Wrangell-St Elias NP

Who could imagine a National Park as large as Switzerland? It took us a couple of days to circumnavigate the park from Valdez AK in the west to Juneau in the east... covers both US and Canadian territory and is almost totally inaccessible except by helicopter, ski equipped light planes or a couple of roads that ineffectually attempt a partial entry! Magnificent peaks covering two mountain ranges one of which is active volcanic.

Gray Jays

Very bold behavior by the gray jays almost to the point of entering the Airstream to check out our rest stop breakfast! This was at the first of four USA-Canada-USA-Canada-USA border crossings as we make our way south to the lower 48 .... yes! a very convoluted International border, indented coastline and devious highway route!

Grizzly lunch

Lunch was in fact root vegetables that the grizzly was digging into the soil and extracting. Another car turned up and the owner accidentally let out their small dog which ran over and confronted the grizzly... after a few bear growls and desperate calls from the owner, the dog returned to the car and escaped being bear lunch!

North to Alaska

Just written an article for the Airstream unit newsletter...

http://www.db26.net/airstream/201809-alaska-part-1.htm

Icebergs ahoy!

Cruised out of Valdez today to check out the Columbia Glacier and navigated our way through a vast icefield for several hours... we had to stop a couple miles short of the glacier due to density of icebergs that had calved off the glacier. The sound of ice hitting the ship's hull was quite eerie and reminded me of the movie sound effects of ships being sunk by icebergs!

Unbelievable nature!

Tens of thousands of dead salmon lay scattered on the stream bed as the tide recedes in Valdez. Having laid their eggs, the salmon just die and rot much to the delight of swarms of seagulls who feast on the remains. A black bear also came out to enjoy a feast!

Parking team

Our elegant parkers really get into the role and dance and wave their flags when you arrive at our next camp ground. I never learnt semaphore code so it's a bit of a mystery what their message might be! Check out Ginger's blue wellies!

Tsunami Warning Center

Just a splendid and informational tour of the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer Alaska that was very personal and face to face. The tour started in the conference room with several back to back videos followed by questions and answers, then proceeded to the operational room where live sensor information was being processed from all over the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes of various intensities were running at least every hour and the team on 24 hour watch makes immediate assessments as to the vulnerability of Alaska and the Continental US. Ability to alert all the appropriate localities affected by a major event were demonstrated mainly by piggy-backing on the weather alert systems already in place. Just a great insight into a small team of scientists that make a very important link between natural events and avoiding tragic outcomes! A small compact and highly defined government department that actually performs!

Joe the Camera guy!

One of our good friends on this caravan Joe Thomas did a lot of photography in his life including weddings and baptisms - not full time but as a passionate hobby turned business photographer. Always ready with two huge lens to shoot the many interesting scenes and activities on this Alaskan trip. Joe is also a Ham radio enthusiast and we both talk on the 2 meter / 146 MHz amateur bands as we travel along.

Costco to the rescue!

On our way from Seward to Palmer we made a speedy but opportune gourmet stop at the Anchorage Costco to pick up some treats! Alaskan Crab legs (not shown because we ate it), French baguette still warm, a couple of bottles of Joel Gott 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon and a large round Humbolt Fog Cypress Grove cheese! Who said camping is roughing it?

NO! We are not thinking of a puppy!

These are three week old Alaskan Husky puppies who will be trained for the Ididarod sled race from Anchorage to Nome - about 1,000 mile 8 day endurance dog sled race with one musher and 14 dogs!

Our Husky team

The famous Iditarod quote is "unless you are the lead dog.... the scenery never changes" - well these highly trained pair even know the trail and can pull a 300 lb sled for several days with minimal rest and some 12,000 calories of food every 24 hours. They lead a team of 14 dogs and set the pace!

Shoppers unite!

Always jumping on a Farmers' Market opportunity, Margaret and Diana catch one in Homer and scoop up little treasures for gifts and personal indulgence... soaps, shrimps, birch syrup, bread, carrot cakes (for our Airstream social), carrots, rhubarb....

Final resting place

So many boats on Homer Spit have obviously reached their final resting place and should probably be set on fire or destroyed.... there is always sadness when I see boats that are still treasured in someone's eye, maybe even a home of last resort but realistically should be disposed of!

Latest fashion!

The ladies are waiting to board the Cessna to fly to Lake Clark NP and have just been fitted with the latest fashion item this trip which are leg length waders! The waders are folded down for convenience boarding the short flight to the muddy beach in bear territory and will be fully hoisted to their thighs when they alight from their flying aluminum tube

Birch Syrup

I'm told it's a bit like Maple Syrup but sweeter and tastier! There are three varieties, early run, mid run and late run with late run being the strongest taste!

Peterson Oysters

Oysters from Peterson island in Kachemak Bay just across from Homer are just perfect with milky texture and salinity! They are cultivated in oyster beds partly fed from glacial melt streams. Selected the medium size and enjoyed a dozen with squeezed lemon and a home made mignonette made from finely chopped shallots and two kinds of white balsamic vinegar... and of course a glass of cold Chardonnay

Halibut Heaven!

Homer is the acclaimed Halibut capital of the world and our team of Airstream fishermen pulled in dozens of fine specimens some as heavy as 65 lbs! It all came to a glorious end with an outstanding fish fry with at least four cooking stations producing excellent fish dishes in various styles... Panko coated and deep fried was my favorite!

Seldovia, Kenai Peninsula

Off the grid Seldovia, population 255, only accessible by water or by floatplane, was once a thriving fishing community founded by Russian fur traders who built a Russian Orthodox Church. It has a severe tidal range of 26 feet. Severe 9.2 earthquake in 1964 destroyed the river front boardwalk and some of it has been rebuilt.

Crested puffin trying to ignore us...

A nice rookery of interesting birds on the Gulf Islands in Kachemak Bay included Horned and Crested Puffins. Not at all common and highly prized sighting by our ornithologist friends on board the cruise.

Sea otters watch the cursing visitors…..

Mother and baby sea otters relax in Neptune Bay close to the Kachemak / Kenai Peninsula. Virtually an uninhabited area, wild life is abundant including many puffins, murres, eagles, cormorants along with sea otters, whales, and sealions. A great cruise around the bay stopping for lunch at the once teeming port of Seldovia.

Moose swim

Salmon life cycle

Lots of salmon lie in the stream dead after having made their final rigorous journey upstream. The female return to their breeding grounds and lay eggs in the river bed gravel and the male salmon then fertilize the ten of thousands of eggs. Then both male and female die shortly afterwards.... and the cycle repeats itself....

Russian Orthodox Church in Kenai

Since 1741 Alaska was Russian territory until 1867 when it was sold to the United States! Located in Kenai this is one of the surviving churches of the Russian community - the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church dating from 1894....

Drivers meeting at Kenai

The evening before a departure, the group meets usually at 8 pm for directions and instructions for the next day's travel. Tonight at Diamond M Ranch we lit a huge bonfire and enjoyed the warmth of a veritable firestorm of old logs and timber in a six foot elevated pit. The aluminum skins of the surrounding Airstream registered a significant radiated temperature increase!

Whittling away Diamond Willows

Cut some Diamond Willow young trees at Delta Junction AK where we followed the camp site owner to a private section of her forest and she allowed us to cut down and collect several saplings. The Diamond willow is a Northern phenomenon of the boreal forest. For several days I have been working on these branches and removing bark and trimming the diamonds which was originally a canker disease and sanding the sticks ready to be sealed and used as hiking poles. A wonderful mix of colors! Still some progress to be made!

Alaskan King Crabs

Splendid dinner at Simon & Seafort in Anchorage.... I had Alaskan King Crab legs and Laurie had Barents Sea Colossal Red Crab legs... wow!

Polar route freight

Watching what's flying over my head here in Anchorage using Plane Finder Pro and it's virtually all 747 freighters on the way back and forth to the Far East. Looks like Fedex and UPS are using it as a cargo sorting facility. I'm told by our pilot in the caravan that it's a lot cheaper to fly in here and refuel as it cost a lot more to fly a fully fueled freighter aircraft the full long distance non-stop.

Mt Denali is visible

Highly unusual to be able to have a clear view of Mt Denali... we are on our travel day from Denali to Anchorage and drive the Chulitna River along the George Parks Highway, over Broad Pass. Denali (also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level. Its one of the youngest peaks and has the most elevation above its base terrain even more than Everest.

Cruise ship hijack….

Captain( at rear) has lost the battle for the wheelhouse and our caravan ladies have taken over.... Joanne, Laurie, captain, Jackie and Victoria at the helm...

Nenana Ice Classic

The Nenana Ice Classic is an annual ice pool contest held in Nenana, Alaska. It is a fundraising event in which individuals attempt to guess the exact time the Tanana River ice will break up at Nenana. Tickets are on sale from February 1 through April 5 of each year throughout Alaska. The Nenana Ice Classic is a non-profit charitable gaming organization. Prize money can be around $250,000 and split between one to 40 contestants! The 2018 list of guesses book is about 6 inches thick!

Sent from my iPhone

davidbroad@me.com

Airstreaming the Last Frontier!

This is a rigorous and demanding trip for an Airstream especially if one drives the Top of the World (packed dirt) Highway! Lots of structural stress during this two month trip. Parts falling off, doors coming loose, cracks in the sealant, leaks, and a ton of dust and dirt getting into places you would not have expected. One of our fridge fans died of dust overload, our shower door went trapezoidal, bathroom cabinet doors fell out, the skylight had a huge leak and we are not only half way through!

Checking out new headgear!

Mile 53 inside Denali National Park at Toklat River we stop to try out the caribou antlers for size! They were quite heavy and tough.... and they have to be as they are used to fend off the opposition and contenders!

Running repairs!

Three nights in Denali and it would of course rain cats and dogs! End of day 2 we were just about to go out to dinner when we noticed a steady stream of water coming down from the main skylight. Fortunately there was an Ace Hardware nearby so I grabbed a tarp, two kinds of sealant and two kinds of sealing tape! Secured the tarp overnight and thank goodness the winds were light. Next morning using a borrowed ladder and Margaret's hair dryer we dried out the skylight lower flange, applied copious sealant and sealed the skylight to the roof with super strength tape! It's a temporary fix till we get home! Now we wait for the next deluge to see if it was a successful repair!

To the Arctic Circle….

Took a short flight north from Fairbanks across the Arctic Circle and landed at Coldfoot - gateway to the NPS Gates to the Arctic National Park. Five of us from the Airstream caravan exchanged one thin aluminum tube for another faster but smaller diameter aluminum tube! Below us the Alaska pipeline and Dawson Highway head off to Prudhoe Bay some 400 miles further north on the arctic ocean.... Our plane officially crosses the Arctic Circle...at N66:33:00- W149:40:99.... At this point in its flow to the Bering Sea, the Yukon river meanders across the plain with many ox-bow lakes and islands....