The trip home (May 5: Homer to Haines Jct.)

So I've been remiss in writing this thing. I'm at home now, having made basically a straight shot back. It's a personality quirk of mine. I'm more than happy to pursue most activities for as long as they take or as I want, but when I decide it's over, I need to stop doing it pretty much immediately. When I decided I was done with the trip, I made a straight run back with two stops (aside from sleep)

I left Kodiak on the overnight ferry to Homer the night of the 4th. Per my usual, I sneaked into the shower area (reserved for the cabin-renting passengers but lightly guarded) and cleaned up. I then slept, and woke up as we were pulling into Homer. After another illicit shower (take them when you can) I went down to the cargo hold and got the truck together.

Off the boat, I headed north up the Kenai, back toward Anchorage. I got what I think are some of the best (or at least the most evocative of Alaska and my impressions thereof) photographs of the trip.



They really capture Alaska's beauty and mystery with the mist covering the mountains. Alaska was more populated and tamed than I had thought it would be, and the fact that the mist was receding from the lake and slowly uncovering the scene fit well with that impression as well.

As god apparently does not like Whittier, I drove north through Anchorage to cut west on the Seward/GlenAllen highway. On my way, I stopped in at a thrift shop at Palmer. If you're driving up 1, gps will tell you to take 1 all the way to Wasilla and then cut right. The old highway goes through Palmer, and provides a more interesting drive (with less ruts as well). I checked the vinyl selection, only to have the shop owner tell me that she'd sold her good albums to some guy who "made bowls and art out of them." Ouch. Like there are too many decent albums around, and not enough other stuff in the world out of which to make bowls.

As I was on my way out, I asked her if there was another shop in town that might have some records. She pointed me in the direction of one, and cautioned me not to get ripped off by the owner of the other store, as he was "kind of a jew." This was said with such a conspiratorial sneer that I thought for a minute she was joking. Then I realized she wasn't. I'm not a particularly religious person, but my background is jewish and protestant. I actually started laughing at the inanity of the statement, and remarked "As it turns out, so am I. And I can't quite say I'm down with that expression." I highly doubt that some sort of breakthrough was achieved on her end, but I felt better for not having let it slide. I've seldom encountered racism in my life, aside from getting hassled for being white in the late 80s and early 90s in New York (Ahh, Dinkins era New York....) So this was a bit of a shock. I left, and I got over it pretty quickly, but it was a good reminder that not everyone was as open and welcoming as I had encountered previously in the trip.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. I saw a lot of moose, which despite being a state-wide pain in the ass, are still pretty beautiful. I did not however find a stupid sticker with "AK" in it. The little oval touristy stickers. Once I found out that most of the little carved wooden bears in the shops are made in Malaysia or China, I lowered my expectations on the souvenir front.

Pics of the ride

May 2 - May 4 (Kodiak)

I got to Kodiak in the afternoon on the 2nd. Actually it was 7 or so, but the sun sets at about 11, so the afternoon seems really long. There are three main points on the island, connected by about 100 miles total of roads. I had debated the best way to see the island, and that gets into a larger question that I'd asked myself a few times on the trip. What is an adventure? I'm sure if you wander into the wilderness and end up dead, you probably had an adventure. If you never go past the tourist information center and guided tours, less of an adventure. My goal was to have an adventure, but I was limited somewhat by certain constraints. First, I was (and largely still am) alone. This means my margin for error is much, much smaller than if I were with someone or a group. I have a winch and a locker, but my intent is not to use them, it's to have them in reserve in case they're needed. Second, I had had the bad luck to have the truck broken into in California. Added to that was the fact that several people I met had told me Kodiak was not the type of place where I could leave my gear in the truck at a trailhead and wander off on my own. So that left me with the need to not get crazy in terms of taking the truck into the bush, and not leaving it too far behind for fear of another theft. I think I'm drawing a good middle line between conservatism and adventure. You may be sensing some regret. I would like to have gone a little further into the wilderness, but I'm glad that I have done the gnarly part of the trip and all the adventures before it without injury to me or the truck. So I don't regret the decisions I've made, although I do overanalyze them (as I do most things in my life). Now in blog form.

My goal with Kodiak was to see the main points on the island, and then to find a place to be on my own for a few days as a cap to the trip. It hadn't been my intention earlier in the trip, but that plan had evolved as I got closer to the island. I had pictured it as a wild place, and to be sure it largely is. 2/3 of the island is wild, accessible only by boat or plane. Either of these would involve both leaving my truck behind and large quantities of money. So they were out.

I was directed toward Anton Larsen bay as a place where "I wouldn't see another soul for days." well that sounded pretty good. I got off the boat on Saturday and drove out toward Chiniak, where I camped on a beach for the evening.


I know it looks chaotic, but there is a method to the madness. I have gear in the back right corner, gear in the front left corner, and my sleeping bag on a diagonal from back left to front right. On that I have my gun, my duffel, and my bow, along with the tent. That stuff goes in the front seat, leaving a sleeping space in the back. Takes 4 minutes. The tent is roomier, but in bear country or just when I don't feel like putting it up, it's nice to be able to crash in the truck.

The next day, I drove up to Pasagshak, where I passed the Kodiak rocket launch site, a number of buffalo, and a small community of surfers. I stopped and chatted a while. The New York license plate was, as usual, a hit.




Following Pasagshak, I went up to Anton Larsen bay, assuming that I'd find an unspoiled wilderness where I could set up camp by a bay and be for several days. What I found was a parking lot next to a boat launch, and at the very end of the road, a shooting range (three signs with more bullet holes than I've ever seen) and covered with spent cartridges and beer cans. Not the utopia I was searching for. I got pretty frustrated at this point, and decided to go back to Chiniak, where I had pulled up before venturing into some of the gnarlier trails at the end of the road. I went down a few, and ended up finding a site away from people, where the U.S. army had set up some concrete bunkers overlooking the ocean.


The next morning, the fog blew off and I had much better views.


Again, it was my intent to stay at Chiniak for a few days without human contact. The first night I set up shop in this beautiful remote spot, I was still on that plan. But when I finished my dinner and settled down for the night, I was struck by a thought: "It's time to go home." It was surprising, considering the original plan and how much I was enjoying being on my own. I thought about it a bit more and still had the same conclusion. I'm not even sure what went into the decision. I wasn't as far out of the way as I would have liked. There were ATV trails nearby and I had heard that people did occasionally take trucks through there. I don't think that's what spurred the thought though. I think I was just ready to turn around. So I booked passage on the boat off the island on the night of the 4th. It was good to take a night trip, as it allowed me to sleep and the seas were much calmer than they had been on the way out.

Kodiak pics 1

Kodiak pics 2

Saturday, May 2 (Homer to Kodiak)

It's been a while since I updated. I'm in Edmonton at the moment. Kodiak didn't have a robust techonological infrastructure, and since then I've been largely out of contact.

After the issues with the truck, she'd been perfect. The next night I got in some quality time with a fire, some scotch and some good reading.


The next morning I boarded the ferry to Kodiak. I met some great people on board, including Marcus and his friend whose name I forget. They were on their way for a weeklong bear hunt. I also met Jerry, an ex-marine who was on his way to pick up an engine. Overall, the ferry was pretty empty, and there was a lot of conversation and sharing of stories and plans among the crowd on board.

Overall it was a good trip. 9.5 hours on the ferry, and a total of about 200 miles. It was by far the farthest out to sea I'd ever been, and it was an interesting experience. While it was a beautiful day, the sea was relatively high and steady, creating a very, very regular rocking motion on the boat. About 6 hours in, most of us starting feeling less than stellar. I made it, barely, while some others did not.

Pics of the ride

Friday, May 1 (Still in Homer)

So the truck has run perfectly for the last 12,000 mileds. I have had no deadlines, no time constraints, nothing to pressure me.

I was supposed to be at the dock last night for a ferry to Kodiak Island at 8:30. 10:30 ferry, but inspections and ticketing, loading, etc. means 2 hour prep time. At 7:45, as I was leaving bar (one beer only) to go to the ferry, the truck basically dies. No idle, exhaust smells like I'd shoved a bunch of plastic in it, lumpy, terrible low idle when I can get it to hold, and other misery.

Spent 2 hours tracking down issues, talking to Tom while he searched ih8mud.com for possible culprits and solutions, and mucking about in the engine. Filters, timing, oil, fuses, everything I could check I checked/replaced.

At 10:15 the truck decides its fine. I get to the ferry in time to see it depart. I have no idea why, but the truck did not want me on that ferry. I will assume it had good reason.

I spent the day in Homer, met a Toyota guy and chatted with him a bit, saw the Pratt Museum here in town, hung out on the beach, generally tourist stuff. Not a bad time at all. I'm on a 10:00 AM ferry tomorrow, provided the truck agrees with my decision, meaning I'll be there at 8. However, as it's May rather than April, the trip will be $80 less, and the daytime boat means I will get great views and make a day of it.

I promised the truck I'd split the $80 with her.

The closest I want to be to a bear. If you see more pics like this, I was not a willing participant.

Thursday, April 30 (Homer)

So here I am at the Homer "Save-U-More". They have a good internet connection and don't mind my hanging around, so here I am.

Stopped off at the pawn shop and found an unplayed copy of the Strawberry Alarm Clock "Incense and Peppermints." Also got a shell holder to go on the butt of the gun. So far I haven't needed it. Hopefully that's a trend that will continue.

I'm boarding a ferry for Kodiak Island tonight at 10:30. The initial plan was to go from Homer to Kodiak, then over to Valdez. Turns out the only ferry transport to Valdez goes through Whittier, which has been effectively cut off from civilization by a rock slide on one side and ice on the other. Sooo...I'm over in Kodiak until Monday, then back here, and driving up and across the lower part of Alaska. Kodiak will mark the end point of the trip, after which I'm heading home. Albeit the long way. It's been incredible, and I'm looking forward to a few days of isolation and contemplation on Kodiak. I've found myself slowing down a lot more as I travel down the Kenai and nature becomes a more prominent player in this story. I'm looking forward to finding some scenic overlooks and setting up a chair for a while. As I get closer to the turn-around point, the reality of heading back is coming more into focus as well. The pros (Becca, parents, friends and NY in general) and the cons (looking for a job) are all coming back. Well, I can shut out the cons for a while longer and focus on the pros to provide motivation for the long drive back. And perhaps some more shenanigans will ensue while en route.

I saw some eagles on the Homer spit today, which I thought were beautiful. I'll leave you with some pics.

Eagles

Tuesday, April 28 - Wednesday, April 29 (Cooper Landing and down to Homer)

On Tuesday, given the previous night's shenanigans, We woke up around noon. Stumbled down to the Sunrise Cafe, where I met Chris' mom Libby. Wonderful woman, and we chatted through breakfast (lunch).

Headed back to Chris' place and did some work on his house (not as much as we'd intended, for various reasons, mostly the weather). We kicked back and enjoyed some more beers, and his friend Julia came over. Had a bit of a target shooting contest with her beautiful 22, and sat back down to enjoy one of the warmest days this year in Alaska.

Later on Sean came over with some yearling Moose meat. We threw the grill together, made some turkey burgers, some moose burgers, and yes, more beer. Chris' brother stopped by with a sweet GMC 2500 HD (new that day) and we admired for a bit.

night and back to the truck for another good sleep.

The next day we actually woke up early. Me because I needed to hit the road and Chris because he and Sean were going to try to get some work done on the house. It was another beautiful day, so I'm not sure the plan materialized...

On the way out of Cooper Landing, I drove down Skilack Lake road, recommended by Chris. I'm glad I did. I stopped for about 45 minutes and just sat looking out over a valley with some streams that fed into the lake. I saw my first bear! He and I shared a moment, then I remembered my camera and he decided to take off. So here's some bear ass.



I also watched some eagles play in the sky above the valley, soaring and diving on the wind. They really are an incredible sight.





I drove down through Soldotna, did some laundry and took a shower. Many places have a "pay for a shower" option in AK, which makes getting around and avoiding motels fairly easy. Sleeping in a tent or a truck is much easier when you either have showered or know that one is not that far off.

Had some good Mexican food in Soldotna. I was really concerned about my ability to get good food on the trip, and for the most part those fears were unfounded. Each town has at least one place that will serve good food all year long, and larger places typically have a mexican joint and maybe an asian place. Thai is popular. I'm not comparing the variety to NY, but rest assured that it's much better than you (or maybe just me) would think.

Out of Soldotna I really saw a lot of spring thaw. It's incredible the feeling in the land right now. The earth is softening up and coming alive, the snow is melting, and the animals are starting to come out. The change really fills up your senses; you can hear avalanches as snow melts and comes off the mountains, and ice cracking on lakes. The smell of wet earth and plants is in the air, and there's a humidity that escapes as the ground softens up. Fields are under water, streams and rivers are all overflowing, and trees are opening up as well. I wish I could see it go from January to July, and see the change in the landscape from trough to crest. Another time.

It's hard for me to admit when I'm wrong, but in this case it's deserved. Dad, after all these years, it turns out you were right.


The moose is, in fact, loose.




Got into Homer and crashed on the beach out on the Homer Spit, a mile jetty out into Cook Inlet. Set up the tent and lit a fire after scavenging some driftwood. Coleman fire sticks are indispensible. Gone are the days in the early part of the trip where I'd be whittling wood shavings to get some tinder, then going through a book of matches to get that lit. These things are essential for any camping trip. Driftwood makes a great briny, rich smell as it burns, and provided a great end to the evening.


Full set of pics

Sunday, April 26 - Monday, April 27 (Anchorage and Anchorage - Cooper Landing)

On Sunday I rolled into Anchorage. I found a great Archery shop started by two guys recently - Screaming Eagle Archery in Wasilla. We were talking about my bow and how it got stolen, and they offered their services in helping get me back where I was.

I stopped in Anchorage and had some Great Mexican food, then crashed. The next day I saw Anchorage, replenished some supplies, and planned for the next phase (down the Kenai peninsula). I then heard back from my insurance company, who gave me the go-ahead to build a new bow. I drove back to Wasilla, only to find the store closed. I then engaged in some detective work. I got the name of the owner from a plaque in the shop, and got his home number. His wife picked up, and gave me his cell. I then called him, and told him that I was able to go ahead with the bow, and that since he had been good to me the day before, the sale was his if he wanted it. As the shop just opened a week ago, and he had been in and out of it all day doing chores and cleaning, he told me he'd be right over. Tony and Wayne helped build my bow and tune it with me and for me for the next 3 hours. I got to know them a bit, and they offered to take me out hunting when I come back. As Becca and I are planning to come up to go fly fishing with Tom and his wife, that might actually happen. Heading out with those guys would be great. They were solid guys who really knew their stuff, and I had a great time getting to know them.

With the new bow in hand, I set off down the Kenai for Cooper landing. Tom, who I'd spent time with in Utah, has a cabin there, but he wouldn't be in town for another month. He did however set me up with a friend of his, Chris. Chris offered to host me for a few days, and I rolled in on Monday night.

The trip from Anchorage to Cooper Landing was amazing. I drove past Cook Inlet, and had terrific views across it for most of that time. The tide was coming in as well. Apparently Cook inlet has the most drastic tidal flow in the world? It was like a wave coming in, with amazing force behind it. I stopped at the same turnout as a couple who were riding a harley, and shared a few words with them. She's moving from Anchorage to South Carolina shortly, and they were taking some time to enjoy Alaska together before she left.

I also saw my first wildlife! Finally saw a live moose. Most in Alaska would consider them pests (one sign read 322 killed so far on the highways, and I know that each moose probably totalled a car). But I was excited.

When I got to Chris' place, it was a bit late, and he had been doing some work on his house, so we cracked a few beers (brought some with me as they make great houseguest gifts). Then we cracked a few more, and just got good old-fashioned drunk by the fire. All in all a great time. Met his 14 year old Rottweiler Althena, one of the sweetest dogs I've ever seen. Crashed in the truck, as Chris is living in a 1 room cabin while he finishes the house. Slept really well. I've got sleeping in the truck down to a science these days.

Pics of the ride are here! Go Homer Save-U-More!

Saturday, April 25 (Fairbanks - North of Anchorage (Denali side trip))

After leaving Travis I headed on down the road. I passed some beautiful scenery, and got to Denali. I drove about 30 miles into the park, taking pictures along the way. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Just astoundingly beautiful. I sat and watched an eagle ride motionless on an updraft over a ridge for almost 3 minutes straight. There was a herd of Caribou running through the park as well, but most of the experience and pictures revolved around the landscape. I've actually seen surprisingly few wild animals. I've seen more on the signs warning me about all the wild animals, to tell you the truth. Although as I head down the Kenai and the weather warms, I'm seeing more and sensing that I will continue to see more.

After Denali, I kept on down the road and found a great gravel quarry to set up camp for the night. I've been a bit lazy, mostly sleeping in the truck. In my defense, it's much quicker and more secure, and the season in Alaska combined with the amount of snow on the ground means that pretty much everything is soaking wet right now. Just a pain in the ass to deal with setting up a tent, then drying it out before tossing it in the truck. Anyway, I was able to make a good meal and spend some time reading by the fire before retiring for the night. One downside is that I lost a chair due to some high wind and the fire, but that was easily replaced.

Pictures of the trip from Fairbanks to Anchorage

Thursday, April 23 - Saturday, April 25

After leaving Fast Eddy's (4 hours, thankfully the waitress was very patient) I took off toward Fairbanks. I was surprised to see suburban housing and shopping centers after all the wilderness, but it turns out that Fairbanks is a sizable military town and generally large city.

I passed a promising korean place (have really been craving asian food and Becca told me about her trip to a Korean bbq place last friday. I'm convinced she's just reminding me of all the good food in nyc to make sure I come back. It's working.) and got a room at a motel so I could check into the real world for a minute and take care of misc. bills and whatnot. The girl at the front desk was absentmindedly doodling the name "Joey" over and over again. I made an offhand comment about it, and found out that it was her husband, soon to be deploying to Iraq for his second or third tour. I asked her to pass along my thanks, to which she responded with typically military family humility.

The next day, Friday, I was supposed to meet Travis, who works up in Fairbanks and lives in North Pole. He had a job to attend to, so I was on my own for the day. I stopped at the Korean place (Koreana in Fairbanks on South Cushman. Excellent Korean food. Had some dumplings and Bulgogi, and was loving life. After that, I went to the Salvation Army, to see if I could indulge one of my other habits - collecting records. They had the usual smattering of Mantovani and Streisand, but I picked up a few albums, most noteworthy being Roberta Flack. I asked them where else I might find some vinyl, and they told me in forboding terms about a pawn shop in town. They were not pleased with the operation (any aspect) but felt that they might have some selection.

When I walked into the pawn shop, I saw what caused the trepidation on the part of the SA people. A bit shady. I asked about records and was shown the customary haphazard collection of christmas albums and other crap. I looked through it for a bit and was on my way out when the guy said "We do have some more records downstairs if you want..."

"well sure, I'll take a look." He showed me a room full of random stuff, but most importantly piled with records. There were about 8,000 albums in boxes, some alphabetized, some not. I spent the next 3 hours going through the collection and picked out some extraordinary finds. Zeppelin, Clapton, Dylan, Duke Ellington, a pristine box set of the Concert for Bangladesh, most of Bowie's catalogue, and all in pristine, mostly unplayed condition. For a record lover it was pretty much a dream come true. I am still psyched about it, and have duly promised Becca to get rid of an equal number of albums when I get home.

I met Travis and his wife in his shop, and we chatted while he was finishing up. It turns out he works in a print shop, and works with machines that Becca's familiar with in her job. I put her on speaker and they bonded for a bit. We then went to Silver Gulch, a place in Fairbanks with some great beers and great food. Talked politics with Travis and his wife (we share a very similar outlook on the political landscape) and marvelled at his 6 year old (fully the smartest of us at the table) and his 2 week old (cutest at the table).

We went back to Travis' place, ogled his trucks (a 40, 2 60s, an 80, and a '41 Dodge Power Wagon that served in Norway in WW2. More politickin' and it was bedtime.

Saturday we woke up and hit a gunshow. There really is a groundswell of fear (I believe justified) that Obama is going to target gun ownership in all of its forms, and as such, the show was full of people looking for ammo and other items in short supply. I saw a few nice rifles which would have gone really well with my shotgun, but I remembered I don't have a job, and the trip through Canadian customs was interesting enough the first time. Then again, according to my theory, I would be better off with two guns than one....

I didn't get the chance to take many pictures, but I'll leave you with one of the pipeline and one of the cool machines Travis gets to work with.

Thursday, April 23 (Today, Tok Junction AK - ?)

So for the first time, I'm writing this real time. I've been in Fast Eddy's restaurant for the past hours, catching you guys up on the adventure. It feels good to be writing in the present tense, instead of doing everything from memory.

I'm heading to Fairbanks, where a Toyota guy just had a baby girl but is trying to find some time to talk trucks and share a beer with me. I'll likely find a motel for the night, as the truck is not equipped with a shower.

I should also take time to thank you guys for your support and encouragement. I know it might seem like kind of an idiotic thing to do, but driving has always been something that's cleared my head and allowed me to focus, and this has been no different. Alaska came into the picture because hey, why not. I'm having an absolute blast, and it's helping me gain clarity on a number of things, as well as being a welcome break from the last four years.

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I am doing it and writing. I'll keep up the adventure and hopefully you can share some of it through this medium.

JG

Wednesday, April 22 (Watson Lake, Yukon - ALASKA!!!!!)

Woke up Wednesday to a beautiful Alaska spring day:



I got started with a great breakfast, including some of my newly acquired green tea:


and hit the road. It was an absolutely beautiful drive.

Photos of the drive

I got to Destruction bay, and saw some great beaches and other areas right by the water. I really wanted to set up camp for the night and have a fire, which had been missing from my routine for the past several days (motels or in the truck). I stopped for gas and asked the attendant whether such sites existed further up the road, or whether I should turn around and get down to the water in the areas I'd just passed. He was a little incredulous, and asked "you want to camp by the water? Here?" and proceeded to tell me the story of Destruction bay. Apparently it got its name because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was up here building the Alaska highway, and like me, thought that the bay would be a nice place to camp. Until the 100 mph winds came down through the valley, destroyed the camp, and killed a bunch of people.

I thanked the attendant for his sage advice and continued up the road. I had heard from Bob and Russ that the many quarries along the road were good places to camp, out of sight and sheltered. That would be good in the summer, but they were still snowed in for the most part. I was only about 20 miles from the border, and basedon my previous experience thought it better to do the crossing in the morning. I found a decent spot and had dinner, but when a truck cruised by slowly (twice) I decided to just get to the border that night.

I ended up finding a very welcoming border guard, who was into toyota trucks and travels in general. We chatted for a bit, and I found this as a place to spend the night. Not bad...


My route
Note: the time google lists is way off. I guess if you had a car and were going the speed limit, it might be accurate. But 75 mph across frost heaves in a land cruiser is f'n sweet.

Tuesday, April 21 (Burns lake BC - Watson Lake, Yukon Territory) Cassiar Highway!

I finally got to the Cassiar on Tuesday. Based on what everyone (except Tom - I should really just listen to him and block out all other advice on Alaska) was saying, I was expecting some horrendous rutted wagon path with no one around for miles, and skeletons of travellers that had tried it lying around.

What I found was a beautiful highway, with road conditions better than most of the roads in NYC. Seriously. 95% of the route was as smooth as I've ever seen. Even the gravel sections were smoother than most roads in NYC. All the way to Iskut, it was great. I was doing 75, radio on, loving life.

North of Iskut the weather turned a bit, but hey - I'm in it for the adventure, and I'm driving a land cruiser. Noooooo problem.

Link to pictures of the drive

Made it to Watson lake, which is a bit of a strange town, that night. Bunked down for the night at a rest stop and met Mickey, who was travelling with his wife up to Alaska for work.

After watching a beautiful sunset over my goal destination,


I had a great dinner (Campbells chunky, warmed on the engine as I drove)


My route

Monday, April 20 (Williams Lake, BC - Burns Lake, BC)

I woke up thinking I'd hit the Cassiar highway and get some progress in there. Ha. Canada is much bigger than it looks on the map.

I stopped off to try to get my cb radio fixed, and heard that no one uses cb anyway, so basically I'm screwed if anything goes wrong. The radio guy tried to convince me to rent a satellite phone for x hundreds of dollars a month, but relented when he heard I had a spot tracker (findmespot.com) good stuff.

I ended up at burns lake, at the Robbers' Roost motel. updated the blog a little and had a good night's sleep.

My route

Sunday, April 19 (Border crossing, Vancouver - Williams lake)

Sunday morning was the border crossing. I woke up thinking it might take 5 minutes. They're Canadians, right? What could possibly go wrong?

Well it turns out, everything. I don't think there was a single question they asked that I gave the right answer to.

Them: What do you do for a living?
Me: Nothing.

Them: Where are you going in Canada?
Me: Not sure. Heading to Alaska.

Them: Why are you going to Alaska?
Me: Because I heard it's nice.

Them: How long are you going to be there?
Me: As long as it takes to see it.

Them: Do you have any firearms?
Me: Yes.

Apparently, declaring a shotgun is code for "I have 78 illegal handguns in my truck, and I figure you guys are dumb, so I'll just tell you I have a shotgun and hope for the best." This resulted in an interrogation from three different mounties, each trying to trick me into revealing the secret location of all of my evil american guns and my nefarious plans for bringing down the Canadian government. I was asked the same questions 4 different ways, and was quizzed about my financial stability (presumably they get a lot of people intent on milking their socialist system).

In the end I prevailed. They searched the truck and presumably found my gear (polo sweaters, etc.) and food (marshmallows from Napa (thanks Becca)) and other non-terrorist, non-threatening stuff. I actually ended up making friends with the border guard who was the harshest, and she gave me advice on where to go, what to see, and even ended up printing out mapquest directions for me. All in all a good and interesting experience. They did take my firewood, due to beatle infestation worries. Which would have made the previous nights' fires much better and warmer had I known.

From there I went to Vancouver. I saw the "coffee shops" but declined participation. I had some good Chinese food in Chinatown, and bought some green tea which I've had instead of coke for the past several mornings. Hopefully a habit I can keep up.

I also saw this sweet turbo diesel 80:


Drove north to Williams Lake, a fairly economically depressed town. Was craving a chicken parm sub, ended up at Denny's. Missing NYC a bit.

My route

Saturday, April 18 (Jarrell Cove SP (OR) - Larrabee SP (WA))

Woke up and decided to see Seattle on my way to the border. I drove up the west side of Puget Sound and grabbed a Ferry out of Bremmerton (too bad, as a good friend of mine just moved from Bremmerton to Korea about a month ago). The ferry ride was great, and dropped me off right in downtown Seattle. I grant you that I didn't do all the touristy things and see the city in its entirety, but I wasn't blown away. The city seemed a lot like Chicago, with an ocean nearby. Like I said, first impression from a drive-by, so I'm open to other opinions.





One of Becca's friends had told me to try Than Brothers for some good vietnamese food. I took him at his word and had some great Pho. Not sure why, but Vietnamese has been a recurring theme on the trip.

I stopped at a few places to pick up supplies (water filter, more freeze-dried food (I really kind of like the stuff) and so decided to make a run for the border first thing in the morning, rather than trying at the end of the day. I figured it would be breeze (after all, it's Canada) but there was a bit of a wait.

People in the Northwest like to put racing stripes on unlikely cars. They also have an infuriating habit of driving the speed limit.


Larrabee State park proved a good place to crash, although the showers were f'n freezing!

Jon's Desert Pics

Jon's desert pics:

Pics from Jon's perspective

Friday April 17

I woke up at Jon's place with the intention of heading north, but there was one thing I had to do first. The Goonies took place in Astoria Oregon, and as one of the best movies ever made, it deserved some respect. I credit Hayle with putting the idea in my head, as it was his first thought when I told him about the trip. I drove across OR and finally arrived in Astoria. It's a town that seems to have seen better days (likely logging or trading as it's right on the mouth of the Columbia river), but there's still a vibrancy to it.

The new owners of the Goondocks have restored it and even put up a sign telling fans of the movie that they're welcome to come look.

The house


Me at the house


More


The view from the house


Data's house (for all you Data fans; you know who you are)


From there I went north up the west side of Puget Sound. My plan was to stay at Stretch Point State park, which seemed to be on an inviting little island. However, when I got there it turned out to be a quarter acre of scrub land with no place to camp. I backtracked down to Jarrell Cove state park, where I set up camp. Tried my hand at fishing, and it turns out I am really bad at fishing. It's much harder to get the hook in the water than it seems.

The campsite itself was beautiful, with a view over a little cove (presumably Jarrell cove) and the sound of sea lions in the distance.

Wednesday, April 15 - Thursday, April 16 (Bend, OR and Oregon High Desert)

Jon and I woke up on Wednesday and planned on heading out. However, we had some refurbishing to do. We found me a suitable shotgun after some trips through the various shops in the area. I hope that I don't have to credit Jon with helping save my life at the end of this trip, but I feel a hell of a lot more comfortable going to a place like Kodiak island now that I'm armed again.

After a quick bite to eat back at the homestead, we took off into the desert. There's not a lot I can say that would do the pictures justice. We had a fantastic time. Jon is a hell of a guy and a great source of knowledge about most things (the migratory habits of eagles notwithstanding). We took off into the desert and did a big loop, seeing settlers' cabins, Crack in the Ground, Fort Rock, lava tubes, buttes, and other interesting and beautiful aspects of the desert.

I'll leave the rest of the discussion to the pictures.

First set

Second set

Tuesday, April 14 (Belknap OR - Bend, OR)

Drove into Bend and met Bob, a mud guy with a sweet diesel 60. Unfortunately it was in the shop, so he took me to his friend Russ' place where between the two of them they have 9 land cruisers, 3 boats and a few other toys. Oh yeah, they have a shop the size of a barn to play with them in as well. I met Russ, a very cool guy with a lot of cruiser knowledge, and Bob and I proceeded to try and tackle my leaking powe steering box. JT had given me a powe steering box, and when I finally got mine off the frame and disconnected, I realized it didn't fit. Why Toyota felt the need to change bolt patterns from one year to the next I will never know. Likely just to mess with me. We debated for a while as to possible solutions. It was the input seal that was leaking, and JT's box was tight, so we figured we could swap one for the other. After fashioning some SSTs (Special service tools; devices so cunning in their unnecessary complexity that Toyota forces you to either buy them from the company or become Macguyver to come up with solutions) out of household appliances and small woodland creatures, we got the input seals off of both boxes and replaced mine, along with some hoses that had seen better days. The end result is that the leak has slowed down, but not stopped, and we took JT's box which started out tight, and turned it into a leaky one. So.... I think we came out ahead, and JT does get a box back (Bob is going to give it to him at Cruise Moab, an event at the end of April that I had been planning on attending before the theft pushed the trip schedule back).

With the work complete, we decided it was time for burgers and beers. Jon, aka High Desert, met us at the Bend brewery in town, and we had some good beers while talking cruisers and life in general. All three are great guys, with a love of trucks, the outdoors and Oregon.

I followed Jon home to spend the night before heading out the next day. I met his wife Janis and two daughters. Both of them are just making college plans, and there was a lot of excitement in the air. I got to listen to Natalie's piano practice, and to hear that Hilary (I know we spoke about one l vs. two, but I can't for the life of me remember which it was - sorry) got on the cross country team at Oregon State (edited - sorry for the OR crowd). All in all a great group of people with which to spend some time.

I didn't take any pictures, but the next two days more than make up for it.

Monday, April 13 (Umpqa, OR - Belknap Springs OR)

This was a relatively easy day. I woke up and took some toristy pics at Umpqua, a cool little harbor town:






I then kept driving, stopped and bought a lot of supplies and refurbished after the theft, and stopped in Eugene at a mall thinking I could work on the blog. Foiled.

I took route 126 out of Eugene toward Bend, with a campground in mind. However, I didn't realize that all the sites were in the mountains and therefore still closed for the season. I tried 7 or 8 different roads trying to find a place to set up camp, and nothing was forthcoming. All private property or just soaking wet. I pulled down a random road and found the Belknap hot springs hotel, which was a shock. They had tent sites, and I ran around trying find one that wasn't under water in the dark for a while before giving up and getting a room. I soaked in the hot springs (bonus) and slept really well. The hotel was welcoming and warm, and Marlene proved a great host.

My route