Friday, July 31, 2009
Whitehorse and Skagway
Once we got to Whitehorse,we parked our Motorhome at Walmart and went to the Ford-Dealer,but no luck,they don't work on class A Motorhomes.After 2 days we found a truck-repair shop with compedent mechanics.Since they did'nt have time until the next morning,the manager offered us to leave the Motorhome there and we took the Tracker for a sidetrip to Skagway,240 miles roundtrip,but it was worth every mile of it. The next morning after a short time it was all fixed and we are now on the road again. We stopped in Teslin and tomorrow will go down the Sterling Highway south.
A forced change in traveling plans
On the way we found a nice BLM campground,overloking a small lake,where the moose came to feed.We stayed here 3 days and just relaxed.Then we drove on to the town of Chicken,which consisted of a few old buildings with a bar and cafe,some outhouses,a postoffice and a lot of mining-equitment,also an RV park.Water they have to pump up,electricity only by generator,but all together an very interesting place to see.
But we had trouble with the gearshift on the RV.Heinz tryed to adjust it with no luck.So then the desition was made to go back to Tok. And then the headach started.In Tok we found out we need a new Shiftcable,ours had stretched.To get that is a nightmare by itself.After about a dozent phonecalls to all over the state,we found somebody in Anchorage who ordered the part from Detroit overnight,then shipped it to us at the campground in Tok and we had a shop who would install it.So we are going to be stuck here in Tok probably until monday or tuesday because of the weekend.
Hurray,we got the part already on saturday and the guy in the shop installed it.The installation took longer then estimated,and the adjustment took about 3 hours. But the bad news was,the problem still existed.So we decided enough is enough and we would leave for Whitehorse in the morning.
But we had trouble with the gearshift on the RV.Heinz tryed to adjust it with no luck.So then the desition was made to go back to Tok. And then the headach started.In Tok we found out we need a new Shiftcable,ours had stretched.To get that is a nightmare by itself.After about a dozent phonecalls to all over the state,we found somebody in Anchorage who ordered the part from Detroit overnight,then shipped it to us at the campground in Tok and we had a shop who would install it.So we are going to be stuck here in Tok probably until monday or tuesday because of the weekend.
Hurray,we got the part already on saturday and the guy in the shop installed it.The installation took longer then estimated,and the adjustment took about 3 hours. But the bad news was,the problem still existed.So we decided enough is enough and we would leave for Whitehorse in the morning.
Leaving Valdez
We left Valdez after filling up both vehicles.The clouds were very low,halfway down the mountain. The return trip starts with a very steep incline,so I drove the Tracker to the summit,boy,what a drive! We had the walky talky's with us. Slowly we got in to the clouds and could bearely see anything.I tryed to stay close to the taillights of our RV.Heinz could not see my headlights,it was scary. It took one hour,when we finally got low enough to see where we were going.
Next we went to Chitina,where we would leave the RV and drive the Tracker to Mc.Carthy and the old Coppermine the next day.We got up at 5 am,it just started to rain.We packed a lunch and overnight pack and started out.The rain got havier.We expected a rough road and counted about 3 hours for the 60 miles to Mc.Carthy.No such luck!We could only drive 5-10 miles an hour at the most,not only the potholes,but havy washboard all the way.We drove almost 12 miles and were two hours on the road,when Heinz made a U-turn to drive back.He did not want to break down in the middle of nowhere with hardly anybody to drive by.We got back to the RV,it was close to noon and moved on to Glenellen,next day to Tok and from there to Dawson City.
Next we went to Chitina,where we would leave the RV and drive the Tracker to Mc.Carthy and the old Coppermine the next day.We got up at 5 am,it just started to rain.We packed a lunch and overnight pack and started out.The rain got havier.We expected a rough road and counted about 3 hours for the 60 miles to Mc.Carthy.No such luck!We could only drive 5-10 miles an hour at the most,not only the potholes,but havy washboard all the way.We drove almost 12 miles and were two hours on the road,when Heinz made a U-turn to drive back.He did not want to break down in the middle of nowhere with hardly anybody to drive by.We got back to the RV,it was close to noon and moved on to Glenellen,next day to Tok and from there to Dawson City.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Anchorage to Valdez
After we finally washed our motorhome,we left Anchorage and went to Palmer. We visited a maskox-farm and drove the Tracker up to the Hadger Pass and an old mining town, a beautiful drive.Sunday night was Icecream social at the campground and we met some other campers.
Monday we went to the Matanuska Glacier.We stayed at the state campground a few miles away in the woods.The next morning we took the Tracker and drove the steep road down to the glacier entrance station. The Glacier is about 2 miles wide and 27 miles long,it was just fantastic to look at . Now we took both a skipole and jacket and started down the rugged and very difficult trail all the way down to the foot of the glacier. The way was marked with orange cones,and you had to find the best way to get to the next one without getting in to mud,water or black Ice,wich is very dangerous.I was a little scared sometimes and thought of turning back,but we came already so far,we wanted to make it all the way.The Ice was getting more solid now and we had to be very carefull. We made it to the point ,where a guided group put their spikes under their boots to continue.We looked back up,our car looked like a machbox at the rim,but looking over the Glacier,it was such a great feeling to have made it this far.But now it was time to turn back.
As you see,we made it back allright,the hike had taking us about 2,5 hours. We went back to the camp,had some lunch and drove all the way to Valdez,since the RV-park we wanted to stop was all closed up.It was a nice drive especially through the canyons just before Valdez.Today we walked through the city,along the harbor,hiked up the hill to the lookout and drove to the old Valdez,wich was completly destroyed in 1964 by an strong earthquake.Tomorrow we will be on the road again.
Monday we went to the Matanuska Glacier.We stayed at the state campground a few miles away in the woods.The next morning we took the Tracker and drove the steep road down to the glacier entrance station. The Glacier is about 2 miles wide and 27 miles long,it was just fantastic to look at . Now we took both a skipole and jacket and started down the rugged and very difficult trail all the way down to the foot of the glacier. The way was marked with orange cones,and you had to find the best way to get to the next one without getting in to mud,water or black Ice,wich is very dangerous.I was a little scared sometimes and thought of turning back,but we came already so far,we wanted to make it all the way.The Ice was getting more solid now and we had to be very carefull. We made it to the point ,where a guided group put their spikes under their boots to continue.We looked back up,our car looked like a machbox at the rim,but looking over the Glacier,it was such a great feeling to have made it this far.But now it was time to turn back.
As you see,we made it back allright,the hike had taking us about 2,5 hours. We went back to the camp,had some lunch and drove all the way to Valdez,since the RV-park we wanted to stop was all closed up.It was a nice drive especially through the canyons just before Valdez.Today we walked through the city,along the harbor,hiked up the hill to the lookout and drove to the old Valdez,wich was completly destroyed in 1964 by an strong earthquake.Tomorrow we will be on the road again.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Seward
Seward....
We could not believe it, we found a RV-space on the beach, no hookup's but very nice.
The water at front door and the snow covered mountains across the bay,and on top of it sunshine and warm..After breakfast we took the Tracker and drove to the Exit Glacier,about 9 miles out of town..From the end of the road we walked to the Glacier view point,a beautiful sight..From there we could hike to the toe of the Glacier or about a mile to the edge ,which would be more strenoues since it is rocky and uphill and narrow.We took that trail,a lot of climbing,but I had my hiking pole with me.It felt like long time ago,when we used to hike all the mountain trails in Zion or ather parks.We made it to the edge of the Glacier,a very cold wind was blowing very hard,but what a feeling you get ,when you stand there and almost can touch the Ice,just awsome.
The rest of the afternoon we just took our chairs and relaxed outside on the waterfront.Later we had a fish-dinner,so I did not have to cook.In the morning we saw all the fishermen going out with there boats,lots of seagulls and even some Otters in the water. By mid-morning we left Seward,stopped over again in Girdwood and stayed there for the night in front of the Ski-Lifts and watcht a lot of Paragliders coming down from the top of the mountain..Tomorrow we will be in Anchorage.
Two days later:
We made it to Anchorage,and took the Tracker in to downtown.What a nightmare! Most streets east-west ore north-south are one way streets.Some go part two-way and then suddenly only one way.Then they have a construction zone in the mittle of the city and another one at the Glen-Highway,also in the city.You want to go someplace,so you finally figured out how to get there,then you have to find a way to get back.,but we managed it ,went to the Anchorage History Museum in downtown,we enjoyed it very much.We also found a Walmart and even a Costco.We went to the Salmon viewingarea at the river,but only saw some salmons,not spawning,but only swimming around.Then we walked through the inner city with all the beautiful flowers,went through some shops ect. But we found a RV carwash,so tomorrow morning we will start very early,wash our RV and be on our way to Palmer,via the old GlenHwy .Lets see what is in store for us there.
We could not believe it, we found a RV-space on the beach, no hookup's but very nice.
The water at front door and the snow covered mountains across the bay,and on top of it sunshine and warm..After breakfast we took the Tracker and drove to the Exit Glacier,about 9 miles out of town..From the end of the road we walked to the Glacier view point,a beautiful sight..From there we could hike to the toe of the Glacier or about a mile to the edge ,which would be more strenoues since it is rocky and uphill and narrow.We took that trail,a lot of climbing,but I had my hiking pole with me.It felt like long time ago,when we used to hike all the mountain trails in Zion or ather parks.We made it to the edge of the Glacier,a very cold wind was blowing very hard,but what a feeling you get ,when you stand there and almost can touch the Ice,just awsome.
The rest of the afternoon we just took our chairs and relaxed outside on the waterfront.Later we had a fish-dinner,so I did not have to cook.In the morning we saw all the fishermen going out with there boats,lots of seagulls and even some Otters in the water. By mid-morning we left Seward,stopped over again in Girdwood and stayed there for the night in front of the Ski-Lifts and watcht a lot of Paragliders coming down from the top of the mountain..Tomorrow we will be in Anchorage.
Two days later:
We made it to Anchorage,and took the Tracker in to downtown.What a nightmare! Most streets east-west ore north-south are one way streets.Some go part two-way and then suddenly only one way.Then they have a construction zone in the mittle of the city and another one at the Glen-Highway,also in the city.You want to go someplace,so you finally figured out how to get there,then you have to find a way to get back.,but we managed it ,went to the Anchorage History Museum in downtown,we enjoyed it very much.We also found a Walmart and even a Costco.We went to the Salmon viewingarea at the river,but only saw some salmons,not spawning,but only swimming around.Then we walked through the inner city with all the beautiful flowers,went through some shops ect. But we found a RV carwash,so tomorrow morning we will start very early,wash our RV and be on our way to Palmer,via the old GlenHwy .Lets see what is in store for us there.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Kenai Peninsular.
We left the Wasilla area on tuesday and went direct to the Kenai peninsular, known as Alaskas playground. We bypassed Anchorage to make it in time to meet Ingrid and Richard and their daughter Kellys family,since the Fricks were going to fly back to California on sunday.We found our campground and made reservation for a 5 hour Glacier Tour the next day out of Whittier.
We relaxed the rest of the afternoon. Whittier is a small seaport and was used as a navelstation in World War 2.We boarded the ship and got a table inside at a window,since we booked with a
"all you can eat" salmon and primerip luncheon. After lunch we went out on deck,ther where some whales and a lot of sea-otters around the ship. Then we came close to the Northland Glacier,we watched a big waterfall next to it ,and suddenly a loud cracking noise and a large piece of ice brooke loose and ended in the water.Boy,we where hoping to get to see something like that,what a sight.Next the ship went around a small peninsula and there was the large Blackstone Glacier.Our ship stayed there for a long time.We heard some loud ckracking,but nothing brook off.We went around an island to see another one,the Beloid Glacier,very large,massive and solid,here we also stayed for a long while,then continued our trip back,passed a few more smaller ones.Around the Glaciers the wind was icy cold,so finally we went back inside to our table and had some delicious desserts.
Next morning we met the Frick's and toured the Wild Animal Conservation Center,which is being run by Kelly and her husband Mike.After that we all went to Girdwood,a pretty little village, about 10 miles away,for the 4th of July Forest Fair.It was the first day of a 3 day weekend and already crowded.We had a nice time with lots of local Arts and Crafts for sale,musik bands ,lots of food and a beergarden ,etc. Then Kelly invited us for the next day for Salmon Dinner at their house.It was a great evening.The baby boy,Owen,is only 4 weeks old,and 2.1\2 year old Abbie[Abigail] is such a sweet little girl.
Today,sunday,we went down to Seward and checked out the town.
Tomorrow we will do some more exploring.
We relaxed the rest of the afternoon. Whittier is a small seaport and was used as a navelstation in World War 2.We boarded the ship and got a table inside at a window,since we booked with a
"all you can eat" salmon and primerip luncheon. After lunch we went out on deck,ther where some whales and a lot of sea-otters around the ship. Then we came close to the Northland Glacier,we watched a big waterfall next to it ,and suddenly a loud cracking noise and a large piece of ice brooke loose and ended in the water.Boy,we where hoping to get to see something like that,what a sight.Next the ship went around a small peninsula and there was the large Blackstone Glacier.Our ship stayed there for a long time.We heard some loud ckracking,but nothing brook off.We went around an island to see another one,the Beloid Glacier,very large,massive and solid,here we also stayed for a long while,then continued our trip back,passed a few more smaller ones.Around the Glaciers the wind was icy cold,so finally we went back inside to our table and had some delicious desserts.
Next morning we met the Frick's and toured the Wild Animal Conservation Center,which is being run by Kelly and her husband Mike.After that we all went to Girdwood,a pretty little village, about 10 miles away,for the 4th of July Forest Fair.It was the first day of a 3 day weekend and already crowded.We had a nice time with lots of local Arts and Crafts for sale,musik bands ,lots of food and a beergarden ,etc. Then Kelly invited us for the next day for Salmon Dinner at their house.It was a great evening.The baby boy,Owen,is only 4 weeks old,and 2.1\2 year old Abbie[Abigail] is such a sweet little girl.
Today,sunday,we went down to Seward and checked out the town.
Tomorrow we will do some more exploring.
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