On To Alaska!

 TerraVia’s Adventures 2024

 

June 22 – 29  This summer we continue to “wander the land” in TerraVia, our 25’ Outdoors RV Blackrock towed by our trusty 2001 Ford F150.  We bought the pickup the week after 911 when all dealerships were in shock and hoping that a customer, any customer, would feel safe enough to walk through their doors.  Turns out its towing package is capable of pulling our chosen home on wheels. 

A real treat for us this year is that our granddaughter Sam (Sophia for some of you who have followed along for years) is with us for about a month.  Recently graduated from high school we snagged her before life catches up and finds her busy again.

 

Her family, Dad Zach, Stepmom Viv and brother Aiden, joined us for dinner, dropped her off and entrusted her to us for the duration.  Aiden spent 2 months with us at about the same age, on our boat, ExTerra, as we ventured from Portland, up the coast, down the Strait and into the south Puget Sound.  Canada was still closed due to covid.  It has been an interesting few years for this world we all call home.

 

On to Alaska!  Our first night out found us boondocking in the backyard of a dear friend, Ronalee, in Washington state, close to the border.  We had an absolutely delightful pork roast dinner with lots of stories, followed up by homemade rhubarb cake and ice-cream.  The setting was on her back deck overlooking her beautiful “planted for wildlife” backyard garden.  She sent us off after a nice breakfast with enough pork roast and cake for our evening meal.  Thank you, Ronalee! 

 

Crossing into Canada was easy and we made our way east towards Jasper Alberta, staying in Provincial Parks along the way, Juniper Beach and Mt. Robson Lucerne.  Driving through Jasper in the summer was quite different than last winter when the train took us through there in the dead of winter.  We managed to find the Bear Paw bakery again however and Sam treated us to some of their wonderful baked goods.  We then turned north and followed the Bighorn Highway, staying at Pierre Grey’s Park for two nights.

 

At Pierre Grey’s we deployed our two rigid kayaks and Sam’s inflatable that she has dubbed “Bubbles.”  We paddled around the lake, enthralled by a family of loons.  Their haunting cry has been a treat for years on the boat and we were very glad to encounter them on a land cruise.  While the fishing was quite slow Carl managed to land a nice brook trout that was large enough to feed us all for dinner.  Sam, with her freshly acquired driving permit gets in some practice when we disconnect from the trailer.  The highway and sideroads are a good place to do this. 

 

We have of course read and heard all kinds of horror stories about driving to Alaska.  So far, the worst we have encountered are numerous steep grades and thick fog from Pierre Grey’s to Dawson Creek.  Spending 2 nights in Dawson Creek at the Mile Zero RV Park allowed time for us to do the iconic photo OP at the beginning of the Alaska Highway.  We enjoyed the small art gallery in a historic granary and the railroad museum in, of course, the historic train station.  The visitor centers are full of good information as well as history of the area and building of the Alaska Highway.  We took on water, enjoyed nice, free showers. 

 

 

We headed out, next stop, mile 217.2, an abandoned Provencial Park ‘boondocking’ spot.  We are surrounded by beautiful aspen, a few fellow travelers, no services, yet very nice.  Our self-containment efforts are paying off.  Tomorrow in Fort Nelson we hopefully find some wifi to get this sent out.

 

 

Bug Shelter Deployed!