Hider, Alaska

 

We pulled into Hyder,Alaska on Wednesday, June 27 and went back in time.  A time where there is no crime, except for the bears trying to get into the garbage.  A time when there is no false pretenses about much of anything.  Nature at it’s most original.  No phones, no street lights – lucky to have a few stop signs.  No pavement; just muddy, dirt streets.  And we LOVE it!

Today, we drove for miles and miles (it seemed) up into the coastal mountains on a horrible, pot-holed, narrow, muddy and according to Connie, “scary” road to see a glacier.  We said to each other half way up, “This glacier better be worth it”, and was it ever!   We climbed so high that we actually looked down on the glacier.  We were told that some of the cracks in the ice (crevices) are 100 feet deep.  Through the rain and low-lying clouds, we could see the ice field climb even higher and out of sight.  Amazing sight.  Amazing feeling looking at it and trying to absorb what we were seeing.

Connie’s Lesson for the day is:  Do not wear an alpaca jacket in the rain.  People will turn up their noses.

We ain’t seen any bear.  Just bear scat, and it ain’t pretty.  I think all the bear in this area leave their mark on the road instead of in the forest.  Hyder lies between the coastal mountains and the ocean and it is in a rain forest.  Very lush and very wet.  Hasn’t stopped raining since before we got here.  Tomorrow, on to Dease Lake, back in B.C.

Gooood morning from Hazelton, B.C. Canada!!  We arrived on Saturday, June 23 at the starting point for our Alaska tour.  About half of the people who had signed up were already there.  We registered, paid up and got our bright, yellow tour vests.  We met the Wagon Master, Spike, who is a mild voiced, grey haired/bearded 65 year old who has been leading caravans since he was in the military.  So you see, we are in good hands.  He has such a wit, which we all enjoy.  There are 20 rigs in the caravan and we have had one orientation and will have another this afternoon.  Lots to learn.  We will have 2-way radios to listen to his information along the route, ask questions and stay in touch if something goes wrong.

On the way into Hazelton, we of course, found fabric shops.  Connie is taking photos of each one we find.  The one in Vanderhoof, B.C. got a piece of me.  Couldn't help it.  Such beautiful fabrics.

The countryside on the way to Hazelton was just amazing.  The mountains really showed their "stuff".  The stunning mountain that we see from our rv park (see picture below) is named Roche de Boule (French) or Mountain of Rolling Rocks.  I don't know how high it is but it dwarfs everything beneath it.  Our elevation surprised us.  We are at 200 feet above sea level.

Connie says she will give us a daily learning.  Today, she learned to keep a jacket or sweatshirt handy.  Besides the fact that it is unusually cool and oh so rainy, she says I run too warm and try to freeze her out.  To make up for her uncomfortable situation, I baked her a strawberry-rhubarb pie yesterday.  Yes, she is sharing.

The flooding around us is bad but our route out of here is safer.  The river here at the rv park is so high, muddy and angry that it takes bites out of the banks, trees and all.  The speed of the water is way faster than Connie and I can run, so I think we will stay out of the water.  Being from the desert, I see all this water going to the ocean and wish we could have just a little of it.  The ocean wouldn't miss it. 

 Abby and Mimi are getting acquainted with some of the dogs that are on the tour.  Almost every rig has at least one dog.  Oh, yeah, we didn't bring Hannah because she made the decision to go hunting just before we left home.  She wouldn't come when I called, so I just unloaded all her stuff.  She's probably better off at home.

We are in Prince George, B.C. this evening and only have a short distance to go the next two days to arrive at the starting point of our 34 day rv tour.  We have seen majestic mountains, heavily forested areas and believe it or not, sparsely treed, disintegrating granite peaks that look like Nevada with sagebrush and all. 

Hi, its Connie:
Many of our friends are asking:  "Have you killed each other yet?"
We decided to go on this venture because we had so much in common:  two sons, only children, breast cancer, eating, fishing, quilting and being widows, just to list a few.  It has been interesting sharing Jane's space.
Her dog gets up at 5:30; mine gets up some time between 8 and 10.
I had to learn not to react when she screeches in fear when I'm driving.
I don't know if she turns on the computer or the coffee pot first - I'm asleep.
Only the dogs are allowed to come in the rig without taking off their shoes first so as not to muddy up the light beige carpet.
We like different flavors of fudge.  That means we don't have to share.
She bakes; I buy desserts.
She likes elevator music; I have two disks titled Driving Jazz for Mama.
She seeks out antiques; I seek out good looking young men.
She didn't kill me when I locked the keys in the truck so I guess we're OK.
                                Connie

When we fueled up today, a young woman offered us fresh rhubarb.  I answered so quickly and enthusiastically, I think I scared her.  Connie calls it screeching, you know.  Anyway, we have a big bunch so I can make Connie a strawberry rhubarb pie and me a rhubarb custard pie.  Remember, Connie buys desserts.

I returned yesterday to the store where the owner helped me contact Good Sam to get the truck unlocked.  I felt I "had" to buy something, since I had money in my pocket this time and ice cream seemed to fill the bill.  Notice the truck keys in my hand.  Connie loved the sign out front.

This store houses the post office, small cafe, store and sells lotto tickets.

The view from last nights rv spot at a beautiful lake near Lone Butte, B.C.

                                                                 The Mighty Fraser River at flood stage.  Hopefully, it will crest by this week-end.  We were so surprised by the change in topography.  So dry and different than the mountains and pines.

                                                                

See, I seek antiques and Connie sought a handsome Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman, and found one! 

On the way out of Hope, B.C. we found the woodcarver that carved most of the chainsaw carvings that are located all over town. He took us into his shop and showed us a work in progress that when complete, will be shipped in a container to Korea!  The big bird is a young bald eagle that was killed by a passing train and what a sight!  Now, whats wrong with these photos?  I got my picture taken with a big bellied, scruffy-bearded woodcarver and Connie's photo is with a gorgeous, young, tall, very blue-eyed Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer.  I'm going to figure out what her secret is.

Happy Tuesday!  Maybe not.  Must have hit a pot hole or something yesterday because the tv won't even work now.  I put in a new, flat screen because the old, heavy, tube set broke out of its moorings on rough roads last season.  So much for good intentions.  After paying the nice man to fix the microwave before we left, the microwave won't work now.  We were lucky enough to find a Sears store in Hope, B.C. that had some in stock.  No tv, but we have a microwave.  Enough about troubles.  We shall overcome!

Crossing the border yesterday was interesting.  Long lines even in the small town we chose to cross at.  Everything went smoothly on passing us through until the inspector saw our box of firewood.  He was nice about it though and didn't make us go around, through the U.S. border and go to the back of the line.  We just had to go park, and take the wood to the U.S. inspectors.  The wood had bark on it and Canada has a real problem with bark beetles.

Our first stop after customs was in Hope, where we spent last night and tonight.  We are camped in a beautiful, forested campground that is so serene that Connie asked if we could just stay here.  The countryside around Hope is just breathtaking.  We are in those big mountains folks talked about.  Cloudy skies all day with a little rain, but still incredibly beautiful, especially for a desert rat like me.

Coming into Hope, it didn't take us long to realize that the area has quite a few dairy farms.  Our noses told us.  All kinds of crops.

Today, we headed out for a place on the Fraser River, called Hell's Gate.  One thing on our list to do was ride the Airtram over the river.  On the way, we just had to stop to take pictures of the mountains and the roaring river.  The river is so high; so brown; so angry.  They have had rain for nearly a month with snow in the higher elevations, so the river hasn't had a chance to calm down.  Connie got out and started photographing the angry Fraser and I was trying to take pictures of the shear, rock face on the other side of the highway, in hopes to do it justice, when a sound coming from the truck froze my heart followed by the closing of the truck door.  "One of us" locked the truck doors by accident - and I'm not saying who.  Our spare key, I had so thoughtfuly had made, was locked up in the trailer back at the rv park and the keys to the trailer, which was locked up, were inside the truck.  Luckily, it was just a little over a mile back to a tiny little community and I hiked to a little store there and someone had the 800 number for Good Sam.  About an hour later, a tow truck driver was on the scene and unlocked the doors with his fancy tools.  I venture to say that "if" I could have found a metal coat hanger, we'd still be there. 

While I was hiking and waiting at the little store, worrying about Connie being with the truck all alone on the highway, she was worried about me after watching me try my hand at hitchhiking and wondering if someone had done me in.  To  pass time, she took pictures of the mighty Fraser.

We finally made it to Hell's Gate on the Fraser River and we learned why it is called Hell's Gate.  The explorer, Simon Fraser, who thought he had found the Columbia River in 1808 said:  "We had to pass where no human being should venture, for surely we have encountered the gates of hell".

Today we are in the Seattle area and tomorrow will be our last day in the good ole USA for awhile.  Tomorrow, we cross over the border into Canada - one step closer to Alaska.  In researching the cell phone rates in Canada and the availability of internet in Canada, we will probably not be able to blog as often as we would like, so just wanted you folks to know.  We will make notes and take lots of pictures so that when we do get internet access, we can catch up.  Even texting will incur roaming charges.  Yikes.  Don't give up on us.  You will hear from us soon.
Thanks for following along.
Connie and Jane

Today, Friday the 15th we are in Silverton, Oregon and I drove over to Kelly's nephew Gary and his wife Joy's greenhouses where they are breeding begonias.  What an experience!  He breeds different begonias together to get new varieties.   He has begonias from Africa and Australia and is cross breeding with strains we have here in the states.  He also grows container plants for the nurseries to put together in large hanging baskets.  This is where it actually begins.  Gary used to work for Color Spot growers so he really has a lot of experience.

Later, Connie and I went to the Oregon Garden on the outskirts of Silverton.  Oh yes, Silverton is the home of my favorite iris grower, Cooley's. At the Oregon Garden, we saw a Frank Lloyd Wright house that was disasembled piece by piece where it was built and rebuilt on site. 

Yesterday, Connie and I stopped in Sisters, Oregon, which to quilters, is like Disneyland is to kids.  The Stitching Post fabric shop is a wonderful shop and host to the annual quilt show which will be held later this summer.  The scenic part of Sisters are the mountains which the town is named after.

                                                              Broken Top

South Sister and Middle Sister

Middle Sister and North Sister

All three Sister peaks are over 10,000 feet high

Our all too short stay in McCloud was delightful!  There is so much history in this little town that is off I-5 just a short distance.  It was a train town and a logging town.  The buildings are all old and there is a wonderful museum in town.  Kelly and I stayed in the McCloud Hotel, which is a B&B now, and I wanted to see if it was still there.  It sure is and what a beautiful building.  The inside of the hotel is just as beautiful as the outside.

This beautiful structure was the main office for the train company and at one time was the bank for McCloud.  It is now a B&B.

Our rv park where we stayed could handle large groups and we thought it would make a great location for a Freewheeler outing.  There is a golf course nearby, gobs of history, fishing and beautiful scenery.  It didn't take Connie and I long to realize we need to come back to McCloud to see the rest of it.

Connie and I got on our way on Monday, June 11 and headed for McCloud, California for our first night on the road.  We took a short detour and went to see Burney Falls, which was a wonderful place.  The falls are just beautiful with the spring run-off and Connie and I (by mistake) took a mile+ walk to see it.  Had we known, we could have gone about 500 ft to the overlook, but we were so proud of ourselves for completing the route, it was all good.

For all the folks that suggested I don't let Connie drive and pull the trailer, I have a photo for you.  First day out and she wanted to try the straight road.  Only thing, it didn't stay straight for long and there was no place to pull over to switch drivers, so she stuck it out and did absolutely great!  Winding roads and all.

Today, Connie and I are finishing the packing of the 5th-wheel and then I will hook up so that Connie can get the feel of towing the trailer.  She drove the truck home from her place yesterday just to see how it feels.  We pull out in the morning.  Yahoo!!!  I can't believe we have been talking about this trip for a year and now the day to leave is tomorrow.  I hope the trip, itself, doesn't go that fast.

We had such a good time in Placerville with fellow rv'ers, Marlene and Arleen where we helped Arleen celebrate her birthday with a couple of other ladies.  We were so pleasantly surprised when Arleen presented both Connie and I with fancy little containers that held amethyst stones and a clear, quarts crystal.  The meaning of the amethyst stones are to alleviate mental stress, anxiety and trouble on our long trip.  The quarts crystal amplifies the power of the amethyst.  So with those in hand, our adventure is off to a very positive start.

Next, the ladies gave us a beautiful, framed prayer in poem form to hang in the trailer.  Brought both Connie and I to tears to think that these women would go to such a search to find something this beautiful and appropriate.  It reads as follows:

   Bless our Little Trailer, Lord,
     And us who sleep within it.
Please watch and keep us from all harm
   Through every mile and minute.

Oh, guide the hands of she who drives,
     And help her keep alert.
   Let no disturbance come along,
       And accidents avert.

And when we reach a camping place
     We know we'll find you there.
       Your spirit is within us, Lord,
         Your love is everywhere.

The walls are close in this small room,
             And closer drawn are we
   To eat and sleep and play and pray
           Wherever we may be.

        Our mode of living is relaxed,
        But grace is asked the same,
Lord, bless our food and those who eat,
           We ask in Jesus name.

We put our trust in you, dear Lord,
       When hiking on the trails.
We know that you will guide our steps
        With love that never fails.

 There we observe your handiwork,
         Earth's beauty all around,
Our thoughts are lofty as the clouds,
           Our feet upon the ground.

And when the time has come to leave
      And we must homeward travel,
        We've added to the memories
           That one day we'll unravel.

   So bless our little trailer, Lord,
      And fill it with your peace,
     That when we enter in its door
     Our cares and worries cease.

See what I mean?  How dear is that?  So for today, until next posting, be happy, be well and be nice to everyone.
Jane and Connie