CTDs to Alaska

[mbaston]

Black bear up close and personal. We saw many bear.

 

[mbaston]

Our Alaskan State Bird, The mosquito. Hell, up here we skin them and make hats from their hide.

 

[mbaston]

The Carew's heading up the haul road.

 

[mbaston]

Brutus in Atigun Pass. This is the Brooks Range and is an extension of the Rocky Mountains.

 

[mbaston]

Porcupine caribou herd. Caribou are the only member of the deer family that the females also have antlers.

 

[mbaston]

The Haul Road (Dalton Highway).

 

[mbaston]

The end of the Haul Road.

 

[mbaston]

Everything in Alaksa happens weather permitting, as Brutus finds out when his trip to the Aleutians was cancelled.

 

[mbaston]

Bull Moose

 

[BRUTUS]

CTDs to Alaska, the last report

If a picture is worth a thousand words... Thanks for posting these Marty.



Some kudos and personal observations:



The crews, the engineers, and the grunts of the Alaska, Yukon, and B. C. highway departments are to be commended for a great job in maintaining the roadways in their districts. Avalanches, rock slides, snow melts, permafrost heaves wreak havoc with the best built roads.



The Alaskans we met were kind and helpful. The TDR list members from Alaska offered their help on many occasions.



For me the memorable things from Alaska:

Beautiful scenery

The faint smell of Aspen in the woods

Those pesky little ground squirrels all over the highways

The many wild animals large and small

The biggest fish I ever caught

Fresh salmon bakes and halibut dinners

Reindeer hot dogs, elk jerky and buffalo burgers

The purple fire weeds lining the roadside

Driving to the northern most parts of our northern most Sate

Driving to the southern most parts of our northern most State

Driving to the eastern most parts of our northern most State

Dipping my toes in the Arctic ocean

The Denali State park, it's wildlife and it's mountains.

The Native interpretive centers

Seeing the salmon run and the fishing frenzy

The glaciers, the many lakes and the tundra

The caribou migration

Driving it is the best way to go... preferably CTR powered

A resolve to return some day and stay longer.



Folks who see no merit in these things probably are victims of false preconceived notions, tourist bureau hypes or suffer from a perception deficit. Beauty is the eyes of the beholder...

Some folks may be slaves to convention and the life of ease and expect all the niceties of home where ever they travel. They are better off staying home, opening a can of salmon and crackers and watching a nature show on TV or go to a zoo to see the critters. Some may just need to have their medications adjusted.

Les

 

[HBarlow]

Great photos and text. You guys are making me sad that I missed the trip. And I would have fit right in..... hair impaired also.



Harvey

 

[mbaston]

Next year Harvey?

 

[HBarlow]

Marty,



I'm planning to try again. I've got a couple of old Navy buddies who are RVers and are also interested. With rental property I can plan to the last detail and then when the time comes find out I can't go after all.



Harvey

 

[Tulman37]

Summer 2004

Greetings Marty,

I am just down the road from ya in Wasilla. My family and I are going on a road trip south next summer. I have a special conversion that Cache Camper built for me. Looks like a cabover yet it seats 8. Anyway let me know if you will be traveling the Alcan next summer.

Tim

 

[Jack in Alaska]

Alaska Trip

Brutus,



I certainly enjoyed your description of your trip to Alaska.

I am a 40 yr. Alaska resident (displaced from Wisc. ) and we really get tired of people coming up here and complaining that it isn't like it is back home; why aren't the parking lots all paved, why is it so dirty/dusty etc. and on and on.

You seemed to really pick up on the spirit of the north country and we hope you can come back again.

After retiring in 1996 my wife and I traveled all over the lower 48 and Mexico looking for "The Place" to set up and live out our life. We never found anywhere that we liked better than our home here on the Cook Inlet at Deep Creek. We still travel outside in the winters but we will always be Alaskans at heart and live here to the end.

Happy camping and hurry back... Jack

 

[BRUTUS]

Sourdough?

Harvey, Jack,

Thank you for the kind words.



Harvey

If you own a lot of rental property, you >need< to go to Alaska.

It's therapeutic and good for the soul. Just do it. Marty and the other folks will steer you right.



Jack,

Your neck of the woods on Cook Inlet across Redoubt Volcano is

the most scenic that we saw on our trip (Ninilchik area. ) I can see why you could not find anyplace better.

We will definitely revisit Alaska in a couple of years.

Our kids are of the age and inclination to clone themselves and we are awaiting our first grand baby. Others are still in the planning stages, which means that Gramma is not about to go anywhere any time soon.

P. S. Your Post Script looks like you have grasped the meaning of life...

Les

 

[DIESELMAN]

Just so's you'd know, here's Alaska last Saturday, Sept. 13th.



Brrrrrruetiful!



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4480' AMSL in the 'White Mountains'

 

[HBarlow]

Dieselman:



Great photo but I'm going to try to visit a little earlier in the season than your photo was taken.



Harvey