A Day in Goodfield, IL

It's campfire time, and out came the hot dogs and all things that happen around a campfire!  Watching the little twins was like watching a circus.  They're getting very independent, have distinct likes and dislikes!  You'd better get it right the first time!  They're also very good at helping themselves to jars and bottles of goodies that they spie.

Applesauce is always a big hit with them, and Kelsey can't resist running her spoon down the jar if someone doesn't respond quickly to her request!!  It's the old song - what one doesn't think of the other one does.  It makes for a very tired set of parents at the end of the day.  Katelyn and the twins are growing soooo fast.  It's just amazing.  The twins are so proud of themselves when it comes to any potty function.  In fact, Kyler was standing near the campfire and boldly announced that he had to go to the potty, and with that pulled his pants down and piddled right there and then.  Unfortunately, I wasn't even close to being able to get the camera geared up for that one.

AKA I did the combine thingie today!  Ken called a cousin - a big time farmer here in a really big time farm land.  It is corn harvesting time and thousands of acres of corn has to be processed now before it's time to harvest the beans.  So, Dan agreed to give Katelyn and me a ride on the monster machine.  When we pulled into the field where they were working, they had cleared maybe a third of corn in that field.  There are three units involved in the operation.  The truck that hauls the corn to the grain storage elevator, the tractor pulling a large wagon that fills the truck and the combine that harvests the corn from the stalks, strips the corn from the cobs, spits the chopped stalks and cobs out the back and pours the kernels of corn into the wagon.

Dan owns all the equipment and hires the truck and tractor drivers.  The corn is sold to the operators of the grain elevators on a contract.  Dan owns a good portion of the acreage, but leases most of it.  It's a massive operation, 2400 acres of corn and beans.  During harvest period it is a 12 hour and more a day and night. 

From time to time deer will cross the path of the combine, and birds will be flushed out.  None today, but the experience was incredible.  A ladder on the side is the means of getting to the cab of the combine...it's like being on a second story.  The cab is sealed with air conditioning, music, a fridge(!) and of course all kinds of electronic meters and monitors.  The GPS is set once, and the machine stays on path with the operator making turns and stops when necessary.  Dan's Combine, a Cat, is the smallest of the versions and handles 8 rows at a time.  It has teeth on the front that are cone shaped.  As they run down the rows, the teeth force the stalks into the machine.  There is a massive implement that shreds the cobs from the stalks, grinds up the stalks, strips the corn from the cobs and pours the corn into the holding box. 

There is a computer that calculates the amount of acres covered, the weight of the haul on board, the cumulative amount on a real time basis and other things that I don't remember.  The direction of the combine and the lift of the front teeth is controlled by a joy stick.  It controls other features as well, which of course, I have forgotten.  There are three cameras, one focused on the forward direction, one showing the rear and another monitoring the hopper, the transfer of the corn from the hopper to the wagon.  Directly behind the seats is a large window that shows the amount of corn in the combine. 

The speed is variable and can move forward as well as in reverse.  If for some reason, the teeth get clogged, the operator simply reverses the combine which throws all the material in the teeth back out the front.  Sitting up looking over the corn stalks gives you the opportunity to watch the tasseled corn stalks wave back and forth and then swoosh through the teeth.

One trip down a row and back filled the hauling truck to the brim and by the time another rotation was completed, the truck would be back in the field, having driven to the elevator, dumped the load and returned. The tractor has tracs which prevents the soil from compaction.  Dan explained that he rotates the combine about every two years for a new one and intends to have the combine with tracs as well. 

The combine is able to plant next year's seed between the rows of this year's stalks, just ingenious! The investment in all this equipment is substantial.  It rounds out at about $500,000.  So it's like a house mortgage, as long as the payments are made, it's yours.  Of course with trading in the combine every couple of years, it's truly a lifetime investment.

from the MABarry - over and out!

The Threshermen's Reunion

This was an event I had never heard. What in the world is a Thresherman, and why do they have a reunion?

The reunion is mid-Americana throughout. It is strictly for those interested in farm equipment, and all forms of entertainment using same!

We arrived to see antique plowing machines competing in a large field. There were tractors everywhere. Sounds boring? Wrong. As we walked on we were entertained by a chainsaw sculpturing. That drew my eye and I sat for more then an hour watching a log grow into a bear!

There were the usual food vendors...yum.

Julie and I were entertained by a bluegrass band while Barry and Kenny enjoyed the tractor and truck pull. It was an afternoon of an event I had never heard of nor seen!

from the MABarry - over and out.

Duluth, MN

Our Eastwardly route took us through Duluth, MN, on the banks of Lake Superior.  All we saw was what we could see from the truck, but it was very scenic at that!  The many bridges and the huge, multitudinous grain storage elevators were worth the trip.  The pictures, as always, are worth a thousand words, so here they are!




from the MABarry - over and out

The Pumpkin Capital of the World

Morton, Illinois hosts the Libby Plant that processes pumpkins.  The plant produces pumpkin for 80% of the world's consumption! 

In past years as we rolled through the county, we were astounded at the pumpkins sitting in the fields.  Seas of yellowish orange pumpkins!  So this year I decided it was time to do something about it.  While I was in the hospital in Peoria, I chatted with a nurse who gave us tips on where to eat and what to see.  The Morton Pumpkin Festival was high on her list.  As well it should have been.  The festivities actually last a full week and include of course; pumpkin decorating, cooking, baking, brewing, chucking, parades, art exhibits, largest pumpkin, crafts, souvenirs (I WILL get a pin!), and an array of other items on the agenda. 

I took the truck over on a little sightseeing trip, found the Libby Plant (you'd have to be a moron to miss it), and parked in the employees parking lot!!!  I strolled around with my camera and took a couple of pictures of trucks unloading their pumpkins into a huge holding tank.  I probably could have asked for a tour and gotten it, the people were so friendly.

Somehow the fields seemed to pop up with pumpkins for as far as your eye could see!  You don't notice the vines but suddenly the vines dry up and lo and behold pumpksins appear!  Unbelievable amounts!

The Highlights of the Festival are underway now, and from a couple of photos, it will be fun.  I have to have a piece of pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pancakes and a swig of pumpkin beer!

Wisconsin Dells, WI

Our trip took us through Wisconsin and around the Dells.  It was  quite a shock to get back into the swing of things, but an interesting place to do it.

The Dells is a city in south-central Wisconsin, with a population of 2,418 as of the 2000 census. It straddles four counties: Adams, Columbia, Juneau, and Sauk. The city takes its name from the dells of the Wisconsin River, a scenic, glacially formed gorge that features striking sandstone formations along the banks of the Wisconsin River. Together with nearby Lake Delton, the city forms an area known as "the Dells", a popular Midwestern tourist destination.  Wisconsin Dells was founded as Kilbourn City in 1857 by Byron Kilbourn, who also founded Kilbourntown, one of the three original towns at the confluence of the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers that joined to become Milwaukee. Before the establishment of Kilbourn City, the region around the dells of the Wisconsin River was primarily a lumbering area until 1851, when the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad was chartered, with Kilbourn as its president. The railroad made plans to bridge the Wisconsin River near the river's dells, and a boomtown named Newport sprang up at the expected site of the bridge in 1853. The population of this new city quickly swelled to over 2,000, but when the railroad finally came through the area in 1857 it took nearly everyone by surprise by crossing the river a mile upstream from the site of Newport. As a result, Newport was rapidly turned into a ghost town as the settlers flocked to the new city at the site of the railroad bridge, Kilbourn City. Gradually, tourism became a large part of Kilbourn City. To make it easier for tourists to identify Kilbourn City with the natural landscape for which it was famous, the name of the city was changed to Wisconsin Dells in 1931. As the twentieth century progressed, new attractions began to draw even more tourists.  Dells of the Wisconsin River is a 5-mile (8-km) gorge. The cliffs, some over 100 feet (30 m) high, and side Description and formation

The Dells (term used in the singular) was formed

during the last ice age approximately 15,000 years ago,

although the rock itself is much older, dating from the

Cambrian approximately 510-520 million years ago

when the area of Wisconsin was at the bottom of a

shallow sea.

Approximately 19,000 years ago, the Dells was at the

extreme eastern margin of the continental glacier.

However, the Dells itself was never covered by glacial

ice sheets - it was part of the large Driftless Area that

was bypassed by the ice. The melting of the glacier

formed Glacial Lake Wisconsin, a lake about the size

of Great Salt Lake in Utah and as deep as 150 feet

(45 m). The lake was held back by an ice dam of the

remaining glacier. The eventual bursting of the ice dam unleashed a catastrophic flood, dropping the lake's depth to 50 feet (15 m) and cutting deep, narrow gorges and unusual rock formations into the sandstone seen today.

Unique ecosystem

The area of the Dells provides a mixture of plant communities, including northern and southern oak and pine forests, as well as oak savanna, moist cliffs, and dry cliffs. The cliffs provide unique niches for plants, some of which are very rare in Wisconsin, including:

• Cliff cudweed
• Lapland azalea
• Round-stemmed false foxglove
• Maidenhair
• spleenwort
• six rare mussels and numerous species of birds.
  Among the rare animals in the dell are six dragonfly species, including the Royal river cruiser taeniolata
  
  
• Rhododendron lapponicum
• Agalinis gattingeri
• Asplenium trichomanes
• Fragrant fern (Gnaphalium obtusifolium var saxicola, which is known in only two places on Earth - in the Dells and in the Kickapoo Valley, grows on protected rock ledges.Dryopteris fragrans).  

The Dells are on the Wisconsin River in southern Wisconsin, USA. It is noted for its scenic beauty, in particular for its unique sandstone rock formations and tributary canyons.  Canyons are closed to the public to protect sensitive ecological features. The viewing of the rock formations by water is a popular tourist attraction in the area. The nearby city of Wisconsin Dells is the center of summer tourist activity, much of it in the form of the theme parks unrelated to the river features.

The cultural history of the area stretches back several thousand years, from early Paleo-Indian people to the more recent Native American peoples, such as Ho-Chunk, Sac, and Menominee, who left behind effigy and burial mounds, camps and village sites, garden beds, and rock art.

Etymology

 

Early French explorers named the Dells of the Wisconsin River as "dalles", which means slabs.

Huntley, IL

Huntley, IL a lovely bucolic town surrounded by farms and open fields, is a growing, bustling area a bit outside Chicago, IL.

Barry's older sister and brother in law moved there for their retirement from Decatur, IL.  It was an easy stop on our way to Goodfield, IL and we found an RV campground nearby.  I had not had the opportunity to visit them in Huntley, and Barry and I both wanted to visit with Denny, Becky's spouse. 

Denny has had a serious heart event and we enjoyed seeing him in such good health.  We also visited with their feisty pet, Rudy, a beautiful Cairn Terrior. 

Becky and Barry had planned to drive to Barrington, IL to visit with Becky's daughter Jenny. 

While they drove to Barrington, I drove our truck around acquainting myself with the rest of the town.

We spent the night and proceeded to Goodfield the next day.

from the MABarry - over and out! 

Are We There Yet?

Here we go again.  Let's head East on Highway 2 and let the angels guide our way.  Why not, seems just as reasonable as anything else we had done on this trek eastwardly!  Some decisions were really going to have to be made because Highway 2 was going to fade from sight.  Next big city,  Eau Claire, WI.  I always loved to say that city's name, just rolls right off your tongue, doesn't it?  Finally the captain to the navigator:  how far is Eau Claire to Huntley?  I whipped into action, bringing up my handy dandy software, Streets and Trips.  It measured the distance, gave the driving time, the cost of the diesel, and spat out all the answers.  Doesn't sound right, said the captain to the navigator.  Rats!  I compared Streets and Trips to Google Maps and Mapquest. Mapquest had the other two beaten by 10 miles.  Go with it.  Now, find a campground.  I dove back into the electronic wonders of Woodalls, Google, and Mapquest and came up with many campgrounds in the vicinity of Eau Claire.  The chosen one was on our southerly leg to Huntley, and sounded good.  I called them and was assured we would have a site.  Prices stated were $28-39 a nite.  Well, we saved by staying in the National Forest, so split the difference and it didn't sound so bad. 

I was granted a stroke of luck when all three software sites had the same directions to the campground!  Imagine that.  The Campground was all we had hoped for and much, much more - and so was the price.  But, all in all, it WAS an RV RESORT:  pool, golf, laundry - lots of stuff.  For the price of a car payment we were directed to a large pull through, with water!  electricity!  sewage!!! and cable TV, eh. 

The dogs were so happy.  Not with the campground, per se, but with the fact that they could FINALLY GET OUT OF THE TRUCK!  It was laundry night, and that always means doggie bath night.  I just hate getting into a nice clean smelling bed with nice clean sheets and THREE DIRTY, SMELLY DOGS.  The great dog roundup began.  As soon as I started pulling off collars and harnesses they smelled a trap.  It's just amazing to me how they can find spaces to hide in.  Well, the two Yorkies do, Maggie just takes it. 

She didn't do too well in the shower because she was wobbly.  Very unsteady.  She wouldn't eat her supper either, so I guess it's post haste to the next vet.  But, they all smell really good and clean. 

Unfortunately, getting all that work done doesn't leave time for Barry and Me to shower, so the dogs will have to put up with us for a change!  It's so past my bedtime.  I'll probably wonder what space ship I was on when I read this tomorrow.  That's another day and another issue.

from the MABarry - over and out.

Eastward Bound - Chippewa NF, MN

A last breakfast at the Cornerstone Restaurant.  yum.  I ate so much that I knew I wouldn't be hungry for the rest of the day, and I was right!  As we were headed back to the RV we noticed the visitors' center was open.  You betcha - I had to browse.  The volunteer manning the center was a very friendly and chatty person.  He explained that he had a cousin that lived in Alaska, and even in the darkest part of the year, it wasn't really pitch black dark.  The moon shining on the snow makes for a very bright night!  He probably would have talked all day if I had stayed, but I had brochures in my hand.  My eyes were also poised on a different pin he had.  I had to have it!  Another $2.95, but so worth the money!  That little visitors' center there at the corner of Highways 2 and 3 had maps and materials from almost all the States in the Union and a few from Canada too!  I freshened my collection and we trucked on back to the RV.  The dogs knew the inevitable when I started picking things up from the floor, and then when I started bringing in the slides they were ready for their beds in the truck.  All Barry had to say then (since I had them all prepped) was, get in the truck and they all three happily trotted to the truck door waiting to be lifted into their heavenly beds for a long nap.

We headed East on Highway 2, and as far as I knew we had no plan, just head East on Highway 2 and make a decision somewhere when we had to.  Now this might appeal to a lot of people, but not me.  I really like to know where I'm going.  I like to look ahead at what the destination has to offer, and a glance at what it might be.  sigh. 

Our destination soon became evident as the clock ticked on and we passed town after town, and a state too.  Let me tick a few off as they were really holding my interest: Ball Club, Minnesota, Grand Rapids, birthplace of Judy Garland (it also boasts an American Legion Campground in a suburb called Warba, MN.)  Then there was Flandwood and Catfish (which sported a giant replica of a catfish as long as half a football stadium and proportionately as high, complete with lots of teeth, a real Kodak moment that I missed.)  sigh. We passed the headwaters of the Mississippi, and marveled at the tiny stream that became the mighty Mississippi down the road.   There was Duluth, MN with its huge bridges.  Before I knew it we were in Procter, WI, home of a entire Navy plane on a pole, maybe 200 feet off the ground.  wow.  Through some more marshland and we were in the Chippewa National Forest.  That became our destination. 

After some false starts toward our site, we found our home for the night.  An absolutely beautiful area, on a lake (of course, one of the thousands of lakes that spilled over from Minnesota's land of 10,000 lakes).  We had power for the night and were very happy to rest our domes on the pillows.  Next morning was a late start - why not if you don't exactly know where you're going.  I knew we would eventually land in Huntley, IL to visit Barry's sister and brother in law, and I knew we would stay for a couple of weeks in Goodfield so Barry could visit with his mother.  We had to be there for Sept 23, as that would be her 90th birthday.  This much I knew...did I need more?  Actually no, because I just didn't want to think of re-entering society! 

So I just washed my face and slathered on some night cream to fill in some of the ridges and valleys on it.  Good night sleep tight see you in the AM.

from the MABarry - over and out

Rugby, Montana

After leaving the dust of Williston, it was a pleasant surprise to  see the clouds of filth being left in the rear view mirror.  Rugby is a nice community.  Its claim to fame is the fact that it is the geographical center of North America.  (I got a pin!!!!!)  They also had an expansive museum of donations from various families.  It was fascinating.

We had stopped several times from Williston to Rugby trying to find a campground with an opening.  Rugby was the only town that had a campground site available - so we jump right into it!  As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we were traveling East on Highway 2.  The campground was located at the intersections of Highway 2 and Highway 3.  I kid you not.  We were so happy to find a clean campground with a hint of a bucolic atmosphere.  Woodalls 2006 book is not the best judge of what goes on in 2011, and this campground explained it.  The one in Williston was given three stars!!!!!!!!!  This one received only two.   Part of our problem in finding a site was the aftermath of the Spring flooding in North North Dakota.  Many campground were still under water, and others had not been able to open yet. 

We had noticed that there were two signs advertising a Good Sam's Samboree in town.  all right!  Something different to do.  Next morning we headed out to the Cornerstone Restaurant.  It was a kitchie little place also on the corner of 2 and 3.The landmark marking the geographical center was right in front of the diner.  They served really good breakfast at a really good price!!!!  DO YOU HEAR THAT WOODALLS?  GOOD FOOD, GOOD PRICE, CORNERSTONE RESTAURANT.  Really nice people, you betcha!  Maybe it was my imagination, but all the people we had encountered were really nice.  We left there headed for the Visitors' Information Center just across the street sitting at, you guessed it, highways 2 and 3!  Although the signs clearly said it should be open - it clearly wasn't.  Not to worry, we decided to take in the "Samboree."  We had never been to one and PaL had attended the one in Louisville.  They raved about all the vendors and the interesting people.

Off we went in search of the great Good Sam's Samboree.  After a little poking around, we found the site.  It was being held at the county fairgrounds.  We approached wondering what was what.  There were a fair amount of RVs parked there, but we didn't see any vendors in any of the RVs, so we poked around in an enclosure that held lots of crafted items for us to drool over and - and - (Hold your breath!) and buy!  Oh cherish the moments.  I had visions of a new lawn chair, maybe a throw rug to cover all the spots in the living room and all the gimmicks and hardware to browse through.  The only thing at this "Samboree" to rave about were two little old ladies, one from Minot, SD and the other from Williston !!!!!!!  The were so very cute.  They filled us in on the situation in Northern ND!

In the last few years, fracking has been perfected and oil fields were able to be tapped that were untouched previously.  It became a feeding frenzy.  Taking advantage of the situation, the local vendors and business owners boosted prices to outrageous heights.  Stores like WalMart adapted to the customer needs and at the same time raised prices.  All this really has taken its toll on the core residents.  It was never a demographic of wealthy people, it was lots of retired folks and  moderate to low income families. Williston ballooned from a census of 10,000 to what is guessed now at 45,000 - in only 2 years. 

The many single wides we had seen as we drove toward Rugby are called Man Camps.  These are operated very much like Military Barracks - even painted a slate grey.  Man Camps, how droll.  However, these operations are running 24/7 and giving the workers homes away from home.  Some workers did bring their entire families.  This presented more problems. This accounts for the high numbers of RVs and the need for more RV campgrounds.  Of course, with an RV you CAN stand alone with occasional refreshing.

Thinking of all that, it is a bit more exciting.  Thinking of all that, it is frightening.  Even with today's advancements, are the basic needs of those "pioneers" being met.  What kind of society will evolve for children of the workers.  Today's workers aren't using picks and shovels which was scary enuf then, but now these behemoth "tools" demand more and more operators.  Barry spoke to a person that verbalized that a person can make $100,000 a year and be homeless.

Then comes a need for lots of housing for the workers that are being poured in to work the oil fields.  With a population triple and quadruple came a crunch for housing, clothing and food.  Large companies were sold entire apartment units, rental homes and land to develop.  With that push, rentals rocketed and forced low income families out. 

This of course, created a social disaster.  Families forced out with no place to go.  We saw the by products of these sociological disasters.  Explosion of crime placing a crunch on a police branch developed for a town of 10,000.    Support businesses stumbling and struggling to keep up with demands.  Utilities not equipped to handled demands of such a population explosion. 

So, as you see, we went to "Samboree" to learn and see, and we did learn, allowing us to see the reason for what we had just driven through. All this to give an example of how our education has been greatly enhanced by traveling by RV.  How could you possibly relate from a train or ship? 

Traveling by RV is not a piece of cake.  There are lots of issues that have to be addressed.  There are lots challenges that have to be understood and faced.  Maybe some people only want a superficial view of their traveling adventures - but for those adventurous and willing to expend the effort that riding the roads takes, it certainly can be very rewarding.

Tomorrow we bid adieu to Rugby and hit the road again.

from the MABarry - over and out.

Williston, ND 8/23, 24

Pictures speak louder then words of the campground, so I'll say no more.  OTHER THEN -  note the dump station located IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLAYGROUND!!!



The garbage bin



So I guess we got a hint of what happens to a town when gold, either mineral or oil is found!  Mayhem.  We left the remains of the fields of gold mines in Alaska and Canada after gold was discovered.  Man oh man. 

The streets of Williston, ND are covered with dust and dirt, the city looks rough and tough and very much a rugged place and very ragged around the edges.  Barry decided to take us to a safe restaurant that he knew...Appleby's.  Not very good, actually really poor.  A group of fellows were leaving.  One of the guys, very young looking (maybe 20-21) was wearing a piece of t-shirt.  The sides and sleeves of this shirt were deliberately cut totally off.  All the shirt covered was his chest and back!  My point was though, his entire left arm and hand was covered with burn scars.  The scars abruptly stopped at his shoulder.  It was sad, but obviously he was comfortable with it - almost too comfortable. 

Barry was afraid to try another restaurant, so I couldn't tell if it was a fluke. From there it was off to Wal Mart.  It was strange too.  Really wide aisles, very basic food, and lots of empty shelves.  Looked like a store that was about to go out of business; however, we were there on a Tuesday.  Wednesday is the day the trucks come in to reload the shelves, so I suspect they were just selling out of a lot of stuff.  With all the heavy duty atmosphere, I was still able to find edename!  I thought that was so funny! 

As I rolled the basket around Wal Mart I saw very occidental looking men shopping.  Well!  I thought I had finally seen my first North Dakota Native American (they call themselves Indians out here, somebody really should explain to those Indians how insensitive they are with themselves).  Anyway, as I got closer to the men, I was shocked to find they weren't Native Americans, they were Mexicans! I guess they came up from Texas with all the other oilers.  I am now sooooo ethnically challenged.  In Alaska there are "Indigenous" tribes, in Canada the same tribes are called "First Nation" and then you get to the States and, depending on who you're talking to, the same tribes become "Native Americans" or "Indians."

The length and width of the 18 wheelers' loads were staggering.  Every fifth truck had a lead truck signaling that a wide load was following.  Hauling all sorts of supplies - huge coils of black plastic  - heavy equipment - loads and loads of stone.  Mixed amongst that were trucks hauling huge bales of hay - the big round bales, so big that they too were wide loads and the sides of the bales were extended out onto the road! 


I gave all the dogs a bath just before we left - tried to clear the air inside the RV!  I hadn't bathed Maggie for a couple of months, and I was shocked at how thin she was and how much muscle mass she's lost.  All her weight was coming from this monster of a belly.  We decided we needed to take her to a vet on an emergency basis.  Trouble was we thought we should get out of Williston as soon as we could, so the vet call may have to wait until we to Goodfield.  I didn't want to take her to an unknown vet.

To top it off, before we could escape town, I was stung by a very nasty ugly bee. 

Following are some of my thoughts as we drove through Williston:

Dirty

Dusty

Nothing but large, large, construction trucks

Oil well digging implements,

Hundreds of single wides used as temp offices

Barracks for workers parked in harvested wheat fields - (hundred of singlewides end to end) as well as RVs side by side hundreds of rows after rows

Wal-Mart stocked with a new department: specifically for oilers - flame retardant: JUMPSUITS; SHIRTS; PADDED PANTS/JACKETS  - everything they need

Crop Dusters buzzing right over the truck

Oil wells being dug in the wheat fields

Roughnecks all over town

Trucks speeding down the highways with prefab and singlewide homes

More cars/trucks with Texas plates then ND

Mobile mechanic trucks

Abandoned equipment, tanks, trucks

Beehive of industry

Lots of wheat and hay farms, no cattle industry

Billboards along the highway searching for experienced workers of all kinds

Bees, bees and more bees big hives sitting out in the grain fields

Pile drivers

Cell towers everywhere

Good hiways

from the MABarry - over and out!

Calgary to the Border - Cowboy Country!

Here are the notes I jotted down as we drove this part of the trip:

Calgary and Southwest Alberta Canada

Cowboy country

Calgary = large city

Big cattle farms

Big business supporting cattle farms

Bison

Appaloosa museum

Windmill farms

Huge western accessory stores

Huge hay farms

Wide open land

No foothills

First Nation Reserves

Huge farms wide apart

Wild horse shows medium town sizes

Wild Rose

Good roads

Huge cattle feed lots

Clean air roads clean

Cowboy Trail

Rodeos

What does UFA stand for

Snow fences

Wind shelters/breaks

Lots of 18 wheelers

Mild Summers

Lots of apiaries

Beautiful Magpies and Ravens

Close proximity to states

I just continued to think as we rode along - Patty would LOVE this area!  It was a modern REAL COWBOY land.  We passed the Appaloosa Museum, for goodness sakes, you know you're in Patty country when that happens!  It was indeed beautiful land.  The art of hay baling was incredible.  Round bales, square ones, triangles of rectangled bales, covered bales, sloppy looking bales....the whole nine yards about baling hay!  There were so many places to stop, but we were on a mission, so no stopping around here.

In Alaska and the Yukon there were trails on the side of the highway for off road vehicles.  Some were paved while others were only dirt/mud trails.  In Alberta there just weren't any side roads for ATVs!  They were all licensed and ON the road!  Every turn in the road presented a different herd of beautiful horses and fat cattle.  I really enjoyed the ride - it was just so authentic and up to date.  Nothing fancy anywhere, just saddles, horses, cattle and cowboys! Lots of rodeo postings too. 

We had left ahead of PaL so we expected to catch them at our next campground.  We pulled off the road at a scenic area to give the engine a rest, and as we were about to pull back on, who comes rolling down the hi-way but The Lounge Lizard and the Toad!  We were all headed for US customs and it was such old hat by now that no one had the jitters.  This time the agent was on the passenger's side of the vehicles, so I passed the passports, and Barry answered most of his questions. 

It was funny when we were asked if we had any pets.  Three, Barry said.  The agent then said assuming that he guessed they were in the RV.  No, we said they were right there in the back seat.  He couldn't believe his eyes when he looked back there and they were all still asleep!!!!  He asked us where we were going and we told him St. Mary's CG at Glacier Park and his reply was...good luck getting a site!!!  So off we went with that bit of consternation! 

Chinooks were called “snow eater” by the  Native tribes. They are warm westerly winds that drop over the Rockies, melting the snow, clearing the open range and allowing year round grazing. Chinooks were a major factor in attracting the big ranching outfits that moved large cattle herds into southern Alberta in the early 1880s.

In 1881 the Marquis of Lorne, The Governor General of Canada at the time, visited the Elbow valley and sketched the Mount Glasgow-Banded Peak group. Alberta is named after his wife, Princess Louise Alberta. Now heavily forested with spruce, pine, and aspen, Bragg Creek was open meadow and flats when the first settlers arrived in 1885. Fire and buffalo grazing had stripped the trees from the land, making it attractive for settlers but many moved on when they discovered that early frosts and snowy winters left little food for their livestock. One man lamented that he could not feed his family on scenery. Bragg Creek is a climatic anomaly along the southern half of the Cowboy Trail, that is more akin to Sundre and Rocky Mountain House with its cooler climate and heavy snows.

The dense evergreen forest attests to the effect that the nearby mountains strong>have on this area. In 1894 two boys, Warren Bragg aged 17 and John Bragg aged 12 ran away from home in Nova Scotia over a disagreement with their new, very young step-mother. The boys settled along the Elbow River and made a homestead application but left a few years later when they got homesick. However, both boys returned to Alberta and ranched in the Rosebud district.

When A.O. Wheeler surveyed the area, the community had been named after the Canadians Tom and Huck adventurers. Dr. George Ings prospected this area in the 1890s. He mined a thousand tons of coal at base of Moose Mountain near the ice cave. Natural gas spewing from springs fueled expectation that oil was close by. In 1913 the Mowbray-Berkeley oil well was drilled and operated for three years before being shut in. A number of wells were drilled over the next 70 years looking for oil but could only find natural gas which was not commercially viable until Shell and Esso developed the Moose Mountain and Quirk Creek fields in 1985.

“Stoney Trail” a centuries-old trail used by our first peoples. It’s not a coincidence that Natives still frequent the Trading Post to trade their goods, hence we obtain genuine handicrafts&moccasins. While Calgary may just seem to be another strong>modern metropolis with no connection to cowboys, don’t believe it. The city has a rich western tradition as displayed by its citizens and at a number of venues which tell the story of Calgary and Alberta’s west.

Less than 150 years ago Calgary was a broad expanse of prairie with few trees and no townsite until the North West Mounted Police established Fort Calgary at the junction of the Elbow and Bow Rivers in 1875 to control the whiskey trade, which was decimating the Blackfoot nation. Eight years later the Canadian Pacific Railway laid down tracks in Calgary and connected Alberta to eastern Canada. This opened the  way for settlers to come west and beef and wheat to be shipped east and started a migration west that continues today.

In 1912, four wealthy ranchers held the first Stampede Rodeo and Agricultural Fair to recognize the passing of open range ranching,which was disappearing as agriculture settlement combined with barb wire fencing changed the face of the country. Almost 100 years later the Calgary Stampede still celebrates the wild west and the survival of cowboy traditions despite barb wire, automobiles and urbanization. Western Canada’s largest museum, the Glenbow boasts two of the country’s finest exhibitions on western history and heritage. One celebrates the culture of the Blackfoot People, the other tells the story of Alberta’s legendary Mavericks who helped shape the history of the West including Fannie Sperry who rode Red Wing to earn the title “Lady Bucking Horse Champion of the World.

The town of Pincher Creek got its name from a pair of hoof pincers that were left by the creek by a group of prospectors in 1868 and found in 1874 by the North West Mounted Police (NWMP). They named the stream Pincher Creek and set up a horse ranch along its banks in 1878 to raise horses and feed for the force because of the excellent grassland.Many of the early Mounties settled here and their descendants continue to farm and ranch the same land, a testament to the success of the original ventures.

As I recall the road leading up to the customs house was very curvy and full of very steep grades - both ascending and descending!  Phyllis said Larry was so nervous that by the time it was time to hand over the passports he couldn't stop shaking!  She was afraid the agent would wonder what the heck Larry was hiding, so she passed along the passports and answered the questions!  They didn't have any trouble, so I guess the agents see the white knuckles a lot! 

That's about it for the Cowboy Trail....

from the MABarry - over and out!

Rika's Roadhouse & Landing

Delta Junction AKA Delta AKA Rika’s Roadhouse and Landing, AK

Tucked away in the tall trees and deep woods is a place called Rika’s Roadhouse; a part of the Big Delta State Historical Park, it is a landmark of those days of roadhouses. Renown for their food, it is still a flourishing business there. Home of the Alaska Baking Company it is known for its yummy bakery goods. It has become a tourist stop headed up by the cruise companies land excursions, beware trying to eat in competition with the tour bus crowd. The complex covers 10 acresA simple area consisting of the woman named Rika, her home, barn, garden and museum. She was a very industrious woman. Her home became a roadhouse for the many people who passed on their way to gold fortunes. She built a smaller cabin for herself. She had her own supply of food from her garden and from the barn. She raised lots of chickens and her barn was stocked with sheep, goats, cows and horses. Rika gathered grass and stored it for the winter months. She followed the pattern she had learned in the cold north of Europe both in the caring for stock, and the architecture of the barn.

　

Now the mess hall has been halved. The front half still feeds the hungry and the back half feeds the tourists! We had the poor luck of being there when tour busses arrived and it was pandemonium! Pushing and elbowing, the tourists snatched up anything that had “sale” on it and, arms loaded with their treasures, clawed their way through the crowd to the cashier.

In a very small space one could buy items from $10 to $10,000. All on sale, of course! Fur coats made of lynx, beaver, wolf, fox - you name it. Every little dust catcher imaginable. The tip topper came when I picked up a pair of earrings that said proudly in bold big letters - Alaskan Designed. When you read the fine print it said made in China. I kid you not. Everything I picked up was made in China. There was not one cap there that wasn’t made in China. The kitschy little Eskimo dolls - made in China. The Chinese must wonder what the heck kind of people we are that they manufacture so much shit to sell us, then we turn around and sell it to each other! What a deal! What a country!! What morons!!!!! After I paid for my earrings and pulled off the tag that said “made in China”…………..just kidding!

The sights that catch my eye are the authentic old log cabins. They usually have grass, flowers and anything else that will grow, on the roof top. Think of the ease in house breaking your pet! Just open the door and fling it up there, what a deal. Also the logs are never the same size and the corners of the cabin are mitered differently.

Roger and Anita stayed a bit further down at a commercial RV Park. The state campgrounds are always clean and available - and cheap(!), we paid $5 a night at Ricca’s. The ones in Alaska do not have “facilities” that is to say water, electricity and sewers. Hey! That’s what “dry camping” or “boon docking”” is all about. They always have a place nearby that you can fill your potable water tank and dump your black tank.

We enjoyed the evening (we four were the only campers there until late in the afternoon one other camper pulled in.

That’s about it from

The MABarry = over and out.

PS, Things are getting way out of sync, so since it really doesn't matter to you what date we viewed these wonderful locations, I'm just going to pump them out and eventially, I'll straighten it all out!!!

Lake Boya

I don't have the blog finished, but here are some of the photos to keep you interested!

LAKE BURNS & PRINCE GEORGE!

We rolled into Burns Lake needing petrol, looked up and there were PaL! They had departed Stewart ahead of us. They weren’t expecting to see us so soon and were breezing around the town getting a look-see. There was concern that our rig wouldn’t fit in any of the sites at the chosen campground or, for that matter, if we would even find it! They lead us to the campground, a lovely park on a lake. The park had been sponsored by the Rotary Club and consisted of ramps for skater and bikers, picnic area, playground and RV/tent sites. We managed to squeeze in and set up. The price was the best yet - free!!! With the savings we all went out for dinner. Since they were already unhooked, we all climbed into the Toad, that is to say, Larry’s red Jeep. Two door red Jeep. This is where the fun began - Barry and Larry climbed in the back looking like something threading itself through the eye of a needle. Larry had minimum effort, but Barry seemed to disarticulate his arms and legs and it was like driving a wedge through a hole. Off we went for dinner at Mulroney’s or something like that. A real Irish looking pub, but with no Irish grub! 

Next morning PaL left ahead of us to get to Prince George for a scheduled engine maintenance. They had a three o’clock appointment with the Ford dealer, so we took our time. We had no trouble getting out of the campground, and down the road we rolled. The hillside scenery had begun to change from wilderness to manicured fields of baled hay. There were still mountains in a distance with a bit of snow, but, alas, it was all too obvious that we leaving the last frontier. My natural ability when riding is to catch lots of zzzzs, like the dogs, as soon as the engine fires up I begin my coma. With nothing really stimulating about bales of hay, I tried reading, then writing, then interpreting the back of my eyeballs. It wasn’t a long trip, but PaL were still with the Ford dealer when we sought out the designated campground.

Somewhere back in the hinterlands my GPS failed me. The wires on the USB into the tracker had gotten bent. I still could plan the trips I just couldn’t track and ascertain where we were. We found the “Bee Lazee” only to be told it had no sites available. What to do, what to do. The owner suggested a campground several miles down the way, and as we were leaving, Barry asked if she had any dry camping…and she did! She did have a site that PaL could manage, so we held on to that one, and took our rig to the outback in the dry camping area. In the end, all was well. The owner recommended a restaurant in Prince George, so of course we had to try it. Lucky for us that we did - the food was absolutely delicious! Coincidentally, Larry and Barry ordered the same meal, a carabonnari, and Phyllis and I ordered a Mediterranean meal! Who woodda thunk it!

We did a little touring on the way back to “Bee Lazee” and called it another excellent day! Next leg of the trip promises glaciers and mountains, and I can’t wait.

From the MABarry - it’s over and out!

Fairbanks, Alaska!!!

We parked at the Riverside RV Resort Campground. It was lovely, we had a site on the river, the weather was perfect. There were ducks and ducklings and a busy beaver that trolled up and down the middle. We watched as chairs and tents were set up for an evening wedding on someone’s lawn across the river, and held our collective breaths as people on jet skis and boats and all sort of other water vessels roared by.

PaL attended a city celebration, one of which was a duct tape race on the river!!!!  The floating device had to be engineered to be such that it was strategically held in place by duct tape!!!!  They had a great time and found a super restaurant.

Barry and I took a whirl out to Cheno Springs.  Quite a place.  It is a resort that has changed hands many times.  The natural attraction is the hot spring.  We took our bathing attire, but were so exhausted after all the touring of the other attractions that we didn't imbibe.  We signed up for a visit to the Ice Palace.  Somehow we had the idea that we were going to be exposed to temps of -40.  Upon entering the Palace, we were given heavy parkas, and advised to remain on the flooring provided.  It was quite a show! Two people were/are responsible for the ice sculptering.  There was the ice bar where you could buy a ice-tini for $15.00 (no thanks), a platform for marriage ceremonies (no thanks), several "bedrooms" where for an enormous price you could stay all night on an ice bed (ABSOLUTELY, NO THANKS, NO, NADA, NEVER).  Lots of ice sculptures were standing, and all in all it was a fun 50 minutes.  I do think I was ready to leave in 15 minutes, it was cold in there!  HOWEVER, Barry was very disappointed because it did not get down to -40 (boo hoo on my part), it only registered 20F.   

After the Ice Palace we were guided around the facilities geothermal plant - very interesting.  A project with University of Alaska at Fairbanks providing the resort with its own power.  They also showed us the greenhouse were all the plants accelerated in their growth due to the long days, a special diet given the plants and the system itself.  The growth patterns were amazing. 

We had a pleasant lunch and made our way back to Fairbanks.  All in all a nice trip.

Food (of course): Sourdough Sam’s - Barry and I thought the breakfast was good, PaL not. Geraldos - lunch there, just fair. So, believe it or that was it as far as eating out.

We planned several day trips which turned out to be a great idea. First on our list was the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. They do a great deal of field studies, teaming up with local and state agencies. We visited the museum and it was great. Half of it is devoted to the prehistorical creatures that roamed Alaska with stories of their rescue and demise. The other half is devoted to the indigenous people of Alaska. They included information of current events, and historical happenings. A great deal of space and research is used to tell the story of the WWII encampment and capture of the natives with any relationship to Japan. It is was a very black period for them. Their treatment by both Japan and the United States politicians raised my hackles as I watched the videos, looked at the photos and read the documentation. That is something I can’t begin to tell, but it certainly bares “googling.” Barry and PaL were ready to leave before I, so Barry offered to come back and pick me up later when I was finished.

Fairbanks is a fairly easy city to get around, small enough as well. Phyllis and Larry took in the downtown festivities and Barry and I visited the much heralded ‘Pioneer Park.’ I think it probably was a great attraction at one time, but I felt it was a bit run down and “seedy.” We arrived just before lunchtime. It does give the young people a place to run and mingle and do what youngsters do. The flowers - as everywhere in Fairbanks - were beautiful. I lost Barry and in my search I walked through a flower exhibition. They were asking for people to participate in a “peoples’ choice” award. So, I did a walk around and turned in my favorite. Little gems like that just popped up here and there. I found Barry in the museum and we enjoyed looking at the scenes of old Fairbanks. There was an old paddle wheeler on display. Barry was interested in a video about the gears and such that was running inside the boat. They had done a masterful job of restoring the old boat, and in doing so gave an opportunity to a bunch of creative and talented folks. The walls of the old paddle wheeler were lined with a continuing story of the villages and events along the river. They have recreated the buildings and artifacts of each town, and included a brief fact sheet. Quite a unique idea and it wrapped all around the interior of the boat. A three-D rendering of life and struggles. The only trouble with the whole thing is that I started coughing the minute I stepped inside the boat, and due to the dust that was layered, I just about coughed up every major organ.

PaL had planned at run up to the Artic Circle.  Barry wasn't interested in driving tht road, so I road in the Jeep with them.  We had been told the road was going to be the road from hell (the standard description of most roads we took.)   Actually, it wasn't entirely horrible!  There were long long stretches between outposts, and one couldn't be too picky about stops.  I guess you could say it was pretty rough and tough, but they weren't expecting us and all Phyllis and I wanted was a pin anyway!  The first visitors center was just short of the Artic Circle, so they had the traditional certificate indicating that the holder had indeed made the Artic.  Phyllis and I also found a pin to add to our collection.  We forged on to the absolute geographic location of the line and we were really happy to see a big monumental sign declaring our location!  Pictures, please.

By this time we were getting a bit hungry, and started looking for a suitable place for the three of us citified lower 48 state persons!  And did we ever find it!!!!  Sign said Ice Road Truckers' diner, so of course, if the Ice Road Truckers ate there, we HAD to. It DID look a little small and the parking lot didn't really look like there were many Ice Road Truckers there.  But, Hey!  It was off season, the Ice Road Truckers were having their Summer hiatus, they weren't going to be there.  It was an experience, I'll say that for it.  It wasn't exactly a place where you would expect to find vegetarian fare on the menu, but they had a heck of a good burger!  Maybe the best I'd every had. 

Everywhere you looked there was Ice Road Truckers stuff.  T-shirts, hats, stickers, caps, cups, dup holders, bumper stickers, key rings, EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD ABOUT Ice Road Truckers, but no pins.  We were crushed.  We began to gaze around and there was only an outdoor eating area.  The bathrooms were "outback." and orders were taken by the cook through a screen window.  hmmmm.  There was nothing on the menu for Phyllis so she had a root beer float!   We took copious pictures and hopped back into the Jeep and headed down the road.  What an experience that had been.

Fairbanks was fun, but it was time to try other venues. And away we all flew!

From the MABarry - over and out

I'm Back!!!!

Happy Birthday yesterday to my little bitty baby girl, Meggie!  Sorry I missed it, but I was thinking of you all day.

Haven't been able to post since we left Denali!  Several reasons for the delay.  Number one we have not had a satellite connection, and number two, I've been ill AGAIN with the same old stuff that I had at the beginning of our adventure.  For two weeks now, I've been hacking, sneezing, wheezing, joking, coughing and blowing!  Nice, eh?  Now PaL have a cold and are feeling a bit under the weather. 

I've written a few posts about our last stops, but they're on Barry's computer, so as soon as I can post them I will.  We're still seeing grizzlie bears, saw one tonight, must have been the biggest and brownest yet.  Camera couldn't catch him fast enuf, but I tried!  

It's into Skagway tomorrow.  Since my last post we have been to FAIRBANKS, CHICKEN, BOUNDARY, DELTA, DAWSON CITY, TOMBSTONE AND NOW IN CARMACK.  I've left out several - it's late and my brain fails to respond sometimes!  Hopefully I can get the saner posts on line tomorrow. 

from the MABarry - over and out!

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Denali National Park and Preserve

Mt. McKinley aka Denali

Who wants to go for a ride? The magic phrase that gets three dogs highly motivated. Amazing how three couch potatoes can leap out of a deep sleep and be at the door in a split second! And so began our wrap up of our stay at Denali National Park and Preserve. What a great stay it was. This park is all about the present and the future. It’s about the here and now.

There is the research center that studies the environment and habits of the park’s wildlife. It’s about the tour directors and the Park Rangers and the bus drivers. All these people who remain updated and informed of the latest news of and in the park. When you begin your journey into Denali, it’s a big deep breath of freshness. No old gold, coal, diamond mines and their trappings. Nobody telling you what it was like here 50 years ago. Mt. McKinley has been there for a while, and it will stay for a while! Nature does what nature has to do to provide the wilderness what is necessary for its survival.

The RV campgrounds were packed and had no openings for the foreseeable future. There is so much going on at the park - RVers, Tenters, Research Scientists, Photographers, Artists! Serious Mountain Climbers and Casual Hikers are there for the same reason - to enjoy a pristine wilderness - to see it and leave it as they saw it. Maybe that explains the general close camaraderie as you move about. Everyone has had to make a serious effort to get to Denali, and they appreciate the fact that others have done the same.

As is our custom on arrival, we zoned out. It hadn’t been a really long jump from the last campground, nor had it been a tough trip, we just both wear out from the shutting down and setting up process. The youngsters, PaL, are ready to go…now…the mountains are calling! We arrived on Friday, made arrangements for our first adventure, an 8 hour bus tour of Denali. PaL were kind enuf to keep an eye on the fur balls, otherwise we were going to take separate tours. Their scheduled tour was for Saturday so we scheduled for Sunday. Unfortunately it rained all day Saturday, but still they were impressed with all of it. They scheduled another tour for Monday with a different mode of transportation. It’s hard to believe how many people can be in that park and how few it seems.

The tour buses run all day with about ten minutes between the buses. The shuttle buses run on a schedule that is posted at all the congregation areas. To shuttle from one Park center to the next is a free shuttle, but if you take a shuttle out into the Park there is a fee, but not as expensive as a tour. We were all encouraged by the large number of young couples with young children exploring the Park. All the little children were very well mannered and seemed sincerely interested in the facts surrounding them. Hundreds of young people weighted down by their backpacking load passed our RV. Going and coming, they seemed very determined and I felt exuberant for them as I did for PaL’s intensive hike achievements!

Our tour on Sunday was the same as PaL had been - different driver, same route. It was a gorgeous day. Our bus driver was very chatty, almost to the point of irritation for me. We did have an exciting trip however. The “big five” for Alaska means, bear, wolf, moose, elk and sheep. We saw them all. Pictures for proof!!!! Barry and I came to the same conclusion that just looking at the wilderness was more then we could have asked for whether we saw the wildlife or not. There is so much to look at It was a very humbling experience. We have all learned about glaciers, ice fields, kettle ponds,, calving, and the footprint they make as they move through the mountains. We’ve learned a lot about bear, moose, reindeer, caribou, musk oxen, Dall sheep, wolves, coyotes, rabbits, and even Arctic ground squirrel. Some of it we knew, some we’ve learned here in Alaska, but you cannot learn anything about a mountain until you touch it, smell it and climb it!

PaL took on Mt. Healy - a very strenuous hike. They thought it was as strenuous as the Mt. Marathon had been. What a rush for them when they made it back to terra firma! Barry and I took a much less strenuous trail. There is still a lot more to learn and very little time to learn it!! A word about the wildflowers of Denali. They are so numerous and varied that there is a book just for them. They are so fragile looking but so tough and courageous! One big contribution to the Park’s beauty. We have become "scat" searchers, and to my surprise there is a book entitled "Scat and Trails!"  With all the scat on the trails, we always carried our bear bells and bear spray!  There were lots of moose with calves around our campground.  Word is that moose have come to realize that bear will not be in the same space as humans and they s.  a bit safer.  There are no bear in the campgrounds for good reason.  A very adamant and strict program is in place to discourage bear

Notice I saved the cuisine for the last thought. I think that the last count of eateries we had visited was 12 - 10 of which where sure winners. Ponderosa Pizza was excellent, another who’s name slips my mind was not so good. So that makes us 12 for 14. Still really good batting averages! Each town has it’s offering of Alaska beer. Denali Breweries in Talkeetna, Alaska Breweries in Homer and Kenai Breweries in Anchorage.

From the MABarry - over and out!

2011 Alaska Talkeetna Cuteness

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One word for Talkeetna, AK....inviting!  It was (and still is to a limited extent) a railroad town.  It was isolated from the road system for many years. A spur from the highway directly to Talkeetna opened it up.  It's a rough and ready type town that developed from  a supply center for the old-time miners and trappers.  The only rail lines are to and from Talkeetna to Denali, and Anchorage.  It has a mix of handhewn log cabins and historic railroad buildings.  In the 1920s the idea that Talkeetna would ever be a hub for visitors looking for Alaskan "characters" would have been ridiculous!  This was indeed a working town full of guys.  The German bachelors, trappers and railroad workers who built Talkeetna made it into the rustic town it is today.

There are numerous outdoor eateries and benches for just sitting around.  Of course the stop wouldn't be complete until we had sampled the "fare" of the town.  "Mile High" had yummy pizza.  The "Talkeetna Roadhouse" served excellent pasties and pastries.  The other roadhouse, "Frank Lee Roadhouse and Barn" had an ambiance all its own.  Live music doors and windows wide open.  Dogs wandering in an out.  People wandering in and out photographing the dogs!  There must have been the world's greatest collection of souvenirs and gifts everywhere.  Remember, the actual census of the town is only 150 people (not counting the dogs), 

We dropped anchor in a campground within walking range of the village.  there aren't many places like Talkeetna.  Most of the town is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It's full of cabins and railroad buildings.  With a storied history, Talkeetna is still very much alive and active.  Many Talkeetna residents claim to be expert log cabin builders.  Talkeetna is McKinley's mountain town.  The est professional climbers come to Talkeetna to use it as their jumping off point.  Their influence on the town is everywhere, on the streets, and in the National Park visitor center.  Talkeetna is surprisingly down home!

We just had a terrific time in Talkeetna and didn't want to leave.  But leave we did because the really big attraction was coming up next....Denali National Park and Reserve.

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Williwaw, Hope, Sunrise and Sweltman’s Gold Mine

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Sweltman's Gold Mine




Hope, Alaska

Got your attention with the gold mine title, didn’t I.

We dropped anchor at the Williwaw Campground in Chugach National Forest. The area is north of Anchorage, but nestled in the mountains. As in all the campgrounds, there is the mandatory BEWARE OF BEARS, YOU ARE IN BEAR COUNTRY, and various instructions for your reaction if you stumble upon a random bear. Although skeptical, I always take these warnings to heart; after all, we are in the land of grizzlies and brown bears and black bears, oh my. The usual unpacking and settling always comes immediately after finding our site. Barry this time decided to take a nap, and I wanted to walk. Not a real hike, just a little walk-about. I circled the perimeter of the campground and saw a whole bunch of animal trails. Some were barely visible, just mashed down grass. I could hear running water so I took one of the most worn paths. It took me out to a boardwalk that was a trail to the visitor’s center in one direction, and the salmon fishing platform in the other direction. I just bounced along for a couple of minutes all by myself, no one in hearing distance and suddenly stopped. I knew there were bears around the camp - one had been spied that very morning. Back to the RV I went, hippity hoppity. Barry was still napping, so I picked up my bells and whistles, the bear spray can and my hiking stick. I was all set now! Bring ‘em on! Before I got out the door, Barry awakened and decided to come with me. We didn’t get far before we ran into Phyllis and Larry (PaL). We talked about happy hour and went on our way. Somehow I didn’t’ get back to the boardwalk. I really had wanted to see the salmon by the viewing platform. Oh well.

While I’m thinking about it, I want to say a word out the Alaska Visitors’ Centers. Each is a wealth of information and education. Each focuses on that region. I could spend days in each one. They are so thorough in the information about that region. None are redundant, but they overlap to give you a sense of continuity. They have plenty of staff, both rangers and volunteers to answer any question. Just great. Kudos to the state for funding these centers of learning. They also typically have terrific videos shot and produced by National Geographic. I feel like I have been right on the scene with their videos they are so stunning and encompassing. The Visitors’ Center at Portage Glacier had been planned and built for optimal visuals of the glacier. Theatre watching this spellbinding video and when it ends the curtains draw back and you’re looking out a window the size of the theatre curtain. What you see is the vision of what was Portage Glacier.. In the design of the Center, the calculations were that the Glacier would be visible from there until 2020. Unfortunately the glacier has shrunk out of sight. You do get a very beautiful view of a smaller glacier and snow covered mountains.

Williwaw proved to be a very underestimated stop. We had thought maybe a hike or two, loll around in the shade of the beautiful forest for a couple of nights. Surprise!!!! PaL took a trip to crow’s creek Gold Mine. They got the mandatory schpeel about panning gold, then were give here to their pans and shovels and shown where to look. Phyllis said it was back breaking. You leaned over a stream of water hour after hour hoping for that one little flake! They managed to find several slivers, but when Phyllis reach to get hers at the end of the day - the container was tipped over and the gold was gone. WHAT A BUMMER! Larry managed to get out with a few specks of gold dust. Meanwhile back at the ranch, Barry was loading up on information about local towns, Hope and Whittier.

Yesterday we struck off for Hope, Alaska. What a charming little village. Its total population is 200, but we didn’t see more then 50 people and that was including the other tourists! We amused ourselves by walking around taking in the old log cabins built by gold miners decades ago. Then WE struck gold. We happened on this one area, sort of self enclosed with several different kinds of log edifices. As we poked around, an old gentlemen walked out of one of the cabins and took us on a guided tour of the little compound. His name was Bill Miller, he was 81 years old and had a very personal stake in the old buildings. He personally ,moved the building from a site that had been racked by earthquakes and tsunamis then abandoned. Some he had to disassemble altogether and rebuild entirely. It was just Bill and a youngster that was working with the rangers at the time. He had a story about each nook and cranny of each old building. There was a barn, a blacksmith’s shop, an building that the troops in WWII had used. In that particular building Bill had established what he called an Army Room!

Old Bill Had been in the Korean Conflict. He was right up there in the front lines when the Chinese poured all the manpower into the North Korean fight. He had plenty of stories, and didn’t mind telling them all. In his Army Room he had his old Eisenhower jacket, his pistol, his clip belt, boots, files and God knows what else! finally at the end of his tour Barry asked him a few questions. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew we were back in the truck headed for an old gold mine!

We still had to get out of Hope, by the way. We took one of those roads less traveled which took us into the jungle around Hope! I suddenly yelled “Moose, stop” and everybody piled out of the truck. There she was just behind an old wooden rail fence with two moose calves! She was almost in our face. Our shutters were just clicking away when she decided she’d had enough and charged us stopping right at the fence and turning toward her calves. It never dawned on me what was going on until we were back in the truck! Holey Moley, she could have just walked through that fence if she had wanted to. We would all be packed and shipped around as moose’s’ burgers (they don’t waste ANYTHING up here). That’s the truth. If you kill an animal, you are obligated by law to report it immediately so the folks that do it can come harvest the meat! They cook it up and serve it at soup kitchens and such. That’s hundreds of pounds of meat, you know. You do what you have to do. Eeehhhhh.

We did get out of Hope alive, of course, or you wouldn’t be reading this. The adventure REALLY began looking for the gold mine. We drove and drove and drove up the side of a mountain on a road that was gravel and had no shoulders. It offered no hope if you slipped off the road, cause it fell straight down. By this time we were above the tree line and eye to eye with huge patches of snow. Old Bill had said it was past the Cour d’Alene Campground. We didn’t see anything that would translate into a campground until we became aware of these little scratched out spots with timbers buried just before you’d fall over the mountainside. Could those be boon docking spaces? We kept seeing them - very, very few and far between so by this time the majority of us decided Cour d’Alene Campground was spread out all over the mountainside. Wow, how spooky. But then the road ended, and a rough hiking trail resumed. Out we all piled and readied ourselves for a little hike! We hiked up and up and around and around over streams alongside creeks until I was sure I was showing signs of High Altitude Illness. Then suddenly, the trail sort of stopped. Well it stopped because there was a creek too wide to hike across without waders. It resumed beyond the water. We looked around, and yes there were some signs of SOMETHING have been there. An old the tin roof of a building, various pipes and implements, someone’s old water heater (!), and a substantial white cross that someone had try to set ablaze with stones around it. Okay, dokey. We took lots of pictures, peered closely in every trickle of water, turned over lots of stones, but alas, we found no gold.

…..sigh. I had so hoped!. With that, we motored back to the homestead!

I was so tired, I had to wind things up and go to bed!! Barry, on the other hand was ready to tie up one loose end…a trip to Whittier. He and PanL went and a lot of driving to and fro. I was asleep when they got back. Whittier, evidently, was a non-town still on the map. Pictures will tell it all. It’s on to Talkeetna in the AM, so for now

That’s it from the MABarry - over and out!