morning thunder

yesterday beautiful and clear, so we camped at chena campground right at university and airport way.  got to see the undersides (real close up) of several airplanes coming in to land at the airport.  sat there for quite a while working three versions of monument creek paintings (closing in on the greens).  got some pretty good Italian food over on college ave near creamer's field, at which we saw many large migratory birds that we figure as some kind of cranes.  they have a red patch on their head, otherwise grays and browns.  forgot yesterday to mention the fox we saw on the way into town.  the moose pics look good. (large, brown, looks like cow, grazing in four feet of water, friend named rocky).


so anyway, brewed a pot of morning thunder tea this morning. enjoyed the ritual and the hot beverage.  then off to 'bun on the run', my favorite open air coffee shop.  floundered all over their cinnamon roll! next - free shower anyone? 

moosin, hikin, soakin

back in fairbanks.  three nights at chena hot springs.  good hiking (legs are sore), bad painting (just can't get those greens)

Monument Creek at Cheena Hot Springs

 and hot soaking in the rock pool (contemplative soak for adults). got some good pics of a moose grazing in 3-4 ft of water this morning on the way in to town.



 found why the japanese so enjoy watching the northern lights at the resort from october through april.  local legend would have it that children conceived under the aurora borealis are more likely to be gifted.   denali next.

Sunday morning

A day to assess. Am I losing weight or just latching my belt tighter, lower? Maybe I'll assess again next Sunday.  Today we head for chena river hot springs.

Worked late last night on a painting started two days ago. Cold evening with not so great a result. Had some folks stop by to chat. One an Eskimo girl in flip flops with lots of different, overlapping stories. Definitely a fluid version of her current and past circumstances.

Yesterday dawned sunny. We went to university Alaska Fairbanks and their museum of the north. Up on a hill. There was denali/McKinley in the south. Not a basin and range scenario but a dominating presence floating above an hazy middle distance. Not as startling as the various roadside moose we saw coming up from tok, but only because not so immediate. There were lots of denali images locally in the museum and local shops, so it dominates. And lots of interesting stories of Alaska and life in Alaska. The tourist info center had great day in the life displays. A nice museum in its own right.

Spoke with some locals and yes - winter here is severe. And this summer is cooler and rainier than last summer. No forest fires now as last year. We have the cool weather we were seeking.

Attended the farmers market. Permanent structure plus lots of outside booths. Probably over a hundred booths. Lots of arts/crafts and LOTS of prepared foods. Bandstand among the birches. Tomatoes for$6.00/lb. Reindeer hot dogs at $6.50 each.

same places twice

Fairbanks is in a bowl. We will go to the university museum on the hill in the morning. If it is clear we will see Denali. Am looking forward to the Inuit work there.  Farmers market as well tomorrow. Looked around downtown today. There is a bang up tourist welcome center, a river path, and ONE block, one side of interesting shops. (Missing Dawson City). Nice local co op arts. Good water colors, multimedia and whale bone carvings.

Went to a regional park across airport way, tucked between university ave and the river. Nice treed campsites there. Emptied out the truck, shook off the dust, reorganized, fetched the dog, and reworked a painting of the road north from eagle plains. I liked the result. my affection for my new painting box continues to grow. I'm painting what is in front of me each day. I guess that is one lesson from Charley Russell. Now if I could only tell a tale.

Had breakfast today. Same place as lunch yesterday. Also revisited the Safeway grocery. Went to the Denny's next door - billed as the northernmost in existence. I wish they had kept going.

Thanks to Janice, Kain, john, Julie, Vivian and my Allstate agent for your birthday wishes. I have survived the event. Hope I didn't forget anyone.

Here is the view from the hill at University of Alaska, Fairbanks.  That is the airport in the foreground.  In the background, improbably large, is a glimpse of Denali.  The art museum is located on this hill.  I enjoyed most the 'alaska regionalists/impressionist realists' on display.  What wonderful, colorful, historical, lyrical paintings.  

Here is Chewy; happy to have a stick to fetch.  I'm glad he did not decide to fetch the whale bones lying about nearby.  There were also mining relics on display in the open.  

There was live entertainment on the river walk downtown, sans the crowds.  I get the feeling that the entire town celebrates life in June, but that by mid July they are starting to make the relations they will need to survive the coming winter.  

rain, rain Fairbanks

Fairbanks. The mountain is hiding, but we have time to wait. Seven days till our reservation at denali. 55°f and rain today. One of the party not feeling well.

Trying to feel like I'm back in the USA. Successful mostly. Dollar works. Gas at 4.50, down from six bucks. Roads better. But still knowing home is 75 hours of driving time and 50 days away. At 10:30 darkness will be here (sort of) in a couple hours.

Traded out my black swoosh tennis for the waterproof boots today. Walked the dog behind the motel; through a narrow band of trees - found a correctional institution. Barbed wire, warning signs. Opted for the street signed for the old pioneer home. Figured it for an historic site. Saw an old ore car and freight wagon, but it was a nursing home. Oh well. Pioneer park is very close. Salmon bake with crab legs and prime ribs every day from 5 - 9 since 1970-something. Lots of campers/RVs over there. Just beyond is the curling club. They seem to go hand in hand with super8.

when am I?

Tok tonight. The usual wide spot in the road with double frontage and a good grocery if you're lucky. Top of the world highway today. Julie drove. Parts are like going to the sun highway in glacier - without the guard rails. Came down past 40 mile river, through chicken with all the attendant gold mining ghosts past and present. Talked to a sourdough in town tonight- she holds the claims where the roads cross the rivers up 40 mile way. It was time for me to go when the bear stories started. Spent an extra day in Dawson to rest my back. Weather and light there - as here- idyllic. Ate at the sourdough saloon/ jack London grill. Lots of tall women and hardy lads. That town is friendly. I guess because they don't have much other way of holding on. I can hear planes and motorcycles and four wheelers reaching for speed. Painted two pics tonight. Starting to loosen up a bit.
Damn hoteliers give you one hour only of internet. I'm surprised they let you wake up in the same bed.

View northeast along top of the world highway

ice road trucker

Camped out in a 5th wheel rv listening to crow telling stories of the north. Saw the sun come up around 3 this morning. Passed above arctic circle this morning, so expect there to be no sunset this night. Ice road will get you if you lose patience. Rode two free ferries. Adieu. All season road is being built straight across the tundra from Tok, so Dempster will be eclipsed. Night. Night.

 

Arctic circle trash cans.

Crossing at Fort McPherson

Red River of the North.

Local transport.

solid building, Inuvik.

Landmarks, Inuvik.

abstract - real

Sitting at eagle's nest/ eagle plains motel 21 km south of arctic circle. 230 miles of unpaved road to get here. Last 50 miles on a ridge with distant mtn ranges visible to each side. Weather cloudy much of day. No rain. Just sprinkles. The dust in and outside the truck keeps building. Motel built by/for oil exploration engineers in mid fifties, as was road.  Much of land ceded to first nation by treaty.

Just had our first flat tire repaired. Got to watch a gravel hauler get back two tires replaced while I waited. Always wondered how those doubles were mounted. Finally got mine patched at ten p.m. - closing time. Now enjoying oh henry nut bar and orange soda In the bar. Tender just showed me pics of a bear taken raiding candy bars in the gift shop (30 feet away) four days ago. Welcome to the Yukon.

500 miles of bad road in abstract does not raise philosophical questions as does mud and ruts and washcoard and dust. Noise and vibration and tension. Racing faster at the end over worse roads. Considered flying from Whitehorse. Phew.

Spoke w camping couple alongside Yukon hwy this morning. They has fresh caught char in the skillet with a side of mushrooms gathered on top of world hwy. Using Coleman stove of ancient vintage.

note to self - waterfalls

Watson lake to Whitehorse had three camera stops for waterfalls. Smith river was tallest. Rancheros falls was a double, and Whirlpool falls has the most ominous name. All are worth the stop and look.

there was a camp site at Whirlpool falls.  You could see that people sat around the fire on long logs that had been pulled up for that purpose.  

This is Rancheria falls.  there was an elevated boardwalk leading down to the two sets of falls, complete with mosquitos.  

The first set of falls at Rancheria.

The road to Smith falls was rough, about a mile long.  You wondered what would happen meeting another vehicle on the road, as there weren't many turn offs.  The parking area was small, and much in need of a toilet and some cleaning, as it was obvious that people were using the area as a toilet.  There was a steep trail leading straight down to the river below the falls, which we did not take.  This image was taken using a telephoto lens.  It was the biggest falls of the day, and only the upper part of it is shown in the frame. 

the real thing

The Yukon river is flowing by across the street. It is fast, and had to be to carry gold. The paddle wheelers came Herr. Now its mostly rv's parked at Walmart. Downtown was lousy with tourists in the afternoon. Now its deserted except for hard cases. Nightclub types will be out later. Came across Teslin river on a long bridge across the beginning of its large bay, the upper part of which contains a large river delta home to migratory waterfowl.

Walked through sign forest before leaving Watson lake. Started in the early forties, it is now an organic, cooperative work of art more than 70 years old. Wished I had brought a sign.

Three more days of northerly travel will bring us to Inuvik on my birthday - if road conditions allow.

a walk in the woods

These towns require a bit of scratching to expose their glitter. Watson lake no exception. Community center built as earth envelope. Tourist center has sign forest, located right next to the curling rink. New hospital and schools. Nice homes located on the lake fronts. Walked a couple miles on forested trails around a lake. Buddy Chew came along.
Saw wildlife on the drive today. First, a young moose (based on shape of skull and broad nose) - or a young caribou (based on color of scruff. Next a selection of bears, black male, sow and tiny cub, and a brown bear with long hair. All were upland, and eating ants or grubs or some such.  Should I count the dead porcupine?
And was this a good day? Let us just say that a walk in the north woods was a reminder of why this way we came.

dead parrot

Two days ago? Drove from grand prairie (55k people w/o hwy bypass) through Dawson creek (mile 0 Alaska hwy), and peace river (all geographic features/human enterprise large), through ft st john (not in this order) ith all its oilfield dust and smoke from tumbler ridge forest fire to ft nelson. Anyway, radio DJ played the Monte python gig about phrases referring to death. Hilarious. Busted a gut. So to speak. One day ago. . . started with good coffee, walk dog and about 30 flights of motel stairs. Ended in Toad River. Idyllic enough in its own way.  Mountains water trees etc. Army guy headed south to LA posting said road much busier with more businesses and tourists than three years ago. Cabin we stayed in was on skids. No a.c. we waited for sun to go low to crash (11:00). I worked a couple of small paintings.

more north, hot north, long north, go

Camped along the Athabasca river in jasper park friday night. Same campsite as 7? years ago with son john. Set up my new paint box and worked for an hour, getting one board covered with paint and one covered with drawing notes.  Nice path to river from camp. Good place for fetching the dog. Short walk to the crapper. Rice beans corn for dinner. Chocolate for dessert. Slept in till seven. Enjoyed the cool night. Stopped for a nice French style coffee in Jasper. Lunch out of the esso station cooler at grand cache and a ride through the oil patch to Grand Prairie, which is a dry 95°. 1300 miles to go before the turn on the Dempster highway. Long way.

Forgot to tell about Chewy the wonder dog finding his muse - an open range cow in deep cover along the road north of waterton park. I was taking his picture when suddenly he was gone. There was a crashing in the underbrush and the dog's owner was moving rapidly down the road shouting his name. It was a herding dog reacting (feloniously?) to a random chance to fulfill his previously unimagined destiny. Quite delightful.

At the end of our highland drive from grand cache through the oil fields, we came past 3- 4 hundred Canadians congregated along the river 12 km south of grand prairie. It was more idyllic from the highway than up close.

international rules

og tired in Alberta 70 km from anywhere. Saw broken head buffalo dump (appr name). Its a world heritage site. Famous for 350 miles in all directions so long as you don't cross an int'l border. Could have stayed at townsite campground in Watertown lakes but tour director got happy feet. (Something to do with bears and tourist traps and covering ground to get to the far freaking northern reaches of the continent.) The size of this adventure is beginning to become apparent. Happy 93d birthday to my dad.

Rose early today with the other glacier park campers. Julie drove us out of the high country, as I had some altitude sickness while coming down the 'sun' highway last evening. Nasty bout of dizziness nausea on that road was scary.

Money and credit cards here are higher tech than in the states. Bit of an inconvenience. Our bills hold up better in the laundry, but thats about it.

approach

Great Falls is a placid, peaceful place in the hot, high plains sun of a fair summer day. The dams have slowed the river, as the decades old loss of the copper smelter slowed the town. There are the tourists headed for the mountains and the breaks, but the town doesn't feel of them. Rather, it rests on the slow growing wheat waving in the wind, and its favorite son - charlie - still telling whoppers of the old west to green horns. Ex. The Holdup, on museum display. The old Mint saloon is gone, replaced by the ubiquitous gambling halls and, I suppose, soldiers on weekend base leave.

Chew and I took our evening walk from a bare bones motel room in east glacier. under the tracks, past the dominating lodge and the adjacent wooded rv park for workers, down a gravel road, stream crossing and back through the Amtrak station and over the BNSF RR.

north

first it was time for family.  then it was time to follow the high line west. now it is time to head north.  with due apologies to Ft Benton and to moderately impressive geographic features in Saskatchewan, we are off to glacier park, to calgary, and to jasper via the mountain path.  we stayed last night at the laquinta in great falls, right on the green belt next to the river.  we spent some time at the national parks interpretive center located just downstream of the power dam on the river, and just upstream of warm springs.  we walked to the warm springs which are a year round constant temperature of 54 degrees.  I guess warm water was a relative thing when wintering in montana in the early 1800's.  today we visit the charles russell museum, gather a few supplies, and head to the high season at glacier park. hope there is a campsite for us.

gravel dust

Each town along the hi/high line has its own bit of surprise. Havre and its casinos were all but deserted (though the motels were full).

we set off yesterday morning to see beaver creek recreation area. It was all pretty informal and beautiful. We got into a bit of 4 wheeling before coming out the south end, headed toward the breaks. No road signs so we had to do some guessing. Eventually, after crossing the river at Judith's landing, and traversing 60 - 80 miles of gravel road, we ended in lewistown, which sits surrounded by mtns in all directions.

Motel8 here s ucks, bad WiFi, bad matress, small rooms.

Have only on good sketch from ft union. Dark clouds traveling across the sky's here.

first heat in big sky

Started the day with coffee near the train/grain station in DT williston. One Amtrak came through. We saw many trains all day along hwy 2, and had the dubious opportunity to pitch a tent on a grassy area RIGhT next to the tracks. As it turns out, we have the special needs toilet away from the casino but right next to the tracks. Good thing the hurricane roar or the bathroom fan will help drown out the trains. So havre it is, with many peeps of in the mtns camping. Lots of we love Canadians signs, so this must be a mecca. Lots of bead work in the pawn shops. Some looks worn. Next day or two hope to see upper Missouri breaks.

running the gauntlet in the peace garden state

Used all my digital film on the shores of lake bemidji yesterday morn capturing Paul Bunyan and babe the blue ox in a sea of trash cans marshalled for use in the annual water festival. Walked through a city park, past the curling club and through the Frisbee golf course - tight wooded fairways. Stopped for supplies in crookston and for lunch on the shore of the red river of the north in grand forks. Got a free steak dinner in Minot because the service was slow.

Drove through new town and Watford city to williston today. eighty miles of grass, canola, rv trailers, construction, oil wells, traffic and road construction. Lewis and Clark wouldn't believe their eyes. Traffic was lined up for two miles coming into new town from the west.

Williston is a mess. As is the dog, who is freaked out by the fireworks popping.

west of the Mississippi

Crossed the mighty miss at hastings, ball club (name of town) and bemidji (means nothing happened today). Shouldn't see the river again. Saw old downtown Duluth. Pretty nice place. Rain, cold.