Thank you all for reading my blog. I truly hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed living it. Growing up in a small town I have many misconceptions of the world. In my trip notes I try to point them out in a humorous way. I am sorry if I have offended any of you that have chosen to read about my trip. I love to travel because the people that I meet always make me a better person in the end. Without a doubt the people that I met on the road were the highlight of my trip. I have tried to use my silly sense of humor bring many of these encounters to life. I find it sad that many people put travel off until the end of their lives. My limited amount of traveling has had such a huge effect on so much of the way I think about everything. Traveling has revealed to me the full spectrum of color in a world that I grew up believing was in many ways simply black and white.
Things I learned while on my trip:
1. Its hard to slow down when driving fast is so much fun.
2. Good equipment means less equipment.
3. Less equipment means less stuff to pack up every morning.
4. Fuel up as often as you can.
5. Eat half as often as you can.
6. Say “hi” as often as you can.
7. Souveniers are items you collect for later yard sales
8. A trip by yourself doesn’t mean you’ll ever be lonely.
9. Whatever crazy trip you're doing, 1/3 of the people you meet are doing a crazier one.
10. Five days on a boat is two too long if you own a motorcycle.
11. Nebraska is mind numbingly long.
12. Nothing good happens after 10:00 pm on a motorcycle.
13. A good adventure once in awhile make home seem better.
14. I like to use the words great and awesome a lot. That's not too bad a habit. Its better than "right on".
God Bless.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Des Moline Aug 10
I woke up to a door slamming about six times in a row. I looked out the window and saw three guys standing around an open U-haul full of music equipment talking. Deciding this was my head banger alarm clock I figured it was time to shower and hit the road for home. Today would be my last day on the road. The weather was warm but sunny and clear. I got into the Quad-cities at round noon and figured I would stop by to see an old friend. No such luck, he was out of the office. So I took route 67 over to Monmouth. I headed up to 74 from there.
It seemed like years since I had been on this road. As I drove over the Centennial Bridge in Peoria I couldn’t help feeling a little numb. I really could believe it was almost done. I was ending a trip that seemed too big to start. I got home two days early.
Leeann shortly after seeing me got into with me because my early arrival was messing up her plans to spend the night with Grandma Lois. Home sweet home. The girls and I drove up to Prophetstown the next day. With three ladies in the house, my life is all about compromise.
It seemed like years since I had been on this road. As I drove over the Centennial Bridge in Peoria I couldn’t help feeling a little numb. I really could believe it was almost done. I was ending a trip that seemed too big to start. I got home two days early.
Leeann shortly after seeing me got into with me because my early arrival was messing up her plans to spend the night with Grandma Lois. Home sweet home. The girls and I drove up to Prophetstown the next day. With three ladies in the house, my life is all about compromise.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Evanston Aug 9
The next morning I was up and packed by 7:30. I loaded the bike I discovered all the damage. Replaying the previous night, I thanked God that I wasn't hurt. There is a saying about making an omelet and cracking eggs. I guess the scratches on my bike were just part of the price of an incredible omelet. Realizing that's why I have insurance, I fueled up and hit the road. My goal was to get home if I could.
Stopping in the middle of Nebraska at a rest stop, I napped for 15-minutes. I was making good time but was running out of daylight again. I hope to be in Morton by 5:00 am on Wednesday. As the dark closed in I started slowing down a little. Deer are nothing to mess around with on a bike. I stayed behind cars and hung with traffic. As I drove I started to wonder if I was seeing things. A line of light kept appearing to the left on I-80 up high. I watched it appear and disappear over and over again. It was the beginning of a big thunderstorm. As I approached Des Moines the lighting lit up huge storm clouds. I was almost totally sure that I was going to slip by it. Once in Des Moines the storm seemed to suddenly be all around me. The lightning was everywhere and close. I pulled off the interstate to find a place to hide out while the storm passed. The closest thing was a Git and Go gas station. I pulled in under the pump island and put a couple of gallons in and ran into the store. I grabbed a fountain drink and watched the parking lot turn into a river.
It poured buckets for 2 hours. The lady that was running the shop told me that a lot of the rivers and creeks were at flood stage. So I had to spend two hours making small talk with a 3 time divorced mother of four that grew up in Alabama but really felt like Mississippi was her home. She was a talker let me tell you. Thank God, too. Every minute she spent explaining her life was what I like to think of as "dry time". She was a nice lady that could have kick me out but instead let me have a couple of free refills and a milk crate to sit on. Not bad for 2:00 a.m. and three hundred miles from home. So as the rain let up I told the lady thank you and good-bye and headed to the closest hotel.
Stopping in the middle of Nebraska at a rest stop, I napped for 15-minutes. I was making good time but was running out of daylight again. I hope to be in Morton by 5:00 am on Wednesday. As the dark closed in I started slowing down a little. Deer are nothing to mess around with on a bike. I stayed behind cars and hung with traffic. As I drove I started to wonder if I was seeing things. A line of light kept appearing to the left on I-80 up high. I watched it appear and disappear over and over again. It was the beginning of a big thunderstorm. As I approached Des Moines the lighting lit up huge storm clouds. I was almost totally sure that I was going to slip by it. Once in Des Moines the storm seemed to suddenly be all around me. The lightning was everywhere and close. I pulled off the interstate to find a place to hide out while the storm passed. The closest thing was a Git and Go gas station. I pulled in under the pump island and put a couple of gallons in and ran into the store. I grabbed a fountain drink and watched the parking lot turn into a river.
It poured buckets for 2 hours. The lady that was running the shop told me that a lot of the rivers and creeks were at flood stage. So I had to spend two hours making small talk with a 3 time divorced mother of four that grew up in Alabama but really felt like Mississippi was her home. She was a talker let me tell you. Thank God, too. Every minute she spent explaining her life was what I like to think of as "dry time". She was a nice lady that could have kick me out but instead let me have a couple of free refills and a milk crate to sit on. Not bad for 2:00 a.m. and three hundred miles from home. So as the rain let up I told the lady thank you and good-bye and headed to the closest hotel.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Klamath Aug 8
The next morning I got up early and packed up. I wolfed down a couple of Granola bars dipped in peanut butter. Those sit kind of hard, so I felt lucky wasn’t jogging home. Anyway I dialed in Salt Lake City into the GPS and got on the road. It was going to be 660-miles so it should be a good ride. I stopped to fill up at a small town and spent an hour on the phone visiting with my brother about the trip. The next stop was Drews Reservoir for a couple of quick pictures. The neat thing about this drive was there must have been a car show in Klamath Falls cause I met a ton of classic cars on the road all day long. Sorry no pics of the cherry hot rods. I
stopped in Sunnyville for a bite to eat. Then back on the road. Here is where I exited the mountains and entered the desert. After a hour a storm blew up; the high winds of the storm front create a dust storm that blew me all over the Hwy. Next the rain rolled in. I was expecting a hard rain and was surprised by a gentle warm mist. The sun was setting at my back at this same time, which created a cool double rainbow. I pulled off the road and shot a HDR from the shoulder of the road. At dusk I was driving through the Bonnieville Salt Flats. I had no idea that this was right off of I-80. In the twilight I could see a couple of Landsailer ripping around in the desert. I really don’t like to drive at night but I decided to push my luck to see if I could shave a couple of days off my trip. This was a decision that I would rethink later that night. My goal was to get to Salt Lake City or a little farther. I got to Salt Lake and used my GPS to look for a campground. Exploring several options I discovered that all the campgrounds here were for RV camping.
I was waiting on a stoplight at an overpass for I-80. It was about 10:30 and I was realizing that I was going to have to drive another half an hour to find a place to set up camp. Setting up a tent in the dark is without a doubt one of my least favorite parts of camping, only second to weeds that make you itch. While still at the stoplight, mulling over a cheap hotel, the driver of an SUV going the opposite direction decided to turn in front of me. I am not sure what happened to cause this to be a sudden decision, but the vehicle swerved over into my lane and ran over a metal street sign that was in the median between us. At this point the front end of the SUV popped up in the air making me less than comfortable about their ability to control their vehicle. Most importantly I was realizing that I wouldn’t have to set up my tent if I ended up in the hospital. From my perspective the next thing that was going to get run over was me. Watching as the vehicle moved closer, I made a lunged off the bike. Within a foot of hitting my bike they regained control and drove down the on ramp for I-80. I lay on the pavement a couple of feet away from my bike watching them drive off.
Next a teenage boy appeared from behind me and said, “ Are you alright man?” Finishing up the last word of profanity that I knew. I replied “ I'm ok but can you help me get my bike up.” The young kid helped me lift the bike back on to its wheels. I dropped the kickstand and started to realize how that I was shaking. The boy said,” Aren’t you hurt?” “No”, I replied. “He was really close but he never hit me.” The SUV was nowhere to be seen. The boy said ” Well I have to get home, take care.” I thought about calling the police but there wasn’t anything to do and I didn’t feel like standing around while he wrote up the accident report. I needed to find a place to sleep. The bike was still running so I jumped on and turned onto I-80.
Heading East out of Salt Lake City on I-80 at night was totally insane. The interstate twisted and turned and drops a lot. I put another hour and a half ride between Salt Lake City and me. By the time I got to Evanston I had forgotten all about camping and was ready for a bed. I found a Comfort Inn and called it a night.
stopped in Sunnyville for a bite to eat. Then back on the road. Here is where I exited the mountains and entered the desert. After a hour a storm blew up; the high winds of the storm front create a dust storm that blew me all over the Hwy. Next the rain rolled in. I was expecting a hard rain and was surprised by a gentle warm mist. The sun was setting at my back at this same time, which created a cool double rainbow. I pulled off the road and shot a HDR from the shoulder of the road. At dusk I was driving through the Bonnieville Salt Flats. I had no idea that this was right off of I-80. In the twilight I could see a couple of Landsailer ripping around in the desert. I really don’t like to drive at night but I decided to push my luck to see if I could shave a couple of days off my trip. This was a decision that I would rethink later that night. My goal was to get to Salt Lake City or a little farther. I got to Salt Lake and used my GPS to look for a campground. Exploring several options I discovered that all the campgrounds here were for RV camping.
I was waiting on a stoplight at an overpass for I-80. It was about 10:30 and I was realizing that I was going to have to drive another half an hour to find a place to set up camp. Setting up a tent in the dark is without a doubt one of my least favorite parts of camping, only second to weeds that make you itch. While still at the stoplight, mulling over a cheap hotel, the driver of an SUV going the opposite direction decided to turn in front of me. I am not sure what happened to cause this to be a sudden decision, but the vehicle swerved over into my lane and ran over a metal street sign that was in the median between us. At this point the front end of the SUV popped up in the air making me less than comfortable about their ability to control their vehicle. Most importantly I was realizing that I wouldn’t have to set up my tent if I ended up in the hospital. From my perspective the next thing that was going to get run over was me. Watching as the vehicle moved closer, I made a lunged off the bike. Within a foot of hitting my bike they regained control and drove down the on ramp for I-80. I lay on the pavement a couple of feet away from my bike watching them drive off.
Next a teenage boy appeared from behind me and said, “ Are you alright man?” Finishing up the last word of profanity that I knew. I replied “ I'm ok but can you help me get my bike up.” The young kid helped me lift the bike back on to its wheels. I dropped the kickstand and started to realize how that I was shaking. The boy said,” Aren’t you hurt?” “No”, I replied. “He was really close but he never hit me.” The SUV was nowhere to be seen. The boy said ” Well I have to get home, take care.” I thought about calling the police but there wasn’t anything to do and I didn’t feel like standing around while he wrote up the accident report. I needed to find a place to sleep. The bike was still running so I jumped on and turned onto I-80.
Heading East out of Salt Lake City on I-80 at night was totally insane. The interstate twisted and turned and drops a lot. I put another hour and a half ride between Salt Lake City and me. By the time I got to Evanston I had forgotten all about camping and was ready for a bed. I found a Comfort Inn and called it a night.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Tillamook Aug 7
We spent the night at some mom and pop hotel. The next morning we got breakfast and headed out. As we were leaving a Hispanic Harley rider asked if he could ride with us. (There goes another one of my stereo types of them all being fat white rednecks. I am speaking of Harley riders not hispanics.) Les seemed less than excited about him riding with us, but the guy was going the same way. We hit the road at the same pace as the day before. The Harley's long stroke design didn’t give him the snap up to passing speed the way the rest of the group could.
After about two hours of running down the coast a police officer caught up with us. I couldn’t believe that we were all pulled over and the cop let us all go except for Les. When I looked back the Cop was really chewing on Les pretty good. He was waving his hands around so much that he almost knocked his own hat off. We pulled off at the next gas station up the line and waited. Les found us after about 25 minutes. He wasn’t interested in talking about it so we just gassed up and headed out. I guess a long with really being able to ride he could really get tickets. So it goes. So our speed after that was a little bit more low key. I had no problem with keeping up the rest of the time.
We stopped at several scenic pull offs that day. The coastline was very pretty. The morning fog eventually burned off revealing a nice view of the Pacific. The second stop was at a coastal bridge the spanned a large canyon. We parked our bikes and walked to the center of the bridge for the best vista. After clicking our shots and talking we looked up to see the police officer coming down the road. He passed us without incident even though there was large sign indicating that no one on foot was allowed on the bridge. I pointed this out to Les and he replied “That's just for the jumpers”. What! Les explained that the bridge was a very popular place to commit suicide from. I laughed and said, ”I guess five guys with motorcycle helmets on snapping picture don’t really fit the profile of a jumper.” Les laugh also, “ Yeah guess not.”
The road was really a great biking road. The view, surface and turns were top notch. As we entered the top of California, the straight a ways started getting longer and I spotted several huge young red woods. About that time we all pulled over. This was the end of line for all of us riding together. Les and the two sons were continuing on down Hwy 101 towards Sacramento. Brian and I were going to head east into the mountains. The road led us up into Grants Pass. I know I sound like a broken record but this was also very scenic and a blast to ride on. We stopped and check out the Redwoods up close. I knew they were not the big ones, but they were still damn impressive. I started laughing and walked over and touch one of the trees. Brian was smiling and watching me. I realized I was acting like I was meeting someone famous. Then we watch a couple in their 70s acting the same way. I guess the scale of them makes you feel like a little kid inside. It's really funny and hard to explain just how it feels.
We jumped back on our bikes and headed up Grants Pass. Brian now being the leader was hitting the turns hard and passing everything in sight. I got stuck behind a large truck and watched as Brian ripped up the twisting canyon road ahead of me. I decided to not kill myself on this vacation so I waited for a safer spot to pass. Brian was still ways ahead of me. After passing several cars and hitting the edge of the canyon rim I saw him about 3 or 4 miles ahead. I decided to close the gap. Just about this time I noticed a dark car in my rear view mirror. I think you can figure out where this is headed. It was a cop. It was my turn. I got the perfect souvenir 87 in a 55. He asked me why I was speeding and I didn’t figure he would believe that my water broke so I mentioned that I was just trying to catch up to my buddy. After scratching out my 300 dollar ticket. He said, “Well tell him to slow down too.” I laughed and figured that it was going to be the only smartass cop I would meet in the next 2000 miles so I better make the best of it.
Just as I was getting ready to put my helmet back on the cop started asking me about my trip. He said "So you have just been riding around all summer?" I said "Yeah, pretty much." He replied "Sounds cool" I smiled and replied "Well it has been till now." The cop smile but had no retort. I headed on up the line to Klamath Falls at 55. It was getting dark so I used my GPS to find a K.O.A. campground. Brian had continued on with his trip and so was I.
After about two hours of running down the coast a police officer caught up with us. I couldn’t believe that we were all pulled over and the cop let us all go except for Les. When I looked back the Cop was really chewing on Les pretty good. He was waving his hands around so much that he almost knocked his own hat off. We pulled off at the next gas station up the line and waited. Les found us after about 25 minutes. He wasn’t interested in talking about it so we just gassed up and headed out. I guess a long with really being able to ride he could really get tickets. So it goes. So our speed after that was a little bit more low key. I had no problem with keeping up the rest of the time.
We stopped at several scenic pull offs that day. The coastline was very pretty. The morning fog eventually burned off revealing a nice view of the Pacific. The second stop was at a coastal bridge the spanned a large canyon. We parked our bikes and walked to the center of the bridge for the best vista. After clicking our shots and talking we looked up to see the police officer coming down the road. He passed us without incident even though there was large sign indicating that no one on foot was allowed on the bridge. I pointed this out to Les and he replied “That's just for the jumpers”. What! Les explained that the bridge was a very popular place to commit suicide from. I laughed and said, ”I guess five guys with motorcycle helmets on snapping picture don’t really fit the profile of a jumper.” Les laugh also, “ Yeah guess not.”
The road was really a great biking road. The view, surface and turns were top notch. As we entered the top of California, the straight a ways started getting longer and I spotted several huge young red woods. About that time we all pulled over. This was the end of line for all of us riding together. Les and the two sons were continuing on down Hwy 101 towards Sacramento. Brian and I were going to head east into the mountains. The road led us up into Grants Pass. I know I sound like a broken record but this was also very scenic and a blast to ride on. We stopped and check out the Redwoods up close. I knew they were not the big ones, but they were still damn impressive. I started laughing and walked over and touch one of the trees. Brian was smiling and watching me. I realized I was acting like I was meeting someone famous. Then we watch a couple in their 70s acting the same way. I guess the scale of them makes you feel like a little kid inside. It's really funny and hard to explain just how it feels.
We jumped back on our bikes and headed up Grants Pass. Brian now being the leader was hitting the turns hard and passing everything in sight. I got stuck behind a large truck and watched as Brian ripped up the twisting canyon road ahead of me. I decided to not kill myself on this vacation so I waited for a safer spot to pass. Brian was still ways ahead of me. After passing several cars and hitting the edge of the canyon rim I saw him about 3 or 4 miles ahead. I decided to close the gap. Just about this time I noticed a dark car in my rear view mirror. I think you can figure out where this is headed. It was a cop. It was my turn. I got the perfect souvenir 87 in a 55. He asked me why I was speeding and I didn’t figure he would believe that my water broke so I mentioned that I was just trying to catch up to my buddy. After scratching out my 300 dollar ticket. He said, “Well tell him to slow down too.” I laughed and figured that it was going to be the only smartass cop I would meet in the next 2000 miles so I better make the best of it.
Just as I was getting ready to put my helmet back on the cop started asking me about my trip. He said "So you have just been riding around all summer?" I said "Yeah, pretty much." He replied "Sounds cool" I smiled and replied "Well it has been till now." The cop smile but had no retort. I headed on up the line to Klamath Falls at 55. It was getting dark so I used my GPS to find a K.O.A. campground. Brian had continued on with his trip and so was I.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Off the boat Aug 6
The boat exit was pretty eventless. I spent 5 days hanging out and killing time with several really nice people. While on the boat I decided that my tires were just too thin so I better find a place to get some new one. The bike shop in Anchorage wanted 100 dollars a wheel to mount and balance the tires - that I had brought up! This just seemed wrong. 200 bucks to put tires on that I already owned. Yes, I am ranting I know. Brian gave me an address for a store called Cycle Gear which was about 2 hour south of Auburn Washington. I called the store and they said they had several different types of tires that would work on my bike. Once at the store they were super helpful and set me up with a set of tires mounted and balanced for 400 bucks. I had to put the tires on the bike myself which took about 15 minutes each. While I finished installing my wheels, Les, Brian, Kit and James from the boat pulled into the parking lot. They needed to get a rear tire for one of their bikes. I offered my torque wrench to them so that they could remove and correctly install the lug bolt that held the wheel on to the bike. I knew the wrench would come in handy. After they return the torque wrench we visited and they invited me to ride down Highway 101 with them for a couple of days. I wanted to get back home but I couldn’t say no. I had planned this as part of the trip originally but figured that the traffic and cost of places to stay would be too much. When one of the guys invited me I figured it was like motorcycle fate, so I joined their group.
From Auburn Washington we headed west. If you are into rock trivia one of the towns we passed through was Aberdeen, WA, Curt Corbains hometown. The city sign has the slogan “Come as you are” as a tribute to the hometown legend.
After we got through Aberdeen we headed south down Hwy 101, which runs right down the Pacific coastline. This was one of the cooler parts of my trip. I am definitely going back to this area in the future. The Oregon coast was very cool. Alaska and Canada were also beautiful but I guess the twisty ass roads, beautiful coastlines, and temperatures in the 80s really make the road seem a lot more biker friendly. I wish I had time to ride all the way to Death Valley but I guess that will have to wait for the next trip.
The ride was very fast. I mean these guys went through traffic like a pinball. I held my own, but I must admit I spent a lot of time thinking about increasing my life insurance. I am not kidding. It was too much fun to be safe. If I wouldn’t of been riding with all my camping gear it would have been a lot easier to throw the bike around the many of the double corners. We drove up to the next town and waited at a gas station. We end that day of riding in Tillamook, OR. This was about halfway down the coast of Oregon. We only made about 350 miles this day due to the time we spent at Cycle Gear installing new tires but I felt like I had driven a about 700. Les was the lead rider of the group and I found out after talking to Kit that he had spent 20 years doing track racing. This guy could really ride.
From Auburn Washington we headed west. If you are into rock trivia one of the towns we passed through was Aberdeen, WA, Curt Corbains hometown. The city sign has the slogan “Come as you are” as a tribute to the hometown legend.
After we got through Aberdeen we headed south down Hwy 101, which runs right down the Pacific coastline. This was one of the cooler parts of my trip. I am definitely going back to this area in the future. The Oregon coast was very cool. Alaska and Canada were also beautiful but I guess the twisty ass roads, beautiful coastlines, and temperatures in the 80s really make the road seem a lot more biker friendly. I wish I had time to ride all the way to Death Valley but I guess that will have to wait for the next trip.
The ride was very fast. I mean these guys went through traffic like a pinball. I held my own, but I must admit I spent a lot of time thinking about increasing my life insurance. I am not kidding. It was too much fun to be safe. If I wouldn’t of been riding with all my camping gear it would have been a lot easier to throw the bike around the many of the double corners. We drove up to the next town and waited at a gas station. We end that day of riding in Tillamook, OR. This was about halfway down the coast of Oregon. We only made about 350 miles this day due to the time we spent at Cycle Gear installing new tires but I felt like I had driven a about 700. Les was the lead rider of the group and I found out after talking to Kit that he had spent 20 years doing track racing. This guy could really ride.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
On the boat Aug 4-5
Wrangle was the next stop on the boat. It was a quick stop to let off and pick up passengers. I was spending a lot of time visiting with several people that I met in Haines. Jon and Jason was a father and son that had ridden their bikes up form New Mexico to Alaska. They were riding a couple of Yamaha FJ1100. I simply could not figure out how they got all of their stuff on these bikes, but they did. Jason was leaving for college at the end of the trip. This father, Jon, ran an online lingerie business. I am thinking cool job. Then he makes some reference to being a Mormon. Now I am thinking there has to be a story here. It turns out that he has developed a lingerie line for professional women. The lingerie was designed to match a woman's skin tone. This allows women to wear shear clothing with out having the color of their undergarments show through. Just when I thought there were no original thoughts left in the world, this happens.
Ray and Holly were another couple that was traveling together. They had a brand new Harley that Ray told me had cost him $42,000. The wild part was that he had driven it 300 miles to Haines on one cylinder. He believed that he had broken the connecting rod that connected the piston to the crank shaft. I was amazed that it was still running and that there was a motorcycle that cost that much. They were heading to Bellingham to get the motor replaced. In addition to being amazed by their bike, their relationship was also a source of wonder. They were divorced and Ray announced that they would be celebrating their 6 month anniversary while on the boat. How do you talk your ex into going on a bike trip to Alaska after getting divorced? Now that’s something to think about. I know I did.
Stony and Marci were another couple that I got to know. They were riding from Rochester, New York on separate bikes. Stony was a really cool easygoing guy and Marci was the life of the party. Within only a few minutes of being on the boat she would make several new friends. In fact we all got off the boat in Ketchikan and were waiting on a bus. Marci got tired of waiting so she stopped a truck and talked them into giving us a ride downtown.
A guy by the name of Roger joined our party from time to time. He was an English and Special Education teacher that was working on his PHD in Psychology. He was 46 years old and had a 23-year-old girlfriend who was Jehovah witness. His girlfriend, he explained, had mental problems and was very possessive. Over time, the topics of discussion with Roger started to make all of us in the group believe that Roger was the one with the mental problems. I think most men living with women half their age do.
Les and Brian were two other guys traveling with their sons. Their sons were Kit and James. Les was a contractor in Las Vegas and Brian was a CFO for a mining operation that made line. Both were really smart and witty guys that had done a ton of riding. While talking with them, we all agreed that, after about three days on the boat we were all getting a little board with it. The view was beautiful and the ship was very comfortable but we all wanted to get back on our bikes and ride.
Ray and Holly were another couple that was traveling together. They had a brand new Harley that Ray told me had cost him $42,000. The wild part was that he had driven it 300 miles to Haines on one cylinder. He believed that he had broken the connecting rod that connected the piston to the crank shaft. I was amazed that it was still running and that there was a motorcycle that cost that much. They were heading to Bellingham to get the motor replaced. In addition to being amazed by their bike, their relationship was also a source of wonder. They were divorced and Ray announced that they would be celebrating their 6 month anniversary while on the boat. How do you talk your ex into going on a bike trip to Alaska after getting divorced? Now that’s something to think about. I know I did.
Stony and Marci were another couple that I got to know. They were riding from Rochester, New York on separate bikes. Stony was a really cool easygoing guy and Marci was the life of the party. Within only a few minutes of being on the boat she would make several new friends. In fact we all got off the boat in Ketchikan and were waiting on a bus. Marci got tired of waiting so she stopped a truck and talked them into giving us a ride downtown.
A guy by the name of Roger joined our party from time to time. He was an English and Special Education teacher that was working on his PHD in Psychology. He was 46 years old and had a 23-year-old girlfriend who was Jehovah witness. His girlfriend, he explained, had mental problems and was very possessive. Over time, the topics of discussion with Roger started to make all of us in the group believe that Roger was the one with the mental problems. I think most men living with women half their age do.
Les and Brian were two other guys traveling with their sons. Their sons were Kit and James. Les was a contractor in Las Vegas and Brian was a CFO for a mining operation that made line. Both were really smart and witty guys that had done a ton of riding. While talking with them, we all agreed that, after about three days on the boat we were all getting a little board with it. The view was beautiful and the ship was very comfortable but we all wanted to get back on our bikes and ride.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
On the boat Aug 4
I awoke in the morning feeling like a tired roasted chicken. The ship stopped in Juneau at 2:00 am and the captain’s announcement kept me up till 4:00 am. The electric ceiling heat got cranked up and literally forced me out of my sleeping bag. It was like a little chick incubator. I have spent all summer waking up in weird places and spending the first few minutes trying to figure out where it was by rerunning the trip in fast-forwards in my mind. With this mornings view I was relieved of all those questions. The sun was out and all I could see was a beautiful ocean view. I stumbled around and made my way to the showers. When I got done cleaning up, the boat was just pulling into Sitka. I grabbed all my cameras and headed off the boat.
My phone rang and it was my wife Rebecca. Her return home had brought back all the stress of her residency. We talked for a while and I realized that I was really starting to miss home. This trip has been great and I can’t wait for the next one, but, I was starting to think about all the things at work and home that needed to be attended to. Most importantly, my wife was needing my support also.
After the call from my wife I explored Sitka. It was a fishing town. Like most of the land on the north west side of this continent it was owned and occupied by Russians. In the center of town is the oldest Russian Orthodox Church in North America. Outside of town is a park dedicated to the native culture called Totem Pole Park. A dozen totem poles were scattered along a 1.5 mile trail. The trail ran through an old black spruce forest. Walking the trail to the back of the park I saw a stream. Several people were talking and pointing at the water. Walking down to the stream to look I saw that it was totally full of pink salmon. I tried taking a picture but the sun was creating too many reflections. On the way back to the boat I noticed the Sitka College. It appeared to be closed. The only building that was open had touch tanks of local sea life for the tourist. While talking to my wife I was surprised to discover that she had applied and been except to this college back when she was in High School, Strange uh! This was by far one of the nicest towns on the ferry route to Bellingham.
I got back to the boat and decided that I would skip the chick incubator sleeping arrangements. I figured I would go ahead and pitch my tent. I know this sounds weird but it is really totally normal on this boat. The fantail of the boat on level six is where most of the tents were pitched. But as I mentioned, by the time I got my bike strapped down all the spots were taken. That is why I slept in the deck chairs the first night. Many of the new passengers were now pitching tents on the seventh floor. I set up my tent and threw all my gear inside. As I was getting everything squared away I noticed an older man sitting near the rail on the boat. He was polishing off a pint of vodka. With in minutes of this sighting he was laying on the deck of the boat pointing his finger up in the air and I believe talking to God. I have no interest in denying anyone's religious freedoms, however, I believe that most faiths don’t pray using a long string of profanity like this old man did. So I figured this might make it a problem getting any sleep if this method of worship were to continue into the night. I slipped down to the front desk and asked if they could send someone up to visit with him. I then went and took a shower. Returning to the top deck I found out that this older man tried to take on four deck hands. Damn, I always miss the cool stuff. After this he was escorted to his room and told that he had to stay there for 24 hours or he would be put in the brig. I didn’t see him around the rest of the trip.
My phone rang and it was my wife Rebecca. Her return home had brought back all the stress of her residency. We talked for a while and I realized that I was really starting to miss home. This trip has been great and I can’t wait for the next one, but, I was starting to think about all the things at work and home that needed to be attended to. Most importantly, my wife was needing my support also.
After the call from my wife I explored Sitka. It was a fishing town. Like most of the land on the north west side of this continent it was owned and occupied by Russians. In the center of town is the oldest Russian Orthodox Church in North America. Outside of town is a park dedicated to the native culture called Totem Pole Park. A dozen totem poles were scattered along a 1.5 mile trail. The trail ran through an old black spruce forest. Walking the trail to the back of the park I saw a stream. Several people were talking and pointing at the water. Walking down to the stream to look I saw that it was totally full of pink salmon. I tried taking a picture but the sun was creating too many reflections. On the way back to the boat I noticed the Sitka College. It appeared to be closed. The only building that was open had touch tanks of local sea life for the tourist. While talking to my wife I was surprised to discover that she had applied and been except to this college back when she was in High School, Strange uh! This was by far one of the nicest towns on the ferry route to Bellingham.
I got back to the boat and decided that I would skip the chick incubator sleeping arrangements. I figured I would go ahead and pitch my tent. I know this sounds weird but it is really totally normal on this boat. The fantail of the boat on level six is where most of the tents were pitched. But as I mentioned, by the time I got my bike strapped down all the spots were taken. That is why I slept in the deck chairs the first night. Many of the new passengers were now pitching tents on the seventh floor. I set up my tent and threw all my gear inside. As I was getting everything squared away I noticed an older man sitting near the rail on the boat. He was polishing off a pint of vodka. With in minutes of this sighting he was laying on the deck of the boat pointing his finger up in the air and I believe talking to God. I have no interest in denying anyone's religious freedoms, however, I believe that most faiths don’t pray using a long string of profanity like this old man did. So I figured this might make it a problem getting any sleep if this method of worship were to continue into the night. I slipped down to the front desk and asked if they could send someone up to visit with him. I then went and took a shower. Returning to the top deck I found out that this older man tried to take on four deck hands. Damn, I always miss the cool stuff. After this he was escorted to his room and told that he had to stay there for 24 hours or he would be put in the brig. I didn’t see him around the rest of the trip.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Haines Aug 3
I woke up at 5:00 am to squawking ravens. Those birds sure talk a lot in the morning. The area around my tent was like a gang war between the gulls and the ravens. I guess they are hungry and need to talk about it.
I fell back to sleep and was awoken by my cell phone alarm. In a half awake stupor, I thought the ravens turned it on. I turned it off and listen to the ravens for another hour. I finally decided to get up. Sitting at a picnic table eating a breakfast bar I watched two ravens go at it over a hair tie. Several other campers were now stirring so I decided to break camp, washed the bike, and get a shower. Once my chores were finished I left all my gear packed up at the campground and walked into town for breakfast. Returning to the campground I and visited with all my fellow campers. John and Jason, a father and son set of riders from New Mexico. John is a 48 year old small business owner. Jason is 18 and leaving for college in the fall. Ray woke up and started complaining about his engine to Jon. While they visited a green van pulled up and asked me if they could play some music from their new album. They were called “Behind Safire”. Hoping that they would provide a little entertainment I said "Yes". They sang us three songs and I was impressed. They were very cool young kids with the artistic skill and drive to make a go of it in music. I bought a CD and then went to the beach to do some photography.
I found an old pier area. As always, I was happy to be shooting. Haines is a great area to shoot; next I decided to head out of town to the end of route 2. I stopped on the way and got my tickets for the boat. The bay in front of Haines ends in a river. While wandering around, I met up with Stony and Marci. They were two other bikers I met at the campground. We talked about our trip and watched an eagle sit in a tree at the end of the bay. Yes, of course it was a beautiful day and I was glad to be on a bike. After shooting I ran back to the campground to load up. None of my fellow bikers were at the campground so I quickly strapped on the gear. On the way out of town I stop to get a little food for supper. I ended up with a 26-dollar order of fish and chips. Not cool, not cool at all.
So I proceeded out to the ferry dock and got in line. This was the wildest thing I have done during this whole trip. They ran us down a ramp into the side of the ship. Once inside we drove our bikes onto a freight elevator. This elevator held four bikes. We were lifted up one floor and drove the bikes to the very back of the ship. Several gentleman drug heavy chains out and hooked them into the floor all the way across the room. They then tighten them down and told us to strap our bikes down to the chains. It was crazy. All the bikers started digging through they’re gear pulling out rope and tie down scraps, most of the people put their bikes up on the center stand. Once finished I offered to help the guy next to me put his bike on a center stand. He looked at me for a minute and then smiled. "Dude, Harley's don’t have center stands. They’re too damn heavy for that shit." We both laughed.
After getting the bike strapped down I walked up stairs to find a place for my tent. The people riding two on a bike had the advantage of being able to split up and get their tent setup while the other did the bike. I was out of luck. I started asking around and found that the very top deck had an area for camping also. The top deck of this ship is called the Solaris deck. It turns out that this is the place to be. They actually have electric heaters mounted on the ceiling. I looked around and decided that instead of messing around with the tent I would just crash in the deck chairs. Half of the chairs were already being use as beds by the time I got up there. So I grabbed all my stuff and dropped it beside one of the chairs and rolled out my sleeping bag. The ferry left port and all seem good. I had made the ferry. Parked the bike and had a place to sleep. Life can still have some simple pleasures. The view pulling away was nice. A stream of people came to the upper deck and took pictures. It was fun to watch people be people. I found my friends John and his son Jason and went to the front of the boat to look for whales and dolphins. A musician that was traveling started playing in the bar while us. After about an hour our group went in to see what the guy was all about. Marci and Stony were hanging out and enjoy the music. They invite us to join them for awhile.
I fell back to sleep and was awoken by my cell phone alarm. In a half awake stupor, I thought the ravens turned it on. I turned it off and listen to the ravens for another hour. I finally decided to get up. Sitting at a picnic table eating a breakfast bar I watched two ravens go at it over a hair tie. Several other campers were now stirring so I decided to break camp, washed the bike, and get a shower. Once my chores were finished I left all my gear packed up at the campground and walked into town for breakfast. Returning to the campground I and visited with all my fellow campers. John and Jason, a father and son set of riders from New Mexico. John is a 48 year old small business owner. Jason is 18 and leaving for college in the fall. Ray woke up and started complaining about his engine to Jon. While they visited a green van pulled up and asked me if they could play some music from their new album. They were called “Behind Safire”. Hoping that they would provide a little entertainment I said "Yes". They sang us three songs and I was impressed. They were very cool young kids with the artistic skill and drive to make a go of it in music. I bought a CD and then went to the beach to do some photography.
I found an old pier area. As always, I was happy to be shooting. Haines is a great area to shoot; next I decided to head out of town to the end of route 2. I stopped on the way and got my tickets for the boat. The bay in front of Haines ends in a river. While wandering around, I met up with Stony and Marci. They were two other bikers I met at the campground. We talked about our trip and watched an eagle sit in a tree at the end of the bay. Yes, of course it was a beautiful day and I was glad to be on a bike. After shooting I ran back to the campground to load up. None of my fellow bikers were at the campground so I quickly strapped on the gear. On the way out of town I stop to get a little food for supper. I ended up with a 26-dollar order of fish and chips. Not cool, not cool at all.
So I proceeded out to the ferry dock and got in line. This was the wildest thing I have done during this whole trip. They ran us down a ramp into the side of the ship. Once inside we drove our bikes onto a freight elevator. This elevator held four bikes. We were lifted up one floor and drove the bikes to the very back of the ship. Several gentleman drug heavy chains out and hooked them into the floor all the way across the room. They then tighten them down and told us to strap our bikes down to the chains. It was crazy. All the bikers started digging through they’re gear pulling out rope and tie down scraps, most of the people put their bikes up on the center stand. Once finished I offered to help the guy next to me put his bike on a center stand. He looked at me for a minute and then smiled. "Dude, Harley's don’t have center stands. They’re too damn heavy for that shit." We both laughed.
After getting the bike strapped down I walked up stairs to find a place for my tent. The people riding two on a bike had the advantage of being able to split up and get their tent setup while the other did the bike. I was out of luck. I started asking around and found that the very top deck had an area for camping also. The top deck of this ship is called the Solaris deck. It turns out that this is the place to be. They actually have electric heaters mounted on the ceiling. I looked around and decided that instead of messing around with the tent I would just crash in the deck chairs. Half of the chairs were already being use as beds by the time I got up there. So I grabbed all my stuff and dropped it beside one of the chairs and rolled out my sleeping bag. The ferry left port and all seem good. I had made the ferry. Parked the bike and had a place to sleep. Life can still have some simple pleasures. The view pulling away was nice. A stream of people came to the upper deck and took pictures. It was fun to watch people be people. I found my friends John and his son Jason and went to the front of the boat to look for whales and dolphins. A musician that was traveling started playing in the bar while us. After about an hour our group went in to see what the guy was all about. Marci and Stony were hanging out and enjoy the music. They invite us to join them for awhile.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Haines Aug 2
The second leg would be from Tok to Haines where I would board the ferryboat. It was a total of over 700 miles. Saturday and Sunday were drive days and Monday I would board the boat at 8:00 pm. This would give me wiggle room if I had any problems. The road to Haines would include two border crossings,and passing through Destruction Bay. This area was some of the coldest and rainiest of my trip up. In addition to the weather, the 50 miles of roads after the Canada border crossing were really bad. Actually, this part of the road was the worst on the trip.
The border crossing was super easy the lady was really chatty and nice. Shortly after I left the border crossing I notice a bike riding along behind me. He pulled up next to me and motioned that I had a problem with my rear pack. We pulled over. and stuck up a conversation. We talked for about an hour, a long the road in the middle of nowhere. His name was David Klingensmith. He was also from Illinois. We continue riding together and stopped in Destruction Bay and had lunch together. David is programming consultant that develops database apps. We really hit it off. It always surprises me how open people are if they are out of their element. Most of the people I have met on this trip I would have never talked to. It blows me away every time it happens.
David had been traveling for 6 weeks solo and was cutting his trip short to help his wife with some pet problems. So we split ways at Haines Junction. I was on the edge of town and noticed a sign that said, "Next gas stop 120 miles". I looked at my gas gauge and immediately turned around to top off my tank. Thank god I did! The road to Haines is one of the emptiest roads I have ever seen. It is beautiful but it is totally void of people. About 90 miles into the trip, I top a hill and found six wild horses just walking down the road. I of course stop to take pictures. The first thing I thought was that I need to call someone and let them know that these horses got out. I drove and drove and drove, no houses. I finally got to the border crossing and mentioned the horses. They informed me "Those are wild horse sir". O yeah, boy I am glad I didn’t report all those buffalo in Yellowstone.
Once over the border the canyon walls seemed to shoot straight up. It was 34 miles into Haines from the border and it was awesome. If I had it to do again I would do the trip in reverse. I drove into town and found a great campground right on the shoreline. I pulled in and talked to the manager. This has to be one of the nicest ladies I have met since I started the trip. I actually was able to pitch my tent on the shoreline for fifteen dollars. NOW THAT IS VERY REASONABLE FOR ALASKA. While setting up camp I met a Ray and Holly who were bike trailer camping. They were from New York and were having bike problems to the max. He told me that it was only running on one cylinder. He believed that he had snapped the connecting rod to the cylinder. Ray was really worked up about his bike. I felt his pain. Traveling on a motorcycle is hard work and stressful. A major engine problem is what all bikers fear during a long journey. The point of the trip is to see and enjoy new areas not to be pre-occupied with mechanical problems. I was relieved to be in Haines myself.
The border crossing was super easy the lady was really chatty and nice. Shortly after I left the border crossing I notice a bike riding along behind me. He pulled up next to me and motioned that I had a problem with my rear pack. We pulled over. and stuck up a conversation. We talked for about an hour, a long the road in the middle of nowhere. His name was David Klingensmith. He was also from Illinois. We continue riding together and stopped in Destruction Bay and had lunch together. David is programming consultant that develops database apps. We really hit it off. It always surprises me how open people are if they are out of their element. Most of the people I have met on this trip I would have never talked to. It blows me away every time it happens.
David had been traveling for 6 weeks solo and was cutting his trip short to help his wife with some pet problems. So we split ways at Haines Junction. I was on the edge of town and noticed a sign that said, "Next gas stop 120 miles". I looked at my gas gauge and immediately turned around to top off my tank. Thank god I did! The road to Haines is one of the emptiest roads I have ever seen. It is beautiful but it is totally void of people. About 90 miles into the trip, I top a hill and found six wild horses just walking down the road. I of course stop to take pictures. The first thing I thought was that I need to call someone and let them know that these horses got out. I drove and drove and drove, no houses. I finally got to the border crossing and mentioned the horses. They informed me "Those are wild horse sir". O yeah, boy I am glad I didn’t report all those buffalo in Yellowstone.
Once over the border the canyon walls seemed to shoot straight up. It was 34 miles into Haines from the border and it was awesome. If I had it to do again I would do the trip in reverse. I drove into town and found a great campground right on the shoreline. I pulled in and talked to the manager. This has to be one of the nicest ladies I have met since I started the trip. I actually was able to pitch my tent on the shoreline for fifteen dollars. NOW THAT IS VERY REASONABLE FOR ALASKA. While setting up camp I met a Ray and Holly who were bike trailer camping. They were from New York and were having bike problems to the max. He told me that it was only running on one cylinder. He believed that he had snapped the connecting rod to the cylinder. Ray was really worked up about his bike. I felt his pain. Traveling on a motorcycle is hard work and stressful. A major engine problem is what all bikers fear during a long journey. The point of the trip is to see and enjoy new areas not to be pre-occupied with mechanical problems. I was relieved to be in Haines myself.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Anchoage Aug 1
We all slept late on Saturday. Traveling is tiring and all the new things we saw and the thought of ending our time together seemed to mentally wipe us all out. My daughters would be ending one vacation with us and starting another week long vacation with their Grandma Mary in Door County. My wife would be returning to her residency. I would be back on the bike to drive home. Ok, 2000 miles of it would be sitting on a ferryboat running along the coast. Regardless of the path that each of us was heading toward, we were all a little nervous about the change in the routine. I got up and started packing my stuff. It’s hard to do a good job of packing stuff on a bike. There just isn’t a hell of a lot of room. After being with my family at Denali all clothes were dirty. The tent and sleeping bag smelled like a foot from being stored damp. So I washed it all. My daughters woke up around eleven and both were in great moods. I finished packing and then we all went to the pool. On the way there the girls showed me how to run like mad caribou. The pool was freezing but I swam. A promise is a promise, Leaann reminded me. We spent about an hour swimming and then I decided it was time to get on the road. It was a bittersweet day. I must say it really sucks to watch your daughters cry. After countless hugs and goodbyes in the parking lot I was off for the boat. The first leg of the trip was to Tok, about 350 miles.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Back to Anchorage July 31
The train ride back to Anchorage was really nice. The girls got to run around and my wife and I got to visit. We snapped few more photos of the mountains, rivers and marshlands. The only problem was at the very end of the trip a sad accident forced the train to stop about 40 minutes outside of Anchorage. The train track runs next to the Air force Base runway. A huge cargo jet missed the runway and hit the train tracks instead. All four men flying the plane were all killed in the crash. The railroad track was damaged and the plane wreckage blocked the tracks. So we were off loaded on to buses and driven to the train station.
Once off the bus, we took a taxi to the hotel. We checked into the hotel and I got the shuttle to drive me to the pay parking lot to pickup my bike. I actually caught myself smiling when I saw it in the lot. Granted, I was worried that it might have been stolen. I have to admit that it was almost like seeing a family member. This is weird I thought and the roller coaster ride continuous.
I removed the cover and hit the starter button. It was totally dead, no lights or anything. This family reunion is starting to make me feel panic. Like an uncle that burns the house down while smoking in bed or runs your car out of oil. The only thing I could think of was “This Blows”. So, I am in Alaska, in a pay parking lot with a dead battery. I spent about 5 minutes wiggling wires and turning the key on and off. This was fun but I wasn’t getting any closer to the hotel. I spotted some people about 3 blocks away. I walked over and found an old Vietnam Vet in a van. I explain my situation and was relieved to find out that he had a set of jumper cables and he would help me. So I ran back to the bike and started pushing it. Since I was in a pay parking lot, it cost me 60 bucks to get it out. Now this bike is feeling like an uncle that I just had to bail out of jail. FYI, a 1200 cc bike doesn’t push worth a damn.
I got the bike over to the guy and by now he was starting to really open up to me. He explains to me that he makes spiders. Yeah, WOW, spiders. So of course he wants to show me one of them. He produces from his silver spray painted 1980 Van a spider made from two bolts and 8 pieces of wire. I showered him with compliments on the design and craftsmanship. So of course he had to tell me his process. You know, it’s amazing to me just how interested you can act about two 5/8 nuts and eight pieces of coat hanger welded together when you really need help. Having a motorcycle is hard on me, the feelings of being betrayed, plus having to manipulate total strangers just to get back on the road.
Thank god it started right up. I was so relieved, then the thought sprang to mind that I should buy one of his spiders. Just as I was about to say something I realized that I was going to have to figure out how to strap a 10 inch spider on to my bike and drive all the way back home. This sounded too goofy even for me - I mean this thing was yard art. I might as well by gnome or a birdbath and strap it on to the bike. Suddenly, the image of the guy in the parade with the monkey suit flashed into my mind. I wondered if this was a gateway moment. Perhaps, the monkey bike rider started off normal and then sometime like this set him on the wrong path. A little voice in my head said “No this is wrong”. So I gave him 10 bucks and headed back to the hotel.
Once off the bus, we took a taxi to the hotel. We checked into the hotel and I got the shuttle to drive me to the pay parking lot to pickup my bike. I actually caught myself smiling when I saw it in the lot. Granted, I was worried that it might have been stolen. I have to admit that it was almost like seeing a family member. This is weird I thought and the roller coaster ride continuous.
I removed the cover and hit the starter button. It was totally dead, no lights or anything. This family reunion is starting to make me feel panic. Like an uncle that burns the house down while smoking in bed or runs your car out of oil. The only thing I could think of was “This Blows”. So, I am in Alaska, in a pay parking lot with a dead battery. I spent about 5 minutes wiggling wires and turning the key on and off. This was fun but I wasn’t getting any closer to the hotel. I spotted some people about 3 blocks away. I walked over and found an old Vietnam Vet in a van. I explain my situation and was relieved to find out that he had a set of jumper cables and he would help me. So I ran back to the bike and started pushing it. Since I was in a pay parking lot, it cost me 60 bucks to get it out. Now this bike is feeling like an uncle that I just had to bail out of jail. FYI, a 1200 cc bike doesn’t push worth a damn.
I got the bike over to the guy and by now he was starting to really open up to me. He explains to me that he makes spiders. Yeah, WOW, spiders. So of course he wants to show me one of them. He produces from his silver spray painted 1980 Van a spider made from two bolts and 8 pieces of wire. I showered him with compliments on the design and craftsmanship. So of course he had to tell me his process. You know, it’s amazing to me just how interested you can act about two 5/8 nuts and eight pieces of coat hanger welded together when you really need help. Having a motorcycle is hard on me, the feelings of being betrayed, plus having to manipulate total strangers just to get back on the road.
Thank god it started right up. I was so relieved, then the thought sprang to mind that I should buy one of his spiders. Just as I was about to say something I realized that I was going to have to figure out how to strap a 10 inch spider on to my bike and drive all the way back home. This sounded too goofy even for me - I mean this thing was yard art. I might as well by gnome or a birdbath and strap it on to the bike. Suddenly, the image of the guy in the parade with the monkey suit flashed into my mind. I wondered if this was a gateway moment. Perhaps, the monkey bike rider started off normal and then sometime like this set him on the wrong path. A little voice in my head said “No this is wrong”. So I gave him 10 bucks and headed back to the hotel.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Denali July 30
Last day in Denali
We got the morning started early. We discovered that the taxi was running a little later. When we inquired about the taxi they said that the newest driver didn’t show up. I guess the Prudhoe Bay truck driver hung it up, or maybe just over slept. The goal was to get checked out and then find the Denali Sled Dog Kennels.
Denali Park is the only National Park to have an active Dog Sled team. This is a historical left over from the original rangers that created and manned this park. They used the dogs to patrol the park grounds in the winter to stop poachers from killing the Dall sheep and other park wild life. Given a choice, this stop would not have been on my list of must see. I would have probably been more interested in a boring hike that would have resulted in me getting mauled by a bear or an uptight moose. But I must say that it was really pretty cool. The ranger allowed us to walk through the kennel area and even pet some of the friendlier dogs of the team. The main building in the kennel area was actually the original dog kennel structure, which is around 85 years old. The female ranger gave a great presentation on the dog team and end it by hooking up the team to a summer wheeled sled and ran it around a small track in the kennel area. Overall the presentation was very well done.
Now it’s back to the train to go to Anchorage. My wife and daughters will be flying out on Sunday morning. I will be back on my bike tomorrow (Saturday) and headed for Haines to catch the ferry which leaves Monday evening for Bellingham WA. This will take 5 days and shave about 2000 miles off my trip. While on the ferry I will be going through: Juneau, Prince Rupert, Wrangle, and some other small ocean towns. More later!! I hope it will be a time when I can shoot some coastal wildlife photos. I became interested in doing the ferry trip down the coast while talking to a guy at the Bozeman Gas Station. He was a fellow BMW bike owner and said he had made the trip up and camped on the ferryboat on the way back. He described the communal camping environment as an awesome part of the trip. Shortly after that brief discussion my wife told me that she was going to need me back home ASAP after the vacation. Driving more than 500 miles a day can be a big drag so she came up with this as an alternative. I am sure the drive from Bellingham to Morton will be a pay back, but its all good.
It has just occurred to me that many of you may not have any idea why in the heck I am even doing this trip. Well its kind of a combination of a dream bike trip, family vacation and volunteering at a Baptist mission. It all stems from the fact that my parents are retired and spend almost every summer in Alaska. About 10 years ago they were on the island of Kodiak exploring. They were attending a Baptist Church one Sunday and met a guy by the name of Evan Jones. He was a minister that ran the Kodiak Baptist Mission. Him and my dad hit it off and Evan asked him to volunteer at the mission by teaching some classes and help working on the equipment and buildings. That was the start of the whole thing. My parents had found a new home. They came home that fall and told me all about the wonderful people and work they had done while at the mission. The mission origin is as an orphanage. The state helped to fund the operation until the they started questioning if they were forcing the orphans to pray and attend church. This was a situation that got to the point were the mission felt they weren’t able to do anything with the kids. As a result of this problem the mission closed the orphanage and stop taking the states money. They reorganized and decided to run the whole mission on donations. The people like my parents that are willing to spend there summer or work parties that come up for a couple of weeks have made the operation and growth of the mission possible.
We got the morning started early. We discovered that the taxi was running a little later. When we inquired about the taxi they said that the newest driver didn’t show up. I guess the Prudhoe Bay truck driver hung it up, or maybe just over slept. The goal was to get checked out and then find the Denali Sled Dog Kennels.
Denali Park is the only National Park to have an active Dog Sled team. This is a historical left over from the original rangers that created and manned this park. They used the dogs to patrol the park grounds in the winter to stop poachers from killing the Dall sheep and other park wild life. Given a choice, this stop would not have been on my list of must see. I would have probably been more interested in a boring hike that would have resulted in me getting mauled by a bear or an uptight moose. But I must say that it was really pretty cool. The ranger allowed us to walk through the kennel area and even pet some of the friendlier dogs of the team. The main building in the kennel area was actually the original dog kennel structure, which is around 85 years old. The female ranger gave a great presentation on the dog team and end it by hooking up the team to a summer wheeled sled and ran it around a small track in the kennel area. Overall the presentation was very well done.
Now it’s back to the train to go to Anchorage. My wife and daughters will be flying out on Sunday morning. I will be back on my bike tomorrow (Saturday) and headed for Haines to catch the ferry which leaves Monday evening for Bellingham WA. This will take 5 days and shave about 2000 miles off my trip. While on the ferry I will be going through: Juneau, Prince Rupert, Wrangle, and some other small ocean towns. More later!! I hope it will be a time when I can shoot some coastal wildlife photos. I became interested in doing the ferry trip down the coast while talking to a guy at the Bozeman Gas Station. He was a fellow BMW bike owner and said he had made the trip up and camped on the ferryboat on the way back. He described the communal camping environment as an awesome part of the trip. Shortly after that brief discussion my wife told me that she was going to need me back home ASAP after the vacation. Driving more than 500 miles a day can be a big drag so she came up with this as an alternative. I am sure the drive from Bellingham to Morton will be a pay back, but its all good.
It has just occurred to me that many of you may not have any idea why in the heck I am even doing this trip. Well its kind of a combination of a dream bike trip, family vacation and volunteering at a Baptist mission. It all stems from the fact that my parents are retired and spend almost every summer in Alaska. About 10 years ago they were on the island of Kodiak exploring. They were attending a Baptist Church one Sunday and met a guy by the name of Evan Jones. He was a minister that ran the Kodiak Baptist Mission. Him and my dad hit it off and Evan asked him to volunteer at the mission by teaching some classes and help working on the equipment and buildings. That was the start of the whole thing. My parents had found a new home. They came home that fall and told me all about the wonderful people and work they had done while at the mission. The mission origin is as an orphanage. The state helped to fund the operation until the they started questioning if they were forcing the orphans to pray and attend church. This was a situation that got to the point were the mission felt they weren’t able to do anything with the kids. As a result of this problem the mission closed the orphanage and stop taking the states money. They reorganized and decided to run the whole mission on donations. The people like my parents that are willing to spend there summer or work parties that come up for a couple of weeks have made the operation and growth of the mission possible.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Denali July 29
We got up early and made it to the park for the 8:30 shuttle into the interior. It's a 60-mile bus ride in. The weather was cloudy, which meant that Mount McKinley wouldn’t be visible. I knew this from a visit my wife and I made here shortly after getting married. We both remember an 8-hour rainy ride on the bus to see one wet bear. This was no honeymoon, for the bear or us.
This trip with my daughters was a MUCH better time. The weather was as good as it gets for Denali, a little sun, rain and cool wind. It’s a tough place to hang. The ride out to the main viewing area of Denali was about 90 miles. We had a good driver that pointed out all the interesting parts of the park and stopped for wildlife sightings. You’d better bring binoculars with you. The animals aren’t running along side the bus like some Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom TV show. If that’s what you're wanting, you better stay home and watch TV. Towards the end of the day it seemed a lot a like "where’s Waldo". The clouds did clear enough to get a slight view of the mountain. We hiked around the visitor center. The scale and view of the mountains was awesome. I was glad to be able to do this. I hope the girls remember something from this trip. Thinking back to 9, I highly doubt it, but a parent has to try.
The driver on the way back didn’t talk much, so the trip seemed longer. The whole family dozed off a couple of times. The scenery was just as pretty the second time but the lack of monolog reminded me of riding the detention bus. I think you get the idea. It’s a strong memory for me even now. I think I’m digressing.
The highlight of the return trip was a restroom break. No, I am not kidding. We pulled onto a side road lined with porta-potties and found a bear waiting in line. The bear was eating blue berries on a hillside right next to the toilets and walked over to the bus when we pulled up to see what was going on. We were all busy watching him and taking pictures of course, and forgot to tell the poor guy cleaning the toilet about the bear. In fact, we were all whispering so that we wouldn’t scare him off. The bear walked right on by us and headed directly in the campground across the road. The bus driver got on the CB and started trying to warn the rangers. The guy cleaning the toilets finally overhears the bus driver and boy was he pissed. I don’t know why he didn’t say anything but you could sure tell he was hot.
To wind up the day we grabbed an Alaskan jumbo hotdog. I really don’t know why they were different than a normal hotdog. They did have bear meat hotdogs - I can only imagine how tasty that was. Probably tasted like an old camper. The ride back to the cabin was with a native guy that had only been working with tourists for two weeks. His normal job was a truck driver for the Prudhoe Bay oil company. He had been driving since 1981. He had been only driving for tourist for two weeks. The oil industry had slowed down and laid him off. He said he only had one more year and he was going to retire. I asked him what the land was like up in Prudhoe Bay. He said “Boring”. No sugar coating from this guy, that's for sure.
This trip with my daughters was a MUCH better time. The weather was as good as it gets for Denali, a little sun, rain and cool wind. It’s a tough place to hang. The ride out to the main viewing area of Denali was about 90 miles. We had a good driver that pointed out all the interesting parts of the park and stopped for wildlife sightings. You’d better bring binoculars with you. The animals aren’t running along side the bus like some Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom TV show. If that’s what you're wanting, you better stay home and watch TV. Towards the end of the day it seemed a lot a like "where’s Waldo". The clouds did clear enough to get a slight view of the mountain. We hiked around the visitor center. The scale and view of the mountains was awesome. I was glad to be able to do this. I hope the girls remember something from this trip. Thinking back to 9, I highly doubt it, but a parent has to try.
The driver on the way back didn’t talk much, so the trip seemed longer. The whole family dozed off a couple of times. The scenery was just as pretty the second time but the lack of monolog reminded me of riding the detention bus. I think you get the idea. It’s a strong memory for me even now. I think I’m digressing.
The highlight of the return trip was a restroom break. No, I am not kidding. We pulled onto a side road lined with porta-potties and found a bear waiting in line. The bear was eating blue berries on a hillside right next to the toilets and walked over to the bus when we pulled up to see what was going on. We were all busy watching him and taking pictures of course, and forgot to tell the poor guy cleaning the toilet about the bear. In fact, we were all whispering so that we wouldn’t scare him off. The bear walked right on by us and headed directly in the campground across the road. The bus driver got on the CB and started trying to warn the rangers. The guy cleaning the toilets finally overhears the bus driver and boy was he pissed. I don’t know why he didn’t say anything but you could sure tell he was hot.
To wind up the day we grabbed an Alaskan jumbo hotdog. I really don’t know why they were different than a normal hotdog. They did have bear meat hotdogs - I can only imagine how tasty that was. Probably tasted like an old camper. The ride back to the cabin was with a native guy that had only been working with tourists for two weeks. His normal job was a truck driver for the Prudhoe Bay oil company. He had been driving since 1981. He had been only driving for tourist for two weeks. The oil industry had slowed down and laid him off. He said he only had one more year and he was going to retire. I asked him what the land was like up in Prudhoe Bay. He said “Boring”. No sugar coating from this guy, that's for sure.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Denali July 28
The next morning we slept in a little but we made it to the visitor center by 10:00 and checked out all the exhibits. I had hit my quota on reading wall plagues by lunch and figured I kind of had a pretty good understanding of what was going on. We had lunch and decided to go for a 4-mile hike. With 9 years olds this is about all you can shoot for. This is a “No Forced March Vacation” so we have to keep it doable.
We pick up a Discovery Backpack from the Visitor Center, which had tons of science activities for the girls to do, collecting samples and experiences in nature. I got to shoot photos so I was happy. While taking a picture of a stream I stepped under a bridge that ran across it. Looking up I discovered a hornets nest less than three feet away from me. Needless to say I didn’t spend a lot of time under the bridge after that discovery.
Once the hike was over we headed into the main Denali tourist area for a Jeep Safari. I wasn’t sure what this was going to be like but I actually thought it was pretty cool - in kind of white trash way. Each group got to drive a Jeep through the backcountry of Alaska. It was actually an old mining road call Stampede Road. Two guys in their 20s led the tour. They were from Alabama. They were both super nice guys but total jeep/off roading nerds. You know the type - flannel shirts; hiking boots and greasy hair - they really had the outdoorsy look going on. They did a really good job of getting us down the trails. Each jeep had a CB and they used it to tell us about the area as well as how the trail was changing. The water hazards were huge water holes that ranged in depth from 2 to 18 inches. No one got stuck but we did a do a lot of head bobbling .
The tour was about three and half hours total. In the middle we stopped and had a meal for beef stew and fry bread at a Kitchen Camp. The weird part of this was that the guy Christopher McCandless from the movie “Into the Wild” died in a bus less than a mile from where we were eating.
BTW This is not the reason I came to Alaska.
The ride back was cool. We ran up on a moose and got a couple of pictures.
We pick up a Discovery Backpack from the Visitor Center, which had tons of science activities for the girls to do, collecting samples and experiences in nature. I got to shoot photos so I was happy. While taking a picture of a stream I stepped under a bridge that ran across it. Looking up I discovered a hornets nest less than three feet away from me. Needless to say I didn’t spend a lot of time under the bridge after that discovery.
Once the hike was over we headed into the main Denali tourist area for a Jeep Safari. I wasn’t sure what this was going to be like but I actually thought it was pretty cool - in kind of white trash way. Each group got to drive a Jeep through the backcountry of Alaska. It was actually an old mining road call Stampede Road. Two guys in their 20s led the tour. They were from Alabama. They were both super nice guys but total jeep/off roading nerds. You know the type - flannel shirts; hiking boots and greasy hair - they really had the outdoorsy look going on. They did a really good job of getting us down the trails. Each jeep had a CB and they used it to tell us about the area as well as how the trail was changing. The water hazards were huge water holes that ranged in depth from 2 to 18 inches. No one got stuck but we did a do a lot of head bobbling .
The tour was about three and half hours total. In the middle we stopped and had a meal for beef stew and fry bread at a Kitchen Camp. The weird part of this was that the guy Christopher McCandless from the movie “Into the Wild” died in a bus less than a mile from where we were eating.
BTW This is not the reason I came to Alaska.
The ride back was cool. We ran up on a moose and got a couple of pictures.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Anchorage July 26
Back on the train
This morning we packed up and grabbed a bite of breakfast. Afterward we checked into the train station. Having a few minutes to kill I decided to take a few photos of the train. My family enjoyed greatly watching the security guards trying to stop me. When he approached me, I was all done shooting and putting my cameras away. He informed me that I wasn’t supposed to do that. I smiled and said "I figured as much, but we both got our jobs to do". He smiled back and nodded.
Once on the train my daughters fell asleep almost immediately. What's the saying? "Carpe sleepen"? The train ride from Anchorage to Denali was slow but nice. We ran along Cooks Inlet to Wasilla and through Talkeetna. The Susitna River ran along most of the route. The marsh areas here were grassy and the moose could be spotted from time to time. After Hurricane Gulch the mountain closed in around the trains. High bridges spanned the deep gulches. The closer we got to Denali the bigger and closer the mountains seemed to get. Once at the train station we caught a shuttle to the Denali River Cabins. I had very little to do with the planning of this part of the trip and was surprised to discover how nice this place was. The cabins are about the size of a normal hotel room and located right on a mountain river. No nylon ceiling or outhouse here. It was late by the time we got to the cabins so we explored a little and called it a night.
This morning we packed up and grabbed a bite of breakfast. Afterward we checked into the train station. Having a few minutes to kill I decided to take a few photos of the train. My family enjoyed greatly watching the security guards trying to stop me. When he approached me, I was all done shooting and putting my cameras away. He informed me that I wasn’t supposed to do that. I smiled and said "I figured as much, but we both got our jobs to do". He smiled back and nodded.
Once on the train my daughters fell asleep almost immediately. What's the saying? "Carpe sleepen"? The train ride from Anchorage to Denali was slow but nice. We ran along Cooks Inlet to Wasilla and through Talkeetna. The Susitna River ran along most of the route. The marsh areas here were grassy and the moose could be spotted from time to time. After Hurricane Gulch the mountain closed in around the trains. High bridges spanned the deep gulches. The closer we got to Denali the bigger and closer the mountains seemed to get. Once at the train station we caught a shuttle to the Denali River Cabins. I had very little to do with the planning of this part of the trip and was surprised to discover how nice this place was. The cabins are about the size of a normal hotel room and located right on a mountain river. No nylon ceiling or outhouse here. It was late by the time we got to the cabins so we explored a little and called it a night.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Seward July 25
So back to the trip.
The next day in Seward we decided to sleep in a little. We all got up and going at 9:00 and were checking out of the hotel by 10:00. One of the girl's small school backpacks had fallen apart. We made a quick stop at the hardware store to buy a replacement backpack. We were leaving town on the train for Anchorage at 6 pm, so luggage issues had to be resolve. We had two things to do with the time we had left in Seward. I have a distant cousin that I wanted to visit with and my daughters wanted to visit the Seward Aquatic Center. I called Carolyn and invited her to eat lunch with us. My daughters were burned out on fish so we decided to do Subway. Carolyn was a lot of fun to visit with. She had lived in Alaska since 1982. She told me she ran away from home at the age of 40. I laughed and she conveyed that after her first marriage she just needed a change of scenery. Alaska seemed like a great place, so she just headed up. Her new husband is Glenn. He is retired from the Air force. Carolyn showed us around the town and we visited about our families. She took us to a small stream near her home that had Salmon in it. The girls were excited to finally see Salmon that weren’t cooked. After a couple of hours of visiting we went our separate ways. She dropped us off at the Aquatic Center and we said our goodbyes.
The Sealife center was a nice small aquarium with jellyfish, sea lions, and puffins all exhibited. We were there about an hour when someone's kid pulled the fire alarm. I was slightly relieved for the opportunity to get out of the educational environment. They ran us all outside so the girls voted for ice cream. I am pretty sure you can buy cocaine cheaper than ice cream in Seward. (I assure you this is strictly speculation.)
We went back to the Sealife Center and finished up our tour. One of the cool things about Seward is that they offer a free school bus to get you around town. I know, fat lazy Americans, can’t you walk anywhere. No, Americans really can’t, it’s just not in their nature. The floating buffet that brought them to Alaska takes away that ability. So anyway it was nice to sit with the older well dress fat Americans on the yellow school bus as they talked about going back to the boat and watching a movie. Getting off the bus I made a note to seek out non-boat people.
While walking to the hotel to pick up my bags I spotted a group of people that appeared so road weary, they resembled extras from the movie “Clan of the Cave Bear”. As I stood there smiling I remembered an early trip to Mexico in my late twenties. My wife and I spent most of two weeks driving around and sleeping on the beach. During the flight back home a young boy sitting next to me on the plane was quietly warned not to get too close to my carry on luggage - due to the pungent nature of the odor coming from it. I was lying there half asleep listening to this concerned mothers warning and started laughing. It startled the lady and she got so embarrassed that she ended up going to a different seat. I was really happy about the way that turned out because the flight was packed and I really wanted to stretch out. Lessoned learned, being pungent and willing to laugh about it has it’s advantages. Ok enough of my stinky past. Back to the trip.
The train ride from Seward was smooth and easy. If you were interested in seeing Alaska at an easy pace I would strongly recommend the train. My daughters were able to get up and run around, much of the view from the train is totally unspoiled, and you can relax and enjoy it. Having a bathroom that you can use at any time is well worth extra the cost. The trains in Alaska have viewing decks that allow for passengers to look down on to the landscape from a second story of the train. My daughters really enjoyed the sights visible from this view. The conductor uses the P.A. system to point out interesting sites and convey this information along the trip. One of the announcements was that eagles when catching salmon can grab a one that is too big. The eagle’s craws can’t release once they are grasping the fish. Many salmon will actually dive down in the water and drown the eagle. This is the most common way that eagles are killed in Alaska. Imagine that, death by fishing.
The next day in Seward we decided to sleep in a little. We all got up and going at 9:00 and were checking out of the hotel by 10:00. One of the girl's small school backpacks had fallen apart. We made a quick stop at the hardware store to buy a replacement backpack. We were leaving town on the train for Anchorage at 6 pm, so luggage issues had to be resolve. We had two things to do with the time we had left in Seward. I have a distant cousin that I wanted to visit with and my daughters wanted to visit the Seward Aquatic Center. I called Carolyn and invited her to eat lunch with us. My daughters were burned out on fish so we decided to do Subway. Carolyn was a lot of fun to visit with. She had lived in Alaska since 1982. She told me she ran away from home at the age of 40. I laughed and she conveyed that after her first marriage she just needed a change of scenery. Alaska seemed like a great place, so she just headed up. Her new husband is Glenn. He is retired from the Air force. Carolyn showed us around the town and we visited about our families. She took us to a small stream near her home that had Salmon in it. The girls were excited to finally see Salmon that weren’t cooked. After a couple of hours of visiting we went our separate ways. She dropped us off at the Aquatic Center and we said our goodbyes.
The Sealife center was a nice small aquarium with jellyfish, sea lions, and puffins all exhibited. We were there about an hour when someone's kid pulled the fire alarm. I was slightly relieved for the opportunity to get out of the educational environment. They ran us all outside so the girls voted for ice cream. I am pretty sure you can buy cocaine cheaper than ice cream in Seward. (I assure you this is strictly speculation.)
We went back to the Sealife Center and finished up our tour. One of the cool things about Seward is that they offer a free school bus to get you around town. I know, fat lazy Americans, can’t you walk anywhere. No, Americans really can’t, it’s just not in their nature. The floating buffet that brought them to Alaska takes away that ability. So anyway it was nice to sit with the older well dress fat Americans on the yellow school bus as they talked about going back to the boat and watching a movie. Getting off the bus I made a note to seek out non-boat people.
While walking to the hotel to pick up my bags I spotted a group of people that appeared so road weary, they resembled extras from the movie “Clan of the Cave Bear”. As I stood there smiling I remembered an early trip to Mexico in my late twenties. My wife and I spent most of two weeks driving around and sleeping on the beach. During the flight back home a young boy sitting next to me on the plane was quietly warned not to get too close to my carry on luggage - due to the pungent nature of the odor coming from it. I was lying there half asleep listening to this concerned mothers warning and started laughing. It startled the lady and she got so embarrassed that she ended up going to a different seat. I was really happy about the way that turned out because the flight was packed and I really wanted to stretch out. Lessoned learned, being pungent and willing to laugh about it has it’s advantages. Ok enough of my stinky past. Back to the trip.
The train ride from Seward was smooth and easy. If you were interested in seeing Alaska at an easy pace I would strongly recommend the train. My daughters were able to get up and run around, much of the view from the train is totally unspoiled, and you can relax and enjoy it. Having a bathroom that you can use at any time is well worth extra the cost. The trains in Alaska have viewing decks that allow for passengers to look down on to the landscape from a second story of the train. My daughters really enjoyed the sights visible from this view. The conductor uses the P.A. system to point out interesting sites and convey this information along the trip. One of the announcements was that eagles when catching salmon can grab a one that is too big. The eagle’s craws can’t release once they are grasping the fish. Many salmon will actually dive down in the water and drown the eagle. This is the most common way that eagles are killed in Alaska. Imagine that, death by fishing.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Seward - July 24
The next morning we went kayaking at Fox Island. It was an hour boat ride to Fox Island. Once on the inland, a group of three guides took twelve of us out for a 4-hour kayak trip. {pic kakaking}
It was raining and in the 50s. They equipped us with life jackets, rain gear and boats. Thank god they did because it was bad out. Once all the gear was donned we headed to the beach for our instruction. The kayaks were all built for tandem paddling. The rain was coming down at a pretty steady drizzle so I left my camera in the dry bag that the outfitter provided. The scenery was beautiful and definitely the kind of stuff I wanted to shoot. However, it was getting to that point in the trip that I have seen so much cool stuff that I was a little bit less willing to put forth the effort. This, on top of the fact that I was in a boat that I felt just a little bit unstable in, made me keep me gear stowed. The water was pretty eventless. We did spot one sea otter. {pic sea otter}
After about 2 hours of paddling we reach the mouth of the Fox Island River. There were several fishing boats in the bay with us. The salmon were starting to run and the fishermen were able to catch them in the bay before they started their final journey up the river to spoon. I finally worked up the nerve to pull out my camera and click a few shots. {pic becky and leeann kakaking} I started talking to one of the guides that was hanging out with our slowpoke family. He had just graduated from college in Alabama in Finance. I asked him how he ended up floating around in a kayak instead running around an office wearing a suit. He told me that he had been a whitewater rafting guide during college in the summers and decided do this before he had any one to worry about. I told him “Right On”. This is a cheesy saying that keeps randomly popping up. It seems to confuse him as much as it did me. This is definitely a tale tell sign that I am becoming an old fart. I am ok with that.
After humiliating myself I decided that I was getting hungry. (This is an automatic response of old fart when they are humiliated.) On the trip back we saw young bald eagles at were nesting. Seeing an eagle isn’t a big deal, the weird thing was that they were soaked. {pic eagle} In Illinois, I never have seen an eagle in the rain. Usually the eagles come to the river in high number to find open water to fish in during the winter. Not a lot of rain in the winter. At the end of the trip we were served a nice meal of prime rib and salmon. A park ranger did a presentation on the history of the park. The boat that had brought us out also carried sightseeing groups. The dining room was packed with older well-dressed couples. I spent a lot of time listening to my daughter chatter back and forth at each other and thinking about being an old fart on a bus. {pic becky and leeann} Spending my golden years staring out the tinted glass wondering about the things I was seeing and just making up some crap. I am pretty sure I’m more at home on a motorcycle with a flat tire, and a quarter tank of gas in the ass of nowhere. I think the trade off for security and comfort is the powerful memories of my misadventures that I love so much. I am sure you have noticed that since the more structured part of this trip started, my record of daily events has become less interesting. I am looking forward to my bike trip back home now. {pic familty photo}
Of course, I love spending time with my family but requirement of having to figure out safe places to pitch my tent and finding food makes the traveling process a lot more engaging and yes exciting. It seems silly to feel to better at the end of a poorly planned trip than a well plan one. I guess this is the result of sleeping my way through too many vacations. Traveling is not easy as a group I know, but sitting in the backseat of a car all day is just a rolling nap for me. The luxury of making ad hoc travel plans removes the stress of making it to your reservation but it is replaced with the concern of “where the hell am I going to sleep tonight.“ Having spent my share of time or airport and train station floors this is a pretty light cross to bear for me. It forces you to be more out going and resourceful. When you run into a group of long distance travelers if you listen to their stories you will notice a tone of pride not that they had been to a city or continent but that they problem solved the trip. The conflicts are what defines the adventures for me.
As an example of this, I have without a doubt told the story countless times of being woken up on the beach by Mexican police. Another example I remember is when my wife and I were in Romania and met a couple of British guys that had been traveling for a solid year. This was an impressive feat, but the coolest part was that they had financed the trip by working in a South New Zealand diamond mine. The money they made was all saved and they were traveling on just the interest. These guys were hardcore and totally in the moment of what they were doing. I remember realizing that anyone could save or borrow the money to go pretty much anywhere when they were old and feeble. It takes someone with real guts to walk away from the table for a full year or more. I know that to some of you it sounds pretty exciting but it takes a lot of drive to just keep going. I met a guy on the river that was kayaking all the rivers in the lower 48 states to raise awareness about MS. When I met him he was headed to Chicago through lake Michigan up the Fox River and then down the Mississippi. Yeah, totally freaking crazy. He had been on this journey for two and a half years and figured it would take him another 2 to 3 years to finish his journey. If you are interested his journey ended in Chicago after having all of his equipment flooded with Chicago sewage. I believe that could be a manifestation of the old saying “Pissing on your parade”. He did make it into the Guinnus book of world records as the longest solo kayaker. Two and a half years of just kayaking is definitely crazy but it has given him a true glimpse of how wonderful life should be.
It was raining and in the 50s. They equipped us with life jackets, rain gear and boats. Thank god they did because it was bad out. Once all the gear was donned we headed to the beach for our instruction. The kayaks were all built for tandem paddling. The rain was coming down at a pretty steady drizzle so I left my camera in the dry bag that the outfitter provided. The scenery was beautiful and definitely the kind of stuff I wanted to shoot. However, it was getting to that point in the trip that I have seen so much cool stuff that I was a little bit less willing to put forth the effort. This, on top of the fact that I was in a boat that I felt just a little bit unstable in, made me keep me gear stowed. The water was pretty eventless. We did spot one sea otter. {pic sea otter}
After about 2 hours of paddling we reach the mouth of the Fox Island River. There were several fishing boats in the bay with us. The salmon were starting to run and the fishermen were able to catch them in the bay before they started their final journey up the river to spoon. I finally worked up the nerve to pull out my camera and click a few shots. {pic becky and leeann kakaking} I started talking to one of the guides that was hanging out with our slowpoke family. He had just graduated from college in Alabama in Finance. I asked him how he ended up floating around in a kayak instead running around an office wearing a suit. He told me that he had been a whitewater rafting guide during college in the summers and decided do this before he had any one to worry about. I told him “Right On”. This is a cheesy saying that keeps randomly popping up. It seems to confuse him as much as it did me. This is definitely a tale tell sign that I am becoming an old fart. I am ok with that.
After humiliating myself I decided that I was getting hungry. (This is an automatic response of old fart when they are humiliated.) On the trip back we saw young bald eagles at were nesting. Seeing an eagle isn’t a big deal, the weird thing was that they were soaked. {pic eagle} In Illinois, I never have seen an eagle in the rain. Usually the eagles come to the river in high number to find open water to fish in during the winter. Not a lot of rain in the winter. At the end of the trip we were served a nice meal of prime rib and salmon. A park ranger did a presentation on the history of the park. The boat that had brought us out also carried sightseeing groups. The dining room was packed with older well-dressed couples. I spent a lot of time listening to my daughter chatter back and forth at each other and thinking about being an old fart on a bus. {pic becky and leeann} Spending my golden years staring out the tinted glass wondering about the things I was seeing and just making up some crap. I am pretty sure I’m more at home on a motorcycle with a flat tire, and a quarter tank of gas in the ass of nowhere. I think the trade off for security and comfort is the powerful memories of my misadventures that I love so much. I am sure you have noticed that since the more structured part of this trip started, my record of daily events has become less interesting. I am looking forward to my bike trip back home now. {pic familty photo}
Of course, I love spending time with my family but requirement of having to figure out safe places to pitch my tent and finding food makes the traveling process a lot more engaging and yes exciting. It seems silly to feel to better at the end of a poorly planned trip than a well plan one. I guess this is the result of sleeping my way through too many vacations. Traveling is not easy as a group I know, but sitting in the backseat of a car all day is just a rolling nap for me. The luxury of making ad hoc travel plans removes the stress of making it to your reservation but it is replaced with the concern of “where the hell am I going to sleep tonight.“ Having spent my share of time or airport and train station floors this is a pretty light cross to bear for me. It forces you to be more out going and resourceful. When you run into a group of long distance travelers if you listen to their stories you will notice a tone of pride not that they had been to a city or continent but that they problem solved the trip. The conflicts are what defines the adventures for me.
As an example of this, I have without a doubt told the story countless times of being woken up on the beach by Mexican police. Another example I remember is when my wife and I were in Romania and met a couple of British guys that had been traveling for a solid year. This was an impressive feat, but the coolest part was that they had financed the trip by working in a South New Zealand diamond mine. The money they made was all saved and they were traveling on just the interest. These guys were hardcore and totally in the moment of what they were doing. I remember realizing that anyone could save or borrow the money to go pretty much anywhere when they were old and feeble. It takes someone with real guts to walk away from the table for a full year or more. I know that to some of you it sounds pretty exciting but it takes a lot of drive to just keep going. I met a guy on the river that was kayaking all the rivers in the lower 48 states to raise awareness about MS. When I met him he was headed to Chicago through lake Michigan up the Fox River and then down the Mississippi. Yeah, totally freaking crazy. He had been on this journey for two and a half years and figured it would take him another 2 to 3 years to finish his journey. If you are interested his journey ended in Chicago after having all of his equipment flooded with Chicago sewage. I believe that could be a manifestation of the old saying “Pissing on your parade”. He did make it into the Guinnus book of world records as the longest solo kayaker. Two and a half years of just kayaking is definitely crazy but it has given him a true glimpse of how wonderful life should be.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Homer July 23
At 5:00 am I woke up and stared out the window as the sun came up. The ocean was so pretty in the morning. We pulled in the Homer port and had to pack up all of our stuff. We got off the boat and got a taxi to take us to a restaurant to get something to eat. The restaurant was called Sourdough Express. {pic sitting in front of Sourdough} This was a hip whole food place that was very proud of their organic potatoes. The food was filling but a little bland. Sorry folks, I like my coke with caffeine too. We had 2 hours to kill before we could pick up the rental car, so it made a good place to wake up. The car rental place was about a half a mile from the restaurant. We hiked over to pick up the car. Once in the car we looked around town and the girl fall to sleep. We figured that we would just head out to Seward and let the girls sleep.
It was 150 miles to Seward and this road was really cool. It twisted it's way through the mountains. The fishing season is on, so every stream was packed with fisherman. About halfway to Seward, we came up on a stream and saw a group of fisherman on one side of a stream. Then we noticed that there was a grizzly on the other side of the stream. Of course, we stopped to see the bear. We all decided that the bear was the one everyone should be watching. The weather was cloudy and rainy all day. We stopped at Exit Glacier before we got to Seward. {pic Glacier shot of the family} The hike was about .5 miles and was greatly needed after the drive. The girls were very interested in the Glacier and we walked down from the face to the glacier stream. {pic Glacier shot of the family}
The rain was starting to soak in so we decided head to the hotel in Seward. After checking into the hotel we ran out to find some thing to eat. We found a Pizza and Gyro place called Leonardo’s. The girls wanted to go swimming in the hotel pool. I wanted to relax in the room for a few minutes so I let them go ahead. Once I finished watching a little TV I found my trunks and headed down. Rebecca was sitting poolside talking to an older gentleman named Gary. He was a rancher from North West Florida. His family also ran a construction company. He was very interested in our time in Kodiak working at the mission. He had been coming up to Alaska for 30 years and had never been to Kodiak. He said he said his familly's company might be interested in doing some work for the mission. I gave him my contact information. We called it a night and slept hard.
It was 150 miles to Seward and this road was really cool. It twisted it's way through the mountains. The fishing season is on, so every stream was packed with fisherman. About halfway to Seward, we came up on a stream and saw a group of fisherman on one side of a stream. Then we noticed that there was a grizzly on the other side of the stream. Of course, we stopped to see the bear. We all decided that the bear was the one everyone should be watching. The weather was cloudy and rainy all day. We stopped at Exit Glacier before we got to Seward. {pic Glacier shot of the family} The hike was about .5 miles and was greatly needed after the drive. The girls were very interested in the Glacier and we walked down from the face to the glacier stream. {pic Glacier shot of the family}
The rain was starting to soak in so we decided head to the hotel in Seward. After checking into the hotel we ran out to find some thing to eat. We found a Pizza and Gyro place called Leonardo’s. The girls wanted to go swimming in the hotel pool. I wanted to relax in the room for a few minutes so I let them go ahead. Once I finished watching a little TV I found my trunks and headed down. Rebecca was sitting poolside talking to an older gentleman named Gary. He was a rancher from North West Florida. His family also ran a construction company. He was very interested in our time in Kodiak working at the mission. He had been coming up to Alaska for 30 years and had never been to Kodiak. He said he said his familly's company might be interested in doing some work for the mission. I gave him my contact information. We called it a night and slept hard.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Kodiak day six
Today weather was rainy, so spent the day visiting museums in Kodiak. The first stop was the Kodiak Ocean Center. The touch tanks were a blast for the girls. I found myself wishing I was tough enough to dive in the waters. With a temp of 4, that is just not going to happen.
The next museum why a Kodiak Cultural Center. This was a record of the native people Kodiak. It was really an interesting presentation of the past culture's behaviors. These were some tough people.
Tomorrow we pack up and head out for the second leg of our adventure.
The next museum why a Kodiak Cultural Center. This was a record of the native people Kodiak. It was really an interesting presentation of the past culture's behaviors. These were some tough people.
Tomorrow we pack up and head out for the second leg of our adventure.
Kodiak July 22
This is our final day the island. My wife and the girls went to the coffee shop after chapel. The head of the mission, Trevor, asked all of the worker party to stay after the chapel. He thanked us all for our time and explained that the mission couldn’t keep its doors open if it wasn’t for people like us. I told him that I wanted to thank him for allowing my family and I to be able to join in on the experience. He smiled and said that they had heard a lot about us and were curious to meet us. I thought this was a strange thing to say. Then he explained that my parents have been with the mission for quite a while. For people to come once is good, but to return a second time is a different level of commitment. Then he explained to the rest of the group that my parents have come a total nine times. They truly feel that my parents are part of their family. This was a very touching experience. I was totally surprised by the level of appreciation that the people at the mission have for my parents. Without a doubt this is where my parents belong. Many people my their ages are dead or worse. They are still alive but don’t have a purpose to be. A life without purpose is small talk while waiting to die. The best year of my parent’s life is the next year they are alive.
At 7:00 pm we were dropped off by my parents at the boat harbor to start the second part of our Alaskan vacation. We were taking an overnight cruise from Kodiak to Homer. This was our first family cruise. {pic Kodiak ship} We went to the ticket check in in the parking lot and discovered that we had to redeem our Internet tickets at the main office for the real tickets. The main office was about a 1 miles away. In a panic, we turned towards the road and started walking with all of our luggage. At that exact minute someone started yelling my name. I turned to find a guy by the name of Emo and his wife. We had met Emo and his wife at church earlier in the week and talked about my motorcycle trip. Thinking I had brought my bike over, he was wondering about where it was. They were dropping off a fiend from church at the boat harbor. I explained our situation and he said he would run us to the main terminal to get the tickets straightened out. Within 15 minutes we were on the boat and looking for our cabin.
The cabin was really nice. We each had our own bed and a private bathroom. After dumping our gear we went out exploring the boat. The boat had a theatre playing the animated movie “Planet 51”. We wanted to explore the boat but we figured that it was going to be light until 12:00 so we might as well enjoy the free movie. After the movie we discovered that we were still in port. We finished looking around and went back to the room. We were all tired so I went to the cafeteria and grabbed a couple of bags of popcorn. I fired up one of the laptops to watch one of the girl’s favorite shows, “Dr. Who”. The boat pulled out of the harbor and we stared at the continuous chain of islands that appeared and disappeared on the horizon. {pic Kodiak boat window view} My daughter spent the end of the evening reading. At midnight we decided to call it a night.
At 7:00 pm we were dropped off by my parents at the boat harbor to start the second part of our Alaskan vacation. We were taking an overnight cruise from Kodiak to Homer. This was our first family cruise. {pic Kodiak ship} We went to the ticket check in in the parking lot and discovered that we had to redeem our Internet tickets at the main office for the real tickets. The main office was about a 1 miles away. In a panic, we turned towards the road and started walking with all of our luggage. At that exact minute someone started yelling my name. I turned to find a guy by the name of Emo and his wife. We had met Emo and his wife at church earlier in the week and talked about my motorcycle trip. Thinking I had brought my bike over, he was wondering about where it was. They were dropping off a fiend from church at the boat harbor. I explained our situation and he said he would run us to the main terminal to get the tickets straightened out. Within 15 minutes we were on the boat and looking for our cabin.
The cabin was really nice. We each had our own bed and a private bathroom. After dumping our gear we went out exploring the boat. The boat had a theatre playing the animated movie “Planet 51”. We wanted to explore the boat but we figured that it was going to be light until 12:00 so we might as well enjoy the free movie. After the movie we discovered that we were still in port. We finished looking around and went back to the room. We were all tired so I went to the cafeteria and grabbed a couple of bags of popcorn. I fired up one of the laptops to watch one of the girl’s favorite shows, “Dr. Who”. The boat pulled out of the harbor and we stared at the continuous chain of islands that appeared and disappeared on the horizon. {pic Kodiak boat window view} My daughter spent the end of the evening reading. At midnight we decided to call it a night.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Kodiak July 21
Chapel this morning for me was very clear and focused. I had slept well and arose in time to grab a shower. The duties of the day were very close to the day before.
Early in the day I met Anthony, whose job is running the shop and doing maintenance at the mission. {pic Anthony} My dad and him work very closely together most of the time. Anthony is Russian Orthodox and has the traditional beard and long hair. The mission works closely with the Russian Orthodox Church that Anthony belongs to.
I learned that he had been fishing for the last five weeks in Bristol Bay and my father had been covering for him. Fishing in Alaska is big business. The permits in Alaska are controlled by the Department of Fish and Game. They determine when and how much fishing can be done. Anthony bought a boat and permit this year and tried his hand at commercial fishing for the first time. {pic Anthony boat} During the course of the conversation I learned that the permit alone was $11,000.00 and the boat was $60,000. That’s a very large gamble for a man with a wife and three children with no commercial fishing experience. He had some awesome stories of his adventures during the salmon run. The Department of Fish and Game gives times to start fishing and when to stop. Fines start at $5000 for any violation. Anthony, being a green horn, accidentally mixed up the times to start fishing and they started two hours early one day. That's a big mistake, so he call the officials and told them what he had done. They couldn’t believe he was calling them and confessing. They told him to keep track of how many pounds of fish they pulled in, sell it and give the money to a charity. He told us he was so relieved that was the only punishment. The game wardens had been very strict but kind to them. From the details of the story you could tell that he was very stressed during the six weeks on the boat. In fact, he said that while on the boat he couldn’t sleep very well because he kept waking up thinking that the boat was drifting. He laughed and said he was still trying to wind down. The last three nights he had been waking up at home thinking that his house was adrift. I could totally relate to the disorientated sleep fear. It's weird how the mind works when programmed with a new experience. Your mind seems to release that experience gradually. I have spent several mornings during this trip staring up at the nylon ceiling of my tent wondering if I was dreaming, where I was, and once all that was riddled out I would finish by wondering exactly how many more days until I would see my family. It’s a lot cooler than it sounds. I grew more comfortable with the experience than I did the cold. Returning to work, I fear will be a welcome change with some remorse. My life is very blessed and very comfortable, however, I miss the undefined challenges of my youth that took me to Mayan temples in Mexico, rainforests and reefs in Belize and train ride across Eastern Europe. While visiting with Anthony I can see that the adventure is not truly measured in miles but in the challenges of the experience and the satisfaction of its navigation. I look forward to finding some local boundaries to push.
Ok, back to my day at the mission. My phone rang at about 10:00. It was my daughters - they were at the missions horse stable. I left Anthony and my dad visiting to shoot photos of the girls working with and riding the horses. {pic horse} They loved being around the horses almost as much as I enjoyed taking their photos. I’m pretty sure this horse thing is going to cost me a lot of money no matter how it works out. Just before 11:00 I ran back up the hill to find my dad and get back to work. The guys siding the house needed more lumber. So we trimmed a dozen and a half boards down to the right width. There were now 4 guys working on the house siding . {pic sliding a house} There original two had completed by noon over half the house. The two other guys had been running around trying to rent a powernailer. If they were lucky they would be able to maybe complete a quarter of the house by the end of the day. The two gentleman with hammers would have done three quarters of the house. Kind of funny but no one seems to care as long as the work gets done. Thats what I think is cool. The point is, it's just about working towards a goal, not the details.
After lunch we headed to the top of the mountain over looking Kodiak. What a great vista of the coastline. {pic coast of kodiak} We then headed over to look around the Coast Guard base. It's a very modern and well-equipped. We ate supper there and then headed back toward town. We stopped on the way home to look at a stream to see if the salmon were running. {pic coast of stream} Unfortunately, they weren’t running when we got there.
Early in the day I met Anthony, whose job is running the shop and doing maintenance at the mission. {pic Anthony} My dad and him work very closely together most of the time. Anthony is Russian Orthodox and has the traditional beard and long hair. The mission works closely with the Russian Orthodox Church that Anthony belongs to.
I learned that he had been fishing for the last five weeks in Bristol Bay and my father had been covering for him. Fishing in Alaska is big business. The permits in Alaska are controlled by the Department of Fish and Game. They determine when and how much fishing can be done. Anthony bought a boat and permit this year and tried his hand at commercial fishing for the first time. {pic Anthony boat} During the course of the conversation I learned that the permit alone was $11,000.00 and the boat was $60,000. That’s a very large gamble for a man with a wife and three children with no commercial fishing experience. He had some awesome stories of his adventures during the salmon run. The Department of Fish and Game gives times to start fishing and when to stop. Fines start at $5000 for any violation. Anthony, being a green horn, accidentally mixed up the times to start fishing and they started two hours early one day. That's a big mistake, so he call the officials and told them what he had done. They couldn’t believe he was calling them and confessing. They told him to keep track of how many pounds of fish they pulled in, sell it and give the money to a charity. He told us he was so relieved that was the only punishment. The game wardens had been very strict but kind to them. From the details of the story you could tell that he was very stressed during the six weeks on the boat. In fact, he said that while on the boat he couldn’t sleep very well because he kept waking up thinking that the boat was drifting. He laughed and said he was still trying to wind down. The last three nights he had been waking up at home thinking that his house was adrift. I could totally relate to the disorientated sleep fear. It's weird how the mind works when programmed with a new experience. Your mind seems to release that experience gradually. I have spent several mornings during this trip staring up at the nylon ceiling of my tent wondering if I was dreaming, where I was, and once all that was riddled out I would finish by wondering exactly how many more days until I would see my family. It’s a lot cooler than it sounds. I grew more comfortable with the experience than I did the cold. Returning to work, I fear will be a welcome change with some remorse. My life is very blessed and very comfortable, however, I miss the undefined challenges of my youth that took me to Mayan temples in Mexico, rainforests and reefs in Belize and train ride across Eastern Europe. While visiting with Anthony I can see that the adventure is not truly measured in miles but in the challenges of the experience and the satisfaction of its navigation. I look forward to finding some local boundaries to push.
Ok, back to my day at the mission. My phone rang at about 10:00. It was my daughters - they were at the missions horse stable. I left Anthony and my dad visiting to shoot photos of the girls working with and riding the horses. {pic horse} They loved being around the horses almost as much as I enjoyed taking their photos. I’m pretty sure this horse thing is going to cost me a lot of money no matter how it works out. Just before 11:00 I ran back up the hill to find my dad and get back to work. The guys siding the house needed more lumber. So we trimmed a dozen and a half boards down to the right width. There were now 4 guys working on the house siding . {pic sliding a house} There original two had completed by noon over half the house. The two other guys had been running around trying to rent a powernailer. If they were lucky they would be able to maybe complete a quarter of the house by the end of the day. The two gentleman with hammers would have done three quarters of the house. Kind of funny but no one seems to care as long as the work gets done. Thats what I think is cool. The point is, it's just about working towards a goal, not the details.
After lunch we headed to the top of the mountain over looking Kodiak. What a great vista of the coastline. {pic coast of kodiak} We then headed over to look around the Coast Guard base. It's a very modern and well-equipped. We ate supper there and then headed back toward town. We stopped on the way home to look at a stream to see if the salmon were running. {pic coast of stream} Unfortunately, they weren’t running when we got there.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Kodiak- July 20
This morning I remembered that there are some that feel this blog needs to be more facts and fewer adjectives. {pic evan}
So along that line - it's foggy this morning, temperature is 53 degrees, no wind and the humidity is about 80 percent.
I hope this has satisfied those of you who enjoy watching the weather channel. Just so you know, almost every summer day in Kodiak is like this. Oh yeah, most days its raining, sorry. So now that I have informed you about the Kodiak weather patterns, life is complete.
Today, we got up and going a little earlier. My daughters have the same zeal for the morning that I do. None! After waking them up, we are headed to morning chapel. My wife is off to the study for physics boards again, {pic becky studying} My daughters are helping with preschool and I will be waiting for instructions on todays project: maybe sawing lumber, or maybe, something else.
Chapel was the first order of the day. Not being a real morning person as I have mentioned several times now, I find myself losing track of time and hoping that God doesn’t mind my church time stupor. I do enjoy the religious discussion, but the New Testament topics are a little adult focused. This can lead to many questions about word definitions from my daughters like: deceit, whores and prostitution. Well I guess that least we have open communication in our home and a good command of the English language. Lets all pray for the wisdom on when to use it.
After Chapel my daughters went with my mom, my wife went off to study, and dad and I tried to keep all the work parties busy. We spent some time in the Kodiak harbor helping a guy troubleshoot electrical problems on one of the mission’s small boats. I wandered around and shot a few photos of the boats in the harbor. {pic boats} After that we ran the sawmill and helped a couple of guy siding a new building on the mission property. The two guys on this project were from New York State. {pic work party} I visited with them a little while and finish getting tools and lumber ready for the rest of the days work. What a couple of great guys, super friendly and outgoing. Most construction projects I have been around are 90% debate over how to do it and 10 % work, which only 25% of the crew do. You could tell that they really enjoyed working and this trip to the mission was the prefect vacation for them. I truly hope when I am retired, I am as alive as these two. One of these guys was in his middle seventies and was able to keep up with any worker on the property, including me.
The day pass quickly and soon it was lunchtime. Meals are served in a communal style that is a real blast. {pic meals} The food is soup and sandwiches usually, and the discussion is very lively. After lunch we all took off and explored Chineack on the east side of the island. It was a beautiful ocean side area of Kodiak Island that was used by the military during WWII for observation. {pic coast line} Many of the cement pillboxes and storage areas are still there. {pic pill box} The forty-mile drive to this part of the island took over 2 hours. Once out of the truck we hiked a trail out to the beach. The day was cool but clear. {pic beach} We all explored the tide pools and then moved on to the peak of the trail to one of the bunker used as a military observatory. Everyone went back to the trail but I decided to walk the beach to take a few ocean / landscape photos. {pic beach}
I really do enjoy my time behind the camera. I used my favorite wide-angle lens and tripod for some HDR photos. They are time consuming but its always feels like Christmas when I process them. The new CS5 Photoshop does a pretty good job of combining the 3 or more bracketed photos into a single photo. I know, enough blathering about nerd stuff.
After this hike to the bunkers we headed to Fossil Beach. On the way we drove past a large herd of buffalo. The girls shot a few photos of these huge furry beasts. {pic buffalo} I was glad they weren’t in the road. Fossil Beach was another beautiful beach area, but very windy. The bank along the beach is caving off and the fossil shells are exposed. {pic fossil beach} The girls dug out so shells while I shot photos. We were all getting tired, so after about 45 minutes we were back on the road. We were all exhausted from the day of exploring.
So along that line - it's foggy this morning, temperature is 53 degrees, no wind and the humidity is about 80 percent.
I hope this has satisfied those of you who enjoy watching the weather channel. Just so you know, almost every summer day in Kodiak is like this. Oh yeah, most days its raining, sorry. So now that I have informed you about the Kodiak weather patterns, life is complete.
Today, we got up and going a little earlier. My daughters have the same zeal for the morning that I do. None! After waking them up, we are headed to morning chapel. My wife is off to the study for physics boards again, {pic becky studying} My daughters are helping with preschool and I will be waiting for instructions on todays project: maybe sawing lumber, or maybe, something else.
Chapel was the first order of the day. Not being a real morning person as I have mentioned several times now, I find myself losing track of time and hoping that God doesn’t mind my church time stupor. I do enjoy the religious discussion, but the New Testament topics are a little adult focused. This can lead to many questions about word definitions from my daughters like: deceit, whores and prostitution. Well I guess that least we have open communication in our home and a good command of the English language. Lets all pray for the wisdom on when to use it.
After Chapel my daughters went with my mom, my wife went off to study, and dad and I tried to keep all the work parties busy. We spent some time in the Kodiak harbor helping a guy troubleshoot electrical problems on one of the mission’s small boats. I wandered around and shot a few photos of the boats in the harbor. {pic boats} After that we ran the sawmill and helped a couple of guy siding a new building on the mission property. The two guys on this project were from New York State. {pic work party} I visited with them a little while and finish getting tools and lumber ready for the rest of the days work. What a couple of great guys, super friendly and outgoing. Most construction projects I have been around are 90% debate over how to do it and 10 % work, which only 25% of the crew do. You could tell that they really enjoyed working and this trip to the mission was the prefect vacation for them. I truly hope when I am retired, I am as alive as these two. One of these guys was in his middle seventies and was able to keep up with any worker on the property, including me.
The day pass quickly and soon it was lunchtime. Meals are served in a communal style that is a real blast. {pic meals} The food is soup and sandwiches usually, and the discussion is very lively. After lunch we all took off and explored Chineack on the east side of the island. It was a beautiful ocean side area of Kodiak Island that was used by the military during WWII for observation. {pic coast line} Many of the cement pillboxes and storage areas are still there. {pic pill box} The forty-mile drive to this part of the island took over 2 hours. Once out of the truck we hiked a trail out to the beach. The day was cool but clear. {pic beach} We all explored the tide pools and then moved on to the peak of the trail to one of the bunker used as a military observatory. Everyone went back to the trail but I decided to walk the beach to take a few ocean / landscape photos. {pic beach}
I really do enjoy my time behind the camera. I used my favorite wide-angle lens and tripod for some HDR photos. They are time consuming but its always feels like Christmas when I process them. The new CS5 Photoshop does a pretty good job of combining the 3 or more bracketed photos into a single photo. I know, enough blathering about nerd stuff.
After this hike to the bunkers we headed to Fossil Beach. On the way we drove past a large herd of buffalo. The girls shot a few photos of these huge furry beasts. {pic buffalo} I was glad they weren’t in the road. Fossil Beach was another beautiful beach area, but very windy. The bank along the beach is caving off and the fossil shells are exposed. {pic fossil beach} The girls dug out so shells while I shot photos. We were all getting tired, so after about 45 minutes we were back on the road. We were all exhausted from the day of exploring.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Kodiak
July 18
Sunday we got up and went to Kodiak Baptist Church at 11:00 am. After that we were introduced to several people that my parents had been friends with over the years. Then we went to Larson Bay looking for bears. It was a thirty-mile ride on rough roads. No bears, but we got to see some beautiful mountains and coastline. {pic mountains & coast}
July 19
Monday started with Chapel at 8:00 am. Our alarm didn’t go off until 7:00 am so we were cutting it a little close. Chapel was nice. They read from the bible and prayed for friends, family and the work at hand. {pic @ chapel} After Chapel ended, my daughters and mom helped at preschool and went to a puppet show. My wife is studying for her radiology physics board exam. It's kind of a like a working vacation for her. My dad and I helped get the work parties started and ran the sawmill. One of the projects was to finish siding a house. {pic work party at house} They needed some trim boards to go around the windows. So my dad used the sawmill to cut the 1.5 x 2 inch boards needed to finish trimming out the windows. {pic sawmill} I spent most of the morning cutting scrap wood strips from the sawmill into firewood. We stopped for lunch at 12:00. After lunch dad and I went to find my daughters, mom and wife down a long the beach below the mission. They were all having a blast exploring the tide pools. They found sea glass, cool rocks and hermit crabs. Once we were done looking around at the beach we headed to the marina for a boat ride. {pic marina} The first stop was to see the sea lions. Two of them were posing on the dock and one was swimming around. They were huge and appeared to be a little scarred up from run ins with boat props. {pic seals} Once we had all stared at each other enough, we headed over to Woody Island. {pic boat ride} This place was beautiful.
The mission has a camp on the island that is also used for bible camps. The best part of the island is the woods. {pic woody island tree} The trees and ground are covered in a thick, 6 inch carpet of moss. The tall spruce trees and moss make the wood almost seem like an enchanted forest from a children’s fairy tale. {pic moss} I could have spent all day shooting pictures. After a tour of the camp we hiked up into the woods to an outdoor chapel. {pic chapel} It was some of the prettiest landscape I have seen on my trip. My brother was lucky enough to have spent a full week on this island in one of the cabins. {pic woody island cabin} We relaxed and visited for an hour at the chapel and then headed back to the boat. The fog was rolling in and we didn’t want to be caught out in the water in that. {pic woody island dock} So once we got to the main land, docked the boat, and went to get some fish and chips for supper. During our meal it started raining and has continued the rest of the day. It is now 10:30 and time to call it a night.
Sunday we got up and went to Kodiak Baptist Church at 11:00 am. After that we were introduced to several people that my parents had been friends with over the years. Then we went to Larson Bay looking for bears. It was a thirty-mile ride on rough roads. No bears, but we got to see some beautiful mountains and coastline. {pic mountains & coast}
July 19
Monday started with Chapel at 8:00 am. Our alarm didn’t go off until 7:00 am so we were cutting it a little close. Chapel was nice. They read from the bible and prayed for friends, family and the work at hand. {pic @ chapel} After Chapel ended, my daughters and mom helped at preschool and went to a puppet show. My wife is studying for her radiology physics board exam. It's kind of a like a working vacation for her. My dad and I helped get the work parties started and ran the sawmill. One of the projects was to finish siding a house. {pic work party at house} They needed some trim boards to go around the windows. So my dad used the sawmill to cut the 1.5 x 2 inch boards needed to finish trimming out the windows. {pic sawmill} I spent most of the morning cutting scrap wood strips from the sawmill into firewood. We stopped for lunch at 12:00. After lunch dad and I went to find my daughters, mom and wife down a long the beach below the mission. They were all having a blast exploring the tide pools. They found sea glass, cool rocks and hermit crabs. Once we were done looking around at the beach we headed to the marina for a boat ride. {pic marina} The first stop was to see the sea lions. Two of them were posing on the dock and one was swimming around. They were huge and appeared to be a little scarred up from run ins with boat props. {pic seals} Once we had all stared at each other enough, we headed over to Woody Island. {pic boat ride} This place was beautiful.
The mission has a camp on the island that is also used for bible camps. The best part of the island is the woods. {pic woody island tree} The trees and ground are covered in a thick, 6 inch carpet of moss. The tall spruce trees and moss make the wood almost seem like an enchanted forest from a children’s fairy tale. {pic moss} I could have spent all day shooting pictures. After a tour of the camp we hiked up into the woods to an outdoor chapel. {pic chapel} It was some of the prettiest landscape I have seen on my trip. My brother was lucky enough to have spent a full week on this island in one of the cabins. {pic woody island cabin} We relaxed and visited for an hour at the chapel and then headed back to the boat. The fog was rolling in and we didn’t want to be caught out in the water in that. {pic woody island dock} So once we got to the main land, docked the boat, and went to get some fish and chips for supper. During our meal it started raining and has continued the rest of the day. It is now 10:30 and time to call it a night.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Kodiak
This post is a three for one. I wasn’t able to jot down any thoughts for my first day in Kodiak due to just being so tired. So Saturday, after a great night's sleep we left the hotel in Anchorage and headed to the Airport. {pic standing in front of the plane} Our flight was supposed to leave a 9:55 am. We went to the airport at 8:00, checked in and waited. The flight was cancelled at 10:10 due to fog. The next flight out wasn’t until 7:45 pm. So we scrambled to find some way of getting out of the airport and exploring Anchorage. We first decided to get rid of our luggage. In hindsight that was a mistake. After spending fifty dollars to store our 7 bags we found out the city bus only ran once an hour. It was 12:05. So we decided that renting a car would be the best option. If we had done this starting out we could have stored our luggage in the car and put the 50 dollars towards the car rental. Oh well, live and learn. So we were off to explore Anchorage.
Anchorage is a town of 300,000 people. That being said, I must say that it does seem to be evolving. Neighborhoods, fast food, gas station and commercial businesses can all be in the same block. Route 1 is a 4-lane highway that runs into Anchorage from the east and just turns into a city street all of a sudden. We went to grab a bite to eat and then when to Thunderbird Falls Park. This is a beautiful lake in the mountains just outside of Anchorage. {pic Thunderbird Fall Park mountain} The park was packed and after a couple of hours of hiking and shooting photos it was time to head back to the Airport. The plane was packed. After a one-hour flight we were finally in Kodiak.
My parents met us at the Airport and took us to the Kodiak Baptist Mission. {pic in front of the plane} The mission is a very old part of Kodiak that was a key part of the development of the current town. Now it works with the children of Kodiak, providing after school programs and summer bible school programs. A small group of people runs the mission with the help of guidance counselors, volunteers and work parties that come from all over the US. My parents are part of the volunteers at the mission. My mom helps with office work and children programs. My dad helps with organizing the maintenance and work parties that come to the mission. Both of my parents love the people and the work they do at the mission. At the age of 79 my dad seems to be really enjoying his life. So many people my parent’s age seem to feel unneeded. This couldn’t be further from the truth with my parent’s time at the mission. {pic my parents } They both are very needed and respected for their work. I could continue telling you about their relationship with the mission, however, that would truly be a blog of its own. If you are curious about their adventures please direct those questions to: normanbaggett@yahoo.com.
Anchorage is a town of 300,000 people. That being said, I must say that it does seem to be evolving. Neighborhoods, fast food, gas station and commercial businesses can all be in the same block. Route 1 is a 4-lane highway that runs into Anchorage from the east and just turns into a city street all of a sudden. We went to grab a bite to eat and then when to Thunderbird Falls Park. This is a beautiful lake in the mountains just outside of Anchorage. {pic Thunderbird Fall Park mountain} The park was packed and after a couple of hours of hiking and shooting photos it was time to head back to the Airport. The plane was packed. After a one-hour flight we were finally in Kodiak.
My parents met us at the Airport and took us to the Kodiak Baptist Mission. {pic in front of the plane} The mission is a very old part of Kodiak that was a key part of the development of the current town. Now it works with the children of Kodiak, providing after school programs and summer bible school programs. A small group of people runs the mission with the help of guidance counselors, volunteers and work parties that come from all over the US. My parents are part of the volunteers at the mission. My mom helps with office work and children programs. My dad helps with organizing the maintenance and work parties that come to the mission. Both of my parents love the people and the work they do at the mission. At the age of 79 my dad seems to be really enjoying his life. So many people my parent’s age seem to feel unneeded. This couldn’t be further from the truth with my parent’s time at the mission. {pic my parents } They both are very needed and respected for their work. I could continue telling you about their relationship with the mission, however, that would truly be a blog of its own. If you are curious about their adventures please direct those questions to: normanbaggett@yahoo.com.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Day Nineteen in Anchorage
This was an interesting but long day. Started with sound of heavy rain hitting the nylon of my tent. It’s a pleasant sound however I knew that it was going to make packing up a real drag. Wet equipment is always a bummer. So I wadded up the tent and tried to sort the things that I would need for the side trip with my family to Kodiak and Denali. Squeezing all the camping gear into the saddlebags felt like some kind of greased pig contest at a state fair. It was only 9:00 am when I got done, so I had to figure out a way to kill several hours until I could check into my hotel and ultimately be reunited with my family. Killing time in Alaska might seem strange - after all, it is so beautiful and scenic there - yeah, and wet. No tent meant no shelter. FYI -Driving a motorcycle in the rain is crap that Billy Joel puts in his songs to sound crazy. Let me tell you, it’s not crazy - it sucks. So having removed driving around from my list, I could only think of one other thing to do. Go to McDonalds. How could 18 million retired old men be wrong? It is clean, warm and... has Internet access. So drove my transient butt back into Palmer and started working on my blog.
The old-timers were there and greeted me with brownies. These guys were smart! They even brought their own food! I asked them about it and one of the guys said he had to watch his weight. Everyone laughed except the manager. She was kind of speechless. So the rain came down, and I blogged away until finally it was 3:00 pm. Time to check into my hotel. Hurry, the sun was out! I buzzed into Anchorage, found the hotel and grabbed a nap. At 930 I headed over to the airport and waited for my family. I parked my bike in long term parking and put the cover on it. Walking away from it, I hoped it would be ok while I was vacationing. I thought about Jeff and Whitehorse and smiled. Just like him, if sometime happens to the bike I guess I’ll go shopping for a new one.
As I sat and waited for my family to appear, I realized how different things were. The routines of family life had been replaced with travel, camping, new friends and solitude of traveling alone. Having overcome the concerns I had about being lonely, safe, and even being bored has been a real milestone in my trip.
My family appeared and the comfortable feeling of their company returned. It was nice to hear everyone talking at once. Susan even started cried a little. The girls had changed. They seem at least a couple of inches taller, and tan. During this trip I have grown a beard. This was funny to see them staring at me. I sensed that they knew I had changed some too. The time away had helped me be a little more at ease. The last few years have been demanding on everyone in our family and my battery had been low for a while. Tonight, I found myself thinking about all the things that I usually think about, but haven’t had to. Things like: mowing the lawn, working on the cars, dishes, fixing the house, laundry and cooking. These things had all just slipped away and were replaced with hiking, exploring, setting up the tent, how to pack all my stuff on a motorcycle and visiting with new people. This summer trip has been pretty selfish. I realized I could be doing other things but I feel like this crazy idea of a trip kind of found me. Wow, now that really does sound like I am having a mid-life crisis. Regardless, what ever it is, I am pleased with the experience of doing this trip. Writing about it has also been rewarding. I know it's probably hard to read some of this stuff but I have enjoyed reflecting on some of the moments of each day and just how brilliant some moments are. I mean we all have cool stuff happen, but we just don’t have the time to see it usually. I overlook the interesting and extraordinary daily, if not hourly. I see now that this trip was just as much about the periods that were void of stimulus as the one that have overwhelmed. I always liked the saying “Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.” I have missed a lot of my life focused only on the plans.
I am glad to be back with my family. It feels good to be in the moment with them not just near them.
The old-timers were there and greeted me with brownies. These guys were smart! They even brought their own food! I asked them about it and one of the guys said he had to watch his weight. Everyone laughed except the manager. She was kind of speechless. So the rain came down, and I blogged away until finally it was 3:00 pm. Time to check into my hotel. Hurry, the sun was out! I buzzed into Anchorage, found the hotel and grabbed a nap. At 930 I headed over to the airport and waited for my family. I parked my bike in long term parking and put the cover on it. Walking away from it, I hoped it would be ok while I was vacationing. I thought about Jeff and Whitehorse and smiled. Just like him, if sometime happens to the bike I guess I’ll go shopping for a new one.
As I sat and waited for my family to appear, I realized how different things were. The routines of family life had been replaced with travel, camping, new friends and solitude of traveling alone. Having overcome the concerns I had about being lonely, safe, and even being bored has been a real milestone in my trip.
My family appeared and the comfortable feeling of their company returned. It was nice to hear everyone talking at once. Susan even started cried a little. The girls had changed. They seem at least a couple of inches taller, and tan. During this trip I have grown a beard. This was funny to see them staring at me. I sensed that they knew I had changed some too. The time away had helped me be a little more at ease. The last few years have been demanding on everyone in our family and my battery had been low for a while. Tonight, I found myself thinking about all the things that I usually think about, but haven’t had to. Things like: mowing the lawn, working on the cars, dishes, fixing the house, laundry and cooking. These things had all just slipped away and were replaced with hiking, exploring, setting up the tent, how to pack all my stuff on a motorcycle and visiting with new people. This summer trip has been pretty selfish. I realized I could be doing other things but I feel like this crazy idea of a trip kind of found me. Wow, now that really does sound like I am having a mid-life crisis. Regardless, what ever it is, I am pleased with the experience of doing this trip. Writing about it has also been rewarding. I know it's probably hard to read some of this stuff but I have enjoyed reflecting on some of the moments of each day and just how brilliant some moments are. I mean we all have cool stuff happen, but we just don’t have the time to see it usually. I overlook the interesting and extraordinary daily, if not hourly. I see now that this trip was just as much about the periods that were void of stimulus as the one that have overwhelmed. I always liked the saying “Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.” I have missed a lot of my life focused only on the plans.
I am glad to be back with my family. It feels good to be in the moment with them not just near them.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Day Eighteen in Palmer at the Camper Ground
This morning my alarm when off at 6:00. I was still pretty tired so I decided to sleep in. The owner was parking his boat down close to my tent and was having a few problems with the soft ground. I decided to get up and get the day started after the parking lot issues. My laundry and my blog were the business of the day. Once I was up I remembered I need to change the oil in my bike. The fairling came off quickly. I started the bike and let it run while I grabbed my clean and dirty clothes. Turning the bike off and pulling the oil plug out, I head off to the showers, letting the bike drain. After the showers I got my laundry started and went back to the bike. Reassembling the bike I filled it up with oil. I got my hands scrubbed up and started folding my laundry. By twelve o'clock my chores were all wrapped up. I ran into town and grabbed lunch. The owner of the campground needed help with her website so after lunch I headed back to camp. The rest of the day I goofed around with Dreamweaver CS5. After about 3 hours we had the software installed and the updates made and uploaded. It was raining all day so I worked on my blog the rest of the day and relaxed. I wished I could ride or shoot some photos, but it just wasn't in the cards.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Day Seventeen in Palmer at the Camper Ground
The usually packing and loading was the order of business. I had actually been able to sleep in for a change so I was late for breakfast but early for lunch. If you are passing through Palmer the Valley Café in open 24/7 and the food in good and decent priced. The girl at the front desk told me that there was tent camping place just down the road called Fox Trail. It’s was about 10 miles outside of town and cost 18 dollars a night. That the cheapest campground price I have paid sense I started the trip. I picked out a spot down by the lake and setup camp. No one was around so I decided to find out about getting my bike tires mounted and balanced. My Dad drove his truck up and before he left I threw a new set of tire in the back. Once in Anchorage he left them at a friends house. So I dialed in the BMW Motorcycle shop in Anchorage into my GPS and headed out. Anchorage is a city and the size of the Quad-cities. Once I got to the shop I was quoted a price of 100 dollars a wheel to change the tires and 70 dollars a for storage. I told them I would call them back and make sure that I was going to be able to get the tires. My dad was having a hard time getting a hold of the guys with the tires last time I talked to him about it. After that I stopped at Walmart to pick up a couple of things. I wandered over to the automotive section and picked up a gallon of oil for 21.00. Yeah, I’m a cheap bastard. I was going to change the oil once I got home but I figured I had a little down time and the bike has over 6000 miles on current oil change. A litter box was the only other thing I need to do the job. Total expenditure was 24.00. Oil changes are usually about 120.00 buck. That’s the price without the neck massage. Once I got all my stuff on the bike I was ready to find some supper. The Valley Café was so good I figured I would hit it again. Falter eating I decided to go for a ride around town. Palmer is a nice clean little town but it pretties much a 15-minute tour and you’re through. So I headed out of town towards the east into the mountains on the Palmer outer loop. This was a awesome ride. A huge shallow stream on one side and a mountains on the other. The about halfway around the loop I saw a ground on people fishing at a boat landing. So I figured I would stop in and see what was biting. There was about 30 people all just hanging out and fishing I didn’t see any fish that had been caught so I figured I would explore the bank line. I found a bridge that went over to a small island. I figured I could take photos of the people fishing easier. As I was walking up the trail I noticed several cars that had been dumped in the river. Junk to one man is a gold mine to another. No and am not going to take the cars. I wanted to take pictures of them. Thinking about those two statement I not sure, which sounds weirder. Well, anyway I had blast shoot these old rusty junkers half buried in the riverbank with plants and trees growing out of them. The great thing about Alaska is that the sun is never directly over your head. So it makes it easy to get shadows and reflection in your pictures. The other great thing is that the days are so damned long you have plenty of time.
I decided to head for the tent and call it a night. On the way to town I show a cool old bridge so I spent a hour wandering around it. It was about 9:30 when I got back to camp and I figured I would check my email. I discovered that I was locked out. I was running low on power so I plugged into the plug-in next to the washer and dryer. I jumped up of the dryer and started trying to remember the day’s events. The own and her son pulled up and stared at me. I guess this did look pretty hillbilly. I smiled and asked it I could get the password to the Internet. She acted a little confused and then she remembered I was tent camping. She apologized and invited me into the office to have a seat. Once inside the boy said” What kind of person sits on a drier in a camp ground to use a computer. I laughed and said one the needs power. My response still didn’t seem to make sense until his mom said “he the motorcycler in the camping area. The boy them said “Oh”! He had foot surgery for an abscess and was focused on trying to change the bandages as well as quibble with his mom. The son and her were curious about me. She offered me a glass of wine and said so what is it you do? After I told her I was a teacher in Graphic Arts she told me she had taken a bunch of courses in Desktop Publishing. She was having problems getting her website finished in Dreamweaver. I told her I would be glad to give her a hand if she needed. Realizing, I wasn't going to get any blogging done I found out that her and her family were from Lexington Kentucky. Her husband was a musician and they ran recording studio before coming up to Alaska. She had taken classes in Desktop Publishing to develop brochures, CD covers, posters, and fliers. It was a familiar story that sounded a lot like my own. At about 11:00 I decided I was to tired to think and need to head to bed. Great day of exploring, photography and visiting. I am sure this sounds like an odd vacation but I kind of think of it as practice for retirement.
I decided to head for the tent and call it a night. On the way to town I show a cool old bridge so I spent a hour wandering around it. It was about 9:30 when I got back to camp and I figured I would check my email. I discovered that I was locked out. I was running low on power so I plugged into the plug-in next to the washer and dryer. I jumped up of the dryer and started trying to remember the day’s events. The own and her son pulled up and stared at me. I guess this did look pretty hillbilly. I smiled and asked it I could get the password to the Internet. She acted a little confused and then she remembered I was tent camping. She apologized and invited me into the office to have a seat. Once inside the boy said” What kind of person sits on a drier in a camp ground to use a computer. I laughed and said one the needs power. My response still didn’t seem to make sense until his mom said “he the motorcycler in the camping area. The boy them said “Oh”! He had foot surgery for an abscess and was focused on trying to change the bandages as well as quibble with his mom. The son and her were curious about me. She offered me a glass of wine and said so what is it you do? After I told her I was a teacher in Graphic Arts she told me she had taken a bunch of courses in Desktop Publishing. She was having problems getting her website finished in Dreamweaver. I told her I would be glad to give her a hand if she needed. Realizing, I wasn't going to get any blogging done I found out that her and her family were from Lexington Kentucky. Her husband was a musician and they ran recording studio before coming up to Alaska. She had taken classes in Desktop Publishing to develop brochures, CD covers, posters, and fliers. It was a familiar story that sounded a lot like my own. At about 11:00 I decided I was to tired to think and need to head to bed. Great day of exploring, photography and visiting. I am sure this sounds like an odd vacation but I kind of think of it as practice for retirement.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Day Sixteen to Palmer
Today I awoke in Tok. The mini blinds allow more than enough light into the room to wake me up at 5:00 am. By 6:00 am had finished flopping around on the bed pretending to sleep. So I got up and started packing, I somehow feel that not being able to sleep makes me feel old. Somehow the light is forcing me to be less carefree and that pisses me off. I am pissed off like an adult that has to go to work and realizes that all the joy in his life is years behind him. Ok, RANTING, I know. Sometime this stream of thought blathering really sheds light on a bunch of crap I really sure know ones interested in. So back to the story.
As with everyday, I packed up and jumped on the bike. The weather was perfect as I headed out of town. In about two hours that all changed. The mountains are rain magnets. The temperature dropped 25 degree and the rain steady. My speed of travel slowed way down. I realize that animals don’t care if it’s raining so I needed to allow more time to brake. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere I saw a moose running across that road.
At first I thought it was Bigfoot. Unfortunately, it was only a scared moose. I stopped and stared at the mouse and really wished it could have been Bigfoot. God that would be cool. I think the moose sensed my disappointment and secretly wished it was Bigfoot also or maybe I’m projecting. So after a moment, the moose that wished it was Bigfoot and I headed our separate ways. It was at that point that the cold was definitely starting to mess with my brain. It was time to stop and get a four dollar cup of coffee. I was really tired of driving and I still had 200 miles to go. So I drank 3 cups of coffee and had a piece of Banana Cream pie. All for the low low price of 14.00 including tip.On my way back out to the bike I noticed a weird vehicle on a trailer. Looking for any reason not to get back on the bike I grabbed the camera and went to take a look at it. I really couldn’t figure out exactly what it was but I definely looked like it would be fun to drive. Maybe its like a school bus for lumber jack kids.
Maybe not, but sure looks cool. If I could drive that and see Bigfoot I could die a happy man.
I also saw this doghouse.
The snow gets so deep they have to build it up high. That what's so cool about Alaska, every where I look I see something that looks like one of my ate up projects. These people aren’t worry about what the neighbors think or if its up to code. Hell, they're just trying to stay alive. So back on the road. I turned my seat warmer and grip heaters on high. The road to Anchorage you might think would be a straight 4 lane, but it isn’t. It's actually a pretty fun, twisty road for the last 100 miles. After 300 miles I had lost my mojo for the road. The rain had stopped and the temperature was up in the 60s. I stopped at McDonald's and found a cheap Hotel on the internet for the night. I checked in, called home and went to bed. Anchorage was only 50 miles away
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