The Lady in the Van - A roadtrip

Dawson City

After an uneventful trip, surrounded by a host of colourful wildflowers, up the Klondike, a brief stop over in Mayo and another quick drive through Keno (all places I had visited in more depth in 2012), I arrived in Dawson City in time to check out the visitor centre and some shops, as well as the bank, to get some more Canadian cash. The NW Territories visitor centre - which really should be called the Dempster Highway visitor centre - was closed by the time I got there, so headed to RV Dawson City for the night.

Wet weather was forecast for the night, and the coming days, and as much as I wanted the forecasters to be wrong, this time they were spot on. That was not the sort of weather one would choose to drive the Dempster Highway to Inuvik.

Next morning when I arrived at the NWT visitor centre, the condition of the road was described as Fair! In 2012, it had been described as Very Good, when I was there, and many of the folk who had driven the highway had left messages extolling its condition, in the visitor centre's Dempster highway log. This time there were only a couple of entries, none of their authors had actually attempted to get to Inuvik. With the forecast the way it was, all I could do was to abandon 'plan A'.

Plan B was to be in Alaska.

I headed back down the Klondike. Having been told that the cheapest fuel was at the Cardlock site, right where the Dempster turns off to head north. My card was rejected by the system. The next folk who arrived were two young men in the bosses small truck. I asked if I gave them the money, could they use their card, which they did. It was only after they left that I realised I had given them $60, but they had pumped only $50 into my tank. Saying they needed the receipt for the boss, I did not even get a look at it. (It was the first time I have ever been ripped off by anyone on my road trips.) I felt saddened by the fact that someone could do that to you, forgave them and continued, knowing I had sufficient fuel to get to Whitehorse.

Whitehorse has grown these last four years, and I was not even able to find the visitor centre and the RV place where I stayed last time. It was getting late, as I was driving around looking to see what I could find, when I saw a half dozen or so RVs parked and camped on a small grassy patch in a busy part of town. BBQs were out, chairs were out, the full works short of a camp fire. I noted it was by a McDonalds, and as I wanted to use the wifi, joined them. It was only when I went into McDonalds that I realised where I was....... I had to enter through Walmarts.

It was still raining on and off.

(Odo - 147273)

Lifey

Some days are just more memorable than others. It's either a great memorable moment, or something you wish had never happened. This day was both!

I had not slept well, and made a late start. By the time I got to Destruction Bay, I needed a break.

The drive from Whitehorse into Alaska is for a large section over permafrost, which causes frostheave on the road. Up and down and over one small hump after the other. Most times too small to see, and then some surprise you by being larger than expected..... and you wonder whether all the crockery in the van survived. It is a tiring section of the road..

The large turn out at Kluane Lake is a wonderful place to stop at any time, and this time I pulled in, parked at the far end, and flopped onto my bed. It was an hour or more later when I awoke - got ready to continue.

In Northern Canada, and Alaska it is a requirement that you have your headlights on at all times. Just turning the engine off when I parked did not turn off the headlights. When I attempted to start the engine, there was nothing there.... not a sound. The battery was as dead as it could get.

I had not noticed any other vehicles in the area, but right at that moment, two gents were walking along the shore of the lake, a few feet away from me.

"No worry! We've got some cables with us."

There were two RVs parked not far from me. One was being towed the other was towing a toad. They were travelling together They brought the towing vehicle to mine, and without further ado, started the engine, and suggested I not put my lights on, and not stop anywhere for a while.

With that they started to pack away the jumper cables, which came all neatly rolled up in a small plastic zip up pouch. I admired it, and asked to see the make of it. It is the sort of thing I should have in my van, and these were so neat and tidy. The two gentlemen conferred and came back to me and gave me the jumper cables all packed up. He said since they were travelling together, and each had a set, they would be fine.

A nice and neat set they are too..... even nicer since I gave the cables and the pouch a good clean.

Arrived in Tok well before dinner time, after an uneventful border crossing. As usual my first stop is a visit to the visitor centre, where the lovely lady sold me my 'mosquito hunting licence'. (As it was, I did not need it. There were surprising few mossies.) A visit to the adjoining library got me the password to the wifi, which was very good, even outside. Sat in my van with the computer for hours after the library closed.

At the end of a memorable day, I joined others at the Chevron truck stop across the road from the visitor centre. A great place to park for the night.

(Odo - 147650)

Lifey

It's a long time since I have been able to attend to this thread. For one thing my computer went to where all old, hard working computers go. Not even my trusty tech (glc) could fix it. However, by the time I got to Joplin, a new computer was waiting for me, completely configured to the way I like it with the programs I use most. Now that all the data from the backup disk has been installed on the new computer, I am set for a few more years of trouble free computering.

Meanwhile, not everything goes as planned, to which I think most roadtrippers can attest. In California, on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the death of James Dean, about a mile from the Memorial intersection, I was unfortunate to have an unplanned meeting with another vehicle. Fortunately no one was hurt and my vehicle was still mobile, given that I was going fairly slowly, the damage is purely cosmetic.

I could not communicate with the Japanese folk in the other car, but the officer who attended, commented that the damage supported my description of what happened.

Now on my way back to NC to put the van into storage - damage and all - before I fly home in a little over a week. Guess the rest of the report will have to wait till I get home. Hopefully the photoshare will be functioning by then.

Lifey

Glad to hear that you were not injured in the crash and that the van is [hopefully] not too badly damaged. Have a safe journey home and I look forward to more trip updates and hopefully some pictures.

Dave.

I, too, am glad that you were not hurt! Regarding the van, if it's only cosmetic, and it's in covered dry storage, it will still be fixable when you return.

Also looking forward to reading the rest of your report!


Donna

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

and it's in covered dry storage, it will still be fixable when you return.

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No way!! It will be out there in the open.... hurricane and all..... just like it has been in the past.

Not sure if I will get it fixed. Maybe wear it as a badge...... of something.

Lifey

Here is a pic of Lifey's van, taken this morning.

http://bbscomp.com/george/van.jpg

A bit more 'cosmetic' than I imagined, but a used fender and grill (?)bolted on from a wrecker and it'll be [almost ] good as new !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

.... but a used fender and grill (?)bolted on from a wrecker ....

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It shall have to be as it is almost impossible to get a new one.

Quote:

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.... and it'll be [almost ] good as new !

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I'd rather it looked like a twenty year old van..... next time I get back.

Meanwhile we have been busy making a few improvements so that things stay more in place during hard braking. That together with the lino on the floor and the led lights.......

She looks really great, all tidy and clean. Am having some pics of the inside taken, as soon as the photographer is free.

Lifey

From the front seat looking back:

http://bbscomp.com/george/van1.jpg

From the side door:

http://bbscomp.com/george/van2.jpg

Having had to abandon plan A, there was not much enthusiasm left in me for plan B. But when I got to see the forecasts for the various regions of Alaska, I came to the realisation that plan B would have to be abandoned as well. The places I had not been, and wanted to visit were all on unsealed roads. In such inclement weather it was not going to be enjoyable to venture out on any of them.

I had not bothered about a plan C, but a visit to the visitor centre soon took care of that. There are two visitor centres in Anchorage, one being the Anchorage visitor centre and the other being the public lands office - in a government building across the road, complete with security and all. As it was it was the latter in which I found myself first.

Discussing my disappointments and options with the very helpful amd knowledgable staff, I said, where I really would like to go is Dutch Harbour. Not sure what made me say this, as I had not considered it before. But I was surprised - nay, I was staggrered - to hear them say that that was possible and quite popular. In fact the cabins on the ferries were all booked up, some months ahead.

I went back to the Sheep Creek RV in park in Anchorage, where I had made myuself comfortable, thought about it, did a little research and talked about it. Slowly it fell into place. The next ferry was not due for a couple of days, and the office to book in person and ask questions would not open until an hour before the ferry was due to come in. It would be five hours or more before it departed again.

Meanwhile a visit to the Anchorage city visitor centre alerted me to other ideas, (as did the visit to the visitor centre in Homer). The drive down to Homer is in places an extremely scenic drive, especially if you take some of the diversions through the smaller towns, off the highway. But this time it was pouring rain the whole way, The volcanos were barely visible. The road was busier than I recall from last time, and wildlife was nowhere to be seen.

Lifey

I'll add my thanks that you weren't hurt. Another amazing trip, though. I agree with you. As long as the bumper isn't going to fall off, leave it as is.

Oh, by the way, how many miles did you log this time?

The ferry ride to Seldovia, across the bay from Homer, is but a short trip, but ever so scenic and when you have a great commentator and driver of the ferry, it makes it a most enjoyable time. Whales and sea otters were the main wildlife. Not having seen a sea otter before, I was not aware how big they are. It was interesting seeing them anchored to the ocean floor by very large sea weed. This prevents them from floating away while they sleep. It is also how they secure their young while away gathering food. Small bundles wrapped up in sea weed, and achored to the ocean floor. Birdlife on the many rocky outcrops was proloific. Don't expect me to recall the names of all the birds, but I do recall being told that one in particular breeds on these rookeries, and when the young are old enough they fly off to sea, not to return for four years. During all that time, not having touched land at all.

Before docking we had been told of the places where lunch would be available. I had a lovely hot lunch in the only ice cream shop in town. They also have a couple of rooms for rent, the only ones which are able to be rented for less than $150 per night. The owner joined me at lunch, sharing her experience of the previous week when she had Australians as her guests. After lunch I visited the visitor centre - which is only manned when a ferry comes to town. Here I learned about the best way to get around and places not to miss.

Seldovia is not able to be accessed by road, and as a result, there were very few local vehicles. It is a very small place and easily covered on foot for the three or four hours we had there. The roads are paved and most places had ramps - seeing they were nearly all build on stilts or pylons - for easy access. It was a pity that I was not able to make it to the historic Russian Orthodox Church, access to which was via a very steep road. I did however go to the only residential street, where the street was actually a boardwalk, and where plants were grown in containers, including old hiking boot.

Soon it was time to take the ferry back to Homer Spit, this time going directly there without sightseeing. There was a low tide when we returned to the Spit. The ramp, which I had easily navigated onto the ferry, was now too steep for my little scooter to manage. A couple of gentlemen pushed me all the way to the top. At a time like that you realise just how long those ramps are. My van was parked right by the ramp. All along the Spit parking is $5 per calendar day - i.e. $10 overnight!

A great day!

Lifey

By the time the ferry office opened, I had spent a few days on the Spit. I made good use of the time, asking as many as I could about all the options with the ferry. So when I fronted up to the window at 9pm that night to purchase a ticket, I had pretty well made up my mind that I would take my van with me, to Kodiak Island, and have a few days there to look around. I had been assured that there was plenty to fill in the time, and lots of bears to see. It is after all unofficially called Bear Island.

The ferry was not due to leave till some time in the wee small hours of Sat morn - I think it was after three. I fell asleep...... with the car lights on. When the time came for me to board, a nice man with all the right tools came and started the car without a hassle. I suspected that I was not the first. Driving onto the ferry, meant driving onto a turn table, and then backing into place. I handed my keys over to the gentleman who was directing everything. There was no way I was going to attemp to back it into a given spot, whilst half asleep.

The little scooter was able to come with me and I loaded a few things on it which I thought I may need during the trip. Book, jacket, water etc. Little did I know how cold it would be. The air conditioning was freezing, so much so that I ended up with a death of a cold. When at 6am someone came around, I told him, and said I had a sleeping bag in the van. He took me down to the van and I got my breakfast out while I was at it, then snoozed for much of the morning until we got to port.

The town of Kodiak is a nice little town, with the emphasis on the little! A variety of shops, places to eat, etc., but no campground or RV facilities. That first day was spent in town, the visitor centre, checking out a few shops and the supermarket. There were a few large vehicles in the Safeway parking lot - I joined them that night, and the next.

Just two roads take you out of town. One heads south through American River, the other heads North. Mostly paved, but not all. On the Sunday I had a lovely day driving as far as the southern road would take me. Then I took another fork of the southern road, which I had not been told was there. After a while the pavement ran out. Still lots of poople seemed to live down that way, so it could not be all that bad. I continued, and when the road all but disappeared, turned around and headed back.

Back on the ashphalt, I stopped at by the bridge over American River, just to look around, when a car pulled up behind me, and allerted me to a flat rear tyre. I was well out of town late on a Sunday, without phone coverage. This is the way it always used to be. How did people cope before modern technology? I set about doing just that. I tried stopping the ocasional car which passed, but none did. The flat tyre was not on the road side - not visible.

Eventually a pickup stopped, and a young man came and asked me if I needed anything. Oh! No problem, he said. I am a mechanic, I'll fix that for you. He called over a mate to come and help. Two young ladies joined them. tThey were lovely young women, one was still at school. Turned out these young folk all live in Kodiak town, and were on their way to American River to hang out for the evening. In less than 10 mins my van was mobile again, and those lovely young folk would not accept any reward. I did however give Wayne the mechanic a hundred dollar note and told him to go have a good time with his friends. He deserved it. The thought which went through my mind was, that if this is an example of the character of the next generation, the world is in good hands.

After a few days on the island, and not having seen any bears, nor seeing any possibility of seeing any, as all tours - air and road -required a significant distance to walk over terrain which my little scooter is unable to handle, I caught the next ferry back to the Homer Spit. As mostly happens, the ferry arrives in the wee small hours of the morning. This time I brought my sleeping bag and pillow with me. On the forward deck I joined the dozens who were already camped on the floor and seats. Just as on the forward journey, we had calm seas.

I met a German couple, who did what, on reflection, I should have done. They took the ferry all the way from Homer to Dutch Harbor. Did not have a vehicle, and since cabins are booked out up to a year in advance, camped on the deck. One either side of the table in one of the booths. Used the facilities which were marked for occupiers of cabins only, and ate all meals in the dinning room. When they arrived at any of the islands during the daytime, went ashore and took the opportunity to look around. In one case, when they had more than five hours, rented a car on that island and went for a trip. Their stories and photos were fantastic.

Next morning a great breakfast was served in the dinning room, and some hours later we docked. It was raining. It rained all the way back to Anchorage, where I once again settled into the Sheepcreek RV park.

Lifey