From Chicken to Dawson City

For those that haven't studied the Alaska/Yukon map need to know that the direct route from Chicken, Alaska to Dawson City, Yukon is the famous Top of the World Highway.   The GPS will tell you that the mileage is only about 110 but that doesn't take into account the vertical motion that is added on. That up and down vibration of traveling across the miles of dirt and gravel with a number of pot holes and washboard sections to traverse....   The views are spectacular if you like driving across the tops of mountains above the tree line and being able to see forever.

But first there was the trip to Chicken.  The drive up from the turn off near Tok was beautiful in its own right.   We passed a bunch of Class A's coming down that were part of a caravan....we never did find out if they had actually driven over the highway or just taken the side trip up and back.

The drive up took us through an area that had been hard hit by forest fires in the past.   You may also notice that we were enjoying some sunshine amidst the partially cloudy.  Actually as we got out of our rigs to walk over to the office to register in the campground in Chicken we walked through small pea sized hail which was quickly followed up by some sunshine....Alaska weather.....

I had to promise Herschel that the chicken was not going to drop any eggs on him.

Another sculpture out in front of the campground store.

Sprinter/Sharon pulled into the lot after not to long after we had gotten settled. She was kind enough to join the dogs and I on our evening "I've been in the rig all day" walk.   She invited Nan and I to join her over at the chicken cafe for breakfast of blueberry pancakes.....One serving fed three of us with plenty left over.  And there was no doubt that the blueberries were all the real deal.    

Before Nan and I got on the road to head over the mountain the lady that was work camping and helping Susan (the cafe and saloon and gift shop owner) suggested that we might enjoy peeking our heads into the now deserted saloon.   Nan got a picture so you might see one on her blog. The ceiling was completely covered with hats and caps....and well if you looked a little closer you spotted in between the caps what looked like shredded rags.  The lady asked if we had heard a loud boom last night around midnight. It was the small cannon that she showed us sitting next to the door.  The evening patrons of the bar talk the young ladies into giving up their bras and panties and those that do can watch their delicates be shot out of the cannon and the shreds hailed up in the rafters or on the walls.   

After our breakfast and brief tour of the shops Nan and I headed out on the road towards the border and the Top of the World.   Church's camping guide recommended that it best be undertaken in dry weather and luckily that is what we had.  The book also mentions to be careful of the soft shoulders and areas that are very narrow.  We learned before we even headed out that a large Class A had rolled over the side of the road just the day before due to the side of the road giving way.   Well fortified with blueberry pancakes as our last meal, we headed off. 

Before we hit the Canadian border while still on the rougher dirt road section I see a pick up truck pass me with a "wide load" sign.   Hey, not really I good idea on this road fellas! About a mile farther down the road I see what looks like a huge truck.  I slow down and notice that that there seems to actually be an extra foot of room on my right so I stop and watch as Nan and the truck do a slow dance head of me while Nan inches by the truck.  The truck proceeds and is able to pass me at this particular spot in the road.  He was towing the beat and bashed Class A out.   A few miles farther down the road we also passed the tow truck that was trying to load the busted up Toad on a flat tow trailer.  And yes you could see the soft shoulder of the road and a missing hunk.  Herschel was not able to get a picture of that and I was busy trying not to hit anything....

Later in Haines, Nan and I would meet a couple that had been up on the road behind the RV.  They also got to spend the night on the mountain as the road was impassable at that time.... watching the tow trucks break their cable and chains hauling the rig back up onto the road. They said it took multiple trucks to haul the rig up.  We were told that some trees were all that stopped the rig from going completely down the hill side and as it was it went down over 100 feet.    The elderly couple were not seriously injured but did have trouble getting out because the escape hatches were 8 ft above their heads.   

But our adventure over the mountain was not nearly as hairy.   Just beautiful scenery.  Nan heading down the road.

The old cabin that is about all there is left in Boundary.

Bye Alaska, at least for a little while.

So we drove slowly and made it over the top of the world and back to civilization.....and the ferry that takes you across the river to Dawson City.

 

When we hit Dawson City we opted to stay in the campground right in town and really enjoyed being able to walk to everything.  Stuart got to be "town dog" and take walks around the town exploring but those pictures will need to wait for another day.

Nan bought her "I survived the Top of the World Highway" back when we were in chicken.  She had confidence in our abilities before we even began.  We did check to see if the lids had rattled loose on any of our jars afterwards...just in case.

Valdez

I am currently sitting in Whitehorse in the Yukon and attempting to catch up on at least some of the recent travels.  Nan and I spent four nights in Valdez  and I have to agree with Mitch, it was one of the best parts of your Alaska travels. Beth is a number one hostess!

One of the best parts of the Valdez experience is the trip out on the Lu-Lu Belle.  I didn't take a bunch of animal pictures though we did see some critters out there on the water and Nan got some good whale tail shots.  It was rainy and chilly outside and I did head out to the deck from time to time to check out the possibilities but most of the trip (except for the delicious clam chowder part) was spent sitting up in the wheel house watching out the windows and listening to Captain Fred weave his stories about the history of Valdez, the gold rush, the 1964 earthquake and the animals and people of Alaska..... 

Fred built the Lu-Lu Belle himself after buying the basic hull back in the late 1970's.  His background was in auto body and the attention to detail is apparent in all the fixings.  The inside is full of beautiful teak wood and kept meticulously clean.  He and his wife live on the boat in the winter usually down the coast in Washington state.  Beth's "galley" for the tours is their kitchen in the off season or as Beth puts it we take over their home for a few months while they live next to the Lu-Lu Belle office.  

The boat is 75 feet long and though it can carry over 60 passengers for a tour but because of the rainy weather we were lucky to have only 14 and got to spend a lot more time to personalize the trip.  Sitting up right behind Fred I also could watch all the instruments and electronic gadgets.  Beth later stated that Fred could probably drive the boat with a blindfold he knows the waters so well but Those screens do give a lot of information.

Fred has been taking tours out of Valdez since 1979 and his personal expertise shows along with the history and research of the area that he has undertaken to include in his "tour."

When Nan and I headed down to the table area to get some of the clam chowder I noticed a group of women sitting at one of the other tables and several of them were either sleeping or working a cross word puzzle. Later when I asked Beth about the group she said that they were nice enough but several of the women asked "Does he talk like that the whole trip..."  There are speakers down in the galley and table area but Beth had warned us that people are often talking down there and if we really wanted to hear everything the best place was up in the pilot house.   I couldn't figure why these ladies even bothered to spend the money to come out on the water if they were not interested in the animals and the water and the lands around them.

After our day out on the water the sun came out and gave us beautiful weather to do a walking tour around town with Beth. Nothing like timing out visit to take advantage of Beth's days off and gain a personal tour guide. We did the museums around town and put pictures and additional stories together with the information that Fred had given us.   We also watch the original "home movie" film of the Good Friday earthquake and the shots of the aftermath around town.  Our next day was a little grayer weather wise but we were busy washing clothes and visiting Safeway to resupply.  Nan and I then headed out to boondock out by the Fish Hatchery and see if we could catch a glimpse of the momma bear and the four cubs.   Beth drove out to visit us later in the afternoon and by then it was raining and turning chilly.  The tide was out but no momma bear to be seen.  By the time Beth and Peaches had walked for awhile as we watched the stellar seals go after the salmon I think that Beth was wet enough that she is probably just now drying out.....

Beth trying to spot the wild critters for us tourists...

Beth get to drive while Fred takes a break...

Fred takes the Lu-Lu Belle into a small cave so that we can hunt for puffins...or at least so we can marvel at his ability to take the boat into tight spaces...there is very little clearance here folks but it is his boat...

This picture was taken after he had already started to back out.

Then he pulled into another cave. 

...and he say back to wait an see how long it took for passengers to realize that to the left of the cave entrance was the day beach for the seals....

Fred then headed on towards the Columbia glacier.  Beth said that form day to day she never knows how close they will get because the ice flows change so quickly with the temperature, wind and tides...

Fred pointed out this large sea monster...

The stop for Lu-Lu Belle pictures.  And yes it looks a little chilly out there. the temperature was in the low 30's.... Glaciers and icebergs will do that.

Here is a better view of the berg Fred was using as a back drop. Notice the old water line that was before the berg tilted over.  Look at how much of the ice was below water level at that time.

Another reason I enjoyed Fred's trip and his tour.  He wasn't trying to "upsell" pictures of the tour.  The young girl that was helping Beth on board that day was standing up on the front and all we had to do was pass our cameras to her.    And the food menu prices were very reasonable as much as to be cheap.   Again, the Lu-Lu Belle was all about history and animals and not how to squeeze extra bucks from the passengers.  

Approaching the Columbia Glacier very carefully...    On the way Fred pointed out where the glacier had been back in 1979 when he first started his tour business.   There is a lot more water these days. He pointed out a line of "stalled" icebergs that stretch most of the way across the bay. He said that the water was only about 60 feet deep there because that is were the gravel moraine had been deposited for so many years before the glacier started shrinking back.    The larger icebergs can't move past that point until they melt more.

This was as close as we were going to get that day.   Captain Fred was gently bumping the ice flows but even for him there were limits for safety.  Coming back there was a stretch of water that had complete closed up with ice and he took his time getting back through.  Nan pointed out that as soon as the boat moved forward the ice closed up behind her.

I got to watch our very own Bethers pilot the 75 foot Lu-Lu Belle back into the small boat harbor.  It was very impressive watching her make all the turns and angles and back it into the slip......If you think backing an RV is tricky this is a whole other level.

 

On our walking tour, Beth pointed out some of the remaining snow piles still holding out in one of the parking lots in town.

 

From one of the museums.....

There was so much information and exhibits and pictures to move through.  Given the recent rains we had had, I thought the information on native rain wear interesting.

Out be the Fish Hatchery the seals were enjoying the bountiful feast.

The waves in the water are caused by the number of salmon moving just below the surface of the water.  The individuals fishing along the side of the road were not really fishing so much as throwing their lines in and hooking fish and hauling them in.  It wasn't as if the fish were biting on anything but the fish were so thick that the hooks would catch on fins or gills or tails and the fish got catch just the same......

Again the white water is not because the water is going over rocks but that the water is full of moving fish.

 

Well, I am sitting in McDonalds with free WIFI and I think my time here is done.  Something about dogs wanting their supper.   Nan and I are probably heading on to Haines and back into Alaska tomorrow...unless our "jello plans" become something else entirely by then......

Traveling to Valdez - Worthington Glacier

Nan and I headed out of Anchorage and made our way over to the Richardson Highway so that we could make it to Valdez and our visit with Beth and the Lu-Lu Belle and the rabbits.  On the way we were slowed down my the eye candy along the highway.

How to tell that you have been Alaska for 6 weeks? When you drive past a glacier you don't say to yourself, "Wow, a beautiful glacier!" instead you say to your navigator, "Look, another glacier !" as if it was the tenth one that you have seen that day....

Evidence the guys from Liz's motor cycle gang from Homer have passed this way and are missing her. Who knew she had this secret life?

Posted this one already on Facebook......I think it speaks for itself....

When I communicated with Beth I told her that Nan and I were about 150 miles away from Valdez and that the GPS predicted "such and such" time for our arrival.  I mentioned that we would be a little later than that because of the "dog" stops and the pull overs for scenic views.  She laughed and said she expected that it would take us much longer than the GPS predicted due to the sights. She also warned us that we were not to miss stopping at the Worthington Glacier on the way.    

As usually, Bethers was correct in her recommendation and estimation of time.   Here is the glacier as you see it driving cheerfully down the road.

The glacier that has all the trails leading up to it is the tail on the left.  Here it is below a little closer.

And here it is a little closer still.  Wait those little dots are people, standing out on the glacier! (Dots, right above the blue ice.)

One or two large rocks to walk around.

You can't even see the pond in the next picture from down below on the trail looking up.  We met a couple from Wisconsin heading down that mentioned that they thought the trail on the right was not as steep.  What Nan and I discovered that there wasn't just two trails through the jumble of rocks and boulders but multiple possible tracks.  Until you had actually scramble up through some of the obstacles did you get to consider whether or not you have made the best choice for your particular climbing abilities and knees.....   Nan and I tries separate trails and promised to come searching for the other's body if one of us didn't make it back to a rig.  Who knows what would have happened if both of us had disappreared....  (There were other climbers scattered around, so no fear....)  I did have so fleeting imagery of the helicopter lowering the basket for my broken body to be hauled away in.

People for the perspective of size.

A picture of my feet taken while standing on the foot of the glacier.   Need to remind you that glaciers are made of ice and no I didn't have those neat ice crimpers attached to my shoes...balance was precarious to say the least therefore calling for the unusual stance.  I got off the ice as carefully and quickly as I could.   I was glad that I was not one of those individuals walking farther up on the glacier.  I would have been on my butt.

On the walk, scramble , climb back to the bottom I noticed a couple of these "sink holes" in the gravel.  So glad that none of them decided to open up under my foot.

I had seen Nan waving to me from the top of one of the other HIGHridges and paths so I sought out a trail of sorts that would take me over to her side.  First I climbed down from my ridge and started up the incline to the top of the other pile.  This hill and these rocks were not meant for my knees but I kept hearing my daughter's voice in my head telling me, "You can do it, I know you can."  I won't tell her how many times I needed my hands and feet to reach the top.  Don't tell her! 

When I did get to the top of that ridge the view was very nice but Nan had already made it back down towards "base camp." 

The view from her ridge was higher up than the section of the glacier that I had approached, which you can see just I little of over on the right.  This would have been the trail to take to walk out onto the top of the glacier like the folks in those first pictures.   Nan and I both agreed that we had done enough mountain goat climbing for one day.  And I did stand on the glacier, just not on the top part.  And I never did fall on my butt.  And we both slept well that night.

We hiked, crawled, back to our rigs and headed down the final stretch of the Richardson Highway into Valdez.  Apparently we are not the only ones that have decided that this highway has some of the best vistas of all the drives in Alaska.   Below is a view coming through Keystone Canyon north of Valdez.   Doesn't Herschel do a nice job of taking a picture through the windshield?

And as Beth had known we would, we also stopped for pictures of the falls along the river.

...and the rocks beside the falls along the river.....

We made it in and checked in with Beth. After walking the dogs briefly we headed off with Beth for a quick drive through town and then out to the fish hatchery where the momma bear and her four cubs have been showing up regularly.  Well, the salmon show up regularly, also.  An the seals. And the otters.  And the eagles. And the gulls......

After our afternoon tour we treated ourselves to a seafood dinner and headed to bed so that we could get ready for out Lu-Lu Belle tour on Monday.  

Oh, about the rabbits you ask.  Beth said that a family in Valdez in the past had raised rabbits in town and when they had to leave (for whatever reason?) the rabbits had been turned loose.  These are your black rabbits and white rabbits and gray and brown....all those nice rabbits that I have admired back in the 4-H bunny barn back in Ohio.  The did survive the winter. At least some of then have been surviving the winter.   They are pretty laid back rabbits though and are not afraid to just hop around the edges of the sidewalks or slowly meander across the street.   Stuart couldn't under stand why he wasn't allowed to pursue them. He was trying to file a protest with the correct authority right before I managed to get him out of town....for cruel and unusual teasing of dogs.