Wandering from Tennessee to Alaska, and back, 2023

[Machinebuilder]

ok It's time to post some more, I ran into cell plan issues, I didn't know about the data limit using my cell phone as a mobile hot spot.
I went over the limit and basically had nothing to work with.

I left Seward and went down the Kenai Peninsula. I stopped at the reccomended Halibut charter and was EXTREMELY lucky they had 1 cancellation for 8/5. that gave me 1 week to spend exploring.

I stopped at Skilak Lake, this was part of the Swan Lake fire in 2019.



 

Then after stopping at J&J Smart charters in Ninilchik I went to Anchor Point, the most westerly road accecable in North America.



 

THe dogs got a good run on the beach



 

I saw this catch come in, a 50-60lb King Salmon. The boat operator said its the  only one he's seen in 40+years



 

Then I went to Homer, I'ts an interesting little town. The Homer spit is a Glacial terminal Moraine, that's been heavily modified.
Since the 1964 earthquake sank it 5-6ft? theres been a 50 acre harbor dug and a fishing pond. It is an extremely touristy place and I walked around with and without the dogs, stopped and had some Alaskan oysters and good seafood chowder that was very overpriced.



 



 



 

I then decided to get a campsite in one on the spit (the other one in town is closed this year)

it was a stunning view for a parking lot.



 



 

[Machinebuilder]

Leaving the Homer Spit I decided to see where the east end road went,

I saw a moose and calf in town, the calf was hidden pretty well



 

and ended up at the end of Kachamek Bay, the Fox River flats. it was a really steep narrow winding road to a not very scenic spot.
here's another view of the bay



 

on the way out of town it looked like Mt Augustine was letting off some stream. There are 3 volcanos you can see along the Cook inlet.

Mt Augustine, Mt Illiamna, and Mt Redoubt. I think all 3 are concidered active volcano's



 

I decided to camp at Deep Creek,which is where We would be launching for my Halibut Charter.

The do a beach launch there and at Anchor Point. the boat is hualed to the launch area then the hook the trailer up to a log skidder to launch it.



 

I spent a couple lazy days there, The dogs enjoyed some beach time.



 

If you have never heard a Bald Eagle, they don't sound like a hawk. There is a really cool app (Merlin) that id's birds by their sound.

I had to call them back from chasing eagles often here.

Sox enjoyed some lap time (Gabby is in the blue chair)



 



 



 

and watched a couple nice sunsets (They started after 10pm)



 



 

[Machinebuilder]

Ninilchik has a historic Russian Orthodox Church



 

I needed to go back to Soldova to a grocery store, Laundry and Barber
Then I went to Captain Cook Discovery Park
again the dogs enjoyed some beach time, I could almost make out a couple oil rigs in the distance



 



 


I filled another day meandering and camped at Stariski point before my charter.
I had been warned about SalmonFest in Ninilchik 8-4/5/6, its a music festival that fills all the campgrounds nearby, the traffic was pretty bad but the idiots that were walking in the middle of the road were the bigger problem.

[Machinebuilder]

8-5 HALIBUT FISHING DAY

This young man caught his 2 at once.



 



 



 



 

Things I learned, PLAN AHEAD. 8/5 was the wrong tides for good fishing. the tide  charts are marked with the good and poorer tides.
hoping to find a spot meant I got a spot on the worst tides, COok Inlet has the 2nd highest tides in the world, I was seeing 25ft differences High to low tide. this means the current is very strong and its hard to keep your bait on the bottom.

I had a good time and enjoyed it, I got my 2 halibut (on a charter 1 has to be under 28") I ended up with about 12lbs of fillets, I had enough room in my freezer and did not need to ship any. Camping with a freezer is awesome.

Gabby and Sox were walked by a young lady at the charter so they were happy too.

they got a little more beach time at Clam Gulch.



 

[Magicman]

Thank You Dave for the update.  

I had been wondering, but understand the "data limit".  We have done it and you are dead in the water so to speak.

[tule peak timber]

Wonderful pics. Where do you think you will be in a month from now? Interesting comment about the tides, very true!

[Andries]

Machine builder, I think you're going about this trip in a really good way.
So often, folks leave for the Northcountry, reach Inuvik or Fairbanks, then turn around and skedaddle back home. Seems like a wasted opportunity, or maybe they just have an itch to keep rolling along.
Your boondocking ways and stopping to fish or exploring the backroads are my favorite way to travel as well.
"Hey, machinebuilder, when are you coming home?"
"Dunno, now that I'm here, I'm going to enjoy it. .  .  when the money runs out or winter's bite persuades me, I guess." 
.
Carry on, buddy and thanks for bringing us along!

[Mooseherder]

On the data limits and them throttling your usage there are options that some providers have.
They have internet devices available that are small and use Cell service.
The carrier of that area would have them.
We're on the edge of wilderness and struggled With tethering devices to our phones the last few years.   Being close to Canada's cell towers is another terrible story.  
Our provider had them for 50 bucks a month tax included.   I find a lot of value in that and no hassle internet and streaming.  

[Machinebuilder]

The cellular modem would be ok. I had one years ago. Part of my problem is Verizon isn't a major player in Alaska. And I've been a lot of pretty remote places

[Machinebuilder]

Andries. My reply to "How long will this trip be?"

As long as it takes

I'm not even being a wise guy when I say it


I met someone that recognized my Tennessee tag today. He's from upper East TN. He's up here working 

[Machinebuilder]

Wow its longer ago than I thought that I posted

August is a rainy month in Alaska, Since I posted I have been back through Anchorage down the Glenn Hwy, to McCarthy/Kennicott, to Valdez, to the Nesbena rd (North side of Wrangle St Elias Park), Back to Tok, to Chicken, Eagle, and am sitting across the Yukon River from Dawson City.

I have a lot of pictures so they will do most of the talking.

From my camp at Clam Gulch I went up Swanson River rd in the Kenai wildlife refuge. I didn't take many pictures. Then I went through Anchorage and took the Glenn Hwy.



 

Near Sutton there used to be a coal mine with the processing in Sutton. They have some things on display.



 



 



 

Matanuska Glacier



 

a ground level rainbow




 

A small side trip to Lake Louise, General Eisenhuar (sp?) stayed at one of these cabins in 1947. it was an R&R camp run by the army.



 

at the Wrangel St Elias visitor center they had this fishwheel. the natives still use them to gather salmon during the runs.
I am told they only work on the silty rivers so the salmon can't see what they are swimming into



 

[Machinebuilder]

They also had a couple public interest signs




 

 

The McCarthy rd is gravel covering the train tracks, it has a reputation that IMHO it doesnt live up to it was a good gravel road for most of its length.

the start in Chitna



 

The Kusklusa Trestle is still used. its a long way up single lane wood deck.



 

Gulihina Trestle

Built in 8 day in the winter, rebuilt in 1916 after a fire in 10 days



 



 

the Camp at McCarthy is different, its a glacial gravel field with poor excuses for pit toilets and $35/night

it does have a spectacular view




 

 

I took the shuttle to Kennicott and took the mill tour, the best part was going through the mill from top to bottom.

Kennicott was a copper town, the ore was discovered in the early 1900's and the Gugenhiems financed the building and railroad to get the ore out.

it closed in 1938.



 



 


 



 


 

[Machinebuilder]

Kennicott was the company town and was dry, McCarthy was the town where the miners went to let off some steam

it tries really hard to be an artsy touristy town now



 





 

 

From there to Valdez

Worthington Glacier  The signs there said they get up to 89 feet of snow per year



 

Bridal Veil Falls



 

Horsetail Falls



 

Kelso Dock



 



 



 



 

Glacier lake


 

Gabby found a piece of glacial ice to play with



 

THere is a fish hatchery across the bay



 



 



 



 

I did catch 2 pinks, about 2 lbs fillets, I am out of room in my freezer so I stopped fishing.

there is a small museum, I thought this was interesting

a 1921 Model T Chemical fire engine,



 

And I saw this rig along the road



 

[Machinebuilder]

Nebesna rd, it goes off the Tok Cutoff at Slana. Slana is where the last homesteads under the homestead act are, in the 1980's

most of them failed due to being under prepared for winter.

it rained quite a bit that night so there were several water crossings, I found another person as I was not sure about crossing them alone.



 



 

it looked like fresh snow on the mountains



 



 



 

at the end of the road you can hike about 1 mi to the Rambler mine



 



 



 



 

on the way out there was this waterfall way off in the distance



 



 

and a nice view of Mt Sanford



 

[Machinebuilder]

I resupplied in Tok and took the Taylor Hwy to Chicken and Eagle



 



 



 

After the turn to Eagle the road got really interesting



 



 



 



 



 



 



 

The Top of the world hwy is a beautiful dirt rd, I am currently camped across the Yukon river from Dawson City.
My next post will be of the paddlewheel graveyard

[Magicman]

Thank you for taking the time to bring us up to date.  I am loving your excursion. 

[sawguy21]

You and me both. What an incredible trip! 8)

[thecfarm]

I will have to start at the beginning of this thread to enjoy it all over again.

[OlJarhead]

What an adventure!  Love it! Thanks for sharing!

[Machinebuilder]

Thanks. It has been a great adventure. I am enjoying every day. Some are not that great but it's an incredible world

[Ron Scott]

Yes, to a great adventure!

[Machinebuilder]

Cfarm, I'm going to have to read my whole thread again too.

I was going to post some more but my connection is too slow tonight.

I have driven the Dempster hwy to Tuktoyatuk and the Arctic Ocean. it was a cold rainy MUDDY drive on the northern part.
The plants are changing colors and it is beautiful. there was not much open in Tuk, its past summer season.

I am back in Dawson city and have spent the afternoon cleaning, my truck, myself, and my laundry.

I am heading to Ross River and the North Canol rd in the AM. I should be able to post more when I get to Watson Lake in maybe a week.

looking at the weather forecast its time to be heading south, Dawson City is supposed to be below freezing by the weekend.

[Machinebuilder]

I had camped at a gravel pit on the Eagle RD. Gravel pits are some of the best free camps, big open space for the dogs and good level places for the truck.

The Top of the world Hwy is a nice road, it was in great condition when I drove it. there are some 100 mi views



 



 



 

This is the northernmost border crossing, it is only open during summer months.
As I drove up I saw a good size stack of firewood, the agent asked me if I had any. the stack must be from the people that did.



 

I got to Dawson City and camped across the river, Thats where i was able to make my last posts.

A few 100 yards down stream is the paddlewheel graveyard, they pulled them on shore and left them. There seemed to be at least 4



 



 



 



 



 

I walked over to the ferry, there was a lineup that afternoon



 



 

I did my posting and the dogs relaxed a little



 

[Machinebuilder]

I crossed the ferry in the morning and walked around Dawson City, I got tired of the tourism and headed to the Dempster hwy and Tombstone park



 


 


 

[Machinebuilder]

Dempster Hwy

I took 5 days to go to the end at Tuktoyatuk, the Arctic Ocean.
the southern part was dusty, the middle was foggy and then it got rainy and muddy.
Tuktoyatuk was 43 degrees, rainy and windy, just like winter in Tennessee.
going south
North of the Mckenzie River ferry was VERY muddy, I used 4x4.
 I had to wait in fort Mcpherson for the gas station to open.
At the NWT/Yukon border the waether cleared up and I could see the scenery.
from there south there had been some rain but just enough to settle most of the dust



 



 



 



 

it looked like its been there a while



 



 



 

Engineer creek has a brown color and a sulfer smell