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Snowpack, Day 5 in Healy
Short walk and a short post. Today I took the snowmobile path rather than the plowed road. New territory! Turned around and retraced my steps. Snowshoes would have been handy. Even on the snowmobile packed snow, I was sinking enough to slow me down.
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Dry Cabin Dishes, Day 4
Here is my dish washing system, which will surely evolve over the coming months. Hauling water is a hassle, so conserving is a high priority. If you have any advice, please chime in! Components: bread, spray bottle, squirt bottle, dish soap, 2 tubs, grey water bucket, rag or sponge Step one, in finishing the meal…
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Labrador Tea, Day 3 in Healy
I didn’t think foraging would start for awhile. But while shoveling snow to widen a path to the outhouse, I found some Labrador Tea! My Alaska edibles books are arriving Friday with our household goods. But I am confident in identifying this particular plant. Snow flattened Labrador Tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum, I believe, though there are…
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Snowshoes, Day 2 in Healy
First day waking up in our cabin and using the outhouse at 13F. Lucky it is this warm! Another gorgeous, sunny day. We mixed being productive with having fun. Saw a flock of around 20 Ptarmigan in their winter white. Only one would stand still for a photo. One of the productive tasks was getting…
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Spent, Day 1 in Healy
While we are impressed with how much we have accomplished in less than 24 hours, we are physically spent. The lane is dug out (thanks Mr. Evan’s, an artist with a loader/plow). Decent path to outhouse, though we have to use our high boots until we dig more. Brought the trailer over and parked it. …
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Day Sixteen, Delta Junction to Healy
Over 4800 miles and the travel portion of the journey is over! Our last tourist photo is at North Pole, Alaska ( a real town, but not at the real north pole). We saw 2 coyotes after leaving Delta Junction, the only wildlife today other than birds. As we approached Fairbanks it felt like we…
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Day Fifteen, Western Yukon to Delta Junction, AK
After a cold start (-14.5F, see winter boondock post), we crossed from Canada into the US. We made it to Alaska! Technically we ended today at the finish line of the Alaska Highway, Delta Junction. Five days of driving the Alcan through spectacular scenery and wildlife every day. The common, unofficial end is Fairbanks, which…
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Night Fourteen, Winter Boondock
Pickhandle Lake rest area was closed. The next rest area had beautiful views, 2 outhouses and litter bins. Yes! Then we noticed the signs “no overnight parking or camping”. The sun was low on the horizon AND we were 15 miles from the border (followed by an 18 mile no-mans land). I was getting worried,…
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Day Fourteen, Whitehorse to Pickhandle Lake
We saw a small band of free range (wild?) horses shortly after getting underway. A little further we saw a big coyote but couldn’t get a photo. The scenery has been incredible, especially after the snow cleared and visibility improved. Like so much of the trip, the photos don’t do justice. Writing from Destruction Bay…
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Day Thirteen, Whitehorse
Day started shortly after midnight with our first ever viewing of the aurora borealis. We saw beautiful wavy, curling green streaks from our 3rd floor motel room with North-facing windows. We are looking forward to more viewings (and hopefully some photos) in the coming days and months, if we can pull ourselves out of bed.…
Me & C
Roaming: Shenandoah River to the Alaska Range
