Trouble in the Mountains

Have you heard about the roads in the Yukon and Alaska? It's true. Actually we have all felt the roads weren't that bad, but.... There are 8-10% grades, narrow roads and cliffs on the sides with no guardrails. You think you're fine, and then... Passing a bus or big truck coming the other way, particularly when they're flying, can be hairy!!!! And, also, there are many drivers who pass you on the same side - semi-trucks, RVs, local trucks, local cars, etc - going faster than you dare. You pull over as far as you can and say a little prayer. I sometimes close my eyes, getting ready for the stones hitting my windshield, or the vehicle sideswiping me. We have all learned to hug the center, and stop when a vehicle is passing. One of our rigs - the largest I think - a 43 foot, towing a small SUV - went too close to the side, as a dump truck, coming the other way, passed. His tow car went off the packed dirt into a slushy side (Yes, it was raining!) and pulled the rig off too. We heard over the CB " We've gone off the side" and then the rig in back "Fantasy 6 has gone off the road." I thought maybe they'd gently slipped off the road, but when I saw the rig, it was tilted, and ready to tumble down the cliff. The rig in back saw it happen, and thought it was going to tumble out of sight. The driver of that rig was sick all night. The tailgunner ran down and employees of the Bureau of Land Management, who were in those trucks passing, all stopped to help. They got the people and the cats out, but that was all they could do that night. People stayed on the mountain all night taking turns guarding the rig. Two tow trucks were needed: one to keep the rig from tipping any more; and the other to slowly winch it back onto the road. Two days and $5,100 later the RVers joined us for dinner. It was amazing - the rig ran with the change of a tire, a dent on the corner and side where it had been buried in the mud. Holland America had 2 buses stuck in the traffic, which could not get past the operation until it was finished. Those people missed the ship. When we were told to go by the disabled rig, and continue to the campground, we passed another of our rigs, also off the road. That wasn't nearly as bad. The tow bill there was a mere $1,500. The tow company said they had pulled 4 vehicles off that mountain the week before. The rain was worse that week. We were all happy it happened there, where there was a narrow ledge, rather than a spot where there was no ledge at all. This trip is exciting, but that excitement we can do without.

This all happened on our way to Chicken, AK, where we also passed over the border into Alaska. My rig was chosen to pull over, so the ranger could go through it. That wasn't bad at all. In fact he apologized for having to do it - but I was the randomly chosen person for inspection at that time. I was able to keep the peach I bought in Canada, since I was going to eat it immediately.

I am having a great time. We are busy with touring. Today in Fairbanks we went to the ice museum, which supports and gathers sculptures of ice, made during the international competition in March. The display is kept at 20 degrees. We then went to the museum at the U of Alaska, Fairbanks, which was most interesting, and finally to a botanical garden. There they experiment with the growing ability of different plants, bushes, etc. to see what thrives best in Alaska. Cabbages do. They are huge!!!! And we saw a moose on the way to, and another on the way back - in the city of Fairbanks!!!! Last night we went to a salmon bake, which included salmon, halibut, cod, king crab and prime rib.After that we saw a humorous show about the "history" of Fairbanks. The show had a great educational piece on the outhouse - why did they ever develop those 2-seaters? - and a parody of Who, being the lead dog, What, being in the middle and I Don't Know, in the back. Well done!!! I Think said.

At Whitehorse we toured a paddlewheel, S.S. Klondike, which delivered gold ore and passengers up and down the river. It included many stores from the days past. I included a picture of Borden milk, which I thought Barbara Adams would get a kick out of. At Dawson City, Yukon Territory, which was a great little town, we learned many "interesting" stories about people then and now. We also took a ferry across the river. People who choose to stay the winter on the other side of the river, have no roads, no stores, no water or electricity. They are truly in hibernation until the summer comes back. Also, in Chicken, Alaska there are 4 permanent residents. They are totally isolated in the winter since the roads are closed. Even in the summer, the only way to communicate is by Skype. And sometimes the satellite is "down." Life is much more isolating and challenging up here. The people who owned the RV park we inhabited in Chicken for a day had mined gold for many years. We think they did quite well with their claims.

Above Dawson City we went to the small mountain to watch the sun set at 12:33 AM. Even though it sets - and you can see it set - it doesn't get dark. We're guessing it rises shortly after. And the next night we dry-camped at the top of the world. There have been other tours, gold panning, hot springs, shows and  cookouts. One thing I have learned about this last frontier - Yukon and Alaska - is that every time you start setting up for your outside food activity, it rains. But no one is complaining about the wet food. We also have THE BEST group ever. Everyone gets along, and everyone enjoys each other.  What a trip!!!!

Through the Yukon

I met my caravan June 26th at Dawson Creek, British Columbia. I don't know if Dawson Creek is like the TV show, since I've never seen the TV show. The Caravan participants are a great group of people. I know we are going to have a fantastic time together - lots of laughter and camaraderie. I am the only single, but people are being nice and including me. The day I got to Dawson Creek there was a small lake in the town and a big RV camp across from it. Two days later there was a huge lake, which encumbered all the trees in the park, and most of the RVs across the street - at least the ones that hadn't been driven away - were in water over their tires. The flooding continues.

We traveled through British Columbia, and have now been in the Yukon for a couple days. The Alcan Highway is quite something. It was built in less than 9 months in 1942 as a way to get materials across Canada and Alaska, and increase US and Canadian security, particularly with the Japanese strategizing to take claim in the Aleutian Islands. This highway cost $140 million, and was designated the 16th International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in the world. In 1942 Dawson Creek's population grew from 600 to over 10,000 in a few weeks, with the troop increase to build the highway. Can you imagine??!! In Watson Lake a few of the soldiers working on the highway, put up signposts to their homes, starting a tradition which now claims more than 7,000 signs. Of course, we added ours from the caravan.

This seems to be the cinnamon bun capital of the world. We stopped at the first place recommended, and I swore I would never have another, because, no way, could it be as good as that one, until we hit the next place and he was just taking 2 pans out of the oven. And, we've been told there are more ahead.

We haven't seen as many animals as we wanted, since we want them to be at every corner, but we've seen a lot. Bison, sheep, bear, moose, and more. We are now at Whitehorse, and will be here a couple days. So far the trip is all I wanted, and more. I have had trouble with my car's battery draining again, but the Wagonmaster and Tailgunner have been great, charging it, fixing turnlights, and so much more. This is a great way for me to travel - with someone to tell me about all the best places, and take care of all the problems.

I'm also learning a lot of tricks of the trade. Most of these people have been RVing for many years. Two of the couples have been 24-7 for a number of years. And of course, everyone has stories. I guess you can't do this without having stories.

What a beautiful day!!!!!

I decided to take a detour to travel through Banff and the Canadian Rockies. At Banff I took a gondola to the top of one of the mountains. Beautiful scenery, and a family of mountain goats at the top. Driving through the mountains, at every turn I exclaimed to Skittles, "Look at that!! It's beautiful!!! Of course, she paid me no mind since she was in her normal seat under the couch, but I don't want you to think I was talking to myself. And animals - I saw so many I stopped pulling over to take pictures - big-horned sheep, mountain goats, moose, and a bear. What a day! I am so grateful I have this opportunity!!

Today I'm going to a hot springs. I never thought of these as something I wanted to do until Linda and I went to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. I hope today's is half as nice. BTW, Linda, I found a new vacation trip for us - 6 day trip by horseback. Get your bedroll ready!

Out of the Country

I crossed the border today. The flooding is also in Canada. A number of campgrounds are flooded out. I found one near Regina, SK, which is open, but has huge puddles, depressions. And it's raining. I got stuck in a town today with lots of roads closed (under water), and couldn't find my way out. I was leaving because all the campgrounds close by were closed. I have seen some houses and businesses under water.

In the morning, I checked on the internet for Canada's specs on diesel gas, since I wanted to be sure I was buying low sulphur diesel, and then went to a nearby gas station to be sure they had it, and to get some Canadian money. When I left in my Focus, I drove down this road with huge muddy ruts. When I came back, I drove down a better road and through the drive-through site beside me, now empty, and made a turn on the grass. I thought driving on the grass would be safe, but NO. The grass was so full of water that I got stuck. A nice fellow beside me pushed me free. I left huge ruts in the grass. I've included a picture to the back of my site. The owner had a good attitude, saying, "It could be much worse".

Go west, old woman!!!

I've been on the road for a week now. I've been doing a lot of driving, and think I'm more than halfway to where I meet my caravan to travel to Alaska. I'm going by or near a number of places I visited, worked in, and/or lived in - Cleveland where I had 2 cars stolen, Chicago where I had a concussion and amnesia, South Dakota where we'd serve a cowboy's horse before we'd serve him. In South Dakota I went on my first and only cattle drive. I am now in Jamestown, North Dakota, home of the biggest buffalo in the world.

I spent an extra day in Westfield, NY on Lake Erie. I visited Erie, Lake Chataqua, a museum, art gallery and winery. I took the cat Skittles for a walk, pull, tug, carry, run, and then put up my feet and enjoyed the wine I bought. I also spent an extra day in the parking lot of a Peterbilt truck service area. I wish I had taken a picture of my RV in the middle of all those BIG RIGS. Peterbilt was the 10th place I called to get an oil change for my RV. They said they'd fit me in when they could. They worked 3 shifts. They charged me an arm and an ankle, and happened to put a hole in my fuse line too. I realized that when I started smelling diesel a day and a half later. I got that taken care of today by a really nice Dodge dealership in Fargo. So, I think I'm ready to cross the border.

I have been driving through very pretty country, through Wisconsin, Minnesota (pronounced with a Swedish accent) and North Dakota. They have had quite a bit of flooding. I've seen barriers built up on the sides of the road to keep the water off it, telephone poles and many trees in the water, and 1 farm sitting in the water - the house, the barn and the road into the property. Mother Nature can really be a bitch.

Coming to the End

I'm at what I think will be my last stop. I plan to drive home from here - Lancaster, PA. If I can't take the driving I'll probably stop at Wally's just to sleep the night, and get home on Tuesday.

I had a great visit with my friend Penelope in Charlotte, NC. Penelope and I worked around the country when she was 24 and I was 23 - west of the Mississippi. That was 41 years ago. And Penelope looks the same. She said I was lying when I said that, but, I tell you, she sure looks the same to me. I spent a few days there, with Penelope, her husband, daughters, grandkids and father. I got my baby fix, holding Madeline for long periods of time. Four years ago I had gotten my baby fix by holding Aiden for long periods of time. I told the kids I'd probably be back in 2 years, so they better get busy, because I'll want another baby fix.. Penelope and I reminisced about our year and a half. One of us would remember something the other hadn't and we relived the memories. Penelope even called someone to whom she hadn't spoken since San Francisco. It was a great deal of fun. I wish she were free and could travel around with me.

The next campground I stayed at was in Lynchburg. There were some things I wanted to see, so Gypsy (my GPS) and I took off in the late morning. I had addresses, and assumed all were in Lynchburg. After landing in a mobile home park, I tried another town, and "voila," I got to this pottery manufacturer out in the "boonies." I opened a factory door and asked where the store was. I was directed back to where I had passed it, but was told it was closed. So, I just peeked in the windows. Then, the next address was many miles away. I think I was going from 1 side of the town to the other, twice, and I ended at a house on a busy street, so I circled around and got the same thing. All this in the rain. I gave up and headed back about 4 hours after I left. When I left the next morning I turned the wrong way, and started looking for a turnaround. Gypsy suggested one, but it looked like a cart path to me, and I kept going. I turned up a road, and very quickly wished I hadn't. I wasn't afraid I'd lose the coach in those massive puddles (yes it was still raining), but I wondered about the car I was towing. I also had visions of getting stuck in the mud, and "calling" for a tow service (no cell phone reception either). I didn't want to knock on the doors of the houses on that path.  But, thank You, God, I came out the other end with no damage except another layer of mud. Last night it poured all night and washed that mud right off my vehicles.

Twice on this trip I pulled into a campground I had visited 4 years ago. I haven't known until they put my name in the data base. Four years ago I pulled off the road because they predicted snow, and stayed at a campground for 3 days. It was kind of fun coming back. This time the ground was clear and I could use the water and sewer. And.... I had neighbors!!

This cat of mine is SOOOO naughty. She scratches the screen, and everything else. I punished her by putting her in her carrier. When I let her out, I told her if she scratched it again, I'd put her back in the carrier. She immediately walked over and scratched. So back in the carrier, let her out, scratched the screen, ran away and hid, back in the carrier. What?  Does she think this is a game?

So today I visited Intercourse (It's been a while) and other Amish towns, did laundry, read, and am getting ready to hit the road for home tomorrow. It's been a good life. I can't wait until Alaska.

An Oasis?

I pulled into this campground yesterday, which is named ....Oasis. The pictures and the description on the internet were great. There was another campground I was considering, which was on a lake. But their message box was full, and the internet didn't give a lot of information, like rates. But, when I pulled in to the ....Oasis, I questioned the oasis part, and was afraid I might experience a "Deliverance" part. The place was really messy, small, and didn't have but a few RVs. Most of them looked long-term, which brought more thoughts of "Deliverance." There was a hose hooked up to my water, which rambled "through" the campground, as far as I could see. There was a barbeque grill with a supply of burned wood on my picnic table. I thought "Oh boy." It had taken me a while to get there. None of the roads in the area were on my GPS, and I had to call for directions. A small item was not included with the directions, which meant I drove about 45 minutes out of my way, until I realized I was on the wrong road. No way I wanted to start looking again for a campground.  ...... And it's fine. The owners' dogs and cats are running loose, but Skittles has stayed on a leash. I've had to protect the dogs from her. She humps her back just like a Halloween cat, and has a fearsome hiss and yowl.          I really feel like I'm out in the sticks. I tried to use my GPS for some of the sites I wanted to visit, with no luck. None of the roads are on the GPS. But then I pull into a town, and it has all these chains - Walmart, BestBuy, Chili's, even a Panera lunch place. And traffic. Where did these people come from and what are they doing? I only saw trees and fields on my 75 miles of sightseeing.       I did visit a house built in the 1700s, which was the location of a skirmish between Whigs and Tories in the American Revolution. The house still had bullet holes in it - on both floors. The mother had pulled a table into the fireplace, to have the children stand on to avoid being shot. Through all these years why hadn't those bullet holes been filled? In New England they would have, just to keep out the cold. Perhaps in NC they welcomed whatever breeze the bullet holes would bring in to the house.