Alaska Highway; Alaska Vacations

Cooper AT3 Tires

2011-09-08T17:14:00.003-08:00

Well, our time in Alaska is about to come to an end. Already the days are getting noticeably shorter and the temperatures are cooler then we care for these days. Tomorrow we plan to pull out and begin our southerly migration to the warmer climates of Miami and then it's off to Saint Thomas and Saint Maarten with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. But before this can happen we still need to drive 3300 miles to Eastern Washington University to drop our eldest son off at college and then a round about trip through the southwest and across Route 66 before arriving in Miami sometime around January 2012.

Our ride will once again be the 2011 Chevy Silverado running the 285/70/17 Cooper AT3 tires and the test will be the grueling Alaska Highway and the Cassiar Highway through Alaska, the Yukon and Northern British Columbia. We will be pulling our new just completed polished aluminum diamond plate trailer so maintaining a steady speed and obeying the posted speed limits should be no problem.

We built a custom trailer to haul the Honda CRF450 back to College.

So far we are extremely happy with the new Cooper Discoverer AT3 Tires mounted on our new Chevy Silverado 1500. Be sure to check back as we update our trip and recount the Drive to Alaska and back in 2011. Well, back to packing as we hope to leave sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Driving to Alaska in 2011

2011-06-28T09:32:00.001-08:00

We just completed another journey up the famous Alaska Highway after picking up our new Chevy Silverado 1500 in Kellogg Idaho. Again I wonder, where are all the people? Beginning in Dawson Creek, BC, the lack of motorhome traffic heading to Alaska was very evedent.

In Dawson Creek, the RV parks were very busy but the folks staying there were mainly gas field workers along with some travelers in rental motorhomes driving the scenic loop that exits the Alaska Highway outside of Watson Lake and heads south on the Cassiar Highway and back to the beautiful Yellowhead Highway.

But as for all those travelers heading to Alaska for the summer, well, their just wasn't any. We met a total of two other vehicles headed to Alaska for vacatiion during our 3200 mile drive this spring. We started our journey in Northern Idaho on June 15, 2011 and landed in Kenai on June 18, 2011. This should have been the peak of the Northern Trek when the highways were crawling with RV's polking there way along as travelers were in awe with the beauty of this drive.

Roadside Rest Area with tables along Upper Arrow Lake in British Columbia.

Helmcken Falls in Wells Gray Park is a must stop if you find yourself northbound on Canadian Highway 5, The Southern Yellowhead Highway.

Additional Photos from the drive can be view on Twitpic.

Where Are All The People?

2009-06-11T06:28:00.014-08:00

If solitude is what you were hoping to find, this is the summer to be in Alaska. We just returned from an Alaskan Cruise via Holland America and expected to see the bumper to bumper traffic that is the normal on a Sunday afternoon drive along the Seward Highway. Well it was more like a quiet drive through the backcountry some 30 years ago as there were no and I do repeat no motorhomes on the roads and traffic was so sparce you had to wonder if the Peninsula was under quarintine. Where are all the people? Locals, visitors, business people... Where have they all gone?
Moose Pass and Cooper Landing were vacant of people, Sterling was all asleep and the sidewalks had been rolled up at 6 pm, Soldotna was more like a ghost town then the major destenation of sportsmen from around the globe.. Where are all the people?

Campgrounds completely empty, lodges without clients, gas stations without lines, this is far worse then anything the tourism folks from the borough were telling us to prepare for. If this is a sample of the summer to come, the woes of the lower 48 recession are about to find the Kenai in a big way.

Alaska Highway

2009-05-06T09:01:00.006-08:00

The Alaska Highway may be the ticket to visiting Alaska in 2009. Gas prices have fallen to acceptable prices, the US Canadian Dollar exchange rate is back to to a favorable pre-recession level and there is an expected low number of Americans traveling the Alaska Highway in their motorhomes this summer.

What should this mean to you, well, if you're one of the ones that decides to drive to Alaska in 2009 you should find plenty of the best campgrounds and many of the top attractions available on a drive up and check in basis this summer. When the RV traffic is high, there is often a need to make reservation if there accepted or to stop early if you hope to find many campsites open. Reservations at many of the Good Sam Club member sites can be made through their website and should be done at least one day in advance. We always carry a laptop as most private campgrounds have wifi available as do many of the public libraries along the way.

Driving the 2,300 miles of the Alaska Highway is always an adventure but don't let the stories of the past scare you from experiencing this fantastic journey. The highway is kept in excellent shape compared to any far northern highway. Yes, there is still the occational whoopty-doo, pot hole and in some areas of construction, a short patch of gravel road but it's a far cry from the old military road it once was. On any stretch of the highway you are likely to see sports cars, RV's, trailers, motorcycles and bicycles all experiencing the same adventure, The Alaska Highway.

2009 Alaska Tourist Season Looking Bleak

2009-05-05T08:42:00.007-08:00

What's happening with the summer 2009 tourist season? If the news about the poor Alaska salmon fishing season forecast coupled with the rash of canceled reservations from visitors wasn't enough, now we have the cruise industry pulling some of their cruise ships from the Alaskan market this summer and many other Alaska cruises that would have visited Seward from Holland America are being rerouted through Kodiak, Homer, and Anchorage in 2010. The disturbing side of this comes in the fact that these Seward cruise ship visits either begin or terminate at this port bringing tens of thousands of tourists to Alaska each year that go on to visit other areas of the state. The new routes have round trip schedules returning to Seattle with their passengers and eliminating the massive shore based tourism markets in favor of short dockings of mere hours in these new ports. The changes in the Alaska cruise industry are a direct result of the "challenging" economic climate put forth to the cruise industry by the Alaskan government. Citing an increase to the already high port fees, the new Alaskan cruise tax of $50 per passenger and tax on corporate earnings and gambling revenues as factors for effecting 73 sailings by five cruise lines starting in 2009 and 2010 with the possibility that even deeper cuts could come in 2011, OUCH.

Possibility the hardest part of this dilemma with the cruise industry is the fact it was self inflicted. Yes, a direct result of the the 2007 Alaska Cruise Ship Initiative, Ballot Measure 2, voted on by, yes you got it, Alaskans, the cruise industry can no longer fill all the vessels with the new pricing that reflects the additional taxes.

And now, if this above combined with a very week economy wasn't enough, Mount Redoubt is again rumbling, spitting and spewing it's threats of even more spectacular eruptions in the next few days. Alaskans are preparing for another round of flight delays at the Anchorage Airport as well as our small municipal airports here on the Kenai. We were caught and stranded for days in the turmoil of the last group of canceled flights, rebookings, and more canceled flights while trying to get our son back to college in Seattle in January. He finally arrived three days late, and missing the first two days of his spring semester.

For travelers arriving or departing Alaska on the airlines this summer, this translates into some great uncertainty about itineraries, schedule dates, deposits and just getting back home in time for work. Not a good scenario to plan a relaxing vacation around by anyone's standards. We feel sorry for those calling to cancel their vacations after loosing their jobs. And we also feel for those effected by this corrupted society of business CEO's and government officials looking to profit at the expenses of a country in peril. But our thoughts and prayers also are extended to the small business owners like ourselves that are becoming worried about what the future holds and how we are going to keep the lights burning in the near future.

Redoubt Volcano Alaska

2009-01-28T13:32:00.009-09:00

On Sunday, January 25, 2009, we were abruptly shaken by a fairly strong earth quake reported to have been in the 6.2 magnitude range in the Kenai Area. This was followed by the warnings from the Alaska Volcano Observatory that the possibility of an eruption of Mount Redoubt Volcano is quite possible in the next few days.

The last time Mount Redoubt erupted was back in December of 1989 and it was quite a show. We had just moved to Kenai at the time from Anchorage and remember this event very well. There was a fair amount of ash everywhere on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula and on up into the Anchorage area.

Today, January 28, 2009, the folks at the Alaska Volcano Observatory are still cautioning everyone that the possibility of an eruption is likely and to keep your disaster preparedness kits close by at all times. Here is an interesting prospective from the folks at the Alaska Volcano Observatory. I recieved this in my email this morning. Redoubt Volcano 60°29'7" N 152°44'38" W, Summit Elevation 10197 ft (3108 m) Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE Summary of Current Unrest Since last fall, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) has detected increasing volcanic unrest at Redoubt Volcano. Starting on Friday, January 23, the level of seismic activity increased markedly, and on Sunday AVO raised the Aviation Color Code to ORANGE and the Volcano Alert Level to WATCH. On the basis of all available monitoring data AVO regards that an eruption similar to or smaller than the one that occurred in 1989-90 is the most probable outcome. We expect such an eruption to occur within days to weeks. In response to the current increase in activity, AVO has deployed a web camera approximately 7.5 miles north-northwest of the summit and will install additional seismic equipment at the volcano as weather permits. A second web camera also is pointed at Redoubt from a platform within Cook Inlet. The observatory in Anchorage is currently staffed 24 hours a day. We plan continued visual surveillance of the volcano's summit region, frequent airborne measurements of gas output, and frequent analysis of satellite and weather-radar data. Observations and Background Beginning in September 2008, AVO received reports of a strong hydrogen sulfide (H2S) odor downwind of Redoubt. During an observation flight on September 26, a melt hole was observed in the upper Drift glacier, down slope from the location of historical eruptive vents. Gas-measurements flights in October and November detected elevated levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and H2S. Through the fall, melt holes increased in size, and several points of steaming and gas emissions were observed in the area of the lava domes extruded during the 1989-90 and 1966-68 eruptions. Concurrent with visual observations and gas data, a subtle increase in seismic activity was also detected beneath the volcano. Seismicity took the form of episodic, very weak volcanic tremor, consistent with the movement of fluids and gases within the volcano. AVO also located deep (30 km, or 19 miles, below sea level) long-period earthquakes, which were few in number but possibly indicative of magma recharge deep within Redoubt's plumbing system. Beginning on the evening of Friday, January 23, 2009, seismic activity increased at stations closest to Redoubt's summit. The seismicity consists of a combination of discrete, relatively small earthquakes and periods of more continuous volcanic tremor. This activity intensified early Sunday morning, January 25, at which time AVO raised the Aviation Color Code to ORANGE and the Volcano Alert Level to WATCH. Since Sunday, seismicity has waxed and waned but has remained well above background levels. The seismic unrest observed over the past few days is unusual for Redoubt and has not been seen since just prior to the 1989-90 eruption. Overflights on January 26 and 27 documented continued production of water vapor and volcanic gas plumes from the summit crater; increased melting has produced small flows of debris at the north base of the volcano. The most recent eruptions of Redoubt, in 1966-68 and 1989-90, were characterized by large explosions that produced ash clouds reaching as high as 40,000 ft asl. During the 1989-90 eruption, the largest ash fall from a single event in Kenai was 5 millimeters (0.2 inches), but ash fall was widespread and noted as far away as Fairbanks, along the Richardson Highway, and the Yukon Territory border. Other ash-producing events during the 1989-90 eruption deposited several millimeters of ash on the Kenai Peninsula and trace amounts of ash in Anchorage and more distant locations over several months. The 1989-90 eruption also several disrupted air traffic operations in and out of Anchorage. Other hazards from past and likely future eruptions include hot pyroclastic flows that may travel several miles from the volcano, especially to the north, and volcanic mudflows, or lahars, that travel many miles from their source. Lahars form as hot pyroclastic flows, often caused by collapse of a growing lava dome, swiftly melt large volumes of snow and ice downslope of the summit crater. In 1989-90, lahars flowed east down the Drift River, at least three of which reached Cook Inlet and one of which partially flooded the Drift River Oil Terminal facility. Lahars produced by eruptions of Redoubt Volcano may range from dense, gravel-rich flows to watery, sediment-laden floods. All such flows can transport boulder-size particles, and water within these flows temporarily may be at boiling temperatures. It could take a typical lahar 1-2 hours to travel from the base of the volcano to the mouth of the Drift River. Interpretation and Hazards Based on our current understanding of Redoubt's past eruptions, both historical and from the geologic record, and our analysis of the current episode of unrest, AVO considers the following future scenarios as possible:

Failed Eruption: No eruption occurs because magma does not reach the
surface. Earthquake activity, gas output, and steaming slowly decrease over
several weeks or months. Continued heat flux may cause continued, modest
melting of snow and ice on the edifice and subsequent increased, but not
hazardous outflow into the Drift River.

Eruption similar to or smaller than 1989-90: Unrest continues to escalate
culminating in an eruption that is similar to or smaller than the one that
occurred in 1989-90. An eruption such as this would likely spread volcanic
ash throughout Cook Inlet and other parts of south-central Alaska depending
upon the prevailing winds. Communities around the volcano, especially to the
east, northeast, and southeast, would likely experience trace to several millimeters
(less than 0.4 inches) of ash fall as a result of discrete explosive events.
Such events could also generate pyroclastic flows that swiftly melt snow and
ice to form mudflows, or lahars, that would likely travel east down Drift River,
possibly reaching and flowing into Cook Inlet. If summit lava domes form, as
they did in 1989-90, they may repeatedly collapse and generate pyroclastic
flows that would likely travel north from the summit crater and form lahars.
Smaller lahars could also form in other drainages if hot debris accumulated
on other flanks of the volcano. An eruption consisting of multiple explosive
events, episodic lava-dome growth and collapse, and lahars may last weeks to
months.

Larger Explosive Eruption: A significantly larger eruption could occur, perhaps
similar to eruptions that are thought to have taken place prehistorically.
Such an eruption might involve the production of larger ash clouds, pyroclastic
flows on several flanks of the volcano, and larger lahars more frequently reaching
Cook Inlet down Drift River and affecting other drainages around the volcano
as well.

Flank Collapse: The intruding magma or other processes could destabilize
a portion of the Redoubt edifice that could result in a large volcanic landslide.
At least twice in the last 10,000 years, debris flows generated by such landslides
have reached Cook Inlet. It is also likely that a landslide of this type would
be accompanied by an eruption. Because of the scarcity of these events in the
geologic record, a flank collapse and eruption is considered very unlikely.
A flank collapse may be accompanied by visible deformation of the edifice and
AVO will be looking for such signs.

Based on all available monitoring data and AVOs knowledge of the volcano, scenario number two, an eruption similar to or smaller than that of 1989-90, appears to be the most probable outcome at this time. We consider one and three to be somewhat less likely, and scenario four to be much less likely.

Comparing the time frame of pre-eruptive activity in 1989-90 (the only other eruption for which seismic data were available) with the current unrest, we would expect such an eruption to begin within the next few days or weeks. It is likely that the onset of an explosive eruption would be preceded by a further increase in seismicity. An explosive eruption would be accompanied by a sharp increase in seismicity. Should earthquake activity or other monitoring data suggest that an eruption is expected within hours, or is underway, AVO would move Redoubt from its current Aviation Color Code ORANGE to RED, and Alert Level WATCH to WARNING.

More information about Redoubt Volcano can be found at http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php

Mount Augustine Volcano Erupts.

2006-01-11T09:42:00.001-09:00

This morning we woke up to news that our Quiet Giant resting in the entrance to Cook Inlet had awoken and spewed ash to 30,000 feet. As it's still dark here in Alaska, a visual confirmation is still not possible of the extent of and ash headed up the inlet towards our location. Homer, Port Graham, English Bay, and Seldovia are just a few miles away and will be reporting back to the Alaska Volcano Observatory as daybreak awakes here in the Last Frontier. You can view the Volcano Webcam for up to the minute images of the volcano activies.

February 01 2006
The rumbling giant just refuses to quiet down. Went to Homer yesterday to photograph the eagles on the Homer Spit. The air in the area had a sulfur odor from Augustine that was somewhat unpleasant. The odor wasn't bothering the eagles as they lined the outer beaches on the Homer Spit. There was some ash in the air but nothing that would bother you much.
I hope everyone is ready for the Superbowl Sunday. Should be a very good game from two excellent football teams.
To both the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers, congratulations on achieving the grand daddy of sporting events. We here in the Frozen Frigid North wish you all a safe and memorable game. We are very proud of how everyone has risen to a level of excellence both on and off the field. As a father, I am proud to have my two boys look up to such an outstanding group of men. Thanks for setting this fine example of leadership for the youth following in your footsteps.
Now if Super Sunday would just hurry up and get here!

Memorial Day 2005

2005-06-06T21:26:00.002-08:00

We headed off to Hidden Lake for some relaxing boat camping with the new puppy. Leaving Kenai the weather wasn't looking favorable but upon reaching Sterling Alaska it had cleared up and the rain had stopped. We arrived at the boat launch at around 9 AM and were under way by 10. Hidden Lake is a federal campground and there was no launch fee nor parking fee. This was a real nice surprise as most all State of Alaska Campgrounds have raised there fees over the winter.

The lake was calm on the lower leg and only a mild northerly chop was present past the first island. We decided to play around for awhile as we tested out the new boat and broke in the new engine. After three hours of idling and light cruising at 2000 rpm we tested the boat for planing times, cruise speeds and full throttle operation.

Getting on step was a breeze but cruise speeds noted the need for 4500 - 4800 RPM to lift the stern. We had been somewhat skeptical about a 90 HP engine on a boat this size and this confirmed our apprehensions when we purchased the boat. With full fuel, 4 people in the boat and gear, there was just to much weight for the small Honda four stroke to push.

We took it easy on the motor and spent most of the time exploring the scenery along the beaches and on the islands. At one such stop along the southern shoreline, I nosed the boat to shore, jumped out and tied of the bow to a stump. There were some twigs on a branch that overhung the bow so I broke them off to allow my wife and kids to get out without scraping their heads. As I broke off thew first branch there was a heavy thud of crushing deadfall directly behind me. I looked at my wife and asked, Did you hear that? The look on here face alone confirmed that se had indeed and I requested rather sternly that she lower and start the engine as I untied the boat and shoved off. Deb backed us away and turned the boat to motored out from shore. Needless to say we went looking for a more open area to get out and stretch our legs.

Hidden Lake is located off Skilak Lake Road on the Kenai Peninsula. This large clear lake is one of the most beautiful on the Kenai and well worth checking into. If camping with a family, don't pass this one by.

Who is Behind the Campgrounds Alaska Website?

2004-12-04T01:14:00.003-09:00

Two years ago, our family started the campgrounds alaska website to play with a fun and restfull website dealing with our family passion. For years we had been traveling up and down the Alcan from Alaska to Vancouver B.C. and into Washington State. My children have grown up traveling these remote reaches of the west and with this new website, we were able to begin to share some of the experiences with others planning to experience this wild and scenic world that lye’s just to the north.

There was that time on the Glacier Highway as we were returning from Hyder Alaska. We had stopped for a tailgate picnic along a beautiful blue glacier that flows down to the edge of the road. Both boys were off with their sleds, in July, to play in the snow pack that filled the void between the glacier and the pull off that we parked at along side the road. I had dropped the tailgate of the pickup and my wife and I were preparing to put some gourmet Alaska Highway poorboy sandwiches together, I notice a slight movement in the brush about 15 feet behind my wife’s back. Now that brush was real thick and visibility into the thick of it was obscured by the leaves and tangled branches within, but that movement was definitely there and something was telling me to be cautious and vigilant at that very moment. Letting my eye adjust to the surroundings, I peered into that thicket for a moment but there was not any more movement to be seen. Then suddenly, as if from out of nowhere, there was the face of a young brown bear looking back at me with all the same curiosity of those eyes focusing upon him. Well my heart sped up into overdrive as the thought of the mother being near and my wife with her back to this young brut but where were the boys? I whispered quietly to Debbie that this was not a good time for making a sandwich and told here to slowly get into the truck. Carefully I turned my head to see Craig approaching in his normal happy go lucky way and paying absolutely know mind to me as I tried to get his attention. Finally he looked at me and understood my concern as he could see the fright in my face. Craig looked back at where Michael was playing and then made his way to the door on the second vehicle. As hard as I tried, Michael was just not going to look over our way as he was busy throwing rocks into the snow bank and having a great ole time.

I backed away looking that bear square in the eyes and made it to a mound where Michael could see me. Motioning for him to come to me, he started ahead at a trot oblivious to any signs of danger. Now this had me worried as quick sudden moves were not what we needed at this moment. Craig got Michael into the car and then as I made my way to them, the bear disappeared as if a ghost. I did not see it move but just noticed its lack of being there.

We got into the vehicles and pulled out onto the highway. Drove a mile or so and stopped again this time a little more alert to the fact that this is a wild country and the need to be cautious was now foremost in our minds.

We saw many more bears during that trip. Along the Cassiar highway in Northern British Columbia there are many black bears to be seen and around the Kluane Lake area in the Yukon is another place that bears both black and brown seem to be quite happy.

This was only one story from one trip. It is one that I will always remember as the lesson that a Dad learned about the love for his family.