NORTH TO ALASKA! – US National Parks Tour – Washington, Oregon & California – Crater Lake National Park

TRIP DAY -75, 76, 77, 78

DAILY MILES - 326, 0, 9, ?

TOTAL MILES – 9,450

8/28- Crossed into Oregon and reached Crater Lake National Park by the North Entrance.  We were not aware that this entrance would climb to the North Rim Road around the caldera before descending to the campground.  The good news is we got our first view of Crater Lake after only a few miles into the park and it was the most impressive natural setting we have ever encountered.  Soaring cliffs line a lake whose brilliant deep blue color is without a doubt the most beautiful thing we have seen.  The bad news is the road down to the campground from the rim is not made for RV's of any size.  It was another narrow, winding mountain hung road with no shoulders and sheer drop-offs.  Wayne said the worst driving experience yet, and we’ve had more than a few.  We were able to get a perfect camp site in the Mazama NP campground and spent the afternoon recuperating from the frightening drive. 

8/29- Today we bought tickets for a Ranger Interpreted Trolley tour from the campground around the Rim Drive of Crater Lake.  It was an excellent tour and we learned the history and geology of Mount Mazama, the volcanic eruption and the formation of the crater and lake.  Also, the Ranger stopped at many sites along the caldera for views of the incredible lake.  After the tour we had time to visit the National Park Lodge and attend another Ranger lecture before returning to the campground.

8/30- This morning we drove to the Steel Visitor Center, which is down in the valley, to view the film and see the exhibits.  Wayne bought a copy of the film as evidence of how beautiful Crater Lake is as our photos look too gorgeous to be real.  The lake is almost 2,000 feet deep and contains perfectly pure water as its source is strictly snow (43 feet annual average) or rain.  That’s the reason for the stunning blue hue.  The rim viewing area is 500 to 1,000 feet above the water and the caldera is 5 miles across.  I’m not a fan of heights and the sheer walls of the crater were very scary as the barrier walls were only about knee height. 

8/31- This morning we leave Crater Lake and head into California to the Redwood National Forest.  This being the Labor Day Weekend, I’m not sure what our chances of finding a campsite are but we’ll let you know that story next time we have a connection.

NORTH TO ALASKA! – US National Parks Tour – Washington, Oregon & California – Mt. Rainier & Mt. St. Helens

TRIP DAY -71cont., 72, 73, 74

DAILY MILES  38, 220, 24, 93

TOTAL MILES – 9,115

8/24 cont. - Our fourth and last day at Olympic National Park provided our first ever view of the Pacific Ocean.  We had a picnic lunch on a bluff overlooking Ruby Beach with its seastacks and tidal pools.  Then it was on down the coast to Kalaloch Beach where we had a campsite in the national park within view of the ocean and sound of the waves. 

 

8/25- Saying goodbye to Olympic NP we struck out for Mt. Rainier NP 190 miles to the southeast.  Our first view of Mt. Rainier came when we were about 60 miles from the park.  It is over 14,000 feet high and has over 26 glaciers.  Once again we were lucky enough to get a site in the national park campground at Cougar Rock.  Then we headed up the mountain to the Paradise Visitor Center to view the film and see the exhibits. 

First View of t. Rainier

 

8/26- This morning found us headed back up the mountain to the Paradise area to attend a Ranger lecture at Paradise Inn and later hike to Myrtle Falls.   For the second day Mt. Rainier’s summit was cloud covered.  We had a delicious lunch at the Jackson Visitor Center and then drove 12 miles down to Longmire to explore that area.  A walk around the area with a visit to the National Parks Inn and gift shop and we were headed back to the campground to plan tomorrow’s journey to Mt. St. Helen’s National Monument Visitor Center.  (We topped 9,000 miles today!) 

8/27- We drove 93 miles south to Castle Rock, WA and the Mt. St. Helens National Monument Visitor Center.  After attending an excellent Ranger presentation on the history of the volcano, we viewed the park film and checked out the exhibits.  We were greatly impressed with this visitor center.  Also, we could see Mt. St. Helens from the center which is not always possible due to weather conditions.  The Seaquest State Park is located directly across the road and we secured a site for the night.  Tomorrow we leave Washington (and its wonderful trees) to enter Oregon and hope to reach Crater Lake National Park.   

 

 

NORTH TO ALASKA! – US National Parks Tour – Washington, Oregon & California

TRIP DAY – 68, 69, 70, 71

DAILY MILES  150 (Ferry 35), 49, 78, 38

TOTAL MILES – 8,778

The plans now include stopping at most of the National Parks in Washington, Oregon and California before heading back across the US on Interstate 40.  At the point we enter I-40 we will be about 2,000 miles from home in central Kentucky. 

Parks on our list are as follows:
Washington – Olympic, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens
Oregon – Crater Lake
California – Redwood, Lassen Volcanic, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Death Valley or Joshua Tree.

8/21- Currently we are sitting in line waiting to board the Port Townsend Ferry from the WA 20 state road.  We left Bellingham this morning before 7 AM hoping to get on the first ferry of the day.  A quick stop in Oak Harbor at Wal-Mart to replace our broken coffee pot and we were in line for the ferry.  This will cut off about one hundred miles of highway travel in route to Olympic National Park.   

We were the first loaded on the second ferry and had a terrific view of the Puget Sound crossing.  A quick trip to the Port Townsend Visitor Center and McDonalds and we were on our way to the Olympic National Park Visitor Center.  After picking up maps we headed to Heart O’ the Hills campground and secured a site for the night, then headed 17 miles UP the road to Hurricane Ridge to see Mount Olympus.  A deer decided to come down a steep hill side right beside our vehicle.  He was only half as frightened as I was when I saw he was headed into the road in front of us. 

If there is a steep mountain road, without guard rail, within a million miles, I can find it.  The road up to Hurricane Ridge definitely met the requirements.  The trip back down put us on the outside of the mountain and with grades to 7 percent it is very hard not to overheat the brakes or transmission.  Wayne’s excellent “white knuckle” driving brought us down safely. 

8/22- Today we headed west on WA 101, which circles the park for about 150 miles, and stopped at the Elwha park entrance  for a short walk to Madison Falls which was very impressive.  After a picnic lunch we continued west for a short stop at Lake Crescent and then to the Klahowya National Forest campground.  We are camped in an old-growth forest near the Sol Duc River.  The trees are unbelievable.  Most are between 200 and 500 years old and between 200 and 300 feet tall.  Wayne and I together couldn’t reach around the trunks.  I know I’ve said this before, but this is the most beautiful place on earth and it’s amazing that we are allowed to camp right inside the forest. 

  

  

8/23- This morning we continued west around Olympic National Park and stopped at the Bogachiel State Park to secure a campsite for tonight.  After a quick lunch at the site we headed for Hoh Temperate Rain Forest about 25 miles down the road.  A stop at the Visitor Center to see the exhibits and then we hit the Hall of Mosses Trail to see the incredible forest which consist of mainly giant evergreens –western hemlock, Douglas-fir and Sitka spruce and the broadleaf moss-draped bigleaf maples.  Some of these trees are huge, 12 feet in diameter at chest height from the ground and 200 to 300 feet tall.  The Hoh Rain Forest is on the west side of the park and receives about 180 inches of rainfall yearly which contributes to the enormous size of these trees.  The pictures just don’t do justice to the size or beauty here.

 

8/24- Next we are headed to the parks wilderness coastal section, Kalaloch.  Here we hope to do a beach walk trail before saying goodbye to Olympic National Park and heading south east to reach Mt. Rainier National Park in a few days.

NORTH TO ALASKA! –Leaving Canada headed to the US border at Sumas, Washington

TRIP DAY – 65, 66, 67

DAILY MILES  369 – 293 - 0

TOTAL MILES – 8,463

8/18- We reached Prince George, BC by noon and headed straight to Wal-Mart to resupply.  Prices were considerably more reasonable than we had experienced further north in Canada and through Alaska.  After a quick lunch at the Wal-Mart McDonalds (a real treat!) we headed south on BC 97 and drove hard until 5 PM where we checked into the Lac La Hache Provincial Park and found a site in the woods that was totally lovely.  This will be our last night in Canada and we are both feeling very sad to be leaving Alaska and Canada. 

 

Camped in the deep dark woods

8/19- This morning we awoke before the alarm went off as we were looking forward to reaching the “lower 48” by evening.  The southwest area of Canada started out to resemble the US southwest with wide valleys between low mountains devoted to cattle ranching.  Then after about 100 miles we entered a wide canyon area where the road was attached to ever increasing mountain sides with a major river in the valley far below.  This canyon road exceeded 100 miles and was difficult driving as it was a two lane road with a lot of traffic and not nearly enough concrete guard barriers to give a feeling of security.  A tire blow-out in the wrong place would send you over the side to the bottom hundreds of feet below.  After almost three hours of this we reached the canyon end and the first major highway, Canada 1, since we left Montana in June.

Southwest Canada is cowboy country

 

Fraser River canyon road and railroad track

We were flying along when the traffic came to a stand-still due to an accident ahead and we didn’t move a single mile in over an hour.  This is when you’re glad your bathroom is traveling with you as we watched a number of folks head for the bushes.  When the traffic resumed we were crossing the border at Sumas, Washington in just over an hour.  WE ARE BACK IN THE USA LOWER 48!

Not finding a suitable RV park in Sumas we headed on to Bellingham, WA where we found a jewel of a park, Bellingham RV Park, and checked in. 

 

8/20- This RV park is so nice we decided to stay an extra day to rest and catch up the laundry.  We have paid as high as $7.00 to wash and dry one load in Alaska and at this park it will cost only $2.25.  That’s reason enough for a second day, but everything here is first class and we need a little luxury after spending weeks in the wilderness. 

Tomorrow we will drive and ferry to Olympic National Park where we will spend three or four days.

NORTH TO ALASKA! –Cassiar Highway to Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK – toward Prince George, BC

TRIP DAY – 62, 63, 64

DAILY MILES  223 – 182 - 246

TOTAL MILES – 7,801

8/15- We left the Alcan (Alaska) Hwy for the last time this morning and headed south on the Cassiar Hwy.  This evening finds us camped by a beautiful lake in the Kinaskan Provincial Park CG just beyond Iskut, BC.  This is another curvy narrow mountain road with no shoulders and no guard rail.  The scenery is beautiful with forest, lakes, mountains and glaciers, but you better not take your eyes off the road for long or you’ll become part of the picture.

8/16- The Stewart/Hyder Access Road – 37A is one of the most beautiful drives we have experienced.  A portion of the road goes through a narrow, steep-walled canyon with high mountains and hanging glaciers.  It doesn’t get better than this.  We reached Stewart, BC about noon and checked in the Rainey Creek Stewart City Campground.  Next we went to the Visitor Center to pick up information on the Bear Viewing Platform just down the road in Hyder, AK.   At 7 PM we drove the 11 miles to the National Parks Fish Creek platform and sure enough there was a grizzly bear catching and eating salmon.  I think the pictures cover the rest. 

 

8/17- It rained all night but stopped just as we were unplugging and heading out.  This was only the fourth time we had seen rain since leaving KY in mid-June.  We left Stewart on 37A, intersected with 37 and headed to 16, the Yellowhead Highway. At 4 PM we stopped at Shady Rest RV Park in Houston, BC.  Tomorrow we drive toward Prince George, BC where we head South on BC 97 and continue to Washington State about 600 miles from where we are tonight.  This will be a two day drive and as we move further south the roads should improve.  You’ll probably hear from us next after we reach the lower 48.

NORTH TO ALASKA! –Skagway, AK to Junction with Hwy 37 – Cassiar Highway - Yukon Territory

TRIP DAY – 58, 59, 60, 61

DAILY MILES  107 – 0 – 0  - 343

TOTAL MILES – 7,150

8/11- The road to Skagway provided an amazing drive.  First we came to Emerald Lake which was a beautiful deep-green and surrounded by mountains.  Next it was a four mile stretch of desert area of sand dunes called the Carcross Desert.  It was composed of sandy lake bottom material left behind by a large glacial lake thousands of years ago.  This was followed by a subalpine “moon-scape” area that was made up of partially buried boulders with scrub trees.  Next the descent into Skagway follows a road hanging off a mountain for 12 miles with an 11% grade.  I think Wayne and I both had our eyes shut going down this scary road.  After reaching Skagway we drove to the pier where we checked into the Pullen Creek RV Park. 

Skagway, AK

 

 



Emerald Lake

8/12- This morning we headed to the other end of the pier to board the Alaska Fjordland, a catamaran type vessel that operates the Fjord Express wildlife cruise to Juneau through the Inside Passage. We saw “tons” of whales and tried repeatedly to catch pictures of “whale tails” as they descended into the water.  At Juneau we were picked up by a cruise bus and taken into town for lunch at the Red Dog Saloon.  The food and atmosphere were both a treat.  Next we boarded the bus and headed to Mendenhall Glacier where we enjoyed views of the glacier and a movie.  Just 13 hours later the boat returned us to the Skagway pier where we hopped on our bikes and road back to the RV Park just before dark, another adventure filled day.

 

 

Mendenhall Glacier

8/13- Today finds us attending the Days of ’98 Gold Rush Show which was most enjoyable.  This was followed by a trip on the White Pass & Yukon railroad.  The train follows the path up White Pass used by the Klondike Gold Rush prospectors.  It was as scary as the roadway down that same mountain pass we drove into town.  This completed the activities we had hoped to do in Skagway and tomorrow we will leave here and head back toward the Alaska Highway.

Days of  '98 Show

 

 

8/14- We were up early and headed out to drive back down the Alaska Highway to the Cassiar Highway junction which is almost back to Watson Lake.  We made the 343 miles to the junction by late afternoon and will head south on the Cassiar tomorrow morning.  The campground for the evening has flush toilets, showers, Wi-Fi and a laundry.  This is like waking up in heaven.  This stretch of road does not have much to offer in the way of RV parks.  All “Rest Areas” along the Alaska Highway are vault toilets only as are many of the campgrounds.  More on this subject later. . .

The Cassiar Highway is about 500 miles long and we won’t expect to have Internet until about the end when we reach Prince George, BC.  See you then . . . .

NORTH TO ALASKA! –Fairbanks, AK to Whitehorse, YT

TRIP DAY – 56, 57

DAILY MILES  410 - 268

TOTAL MILES – 6,700

8/9– This morning we headed for the Chena Hot Springs Road at 6 AM on a moose hunt.  Sure enough after driving out the road about 35 miles we spotted a moose standing beside a pond.  I wanted to see an Alaskan moose in the wild before heading back into Canada.  Up until now all moose seen in Alaska were either behind fences or at great distances.

Next we were off to the North Pole to see Santa and send post cards to our grand-kids and the grandson of our friends Tom & Shirley Jeter.  The cards will actually have a North Pole mail cancellation stamp applied by the USPS.


 We then headed to Tok and making good time decided to try and make the border crossing into Canada.  We had forgotten just how awful the road gets after crossing the border.  We drove the first 30 miles on gravel surface with multiple frost heaves and pot holes.  When we reached Snag Junction Yukon Government Campground we decided it was time to stop.  Tomorrow we have about 268 more miles before Whitehorse and some consistent road improvement.

 It is sad to be leaving Alaska but we will be dipping back down into the state when we visit Skagway, Juneau and Hyder.

Lake Kluane - biggest lake in the Yukon

8/10– Spent the day driving the remaining 268 miles to reach Whitehorse YT.  The road does improve some the further south you go, but can still be very dangerous in places.  There were a number of wildfires burning between Fairbanks and Tok on the way down.  We have been in Alaska about a month and have had only one rain shower, they need rain.   
We stopped for groceries and gasoline on the way into Whitehorse and then headed back to Hi Country RV Park where we had camped on our way up to Alaska.  Arriving here we washed the mud off the outside of the camper and cleaned the dust from the inside.  Tomorrow we head to Skagway, AK for a few days.  I’ll keep you posted . . . .

NORTH TO ALASKA! –Fairbanks

TRIP DAY – 53, 54, 55

DAILY MILES  - 0 - 17 - 2 -

TOTAL MILES – 6,022

8/6– Fairbanks Day 2 – The campground shuttle took us to the pier for a tour on the Riverboat Discovery III.  The trip on the sternwheeler entertained us with a demonstration by a bush pilot, a visit to the kennels of the late Iditarod Champion, Susan Butcher and a walking tour of an Athabascan Indian Village to experience their unique culture.  This was one of the nicest tours we have experienced.  I would recommend this to anyone visiting Fairbanks. 

 

 

 

8/7– Fairbanks Day 3 – This morning we had the oil changed on the RV, did some grocery shopping, and then spent the afternoon  working on trip plans on the Internet.  The evening found us having dinner at the Pump House Restaurant with Peter Kasarskis and wife Abby Gorton Kasarskis and Abby’s parents Linda and Charlie Gorton.  Peter and Abby are expecting their first child in a month and I knitted a couple hats in route to Alaska to keep his little head warm when the temperatures reach minus digits in a couple months.  We had a wonderful meal and excellent visit and will remember this as one of the highlights of our trip.

8/8– Fairbanks Day 4 – Today finds us at the Pioneer Park in downtown Fairbanks.  We attended a presentation of the Big Stampede Show this morning which is a historical narrative presented while viewing original paintings of the scenes being described.  The concept was very original and also entertaining as well as informative.  It was a private showing as we were the only ones there and the docent spent a great amount of time enlightening us on the history involved.  She was a delight.

Afterwards, we visited the many relocated cabins in the park and read the history of each.   Also of interest was a sternwheeler and President Harding’s railroad car.  Pioneer Park is a wonderful place for the local children as it has a train ride, carousel and large playground.  A couple of “old folks” that I won’t name were seen riding the train and eating huge ice cream cones. 

 

The park also has a Salmon Bake each evening and we plan to be the first in line.  Tomorrow morning we are leaving Fairbanks and plan to make a quick stop at the North Pole before heading for Tok.  We may even cross the border back into Canada by tomorrow evening so don’t expect to see any updates until we get to Whitehorse or Skagway.  See you up the road. . . .  

NORTH TO ALASKA! –Denali National Park and on to Fairbanks

TRIP DAY – 51, 52

DAILY MILES  (132 bus miles) - 125

TOTAL MILES – 6,003

 

8/4– Denali Day 4 – We took the park shuttle bus into the park to mile 66 (132 miles round trip) to Eielson Visitor Center.  This was a “school type” bus, traveling on a single lane gravel road that had sections that were literally hung onto the side of a mountain over a valley 800 feet below without a single inch of guardrail.  The fact that we saw 13 grizzly bears wasn’t the least bit scary compared to the ride out and back.  Our bus driver, who was a lady about our age, explained the way to use the bus radio to call for help in the event she was incapacitated.  If the lady had experienced one “senior moment” we would still be falling off that road on the way to the valley below.  Well, we love an adventure and this one will be topping all others for some time to come.  Other than the scary moments we really enjoyed the 8 hour journey and in addition to grizzlies saw moose, caribou, Dall sheep and views of Mt. McKinley for the fourth time.   

This is the park road hanging off the mountain

 


Park road looking out the bus window

8/5– Fairbanks Day 1– Today we left Denali NP and stopped about 40 miles north on the road to Fairbanks for one last look at Mt. McKinley.  Wayne and I both were sad to be leaving the best campground so far in Alaska.  Denali is one of the best national parks we have visited and there have been many.  The fact that the park has 6 million acres and all but the front country are wilderness makes it something special to see. 

We arrived in Fairbanks about noon and headed to the University of Alaska Museum of the North and spent most of the afternoon.  Two movies we watched were excellent:  Dynamic Aurora and Winter. Next it was off to find a grocery and campsite for the night.  We are at River’s Edge RV Park and plan to stay here a couple of nights.