Post Trip Wrap Up

I want to first thank the Culberts and Cosmuttos for their friendship and willingness to help make our Alaskan Adventures the best possible.  We do not take lightly or for granted, that travel is a privilege and made possible through their graciousness. 

Since my cancer diagnosis and treatment some 16 months ago, remaining cancer free is still something I often think about.  None of us know what the future has in store for us.  I hope that my health remains good and that I'm able to travel independently and without restriction for many years to come.  Heck, I need at least ten more good years to get in all that I hope to experience especially since there are at least three more Alaskan adventures I want to have.

For those who are considering an Alaskan vacation, I encourage you to do your own research and plan your trip yourself.  So many people are intimidated probably because of the distance and sheer size of the state.  Every time we vacation in Alaska we hear horror stories from people who have had less than positive experiences thanks to the "herd them" mentality utilized by the cruise tour companies.

At the airport we sat with some folks who said that their "day in Denali National Park" was the four hour "Denali Natural History" tour.  When asked why they chose that one, they said because they arrived too late in the afternoon to do anything else; and they had to be ready to depart their lodge at noon the next day.  Literally, no time to really do Denali justice.  Of course, they were on a land package add-on to their Alaskan cruise.

Here are some facts to consider . . .

• The Natural History Tour only goes 17 miles into the park; just 3 miles beyond where private vehicle can go without the shuttle bus or tour.  The price for this tour is $77!  OUCH!!!
• The longer Tundra Wilderness Tour has been refined to allow guests to chose how far into the park they want to go:
• Tek - 30 miles/4 hours is $66.50
• Toklat  goes about 53 miles and is $112.75
•  Stony Dome goes about 56 miles and is $130.25
• If you want to have a decent opportunity to see wildlife, you need at least one full day on the shuttle system, at least as far as the Eielson Visitor Center (MM 66).  And on the shuttle bus system, the cost is just $34

Another drawback to the cruise land packages is the lodging they provide.  Each company owns their own lodges, many of them have fancy names created by marketing people but often are not even close to their namesake.  Trust me when I say you don't want to stay at a lodge that requires long drive times to the attractions you want to see.

The train trip that many package with their land package can typically be booked for less money as well.  Each of the cruise companies own a rail car and they simply hook up to the same Alaska Railroad train heading to popular destinations including Talkeetna and Denali National Park.

This photo was taken at the Talkeetna depot when the train arrived with a couple hundred visitors arriving via their cruise company's sightseer cars.  They were met by a large motor coach and then whisked away for a variety of planned excursions.  The Mahay's Jet Boat Tours are a popular option in Talkeetna.  Back in 2010 we were with a group of "cruisers" who had clearly been together far too long.  They were cranky and always in a rush.  Sorry, that is no way to experience Alaska!

I apologize for going on and on about it; but seriously, do not spend your precious time and money with those companies that focus on moving high numbers of people through Alaska on a sprinter's marathon race.

Once you have done enough research to understand your budget and time parameters, you can find great resources online to help with your planning.  Trip Advisor's  Alaska Forum is one of the best available.  Their "destination experts" are volunteers passionate about Alaska.  Many are local residents; others are experienced travelers who love all that Alaska has to offer.  They will help you make decisions in scheduling and routing.  But do not go there expecting them to do the work for you.  You will need to have reasonable expectations in terms of how much you can really do with the time (and financial) limitations you have.  It is this reality that has so many "trip of a lifetime" vacationers coming back within a few years.  There is simply so much greatness to experience and there is never enough time to do it all.  PERIOD!

RV travel can be one of the most affordable ways to vacation, especially for families that may need two rooms.  I've seen several families traveling together by RV; or two couples sharing the cost of a motor home.  Being able to be mobile and not dependent on lodging and restaurants can be a very attractive option.

Don't have sticker shock with prices in Alaska.  It is a remote place and requires shipping in most consumable goods including groceries.  Fred Meyer and Safeway/Carrs are the two grocery stores that you'll find in most cities/towns around the state.  We prefer Safeway and enjoy their points system to earn discounts on gas.  Our $225 grocery spend during the trip earned us a $.20/gallon discount.

Whether you are RVing, traveling by auto or some other means of transportation, you will want to be sure to have plenty of snack items and water.  Many places have limited food & beverage concessions; in particular Denali National Park.  Once you head into the park, there is nowhere to buy food or drinks.  You will be able to refill water bottles at the Eielson Visitor Center, however.

Speaking of gas, here is a recap of the gas prices we saw during our two weeks:
Saturday 7/16/16 in Fairbanks $2.69/gallon
Saturday 7/16/16 in Healy (just north of Denali NP) $2.98
Thursday 7/21/16 in Cantwell . . . not posted but it's always TOO HIGH . . . AVOID!!! 
Thursday 7/21/16 in Trapper Creek (just north of Talkeetna) $2.98
Friday 7/22/16 Talkeetna Junction $2.55
Saturday 7/23/16 Willow/Wasilla/Palmer $2.55
Saturday 7/23/16 South of Independence Mine and Hatcher Pass Rd $2.53
Sunday 7/24/16 Glenn Junction at the Richardson $3.01 (still that price on Friday 7/29/16)
Sunday 7/24/16 Valdez $3.07 (and dropped to $3.04 on Friday 7/29/16)
Saturday 7/30/16 Tok $2.79
Saturday 7/30/16 Delta Junction $3.04
Saturday 7/30/16 Fairbanks $2.66

We spent $406 on gas at an average price of $2.49/gallon (including 25 gallons at Safeway with the $.20 discount).  Having driven 1,267 miles, we averaged 7.8 miles per gallon.  Yes, the beast is a guzzler!

In terms of the propane we used, our fill-up at the end of the trip was 7.7 gallons at $2.89.  At no time were we at risk of running low as the RV tank holds something like 20 or 25 gallons.

So many of my travel tips have been incorporated into the individual blog posts, so I hope folks will read each of them to glean ideas on how to make your vacation enjoyable and stress free.

I will close this blog by encouraging folks to stop and take time to meet the locals.  We had several opportunities throughout our 15 days to chat with people. Some of the most interesting we met were the gold miners from Petersville.

They stopped where we were boondocked to let their dog take care of his business after a long two hour drive from their claim.  Here's David making friends with Larry the Dog . . . who was a friendly stray that has apparently been abandoned out near the river.  His new family loved him as though they had been together for years.

Wrapping Up Another Great RV Adventure

We woke up Saturday morning at the Golden Bear Campground in Tok, ready to take on the day ahead of us.  The game plan was to take showers and have breakfast before leaving camp by 10am.  One last waste water dump before making the last 200 mile journey in the RV would be the first of many chores to be done before meeting up with the Culberts for dinner and to return the motor home.

This is by far the most stressful day of the entire vacation, including the planning and all of the logistics that go into this trip.  In addition to flushing the water systems, we have to do laundry including the sheets and towels in the RV, clean the interior and exterior of the RV, clean the appliances and counters, fill up the propane tank (which has yet to be accomplished due to station issues in Fairbanks) and gassing up.


It works out pretty well in that the big car wash we use is next door to a professional laundromat with industrial washers and dryers.  So while David was out bathing the motor home, I was doing the laundry.  It's really  nice to be able to pack clean clothes and not have to deal with that when we get home.

It never ceases to amaze me at well we do in timing it to meet them for dinner as scheduled.  That morning I called Tracy to let her know we were looking at 5:30pm for dinner at a local Mexican place we like.  We rolled in at precisely 5:29pm, although the parking lot presented some challenges since the last time we were there a couple of new restaurants have gone into that corner taking away the nice large gravel parking lot we had used before.

Dinner with the Culbert Family is another highlight of our vacation in Alaska.  Our Great RV Adventures have been made possible by the barter arrangement we've made each time.  There is no way we would be able to afford such a trip renting an RV for two plus weeks as frequently as we have done over the past six years.

This time of the year is particularly fun because their two children have birthdays right around the time of our vacation.  Their son had just turned 13 and their daughter turned 11 shortly after our return home to Milwaukee. To see them growing up has been a joy.  Thinking back to our first trip in 2010, these kids were just seven and five!  My goodness does time fly.

After dinner our vacation ended as it started . . . at the airport with them handling the transportation details for us.  Amazing!  More wonderful friends who feel like family.  God bless you Greg, Tracy, Tim and Gracy!  May your travels to Hawaii later this year be safe and as enjoyable as our two weeks were with your RV.

Gone Fishing with Jan & Eric Aboard the M/V SeaDuction

We have been blessed to meet many wonderful people during our travels in Alaska.  Jan & Eric Cosmutto are the owners of G'Day Charters out of Valdez.  I met Jan many years ago through social media and my love of dog mushing in Fairbanks.  Through that connection a deep and lasting friendship has been forged.  Luckily, our spouses fit right in!

We met with them for breakfast on Tuesday before heading out for our three days/two night fishing trip.  Because we are friends, rather than charter clients, the Alaska regulations for fishing were a little different than what those going out as paying customers.  Please keep this in mind, especially as I write about fishing for halibut.  This is an important factor as the charter fishing licenses for halibut are no longer available unless purchased from an existing charter company looking to sell their license.  Other than that, however, the fishing experience for those going out for rock fish, salmon and perhaps even shrimp . . . will be exceptional!

A typical halibut - roughly 10#

Our fishing priority for this trip was in fact halibut and we luckily limited out at two fish per person per day.  We brought in a total of 16 keepers which produced more than 75 lbs of fillets.  We also caught a hand full of rockfish (quillbacks) that are equally good eating and a couple of salmon (one 13 lb silver and a smaller pink that was really only good for bait on a future fishing trip).  On Wednesday afternoon, David got into a decent group of cod, reeling in three good sized fish in about 10 minutes!  In total, we caught eight cod which was a bonus since there are no limits on how many you may catch and keep.

I caught the first quillback

We saw several groups of otters while out in Prince William Sound.  They are curious critters, but sometimes will dive underwater when boats approach them.

Perhaps the most enjoyable time out on the boat was the time spent with our friends!  I can't really put it into words, other than to say that sometimes people come into your life and simply fit it like family.  Eric & Jan are two such people who we consider family.

After a full day of fishing on Tuesday and Wednesday, we enjoyed time spent anchored in beautiful protective coves where the water was flat like glass.  Once secured for the night, they prepared dinner.  The first night it was an old fashioned fish fry that was delightful.  The second had grilled steaks with baked potatoes on the menu.  It was a first class experience.

Before retiring for the evening, we enjoyed watching a couple of episodes of the Jim Gaffigan Show.  It was a fun way to end the day before retiring for the night.  Morning comes early and with it, coffee and hot tea was the first order of business.  On Thursday morning we got a late start on breakfast prep because we wanted to be sure to get ahead of what was predicted to be incoming rough weather. Jan did an exceptional job of preparing French toast and bacon with fresh sliced strawberries, while we trolled for silver salmon on the way back into Valdez.

As we approached Valdez, we were approached by the US Coast Guard.  Out doing routine stops on the water, they boarded the Sea Duction to assure everything was in proper order.  Two service members went through a series of checklists to be sure that Eric was operating in accordance with the marine laws including things like life jackets, insurance certifications and fishing licenses for all on-board.  They were pleasant and polite as they went about their business.  

As great as the fishing was, I'll say it again, I love this couple!  They have had wonderful life experiences which they freely share through storytelling.  Eric is a particularly knowledgeable guide and historian.  I could sit and listen to him share about the areas that we traveled through, all day long.  Old mining communities, Native villages and the logging industry are just a few of the topics we learned about while out with them.

Check out the photo to the right.  That is the native village of Tatitlek.  That is a Russian Orthodox Church on the left.  They told us about their time visiting the Chief on a recent visit.  

Having visited many areas of Alaska and having many sightseeing experiences and fishing excursions, I call say that the value of the taking a trip out with G'Day Charters will be vacation money well spent.  They offer single day trips as well as a variety of overnighters.  Check out their website for more information, including pricing.

David with his 13# silver salmon

Eric filleting the silver salmon

The inside of the pink salmon filled with roe

To and From Valdez

Valdez is a long haul by land from everywhere in Alaska.  According to the Milepost, the quintessential road warrior's guide to driving in Alaska, Valdez is 366 miles from Fairbanks, just over 300 miles from Anchorage and a challenging 430 from Seward.   For those who are adventurous and perhaps tight on time, the Alaska Marine Highway offers ferry services for passengers and vehicles, including RVs.  Having priced the option back in 2010, I'll say taking a vehicle on the ferry can be pricey; an RV for us was cost prohibitive.









After leaving the Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Area on Sunday morning, we had plenty of time to enjoy the drive and sights heading to Valdez.  We had a campground reservation for Monday night before our fishing trip, so Sunday night was open to whatever mood struck us.  But with the lousy weather including low clouds and heavy rain at times, we kept the drive to the essential route east on the Glenn Highway, connecting to the southbound Richardson into Valdez.

Wrangell Mountains

We did enjoy a short leg stretch and walk, along with lunch at the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park visitor center in Copper Center.  While there, I enjoyed the 20 minute film while David handled matters back home with our house/dog sitters.  SIDE NOTE:  They had free WiFi inside this visitor center!

Worthington Glacier

I have never been over the Thompson Pass when there weren't low clouds and horrible visibility.   YIKES . . . you could barely see 100 yards in front of the motorhome.  That created equally poor photo ops of the Worthington Glacier and other views along our way.  But that didn't keep us from stopping and taking what photos we could.  One nice benefit from all of the rain were the spectacular waterfalls seen on the mountains . . . when you could see the mountains!

We arrived to Valdez around 3:00pm and took the opportunity to cruise down Dayville Road to the fish hatchery area in hopes of seeing bears or eagles.  Unfortunately, none were to be found in spite of the pink salmon filling the Soloman Gulch adjacent to the fishery.

We opted to boondock at a turnout on Dayville Road near the Lowe River Bridge.  Like our parking spot along the Parks Highway, this location was loud with tankers on the road throughout the night and early morning.  Mattered little, however as we were sleepy enough to sleep through the night.

We returned to the fish hatchery on our way out of town on Friday afternoon.  Again, no bears to be seen around noontime.  My friend Jan had good success in the area in the evening, having photographed a young sub-adult brown (grizzly) bear on her two visits (Monday and Thursday evening) as well as a cute black bear crossing the road on Thursday.

For the bears, the fish hatchery is literally a salmon buffet.  The number of pinks coming home to spawn was amazing.  It was particularly interesting to me that on Sunday evening, there were not nearly as many fish trying to enter the fishing weir as what we saw there just five days later.  Clearly "the fish were in" on Friday!  So much so, there were scads of dead fish who climbed up the salmon ladders only to have the fast current of the creek wash them down over the weir where they would die.

After our fishing trip with Jan & Eric, we headed "home" to Fairbanks via the Tok Cutoff with a 100 mile detour to camp in Tok.  We were fortunate to find the Golden Bear Campground at the Tok Junction.  There are several campgrounds and other services catering to the RV community passing through Tok as this is the only drive-able route into and out of Alaska's interior from the lower 48.  Other than the marine ferry, you cannot even drive to Anchorage without coming through Tok.

But for us, Tok is a necessary detour when we're traveling back to Wisconsin with fish as checked baggage on the airlines.  The Golden Bear CG has a nice large chest freezer where they have allowed us to store our two fish boxes.  At $30/night the detour is well worth it in order to get our fish home frozen.

The drive into Tok on the Tok Cutoff is an interesting trip with lots of beautiful mountains all around.  The road however, is in pretty rough shape due to tundra frost heaves.  The speed limit drops from 55 MPH to 25 or 30 with little notice.

There is a small Wrangell-St. Elias National Park ranger station right off the road in Slana.  We stopped there to stretch our legs, use the bathroom and stamp my NPS Passport book.

Many locals and tourists alike will advise against taking the side detour to Tok if not necessary.  For me, it's an interesting area to see, when you can see it.  For others, Tok is a fun spot along an Alaskan road trip.  Milepost refers to it as the "RV car wash capital of Alaska."  I can believe it since all vehicles making that long slog from Canada and/or the lower 48 of the US must pass through Tok.  By all reports, as bad as the Tok Cutoff may be, the ALCAN through Canada is said to be much worse.

Mat-Su Valley - Days in Transition

The Mat-Su Valley is actually two valleys, the Matanuska Valley and the Susitna Valley.  Locally the area is known as the Mat-Su. Thousands of years ago, glaciers carved the two valleys, leaving rich fertile soil behind.  This is what gives the area its wonderful farmland as well as the lakes and wetlands enjoyed by humans and animals alike.  As you head south on the Parks Highway from Denali, you will enter the Mat-Su Borough just before Talkeetna.

Boondocking on the Petersville Rd.

Our time in the Mat-Su would include several nights of camping off the grid.  In Alaska many seasoned RV travelers will "boondock" camp in pullouts along the highway or on side access roads seemingly created for this purpose.  During our first RV Adventure in 2010 we were hesitant to just pull over and overnight in the motor home.  In 2014 we did it a couple of times, including a delightful spot along the McCarthy Road along side a stream heading into Chitina.

This year, we felt like seasoned pros, although we did make a rookie mistake our second night in the Mat-Su.  Word to the wise, boondock camping is really not very good if you park in a turnout that is right on the highway!  We underestimated the amount of truck traffic for a Friday night.  Big haulers (two and three trailers long) traveled the highway throughout the night.  With earplugs, we eventually fell asleep and slept through the night until daybreak.

After leaving Denali National Park on Thursday, our next scheduled destination was the Bayside Campground in Valdez on Monday afternoon.  That provided us with ample time to make our way the roughly 400 miles.  More importantly, however, we had some leisurely time to visit places and do things that we hadn't had the luxury of time for in the past.

Hurricane Turn Flag Stop Train
The Alaska Railroad offers flag stop service from Talkeetna to Hurricane on a seasonally based schedule.  In addition to being the primary mode of transportation for those living on homesteads in remote bush villages, summer tourists can also take the six hour round-trip excursion as a sightseeing experience.

Having read and heard a lot about this great experience, I was very excited to add it to our travel plans.  Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype on Trip Advisor and Facebook largely due to the reassignment of the conductor who had really made the Hurricane Train interesting and enjoyable.  The two engineers attempted to fill in the slack created by this change in personnel, but it just wasn't the same as what others have experienced in year's past.

The sights were interesting, especially to see where people are living remotely, away from modern conveniences like grocery stores, roads and electricity.  During the summer many Alaskans use this train to get to their cabins where they can access fishing and hunting areas.  We met a few interesting people who had cabins along the route, but for the most part, people were pretty much stayed to themselves.

Sherman "City Hall" and Depot/Bookstore

The train did stop at a couple of places along the way, giving passengers a chance to visit with locals including an artist and an original homesteader who is also an author. Because it was raining and we weren't really interested in buying anything, we stayed on the train.  For anyone interested in reading more about the Hurricane Turn Train, check out this article written before Warren (the "good" conductor) was reassigned.  

Many people have seen bears and moose along the Hurricane Turn route.  Unfortunately for us, we didn't see much of any wildlife; only a swan's nest on a distant pond along the way.

For folks interested in doing this, tickets are $100 per person for the round-trip journey.  This year (and in year's past) there has been a 2:1 discount coupon in the Northern Lights discount book.  An  "Entertainment Book" type discount program, I have used N/L coupons many times over the years.  The savings on this one activity alone, more than makes the $45-$50 purchase worthwhile!  Further, if your travel is later in the summer season (say after July 1st or 15th) you may luck out and find a "used" book on eBay for less than half the original price.  I paid $34 (including postage) for mine, from a guy who did a cruise back in June.  Even better, I've payed it forward, giving the book to my sister who will be doing an Alaskan cruise later this month!

Talkeetna
Before taking the Hurricane Turn Train out of Talkeetna, we spent a little time in town using the free WiFi at the public library and checking out some of the sights.  As you might expect, driving and parking a large 29' motor home creates some challenges when visiting small towns with narrow roads and lots of people walking around.  On my personal agenda for the hour or so we had were (1) Talkeetna Roadhouse for their famous breakfast rolls, (2) a visit to the Denali National Park ranger station to get my NPS Passport stamped; and (3) see if I might have an opportunity to chat with Talkeetna Mayor Stubbs . . . the elected mayor of the town who just happens to be a cat!

Mayor Stubbs must have been out catnapping on the job, as he was nowhere to be found around Nagley's General Store.

Inside the Denali NP Ranger Station in Talkeena

I did enjoy my visit to the Talkeetna Ranger Station, as I looked around to learn more about those who aspire to climb Mt. Denali.  This is the starting point for anyone who wishes to attempt to summit The Great One.  During my visit, a couple stopped in to pick up information for their daughter who had recently reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro earlier this year.

Respectfully, the ranger responded commenting how relatively easy climbing "that mountain" is when compared to Denali largely due to the weather variables involved on the Alaskan Range.  The couple seemed appreciative of the ranger's candor as it appeared they were not too excited to have their child attempt the climb.

This year, over 1,100 climbers from around the world attempted the trek to the summit . . . around 60% made it.  Unfortunately, there were two fatalities in 2016.

Down the block from the Talkeetna Roadhouse is the David Lawrence-Harry Robb Cabin. Built in 1924 by homesteaders who settled here as the railroad was being built through Alaska.  This railroad era one-room dry cabin is typical to what was found throughout the region in the early 20th century.

Palmer Area
After our day in Talkeenta, we headed further south to Palmer.  Back in 2010 we spent some time in Palmer, including the Alaska State Fair and the Knik River Glacier (jetboat) tour.  In 2014 our schedule didn't really allow for much time there at all, so I was happy that this year we would have more time to visit local attractions that are popular with visitors from around the world!

First up, the Musk Ox Farm!  I've had this local Mat-Su Valley farm penciled in on every trip we've made to Alaska . . . and finally, we made it happen.  A very interesting and educational tour is provided to visitors in small groups.  Since we were visiting on a Saturday morning, groups of 10-15 were being led out about every 30 minutes.  Our guide Suzanne was a perky local girl who clearly loved working on the farm with these magnificent animals.

Musk Ox have direct lineage to the prehistoric Ice Age here on Earth.  The animals in Alaska have been domesticated for the purpose of research and to help further the agricultural economy of Native Alaskans.  These animals produce a unique, under coat of wool that is combed and then spun into yarn.  This extraordinarily warm wool is called qiviut.  Native Alaskan women knit hats, gloves and other apparel items that are sold to help support their families.

Due to the very limited supply, qiviut is significantly more expensive than wool from other animals . . . to the tune of $95 per two ounce skein.  In the gift shop I looked at a couple of scarves and hats that ranged in price from $180 to $300.

There is an $11pp admission fee which goes to support the work of this 501(c)3 educational not-for-profit organization.  There are two 2:1 discount coupons in the Northern Lights book as well.  A family of four would need two coupons to get in for half price ($22 vs. $44).

Independence Mine State Historical Park
Another casualty of tight scheduling in the past, we were fortunate to have time to spend the afternoon at this ghost town that was once a thriving gold mining community.  The drive up started out with cloudy but dry skies.  By the time we reached Independence Mine, however, we were high up in the rain clouds . . . and rain it did!

We took the opportunity to let the rain subside while having lunch in the RV.  As with most areas of Alaska, people were enjoying their day in spite of the weather. It was amazing how many people we saw hiking with their dogs.

Once the rain let up, we put on our rain gear and set off to check out the visitor center and one of the bunk houses that had been converted to a historical museum and gift shop. Many of the buildings have fallen into disrepair, collapsing to the ground.  Visitors are warned about the deterioration and hazards around several areas.  Hopefully the State of Alaska will fund the restoration necessary to make this a first class historical park experience.

We enjoyed walking around and checking out the 20+ buildings and historical exhibits throughout the grounds.  Due to the increasing rain, and my gimpy knees, we did not venture up the walking path to the top of the open mining area.

 






Mantanuska Glacier State Recreation Site
This was a repeat stop for us, having boondock camped here back in 2014.  On a clear day, visitors are treated to a spectacular view of the Matanuska Glacier from a well developed and maintained viewing platform.  There are two large parking lots plus a small wooded campground with 12 sites available for $20/night.  We opted to overnight in one of the larger parking lots due to the number of mosquitoes in the woods.

Walking around the grounds, we were thrilled that the raspberries were ripe and plentiful.  We picked enough to have for a couple of evenings over ice cream.  We also found several piles of moose scat, providing a cautionary warning while walking about the area.

For anyone looking to hike down to the glacier face, there is no access from this recreational area.  Rather, you must pay for access or take a hiking tour from MICA Guides.  I know several people who have done the glacier hike with MICA and all have been thoroughly pleased with the experience.

With our three days in the Mat-Su Valley over, our journey on to Valdez would continue on Sunday.  We woke up to cloudy skies and continued on again/off again rain.  To be continued . . .

Blueberries, Raspberries and Twisted Stalk . . . YUMMY!

While in Alaska, it is possible to forage for plants and berries to eat.  Many people enjoy eating off the public lands, especially when berries are in season.  It should be cautioned up front, that nobody should be eating stuff they find, without being 100% certain that what looks delightful is edible.  All one has to do is read about the death of Christopher McCandless in the book "Into the Wild" (a true story by the way) to understand the risk of death if you eat the wrong plant or berry.

During our three visits to Denali's Wonder Lake, we were able to pick about a cup of blueberries each time.  While much smaller than those found in the grocery stores; their small size sure packs a flavor punch!  I'm not a big fan of blueberry pancakes, but that seemed to be a great way to eat them . . . so we had a few breakfasts with blueberries.

I must admit, I really did enjoy them even if there seemed to be too many berries in the pancake batter!  They were so sweet and moist, that I ate my pancakes without syrup!

After our time in Denali, we camped off the Parks Highway on the Petersville Road just north of Talkeetna.  While walking around our "boondock" location, we saw one plant with some little oblong red berries.  Fortunately I travel with my "Alaska Wild Plants" pocket guide of what you can and cannot eat.

What we found in the woods was Twisted Stalk, which produces berries that reportedly taste like watermelon and is safe for human consumption.  The only caution is that they are also known as "scoot berries" because of their medicinal use as a laxative if you eat too many.  I'm not sure how many is too many, however, so we were appropriately cautious.

There weren't many berries on the one plant we found, and there weren't any others that we could find.  We did enjoy sampling them and yes, they did taste like watermelon!

The other berry adventure that we had while camping in Alaska was at the Matanuska Glacier State Park on the Glenn Highway, west of Palmer.  Having been there before, we enjoyed the views and desolation of this location that is conveniently located on our route towards Valdez.

When we camped there in 2014 we were surprised to find wild raspberries along the walking trails around the parking lot and glacier overlook.  We looked forward to this night in hopes of the raspberries being ripe and ready to pick.

We got a small sandwich size Ziplock baggie full of the juicy berries.  They were as delicious as we remembered them from two years ago.  They made delightful additions to vanilla ice cream, which we bought earlier that morning in anticipation of finding them again.

There are many other edible delights found throughout Alaska.  If you're planning a trip to Alaska do some research and see what might be available around the areas you plan to explore.  There are some decent resources available online with photos and recommended areas open to the public for personal consumption.

P.S.  The name of the little pocket guide book we have is "Alaska's Wild Plants - a guide to Alaska's edible harvest" by Janice J. Schofield.  It is available from Amazon.

Photos and Stories From Denali National Park

Trying to recap four glorious days (over 45 hours total) is a bit daunting.  Initially I thought writing this way, rather than on a daily basis, would be easier.  Now I'm into just my third entry in this blog and I'm stumbling with where to start.

I suppose I should reiterate that it rained every day we were in Alaska . . . often two or three times a day!   Some days and in some parts of the park, the clouds were very low making visibility nearly non-existent.  We even experienced a decent burst of snow showers around the Eielson bluffs and visitor center late one afternoon.

So to answer what is typically the first question asked, no we did not see Mt. Denali on this trip.  I should step back and let folks know that this past year, the former Mt. McKinley was given its rightful native name DENALI . . . the Great One!  The photo above is from my September 2011 Road Lottery weekend in the park.  I was fortunate to see "the mountain" on four of the five days spent inside the park.  When it is fully out from top to bottom with barely a cloud in the sky, it is an amazing sight.  I feel my photo, as good as it may be, still doesn't do it justice.

As I mentioned previously, most of the wildlife we saw was pretty far away from the shuttle bus.  Taking photos was something like this . . .can you even see the momma grizzly bear and her two first year cubs nursing on the hillside?  This photo is pretty much straight off of my camera, shooting at 300mm, about 500 yards away!

The photo below is made possible by software similar to Photoshop.  I've had to take some creative liberties to sharpen the image a little, then cropping the subject matter.

The next day, this bear family was down lower and closer to the road . . . probably only 200 yards away.  But unfortunately, they were across the river and it was raining pretty good.  Shooting through the window of the shuttle bus with its engine idling, I was able to get this photo (which has also been edited for sharpness and cropped). 

Of the four days on the shuttle, we only saw them twice out of the eight possible trips through their home area.  When you stop to think about the vastness of a place like Denali National Park, you soon realize that to be blessed with such an opportunity is really a gift . . . one I do not take for granted.

We did see grizzly bears each day while riding the shuttle bus.  One of the closest viewings was late in the day the first day there.  A beautiful large bear was feasting on a ridge about 50 yards above the road in an area well known for bears. As he ambled around, he decided to take a closer look at us.  He made his way all the way to overlook the road, then came down the slope and onto the road beside us!

Unfortunately for me and pretty much everyone on our side of the bus, we were in the wrong place on the wrong side of the bus, to take photos.  Even worse, the people on the "correct" side of the bus were standing and blocking the view so after a couple of minutes, we couldn't see a thing.  This is the best photo I got of him, when he was still pretty far away. 

But as it would turn out, I had an opportunity for a teachable moment with about 10 total strangers!  Shortly after this bear, we happened upon a small group of Dall Sheep rams.  They were much further away than this bear, but their profiles were beautiful atop the hillside where they were grazing.  This sighting was on our side of the bus and rather than be an ass about it, I took a few photos and then step out and aside, offering my viewing position to those on the other side so that they too could see and take photos of the four rams.  My photos weren't the best as it was getting very late in the evening and light was fading deep behind the mountains.  But I enjoyed being a nice person to others who not 15 minutes before, were totally oblivious about sharing the space so that we might have an opportunity to take some close-up photos too.

Sometimes you are just in the right place at the right time and one morning we experienced what I like to call a "National Geographic" moment.  The place in time when something wild happens that probably happens frequently but out of the range of human sight.  National Geographic Magazine has made it their business to go out and capture such moments on film, either in stills or video.  I've been around such occurrences personally maybe half a dozen times in my lifetime . . . the howling wolves in Yellowstone National Park hunting bison calves . . . a cheetah stalking and killing a gazelle in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania . . . and on this trip, watching a large mature boar (male grizzly bear) chase a much younger female bear in hopes of mating with her!

The day prior, we saw what appeared to be a small sub-adult bear scamper across the braided river below as if running for their life.  Several times the bear looked back over its shoulder, but kept on hustling until it was well out of our line of view.

As we came down across the East Fork River we saw a large bear walking down along the rocky river braids.  It was walking from our left to right.  Then someone in the front of the bus noticed there was a bear grazing on what appeared to be an island with soapberry bushes, a favorite of the Denali bears.  Our driver said that these two bears would probably just peacefully co-exist in the area as there were plenty of bushes and berries to go around for everyone.

But not so fast!  When the approaching bear got to within 20 or 30 yards of the feeding bear, the chase was on.  The bear that had been eating was about two-thirds of the size of the aggressor.  At one point in the chase, it appeared the male bear was going to catch the smaller, younger bear.  But as the chase continued, the older guy ran out of steam and the younger one put more distance between them before scampering away out of sight.  Here is just a few of the photos I took during their little chase.

Later it was speculated that this was a ritual of mating and that the female wasn't ready to accept the amorous advances by the older male.  Rangers at the Toklat Visitor Center confirmed he had been in the area and attempting to gain the attention of a sow down along the river.

Looking at photos I took in the area a couple of days later, I caught what appears to be the same large male near the Polychrome Overlook. He really is a large and beautiful animal with very dark fur on his legs.  He walked along the ravine below us, for about 10 minutes.

But enough about the bears!



We also saw a lot of caribou.  Several groups of males were together throughout the areas between Toklat and Eielson; mostly at Highway Pass and over to Stony Dome Overlook.  On one afternoon we saw an entire herd of them; our driver estimated to be "hundreds" but way too far way to attempt photographing.  Most were seeing them through spotting scopes or binoculars.

While in Alaska, it is a normal expectation to see moose.  Heck, they are often seen in urban areas including neighborhoods in Anchorage and Fairbanks.  We were very disappointed to not see any of the large mammals during our 2014 Great Alaskan RV Adventure.  This year's trip made up for that, however.  We saw a very large bull moose out on the tundra heading out towards Wonder Lake in an area that often is bare and void of wildlife.

We also saw a tall cow as we headed out of the park in the area where private vehicles are allowed to drive (around MM 10).  She was grazing along the southside of the Park Road enjoying scrubby willow bushes as shuttle and tour buses stopped to observe and photograph her.  That was our first cue, something of interest was happening up ahead of us.

Fortunately, she continued to eat before deciding she wanted to go to the other side of the road.  With all traffic stopped, including us, she strolled right in front of The Beast and then proceeded to eat stuff on the northside to our left.  Thank you Miss Moose for gracing us with your presence!

Perhaps the best moose viewing we had was right in the middle of the Riley Merchantile area near the park entrance.  I was doing some Facebook posting and work email when the gal sharing my picnic table came over and said "Psst . . . there's a moose and calf right around the building over there."  I had to go over to the motorhome to get my camera since I wanted a better photo than the one I snapped and immediately posted on Facebook.


There is far more to Denali National Park than the animals and a mountain however.  When the weather permitted, I took a few photos of the lovely flowers that were in full bloom throughout the park.  Here is a sample of the colors seen during the summertime in Alaska.

Fireweed, seen throughout Alaska

Monkshood - beautiful but deadly!

Well that's a wrap.