Rainforest Surprise: Finding Alaska’s Wet Spot

After a few days of staying dry and doing day trips, we decided to bite the bullet and get on with what we intended to do – camp in the wilds of Alaska in whatever conditions were presented to us.

Anchorage, Alaska: Wildlife in the City and Daytrippin’

We decided to stay in Anchorage and make a couple of day trips to other areas.  We did not even slightly enjoy Anchorage.  You see, we had finely honed our skills in finding the absolute worst section of town to stay in, and we’d practiced this almost everywhere we’d been.  I don’t think this mattered much in Anchorage – the whole city had an unsettling vibe to both of us (in contrast to Fairbanks which felt just fine).  Both hotels we stayed at were centered amongst a mix of the more treacherous elements of society, which kept us even more alert and vigilant than we already are normally.  The shady characters and their erratic behaviors we saw – loitering, random and not-so-random wandering, arguments, unintelligible mutterings to themselves – made me think I might rather take my chances with the bears!  Perhaps the Jeep was our saving grace, looking like a safari vehicle ready for the zombie apocalypse, with an axe and shovel mounted on the roof rack and who-knows-what on the inside.  At the very least, it doesn’t look like a vehicle that would be driven by gentle, timid, unsuspecting folks!  Arriving hungry and late in the day, we hastily chose a hotel on the fringes of downtown for the first night.  We promptly got out of Dodge in the morning, and proceeded to settle into our second hotel in the next expertly selected bad section of town.  Once that was accomplished, we drove to Eklutna Lake to see what the campgrounds were like, and it is a beautiful little spot.

Denali National Park and Preserve

Visiting Denali National Park was very high on our list of must-see places, and our excitement grew the closer we got.  We had beautiful sunny weather and stunning scenery all the way from Fairbanks to the park.

The Dalton Highway Adventure – Days 5-6: Deadhorse to Coldfoot to Fairbanks

As we were leaving Deadhorse Camp, I took pictures of our room and the outside of the building.  The accommodations were simple, yet sufficient and comfortable for their intended purpose.

The Dalton Highway Adventure Days 3-4: Galbraith Lake to Deadhorse; Prudhoe Bay, Arctic Ocean

Mosquitoes in Alaska are formidable, to say the least, and I would be remiss if I failed to mention them!  You don’t know what it means to have a mosquito problem until you’ve experienced the Alaska swarms.  Although they come in all sizes, most are huge… actually the mosquito is the state bird!  Normally when you venture outdoors, it will take a few minutes for the mosquitoes to pinpoint your location.  Well, these guys are anything but normal – they’re already there waiting for you, poised and ready to strike like an army of smallish but annoying blood-sucking vampires.  They don’t congregate in the woods like you might be used to.  No, this is the arctic tundra, baby!  It’s a permanently wet environment devoid of forest, and believe me, they make efficient use of it as their nursery and feeding grounds, right out in the great wide open.  They are also not as affected by cool temperatures as their southern cousins, enabling them to keep you company just a little longer.  Oh, and forget about sunshine hindering their activity.  They are ever-present, and with 24 hours of daylight in the summer, it’s a giant mosquito festival.  “Just use Deet repellant,” you say?  Don’t worry, even if they don’t get a blood meal, they can still lay eggs – they’ll just lay fewer.

The Dalton Highway Adventure: Days 1-2: Fairbanks to Coldfoot to Galbraith Lake

Starting in Fairbanks, Alaska, the ride up the Dalton Highway to Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay is 498 miles one way.  From Livengood, the actual beginning of the Dalton, approximately 25% of the road is paved, and in the summer, the rest is gravel, dirt or mud depending on the weather.  It is strongly recommended to bring two spare tires, and to carry extra gas for the 239 mile stretch between Coldfoot and Deadhorse where there are no gas stations.  Although not recommended, many people travel the road on motorcycles and bicycles.  The feeling of accomplishment after such a feat must be incredible.  I know it felt pretty awesome for us doing it in the Jeep!  The road is challenging and beautiful, and the best way to avoid catastrophe and enjoy the journey is to first do your homework and don’t approach it casually.  Once you’re traveling, just take your time.  For more detailed information about the Dalton Highway, traveling on it and considerations to take before embarking on this journey, take a look at this page on the Bureau of Land Management website, where you will find a very thorough downloadable PDF guide.

Our first day on the Dalton was grey and wet most of the time, but still provided some interesting scenery.  The road parallels the Alaska Pipeline for a good portion of the distance, and there are numerous access points for pipeline maintenance along the way.

Entering Canada, Driving the Alaska Highway

Crossing the border into Canada went very smoothly.  They asked a series of questions, we declared our two rifles and made sure we had them stowed according to their laws.  Since we had filled out our paperwork for the rifles ahead of time, the process was simple and painless, and the officers who dealt with us were very pleasant.

Our first day of travel in Canada was uneventful.  We were still in fairly civilized territory, so the paved roads were in pretty good shape.

Weathering the Storm

We arrived in Great Falls with dampened gear and spirits.  While we holed up in a hotel for three nights, it rained pretty much the entire time.  We were scouring the internet for anything and everything related to RV campers, and second guessing our plans for the remainder of the trip.  If we were experiencing this kind of weather in Montana, what would Canada and Alaska bring us?  Although this weather isn’t normal for this time of year, anything is possible.  We are not properly equipped to deal with snow or persistent freezing wet conditions.  Should we head back south and cut the trip short by a month or two, or should we try to purchase a camper to tow behind the Jeep?  Should we go back to Arizona or Texas where we knew it would be warm and dry for the rest of the time and skip Alaska until we had a camper?  Then it hit us both at the same time:  Don’t wimp out!!!  We will press on and take our chances as planned, and deal with whatever comes our way when it happens.  It’s all part of the adventure.

Glacier National Park - The Evil Temptress

After driving through miles upon endless miles of farm country, fields, and rolling hills, the mountains of Glacier National Park became visible on the horizon, and grew bigger with each mile.  So, too, did our excitement, as this place was one of our must-see, more highly anticipated stops on our journey.  We were teased by patches of blue sky peeking through the thick puffy clouds overhead.

Yellowstone Day 3: Sightseeing, Gale-force Winds, Early Departure

Our third day at Yellowstone started out as beautiful and picturesque, although windy.  Mammoth Hot Springs is a center of activity with lodges, stores, campgrounds and hiking trails.  We decided to visit a spot with several geothermal features, which can be viewed on foot via a boardwalk, or in a vehicle on a paved loop.  We did a little of both, getting the best of both worlds.