouses, many overviews of stunning beaches, and had delicious seafood chowder at a little shacky-looking place. Can you believe it was too cold to walk on the beach?

On Sunday we braved the crowds and continued south on Hwy 101. This part of the coast is one small resort town after another and the traffic was horrific for the first 120 miles. Once we reached Newport, most everybody turned east toward Portland and we had a lovely drive all the way to Gold Beach. This is the most beautiful part of the coast with the rocks and spars out in the ocean, the sea caves, and the gorgeous coves and magnificent surf. 

We made Gold Beach our destination because we wanted to take the jet boat tour up the Rogue River. On our way to Alaska in 2013 we camped beside the Rogue at Grants Pass OR and were very fortunate to hook up with some paddlers who allowed us to go with them. We paddled about 10 miles downstream but were far upstream from the gorge of course. This time we camped at Kimball Bend Creek, again on the river. This is one of the nicest places we have stayed the entire trip. It was on a grassy knoll overlooking the river, very private and just lovely. The CG manager got our tickets and the boat picked us up at their dock the following day.

 I have mixed feelings about jet boats on Wild and Scenic Rivers but I realize that not everyone can have the experience of a three or four day paddling/camping trip. I am very impressed with the knowledge and expertise of the boat captains we have met. They seem to have a lot of respect for the environment and appear to be careful to stay within the rules and to insist that their “guests” do likewise. This trip was 104 miles (RT) up into but not through the gorge. We saw lots of individual paddlers and commercial raft groups doing multi-day trips and we yearned to be with them. Our trip was great fun however; and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Fortunately it was a very warm day because we were wet to the skin. 

Today we ambled along the coast in very light traffic and plenty of opportunities to pull over and enjoy the scenery. We stopped in Eureka, CA for lunch and a stroll through the old town. I miss the Eureka of the 70’s (I miss the Liz of the 70’s too)! Although the coast road (100) continues on the ocean, 101 turns inland south of Eureka and we really needed to do that. Within 25 miles the temperature had gone from 62 degrees to 101. When we stopped for the evening at Gerberville, it was 96; and it is so dry! The air is completely devoid of moisture and fairly crackles. I have been in Death Valley and in the Mohave and I have never felt air like this. The area is in a deep drought of course, and fire hazard is very high.

We will continue to Sacramento tomorrow and on to Reno on Friday

Back in the USA

"And I shall watch the ferry boats, and they'll get high, on a bluer ocean against tomorrow's sky. and i will never grow so old again, and i will walk and talk, in gardens all wet with rain..."
Author: Van Morrison

A passing ferry

On Tuesday we made our last ferry crossing  (our 11^th) from Vancouver Island to a few miles from the Canadian/US border at Blaine, WA. Our stay on Vancouver Island was very good considering the uncertain weather. We had a wonderful day exploring the logging roads out to Cape Scott and walking on the beaches there. I love sea caves and hoo doos and we had lots of both, plus a gorgeous hike through the rain forest. On the way back we stopped to sort through the rocks in an old quarry looking for fossils.  This part of the Island, like Northern Maine and the Florida Panhandle, is all about pulp wood. The roads are privately owned but some public access is permitted with lots of warning signs that “industrial” vehicles have the right-of-way; all other vehicles stop to allow passage, backing up if necessary. Needless to say, the roads were terrible, but the scenery was to die for.

Hoo-doos on the beach at Cape Scott

 We continued down the Island to Naniamo where we found a spot at Living Forest Camping and RV Resort. We stopped at several provincial parks but they were all full. Living Forest was a new experience for us. It is huge (200+campsites) but is nicely laid out with lots of trees, big sites, and all amenities. It is on the Sound but we were so far from the water it hardly mattered. The club house, adult lounge, and landscaping were all very upscale but sort of lost on us. I will not mention the cost; thank goodness we paid in Canadian.

 

We used Naniamo as a base to explore the area and spent an entire day driving in to Victoria. We did the tourist thing and went to Butchart Gardens then took the site seeing bus to get an over view of the area. We still had time to walk around Chinatown and Old Town and to have dinner at the harbor. It did not rain and we had a great time. The Gardens were very colorful and pleasing, but too rigid for my tastes. I like wildflowers.

The "Paint -by-Number" gardens

Our ferry crossing was cold and rainy (again) and by the time we got to Birch Bay State Park, it was very dark. Our reserved campsite was too small for our rig but thankfully the Ranger found us another before we collapsed in utter exhaustion. We stayed here in 2013 and it is an exceptionally beautiful place. It is in northwest corner of Washington, overlooking the San Juan Islands with Mt. Baker looming in the background.  My cousin, Helen, lives in nearby Ferndale and we were anxious to see her again.

Me, casting a long shadow at Grayland Beach.

After a wonderful family get together yesterday we got back on the road today. We had not been on an interstate highway since we left I-40 at Kingman, AZ in early May. We spent five hours driving less than 150 miles on I-5 from Blaine to Chehalis WA. There was no construction or wrecks; just the sheer volume of traffic on this aging highway that is the only north-south road between the Pacific and the Cascades in Washington. At Chehalis we had enough and got off on a secondary road to head to the coast.  We are at Grayland Beach State Park tonight but must move on tomorrow as they have no vacancies for the weekend. 

We had temperatures in the low 70’s yesterday and in the low 80’s today but signs of fall are everywhere. We don’t see as many wildflowers but see lots of berries and the hardwood trees are already turning. We are looking forward to driving down the Oregon coast.

Going Where the Weather Suits My Clothes

“Going where the weather suits my clothes” (Harry Neillson)

Now that it is August in the North Country the big question is, “what happened to July”, or “what happened to summer?” The answer is that it didn’t happen. We are back in Prince Rupert almost two months from the day we left and it is still in the low 60’s.  We brought two sets of clothes but have worn our “winter” stuff to death.  I’m ready to throw everything out and I suspect that I can do so pretty soon. Except for boat trips and glacier hikes it hasn’t been really cold either (and we were prepared for those occasions), and the cool nights are wonderful for sleeping.  As I write this, we are “camped” in the middle of the BC Ferry Terminal loading lot. We had to be here at 5:30 tomorrow morning anyway so decided to dry camp in the lot. 

Yesterday we planned our Last Hurrah for North Country adventures and took a side trip from the Yellowhead Hwy (BC16) up the Nisga’a Hwy to Lava Beds Provincial Park and out to the Pacific coast at Kincolith (Gingolx); a round trip of 120 miles. We left the TT at the campground in Terrace and just took the truck. It was one of the most outstanding jaunts that we have made. I can’t imagine why it is not covered up with people (but SO glad that it isn’t).

All of this area is First Nation property with some of it managed in collaboration with Parks Canada and other conservation groups. It is very near the Pacific coast and some of those fabulous mountain ranges that you see photographed by Alaskan Cruise companies surround the Nass River Valley. They are huge, dramatic, and full of glaciers, waterfalls, and other wonders. In the 1700’s a volcano erupted in the area and changed the landscape and the way of life of the native people.  Molten lava moved rivers, dammed some of them to create lakes, and left behind hundreds of acres of some of the strangest lava-rock formations imaginable. Some of the lava is honeycombed (like our Karst limestone), when it collapses the streams that are still flowing under the lava bed may emerge as aqua and emerald ponds and pools. Since some of the lava formations are higher than others, charming waterfalls are created as one pool flows into another.  The Provincial Park has excellent trails and informational signs. 

Pool in the Lava Beds at Nisga'a

 

We continued on to the end of the road at Kincolith (Gingolx); a spectacular drive through the coastal mountains and beside the Nass River. Kincolith is a little First Nation fishing village with a scattering of houses, a huge Anglican Church (?) and lots of fishing boats. There is a little restaurant there but no other businesses. We had an early dinner and shared the one table on the porch with a nice couple from BC. I took a walk while we waited for the cook’s husband to arrive to light the stove. The seafood was excellent as was the ambiance and the company.

Lunch at Gingolz, all local

Port Hardy BC: Our ferry trip was somewhat of a disappointment as the weather was cold and overcast. It did not rain and the waterway, shoreline, and foothills along the shore were clearly visible but the massive coastal range with its snow covered peaks was only a faint shadow in the background. Fortunately for us we have seen a lot of similar mountain ranges on this trip and our side trip to Gingolx had put us up close and personal to the coastal range.

The BC ferry, Northern Expedition, was at the other end of the continuum from the Alaska Marine Ferries  we took on the way up. It was more like a cruise ship; beautifully fitted out and very elegant. No noisy families with their coolers and sleeping bags on this lady! Most of the passengers were European tourist and we felt sort of isolated. We did see a lot of humpback whales and  a harbor seal. It was a long day  as we were up at 5 am, boarded at 7, and did not arrive in Port Hardy until 11:30.

Our late arrival was our first experience with true darkness in two months and boy was it ever dark! We used On-Star to find our campground and it got us lost. When we finally got  there, the campground hosts were out in the road with flashlights looking for us!  They stay up late for the ferry arrivals and try to get everyone settled in, wonderful people.  We are at Quatse River CG, which is owned and operated by the non-profit Northern Vancouver Island Salmonid Enrichment Association which also has  a salmon hatchery on-site. Because of the hatchery they are extremely strict with bear control rules.  They have no problems with throwing folks out who do not comply so we are on our best behavior.

Boarding the BC Ferry to Port Hardy

 

"Camping" at the Ferry boarding lot

 

 We are planning to go hiking and beachcombing tomorrow.