SEGMENT 2
June 28, entering Alaska.
Some facts about Alaska:
- was bought from Russia in 1867
- coastline is longer than the entire coastline of the remaining continental
USA
- has over 3 million lakes
- is twice the size of Texas and therefore the biggest state
- ranks 48th in population based on 2000 census
- features 17 of the States' 20 highest peaks
We cruised along the 'Top of the World Highway', a very scenic dirt road. Our shortest night counted only three hours between sunset and sunrise, but thanks to blackout shades stitched together by our friend Susan we could still enjoy some sleep in those bright night times.
After crossing the international border (pic1) , we were asked for help by an Austrian couple from Salzburg who were severely low on gas - a German couple had given them a ride back from the next gas station which was closed. We only had about a gallon (less than 4 litres) left in our spare tank, but together with their remaining gas it was just enough to get them to the next (open) gas station 40 miles down the gravel road. We were all very relieved they made it through and celebrated over a cup of coffee and cookies. Thus refreshed and updated on Austrian politics, we continued south and had our first taste of Buffalo meat - tastes just like beef!
One of the many deep gravel
stretches on this road caused some excitement when a motorcyclists heading
the opposite direction lost control over his rear tire and fell. Thankfully
he was not hurt and we helped him collect the various parts he lost and
reattach them to his bike. As it turned out, he was from Santa Clara,
California, and on his way back home!
Our first stop was Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve, adjacent
to the Canadian border. We followed along the dirt road and soon saw a
couple of moose on the path. Further inside the park we crossed a few
creeks but there were no challenges for our truck. In a couple of days
we will have a few 4x4 trails under our belt which will be logged in the
4x4 section.
We spent another amazingly quiet night right next to Twin Lakes at a secluded
campsite (pic2) and saw a beaver, ducks with ducklings and all kinds of
birds.
On our way south, we stopped at the excellent Wrangell - St Elias Visitor
Center. A 20min video displays all the beauty of the many areas not accessible
by road. In fact, there are only 2 unpaved roads into the park. Yet, it
is the largest National Park in the US, and together with Kluane NP on
the Canadian side the largest protected area in the world.
Some facts about this park:
- equals 6 Yellowstones
- larger than Switzerland with higher mountains
- the Malaspina glacier is
larger than the state of Rhode Island
- features 9 of the 16 highest peaks in the US
From here we pushed on to Valdez,
the northernmost harbor which is ice-free year-round and also the site
of the terminal of the trans-Alaskan pipeline. This carries oil 800 miles
from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean to Valdez where it is loaded on cargo
ships and trucks. The scenic drive took us through narrow canyons past
enormous waterfalls (pic3) and yet another stunning glacier. We had fresh
salmon for dinner and then turned back north since the road ends in Valdez.
This was the most secluded spot where our truck was recognized by readers
of our publications. In fact, interest for our Jeep is so high that Sven
once remarked: "Every time before we drive off, we have to look under
our truck to make sure there's nobody underneath checking out the various
components!"
We headed on to Palmer and Anchorage and hooked up with some members of
the alaska4x4network.com
(pic4) to do a four-wheeling trip which lasted throughout the night. (see
4x4 gallery)
Then we pushed on to the Kenai peninsula where we set up camp with some
friends in Homer (pic5). For a week, we enjoyed their company, and through
meeting several of their friends we got some insight into the Alaskan
way of life. We went dipnet fishing for red salmon (didn't catch any),
explored Katchemak Bay and walked along the beach. One of the highlights
of this trip was a bearviewing tour on Katmai Preserve. We left Homer
early morning on board of a Beaver and enjoyed the most incredible view
of Kachemak Bay, Cook Inlet, and incredibly beautiful mountain scenery
(pic6) before landing on a lake. We were greeted by several bears on the
beach (pic7) and were escorted to the visitor center by our pilot. After
watching an instructional video about how to behave around bears, we were
pretty much on our own, though rangers throughout the park provide assistance.
From a viewing platform close to the waterfalls, we watched brown bears
help themselves at the salmon buffet (pic8) . It was unbelievable how
many salmon would fling themselves over the waterfalls; some found their
end in the mouth or claws of a bear.
Brown bears can be found all over Alaska. They're called grizzlies further inland. Their cousins along the coastline typically are bigger thanks to a calorie-rich diet of salmon, and the rather mild winters. Still, a brown bear will loose up to 40% of his body fat during hibernation, so it is essential they make good use of the salmon run. Well, they certainly did when we were there!
Another day, we went kayaking on the Kenai river. The outfitter dropped us off on Skilak Lake, and we followed the river downstream for 13 miles. The scenery was beautiful and serene and we enjoyed the relaxing day.
On Sunday, July 10, we woke up some 4wheelers from the Soldotna area from their hibernation and explored a couple of trails behind Ninilchik (pic9). See the 4x4 report and gallery for details!
On our last day in Homer, we got a special treat: our new friend Cliff, a bushpilot, invited us for a sightseeing flight and had Sven take over the plane half way. We flew over Katchemak Bay to Halibut Cove, Grewingk Glacier, and Soldovia (pic10). This was a fabulous experience! Now it's time to leave Homer and push on.
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