The is At Hand

Jefferson Airplane had a song that goes like this:

I inserted my version of the lyrics -

All my bags (storage compartments) are packed Im ready to go
Im standing here outside your (my) door
I hate to wake you up to say good-bye
But the dawn is breaking, its early morn
The taxi (RV) is waiting, hes blowing his horn (testing his generator)
Already Im so lonesome (excited) I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
Cause Im leaving on a jet plane (Airstream)
I dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate (can't wait) to go.

Its a beautiful day and we will be on the road in half an hour. I can hardly believe it!

North to Alaska!

The Time is Near

Our original start date was to be June 1st. Kim was scheduled to work Sunday, May 31st so the plan was to do the last minute packing that evening and leave Monday morning. But one of her co-workers needed to have a Sunday off earlier this month. Kim switched her schedule and worked that Sunday and now has the 31st off. We will be able to pack up Saturday night and leave Sunday morning. One more day of vacation will be great and allow for more flexibility in the itinerary and give us more time to live the adventure!

The van is as ready as it will get. All modifications are finished and seem to be working well. We plan to have it loaded with most of our equipment, clothing and food this evening to take it on a test drive down the highway. We need to make sure that all the stuff is stored well and doesn't move around, fall off the shelves or out of the cabinets, etc. So much stuff to take for a month long trip, plus camping gear for our backpacking adventures. It looks like we will be able to get it all in there. Sounds like an old Prego ad.

The Van

The pictures posted show our 1996 Airstream camper. We bought it a couple years ago. We have been doing family trip pulling a 28 foot 1982 Nomad trailer and needed a smaller rig for the two of us. We have taken it for couple short trips and it works great. I have been installing a generator in it and have made a few other modifications. I have set it up to use AC for the fridge while driving to save on LP and added the grill guard as insurance to prevent a vacation ending meeting with a deer or other unfortunate creature who might dart in front of us. Much thanks to my friend Professor Randy for his help with the generator.

The Plan part 3

After arriving in Deadhorse, we will take a tour of the North Slope and I intend to jump into the Arctic Ocean. Kim has said "have fun, but I'm not going to!" I have been in the Atlantic, the Gulf and the Pacific, so since I will be right there, why not make it all four sides. On the way back home we will stop for a couple days at Glacier National Park in Montana for a rest from driving for a couple of days. That park looks beautiful from the research I have done.

The Plan continued

From Coldfoot AK to Deadhorse, the most northly town you can drive to, is about 250 miles of wildness with no civilization at all. We will be crossing the Arctic Cirlce on this highway. We plan to stop at a lake in the Brooks Range mountains and back pack into the wild for two days. We will be North of the Arctic Circle on June 22nd, the summer solstice, and will experience the 24 hour day!

The Plan

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Kim and I will be driving our Airsteam 19' van camper. It is fully self-contained and big enough for the two of us. I think. We will drive to Jasper and Banff parks in Alberta Canada and stay for 3 days to soak in the beauty of the Canadian Rockies. Then, north on the Alaska Highway through Yukon and Northwest Territories and on to the Kenai Pennisula of Alaska. This is southeast of Anchorage. We plan to backpack to Lost Lake for two days. Then drive to Anchorage and farther north to Denali National Park. We will stay there for 4 days and hope to camp at Wonder Lake. No private vehicles are allowed that far back into the park but the Park Service operates a shuttle bus. If weather permits, we might get a view of Mount McKinley. After that we will head to Fairbanks and then up the Dalton Highway, otherwise known at the Haul Road. This takes us past the Alaska National Wildlife Refuse and Gates of the Artic National Park. These parks are so remote they don't even have a vistors center. The offices are located in Fairbanks, about 300 miles south.

The Idea

I have dreamed of an adventure to Alaska since high school. The last frontier. The pioneer spirit. Man surviving in nature. The vast wilderness. Now, I get to do it! I love the outdoors and wilderness. I have been camping since high school in the Winona area as well as several trips to northern Minnesota. Some of these have been canoe trips to the boundary waters, others car camping and back packing. I used to go fishing in the Boundary Waters area or Alexandria once or twice each year. I have backpacked in the Colorado Rockies with my sons, Jim and Ben. We have taken family trips including one 3 week trip to the West including Rocky Mountain National Park, northern California redwoods, San Francisco, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley and the Grand Canyon.

Alaska is one of the dream trips. And now it will come true