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July 21to July 24
Entry 26 of 41 | show all | print this entry |
Thursday, July 21
Today is a travel day, 250 miles from Valdez to Tok, as we begin our journey out of Alaska. Going back up the Thompson Canyon was as beautiful as coming down and the weather was once again preventing us from seeing the mountain tops. Once we broke out of the canyon the clouds broke a bit and we did catch some of the wonderful scenery. Because we had got an early (8am) departure we stopped several times to stretch and read the roadside signs which identified some of the mountains and other landmarks. The most notable stop was at the Visitors' Center at the largest National Park in the United States - Wrangell-St. Elias where (among other things) we saw a wonderful film on the park. It was another highlight of our trip. We enjoyed it so much we bought a copy to show our family and friends and to watch ourselves from time to time. The Visitors' Center itself was one of the best we have seen, nearly new and very well designed. There were four separate buildings, the reception building where we got an overview of the park with a bit of history on its designation as a national park, a second building with many displays on the wildlife and geological formation of the area and a bit of the story on the exploration of the area. Next we went to the theater building to view the film. The fourth building was the comfort station.
As we prepared to leave the area one of the couples in our caravan, Coy and Earlina Campbell, discovered they had left their lights on and their motor home battery was dead. We gave them a "jump" using the spare battery I had brought because our truck battery is over five years old and they were soon on their way again.
As we passed through Glenallen we completed our "back tracking" and headed North on the road to Tok. We had been warned that this road was going to be rough, and it certainly was. An earthquake in 2002 had caused the road to "heave" and there were many dips which dictated slow travel to prevent damage to the trailer and its contents. We also had about 25 miles of construction which we traversed very carefully and slowly behind a pilot car. We were on a temporary surface of rocks and mud that was miserable.
For the record, the portion of the road that was not under construction needs to be rebuilt!
We finally arrived in our RV Park in Tok at about 4:30, thoroughly exhausted and "all shook up." Pat said that her stomach actually ached from all of the bouncing.
Our evening was relaxing but uneventful. We had dinner with Mike and Tina Lee in their motor home - Tina made the soup and Pat made hamburger patties which we grilled on our portable gas grill. Following dinner we watched the National Park film which Mike and Tina had not seen. We then went for a short walk and an ice cream before turning in for the evening.
Friday, July 22
Another travel day, we were back on the Alaska Highway for our 200 mile journey to the only RV Park we stayed in that was from hell. While we did not want to return to Kluane Wilderness Lodge and RV Park we had no choice (there were no others in the area) and it was to be just a quick overnight stay, which was long enough. The drive was uneventful, with the usual construction areas and temporary road repairs. A word about the highway surfaces in this country - the roads are constructed out of an aggregate of crushed rock that is held to together by an emulsifier or binder that is primarily oil. It is not asphalt roads as we know it. The same method is used for road repairs only they use traffic to force the rocks into the surface. So where they make patches we are driving through small, sharp rocks which they call gravel. It is this gravel that does the damage to vehicles, especially when a large truck passes going the opposite direction. The same thing happens to towed vehicles, like our trailer, which has sustained some minor damage.
After about a hundred miles we crossed the border and were back in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Once again the crossing was uneventful, the agent's questioning almost cursory because the line of traffic was quite long, and we were on our way. The rest of the day was uneventful, the road was bumpy but not too bad, and we arrived at Kluane Wilderness RV Park at about 4pm. In the evening we had a good campfire with great fellowship. As we were nearing the end of the caravan's official travel everyone was beginning to feel a bit sad at the prospect of the end after a few days in Whitehorse. Someone had suggested that before we went our separate ways it would be fun to hear how each couple had met. Soon we were all telling our individual stories and it was quite fun to hear, especially when each spouse put a slightly different spin on the same story. We also took turns saying which Alaska town we would most like to live in, and why. A good time was had by all. Though it is strange to have a campfire that goes until 10pm and it is still light outside.
Saturday, July 23
We awakened early - we were cold - to find the outside temperature was 38 degrees Fahrenheit! Just thought I would mention that for those of you who are in the 100 + degree days. But the sky was clear and the morning was gorgeous so we headed down the Alaska Highway toward Whitehorse, a distance of only 200 miles and a four hour drive. However, when you stop to take pictures of some of the prettiest mountains, and they are not covered with clouds, it takes a bit longer. We must have stopped dozens of times because every time we rounded a curve we would see another beautiful scene. I was having a ball and Pat, though not as excited as me, was enjoying it also. We were once again traveling with Coy and Earline Campbell and when I didn't stop they did.
We arrived in Haines Junction, a distance of 100 miles, at 11:30, so we only averaged about 30 miles and hour! What a wonderful trip it was; the sky was as pretty as we have seen the whole trip. We had about twenty miles of major road rebuilding that also contributed to the slow time. After an hour and a half eating a Chinese lunch and filling the truck with gas we were back on the road. Once more we had an extended major construction area with a temporary surface like the others, plus mud.
The rest of the travel to our RV park in Whitehorse was uneventful and we arrived about 4pm. After disconnecting the trailer we headed down the road to find a spot where we could get cell phone service so we could call Tim on his birthday. We reached him when he had his hands full taking care of his boys so we could only visit briefly, but we did learn that Charlie has taken his first steps and TJ is now using the big boy potty! After we hung up we both realized that we had not wished him a happy birthday, the reason for the call! After returning to the RV Park we had a quiet evening relaxing with a few of our fellow travelers. After falling asleep several times in my folding chair, I excused myself at 10:30 and went inside and went to bed. We are sure getting out of our habit of turning in early.
Sunday, July 24
After 9am Mass back at the Cathedral in Whitehorse (we had been there four weeks earlier) we came back to the RV Park to get ready for the bus to our fourth or fifth boat ride of the trip, but not until Pat fixed a breakfast of bacon and eggs. By noon we were boarding the boat on the Yukon River for a two hour cruise. We had an excellent time, but it was not the most memorable of our many boat trips although it certainly was the best weather we had for any of them. Then it was back to the trailer and busy preparation for a last minute decision to have a potluck dinner. Everyone gathered right outside our trailer door beginning at 4:30 and we had a a huge assortment of snacks and main course dishes. Everyone seemed to have a good time while they devoured the food and visited with one another. Then it was off to the park office for an ice cream, another hour or so of visiting, and then everyone headed for their RV. We were inside and Pat had the dishes done and put away before 9pm.
Note: Sorry for getting behind in sending this posting onto the eathernet. We have not had access to internet service for four days. We are going to head in to town soon (Monday) and look for a place where I can get on line. We do not expect to have Internet access for the next several days so it may be the weekend (in Vancouver) when I make my nextposting.
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