JASPER AND BANFF NATIONAL PARKS - SMOKIN’

Day 121 - 2015-08-19

We arrived in Jasper AB today.  58 (14,714).  We went into town, got good information at the visitor center and had lunch at the local pub.  Bettie had water, but I opted for the locally brewed Bearhill Brewing Co Rockhopper IPA.  Nothing bad to say about it, so OK.

Jasper is a nice town – like you would imagine an alpine ski town.  Small, find of quaint, some high end places and some not so high end – something for everyone.

We checked into the Whistlers Campground just outside of town – along with 779 of our closed camping buddies.  Kidding aside, even though this is a HUGE campground, the sites are nicely separated and you would never know you were in a small city of RVs.  Pretty nice place to stay for a couple of days.

Even though we did not do any exploring, we turned today into a momentous day.  After much wringing of hands over the last couple of weeks, we finally decided on our route home – we wrote it down, so it must be official.  We still have a lot of travelling to do and having a plan in mind makes it MUCH easier to enjoy it.  We both admit to being a little road weary, but knowing how our last leg of the trip will play out gives us a bit of a new spark.  We still have lots to see before we get home.

Day 122 - 2015-08-20

Jasper area today. First stop – Medicine Lake.  This is a disappearing lake.  It got its name from the Indians who said it was magic – “big medicine”.  This is a very cool place.  In the fall, when the snow melt stops, the lake drains into underground caves, leaving only a small creek.  In the spring, when the snow melt exceeds the capacity of the underground aquifer, the lake fills and remains full throughout the summer until it begins to drain again in the late summer/early fall.  It has already begun to drain for this year and is down maybe 10 feet from its high water mark.

We continued up the road to Maligne Lake.  There are lots of hiking trails here and the lake is perfect for kayaking, except for us – today it was about 50*F, so we decided to take in the view from the land and leave the water sports to more hardy souls.

As we drove back down we stopped again at Medicine Lake overlook because there were mountain sheep on the road.  This is perhaps the funniest picture we have taken.  I guess there was something much more interesting than the sheep – the photographers seemed to think so – but apparently I missed it.

The sheep were a different variety than those we encountered near Muncho Lake, but I don’t know their name.

Next, we stopped at Maligne Canyon, where there is a series of trails that follow the Maligne River as it flows down to the Athabascan River.  This canyon is basically a big, deep, narrow crack in the rock.  It is spectacular.  Even though the best of the pictures doesn’t begin to do it justice.  Note that I made sure to get the 3 nuns in the picture to give it some scale.

We headed back toward the trailer.  Along the way we saw more sheep.

And, an elk that was not the least bit concerned that it was grazing along a busy highway within touching distance of onlookers.  Sorry for the bad focus, I snapped this from the truck as we passed.

This was a fun day - 2 elk sightings, 2 sheep sightings, a moose, and some glorious scenery.  119 (14,833).

Day 123 - 2015-08-21

Not much to say about today.  It rained all night.  It rained all morning. We had intended to drive the Icefields Parkway today, but it looked like the road was completely socked in by clouds and rain.  We hoped we could stay and extra day here in our campsite at Whistler, but the ranger told me they were completely reserved for tonight.  I decided to try again an hour later and lucked into a cancellation – with full hook ups nonetheless – a nice treat since we have been off the grid for several days.  The battery on the trailer failed today.  Good timing since Jasper has a NAPA.  And, my printer failed today.  Bad timing since Jasper does not have any place that sells Brother ink cartridges.  I’ll have to wait for another opportunity to resolve that issue (sorry Helen, I’ll be a little late with reports).  The mountains got a nice dusting of snow at the higher elevations last night – looks very different than it did yesterday – kind of like someone sprinkled powdered sugar on them. 32 (14,865).

Day 124 - 2015-08-22

I slept late today – 9:45.  Bettie was up earlier and tells me we had ice on the kayaks this morning.  I believe it.  It is a crystal clear “Chamber of Commerce” day.  By 10:30 we were on our way down the Icefields Parkway (AB 93).  Our first big stop was Athabasca Falls.  This is a very steep, short canyon on the Athabasca River.

For the first time, we saw a drone – flying over and almost right into the falls.  It must have gotten some incredible video – including me taking a picture of it.

As we continued south we climbed to nearly 6,000 feet.  On our way up we were rewarded with exceptional scenery. 

Remember I mentioned before about the views that just appeared in front of the truck?

Our final destination today was the Icefields Centre.  This is the heart of the Banff National Park and overlooks the Athabasca Glacier, the beginning of the Athabasca River we have been following all day long.

Camping here is in the parking lot of the centre – but oh what a view!!!

Today really reinforced that we still have a lot of amazing things to see and do before we get back home.  This was an incredible day of driving.  72 (14,937).

Day 125 - 2015-08-23

We got up at 1:10 am and went outside to look at the stars.  These parks are part of the “Dark Sky Preserve” and on a clear night offer exceptional views of the sky.  We got lucky. The sky above us was clear and neither of us can remember seeing stars like this. The bright stars were brilliant, but in the background was a mass of dimmer stars that I don’t ever recall seeing.  It was an amazing sight.

We awoke to a mostly clear morning over the icefield and glacier.  But to our amazement we saw the rarest of sightings – a Canadian dolphin.

The rest of the morning was spent driving the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise.  70 (15,007).  We saw so many spectacular sights along the way.  We would turn a corner or crest a rise and there would be some beautiful vista laid out in front of us.

We tried to go see Lake Louise this afternoon, but the traffic was so horrendous we gave up, turned around, and went back to the campsite.  Before we even got close to the hotel area, cars were parked on both sides of the road.  Had to be a half mile walk to get there.  Even if we found a place to park, we didn’t really think we wanted to be there.  It’s Sunday, so maybe it was just a crowded weekend day, lots of Calgary daytrippers.  Hope so.  We’ll try again tomorrow.

Day 126 - 2015-08-24

The smoke from the Wasgington forest fires moved in last night and obscured our vision of everything.  So, after a restful night’s sleep next to the freight train tracks, we were on our way about 10:00 am to enjoy Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.  We made it to the parking area at Lake Louise and were directed to the overflow.  Not too bad.  There were a few places to park and it only added a short walk to the agenda.  We headed to the lake and found ourselves in an absolute THRONG of people.  The lake was beautiful, but the smoke was so thick we could barely see the glacier and icefield at the other end.  This is obviously one of the most beautiful places on earth, but the mash of people and the smoke made our encounter less than good.

After waiting in line in the parking lot to get to the exit, we made the short drive to Moraine Lake Road.  The road looked like it had some nice views, but with the smoke, we had to use our imaginations.  About a half mile before the parking lot, we came upon people parking on both sides of the road.  Not encouraging.  It was still early, so we decided to make one pass through the parking lot to see if we got lucky.  That didn’t work out, but at least we got a drive-by look at the lake.  Equally as pretty as Lake Louise.  But, we didn’t even bother to take any pictures because of the smoke.

Today is our 41^st wedding anniversary.  We ate lunch in town, something we rarely do.  Tonight Bettie made a baked Homer Halibut, with some kind of yummy topping.  We paired it with the finest Copper Moon Pinot Grigio box wine.  Oh how I miss the fruits of the Okanagan Valley. 43 (15,050).

Day 127 - 2015-08-25

Smoke sucks!  After missing out on the views of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake yesterday, we awoke to thick smoke again this morning.  We broke camp and headed south on Canada 1A, the old highway through Banff and Jasper before they built the new Trans-Canada Freeway and dubbed it Canada 1.  We had camping reservations at Johnston Canyon, but by the time we got there, it was obvious that we were not going to see anything other than smoke. We cancelled the campsite and went into Calgary for some much needed errand time.  We stopped at an overlook just south of Johnston Canyon.  This is the Bow River valley and there is a huge mountain in the background – you’ll have to look closely to even see its outline.

The smoke in Calgary tonight is thicker than either of us have ever encountered.  Maybe 1/8 mile visibility, maybe not that much at times.  We got our errands done and stayed inside.  The air quality advisory said that on a scale of 1-10, this is a 16 (according to Calgary News, 32 is dirt).  We will leave tomorrow, but don’t know if our situation will improve or not. 121 (15,171).

THE CASSIAR AND YELLOWHEAD HIGHWAYS

Day 111 - 2015-08-09

Tough day today.  We drove the Al-Can (AK 2) from Tok to the Canadian Border, headed for Whitehorse and Watson Lake, YT.  This is the only section of the Al-Can we have not driven yet, so it’s an important leg for us in that it means we will have driven the entire Al-Can on this trip.  No problems with the border crossing.  We are cruising through Canada on great new road, looks like it was completed this summer.  Wow, this is great – and then it turned to absolute crap.  The remaining 150 miles or so was nothing but frost heaved asphalt, potholes, gravel, washboards, construction zones and pilot cars.  It was torture.  I could not take my eyes off the road for an instant.  I was constantly dodging holes and changing lanes.  Average speed, about 25 – 30 mph.  Bettie said the scenery was beautiful.  I only saw a little of it.  Finally we got to Lake Kluane’s Cogden Campground.  No places left on the water by the time we got there, so we took a nice wooded spot and called it a night. WHEW!  238 (13,140).

Day 112 - 2015-08-10

Lake Kluane is like a blue jewel in the middle of the mountains. 

We took a walk along the lakeside this morning, then hit the Al-Can toward Haines Junction and Whitehorse.  On the way, we stopped at the Visitor’s Center next to the lake where we saw MANY Dall sheep grazing on the hillside – much too high for a picture – barely visible with binoculars and spotting scopes.  We saw just a small part of the 4,000 or so sheep in the preserve, but seeing them at all is really a special treat. 

We stopped at an overlook at the end of the lake to take a final look at it – the sun had come out and the lake was really showing its colors.

We finished the drive into Whitehorse on, thankfully, much better road than yesterday.  162 (13,302).  We pulled into the free dump and water station next to the Walmart and decided to stay the night – our first Walmart camping experience. 

It was early so we went to see the oldest remaining wooden fish ladder.  It lets spawning Chinook Salmon move upstream past the hydroelectric dam in Whitehorse.  We saw some BIG Chinook – all red and ready to spawn.  Was pretty impressive.

We had dinner at the Sanchez Mexican restaurant – “Yukon’s Only Authentic Mexican Food” – and it was damn good.  Certainly took care of my need for a Mex Fix for a while.  Whitehorse is not an archetypical tourist town.  The two main streets along the Yukon River house no bars, only one restaurant, and we had to look long and hard to find a tchotchke shop.  We found this a bit surprising for a town that is the largest in the Yukon (27,000 of the 37,000 residents of the Yukon live here), the territory capital, and is a main crossroads for all the RVers who come to Alaska.  Oh well, at least I’m not complaining about it being too touristy.

Day 113 - 2015-08-11

We awoke in the Walmart parking lot from a better than expected night’s sleep.  Had to do it once, don’t have to do it again, I hope. It was a driving day today.  We are on the Al-Can, covering a lot of road that we have already driven once – just looking at it from the other direction.  But of great social and political import, today we actually “finished” the Al-Can.  We took an alternate route on the way up and today we finished driving the sections we missed.  Drive a stake with our names on it in Jake’s Corner, our official completion point.  As cool as that was for us, today was mostly all about laying down miles, 257 (13,559), to get to the start of the Cassiar Highway, the road to our next stops, Stewart BC and Hyder AK.

Day 114 - 2015-08-12

We turned south on BC 37 toward Stewart & Hyder.  First stop, Boya Lake.  What a pleasant surprise.  It ranks in the top 3 most beautiful lakes we have seen so far.  Only a short drive from the Baby Nugget RV Park outside Watson Lake where we stayed last night, 56 (13,615), Boya Lake reminds us of Kathleen Lake.  The water is crystal clear, the colors range from clear green to pastel blue. 

We hoped to kayak today but the weather was not our friend – wind and rain most of the afternoon.  A little inside time gave us the opportunity to do some trip planning, so all was not wasted.  As I’m writing this, the sky is looking lighter in the south, where the weather has been coming from all day – and I see a rainbow.  Hopefully it portends a better day tomorrow.

After dinner, we lit a fire and sat out to enjoy the evening.  A truck stopped by and made a comment about our Florida plate.  Jamie and Beth live in St. Augustine.  Had a nice chat with them and found out they are headed the same way we are.  Maybe we’ll see them again down the road. 

While sitting out, we enjoyed the sight and sound of the resident loons.  I had never heard the call of a loon.  It is hauntingly eerie and beautiful, and echoes when no other sound seems to.  I hope we hear them again before we leave.

Day 115 - 2015-08-13

It rained all night long.  We woke to rain and the dreary skies that go with it.  As much as we want to kayak Boya Lake, it does not look like we will be able to.  So, off we go – highway BC 37 – on the road toward Stewart and Hyder. The road was today was not the best.  Lots of potholes, frost heaves, and washboards, so it was a slow trip.  We stopped to get fuel in Dease Lake and a motorhome that had been shadowing us for a while pulled in behind us.  Next thing we heard was “Where in Florida?” They were from Crystal River, Fl.  We are amazed at the number of Florida people we have seen up here.

We pulled into the Kinaskan Lake campground about 2:30 to find an absolutely perfect campsite – right on the lake with a gentle slope to a gravel beach. 

We set up and wasted no time getting the kayaks in the water.  As we were putting them back on the racks, we saw Jamie & Beth pull in.  After dinner (Soldotna sockeye salmon) we went to their site for a fire.  What a nice way to spend an evening.  We’ll miss this when we get home. 170 (13,785).

Day 116 - 2015-08-14

For the first time last night we had to turn on the heater before time to get up.  Freezing outside, our first frosty morning of the trip.  But, the weather cleared overnight and it is bright sunshine outside.  We loaded up and continued toward Stewart & Hyder. 

Had a problem with the truck today.  We were cruising down a long grade about 50 mph.  The truck was on cruise control and was downshifting as normal to maintain our speed.  Suddenly, it dropped into 2^nd gear, the rpm’s shot up to the redline, and the truck shut down – I guess it went into some kind of self-preservation mode – but the result was that I had no power steering or power brakes.  I wrestled it to the side of the road and it started up again.  WHEW!  We were in the middle of nowhere.  Back on the road, the truck ran fine except the cruise control wasn’t working.  About 30 miles later we stopped for fuel.  When we started out again, everything was 100%.  I guess it’s a good thing that the new technology prevents the truck from hurting itself, but it sure gave us a scare for a few minutes.  The good news is that it ended well, so on to new adventuress.

The entire trip from Watson Lake to Stewart/Hyder ranks in the top 5 drives of the entire trip.  We spent many miles on two lane blacktop travelling along beside clear lakes, running streams, and glacier-fed rivers.  As we got closer to S/H we were surrounded by mountains.  The last leg on BC 37A took us by Bear Glacier, which feeds a lake right next to the road.

We saw two black bears on the road into town.  Both were just hanging out next to the road eating clover and dandelions.  They were unconcerned with us, so we took a few pictures and left them behind.

We checked into Bear Paw RV Park in Stewart mid-afternoon.  181 (13,966).  A little later we drove across the border to Hyder, AK for some dinner and a trip to the bear viewing area.  On our way out there we spotted two VERY small bear cubs crossing the roadway.  We didn’t see momma, and we didn’t linger too long in case she showed up.  We arrived at the viewing area on Fish Creek and the salmon were in full spawning mode.  This is one of the most interesting sights we have seen.  Hundreds of salmon spawning in this clear creek in only 6 inches of water.  There was a lot of commotion from that activity and it is easy to see why a bear would come there.  Sure enough, after only an hour or so wait, a grizzly came down to feed.  It took several salmon, but interestingly, bit into a few and rejected them.  Just spit them out and went after another one.  In this environment, I suppose it’s OK to be picky.  Here’s the only decent picture I got today.  We will try again tomorrow.

Day 117 - 2015-08-15

It was COLD last night.  Both of us got up in the night to put on warmer clothes.  First time that has happened.  But we earned a clear pretty day for our trouble.  Our plan is to go to Hyder, souvenir shop a bit, drive out to the Salmon Glacier, come back for dinner and go back to the bear viewing area.

We found success in the souvenir shops in both Stewart and Hyder – post cards for Bettie and magnets for me.  

Bettie mailed her postcards at the Hyder Post Office, one of the more unique we have seen.

The road to Salmon Glacier is about 15 miles of gravel switchbacks that rise from sea level to around 3,000 feet.  We saw bears on the road on the way up.  The views were breathtaking even before we saw the glacier. 

To get to Salmon Glacier from Stewart BC, upi have to cross into AK, drive a bit down the gravel road, then cross back into BC.  As weird as it seems, the US and Canadian governments clear the border through this area.  So if you ever wanted to know what the Canadian border looks like, here it is.

Salmon Glacier is by far the most “viewable” glacier from the road of any we have found.  Our first look at it was from the toe, looking up the valley.

I thought it was very interesting that it has an ice cave at the toe just like the one I stood in at Worthington Glacier.  Too bad this one is not accessible by foot. 

The overlook at the end of the road is a great place.  You can see the glacier extend 13 miles up into the ice field.  The moraines are very distinct.

On the drive down, we got a look at the Salmon River Valley.  This scene typifies the terrain here – some of the most spectacular we have seen anywhere.

We had dinner in Stewart, mainly because “The Bus” (a very funky seafood place in Hyder) was out of beer.  Afterwards, we went back to the bear viewing site at Fish Creek.  We found out as we arrived that we had just missed a bear.  We decided to wait and within about 45 minutes the same grizzly we saw yesterday came to fish.  It put on quite a show, fishing and eating in the creek for over 30 minutes.  Here are a couple of pictures.

Driving back to the campsite we saw a mother bear and two tiny cubs cross the road in front of us.  By far, this is not only some of the most beautiful, but also the “wildest” territory we have visited. 70 (14,036).

Day 118 - 2015-08-16

Today we drove.  211 (14,247).  Back up BC 37-A to the BC 37 intersection at Mezziadin Lake.  We checked out the campground there, very pretty, right on the lake, but it was only 30 miles from Stewart so we elected to move on down the line.  We got caught up in construction for a short time, and once again, the line was all RV’s.  Time for all of us travelers to head home I guess.  We elected to skip Prince Rupert, a long drive to the west for a place that did not seem to have much going on, so we turned east on the Yellowhead Highway (BC 16) and ended up in Telkwa Lake Campground for the night.  We talked today about having skipped some really nice places, but at some point you just have to admit it’s time to start home.  We have plenty of time left, but will not linger just for the sake of it.

Day 119 - 2015-08-17

British Columbia is a pretty place.  Since we left Stewart, nothing so far has jumped out at us and screamed “take my picture”, just lots of miles of forest and lake bottoms.  262 (14,509).  We are on our way to the Jasper/Lake Louise/Banff area, which will be the last “big stop” of our trip.  Tonight we camped at Purden Lake Provincial Park about 40 miles east of Prince George.  Campsites deep in the woods, close to the lake.  Great place to camp.

The fact that we are heading east only reinforces the reality that we are headed toward home.  Today was a turning point for us.  We stowed away the blackout panels for the vents and door.  We are getting back into the circadian rhythm.  Actual sunrises and sunsets are somehow very comforting.  Its 8:45 PM and dark outside.  A few days ago, it never really got dark at all.  Hard to adjust to all the rapid changes. And, tomorrow or the next day, we change time zones.  Oh well, we’ll live.

Day 120 - 2015-08-18

Thirty miles or so down the road from Purden Lake we came across a BC park called “The Ancient Forest”.  This is a rare inland rainforest.  The oldest trees (mostly cedars) are estimated to be over 2,000 years old.  We took a hike in the park and found “the Big Tree”.  Not a real catchy name, but this thing has a 16 foot diameter, so no arguments.

We also spotted one lone cedar that has grown in a spiral.  It is the only one in the forest that did this and they don’t really know why.  They say the entire trunk of the tree is spiraled, not just the bark.  Really unusual.

We continued on the Yellowhead Highway (BC 16) and made another stop at Rearguard Falls.  This is the terminus of the king salmon run here, apparently because the salmon are not able to make it up the falls.  The river is that same vibrant teal green as was the Kenai River, and the falls were roaring.  We saw several salmon attempt to jump it, none succeeded.

Our last stop today is the Mt Robson Meadows Campground.  147 (14,646).  Mt Robson is the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 3,954 meters, call it 12,000 feet.  We were lucky enough to catch it on a mostly clear day, shining in the afternoon sun.

Oh yeah, I tried a new beer today.  Red Truck IPA from Red Truck Brewing in Vancouver BC.  Darn good.  This one makes the hit list.

THE ROAD TO VALDEZ, BACK TO TOK

Day 107 - 2015-08-05

BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN.  I appeared at Cal Worthington Ford this morning at 10:00.  Funny that my truck was ready to roll by 11:00.  I have to say this is one of the most unfriendly customer service environments I have ever encountered.  They are the only show in town and they act like it.  OK, enough grousing about that, the good news is that I got the truck back and it’s seems to be OK. (Gearhead update:  Balance, Rotate, and Alignment - only $470.00 – OUCH!!!!).

As bad as that was, at least we got to leave Anchorage and head for parts unknown to us.  We took off on the Glenn Highway toward Glenallen AK. 

We ran along the Matanuska River valley (gorgeous)

until we encountered the Matanuska Glacier at the head of the river.

This is one of the only glaciers we have seen that still fills the flat valley below the mountain ice field.  You can see how it meanders back up the valley to the icefield.

All-in-all, this was a most refreshing day.  Back to scenery and open spaces that we have been missing for a while.  Tonight’s camp is the Tolsona Campground just outside of Glenallen.  Nice place in the woods along a creek – great to be back to nature.  Tomorrow we go to Valdez and Prince William Sound.

Day 108 - 2015-08-06

We continued along the Glenn Highway this morning until we intersected AK 4, the Richardson Highway, where we turned south and headed for Valdez.  This took us along the boundary of the Wrangell-St, Elias National Park, the largest national park in North America.  The drive was so beautiful it reminded us of the drive into Skagway – over a pass, down a valley into a fjord surrounded by mountains and glaciers.  It was an incredible drive.  We took a few shots from inside the truck.  I want to remember that we sometimes just came up over a rise and were greeted by spectacular scenery.  This is the Worthington Glacier.

Just past the glacier we rounded a turn to find one of the most surreal scenes we have ever seen.

Just past that we found Bridal Veil Falls.

We camped out on Dayville Road, right on Prince William Sound, just a couple of miles before arriving in Valdez, and only a stone’s throw away from the terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.  Yes, we saw both ends of it.  On the way in, we passed the salmon hatchery.  We went back to take a look and the creek leading up to the spawning area at the hatchery was FULL of salmon – no kidding, there were 10’s of thousands of fish.

I took a short video, but honestly, even it does not capture the magnitude of the fish in this run.

The entire sound is full of salmon, they are so thick that I caught two just by laying a hook in the water and bringing it back.  I can’t imagine the number of fish that are in the sound right now.

Valdez itself really does not have much to offer except the beauty of the surrounding scenery. 

It has a Small Boat Harbor.

And, a Harbor Street with a very few shops.

Fishing seems to be the mainstay tourist attraction here – and from what we saw, with good reason – but there is little tourist infrastructure.  One restaurant/pub – The Fat Mermaid – where I was able to sample the Alaskan Brewing Freeride APA (that’s correct, APA, not IPA).  Like many of Alaskan’s brews, it has a hint of spice or flavor in it.  Made for a good APA.  I’ll have another when I can.  There are not really even many tchotchke shops, even though some cruise ships dock here.  You can stay in any of the 4 BIG RV parks in town, or at one of the couple of hotels, or get an expresso from the drive through shack, but that’s about it.  Not a bad way to be.  If Whittier is like Seward on Valium, then Valdez is like Whittier on Valium. This is a very slow, laid back, not much going on except salmon fishing kind of place – an easy place to be.

We tried to do a little bear spotting this afternoon.  Our campmate told us there is one creek where three black bear sows and their cubs have been spotted eating salmon, but no luck.  The salmon were everywhere in the creek.  You could have picked them up with a glove.  I think the salmon are so easy to get, the bears just don’t have to work hard enough at it to stay visible for very long.  Maybe we’ll try again tomorrow.

For now, it’s time to kick back with a fire and enjoy the views of Prince William Sound from the campsite.  164 (12,630).

Day 109 - 2015-08-07

We took it pretty easy today – slept in a little, walked around the campground and watched people catching salmon – what a great place for kids – giggles and screams galore.  We enjoyed the view over breakfast, then hooked up for the short drive into town.  Fuel, dump, and water all in one friendly Tesoro location and we were on the road – back up the Richardson Highway (AK 4) toward Glenallen.

We stopped only about 25 miles from town at the Blueberry Lake State Recreation Area.  41 (12,671).  In that distance, we climbed from sea level to about 1,700 feet.  We drove through the campground, scoped out the little mountain lake, and decided to stay a night.  Our campsite is on a ridge with a view of a deep valley backstopped by high, sawtoothed peaks covered with ice fields and glaciers.

 

We dropped the boats and took a paddle around the lake. 

As pretty as they are, and as glad we are to have visited them, we just love getting out of the hustle and bustle of the towns and back into the country.

Day 110 - 2015-08-08

We put on some miles today. 231 (12,902).  We left Blueberry Lake intending to stop at the Worthington Glacier for a quick look.  This deserved anything but a quick look.

Access to the glacier was unfettered, so close ups as well as distant shots were possible.

Bettie wimped out on the hike, but I took off and found myself at the bottom of the glacier, able to reach out and touch it.  It is so weird that NONE of the trail guides, National Parks literature, camping books, etc. say anything about being able to approach the glacier – it’s like a big surprise reserved only for those who find it.  Way cool!

I am intrigued by the blue glacial ice, formed by thousands of years of pressure that removes all the air molecules and causes the resulting hard ice to absorb all the colors except blue.  I hope it shows its brilliance in the picture.

Leaving Worthington Glacier we continued up the Richardson Highway (AK 4) past Glenallen and took the Tok Cutoff Highway (AK 1).  We went through Tok going toward Fairbanks.  This time we will turn back toward Whitehorse, re-cover some ground we have already driven , then take off for Stewart and Hyder on the Cassiar highway just this side of Watson Lake– reported by many we have talked to as the most beautiful highway in Alaska.