Sunday, June 26, 2011

Alaska 2011 - Denali National Park



Denali - "The High One or Great One"

We could not wait to start our adventure to Denali National Park. We left Anchorage and passed through Wasilla, Alaska – once the home of Sarah Palin. We understand from many Alaskans, that she now lives in Arizona. We did not get to visit with her on this trip.

Mt. McKinley (Denali) is the highest mountain in North America. It stands 20,320’ high and to be able to view “The Great One” or “The High One” from its base to the top is not always possible. We were fortunate to have that “postcard” picture day.

Talkeetna, Alaska is a railroad town. Talkeetna is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is full of log cabins and old buildings. It is the permanent home of people who are very proud of their lives’ and their families. Talkeetna, Alaska is McKinley’s mountain town. The BEST professional mountain climbers from every country in the world come to this town as their jumping off point to climb Denali. You see Tibetan prayer flags, as well as Korean banners, grizzled trappers, and Alaska huskies in a very exciting and authentic Alaskan location. Flight service, from Talkeetna, takes the climbers into various locations on the mountain, including McKinley base camp at 7,200’ on Kahiltna Glacier. We had a caribou burger and beer at the West Rib Café & Pub. This is where the climbers, if successful in their summit attempt, gather to celebrate. They enjoy the West Rib caribou burger and a beer. Their names and artifacts left behind fill this old building. Around 1,200 to 1,500 make the attempt each year starting in the spring, with only a 50% success rate. The Talkeetna, Chulitna, and Susitna Rivers all meet at Talkeetna, Alaska and are a sight to see when the waters are high and the salmon spawning.

Denali National Park was awesome! There are 1 ½ million people that visit the park each year. Denali is served by the Alaska Railroad and brings people to the park from Anchorage and Fairbanks on a daily basis. We stayed at Riley Creek Campground for three days. We took the tour bus to Eielson Visitors Center, which is 66 miles into the park. This is the only way that you can see the park’s interior. Denali National Park is 6 million acres of pristine wilderness. The Denali Wilderness Preserve can only be accessed in the winter by sled dog teams. On our tour we got to see Mt. McKinley (base to top), grizzly bears, moose, caribou, dall sheep, and many birds and small mammals. It is amazing to see so many large predatory animals living is such close proximity to each other on the tundra. This can only happen when there is a vast food source available to these animals in the spring and summer months. We did not get to see any wolves or lynx, but they were definately around the park as evidence showed. Come winter, everything changes as the snows start to fall. We had a great time and took many, many pictures.

We also got to visit Sled Dog Kennels. There are 31 Alaska Huskies that are employed by the U.S. Federal Government to patrol and carry supplies into the Wilderness Preserve, which is 2 million acres, in the winter time. Ten dogs pull a sled that may range in weight from 350 to 500 lbs., which includes the “musher” and supplies. There are remote log cabins in the wilderness where park employees stay during the winter months. The Alaska Husky is not recognized by the American Kennel Society as a breed dog because it is not a “show” dog. The Alaska Husky is a “work” dog and is much bigger than the “racing dogs” used on the Qwest and Iditarod Sled Dog races.

CLICK HERE to view the Talkeetna, Alaska slideshow!

CLICK HERE to view the Denali National Park slideshow!





Saturday, June 25, 2011

Alaska 2011 - Seward, Homer, Soldotna, Hope to Anchorage, Alaska



“The Deadliest Catch in Alaska”


Seward, Alaska is known as the “Gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park”. Since we had taken the glacier tour previously, we did not visit this national park. Established in 1903, Seward was an important transportation hub for Alaska’s mining, exploration, fishing, and trapping industries. The town is named after William H. Seward (U.S. Secretary of State) under President Andrew Johnson. Seward was instrumental in arranging the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. The original Iditarod trail (938 miles) was established in 1910 as a mail route to Nome, Alaska. The world famous Iditarod Sled Dog Race (1,049 miles) is now run between Anchorage, Alaska and Nome, Alaska. Seward is a very small progressive and friendly community. It is famous for its mural paintings.

Homer, Alaska is the “Halibut Fishing Capital of the World”. There are so many halibut that are caught daily, it is hard to imagine that this will continue forever. We enjoyed spending time on the Homer Spit and seeing all of the boating activity, but unless you fish either salmon or halibut, there is not much else to do there.

The town of Soldotna, Alaska is the “hub” of the Kenai Peninsula. We will definitely go back here and spend some time in the future. This is the takeoff spot for an abundance of physical activities relating to fishing, hiking, biking, clam digging, socializing, and relaxation. We really enjoyed our stay at the family operated Diamond M Ranch RV Park and would like to go back and visit these wonderful people someday. In 1963, Carrol Martin and his son Blair piloted a renovated tugboat and a 400 ton barge to the Kenai. Blair was nine years old at the time. The family was originally from Colorado and wanted a different life style. They purchased a 400 ton barge from Foss Tug Company in Tacoma, WA and loaded all of their belongings on to it. This included all of their livestock, personal belongings, and the necessary building materials for their new home in Alaska. They purchased 80 acres on the Kenai Peninsula where they now live and run the Diamond M Ranch RV Park. This family is very special and their story is very Alaskan. Leaving was our most emotional experience of the trip!

Hope, Alaska was an old mining town at one time located on Turnagain Arm. We wanted to visit this small Alaskan town because of Nancy’s middle name and to see the cabin of some friends who live in Anchorage, Alaska.

Anchorage, Alaska is the biggest city in Alaska and we enjoyed the tour that our friends provided. We stayed just one day as we could not wait any longer to get to Denali National Park. We left and headed to Talkeetna, Alaska which is the headquarters and take-off location for all Mt. Denali (McKinley) climbers. We were not disappointed as our next post will show!



CLICK HERE to watch our slideshow!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Alaska 2011 - Tok, Valdez, to Whittier, AK


Alaska 2011 – Tok, to Valdez, to Whittier, AK

We head south from Tok, AK with the intention of staying at Blueberry Lake campground which is at the top of Thompson Pass on your way to Valdez. The weather was terrible so we decided to continue on to Valdez and spend a couple of days.

Valdez was founded in 1899 when gold seekers built a tent city at the base of the Valdez Glacier. They crossed the glacier into the interior of Alaska to seek their riches. In 1900 they laid a telegraph line between Washington and Alaska, bypassing Canada for the first time. In 1964, the original town of Valdez was completely wiped out with the 9.2 earthquake and a huge tidal wave. In 1967, the town was condemned and moved to its present location.

Today Valdez, hosts premier salmon and halibut fishing, winter activities, and serves the Valdez Marine Terminal, which is the southernmost end of the 800-mile Alaska Pipeline. The oil spill of 1989 caused an influx of people to Valdez to help with the clean up. During this time new buildings were built, of which the command center is now a big hotel. Valdez, Alaska has overcome many major hardships and is a constant reminder of its history.

Whittier, Alaska is located on a ice-free arm of Prince William Sound. During World War II, the U.S. Army constructed a port and rail road terminal. At the time Seward, Alaska was the major supply port for the military. It was feared that the Japanese would bomb Seward and wipe out the military supply line. A “secret port” was established at Whittier because of the constant low cloud cover and ice-free port. Two large buildings dominate the skyline – the 14 story Begich Towers, which houses the entire permanent community of the town. The Buckner Building, once the largest building in Alaska, has been abandoned. Today, the community is an important recreational center, industrial, and cruise ship port.

To drive to or from from Whittier, you must drive through the 2.5 mile Anton Anderson Memorial tunnel. This was the World War II-era tunnel used for supplies and was transformed into the longest vehicle/railroad tunnel in North America in 2000.

There are two slideshows for you to see. The first is about the community of Valdez and our ferry ride to Whittier. The second is about our 26-glacier cruise in Prince William Sound and the abundant wildlife. Hope you enjoy them both.

CLICK HERE to watch the Valdez, AK and Aurora Ferry ride.

CLICK HERE to watch the 26-Glacier Cruise and wildlife pictures.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Alaska 2011 - Dawson City, Yukon to Tok, Alaska


Alaska 2011 – Dawson YK to Tok, Alaska

We had a great ferry ride across the Yukon River and headed up the “Top Of the World” highway that connects the Yukon Territory to Alaska. It is a very slow dirt road and one that you do not want to travel if the weather is bad. There are no guard rails and there are some pretty steep drop-offs to places unknown to man below. The road is 107 miles to Chicken, Alaska which is mainly a prospecting town now. There are a couple of campgrounds, with generated 20 amp power, but no water or toilets. It is very remote!

However, there is the Chicken Café, which serves up some pretty awesome meals. You can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner and that is where most everyone eats that lives in the area. Nancy and I shared the sourdough blueberry pancakes that were served in a gold pan. There are a few tour buses that pass through every so often, giving tourists an opportunity to see how people survive in the remote Yukon Territory.

There were several gold prospectors that were staying in the campground with us. We got to meet a couple of very successful prospectors who had several mining claims in the area. We really enjoyed learning about their trade and the stories they shared. Don’t think for a minute, that the “gold rush” is not re-occurring in this area again.

We left Chicken, Alaska and headed to Tok, Alaska. Tok is on the Alaska Highway. It is the only town that you will pass through both going and returning from the interior of Alaska. We stayed at the Sourdough RV Park, which is known for their famous nightly pancake toss. If you are lucky enough to toss a sourdough pancake into the bucket, you will get a FREE breakfast the following morning. Skip won a FREE breakfast with his second toss.

We left Tok and headed to Valdez hoping to find a beautiful campsite in the mountains. Unfortunately, we ran into some rainy weather and drove the distance to Valdez. We passed the Alaska Pipeline on several occasions, but in the spring and summer you cannot see it from the road. You don’t dare drive off the highway to see it either, or you will be in big trouble. The surveillance of the pipeline is unbelievable.

Watch for our next blog Valdez, Alaska to Whittier, Alaska and our tour of the 26 glaciers in Prince William Sound.

CLICK HERE to watch our slideshow. You will especially want to see pictures of the two gold prospectors that we met in Chicken, Alaska.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Alaska 2011 - Whitehorse, YK to Dawson City, YK



Alaska 2011 – Whitehorse, YK to Dawson City, YK

Prospecting and mining is still the #1 industry in the Yukon Territory today. Through 2010, there have been 13,527,555 ounces of gold taken from the territory. Needless to say with the current price of gold, there are more and more people coming into the territory seeking their fortunes. Dawson City, YK and the Bonanza Creek area still beckon those adventuresome souls.

The aspirations of these people goes back to 1896 and the great Klondike Gold Rush. It all happened back then on a sunny August afternoon when three Yukon sourdoughs made their historical discovery on Rabbit Creek, later named Bonanza Creek. Not much has changed since then, except for technology.

The town of Dawson City is pretty much the same with its dirt roads, old and restored historical buildings, and the sense that there is still time to strike it rich in the 21st century. The charm still prevails and the allure of a “by-gone” era.

Dredge # 4 still rests in the Bonanza Creek valley after sinking and then being restored. It was built in 1911 and abandoned when it stopped being profitable in 1959. The dredge is still the largest wooden hulled, bucket line dredge in North America. It played a big part in the development history of this area. The dredge machine consisted of the bucket excavator, revolving screens, gold saving sluice boxes, tailing piles from the stacker which pivoted, and was a floating barge with a control room. It needed water to operate, so moved up the creek beds very slowly leaving tailing ponds behind. This whole operation only took 5 men to operate.

There are two slide shows which I hope you enjoy. The first is our trek to Dawson City, YK and the second is our tour of Dredge # 4.

CLICK HERE to see our slideshow of Dawson City.

CLICK HERE to see our tour of Dredge # 4.

Thursday, June 2, 2011



Alaska 2011 – Teslin Lake, YK to Whitehorse, YK

After having lunch with several friends at the Teslin Lake Café, we headed out to Whitehorse. We spent the first night at the Pioneer RV Park and then decided to move up the road to the High Country RV Park which was closer to town. We spend three more days in Whitehorse relaxing and getting caught up on things. The highlights of the trip were touring the S.S. Klondike, Beringia Museum, Miles Canyon, Frantic Follies, and having fresh Halibut Fish-N-Chips at the Klondike Rib and Salmon House. It was also very exciting for Nancy to visit the original home of Sam McGee. Nancy's father, Ralph, would recite the poem "Cremation of Sam McGee" written by Robert Service, while he shaved many mornings before going to work. We also enjoyed the visitor’s center and walking around the city going back into history ourselves.

Whitehorse, YK became the transportation center of the Yukon Territory in the late 1800’s. Whitehorse was named after the historic rapids on the Yukon River which flowed through Miles Canyon. With the formation of the hydro-electric dam the rapids have been eliminated, but Miles Canyon still exists today. In 1900, construction of the White Pass & Yukon Route steam railway from Skagway to Miles Canyon opened up this area for the gold fever excitement that filled the air at that time. Whitehorse was the take off point for Dawson City, YK and the riverboats on the upper Yukon River.

The Beringia Museum takes you back to the last great ice age. While the rest of Canada lay frozen under massive sheets of ice, a region encompassing eastern Siberia, eastern Alaska, and Yukon remained untouched by glaciers. Sea levels were so low that grassy tundra was present supporting astonishing varieties of animals, plants, and man-kind. The world’s earliest humans moved into what is now North America about 24,000 years ago. There were herds of wooly mammoth’s giant bison, camels, and many other huge four legged critters.

The S.S. Klondike, built in 1929, was the largest sternwheeler on the upper Yukon River. She was 240 feet long, carried 300 tons of cargo, and had a 40” draught for the shallow Yukon River. The Klondike was a “sternwheeler”, not a “side-wheeler”, which made it easier to navigate the fast flowing, shallow, winding rivers like the Yukon. The S.S. Klondike was originally built to haul 4,500 ore bags (125 lbs. each) coming from the silver mines between Dawson City and Whitehorse. She was powered by a wood-fired locomotive style fire-tube boiler. It held 15,000 gallon of water, drawn from the river. Sternwheelers were first used on the lower Yukon River in the late 1860’s to service the many trading posts and communities. At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush (1897-8), there were 250 riverboats on the Yukon River transporting supplies and people. The Klondike had a crew of 23, earning $25 a month, and provided one-way passenger accommodations for 32 (1st Class - $35 each) and 43 (2nd Class - $25 each). The Yukon River was frozen solid for 7½ months, so the shipping season was short. Each Fall, the boats were hauled out of the water and wintered on “skid-ways” in the Whitehorse Shipyard. After sinking in 1936 and being rebuilt the S.S. Klondike carried passengers and cargo on the Yukon River until 1955 – the last Yukon River sternwheeler in active service.

We have put together two separate slide shows. The first is on Whitehorse, YK and the second is a special presentation of the S.S. Klondike. Hope you enjoy!

CLICK HERE to view the Whitehorse, YK slide presentation.

CLICK HERE to view the S.S. Klondike slide presentation.