tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79981872114363412082024-03-13T03:46:00.130-07:00Alaska '09Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-73955141846911697112009-08-09T13:52:00.000-07:002017-05-19T18:40:58.769-07:00Travelblog<br />
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<span style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #ffff66;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="color: cyan;">My trip made the cover of RVwest Magazine Feb 2011. Article and photographs inside.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #ffff66;">Getting Ready</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/03/matchlight_17.html">03-17</a> Taking a match to the idea<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/03/trip-is-pretty-well-set-and-cant-vary.html">03-18</a> The 2009 Alaska Loop<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/03/mini-schedule.html">03-19</a> mini-schedule<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/03/ferry.html">03-24</a> Ferry $<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/03/good-way-to-drown.html">03-30</a> A good way to Drown<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-to-do-list-is-growing-fatter-than-my.html">04-04</a> Maps and Books and Too Much to do<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-got-bc-road-and-recreation-atlas-and.html">04-09</a> Got the BC Maps today<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/04/bella-coola.html">04-25</a> Bella Coola Detrour<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/04/new-trip.html">04-28</a> NEW TRIP<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/04/why-i-am-going-and-what-ill-be-doing.html">04-29</a> Animation of "The Hill"<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-gear.html">05-29</a> My Gear<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/06/shotgun-goes-to-alaska.html">06-17 </a>Fire Arms<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/06/slow-driving.html">06-19</a> Slow Driving<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/06/black-bears.html">06-19</a> Black Bears<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/06/casita.html">06-21</a> Casita?<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/06/renaissance-man-renaissance-cats.html">06-24 </a>Renaissance Man Renaissance Cats<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post.html">06-25</a> The rig ready this afternoon<br />
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<span style="color: #ffff66;">On the Road</span><br />
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<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_06_27_archive.html">06-26</a> Kanab UT to Winnemucca NV<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_06_27_archive.html#06-27">06-27</a> Winnemucca to Ellensburg<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_06_30_archive.html">06-28</a> Ellensburg to Williams Lake<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_06_30_archive.html#06-29">06-29</a> Williams Lake to Terrace<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_06_30_archive.html#06-30">06-30</a> Terrace<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html">07-01</a> Terrace to Prince Rupert<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_05_archive.html">07-02</a> Prince Rupert to Ketchikan<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_05_archive.html#07-03">07-03</a> Ketchikan to Prince of Wales Island<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_05_archive.html#07-04">07-04</a> Prince of wales Island<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_05_archive.html#07-05">07-05</a> Prince of Wales Island<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_12_archive.html#07-06">07-06</a> Prince of Wales Island<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_12_archive.html#07-07">07-07</a> Prince of Wales Island<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_12_archive.html#07-08">07-08</a> Prince of Wales Island to Ketchikan<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_12_archive.html#07-09">07-09</a> Ketchikan to Wrangell<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_12_archive.html#07-10">07-10</a> Wrangell<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_12_archive.html#07-11">07-11</a> Wrangell<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_15_archive.html">07-12</a> Wrangell to Petersburg<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_15_archive.html#07-13">07-13</a> Petersburg<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_15_archive.html#07-14">07-14</a> Petersburg to Juneau<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_15_archive.html#07-15">07-15</a> Juneau<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_16_archive.html">07-16</a> Juneau to Haines<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_17_archive.html">07-17</a> Haines<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_19_archive.html">07-18</a> Haines to Skagaway<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_19_archive.html#07-19">07-19</a> Skagway<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_20_archive.html">07-20</a> Skagway<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_23_archive.html">07-21</a> Skagway to Atlin<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_23_archive.html#07-22">07-22</a> Atlin<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_23_archive.html">07-23</a> Atlin to Watson Lake<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_24_archive.html">07-24</a> Watson lake to Telegraph Creek<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_27_archive.html">07-25</a> Telegraph Creek to Iskut<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_27_archive.html">07-26</a> Iskut to Steward<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_27_archive.html">07-27</a> Stewart to Smithers<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_29_archive.html">07-28</a> Smithers to Prince George<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_29_archive.html">07-29</a> Prince George to Bella Coola<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_30_archive.html">07-30</a> Bella Coola<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_31_archive.html">07-31</a> Bella Coola<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html">08-01</a> Bella Coola<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_08_02_archive.html">08-02</a> Bella Coola<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_08_05_archive.html">08-03</a> Bella Coola to Port Hardy<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_08_05_archive.html#08-04">08-04</a> Port Hardy to Bellingham<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_08_05_archive.html#08-05">08-05</a> Bellingham to Yakima<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_08_07_archive.html">08-06</a> Yakima to Twin Falls<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_08_07_archive.html#08-07">08-07</a> Twin Falls to KanabUnknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-12890121876416339062009-08-07T15:48:00.000-07:002013-07-23T15:01:00.424-07:00Yakima WA to Twin Falls ID to Home<div style="text-align: center;">
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08-06 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Yakima WA to Twin Falls ID</span></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>Got a decent start towards home from Yakima on the 6th and had planned on staying near Salt Lake... perhaps even dropping down to see Sebastian at his campground west of SLC but the weather got real windy with rain and hail and I just pulled over at a rest stop near Twin Falls Idaho in the late afternoon and sat it out.<br />
Parked my little rig between two giant rigs to protect me from the wind! HA!!!<br />
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From Yakima to Utah border I was driving on roads with scoop-grooves.<br />
It is as if they allow studded snows for too long and they grind a radial groove in the road of substantial depth and pretty much trucker in width.<br />
When you drive it you are "in the trough" so to speak.<br />
But my track is narrow compared to a Kenworth so I was forever ramping up one side of the groove to the other side.<br />
It makes for an uncomfortable slurr-wiggle and if you are not careful that wiggle can launch you up and out of the trough only to have your trailing wheels get sucked down into the remaining one.<br />
Needless to say this was a lot of work.<br />
Add to this that the wind was a constant non-gusting 30mph AND it was raining and hailing then you can maybe see the struggle I was having.<br />
I disconnected the anti sway bar and that helped a lot.<br />
Anyway these Idaho Highways 83 82 84 are really dangerous for light weight rigs.<br />
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Just sayin</div>
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08-07 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Twin Falls to Kanab</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7998187211436341208" id="08-07" name="08-07"></a><br />
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Finally got home today the 7th.<br />
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It was maybe two weeks too long... at least one week.<br />
So now friends and relatives and my MOM know I am home safe.<br />
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To other followers this blog will be undergoing a great deal of editing... posting videos, maps, audio clips, images, and insipid ramblings.<br />
So if your curiosity doesn't win out then certainly your appetite for laughter will.<br />
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Cheers<br />
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It's been fun!<br />
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Ron SmithUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-18589953495552751702009-08-05T17:02:00.000-07:002013-07-23T15:06:40.615-07:00Bella Coola BC to Poart Hardy to Bellingham to Yakima WA<div style="text-align: center;">
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The ferry ride from Bella <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Coola</span> to Port Hardy was an eternity.<br />
This ferry has to be the slowest boat I've ever been on. It took 13 hours for a ride any other ferry in the fleet could have made in eight. Queen of the Chilliwack is 40 years old, rusty, with buckled floor plates on the auto deck that acted like speed bumps every four feet as you drove in!<br />
She is a double ender (drive in one end and out the other) which means there is no bow and cant go fast.<br />
Personally I thought these kinds of ferries were for short runs to save turnaround time or something.<br />
When she hit the open sea of Queen Charollet Sound she rolles and pitched pretty bad and the captrain had to zig-zag to aline with the rollign seas.<br />
Bella Coola is not a top priority for BC Ferries and it shows.<br />
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Anyway she is silly slow.. like 15 knots or something... a Mississippi river paddle wheeler... upstream!<br />
I kept looking for someone out in point of the bow casting a sounding rope of fathom knots to check the depth, "Mark five, mark four, mark ???".<br />
It was that slow.<br />
Even this dolphin thought we were hitchhikers<br />
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But like all these slow boats even the most introverted open up to some talk and by the time we reached Port Hardy I had six new friends some of whom I can name and others I forgot.<br />
Wondering: can you have a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">friend</span> and not <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">remember</span> their name?<br />
That's rude I suppose.<br />
But I am not sure I understand all people anyway, so<br />
08-04<span style="color: #ffcc99;"> </span><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Port Hardy BC to Bellingham WA</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7998187211436341208" id="08-04" name="068-04"></a><br />
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Two new <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">friends</span> were Jill and John a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">couple</span> of Vancouver young people who needed a lift down to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">nanaimo</span> Ferry from Port Hardy... they and their two bikes.<br />
We had a fine ride and some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">insightful</span> discussions and I learned some... for example "Eskimo" is not <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">politically</span> correct. "Inuit" is the proper choice.<br />
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See what I mean?<br />
The world belongs to the young.</div>
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Get out of their way and learn what you can from them.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwMYPDTantnwDAO4Y1E0SRQcFmRlZOkbq6SBcgP5bVLDREdJ_MSCWAI7TdFFlgfVy2OxxbBJ_JQrnUG4SmV8w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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So they went their way and I mine and I crossed the border into the Unites States of America at midnight last night,</div>
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A strange feeling came over me.</div>
I am at odds with my country over a few things and pretty much everyone knows it but I felt so welcomed home when I came home.<br />
My country of birth.. the country I love.<br />
Just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">sayin</span></div>
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08-05 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Bellingham WA to Yakima WA</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7998187211436341208" id="08-05" name="08-05"></a><br />
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Spent the night in a rest area near Bellingham WA and woke up late <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">this morning</span> and drove to an RV park here in Yakima<br />
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So here I sit.. time for some beer (SLASH) WINE and a cigar.<br />
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Its all about to close soon, this act.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-45829429170291057412009-08-02T15:01:00.000-07:002009-09-19T12:11:15.244-07:00Bella Coola Day FiveSailing out out of Bella Coola tomorrow morning<br />The roads are going to be closed up to five more days so I went down to the travel agent and booked the ferry to port hardy where I will...<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYHyAqxedI/AAAAAAAAAco/6US9j5z_OqA/s1600-h/map-dcp.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 163px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYHyAqxedI/AAAAAAAAAco/6US9j5z_OqA/s320/map-dcp.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365484561812781522" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>drive nearly the length of Vancouver Island to Nanaimo (did this five years ago) <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>where I'll...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYJcRwZCTI/AAAAAAAAAcw/1w9NfnHnSP4/s1600-h/map-northern.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 118px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYJcRwZCTI/AAAAAAAAAcw/1w9NfnHnSP4/s320/map-northern.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365486387465881906" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />pick up another ferry to Tsawwassen<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYKfhbnf4I/AAAAAAAAAc4/sI98KbNG2FI/s1600-h/map-mainland.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 114px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYKfhbnf4I/AAAAAAAAAc4/sI98KbNG2FI/s320/map-mainland.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365487542724951938" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Which gets my back into the United States!<br />I think I should start looking for my passport... somewhere... it's here somewhere.<br /><br />So here is what happened and why I'm changing my route:<br /><br />When I got here it was record heat and when the ocean gets temps like that it produces lots of large thunderheads and they move inland and produce lightening and fires everywhere.<br />Since there is only one driving route in there is one driving route out and that would be about 250 miles of forest which has multiple fires going on along it.<br /><br />Anyway the night before last we got hit with the loudest blast of thunder I have ever heard. It rocked my little trailer... just from the sound wave.<br />This was about 3:0o AM<br />The next morning everyone was talking about it and come noontime we saw a patch of smoke coming out of a little canyon about 1/2 mile away.... about 500 feet up the mountain.<br />Withing just 60 minutes there was a helicopter dropping water on it.<br />He dropped his bucket in a high mountain lake behind us and flew it over the fire and after 30 trips he doused it pretty good and went home (note my use of the adverbish "pretty" here)<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYU7B-pCBI/AAAAAAAAAdA/_h7C_0XMujI/s1600-h/heliocopter-blog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYU7B-pCBI/AAAAAAAAAdA/_h7C_0XMujI/s320/heliocopter-blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365499010434533394" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Well it popped back up again later in the evening<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYhnOdoAKI/AAAAAAAAAdI/qS-57XC2vSo/s1600-h/fire-nite+blog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 125px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnYhnOdoAKI/AAAAAAAAAdI/qS-57XC2vSo/s320/fire-nite+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365512963839492258" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />Borate bombers came today<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnfUA_FbBLI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/h5_2JiM0d6c/s1600-h/borate+bommer+3+blog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 122px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnfUA_FbBLI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/h5_2JiM0d6c/s320/borate+bommer+3+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365990594434499762" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnfUFNiB6AI/AAAAAAAAAdY/EACrVsuH0ts/s1600-h/borate+bommer+2+blog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 135px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnfUFNiB6AI/AAAAAAAAAdY/EACrVsuH0ts/s320/borate+bommer+2+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365990667032061954" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We got an evacuation alert reading:<br /><br /><p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span style=";font-family:Calibri;font-size:100%;" ><span lang="EN-CA">Please note the attached information bulletin re the Bella Coola situation.</span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span style=";font-family:Calibri;font-size:100%;" ><span lang="EN-CA">Be advised that further to this bulletin, residents along hwy 20 between Mack Road and Snootli Creek, including Walker Island, have been issued evacuation alerts as a precautionary move.</span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span style=";font-family:Calibri;font-size:100%;" >Central Coast Regional District</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span style=";font-family:Calibri;font-size:100%;" >Bella Coola, BC</span></p><span style="font-size:100%;">The Canadian broadcasting system radio was full of the news about this.<br />They did telephone interviews of residents with the normal media spin, "Bella Coola residents flee Terror of Fire" yadda yadda<br /><br />Hell, the entire town turned out to watch the show like a forth of July fireworks display (oops.. I mean Canada day fire works show). People were having BBQs on the side of the road and drinking beer and just taking in the sights<br />Here's picture of a grandma hip-carrying her toddler child down the road to see the show! to her immediate right is the fire and the show... all the cars of the town are lined up as you can see.<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnfWr7o3UKI/AAAAAAAAAdg/zToh0NWUWyk/s1600-h/hip+rumping.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 204px; height: 136px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnfWr7o3UKI/AAAAAAAAAdg/zToh0NWUWyk/s320/hip+rumping.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365993531267043490" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br />The winds began to shift so I thought I should move out.<br />spent the night at Clayton Falls down near the ferry but last I heard all is well at Eagle Lodge.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-75432113501162258612009-08-01T08:13:00.000-07:002010-02-09T14:05:05.659-08:00The Americans are coming, the Americans are coming....Ron's leaving today - and we're going to miss him! He's asked me to talk a bit about the history of this place so here it is. Originally a homestead, the property had the Levelton house and barn on it. This is what it looked like about the mid '70's.<br /><br />When we bought it in 1998,<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-24183911710606884792009-08-01T07:15:00.000-07:002009-09-06T14:03:32.084-07:00Bella Coola Day FourThe road is open so off I go.<br />On the downhill run now<br />I got some great pictures to post but they will probably have to wait until I get home.<br />This blog will be under refinement for a month I guess as I get put in all the videos and maps and such.<br />So keep checking back for old posts with new stuff<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-size:180%;" >OOPS</span><br /><br />Or so I thought<br />The wind<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> came up yesterday afternoon and they closed it down again... it remains closed.<br />They will probably open it up for a pilot car caravan this AM and close it down again if the wind comes up so I am getting ready...<br /><br />More bad news<br /><br />We had thunder storms come in last night and started more fires so now it looks like there are four or five fires on the road out of here<br />So here I sit... again<br /><a href="http://www.drivebc.com/"><br />Here is a map of BC roads</a><br />Click on Bella Coola<br />It shows which roads are closed and and what areas.<br />It is 250 miles out of here so any dealy just screws it up big timeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-83318622036452945372009-07-31T15:46:00.000-07:002009-09-19T12:09:13.168-07:00So is it a B&B? or a little hotel??<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HHzvNJCJWP4/SnN4keCMNEI/AAAAAAAAAAM/KCybnmPPpFo/s1600-h/_MJW7332-LodgeView-medium.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 151px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HHzvNJCJWP4/SnN4keCMNEI/AAAAAAAAAAM/KCybnmPPpFo/s320/_MJW7332-LodgeView-medium.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364764149061268546" border="0" /></a><br />Good question Ron! Maybe this'll help...<br /><br />The official classification for Eagle Lodge in Bella Coola is "Country Inn". So what's the difference between a Country Inn and a B&B?<br /><br />A B&B is a private residence (the owners) with a business in it. The business is 2 -3 bedrooms rented by the night. Often shared bath, often seasonal. The owners main income is derived outside the B&B.<br /><br />A Country Inn is a business with a private residence in it (owner/manager). Anywhere from 4 - 14 rooms with private bathrooms, usually year round. The owner/manager's main income is derived from the business.<br /><br />Here at the Lodge it get's a bit confusing because we are operating under the classification of B&B. Not because we only have 2-3 rooms, and not because it's our private residence. Though it could be - pretty nice private home! But for a whole host of reasons around the Canada Select Star rating.<br /><br />So for now we live in a Four Star Country Inn, in this beautiful Valley, working hair straight back for four and a half months of the year, and then take the rest of the year off.<br /><br />.... so once in a while I have to say .... remind me .... why are we selling?<br /><br />Addendum:<br />The fire has been all but put out, and the former Dormitory turned high-end Lodge has survived yet another assault. To give you some sense of this amazing building, let me fill you in on some little known secrets from its past.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Lodge started out as a Dorm<br /><br />The lodge was built in the mid 1980's as a dorm for boys attending the Seventh Day Adventist Academy. The school created a mission focus of taking all kids including ones that other SDA schools kicked out - the drug addicts, the alcoholics, the unloved children, everyone was welcome. However, this wasn't very politically correct (a pregnant teen standing under an SDA school sign, smoking). In 1993 the BC Conference gave up trying to force the school board to toe the line, and they closed the dorms and eliminated grades 11 and 12.<br /><br /><br /><br />A Church, then low-income apartments<br /><br />The dentist, Wendell Danielson, who had been the principal funder and driving force in building the Church, the School and the dorms, bought the building back from the Conference, intending to open it again. But the spirit had gone out of the staff and they slowly trickled away. The building went through several morphs, housing an open door style church, Wendell's dental clinic for a while, even low income housing. Finally, in 1998, Wendell sold the building to us and moved away.<br /><br /><br /><br />A Group Home<br /><br />We weren't sure what we would do with the building so for the first four years we operated a group home (that's like an orphanage only the children's parents are alive, just can't take care of them for one reason or another).<br /><br /><br /><br />We conducted test marketing, identified that it would make a good tourism accommodation - with a lot of work - renovated including putting bathrooms in all the bedrooms (wouldn't those boys be envious now!) We did not renew the Group Home contract in March of 2003. Towards the end of the years as a group home, it was the only group home in the province where every teenager had their own bathroom!<br /><br /><br /><br />In the end, a Country Inn <br /><br />In May, we opened Bella Coola's Eagle Lodge as a Country Inn with a Canada Select rating of four stars. As part of the grand opening, we had the local Nuxalk twins Lance and Chris Nelson come and do a cleansing ceremony, releasing all the painful spirits that had found refuge in this rambling home. The lodge has always provided welcoming shelter in an inviting and warm atmosphere. The most often heard phrase after, “This is so beautiful” is “It feels like home!” We take that as a complement.<br /><br /><br /><br />We operate from May to late September, and relax for the rest of the year. We have it for sale, as I'm a travel writer and would like to be a little more central to my writing projects. In the meantime, it's a very nice place to live. Oh yes - in the end, we adopted one of the children from the group home. I've attached our most recent family picture taken during our family reunion this winter. Patrick (front and centre) came to us straight from the hospital at birth. He is now nine years old.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sn8e4V90GiI/AAAAAAAAAgU/SKoDg7Ktu_c/s1600-h/Family+natural.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 139px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sn8e4V90GiI/AAAAAAAAAgU/SKoDg7Ktu_c/s320/Family+natural.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368043234166839842" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-83059734937827081862009-07-31T09:48:00.001-07:002009-08-01T13:45:52.825-07:00Smoked inI think my sister was snowed in at Big Bear CA once.<br />Well I am smoked in at Bella Coola.<br />There is a fire in the mountains east and the highway has been closed.<br />So I'll stay here until the highway opens.<br /><br /><br />Here are a few shots I took while out messing around<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnSnp--xvFI/AAAAAAAAAcY/wSHkiJDM7y8/s1600-h/clayton+falls+panorama+blog+size.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnSnp--xvFI/AAAAAAAAAcY/wSHkiJDM7y8/s320/clayton+falls+panorama+blog+size.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365097395827883090" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Clayton Falls<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnSozNc1RfI/AAAAAAAAAcg/i1ZNAw8RpGI/s1600-h/IMG_4308_6_7+big+falls.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnSozNc1RfI/AAAAAAAAAcg/i1ZNAw8RpGI/s320/IMG_4308_6_7+big+falls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365098653842490866" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Odegard falls on a smoky eveningUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-38508892292071712492009-07-30T18:47:00.000-07:002009-09-06T14:02:00.809-07:00Bella Coola Day Two<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJOnUF-q4I/AAAAAAAAAaw/BmScgOasgFs/s1600-h/IMG_4246_4_5-adjusted-blog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJOnUF-q4I/AAAAAAAAAaw/BmScgOasgFs/s320/IMG_4246_4_5-adjusted-blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364436543467334530" border="0" /></a><br />I have three things I want to get out in this post<br />1- The Bella Coola Valley<br />2- the 4x4 trip I took today<br />3- this place where I am staying<br /><br />Last first<br /><br />On top is a picture I took yesterday after setting up.<br />This is one of my top five camp settings ever.<br />Awe inspiring<br /><a href="http://www.eaglelodgebc.com/">Eagle Lodge</a><br />It is primarily a lodge which is a hotel or an upscale B&B... I dunno but click on the link and read about it.<br />Also read more about the Bella Coola valley later in this post to get a sense of what those mountain peaks do for this valley but I am alone in this RV park with wifi, water, and shore power on a flat spot for $18C... nine toonies is all (I have to write something soon on the monetary system up here).<br />And of course the hosts are as always BC congenial... the smoothest nicest people on the face of this earth are these Canadians.<br />And Canadians can be found all over Canada too!<br />So not to leave this subject too early let's talk about the grounds<br />Well mowed and clean<br />They have room for four RVs, four or five tent campers waaay back in the woods and away from the RVers and they have a cute little cabin to tent out... with a microwave.<br />Toilets are clean and cared for pit-types<br />No laundry but they offer a laundry service... I got my normal six dollars worth of maytag-quarters laundry done for $5C (two toonies and a loonie).<br />Showers?<br />Talk about showers<br />This is the cutest outside-ish shower I have ever seen... check it out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJWbBuYZ2I/AAAAAAAAAa4/4Uu4ZIR5uXs/s1600-h/IMG_4256-small.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJWbBuYZ2I/AAAAAAAAAa4/4Uu4ZIR5uXs/s320/IMG_4256-small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364445128471111522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJWnbN7qbI/AAAAAAAAAbA/1AmqfA9VH7g/s1600-h/IMG_4257+small.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJWnbN7qbI/AAAAAAAAAbA/1AmqfA9VH7g/s320/IMG_4257+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364445341472762290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJXELboZLI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/jmo9kRl4o-Y/s1600-h/IMG_4261+small.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJXELboZLI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/jmo9kRl4o-Y/s320/IMG_4261+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364445835451458738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJWvhrTIMI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y98oKByzlKI/s1600-h/IMG_4260+small.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJWvhrTIMI/AAAAAAAAAbI/Y98oKByzlKI/s320/IMG_4260+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364445480645501122" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJXOk291KI/AAAAAAAAAbY/-FbT537qZe8/s1600-h/IMG_4262-small.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnJXOk291KI/AAAAAAAAAbY/-FbT537qZe8/s320/IMG_4262-small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364446014075688098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That was a thrilling shower... well "thrilling"? ummm hell it was great to stand in the gigantic big room with no worries about getting anything wet... no shower curtains to pull... no skid strips in the bottom of the tub to insure you dont fall.. it was like a wilderness shower and it was sorta thrilling to me (gimme a break).<br />I wanted to go right back and take another shower but I dont think its part of the deal.<br />I'm going to watch for when the lights go out in the lodge tonight and sneak back in and do a wilderness shower in the dark!!!<br /><br />... this is a long glaciated valley similar to so many on the BC coast. When looking at it from above (map) for the first time, and understanding that glaciers are plastic flows squeezed out of the bottom of thick and heavy ices fields, then it's obvious that the caribou plateau (Williams lake to Anahim lake for example) was the ice field that fed all of these grinding arms of movement. In fact this glacier gash extends far beyond the Bella Coola terminus as a salt water canal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnMdYHaqotI/AAAAAAAAAb4/9NQOX1a7fjo/s1600-h/glaciers+to+sea.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 304px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnMdYHaqotI/AAAAAAAAAb4/9NQOX1a7fjo/s320/glaciers+to+sea.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364663881273352914" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And this explains the heat!<br />This is sea level and the environmental lapse rate for temperature dictates high temps at sea level and low temps in the mountains. I thought that maybe since I was going to be "on the ocean" that a sea breeze would cool things off like it does along any coast. Well looking at the image you can see that the "sea breeze" is blocked so here we sit in 100 degree F heat with no breeze and lots of humidity!<br /><br />I took a 4x4 trip of about 16 miles to Blue Jay lake... one of the best I've been on this side of Utah. I was going to launch the Kayak but the flies were awful!!!!<br />I could have gone further down the road but the going was over very sharp rocks and I didnt want to chance a puncture.<br />You can see a portion of the road in this image:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnMfkoS8gyI/AAAAAAAAAcA/VZ91MKm2hL4/s1600-h/4x4+blue+jay+lake.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnMfkoS8gyI/AAAAAAAAAcA/VZ91MKm2hL4/s320/4x4+blue+jay+lake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364666295281025826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnSmIhtM-YI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/4JY8hd07Jqk/s1600-h/blujay+lake+pass+blog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnSmIhtM-YI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/4JY8hd07Jqk/s320/blujay+lake+pass+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365095721522231682" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is the top of the passUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-75534285761316157822009-07-29T20:21:00.000-07:002009-09-19T09:35:11.376-07:00Smithers to Prince George to Bella Coola07-28 Smithers to Prince George<br /><br />I went to twin falls this AM and will put some shots here later.<br />Had oil changed in Houston BC.<br />Stopped at a roadside rest and spent the night near Hixon BC (which is near Prince George)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnMiJJbVIUI/AAAAAAAAAcI/LQzN7faX10A/s1600-h/smithers+to+hixon.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 163px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnMiJJbVIUI/AAAAAAAAAcI/LQzN7faX10A/s320/smithers+to+hixon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364669121673109826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>07-29 Prince George to Bella Coola<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnMRhpTidpI/AAAAAAAAAbw/IXuHdGpNYvM/s1600-h/hixon++to+bella.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 125px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SnMRhpTidpI/AAAAAAAAAbw/IXuHdGpNYvM/s320/hixon++to+bella.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364650850849552018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>I thought I was going north... like to the great white, eh?<br />Ok so this is bc and it is 100 degrees F.. no<br />not a mistake in conversion<br />It hit <span style="font-size:130%;">106</span> with a sea level humidity of 60% HOUSTON TEXAS!<br />Jeez loooooweeeeze<br />But the sun went down and it is cooling off<br />and I am camped in the world's most beautiful RV park<br />More tomorrowUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-42969504034605717102009-07-27T22:25:00.000-07:002009-11-13T06:47:39.624-08:00Telegraph Creek to Iskut07-25 <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Telegraph Creek to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Iskut</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0qRevVvDI/AAAAAAAABAw/9myuO5pIfig/s1600-h/maps+telegraph+to+iskut.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 184px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0qRevVvDI/AAAAAAAABAw/9myuO5pIfig/s320/maps+telegraph+to+iskut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381003609575373874" border="0" /> </a>I had some cereal with blueberries and went for a walk down the main street.<br />Got to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wifi</span> some catchup by siting outside of the River Song on a bench... they don't open until 11:00 AM<br />At the far end of the street, past the church, is a boat ramp with a side dock and on this day the ramp was set up with rows of chairs... like for a lecture or church service. <p class="MsoNormal">At first I though this might be the place where I was told the fishing families were gathering to teach the children about the heritage and importance of Salmon fishing on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Stikine</span> river.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I walked down toward the water and introduced myself and asked what was going to happen there. It was here were I met Francis and he told me his granddaughter was being married there today and the wedding party was going to be arriving by boat. Wow! That sounded incredibly cool to me... maybe even culturally significant. So I told Francis that I had a big 400mm lens and a video camera and asked him if he would like <span> </span>to have the wedding documented from a hill just above the ramp. He accepted my offer energetically so I got the equipment set up and waited.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> I am still wondering of the cultural significance of this wedding because by looking around it was evident more than 90% of those attending were first-nations peoples. Indeed,<span> </span>most of the land surrounding Telegraph Creek is reserve land and -- I think -- of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Tahltan</span> band.</p><p style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="MsoNormal">Correction: The land surrounding Telegraph Creek is properly called Tahltan Territory or the Tahltan Nation</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The bride, Trina, was raised in Telegraph Creek by her grandparents. Therefore I assume she, as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Tahltan</span>, was drawn to this place for her wedding.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>So because of the cultural aspect and the unique setting I was quite excited to attend and document this event. However the excitement was vastly amplified when the program got underway. There were two <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">jetboats</span> carrying the wedding party to the dock. Full throttle up the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Stikine</span> they came. It gave me some chills... something like when the fighter planes fly low and fast over a football game. An amazing thing to watch.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After the wedding got started I switched to the 400mm canon and got some decent side shot close-ups. Would have been better straight on but then I would have been too close and it would have interfered with the ceremony. So all the shots are from the same side and up on the hill.</p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwQ72gaKlegUiWgCet5qWiY9fKECFEPx-tUKSWFzVUQdnjl25iZyO2FU63WO85j7CZQbeKF5AgX4xiI6Wd4ug' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">01:22</p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">The wedding party arrives dry!</p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SsYG2wM19FI/AAAAAAAABC4/hTd0yLtiCQY/s1600-h/IMG_3873aX-small.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SsYG2wM19FI/AAAAAAAABC4/hTd0yLtiCQY/s320/IMG_3873aX-small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388001541916849234" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Trina the bride</p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">A special thank you to Trina's aunt Nancy for getting her permission to post these images.<br /></p><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I know I <a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_07_05_archive.html#ncom">posted</a> some days ago about the movie "No Country for Old Men"</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">we oldies should just get out of their way, I said</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">not to hang on to the past</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">but</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">watching youth</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">like this</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">is as much of our beautiful past as is Beethoven<br />so I take a little of that back<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">they will be fine</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">sayin</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SsdbnH6Mf5I/AAAAAAAABDI/68-4-DRceeM/s1600-h/acom2.jpg"><br /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.stikineriversong.com/html/accom.html"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 105px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Ssdb2_2BKFI/AAAAAAAABDQ/SVBZn2TFrEk/s400/acom1_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388376479581153362" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.stikineriversong.com/html/accom.html"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 178px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Ssdb8KSbTcI/AAAAAAAABDY/lrNBebK1eWM/s400/acom2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388376568284007874" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">After the wedding I got a chance to talk with the owner of the<a href="http://www.stikineriversong.com/"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Stikine</span> River Song</a>, Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Pakula</span> and ask him about the lodge and how he came to own it.</p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">See also <a href="http://www.stewartcassiar.com/destinations/telegraph-stikine">http://www.stewartcassiar.com/destinations/telegraph-stikine</a><br /><br />Dan's history dates back to the early 70s when he came to Telegraph Creek as a wandering free spirit which, in most instances, we would call a "hippie" in that day. There were quite a few like souls in the area then... living subsistence like.</p><p style="text-align: left; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="MsoNormal">Correction per Dan: None of the original members were living communally. We all had our own cabins in separate bush locations. At the time people were squatting on crown land trying to get some kind of title to those pieces. Native land claims were not part of the public process (consciousness) at that time and we were trying to homestead on crown land. There s a saying in Canada that its easier to get forgiven than to get permission so that was how folks were trying to gain some kind of title to crown land at the time. We came together because none of us wanted full time jobs but all of us needed some way to earn some income. We did not need a lot of income as we were living simply and only David and his wife Tannis hadkids at the time.</p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><br />The River Song was their general store and they depended on it for literally everything they needed but in 1977 the owner nailed a sign on the door, "closing in 30 days". Dan and his friend Dave were understandably worried about their survival without the River Song and decided to try and buy the store.<br /><br />One must visualize this: two subsistence living hippies trying to scrape together enough to buy a money making business. It must have been fun to watch this from some vantage point... the culture of the hippie at odds with reality of capitalism.<br /><br />Dan and Dave, as you might expect came up short... way short. So they moved about their community trying to find ways for others to join this endeavor. After weeks of activity they ended up with a group of eleven locals investors and they had just enough money to buy the store.</p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">So the new "company" was born.<br /><br />Each of the eleven investors had equal shares in the company even though the invested amount was not equal. This would have pleased numerous Ginsburg types of the day... not a single thought of greed, eh? But wait... that's not all! The agreement was to run the entire operation by consensus. That meant if there was only one who disagreed with the other ten then you would have complete stagnation. Dan smiles today when mentioning that part. It must have been quite a drama for awhile.<br /><br />A few of the owners had management ability so they actually ran the organization while at the same time having to "sweet talk" the others into consensual rules and plans. Dan had a few university business classes under his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">pre</span>-dropout belt so that must have helped some.</p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">This was a true general store. It sold everything and did everything. It was the bank as it had extensive receivables within the community. It was the phone company having the only one in town. It sold kerosene for lamps (no electricity then). It even had a gasoline pump. It was indeed a "general" store.</p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Dan comes in with: We sold kerosene to those in town who's houses were not wired. Some of the homes in town were wired and used individual generators to provide their</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> electricity. That's what the store had done previously. Electricity was</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> brought to town in 1976 just before we purchased the store. Also the</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> Stewart Cassiar was open at the time we purchased the store. The previous</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> owner was bringing his supplies into town via the Alaska Hwy. Our first</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> act was to find a grocery supplier based in Vancouver who was shipping</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> product up the coast via boat to Kitimat/Terrace weekly. It was then</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> tranferred to Lindsay's Transport to be shipped north. So our first act</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> was to change transportation routes so we could receive freight weekly</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> instead of every three weeks. Other suppliers were located all over.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> Edomnton, Prince George, Winnepeg etc. Much of the non grocery product</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"> ame via Canada Post.</span><br /><br /><br />As time moved on the company bought out the other members one by one until there was just Dan and Dave and in 1998 Dave sold to Dan. Now Dan is the single owner and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Stikine</span> River Song is for sale.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);" class="MsoNormal">Dan: Our son Ashley living in Vancouver has completed his Geological Engineering degree and is an EIT working for a major company called Golder Associates. We have two daughters living in Whitehorse. One is a social worker. Ali was home for the summer to work and is now back in Whitehorse attending college taking a renewable resource management program.<br /><br />The company is for sale because we would like more time in the summer plus I would like to be able to spend more time on other interests.</p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">(aside)<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">During our talk Dan's daughter who was running the cafe came out twice asking him to "we need your help, Dad" and he says, "I'll be right there" ... twice!</p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">It seems nearly everyone attending the wedding that day was in the store ordering lunch!</p>(/aside)<p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">I waited for the crowd at the River Song to thin out before going in for my lunch. It was there, while I was editing some photos on my lap top, where I met Brooke and Carol, two young ladies who drove up from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Smithers</span> for the wedding and to be the bartenders for the reception afterwords. Nice young people who gave me some good info about the wedding history. I believe one of them was related to Trina the bride. Also Brooke (a photographer) talked me into going to Twin Falls when I got to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Smithers</span>. Thanks for the input!<br /></p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </span><br />I decided not to stay two days and to head back to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Dease</span> Lake around 4:00 PM.<br /></div><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxv6jJJ99bjtA0IOwmwpvaToxa6xC4zRc5wPzWCNMJ-FwQKcT3-yUWRIwwoiVvE8QFhmRR6WzUxn9cYc-oYYg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">02:25<br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here is a video of going down a 20% grad to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Tahitan</span> river crossing.<br /><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyYcEKR299fbREtoEo094sssqjzrTAn2LiYTnjuKPJLDKfdX-KYYJHBwKG-5RuPY_DoMKD9t7fd5-4CEMDoLw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />02:10<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And this is back up the one I took down yesterday.. same goat path <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">LOL</span><br /></div></div><br />I don't know what time I got back to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Dease</span> Lake but I was tired. Its a long 100+ km road and very rough in parts. I wonder how many tie rods and ball joints get replaced in the town... tire sales have to great!<br /><br />Was hungry so after a fill up I went over to <a href="http://www.mamazscafe.com/">Mama <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Z's</span></a> restaurant and had a great taco salad (something I am usually not in the mood for). I ate here yesterday too before heading down the road. Recommended. Of course I haven't eaten at the other places in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Dease</span> so cant rate them all on just this experience.<br /><br />I just started driving south after my meal and looked for campgrounds and stuff. I ended up at the Bear Paw Resort. Its more of a lodge than an RV park. No hookups. Just a level secluded spot for $10. The millions of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">mosquitos</span> were free.<br />I rate it a 7<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Ssd2mJc6FbI/AAAAAAAABEQ/8ev6UCyrLWc/s1600-h/IMG_3939a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Ssd2mJc6FbI/AAAAAAAABEQ/8ev6UCyrLWc/s200/IMG_3939a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388405876916360626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I like these alert signs in BC... they really get your attention.<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Ssd2XLkquHI/AAAAAAAABEI/OLyzvSIJbBw/s1600-h/IMG_3941a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Ssd2XLkquHI/AAAAAAAABEI/OLyzvSIJbBw/s200/IMG_3941a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388405619787741298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sun going down as I enter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Iskut</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Ssd2Jc82NqI/AAAAAAAABEA/xGp2n0CpBEQ/s1600-h/IMG_3942a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Ssd2Jc82NqI/AAAAAAAABEA/xGp2n0CpBEQ/s200/IMG_3942a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388405383934391970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Bear Paw Resort... got in about 9:30 PM<br /><br /></div>07-26 <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Iskut</span> to Stewart</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0rTk1ZhtI/AAAAAAAABA4/Lqz9samvoAc/s1600-h/map+iskut+to+stewart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 187px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0rTk1ZhtI/AAAAAAAABA4/Lqz9samvoAc/s320/map+iskut+to+stewart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381004745082767058" border="0" /></a><br />This was the most beautiful drive of the trip. There were plenty of nice views driving into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Iskut</span> last night but the drive from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Iskut</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Meziadin</span> junction was just fabulous. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Kinaskan</span> Lake, Bell II, and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Skeena</span> and Coastal mountain ranges. Drive slow here and enjoy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StoYMqRfPXI/AAAAAAAABGE/AbIYLcFECeM/s1600-h/casita+mirror+lake-aaa-pbase.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 283px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StoYMqRfPXI/AAAAAAAABGE/AbIYLcFECeM/s320/casita+mirror+lake-aaa-pbase.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393650109514726770" border="0" /></a><br />Early morning mirror at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Kinaskan</span> Lake on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Cassiar</span> Highway<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Had breakfast and filled up a the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Tatogga</span> lake resort and took a short drive around the RV park and it looks like a winner.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StoxG14Qo0I/AAAAAAAABGM/MolxFc-9I9s/s1600-h/tattoga033.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 197px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StoxG14Qo0I/AAAAAAAABGM/MolxFc-9I9s/s320/tattoga033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393677497341616962" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karo-ent.com/tatogga.htm">http://www.karo-ent.com/tatogga.htm</a><br /></div><br /><br />Just down the road from here is Bell II (as in 2) and it is quite a nice resort. I have watched TV videos of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">heliskiing</span> here. Again the drive is beautiful.<br /><br />I pulled into Stewart late afternoon and and set up at the Bear River RV park. Crisply clean with every spot on a grass cushion. In fact the whole place is grass save the loop road in the center. Highly recommended<br />$20 US<br />Rate it 10<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.stewartbc.com/rvpark/Picture%20026.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 304px; height: 227px;" src="http://www.stewartbc.com/rvpark/Picture%20026.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br />Drove over to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Hyder</span> for some seafood at the White Bus (aka Seafood Express). The Bus is an icon in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Hyder</span> (and probably BC as well and too, it is expanding with google searches on the Internet)... and serves the best fresh fish imaginable. It is pretty well known spot yet still hard to find. Map below.<br /><a href="http://hyderalaska.com/">http://hyderalaska.com/</a><br />I had very little chance to talk to Diana the owner as she was real busy. I'll see if I can get back there tomorrow and get part of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">teh</span> story.<br />A one sentence overview: Jim Simpson is commercial fisherman and he and his wife Diana operate the Alaska Premier <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Seafoods</span> fish factory while Diana runs the Seafood Express eatery (the White Bus).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StpggegS0rI/AAAAAAAABGU/aoL5tVSXAGM/s1600-h/hyder-whitebus+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StpggegS0rI/AAAAAAAABGU/aoL5tVSXAGM/s320/hyder-whitebus+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393729614790185650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Now a note about "busy" at the Bus. Diana is the lone cook (she had her young nephew taking orders, serving, and busing this year). She has one four burner stove and one small deep fryer and nearly every order is prepared singly and given full attention... all the other orders just have to wait. So if it's busy expect at least a 30 minute wait after ordering and sometimes it is an hour or more. You can probably get two dinners served simultaneously but no more so if you are two couples I suggest you break from tradition and eat while its hot and not wait for others in your group to get theirs.<br /><br /><br />Additionally Diana is sort of hippie-laid-back and if you complain about the wait she will just smile at you with her pixie eyes and make you feel a better part of the universe for waiting. Bring patience... the food is worth it. Maybe her white board scribble says it better:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stp750lF8WI/AAAAAAAABGs/y6WQc7tkM1I/s1600-h/IMG_4003a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stp750lF8WI/AAAAAAAABGs/y6WQc7tkM1I/s320/IMG_4003a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393759737026572642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I ordered fresh king crabs legs and an Alaska Amber. Of course the wait changed that to three AAs but in the meanwhile I got to talk to Sammy and his wife from 100 Mile House. He is retired from the Canadian Navy and that led to some really fun talk. Just another of my I-love-Canadians experiences.<br /><br />I went back to the RV park, did some laundry, then headed up toward Salmon Glacier. The road was closed due to a heavy rain taking it out on a river bend. So I turned back and stopped at the <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/naturewatch/southeast/fish_creek/fishcreek.htm">Fish Creek Bear Watching Facility</a> for a few minutes. It was wall to wall people... reminded me of Juneau tourism.<br /><br />This was a different kind of experience than Anan in that the creek runs slow and shallow and is just in afew hundred feet from the Salmon river which is just a few miles in from the salt water of the Portland Canal. So the fish don't have to struggle or swim hard to get here. In fact they spawn right in front of you and the bears will jump on them while they are doing their perpetuation duty or just pick them off the top water while they are expeireng afterward. Quite a bit different from my Anan Creek experience. I tried to get pictures of the salmon but unless you get a female just as she is flashing on her side to entice the male then you get basically nothing. One bear was down the creek some distance but there were at least 60 people trying to get a picture. No thanks.<br /><br />Stopped in Stewart for pie at the bakery.<br /></div></div></div></div><br /><br />07-27 <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Stewart to Smithers</span><br /><br />I got an early start on a hike up the creek then wandered back over to Hyder. Walked around shooting some pics and killing time until Diana came to open the bus.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StpjuO4inzI/AAAAAAAABGk/Gs3anoYS7Z8/s1600-h/IMG_4001a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StpjuO4inzI/AAAAAAAABGk/Gs3anoYS7Z8/s320/IMG_4001a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393733149649968946" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">The white bus (Seafood Express)<br /></div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SttW7aSuztI/AAAAAAAABG0/65Jd4FbUD9g/s1600-h/IMG_4010a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SttW7aSuztI/AAAAAAAABG0/65Jd4FbUD9g/s320/IMG_4010a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394000557376458450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Their home next door... I love the houses around here.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">While waiting I took pictures of the water bags hanging from the outside patio. They keep the flys away. I know because I had to ask last time I was here LOL. Apparently everyone asks so Dianna, exercising pixie humor, decided to label them all.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stu5_kaFVeI/AAAAAAAABHE/6iQdhA_oDts/s1600-h/IMG_4005a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stu5_kaFVeI/AAAAAAAABHE/6iQdhA_oDts/s200/IMG_4005a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394109480462276066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stu6HaZGdkI/AAAAAAAABHM/VbdnAW2v1Lc/s1600-h/IMG_4004a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stu6HaZGdkI/AAAAAAAABHM/VbdnAW2v1Lc/s200/IMG_4004a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394109615212754498" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stu55uf92YI/AAAAAAAABG8/Rz7l0GKq4is/s1600-h/IMG_4006a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stu55uf92YI/AAAAAAAABG8/Rz7l0GKq4is/s200/IMG_4006a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394109380092090754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stu6QoMK7KI/AAAAAAAABHU/k72zwtcs9gs/s1600-h/IMG_4007a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Stu6QoMK7KI/AAAAAAAABHU/k72zwtcs9gs/s200/IMG_4007a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394109773535440034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I got to drive the bus! I did! Diana invited me in while she prepped for the day and I sat in the bus driver's seat while we talked. The steering wheel is broken and just spins and I couldn't get it the engine started.... but at least I got to be the driver! Wheeeee!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StxoM0Ilc5I/AAAAAAAABHk/ADUpSXuIujc/s1600-h/IMG_4016a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/StxoM0Ilc5I/AAAAAAAABHk/ADUpSXuIujc/s320/IMG_4016a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394301023045383058" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0r7Z3RszI/AAAAAAAABBA/gFlzUF0UcDw/s1600-h/map+stewart+to+smithers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 151px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0r7Z3RszI/AAAAAAAABBA/gFlzUF0UcDw/s320/map+stewart+to+smithers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381005429332620082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'll bet your geography or history teacher in grade school taught you about the hudson bay company, right?<br />Well here in Smithers BC its hard to forget how important they were to the development of the northwest.<br />Beaver trade<br />Otter trade<br />Mineral trade<br /><br />The HBC is the single most important entity to the anglo history of these partsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-21393285379169327332009-07-24T18:10:00.000-07:002011-01-08T20:16:45.666-08:00Watson Lake to Telgraph Creek<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmtSpoGo2YI/AAAAAAAAAaY/MbvJVGj_6bw/s1600-h/sign+post+forest+kanab.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362470656408082818" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmtSpoGo2YI/AAAAAAAAAaY/MbvJVGj_6bw/s320/sign+post+forest+kanab.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 214px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
Left watson lake this AM but not before nailing Kanab Utah to a post.<br />
The sign forest was started during the building of the alcan highway<br />
See <a href="http://signpostforest.com/">signpostforest.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.yukoninfo.com/watson/signpostforest.htm">http://www.yukoninfo.com/watson/signpostforest.htm</a><br />
I feel like I have marked this post... woof woof! mine !woof!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmtMgK49AtI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/yJXqFrMqy-A/s1600-h/casita+sign+mpost.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362463896877466322" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmtMgK49AtI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/yJXqFrMqy-A/s320/casita+sign+mpost.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 154px; width: 231px;" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0pdtws9hI/AAAAAAAABAo/5oGsq-LcuTI/s1600-h/map+watso+to+telegraph.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381002720254424594" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0pdtws9hI/AAAAAAAABAo/5oGsq-LcuTI/s320/map+watso+to+telegraph.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 178px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 201px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Drove the first leg of the cassiar.<br />
Passed two eggs who were going north: a Casita 17 and a Scamp 13. We exchanged headlights.<br />
Also some bicyclist as show in the video below which also shows a typical stretch of the Cassair.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzmZg0zbdnZ4MfBqitqlpVOTJCCwCbDMPfqqguUSaPEDfHkIRfrHcKEfcyCHB0QWE8JQRuLcPFkX0h63Yga_A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
00:12<br />
<br />
</div>The first 20 miles in from the alcan is under construction with chip seal fills where the road buckled last winter.<br />
I have come to the conclusion that most of the hard black dirt roads in BC are smoother than many of the chipseal roads.... especially if they have buckled.<br />
A note about signs. The BC road dept does a good job of monitoring the highway and if they find a bump or pothole of any significance they put a "caution" sign at the spot.... just off the road on the ground. They are not the most visible because they are small and come up on you fast and you have to remember that these cautions are not about something ahead. Instead they mean to tell you that there is something bad gonna happen right there! So slow way down "before" you get tot he warning sign.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townID=3941">The Jade City</a> stop had about 20 RVs parked along a wide spot. look up Jade City, BC<br />
It is an interesting place as they have a jewelry shop and cut stone inside (jade and other rocks) and outside they have large cutting saws which is fun to watch.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrObVZiRLEI/AAAAAAAABBg/DB0kmylIUts/s1600-h/IMG_3774a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382816771572051010" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrObVZiRLEI/AAAAAAAABBg/DB0kmylIUts/s400/IMG_3774a.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 142px; width: 213px;" /></a></div><br />
Had a lot of wildlife along the way but no keeper photographs.<br />
A moose too far away and a bear out of focus<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmtSxE0EoxI/AAAAAAAAAag/_3WsjS38lSI/s1600-h/cassiar+bear+copy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362470784373924626" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmtSxE0EoxI/AAAAAAAAAag/_3WsjS38lSI/s320/cassiar+bear+copy.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 160px; width: 202px;" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxZBQyDwS-NiINh2OiIUj8zIwfasloi7N1OPPWqMMWDjtBPLAEu9to6ZLW-7xJMgrWNCWm02Bmg-A9XxfZK5w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmtUn5pkxFI/AAAAAAAAAao/mn-nY79ITqU/s1600-h/cassiar+moose+copy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362472825781535826" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmtUn5pkxFI/AAAAAAAAAao/mn-nY79ITqU/s320/cassiar+moose+copy.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 158px; width: 176px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Very long drive to get to this great place I landed at today...<br />
Telegraph Creek on the Stikine River (steh-KEEN)<br />
Some pretty severe very narrow dirt climbs and descents at 20% grade!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrO4BvMAu5I/AAAAAAAABBo/YdKUUj3k5xc/s1600-h/IMG_1563a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382848319624100754" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrO4BvMAu5I/AAAAAAAABBo/YdKUUj3k5xc/s400/IMG_1563a.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 128px; width: 172px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwXogIsaa6NuL4HfereQzpgItp1cXCRAj7fR9DuG0MkJisAfZW6u0_Ek3bRtbYELutanswwG2vauyQCJM8tWQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">02:40<br />
<br />
</div>This is one of about three 20% grades into Telegraph Creek and its the worst one.<br />
The hill is short and very rutted.<br />
I was a little concerned about bouncing so I drove extra slow.<br />
<br />
I will stay here for two days and see if I can spot a mountain goat to photograph...<br />
Also the Native Bands are netting sockeye on the Stikine and I want to watch that too<br />
<br />
Telegraph Creek is not much. I guess you would say the "town" is down on the river and consists of a boat ramp, a church, an old RCMP house, and the Stikine Riversong Lodge (which has a gas pump and a cafe).<br />
There are many older buildings on the hill above the river.<br />
The surrounding area is an Indian reservation though they don't call it a reservation and I'm still not sure about correct way to describe certain bands of first nations peoples.<br />
Picture and link to the Riversong below.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stikineriversong.com/html/accom.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.stikineriversong.com/images/lrgepics/house.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 135px; width: 205px;" /></a><br />
The Stikine Riversong<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">I had emailed the owner, Dan Pakula, a month or so ago and knew there was wifi here.<br />
Also Dan agreed to have a sitdown and give me some first hand history of the Song and TC.<br />
So I went in and introduced myself and we decided to get together later.<br />
He told me I could just boondock at the end of the street.<br />
Pictures below.</div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrTjp85ftUI/AAAAAAAABCY/7t4gCvH6Mc8/s1600-h/IMG_3814a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383177764476007746" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrTjp85ftUI/AAAAAAAABCY/7t4gCvH6Mc8/s200/IMG_3814a.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 133px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrTjH4dFVQI/AAAAAAAABCI/Mc2uOZdAT8k/s1600-h/IMG_3825a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383177179167544578" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrTjH4dFVQI/AAAAAAAABCI/Mc2uOZdAT8k/s200/IMG_3825a.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 134px;" /></a><br />
St Aidans<br />
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</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrPaswGmzWI/AAAAAAAABB4/_7-CjIrCTEo/s1600-h/IMG_1579a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382886441999584610" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrPaswGmzWI/AAAAAAAABB4/_7-CjIrCTEo/s200/IMG_1579a.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 134px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
Camped at the end of the road<br />
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<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrTfBGPHJWI/AAAAAAAABCA/4EsSMJ5Rj1w/s1600-h/IMG_3798_6_7a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383172664561444194" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SrTfBGPHJWI/AAAAAAAABCA/4EsSMJ5Rj1w/s200/IMG_3798_6_7a.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 133px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<br />
A neighboring RV... probably a full timer.<br />
<br />
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</div><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br />
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-61800122674837918352009-07-23T19:34:00.001-07:002010-05-13T18:32:31.379-07:00Skagway to Atlin to Watson Lake07-21 <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Skagway to Atlin</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq1i8cznWLI/AAAAAAAABBY/WTaWRBy9BVU/s1600-h/map-skgway-atlin.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 161px; height: 204px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq1i8cznWLI/AAAAAAAABBY/WTaWRBy9BVU/s400/map-skgway-atlin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381065920441964722" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq1iq729HwI/AAAAAAAABBQ/Cwzkt6spiFk/s1600-h/map+skagway+to+atlin+2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 206px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq1iq729HwI/AAAAAAAABBQ/Cwzkt6spiFk/s400/map+skagway+to+atlin+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381065619539828482" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Exhaling Alaska<br /><br />Every blissful breath I take,<br />however sweet the wind,<br />must sadly be expended,<br />if to ever breathe again<br /><br />Goodbye<br /><br />Just sayin<br /></div><br />It is becoming apparent that the further out in the boonies I get the tougher it will be to get online...<br />also I had this idea that I could like write a travel-blog but it takes too much time.<br />Instead I am taking lots of photos and taking written notes and voice recordings and will try to combine them all with images where I can.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sqak--LkJcI/AAAAAAAABAA/ar5dfzVjBvI/s1600-h/IMG_1498a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 125px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sqak--LkJcI/AAAAAAAABAA/ar5dfzVjBvI/s320/IMG_1498a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379168206690985410" border="0" /></a><br />In Carcross, YT. looked like a good place to stop for lunch.<br />I almost didn't stop because there were three bus loads of Holland America tourists but they were just loading up to leave.<br />This town has a lot of history not the least important being it was a significant place on the Yukon-Klondike gold rush trail.<br />Mathew Watson general store is the oldest operating store in the Yukon territory.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SqalKmbzStI/AAAAAAAABAI/MYhzC09q4WA/s1600-h/IMG_1502a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 126px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SqalKmbzStI/AAAAAAAABAI/MYhzC09q4WA/s320/IMG_1502a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379168406475066066" border="0" /></a><br />The white pass railroad goes much further inland than the the tourist ride from skagway.<br />If you noticed there was an ore ship picture in Skagway.<br />They are usually loading copper ore (actually a thick heavy copper sand) into the ship there for export.<br />Right now the copper sands are trucked down the highyway I just took from the mines in the nothern Yukon districts.<br />However there was someone saying they may use the white pass railroad to do that in the future... which would make it a real working narrow gauge railroad instead of just a tourist attraction.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Smmr3b0YppI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/2AjXatxIido/s1600-h/warm+springs+meadow+2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 154px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Smmr3b0YppI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/2AjXatxIido/s320/warm+springs+meadow+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362005800209917586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Really nice boondocking campground about 12 miles south of Atlin<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SqbHrvceZNI/AAAAAAAABAQ/xQuuCPdVfCU/s1600-h/IMG_3695a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 144px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SqbHrvceZNI/AAAAAAAABAQ/xQuuCPdVfCU/s320/IMG_3695a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379206359224837330" border="0" /></a>This was a great place to stay and do nothing but I did take the time to drive back up to Atlin this afternoon to for a guided walking history tour around town. It is extremely well done.<br />Just find the little visitors museum and ask when they are having the next one.<br /><br />Atlin is another one of the "Gold-Rush" towns in BC. There were dozens of gold discoveries in the provence. Many of the miners who got shut out on the Klondike moved down here to try again.<br /><br /><a id="07-22"></a><br /><br />07-22 <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Atlin Lake</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmmzxEblUKI/AAAAAAAAAaA/K6Fo2K1zYpw/s1600-h/atlin+juneau+ice.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 107px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SmmzxEblUKI/AAAAAAAAAaA/K6Fo2K1zYpw/s320/atlin+juneau+ice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362014486945681570" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Here is a view of the Juneau Ice Field from the east side<br />It feeds the Mendenhall where the tourists are on the west side (Juneau) and feeds a few more glaciers on this side<br /><br />Spent most of this day hunting Dahl Sheep. Didn't see anything! Oh well.<br />Nice drive though back towards the Yukon border.<br /><br />When I got back to camp I had a neighbor, Dan.<br />Quite a unique fella, he.<br />He is on his way to driving to the tip of South America. Not like in a hurry though.<br />Check out his web site, its an interesting story!<br /><a href="http://www.dangrec.com/">http://www.dangrec.com</a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dangrec.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dan_jeep_map-320x240.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://dangrec.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dan_jeep_map-320x240.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dangrec.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/the-road-chose-me-made-up-route-240x281.jpg%20"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 281px;" src="http://dangrec.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/the-road-chose-me-made-up-route-240x281.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Where are you now Dan?<br />Where is Marion from Whitehorse?<br /></div><br /><br />07-23 <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Atlin Lake to Watson Lake</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0oB6asv0I/AAAAAAAABAg/ulIP6MadY5I/s1600-h/map+atlin+to+watson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 120px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/Sq0oB6asv0I/AAAAAAAABAg/ulIP6MadY5I/s320/map+atlin+to+watson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381001143103831874" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Audio notes and photos to input here laterUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-66938105647739764432009-07-20T13:23:00.000-07:002009-07-20T13:25:49.484-07:00Still in SkagwayNo adventure today<br />Did laundry<br />and updated photos at<a href="http://pbase.com/troron"> pbase.com/troron</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-42667288676999831892009-07-19T11:17:00.000-07:002009-10-14T13:49:18.569-07:00Haines to Skaway07-18 <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Haines</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Skagway</span></span><br /><br />Used the turnout last night but a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Haines</span> police lady said I needed a permit.<br />So I moved up to a fishing lodge like place.. had cabins and a wide graveled area for RVs<br /><a href="http://www.karo-ent.com/salmon.htm">Salmon Run Campgrounds and Cabins<br /></a><br />Nice place but no amenities. Just a picnic table and flat spot.<br />Real nice view though as the web site shows.<br />Cost $10 per night but I don't know how to rate it.<br />Call it a 7<br /><br />I did some photography and eagle watching and talking to people.<br />The guy next to me, Deal, is from Alberta and they had pulled this funky camping trailer pop up.<br />I kinda liked it. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Fleetwood</span> makes it.<br />Weighs 3000 pounds dry.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyb_pZHrqQZVVoEigmYZiiLLL_rnM_qn6_GSbgtXbw7Hpd6u18KCQLGc-Cen8ao2iJTZARJ2Mj6EZ3qEqjXRg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />00:10<br /></div><br /><br />The Ferry was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Malaspina</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"></span></span></span></span> again.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SpvHWelCyrI/AAAAAAAAA-o/Bxzfz9pCQO0/s1600-h/hainestoskagmap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 184px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SpvHWelCyrI/AAAAAAAAA-o/Bxzfz9pCQO0/s320/hainestoskagmap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376109769176304306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Cost</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Passenger $31<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">34 ft rig $112<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br />We didn't leave until 9:<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">oo</span> PM (scheduled 8:30) and were delayed out in the sound.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz1sELimp2BgeLAiKI6zS-Xxjjj8hHZL-W2-jnO-j7YRf0H4E5L5sWCYUfceH6Xj9STkwZyhQJ9s-VNHq0q6g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />00:16<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We had to do a 360 to allow this cruise ship out of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Skagway</span> straight.<br />That took about ten or 15 minutes.<br />Didn't get to the dock until 10:15 PM<br /></div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzkZGO2dxpi1OfxhSmUvsJTkiSJ7xyEZ4E0xpv1FQhMIUF1eeSUkV_l_HWPnEzWUz-aeRbSfNiT-wrGuxpZdA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />00:40<br />Jumpy video a few of the many cascades in the narrows<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div></div><br /><a id="07-19"></a><br />07-19 <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Skagway</span></span><br /><br />This is a tourist town.<br />The downtown portion looks like Disneyland with period architecture and new clean paint... with even national park rangers giving historical tours.<br />This is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park... and it shows.<br />Great place for tourists<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I froze my chicken eggs</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Got them too close to the freezer and plunk! they froze.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I was thinking about defrosting them but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">dont</span> recall ever seeing frozen eggs in the food stores so defrosting them might be bad</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Threw them out and got a new doz</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Which brings up something I want to post</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Breakfast with an egg.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">If you scramble and cook an egg in a skillet then you have a scrambled egg of course.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">But if you crack open an egg in a small bowl and add a half tbsp of water and then scramble it up until it has perfect homogeneous consistency and then pour it in a pan with a small bit of butter and cook it on the lowest temperature and as slowly as possible.. stirring slowly but always stirring.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">well then you have a gourmet egg. Moist yet cooked, flavorful not scalded and dried out. Eggs are not only mother natures perfect protein they are extremely tasty if properly cooked. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Most people just cook the taste right out of eggs</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Try it my way once.<br /><br />Overheard on the fishing charter regarding the higher than average availability of men for women as concerns finding a mate in Alaska:<br />She: "the odds are good"<br />She2: "Yeah but the goods are odd"<br /><br />Dennis in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Skagway</span> says:<br />There was this snail and she was assaulted by a turtle.<br />When the police arrived and asked what happened she said,<br />I dunno! It all happened so fast!"<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">sayin</span><br /></span><br /><br />Got into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Skaway</span> late last night and just drove out of town on the highway to a pull out and went to sleep.<br />Staying in the Garden City RV-park and Laundromat today.<br /><br />I haven't made up my mind how long I'll stay but they have <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Wifi</span> and its not crowded and it was cheap ($20 full hookups and strong free <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Internet</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">wifi</span>).<br /><br />They have put in a new RV spot down on the docks, The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Pullen</span> Creek RV Park.<br />Very nice and newer than the Church's last printing so it wasn't in their book.<br /><br />I had a lot of time to chat with Garden City owner, John Garland.<br />He runs a really clean park and he has <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">monthlys</span> too.<br />But I think one of the reasons <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">monthlys</span> don't get out of hand is John being meticulous about having them keep their areas uncluttered but also this park is not open all year.<br />Come winter everything shut down and all <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">trailers</span> are gone so it can never get that-trailer trash look.<br /><br />We talked about the RV business this year and he said it was the worst year ever (I never asked how long he has been doing this).<br />He says can never tell one day to the next how many RVers might show up at the end of the day but he said he has not had one full park this year and most years he is full at least once every week... so<br /><br />John thinks the RVing business in on permanent decline. Not just the current economy and not just the gas prices... so he said.<br /><br />Another interesting thing John said, "I've never owned an RV but if I got one I'd one like yours (not sure if meant a fiberglass egg like mine or some other small trailer).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-50037064883573796862009-07-17T11:54:00.000-07:002009-09-19T09:31:04.197-07:00Haines AlaskaGot in late with daylight still... 10:00 PM<br /><br />This is best ferry trip so far<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Haines</span> is without a doubt the most beautiful to see from the seas and on land it is just a town... very little in the way of cruise ship tourists.<br />One dock<br />No cruise ships<br /><br />Anyway I pulled out of the ferry last night and made a right turn and drove about two miles until I found a wide turnout on the ocean.<br />Slept like a baby even with an occasional vehicle driving buy.<br />The wine on the ferry helped I'm sure<br />Oh! I had my first taste of fresh Alaska Cod for dinner.<br />Awesome fish...<br /><br />anyway<br /><br />I posted once that the ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert would be hard to beat.<br />Its a tie now... this trip had all us shutter bugs walking the decks <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ooooing</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">awwwwing</span> for the last hour.<br />One poor guy was upset that his camera batteries ran out and he had no spare.<br />I should talk.<br />I put in a 4gig <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mem</span> and run out of room! (I am shooting <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">jpg</span> plus raw plus taking bracketed shots for high dynamic range imaging later)<br />But I have and extra 4 gig so no big thing (????pun???)<br />Tonight I am going to go south and stay on the highway again... I sort of like that independence.<br />Drive<br />stop<br />sleep<br /><br />Drove down to south end of road today and took a few pictures.<br />The saltwater is aqua from the glacier feed and it makes for some stunning panoramas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprhvvvE9DI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/P71uuU-_Jx8/s1600-h/Panorama+haines+south+point2pbase.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 82px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprhvvvE9DI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/P71uuU-_Jx8/s400/Panorama+haines+south+point2pbase.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375857315604132914" border="0" /></a><br />Had lunch on the wharf at the lighthouse <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">restaurant</span>.<br />I ordered their special, a Philly cheese steak<br />It was about three inches of bell pepper, 1/8" cheese, 1/8" beef.<br />Horrible... but I ate it.<br />While eating I kept getting a "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">utah</span>" buzz from the crowd.... <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">bzzzzz</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">utah</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">bzzzzzz</span><br />maybe six times I heard it and after the third or forth time I could zero in on who was saying it.<br />As I left I stopped by the table and asked, "are you from Utah?"<br />Well they were of course.<br />I'll have to listen to my audio to get their names as I recorded them when I got in my truck.<br />Turns out they were from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Parawan</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">little</span> town north of Cedar City and they (he) was discussing deer hunting with some locals and "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">utah</span>" was obviously his deer hunting expertize.<br /><br />Its a small world (but I wouldn't want to paint it)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SpvlKvxPwXI/AAAAAAAAA-w/FHHCSiLVKW0/s1600-h/IMG_1333a.jpg"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-51610208572030377692009-07-16T08:44:00.000-07:002009-09-19T09:30:34.677-07:00Juneau to Haines<span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Having a waffle and good coffee</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Why is it that everywhere north of Seattle coffee is great?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Nothing to do here</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">boring</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">went into town near the ships (skipped the madhouse main street)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">so many people doing the same things</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">the world is full of ordinary people</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">doing and saying ordinary things</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">ordinarily</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">went to mendenhall glacier</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">same thing</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">like ants</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">buses full of ants</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I lasted 15 minutes there</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">in camp there is a an ongoing string of helicopters</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">carrying cruisers</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">to land on the glacier</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">and then back</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">in a string</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">movie</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">what was the name, now?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">jeez!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">yes this sounds gloomy</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">because it is</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">raining</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">because I am</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">glum</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">No places to drive high up into the mountains here... hike it or forget it.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">RVing small has no benefit</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Juneau I would probably skip next time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Now headed out to hike a little in the rain</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Just sayin</span><br /><br />Raining off and on all day so I have spent a lot of time in the Waffle shop on the internet and looking over my shots.<br />A lot of students in here.<br />There is a campus up on the hill, University of Alaska, Southeast.<br />I got a good shot of Auke bay harbor this morning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SpqXiWU1FLI/AAAAAAAAA80/YYJGBrZ_oSE/s1600-h/auke+baya.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 128px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SpqXiWU1FLI/AAAAAAAAA80/YYJGBrZ_oSE/s400/auke+baya.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375775721584399538" border="0" /></a><br />Maybe it shows the gloom of the day<br /><br />Yesterday I drove down to the Safeway at Mendenall loop road.<br />I like this shot taken from Glacier Highway.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SpqasEBvtII/AAAAAAAAA88/nJVRjpRifCk/s1600-h/MEDENHAL+TWO+copy+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 134px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SpqasEBvtII/AAAAAAAAA88/nJVRjpRifCk/s400/MEDENHAL+TWO+copy+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375779187006092418" border="0" /></a><br />I got to the ferry terminal early (as usual) and just walked around here an there.<br />I met a group of four RVing small... actually RVIng and kayaking small around Alaska.<br />I wrote their names down but lost the paper.<br />Here is their rig.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprDthUhj0I/AAAAAAAAA9g/Zm77ugTSXoQ/s1600-h/100_0008.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 123px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprDthUhj0I/AAAAAAAAA9g/Zm77ugTSXoQ/s320/100_0008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375824292026093378" border="0" /></a><br />When they drove into the ferry the angle was so acute that the back of their kayaks came within an inch of meeting their tent-trailer.<br /><br />This ferry is the MV Malispina<br />408 ft long and 46 years old.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprGSK6cmZI/AAAAAAAAA9o/OPCz5ViY1Hk/s1600-h/800px-MV_Malaspina_Alaska_Ferry_2048px.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 64px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprGSK6cmZI/AAAAAAAAA9o/OPCz5ViY1Hk/s320/800px-MV_Malaspina_Alaska_Ferry_2048px.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375827120689551762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprGmT-MYWI/AAAAAAAAA9w/PLakEYdmpbM/s1600-h/mapjuneautohaines.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 154px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprGmT-MYWI/AAAAAAAAA9w/PLakEYdmpbM/s320/mapjuneautohaines.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375827466718568802" border="0" /></a><br />This is a sedate sail.<br />Nothing much happening so I just hung out talking to people.<br />There are four Harley riders going over to Haines.<br />They were going to ride into BC from there, not going to skagway.<br /><br />Met a couple from Michigan.<br />He is a Community College technology instructor so we had lots to talk about.<br />We talked about our trips too.<br />They were heading to Anchorage from Haines.<br />I told them where I was going and when I said I was going to Bella Coola, she asked with just a hint of superciliousness "what's there?"<br />I responded mater of fact, earnest, and pedantically, "Bella Coola"<br /><br />In the now famous words of Sandra Oh, "I should be spanked"<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">This camping thing</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I don’t camp</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Camping is roughing it</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I don't do rough</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">My trailer is a motel on wheels</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I have a diretiv dish</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">A refrigerator and freezer</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Air conditioning</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Marine toilet and shower</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">A gas stove and gas heater and a water heater too.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">It is comfort</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Not camping</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">And to hear people talk they think they cannot afford it.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">It's cheap.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">You can pickup a nice used Casita like mine for around $5000 or less.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">A used Ford Ranger eight years old for what? $5000?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">This in not an expensive way to travel and it gets you to the places you really want to go but you hate tents</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Just sayin<br /><br /></span>Haines, the whole of it, is the most beautiful setting of them all.<br />The rising peaks and the ice fields and the contrasts.<br />Sailing into Haines, don't stay inside.<br />Come outside and see.<br />It is beautiful.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprVEpielZI/AAAAAAAAA-A/jkgcu-b9j1Q/s1600-h/IMG_1316a1000.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 106px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SprVEpielZI/AAAAAAAAA-A/jkgcu-b9j1Q/s320/IMG_1316a1000.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375843381066765714" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-57432490968491078512009-07-15T08:47:00.000-07:002017-05-21T15:13:43.261-07:00Wrangell to Petersburg to Juneau07-12 <span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Wrangell to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Petersburg</span></span></span><br />
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This morning I broke camp, hooked up, and went into Wrangell for breakfast at the Diamond C.<br />
The ferry doesn't leave for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Petersburg</span> until 4:30 this afternoon so I have time to look around.<br />
Dismounted my bike from the trailer, packed it full of camera, lenses, and a bottle of water and took off to tour the harbor.<br />
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Like all of Southeast Alaska flowers are beautiful and everywhere in the summer<br />
They have a short growing season but very long days and I think this gives flower lovers the urge to decorate.<br />
Could not resist wasting some clicks on apartment wall displays like this one.<br />
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I rode two miles out to the airport and back and then over to the the fishing harbor.<br />
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Another trailer-cruise ship shot LOL<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SpaVK2FlQ1I/AAAAAAAAA6k/QpLT0YcXiwA/s1600-h/IMG_1199a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>I was parked and having some coffee and using the wifi when one tourist couple from the cruise ship came up to be and asked, "Is that a 17 foot Casita?"<br />
I said yes and they said they live in Kansas and have one too and asked me how I got there and when I said by ferry I think the light went on.<br />
Perhaps they'll try this trip themselves some day where they can spend days on the island instead of just hours.<br />
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<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">I guess when I park my rig in front of a cruise ship I'm saying three things:</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">1-I will be here for days exploring everything for miles around and you will be gone by nightfall.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);"><br />2-I am not impressed with lots of food and organized activities.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">3-I can sleep with my windows open!</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">So yeah, what can I say?<br />Vested interest leads to vested logic :)</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Just sayin</span></div>
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This leg of the ferry journey is aboard the biggest boat of them all, The Columbia<br />
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418 ft long with two vehicle decks.<br />
Runs from Bellingham to Skagway and back on a regular schedule<br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Cost</span><br />
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<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Passenger $33<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">34 ft rig $139<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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This will be a first, heading into the bow which means I'll have to back out at Petersburg... Argh!<br />
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<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Yup... backed out at Petersberg with zero help from the crew handling it.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">There was this guy standing "in front" of me and "guiding" me out.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">This was the craziest experience I have ever had.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">How can someone stand in front and tell you which way to go?</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">If he points left does the mean to turn the steering wheel left?</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">But maybe it means turn it right because he is in front which mirrors me but wait wait wait ! we're going backward not forward and pointing left means....</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Not only that this guy is yelling "left left left"!</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">The car or the trailer?</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">After getting cockeyed once and having to pull forward to straighten out I got out of the truck and walked back to see where I had to go.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">I picked up the clearances in my head and got back in my truck and backed out without even looking at the pointer fella in front of me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Just in case you are not picking up on this when you "help" someone back up you must be behind them not in front.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">You must be in view of the side view mirror that is in play at the time.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">You should point in the direction the "trailer" should go and you should throw up a stop or halt if need be.</span><br />
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<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">I am still shaking my head over this.</span><br />
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<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Just sayin</span><br />
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Found a another beautiful empty campground near Blind Slough.<br />
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I've included a short video just for the sound of the birds in this secluded spot in the forest.<br />
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01:30 audio<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="07-13"></a><br />
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07-13 <span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Petersburg</span><br />
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Took a gravel road loop from near my campground way up and around and back down to the main highway towards Petersburg.<br />
I have often seen this kind of wild "chicken" up here.<br />
They move across the road on foot, can fly a little bit, and blend into the forest.<br />
I got a shot of this one "hiding" from me by being still.<br />
Anyone know what this is?<br />
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At the top of the loop road there is a wonderful view of the LeConte ice field that feeds the glacier of the same name (partially visible).<br />
You can see the icebergs that have broken off.<br />
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Still carrying Wrangell with me but now there is probably a thin layer of Mitkoff island (Petersburg) too.<br />
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I took the rest of the day wondering around Petersburg shooting pictures.<br />
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I love the colors of SE Alaska.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="07-14"></a><br />
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<span class="GramE">07-14 <span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Petersburg to Juneau</span></span><br />
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Sitting here in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Petersburg</span> AK ferry terminal with time to sum up the trip so far.<br />
Two major things will probably influence my opinions though.<br />
First the recession has pretty much emptied the ferries of RVs<br />
Some pickups with campers, maybe a motor home or two, maybe a few travel/camping trailers.<br />
The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Tongass</span> National Forest campgrounds have been anywhere between empty and a third full.<br />
The same holds true for the RV parks.<br />
I had planned to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">boondock</span> (meaning pulling off a forest road and setting up camp in the woods) but since the campgrounds gave me nearly as much solitude as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">boondocking</span> I chose a few of those.<br />
The second thing that will bias my opinion is that it has been sunny and warm since I left Washington State.<br />
Totally irregular and not so well received by the fishermen since rain is what keeps the streams running full and a good portion of the early salmon, like Pinks, will not make it to spawn and this effects the fishery cycle some years out.<br />
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Today, July 14 looks like rain.<br />
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The cities I have visited since Prince Rupert BC are<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Ketchikan</span><br />
Hollis Prince of Wales (POW)<br />
Craig POW<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Klawock</span> POW<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Thorne</span> Bay POW<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Coffman</span> Cove POW<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Ketchikan</span> again<br />
Wrangell<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Petersburg</span><br />
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So far I like the town of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Petersburg</span> the best.<br />
I probably look for different things than a cruise host or passenger (no interest in a lumberjack show for example).<br />
This town has been the most photogenic so far and the ride around <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Mitkof</span> Island gave me a mountain top view of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">LeConte</span> Glacier across Fredrick sound… it was just awesome.<br />
The campground had more bird sounds than any so far including a cuckoo.<br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Note: on further review and after hearing the lecture aboard the Columbia I am pretty convinced the cuckoo was a raven who are very practiced in mimicking sounds... also there are no cuckoos in Alaska! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">LOL</span></span><br />
They begin the tweet-caw-cluck-sing-screech at 3 AM and continue non stop until about 11:00 PM<br />
Wrangell Island had the most 4x4 roads so far and really great campgrounds.<br />
These are campgrounds run by volunteers, not hired hosts.<br />
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At the ferry I caught up with my friend Sam from Califonia.<br />
Saw him last at Clover Pass in Kethcikan.<br />
Talked a bit about RVing small.<br />
Here's his rig.<br />
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This ferry is going to be quite different.<br />
It is the MC Fairweather... Jet boat!<br />
A catamaran jet boat ferry! incredible.<br />
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Only 235 long and carries less autos and passengers than the other ferries but it does 40 mph!<br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);"><br />Cost</span><br />
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<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Passenger $66<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">34 ft rig $401<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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A scan of the horizon from aboard the Fairweather.<br />
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00:29<br />
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So how fast is 40 mph?<br />
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Arriving in Auke Bay.<br />
Perhaps the best view of Mendenhall glacier you can get.<br />
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07-15 <span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Juneau</span></div>
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Well, finishing this up in Juneau.<br />
Nice little place near <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Auke</span> Bay has coffee waffles <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">internet</span> laundry and SHOWER!!<br />
Southeastern Alaska Waffle Factory is the name at corner of Glacier Highway and west <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">mendenhall</span> loop road.<br />
Great coffee too!<br />
I camped last night at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Auke</span> Village <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Tongass</span> NF campground and tonight at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">mendenhall</span> campground.<br />
Time to go look around... no plans<br />
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A note to myself I forgot to write.<br />
Getting supplies on Prince of Wales Island (and I assume landlocked ports like Petersburg and Wrangell) is a major task so all of the fishing families, twice per year, fly to Seattle, rent a van, and head to COSTCO, Walmart, and Home Depot.<br />
They make as many trips as they need to fill a <a href="http://www.lynden.com/shiplynden/lynden-sea.html">Lynden -AML</a> barge container (or their share of one) and then fly back home.<br />
They get their stuff about a month later when the barge pulls into Craig or Thorne bay.<br />
Fresh eggs are not recommended.<br />
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This barge has containers and a "house" on board.</div>
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Look at the very end and there is half of a modular home.</div>
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I camped last night at the Auke Village campground.<br />
Tongas National Forest golden discount $6<br />
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Heavily forested and graveled flat.<br />
But very short.<br />
They put in boulders to restrict vehicle length and when I backed in and got aligned I was blocking half the road with my truck.<br />
Definitely not a campground for motorhomes.<br />
(one more point for RVing small)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">My idea that I would hit an RV Park once per week for laundry</span><span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);"> was thoughtful but unnecessary.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">This is a fishing coast</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">and fishermen need laundr<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">y</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">and showers</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Mos<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">t coin <span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">laundry</span> have <span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">coin</span> showers.</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">So that aspect of RV parks holds no sway anymore.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Other RV park attributes include</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Shore power, city water, on site dump pipe, cable TV, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">wifi</span></span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Well I have not watched TV since Washington somewhere... I heard Micheal Jackson died.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">You can get <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">wifi</span> anywhere these days</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">at a bar a bakery a coffee shop whatever... and FREE!</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Just ask a local in a store on any street</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Dump sites can be hard to find but the National Forest can usually direct you to a site</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Must have city water too, to at least fill my freshwater tank</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Shore power to charge my batteries as otherwise have to run the Honda 2000<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">eu</span> for about 15 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">mins</span> for each battery.</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">But check this out:</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Mendenhall</span> Campground has shore power, and city water, and ON-SITE dump for $26 minus a 50% old gold discount!</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">all this plus seclusion and no RV park needed!</span><br />
<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Also no trailer trash monthly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">RVers</span> in the NF camp grounds.</span><br />
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<span style="color: rgb(255 , 204 , 153);">Just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">sayin</span></span><br />
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Gads!<br />
Ronnie needs some RV diversity training.<br />
Shame on me.</div>
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So I moved over to Mendenahll Campground today.<br />
Another one that is 90% vacant.<br />
Water and shore power.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-37489986134086253772009-07-12T11:04:00.000-07:002017-05-25T15:30:16.544-07:00POW to Ketchikan to Wrangell07-06<span style="color: #ffcc99;"> Prince of Wales island</span><br />
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Had some breakfast and went fishing in the creek that runs through the campground.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Fly fishing can be confusing. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">I am confused about it. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">However I am confused at a more senior level -- about more significant things -- so I am not embarrassing myself too much.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Just sayin</span><br />
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Five trout released in two hours or so.<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mepps</span></span></span></span> #2<br />
They are everywhere up here.<br />
I decided to take a run over to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Thorne</span></span></span></span> Bay (C on the map) to do some laundry and have a look around.<br />
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Ran into a couple of inquisitive <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sitka</span></span></span></span> deer on the road.<br />
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Those are full grown <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sitkas</span></span></span></span>.<br />
Dog sized.<br />
And very curious as you can see.<br />
The lens makes the deer look further away than they really were.<br />
Gunned the engine to get them off the road lest a fast car comes.<br />
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When I got back to the campground I had a conversation with Jo, the campground host.<br />
She is from, of all places, Fresno! (my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">citiy</span></span></span></span> of residence at one time)<br />
Well that led to some great conversation for sure.<br />
It seems her son went to Fresno State for a forestry degree.<br />
He works (I think I mentioned) at a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Tongas</span></span></span></span> NF ranger and I assume he got her a summer spot here as host.<br />
Very nice lady introduced me to wild blueberries.<br />
The kind the bears eat.<br />
They are smaller and more tart than cultivated blueberries but tasty anyway.<br />
I had already harvested some wild raspberries for my cereal... <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">yummers</span></span></span></span>.<br />
Jo told me about a beaver lodge on the lake where I could get some pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_QXt9t7if9I/WSBaD11ZBTI/AAAAAAAADNY/vMwG4X8CFLce8qA1M8eE2fwt8Bd8_akWwCLcB/s1600/beaver%2Bsharo%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_QXt9t7if9I/WSBaD11ZBTI/AAAAAAAADNY/vMwG4X8CFLce8qA1M8eE2fwt8Bd8_akWwCLcB/s320/beaver%2Bsharo%2Bcopy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">BBQed</span></span></span></span> a steak for dinner... with grilled pieces of potato and onion and some wine.<br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Alone in the woods</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Deprived?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Lost?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">A vole (I think it is because it is a dark furry little critter smaller than a mouse) trots out of the ferns to my feet.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Oblivious of any danger</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">I am a thousand times larger.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">He snatches up a dropped piece of grilled onion off the ground and waddle-runs back into the bush.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">His actor’s script is to eat and mate</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Quickly</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">I am not even a prop</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Alone in this place?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">On this stage?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">I am sitting now on a ledge overlooking a beaver lodge on a lake</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ve been here with the laptop and camera and beer for two hours</span></span></span></span></span><i><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><br /></span></i><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Solitude?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">The beaver comes up and looks at me finally.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">I capture his studied eye ball at 30 yards.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Alone?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">“To sit on rocks, to muse o'er flood and fell,</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">To slowly trace the forest's shady scene,</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Where things that own not man's dominion dwell,</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">And mortal foot hath ne'er or rarely been;</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">To climb the trackless mountain all unseen,</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">With the wild flock that never needs a fold;</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Alone o'er steeps and foaming falls to lean;</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">This is not solitude, '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">tis but to hold</span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Converse with Nature's charms, and view her stores unrolled.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Lord Byron</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Solitude in nature is not being alone</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">It is being an appreciative audience of things otherwise <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">unwitnessed</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Applause</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Curtain call</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Applause</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Just be quiet</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic;">Just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Sayin</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7998187211436341208" id="07-07"></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;"><br /></span>07-07 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Prince of Wales island</span><br />
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Went charter fishing at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Coffman</span></span></span></span> Cove (D on the map) and had an exhausting blast!<br />
Out for the day and we did well!<br />
Caught a nice variety of fish: Halibut, salmon, ling cod, red snapper, and other rock fish.<br />
For me it was a long and very tiring day.<br />
Not used to 12 plus hours of fishing.<br />
I advise that before going halibut fishing go to the gym!<br />
We fish in deep water and with a five pound + rig so when the captain calls out, “reel ‘em in, we’ll try a different spot” then you have 300 feet of five pound weight to crank up.<br />
My shoulder aches!!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.coffmancovecharters.com/BigLing.jpg"><br /></a></div>
We got an added treat this day.<br />
The herring were in and the humpbacks were after them in twos… bubbling.<br />
That is where the whales take in lots of air and dive below the herring then chase circles around them releasing a curtain of air bubbles that serves to keep the herring pined in... since the wont swim through the cylindrical curtain of bubbles.<br />
The wales then swim up through the center of the cylinder and scoop a gillion herring into their gullet…. BURP! Here's a picture of them breaking the center of the cylinder.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7998187211436341208" id="07-08"></a><br />
07-08 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Prince of Wales island to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Ketchikan</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Foggy morning and had to drive slow but made it to Hollis in plenty of time.<br />
Same ship, and same cost as it was getting here.<br />
There was Phil in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Ketchikan</span></span></span></span> ferry parking lot waiting for a customer.<br />
Wave, Hi Phil!<br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Cost</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Passenger $37<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">36 ft rig $221<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Drove out to the Clover Pass Resort for an RV space.<br />
It was nearly a ghost town.<br />
One coupe in a Winnebago said that most in most years every space is taken every day from june15 to September 15.<br />
There were only three of us for 30 spaces.<br />
The boat docks were full of yellow Clover Pass Resort charter boats as there was nobody to take out.<br />
The economy etc... bad year.<br />
Not much to do...it was boring.<br />
I met retired Sam and his wife who had a little scamp hooked up to a Dakota doing what I am doing: ferrying the inland waterway of Southeast Alaska.<br />
They don't boon-dock at all electing to stay at RV parks instead.<br />
I've noticed quite a few small RVs doing this.<br />
I suspect water, electricity, laundry, and a close by restroom has something to do with that.<br />
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Stunning photo, no? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">LOL</span></span></span></span>!<br />
Everyone and their mother got shots like these for the next couple of days.<br />
There were forest fires burning in BC which play smokey tunes on the color spectrum at sundown.<br />
This one off the dock at Clover Pass.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7998187211436341208" id="07-09"></a><br />
07-09 <span style="color: #ffcc99;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Kethikan</span></span></span></span></span> to Wrangell<br />
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Got to the Ferry dock early and had lunch at the hotel-restaurant across the street.<br />
I remembered the name just now.<br />
Jeremiah's<br />
<a href="http://www.landinghotel.com/restaurant.aspx">http://www.landinghotel.com/restaurant.aspx</a><br />
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Map of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Ketchikan</span></span> area showing the camps, RV park, ferry terminal, and the famous "Bridge to Nowhere"</div>
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The Ferry was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Taku</span></span></span></span> again.<br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Cost</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Passenger $37<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">34 ft rig $207<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">USD</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
Did <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">phil</span></span></span></span> honk? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">LOL</span></span></span></span><br />
It was a late departure... 3:00 PM arriving in Wrangell at 9:00 PM<br />
but there will be lots of light for finding a campground.<br />
<br />
I walked around the ferry with the little Canon <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Powershot</span></span></span>.<br />
It takes low res video and I took it to different parts of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Taku</span></span></span> and filmed them so that you could get a feeling what its like to cruise on one.<br />
The following videos are hand held walking and jiggly.<br />
Most of them I have sped up for brevity.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz-fAQ2FhBZ6PrnrbP4YIgRC33E9u3eTwSyIYk3UMNfkf98Mycn4vBZJYZsFMWt6EcoouFZDzLouQ-nbYsSEw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
00:17<br />
deck forward to outside rail<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx_bHuEqVtWLvmfYKxnfN0Q2E-i-regqooR6SQHJRJjWdTE5wEhBLTjbRaN6aAYZzWRc4xo9ECLQePeBO91gw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
00:15</div>
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forward observation lounge, purser's office, bow<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwk00TGft5gI8MxNaK7q6YFOuWUUz0cIuvqrf7z30Ly2ZaPIvWvTlH7vNB5OxgiIaXNvLu2Q3aWxuqpXc96Uw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
00:50<br />
theater, forward kids lounge, recliner lounge, cabins, auto deck roped off<br />
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00:53<br />
recliner lounge, computer/reading booth-desks, solarium deck<br />
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00:22<br />
The grill: two or three <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">entrees</span>, breakfast, lunch, and dinner<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">pre</span></span>-wrapped sandwiches etc<br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Under sail..laptop hacking...<br />Warm and light.<br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">taku</span></span></span> sails steady at a guessing 20 knots</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Smooth seas</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">This ship reminds me of old movies</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">People crossing the Atlantic and sitting outside in the sun.<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Oceanliner</span></span>-like</span><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Rails and walkways extend completely around two or three decks</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Couples stroll by talking and taking pictures<br />Photography promenade</span><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Lawn chairs are there to pull up and breathe in the ocean </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">I look at the horizon with long large islands 40 miles or so distant and I line up the top rail with the shoreline and sit squinting with one eye closed… waiting for an up or a down motion.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">None</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Perfectly smooth sailing</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">The engine hums... with the radiance of the sun and the sea breeze<br />Thought-fixed… while thought-less<br />Like one would expect in an old black and white movie</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">The lady laying back in a lounge chair... eyes closed.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">She could be an actress</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">In this old film</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Ingret</span></span></span>-like</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">kersif</span></span> is terrible anymore</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Even my once perfect draftsman’s lettering sucks.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">This keyboard is all I have to think with and I never learned to touch type.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">It cannot capture what I am thinking.. at least my fingers cant</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">But it is the best I have</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Sweet sweet trip this</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">sayin</span></span></span><br />
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Stayed at Elmo Point Campground.<br />
Almost dark before I got set up... picture below.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7998187211436341208" id="07-10"></a><br />
07-10 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Wrangell</span><br />
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These Wrangell camps are so well taken care of!<br />
All sites are graveled and FLAT<br />
Here is a picture of my egg camped 500 ft above Zimovia Straight at Elmo Point campground.<br />
It does not begin to show the majesty<br />
The view was spectacular!<br />
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All campgrounds have covered wood sheds with split logs and kindling</div>
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The pottys are pit toilets that are painted and scrubbed and smell of air freshener and potpourri.<br />
You can tell the difference between volunteer maintained and paid camp host maintained facility.<br />
Amazing<br />
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Directions<br />
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<a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/discoverycenter/">Order the Wrangell Island forestry map here</a> (a must)</div>
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To get to these campgrounds drive about 15 miles south of Wrangell to Elmo Point road (forest service road 6267).<br />
Turn right onto a good gravel road.<br />
If you keep going straight and the road turns to gravel you have gone past 6267 and are then on 6265.<br />
Most campgrounds are small.<br />
Some having only one campsite.<br />
They are scattered over five or six miles and the road gets really rough the further you go.<br />
It may not be good for your overhung motor homes because of the clearances needed on the dips.<br />
If you stay on it, I guess after ten miles, you will hook back up with 6265<br />
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Going out for an Island cruise</div>
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I spent the day driving over 70 miles of roads and saw lots of wildlife like bears, deer, and what I think was a marmot.<br />
Here are some videos showing the good roads and the not-so-good roads.<br />
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On forest road number 6270 which is typical of the nice gravel roads shown on the map.<br />
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This video is on the 50040 road to High Brush Lake.<br />
Aptly named lake since the alder hinders your entrance.<br />
A great place to give your rig some very custom Wrangell pin striping.<br />
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This is the first time I have seen boardwalks instead of trails.<br />
It must be more economical than to have to keep spading and filling ground trails every spring.<br />
I was told by the camp host that they had a little john-boat at the bottom if I wanted to use it.<br />
I was skeptical.<br />
Leave a boat there to be stolen?<br />
Umm... it really is there.<br />
I didn't use it.<br />
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High Brush Lake<br />
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One of many overlooks for self contained boondocking.<br />
Still smokey from BC fires.<br />
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The green moist interior along the road<br />
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Got back to camp at 8:00 PM... that's still early!</div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">I have decided that most people want to glomp on to their memories and never ever let them go.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">They want reality to be today what it was yesterday... or any time before yesterday.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">For example I have had people who have gone to Alaska warn me about the outback.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">The danger</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">The ALCAN.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">They drove it 30 years ago!</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">And even down in Utah people who post their experiences on Utah or Arizona Strip highways can make misleading statements.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">The most often used (abused) statement is a warning about "wash board roads".</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">If someone had driven Cottonwood Canyon out near Kanab and it was washboardy then they will be convinced that it will remain washboardy forever... thus warning all, "I wouldn't go there because the road is washboard all the way"... and of course that cant be true.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Not in an absolute sense at least.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">The road could have been graded recently.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">It could have rained thus plowing the soften ridges down flat.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">It simply wont be a washboard road forever and always.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">That's why I need to say something about the roads here on Wrangell Island.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">You will never know what shape the road is in unless you ask a local.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">The camp host nicely warned me about the road to High Brush Lake saying, "the alder is closing in. You should be ok in your rig (Ranger) but it is still likely to get a bit scratched"</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">You can see what it looked like in the video above.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">But is it going to be that way next year?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">I have no idea.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Have they sent one of those lawnmower tractors in to clear it recently?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Ask the camp host or someone else knowledgeable about the current shape of any back road you are thinking of taking.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Just sayin</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7998187211436341208" id="07-11"></a><br />
07-11 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Wrangell</span><br />
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Coffeed up and drove into town for Gas, Breakfast, Laundry, and shower.<br />
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Good breakfast at the Diamond Circle Cafe.<br />
Did Laundry etc and then went down to the docks to wait for the Anan Creek bear watching boat.<br />
Saw this sign.<br />
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Now I am no English genius or anything but it is pretty obvious that the sign painter put the apostrophe in the wrong place.<br />
I wondered why they let that stay up there?<br />
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Solution I think...<br />
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Maybe there were two "bobs" who partnered up.<br />
Like in "the two Bobs"<br />
Then if there were two Bobs and they owned the store the possessive case would be Bobs'<br />
Is that right?<br />
I was afraid to ask.<br />
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Took an hour long jet boat ride to Anan Creek<br />
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After depositing us on the shore and after getting the "talk" from the Tongass ranger our guide escorted us half a mile up the trail.<br />
12 ga and all.<br />
It is a viewing platform set high above the creek where the salmon congregate in smooth water before attempting to do their woosh up a rapid.<br />
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Its hard to photograph fish underwater but there were hundreds gathered down stream like above.</div>
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The bears just go up to the water and nab them with their mouth.<br />
Here is a bear coming in from the woods.<br />
There were dozens of bears by the way and dozens of photo shots too.</div>
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The bear looks over his pickings.<br />
You can see a couple of nice size pink salmon just above his head.</div>
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Splashing in with jaws open.</div>
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A catch!!</div>
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My favorite bear shot from Anan.<br />
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Eagles always congregate near wherever the bears eat.<br />
Bears are prone to leaving offall on the ground which the eagles fight over.<br />
I can spot a bear fishing a creek a mile away by watching for eagles searching and arguing high above him.<br />
But later in the season when the bears are trying to store fat for the winter they leave dang near the whole fish on the ground eating only the brains and roe.<br />
This gives the eagle much more than they can eat and creeks like Anan end up stinking of rotting fish in late autumn.<br />
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Since I have these shots up on a different site I'll just post links about the eagles<br />
This series of seven shots shows a junior bald eagle (immatures do not have a white head) looking over a bear eating a fish.<br />
Waiting for the scraps.<br />
<a href="http://www.pbase.com/troron/eagles">Eagles on Pbase</a></div>
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If you click on the "Eagle Bathing" it show a series of 40 frames I took while an eagle was bathing up stream of us.<br />
An animation there knits then all together<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-20140851217245795942009-07-05T11:23:00.000-07:002017-05-25T15:22:41.509-07:00Prince Rupert, Ketchikan, to Prince of Wales Is.07-02 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Prince Rupert BC to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ketchikan</span></span></span></span> AK</span><br />
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My first Alaska Marine Highway Ferry was aboard the Taku<br />
352 ft long and 45 years old but well kept and clean.<br />
This ferry has a starboard (right) door in the bow and a double wide door in the stern (rear).<br />
With this kind of a layout autos can drive straight in from the stern and out at the bow when they arrive at their destination.<br />
The ferry then loads from the bow and discharges from the stern on the return trip.<br />
With this setup they drive straight in to one port and then back in at the next port.<br />
But anyway I guess they do this so that they can sail with a traditional ships bow rather than some other ferries that are flat at both ends.<br />
Faster I am sure.<br />
Cost :<br />
Passenger $54 USD<br />
34 ft rig $265 USD<br />
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Pre boarding here has two phases.<br />
First phase is the AMHS part.<br />
A guy has you stop outside on the road and he measures your rig.<br />
He told me I was 36 feet and I told him I only paid for 34 feet.<br />
He said very congenially, "ok" and marked 34' on the tag, told me to drive in and park, and go to the office for the ticket (the extra two feet was the bicycle I add ed later).<br />
I drove in, parked, and stood in line at the ticket counter.<br />
When my turn came I gave them my passport, itinerary number, and the 34' tag and he cave me all of my tickets for the trip and told me to go park in lane #2.<br />
While sitting there waiting an official looking guy came up and asked me if I had turned off my propane, I had, and if I was transporting any gasoline containers in my truck (I was not*) and if I was had any fire arms and I said yes... the shotgun.<br />
He then asked me where it was... was it covered up? was it empty? was the ammunition stored somewhere else?<br />
I answered all of these satisfactorily and he went his way.<br />
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* * the part about the gasoline cans I took literally. I had none in the truck. I had two little one gallon cans strapped to the bumper of the trailer but he didn't ask about the trailer... he asked about the truck... and besides the two very red gasoline containers were in plane site.<br />
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The second part of pre boarding was US customs who, as you drove into the second que, asked the normal "entering the United States" questions.<br />
Where are you headed?<br />
How long have you been in Canada?<br />
Where are you from?<br />
All while looking at my face and passport.<br />
Normal US Customs boarder entry.<br />
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Boarding the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Taku</span></span></span></span> in Prince Rupert.<br />
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From my previous ferry trips on the BC Ferries route I find there is one distinct difference between a cruise ship and a ferry (aside from the obvious... autos) and that is that they are more like old ocean liners with promenade decks on most levels.<br />
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On a cruise ships you are locked in.. no way to walk around the outside of all the decks.<br />
You have far more room to roam with the fresh sea air on these boats I think.<br />
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Leaving Prince Rupert you sail past the deep water commercial port.<br />
Prince Rupert takes some overflow from Vancouver and some lines from Asia prefer it as the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Yellowhead</span></span></span></span> hwy runs right through the heart of the western provinces... as does a rail line.<br />
Five years ago when I was here I was told that the railroad tunnels heading east would be heightened so that the can stack more containers on the cars.<br />
But then five years ago they had live <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">dungenous</span></span></span></span> crab at Dolly's so...<br />
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Approaching <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Kethcikan</span></span></span></span> by skirting the island on the west side.<br />
A cruise ships leaves the main channel heading south.<br />
The Ferry dock is north of town and away from tourists... perfect.<br />
The infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" would have spanned the main island on the right, over the cruise ships ot the little island on the left in then over the outside channel to the big island of Graviana out of the picture on the left.</div>
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The previous video showed me following this white rig in.<br />
I didn't get the camera up in time to get it all but he had to do two Y maneuvers to get out the door.<br />
I just waited until I was waved forward, drove left and deep ,and then cranked it hard right and made it out in one shot with yards of clearance all around (I pay no attention to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">autodeck</span></span></span></span> hand with his wave and pointing... I know my rig, he doesn't).<br />
First example I guess of an advantage of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">RVing</span></span></span></span> small .<br />
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Driving my cruise-egg up to the docks snuggling up against a cruise-ship was fun if not tricky.<br />
I had the guard ladies walking toward me with purpose as I drove out.<br />
Grin</div>
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At first look I didn't even notice that the building at the end of the street was a very slow moving cruise ship.<br />
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This is Phil, the cab driver.<br />
He had lots of questions about the Casita.<br />
It seems I ran into Phil four times or more in Ketchikan whether it be a wave, a honk, or an actual inside look at the trailer.</div>
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Stayed at Ward Lake campground.</div>
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Very secluded and quiet.<br />
$8 per night standard minus $4 per night golden age discount... who would want to stay in an RV park when you could stay here?<br />
Rate it a 9 as a campground.<br />
There is a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Walmart</span></span></span></span> north of town if you want to stay there... but I can't say for sure if they allow it..<br />
Also you can "Rest" in the Ferry lot as long as you are far back out of the way, its late at night, and you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">dont</span></span></span></span> make it look like you are camping (putting a chair out on the ground or such).<br />
An advantage of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">RVing</span></span></span></span> small self-contained.<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="07-03"></a><br />
07-03<span style="color: #ffcc99;"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Ketchikan</span></span></span></span> AK to Hollis, Prince of Wales Island</span><br />
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I have plenty of time to walk around so I parked my rig in the Safeway lot and had a walking-look of downtown <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Ketchkan</span></span></span></span>.<br />
It is a pretty place.<br />
Period-painted and decorated like a Disney set.<br />
Filled with tourists.<br />
Three ships in today.<br />
They can handle five.<br />
Locals not involved with retail downtown hate it when they get that many ships.<br />
That many people.<br />
Retailers love it of course.<br />
I went shopping for live <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Dungenous</span></span></span> to heal my Rupert wounds only to find NONE!!<br />
Anywhere!!<br />
Just kept walking.<br />
BTW the ferry lets you off north of downtown.<br />
Where the more interesting parts of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Ketchikan</span></span></span> are.<br />
Fish packing plants and non-touristy normal stuff.<br />
But warning!<br />
There are not very many (if any) good places to eat North of town.<br />
The last place for good food and service is right across from the ferry terminal.<br />
Its a combination hotel restaurant.<br />
Forgot the name<br />
Took no images downtown but I did go out on a few piers and took pictures of eagles and float planes and such.<br />
Eagles are as thick as ravens here.<br />
A digital Camera with a 200mm telephoto is all you need to get nice shots.<br />
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I did the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">casita</span></span> cruise ship thing again but this time got yelled at big time.<br />
Each shot was taken at a different dock and this last one convinced me to move out fast and to warn you that if you do this it is at your own risk.<br />
Do as I say.<br />
Not as I do.<br />
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Had lunch and waited of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Stikine</span></span> Ferry to pick me up and take me to Hollis.</div>
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The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">Stikine</span> is owned by the residents of Prince of Wales Island and subsidized by the State.<br />
It runs a daily schedule between <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">Ketchikan</span> and Hollis but before they got their own they would have to wait a week for an Alaska state ferry.<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">Dont</span> look for this ferry on the Alaska Marine Highway System site.<br />
They are the <a href="http://www.interislandferry.com/">Alaska Inter-Island Ferry</a><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Cost</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Passenger $37<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">USD</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">36 ft rig $221<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">USD</span></span><br />
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Boarding the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">Stikine</span> at 3:30 PM for a three hour ride.</div>
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I had a pleasant three hour ride to Hollis.<br />
Nice weather to be on the ocean.<br />
Met three guys and chatted.<br />
They were from the Bay Area somewhere.<br />
Mid forties.<br />
Going for a week of fishing at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">Coffman</span> Cove.<br />
Doing man's-vacation thing.<br />
Pretty relaxed group of guys.<br />
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This <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">speeded</span> up video shows the exit at Hollis.<br />
Note the parking/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">unparking</span> menagerie.<br />
The ship is small but they pack a lot in.<br />
As usual when I exit I wait until I am motioned to exit and then I drive my rig paying little attention to the deckhand.<br />
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PS if you make it obvious that he is not in charge it may make for problems.<br />
Just keep nodding your head like you understand the directions he is giving while at the same time doing what you need to.<br />
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<a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/discoverycenter/">Get the Prince of Whales Island roads map online here</a> (a must have)</div>
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Drove from Hollis (A) to Craig (B)<br />
Had some great clam chowder with fresh bread at Ruth Ann's.. its not New England and not New York... different good.<br />
There is a 3rd of July fireworks show this night.<br />
In front of the Tongass National Forest dorm... actually across the bay on a peninsula.<br />
Someone (I think a Tongass worker) invited me to park my trailer and spend the night in the Headquarters parking lot.<br />
Oh! Why the 3rd of July celebration?<br />
Well fireworks have to be torched by a licensed fireworks guy and the town of Klawock up the road wanted fireworks too.<br />
There is only one licensed fireworks guy available on POW.<br />
So I guess they settled on Craig for the third and Klawock for the fourth.<br />
Anyway the fireworks didn't start until well after 11:00 PM as the sun lights the sky late here.<br />
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Just thinking...<br />
if the Craig fireworks show ended after midnight (which it did)<br />
and the Klawock show.starts before midnight on the 4th then<br />
they both ended up having some fireworks on the 4th of July!<br />
Shrug</div>
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07-04 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Prince of Wales Island</span><br />
Just hanging out today.<br />
Found a nice little coffee place with wifi... The Wheelhouse.<br />
I spilled a bottle cooking oil on the Casita floor so it's a lot of work today is cleanup.<br />
Took the rug out to the Laundromat and paid $6 per load. No Joke! SIX bucks.<br />
Big machines but...<br />
Parked on the side of the road and tried to get some good eagle shots.... yuk.<br />
Hard.. very hard to learn how to track a flying object at the 400 mms needed to fill a frame.<br />
The eagles were busy catching herring out on the water.<br />
Here is one shot I got.. very far away<br />
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I zoomed in on this and could see claws full of herring!<br />
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Spending the night at the Rain Country RV... full hookups.<br />
Flat weedy spaces close together.<br />
Rate it a 6</div>
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Jeans feel so good when they get broke in</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Loose and warm and comforting. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">I don’t want to wash them…. What’s a little fish blood? </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">I hate to change into a new clean pair because it will take two or three days to season them properly</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Also, RV parks suck..all of them so far</span> <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Best camping is boondocking out in the wilds or state parks</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">just sayin</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="07-05"></a><br /></div>
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07-05 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Prince of Wales Island</span><br />
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Found a campground called Eagles Nest some miles north.<br />
Just about where the Coffman Cove/Thorne Bay road Tees.<br />
With my the Golden Oldtimer card (whatever) it is $5 per night.<br />
Rate it 8<br />
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Decided to drive back to Craig unhooked to use the internet and got a cell call from Kathy the naturalist (left my number with Wheelhouse cafe).<br />
She taxis around scientists and academicians doing research on whales and other stuff.<br />
So she knows how to find wildlife.<br />
We made a time to meet and went out on her boat and she got me lots of whale pictures, otters, and even some petroglyphs on shore.<br />
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Back to camp after a thrilling day<br />
The campground was totally empty except for Jo the camp host and her son the Tongas ranger from Thorne Bay just down the road.<br />
But when I got back this evening there was another camper in the campground.<br />
Only one.<br />
Guess where he setup camp?<br />
Right next to me.<br />
There were maybe twenty sites.. all empty.<br />
My spot was about the middle not close to restrooms, trash cans, anything.<br />
Why did they camp THERE?<br />
This has happened to me before and I just move to a different site.<br />
Is it me?<br />
Would you park right next to someone camping when there were a dozen other choices?<br />
Grrrrrrr.</div>
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Back in new campsite.<br />
Me, the laptop, beer, and cigar.<br />
Just thinking</div>
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Rented a few DVDs for this trip</span> <span style="color: #ffcc99;">One was ‘No country for old men”</span> .<br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Pretty gross and violent but existential in the fullest.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">If there is any lesson I have learned and have to keep repeating its message is this world does not belong to me anymore,</span> <span style="color: #ffcc99;">There is no Ozzie and Harriets anymore or JFK or Walter Cronkite</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">The world does not bend at all to my will</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">It belongs to another generation and their generations generation.</span> <span style="color: #ffcc99;"><br />Don’t fret about what you think it should be.</span> <span style="color: #ffcc99;"><br />Take what God gave you, enjoy what you can of it, and get out of their way.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">GREAT movie</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Just Sayin</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-15584177637133479022009-07-01T18:26:00.001-07:002017-05-25T14:17:52.841-07:00Terrace BC to Prince Rupert BC07-01<span style="color: #ffcc99;"> Terrace BC to Prince Rupert BC</span><br />
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While in Terrace I was invited to coffee by Ellen Smith and got to see her and Gary's escape 19... very nice setup.<br />
They had the four seat dining table up front.<br />
Nice visit.<br />
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At my morning conversation with Noel he mentioned a few slow clear creeks flowing into the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Skeena</span></span> River where I might catch a Rainbow or Dolly... this as I drive into Rupert for the RV park layover.<br />
I got five hits on ten casts landing zero.<br />
BC fishing, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">barbless</span></span> single hook lures only.<br />
Makes it real hard to hook and land a trout with only one <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">barbless</span></span> hook dangling behind a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mepps</span></span> #3.<br />
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On the drive into PR I stopped to look at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Skeena</span></span> River.<br />
Above is a short video showing how very large the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Skeena</span></span> river is.<br />
It looks like a sea harbor but that is all fresh water.<br />
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I got to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Kinnickinick</span></span> RV park and was very disappointed.<br />
A dive with steep hills to climb to get to your spot. Highly not recommended RV park.<br />
Rate it 2<br />
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One of my anticipations was to get back to <a href="http://www.dollysfishmarket.com/">Dolly's</a> for a live <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">dungeness</span></span> crab, my favorite seafood on the planet.<br />
Dolly's had no <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">dungeness</span></span>!!!!<br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Alaska Highway is formerly known as the ALCAN highway which was derived from the original name: The Alaska Canadian highway.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">This is not my first ALCAN rodeo</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">If old soldiers never die then myths about the ALCAN hwy must have originated with Douglas MacArthur too. Things have changed in the 67 years since the United States Army Corp of Engineers first scooped some mud out of Dawson Creek... but the old everybody-knows-stuff continues.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Many if not most people have a vision of the ALCAN drawn from old black and white theater newsreels or History Channel documentaries about the building of the road. </span><a href="http://archives.cbc.ca/science_technology/transportation/clips/12534/" style="color: #ffcc99;">http://archives.cbc.ca/science_technology/transportation/clips/12534/</a><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">But very few documentaries today deal with the modern version of the road. What is it like today? Has it changed? Is it really that big a deal?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">“Some people still have the perception that they’re going to be driving up through the wilderness and they need 17 spare tires and armor plates to punch their way through. We want people to know that you don’t need a surplus army tank.” -- Lynn Gabriel, deputy director of the Great Alaska Highways Society.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Today the ALCAN is a 100% paved two lane highway. It's a normal conduit cutting through the woods just like a Northern Michigan road. The miles between gas stations and food is a wilderness-distant 50 miles and that would be a bit scary if you were from Traverse City but, should you be, you would have grown accustomed to a bit of planning and passing of the driving time with your favorite tunes or snacks. A CAA (AAA) tow truck is always somewhere close via CB radio and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruise the ALCAN in numbers relative to the California Highway Patrol cruising the I-5</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">So, forget all that stuff about "roughing it" on the ALCAN. It's a piece of cake needful of a bit more frosting than usual... that's all... and no more spare tires are needed here than a trip across Arizona.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">PS I will not be on much of the ALCAN this trip. Just a short section from just east of Whitehorse to just west of Watson Lake. </span><a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009/04/new-trip.html" style="color: #ffcc99;">See the trip map</a><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">What I've learned about BC Canadians</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">These are the most polite people I have ever met.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Perfectly at ease and sincere.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">A natural host for any American.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">They speak differently.. they speak a truly unique version of English and its not the use of the noun, adjective, verb. It is the pronunciation and inflection that makes it different.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Probably the most important word to learn is "eh".</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Eh is the Canadian word for "huh" and is used at the end of most sentences as a pronounceable question mark.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">For example: "Ron's having a great time on this trip, eh?"</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Completely rhetorical.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Its an affirmation like "right?" or "you know?".</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">By the way it would be ok with me if the youngsters that use "you know?" at the end of every sentence substituted "eh"... fewer syllables and less time I have to listen to them.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">The BC Canadians are fond of the vowel sounds too and draw them out slowly and succinctly.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Example: About - "What's that all aboooot, eh? "</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">It lilts on you with time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">So how about that Canadian money, eh?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">They don't have any dollar bills!</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">They have a dollar coin instead and it is called a Loonie presumably because there is a loon on one side.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">What is the significance of the loon in Canada?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">To make things even easier they have a two dollar bill... no wait we used to have a two dollar bill. They instead have a two dollar coin</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-DZAmyoZpk/VOd5Xe9mMmI/AAAAAAAACsI/W6k0LBLSqX4/s1600/Toonie_-_front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-DZAmyoZpk/VOd5Xe9mMmI/AAAAAAAACsI/W6k0LBLSqX4/s1600/Toonie_-_front.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">And it is called cutely, a twonnie (two loonies).</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">It can trap you if you are not careful because your "loose change" takes on a new meaning.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">When Canadians check for coins that have fallen behind the cushions they are serious about it!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Ok</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Just sayin, eh?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-72103239862636105922009-06-30T12:34:00.001-07:002017-05-25T14:10:10.911-07:00Ellensburg WA to Williams Lake BC to Terrace BC06-28 <span style="color: #ffcc99;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ellensburg</span> to Williams Lake</span><span style="color: #ffcc99;"></span><br />
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Stopped off on the way at Roslyn WA which is where they filmed Northern Exposure (or at least used the town for neighborhood shots)<br />
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Along the Yakima River</div>
<br />
I had a difficult time getting across the Canada border with my shotgun.<br />
I must look like a crook because they kinda treated me like one.<br />
I should have got a haircut first.<br />
<br />
Anyway made it through and went on to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Chilliwack</span> BC and <a href="http://www.escapetrailer.com/">Escape Trailer Industries</a> where I met up with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Reace</span> and Tammy.<br />
Great people.<br />
Go visit!<br />
The 17’ escape seems much larger than the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Casita</span> because it is.<br />
It is wider and taller even though the same interior length.<br />
The perceived longer length stems from the side mounted marine toilet which opens the floor plan from stem to stern.<br />
Also it has two large windows at each end which lights things up and make it appear even more roomy.<br />
I like the couch upfront for solo-traveler-me.<br />
The large dining table would stay up… no need for a large bed.<br />
Still cant get to the back cabinets without crawling though.<br />
I like my layout better for that reason.<br />
Maybe a half table in back?<br />
Also, the escape is designed with a flat roof top.<br />
No noggin dome like the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Casita</span>.<br />
That gives it a lot more room for cabinets and stove fan vent, etc.<br />
The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">casita</span> stove fan is so low (due to the step down in the roof) that I just took it out so I could cook!<br />
Many <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Casita</span> owners do this,<br />
All of the above combined with less <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">roundy</span> corners gives the escape 17 a cavernous feel when compared to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Casita</span>.<br />
Another great thing about the escape is that they don’t charge you for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">highlift</span> axle.<br />
There is no difference in what Dexter charges <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Casita</span> or Scamp or Escape for a different angle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">axel</span> but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Casita</span> up charges the customer for it anyway.<br />
Sort of a cheap thing to do in my opinion.<br />
Escape does charge extra for high lift but that is because the high lift kit includes 15” tires and rims.<br />
Unlike <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Casita</span> and some others escape is very willing to work with you to customize your Trailer.<br />
You don’t like Goodyear Marathons?<br />
Tell them what tire you want!<br />
From the people I know who have converted from some other brand to Escape many cite this as a reason for changing brands<br />
It is a very good design, the Escape.<br />
And this reminds me…<br />
Having spent a large part of my life in mechanical design I have witnessed the difference between true quality engineers and wannabe engineers.<br />
Henry Ford was not a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">degreed</span> designer.<br />
His math skills were mediocre.<br />
He could not read a blue print.<br />
Yet he was a manufacturing genius,<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Reace</span> reminds me of the many Henry Fords I have worked with over the years.<br />
<br />
Interesting developments with the Escape lineup.<br />
They have a 13 and a 17 and came out with a fifth wheel a few years back.<br />
Then they tried the 19 dual axle and it is selling very well.<br />
When the floor plan (jut the floor plan) for the 19 came out five customers who were waiting for their 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">th</span> to be built flipped orders to the 19.<br />
But that is not the news!<br />
Escape will soon add a 15 footer.<br />
So their lineup will be 13, 15, 17, 19, and 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">th</span><br />
<br />
A slide out in the future?<br />
How did I guess the head <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">imagineer</span> would have thought of it already?<br />
But it appears the slide out challenge is too great.<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Reace</span> knows the people at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Northen</span> Lite who make fiberglass campers and they have been trying to do it for years but cant solve the leak problem.<br />
So <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Reace</span> says, “If they can’t do it, I’m not trying”.<br />
That was another thing Ford was good at: not over inventing.<br />
<br />
We chatted some about the history of Escape.<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Reace</span> and Tammy owned a successful courier service some years back and they also owned a dozen fiberglass camping trailers that they rented out as a summer side business.<br />
Their trailer customers gave them many ideas on how they though the designs could be improved so they thought about designing their own fiberglass camping trailer.<br />
As <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Reace</span> says, “We knew we could do better and besides, how hard could it be to build them??<br />
Big big grin and rolling of the eyes.<br />
So they sold the courier business and the rental trailers and opened an escape travel trailer business in a “chicken barn”… that’s what he said J<br />
As alluded to above <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Reace</span> and Tammy have had a lot to learn about Manufacturing production control. Originally they sold their trailers through a dealer network.<br />
The good thing about dealers were orders came in multiples.<br />
“one of these and three of those and two of that one and deliver them on this date”.<br />
But the hard thing was getting the orders don on time because the truck was going to be here and they better be ready.<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Reace</span> said that, “in order to make a delivery I’ll admit to cutting corners sometimes and there and that didn't make us feel good”.<br />
So today Escape is dealer free and are just like Scamp and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Casita</span> in that regard because if you want one of these products you have to order it and go get it from the factory.<br />
<br />
I forgot to ask if they had manufacturing planning software.<br />
LIFO FIFO<br />
<br />
Escape has sold about 300 trailers in the seven years they have been in business.<br />
They expect to sell 150 per year and no more,<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Rease</span> says he <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">doesn</span>’t want managers managing managers.<br />
He and Tammy will run the operation.<br />
I enjoyed this visit.<br />
<br />
Drove on up the Frazier Gorge heading towards Williams Lake but stopped short at Around 70 Mile house... Lac La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Hache</span> provincial park campground.<br />
Very thickly forested, flat campsite.<br />
Rate it 7<br />
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<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
I think I love me<br />
I am too ugly old and slovenly to be narcissistic yet I really really like me.<br />
I am the perfect travel companion.<br />
We never speak until spoken to<br />
We lend a caring ear<br />
We don’t interrupt each other... unless we missed our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">meds</span><br />
We don’t turn the radio up too loud<br />
In fact, since we truly love each other’s company, we have no need for music or other sound bytes.<br />
We converse sincerely and critically and skeptically and never offend us in the process.<br />
That’s why we like driving with us on the open road<br />
Just the hum of tires to gratify<br />
Just the comfort of true friends to pacify<br />
I think I love me<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">This is a great green fern draped campground.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Sitting here with my beer and cigar and looking over my shoulder for maybe a California nico-nazi.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Can you enjoy a cigar in Canada?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Will the lady three campsites down come rushing into my camp, breathing through a kerchief, waving her hands in dispare, and yelling some wacko left second hand smoke rant?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Do they have Californians up here?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Are they all, I hope, in Vancouver?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Beyond Hope?</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">As they say?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;">Just </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" style="color: #ffcc99;">sayin</span></div>
06-29 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Williams Lake to Terrace</span><br />
<br />
I decide this morning that I could breakfast and coffee at a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">McDonalds</span> up the road somewhere.<br />
I got to the one in Williams lake at 5:45 AM and they would not be open until 6:00 AM so I said, heck with that... I'll find another place on the way towards Prince George.<br />
Well I found another <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">McDonalds</span> in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Quesnel</span> BC around 7:00 AM but could not figure how to get off the highway and get to it... so again I said, " I'll find another place on the way"<br />
Well I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">didnt</span> find a place to breakfast and coffee-up until Prince George at the Husky <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">truk</span> stop.<br />
This part of BC <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">doesnt</span> have many <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">breafast</span> stops open early on a Sunday Morning.<br />
I was famished.<br />
<br />
Driving along the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowhead_Highway"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Yellowhead</span> Highway</a> from Prince George to Terrace takes you through the town of New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Hazelton</span>.<br />
<a href="http://ronsalaska.blogspot.com/2009_04_25_archive.html">As I mentioned in an earlier post</a> I am a fan and minor student of First Nations Culture and New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Hazelton</span> is the home of the <a href="http://www.ksan.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Ksan</span> Indian Village and Museum</a> which I recommend visiting.<br />
The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">docents</span> here are all First Nations guides.<br />
I think I do not like white <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">anglos</span> as <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">docents</span>... like they are at the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">University</span> of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">Brit sh</span> Columbia Museum of Anthropology.<br />
<br />
Anyway some Native Art follows.<br />
This from a Salish Chief:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #ffcc99;">ALL IS FINISHED </span></div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
I WANTED TO GIVE SOMETHING OF MY PAST<br />
TO MY GRANDSON.<br />
I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD SING<br />
THE SACRED WOLF SONG OVER HIM.<br />
IN MY SONG, I APPLEALED TO THE WOLF<br />
TO COME AND PRESIDE OVER US,<br />
WHILE I WOULD PERFORM THE WOLF CEREMONY.<br />
SO THAT THE BONDAGE BETWEEN MY GRANDSON<br />
AND THE WOLF WOULD BE LIFE LONG.</div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
I SANG. </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
IN MY VOICE WAS THE HOPE<br />
THAT CLINGS TO EVERY HEARTBEAT. </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
I SANG. </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
IN MY WORDS WERE THE POWERS<br />
I INHERITED FROM MY FOREFATHERS. </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
I SANG. </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
IN MY CUPPED HANDS LAY A SPRUCE SEED..<br />
THE LINK TO CREATION. </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
I SANG. </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
IN MY EYES, SPARKLED LOVE. </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
AND THE SONG FLOATED<br />
ON THE SUN'S RAYS FROM TREE TO TREE.<br />
WHEN I HAD ENDED,<br />
IT WAS AS IF THE WHOLE WORLD<br />
LISTENED WITH US<br />
TO HEAR THE WOLF'S REPLY.<br />
WE WAITED A LONG TIME<br />
BUT NONE CAME.<br />
AGAIN I SANG,<br />
HUMBLY<br />
BUT AS INVITINGLY AS I COULD,<br />
UNTIL MY THROAT ACHED<br />
AND MY VOICE GAVE OUT. </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
ALL OF A SUDDEN<br />
I REALIZED WHY NO WOLVES HAD HEARD<br />
MY SACRED SONG.<br />
THERE WERE NONE LEFT! </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
MY HEART FILLED WITH TEARS.<br />
I COULD NO LONGER<br />
GIVE MY GRANDSON<br />
FAITH IN THE PAST, OUR PAST.<br />
I...WEPT IN SILENCE.<br />
ALL IS FINISHED! </div>
<div style="color: #ffcc99; text-align: center;">
CHIEF DAN GEORGE<br />
SALISH<br />
(1899-1981)</div>
<br />
<br />
Some of you may remember Chief Dan from his poetry.<br />
Others may remember him for his Oscar nomination in "Little Big Man" or from "Outlaw Josie Wales"<br />
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Drove on to terrace where I stayed south of town at Lakelse Lake Provincial Park.<br />
Beautiful campground recommended by Ellen Smith of Terrace... a fellow eggster.<br />
$20 Canadian... spaces far apart and quiet.<br />
Hot showers too!<br />
Rate it an 8<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="06-30"></a><br />
06-30 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Terrace BC</span><br />
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Still In Terrace at the Lakeske Lake Park.<br />
Found a place to get on the internet and do laundry.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-1505791076944877992009-06-27T19:38:00.000-07:002017-05-25T13:57:01.921-07:00Kanab UT to Winnemucca NV to Ellensburg WA<span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
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06-26 <span style="color: #ffcc99;">Kanab to Winnemucca</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">It rained off and on all across the great basin for two days. Lots of rainbows with the sun. </span></span></span><br />
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Stopped to stretch my legs east</div>
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of Wheeler Peak (above)</div>
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13000+ in elevation</div>
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It is a national park now… Great Basin</div>
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National Park</div>
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Peaks this high have snow on them</div>
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year round</div>
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They serve as sponges to wring</div>
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out water from the clouds</div>
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There are many perennial creeks</div>
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and rivers running from them</div>
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You would not know that</div>
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Unless you drove it and saw for yourself... after all it is the Great basin Desert.</div>
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<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">These three highways through the great basin of Nevada, Utah, and Oregon</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">It is a driver’s route.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Wide open in all directions it gives</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">you a look at the earth you cannot envision</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">on a map or from the interstates.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">There are mountain ranges there.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Short mountain ranges</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">40 to 80 miles long</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">10 miles wide</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Spaced 20 miles or so apart</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Rising very high… some over 10,000 feet</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">There are dozens of them</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Like wrinkles in a bed sheet</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Ribs protruding on a lean horse</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Running north south</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Pushed up by the same forces that</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">shaped the Sierra… I suppose</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">The highways run north south between ranges</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">and jog east west over low passes</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">between them</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">It is a beautiful drive</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">If you are a driver</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Just sayin</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2AR7YSdlZA/VOaPVGD0ycI/AAAAAAAACqc/6GPz84Ywe5s/s1600/ribs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2AR7YSdlZA/VOaPVGD0ycI/AAAAAAAACqc/6GPz84Ywe5s/s1600/ribs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"> Better map shows the mountain humps</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFwBvFCtgZo/VOdsPGQ41PI/AAAAAAAACrE/gIgX4Tx60H8/s1600/river5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFwBvFCtgZo/VOdsPGQ41PI/AAAAAAAACrE/gIgX4Tx60H8/s1600/river5a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Humboldt River near Winnemuca</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">A larger part of the drive is agrarian. Hundreds of acres of sage cleared and planted with a hay-grass product of some kind. The cleared land is always down in the valley low lands where the water is cheap to pump.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Most of the hay farmers were cutting or had cut not too long ago. It smelled like grandpa’s new mown lawn times ten. The whole valley smelled of cut grass.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Often the highway divides the farmed land from the “native” land. One side green with grass and the other side dry sage land. None of the native land is really native anymore though. Cattle grazing keeps the grasses down and the sage brush takes over. The “native” land was almost all grass a hundred years ago. Now it is almost all sage with no grass to keep the brush at bay. It’s a treat to see some places that have been reclaimed by the natural grass lands. Easy to spot pronghorns if you care to stop and look.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Stayed at the Winnumucca RV park</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Not the best</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Rates 5</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="06-27"></a><br />
06-27 <span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Winnemucca to Ellesnburg</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9cWmc0nIu2U/VOduGok0aHI/AAAAAAAACrQ/OMLxXCFkz6U/s1600/map%2Bwinni%2Bto%2Bellens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9cWmc0nIu2U/VOduGok0aHI/AAAAAAAACrQ/OMLxXCFkz6U/s1600/map%2Bwinni%2Bto%2Bellens.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">North of Winnemucca on 95 I hit and killed a Raven.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">If you are not familiar with Ravens out west they are very smart birds.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">You often find them in groups in the middle of the road scavenging road kill.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">They always scatter when a car comes and then they circle back to work on the carrion again... always except this time… one just took too long to clear.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">I hate to kill animals and my language and volume showed it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Ravens are held in high regard in all native cultures.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">It was a mystical thing killing a raven... mystical is not always pleasant.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">On up the road there was a migration of toads. Millions of quarter size hoppers trying to make their way across the highway… unsuccessfully, what a killing zone that was.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Squished little toads for miles.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">This was not a good day for me.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">spending 13 hours per day on the road avg 45-50 mph.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">so no time to post much</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">not until I get to Terrace BC or thereabouts can I take some time.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Tomorrow try to get to Williams Lake BC and stop by and visit with Rease and Tammy at Escape along the way.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">The problem with going balls out to get to the start of the trip (prince </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="color: #ffcc99;">rupert</span><span style="color: #ffcc99;">) is long distance each day (600+miles), the reward is a shorter trip.Nevertheless those who spend two + months in Alaska and BC are crying for their own bed and shower after the first month</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Alaska should be ingested like a seven course </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="color: #ffcc99;">Italian</span><span style="color: #ffcc99;"> dinner... savored slow and with love and attention over a long period of time</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">see different parts of Alaska each time</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">I will go back again after this</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffcc99;">Slower trip coming once I reach the land of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="color: #ffcc99;">dungenous</span><span style="color: #ffcc99;"> crab with butter, bread and beer (Rupert)<br /><br />Just sayin</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffcc99;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5JVUUGYrrU/VOdukCwkj5I/AAAAAAAACrY/L-3I3hur_Aw/s1600/100_9965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5JVUUGYrrU/VOdukCwkj5I/AAAAAAAACrY/L-3I3hur_Aw/s1600/100_9965.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Getting into fresh fruit country.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">I love this part.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Wineries all over the Yakima Valley too.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Eastern Washington and the valleys of BC</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">There is a better little fruit barn behind this one.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Gibson's or something like that.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">I bought a small bag of rainier cherries... OMG!!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Yum</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Stayed at a nice RV park on a golf course</span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.golfsuncountry.com/">http://www.golfsuncountry.com</a><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">$23 and it looks just like the banner on their web Site</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">Rates 7</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">Don't remember if they had wifi or not.</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-305509802250154562009-06-25T05:59:00.001-07:002017-05-20T06:22:14.658-07:00The rig ready to go this afternoon<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FBCy6eZrcK8/WSBC-axEFuI/AAAAAAAADLA/gCm5tt38ldAvVZFaV9w00JWqsHWr0opGQCLcB/s1600/rig_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FBCy6eZrcK8/WSBC-axEFuI/AAAAAAAADLA/gCm5tt38ldAvVZFaV9w00JWqsHWr0opGQCLcB/s1600/rig_small.jpg" /></a></div>
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'01 Ford Ranger 4x4 Off Road, Auto, air springs<br />
'06 Casita Spirit Deluxe, 17'<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V-l_wLm1E8w/SkN0uzA_HDI/AAAAAAAAAVw/RHbH9uNoLJA/s1600-h/casita+floorplan.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998187211436341208.post-46651928122996386202009-06-24T09:48:00.000-07:002017-05-20T06:20:31.830-07:00Renaissance man Renaissance cats<br />
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A few years back I met Sebastian here in Kanab.<br />
He full times in a Casita with his two cats and they all go hiking together... true!<br />
Sebastian is a silversmith and philosopher and a fan of NPRs Wait Wait Don't Tell Me.... all a good mix in my book.<br />
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He got his story published in RVwest magazine a few months ago.<br />
<a href="http://www.rvwest.com/journeys/followingafreespirit.php">Check it our here</a><br />
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<a href="http://shalyard.blogspot.com/">Also follow his blog</a>.. his last post, "Living Alfresco" sums him up pretty well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0