Denali Park and Highway

After much appreciated R&R, i.e. hot tub and more good food and wine, it has been onto Denali National Park a vast and imposing bit of wilderness straddling the Alaska Mountain Range, home of Mt. McKinley (largest rock in North America) and much brown bear. Camping next to Marge and Michael from Missouri (and Chucky the poodle) in their RV the size of any self-respecting bus we felt a tad self-righteous about our carbon footprint and our authentic wilderness experience as we froze away our nights in never abdicating rain. But we filled our days with trips into the wilds after the obligatory school bus trips into the park. One of us got to experience of Alaskan scree slope running for the first time, and after landing at the bottom, the other wasn’t too sure if he was being castigated or lauded for his remarkable (“weird”) sense of fun. All of activity in this beautiful autumnal land was accompanied by snow and sleet to the point of looking about of looking about for my rugby shorts and slops as yet another squall signalled the North’s intentions to wrap us in it’s icy embrace. But the colours. Great swathes to the horizon of all shades of ochre, red and yellow. And all about us again, space and sky of all shades. Mountains with glaciers snaking down to their shrouded feet in far off valleys- who goes there? Who is witness to this land- I catch myself asking a similar question when I look out at a clear night sky- all that lonely space- unnerving, exhilarating. These cavernous valleys riven by thousands years of glaciers and many ages of stone, and then we pass by in our car- a brief flicker of two souls travelling by in a car filled with good vibrations.

Living conditions

When we purchased our rig in Seattle, we were incredibly mindful of the fact that it was to be our home for four months. Having said that, we have already been treated to some lovely abodes and hospitality by friends. Check out the cabin we stayed in at Patrick's place in Fairbanks. Can you spy the hot tub on the deck? Hard times, man, hard times.

However, we have been really enjoying our Eurovan and have a makeshift bed in the space behind the front seats. You have to sleep diagonally to have a decent night's rest, but it's fairly comfortable. When the temperature is above freezing, we do prefer our new tent. This was not the case the morning after our hike and we were glad of some steel to insulate us. Mark is fearless in the face of snow when he is making coffee for his beloved.

Our faithful friend was waiting for us on the Dalton Highway when we came out of the mountains. (Not forgetting the faithful cold beer!). I think we're doing pretty well as combi-mates. Mark?

Arctic communication systems pictured below. Patrick left this rag with a note for us and we responded to let him know our movements in the Brooks Range. Who needs cell phone reception?

A clip from our last campsite before returning to Fairbanks.

R

Hiking the Brooks Range (2)

The tundra is alive with beautiful colours. It can be heavy going as a walking surface, however. It's very spongy and when tussocky it can feel like walking on a pool filled with basketballs.

Yes, those are bear prints below...

Hiking the Brooks Range

These pics are from our trek in the tundra. We took a topographical map of the Brooks Range, pepper spray, a bear bell (which you can hear in the video clip below), a horn to scare away an inquisitive bear and good hiking food. The Hickers told us where to pull our car off at the West Fork of the North Fork of the Chandalar River and we set off keenly aware that civilisation was far, far away.

Can you spot our tent in the pic above? So isolated! Sublime, but nerve-wracking to hear the rock-falls at night and imagine hungry bears prowling...

Mark is using our new water-filter and I'm down shale at our highest point. We walked 20kms + to our car on the second day and paid for it with terrible blisters from our new hiking boots.

Muktuk, mushing and moose burgers

The Brooks Range - Northern Alaska. The sunlit valley is where we began our 20 mile trek.

With the Hickers and Patrick at the Arctic Getaway. Sourdough pancakes and pick-up-sticks.

It's not often that I think back to my primary school days. But experiencing something of the way of life of the people who live within the Arctic circle reminded me of those lessons on 'Different houses around the world'. Igloos, reed huts and houses on stilts appeared exotic in the extreme when I was ten, and so too did the cabins in Wiseman, our first stop on our Arctic Adventure.

Our photographer friend, Patrick, who helped us plan our trip from Fairbanks up North to the Brooks Range, organised a bed for the night in Wiseman with his friends who run a B n B there. It's called 'Arctic Getaway Cabins and Breakfast'. This family of 4 comprises more than a quarter of the population of Wiseman. They receive a regular stream of guests in the summer (June, July, August), including a fair number of bikers doing the Prudhoe Bay to Florida Keys route, or a part thereof. In the winter they have school, taught by mum, and Dad goes mushing - running the dogs - and trapping. Dad shoots 2 moose a year for their food, and the wild Dall sheep are considered prize game for the freezer aswell. On Saturday evening we were treated to tales of survival and respect for the unforgiving world of the Brooks Range. The two children prefer moose to almost any meat and when faced with an enthusiastic young proponent of Macdonald's, apparently wrinkled their noses and said, 'Try home-cooked food!'.

Is that normal range of motion? At the crossing of the Arctic Circle.

Our diet looks somewhat different from our 'granola' days in Tamboerskloof. Patrick persuaded us to try 'muktuk' - dried whale blubber and whale skin. If it tastes bad, it must be good for you, right? This stuff is high in oil (no kidding) and sinuous and I found had a residual petroleum taste. Do you think there's something in that? It was procured from a whale in the Arctic Ocean where the Prudhoe Bay oilfield is. We much preferred moose burgers - gamey and good.

R

A bear, a rod, a fish.

As the two Africans rolled up to their campsite in the woods, a mere half hour off the ferry, we were greeted by the spectacle of one bear and many humans partaking of that most mysterious of natural events, the salmon migration. The return to the birthing stream of thousands of salmon at the end of summer. It is both a time of renewal for salmon and the end of their lives at the hands of the river and all manner of creatures who subsist on this, before the long dark night of winter.


Thus it was that I found myself inexorably drawn to the Haines Outfitters, to ask a wild man of Alaska for the tools with which to catch me a salmon. I purchased a 24 hour fishing license and returned to the river.


Dressed in African shorts (surrounded by a more appropriately geared fishermen for a very cold river) I proceeded to cast my lure upon the waters. Two hours later, a few near misses and a 10 minute interlude for said bear to wander past, and I had my strike. It was the biggest I had ever felt and my rod seemed pitiful- not so much as being pulled about the river, but more a resistance with which only time had some leverage. I couldn't land it with the rod, so I handed it over to my faithful companion and waded out into the stream to land it with my hands. A magnificent Pink Salmon (a 'humpy').

In our clearing in the woods that eve, we enjoyed a salmon as fresh as ever could be, and like a San hunter gave thanks to our Maker for life passed and renewed.

Today's video

Just for fun. What we've been thinking about today. We've only missed 2 day's videoing so far. Remember to have to wash your hair the night of our video-slideshow back home.

R

Into Wild Alaska

It is 10:39 pm and dusk. I'm writing from Fairbanks, Alaska. Tomorrow we are heading further North to Wiseman, population: 13. We are planning to do some hiking in the 'backcountry'. This particular section is in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Mark's friend and photographer, Patrick Endres, has put us up for the last few days in his cabin in the woods with a hot tub on the porch. We could get used to it, but won't as we venture into the Arctic (within the Arctic circle) to live for a few days with only what we can carry on our back. This will include topographical maps of the area, dehydrated food, energy bars aplenty and our new hiking equipment which we're itching to try out.

A few pics to keep you green...

Ferry trip up the Inside Passage (my post on that seems to have disappeared). We camped on the deck and it rained for two days, but our new tent did us proud and kept us dry.

Within an hour of docking we had sighted a brown bear, a bald eagle, 2 harbour seals and lots of salmon and other birds.

Our campsite on Kluane Lake on the way to Fairbanks. Needless to say we both skinny-dipped in the glacier-melt lake.

New experiences in the last 48 hours include eating moose burgers and hiking 8.3 miles through alpine vegetation and taiga to the Chena Hot Springs to soak while the rain patters down all around.

The hot tub is calling...

R

Ferry through the Inside Passage

The Inside Passage is a waterway which links Alaska to the North-West of the States, more specifically the Seattle area. We spent 3 nights and days on board the Columbia, a state-owned vessel which does the longest run of all routes on the Alaska Marine Highway System. Depsite my concerns over not having a cabin booked for the 3-night voyage, this journey turned out to be a real treat.

We drove our new (1993!) Eurovan on board and followed the other passengers without accommodation in erecting our tent on the deck in front of the solarium at the bow of the ship. It worked perfectly! We weathered two nights of rain in the fjords and got a bit of privacy which those who chose to sleep on loungers under the solarium, or inside in one of the lounges didn't. It was such a comfortable trip. We read, took photos and listened to presentations by the Tongass National Forest interpreter about the waters and lands we were passing. A much-needed break from preparing for our trip.

Next post - Mark's Fish.

R

The Lovemobile!

Yes folks, we made our purchase. After umming and arhing over four campers/vans, we chose this beauty and bought her from a lovely couple 45 mins North of Seattle. They have 4 kids and are hauling them across the country to relocate in New York. Much gratefulness to Don and Jenny who trawled with us and gave sage advice about US vehicle rules and regulations.

I am writing to you from the public library of Haines, Alaska, where we have camped for the night and Mark caught a MUSSIVE salmon in the stream. All so exciting, but let me back up to the ferry trip (see next post). The demand for photos from our image-hungry readers means we must sacrifice literary expounding.

R

Randy Kamp Works For You!

That's right folks. We're in North America. Randy Kamp is a councillor in British Colombia whose electoral campaign billboard read as per my title. He wore a bland suit and tie but I saw stars, dahling, and sequins and spandex and feather boas...

Although we haven't eaten at McDonald's yet, we are nevertheless 'Lovin' it!'. We've moved rather rapidly from Pleasantville, New York, to Seattle, Washington, with a short detour to Mission, Canada. So within a week we have already negotiated three border posts and feel like hardened travellers already.

In Pleasantville we visited Mark's cousin Anneke and David, Josh and Matthew.

Mark teaches the fine art of pasta making.

Josh and Matthew give it a go.

Dis plessent, ne?

Gorgeous bloom we saw on a farm near the rellies.

In Seattle we're staying with good friends Don and Jenny who live in a gorgeous house overlooking Lake Union - a short portage with kayaks from the water. This pic was taken outside Regent College, Vancouver, where Mark studied. We high-tailed it up to Canada for the night to visit varsity friends of Mark.

One of our travelling goals, inspired by my father-in-law, is to make a 1 min video diary each day - so far so good. I'm attempting to post one here today. Hope it doesn't crash your bandwidth.

Next blog - the purchase of the vehicle!

R