Morning Cup Of Coffee And Weather

We got a nice storm/rain yesteday. It was actually a moderately rough. Enough to bring down limbs and a few trees, sadly one of the big ones near me was in a private campground --- the tree was laying across a couple full size trailers....

I don't know how much precip --- but things are greener this morning, and the smoke has been blown out of the area at least for a time. Its been "overcast" and "foggy" for the last couple weeks it seems. I even started to feel a little of the "SAD" depression just for lack of sunlight.

Plans this weekend --- prime camp site. Of course, rain is now in the forecast now I swear, I ought to rent out my camping trips to farmers as a rainmaker --- I'd make a fortune.

We're postponing our trip for 1 day -- I have an opportunity to see Jaws on a big scree -- my favorite film -- I remember as a kid being afraid to get into the bathtub because of the hubub the film caused with my family friends and neighbors...

 

I used too - I can't remember the other one, but it used to track iridium flares --- skies above I think? Been a while.

I love the old school, down 'n dirty web design --- I appreciate good content over a pretty interface any day.

 

Kinda quiet......good for a very early morning cup of coffee.

 

I’ve been in Alaska for four days. I’ll be here for 15 days total. We drove south along the pipeline for 170 miles. Tomorrow we will spend the fourth with friends and reset on the fifth. Then on the sixth we head north to Prudhoe Bay. This will be the first time both of us will be above the Artic Circle and will will have driven 700 miles of the 800 mile pipeline.

 

Does Campinn have a tiny camper Bluenose Certificate?

 

I’ve been in Alaska for four days. I’ll be here for 15 days total. We drove south along the pipeline for 170 miles. Tomorrow we will spend the fourth with friends and reset on the fifth. Then on the sixth we head north to Prudhoe Bay. This will be the first time both of us will be above the Artic Circle and will will have driven 700 miles of the 800 mile pipeline.

We should make one. Unfortunately the CI while being small was too big to take as carry-on so I had to leave it home.

 

Hope you have a safe and beautiful ride up the Dalton. That road is no joke.

 

One of these years maybe. I would want to drive up, have to take my camper. Although the roads might "tear it up" more than I expect. As I understand it dirt roads are the norm.

I put Alaska on my short list a few years ago when Alaska became a hotspot of entertainment Two television shows which are "reality" TV --- so how much is true is uncertain. However, from what I hear from people who lived in Alaska...it was probably more truth than "reality" TV.

The first was "Alaska the last frontier" -- or something approximate to that about the struggles of a family that lived the lifestyle. The funny part about it was that when the family was contacted to do the gig, the network was shocked that they family responded with a phone call from a "manager". It turns out their neice/daughter/family...whatever...is Jewell of music fame. I would never have thought "Jewell" as a hard-core off-grid-living survival girl. But she was.

The second was "Flying Alaska." It was about the (mis)adventures of a small airline that ran out of Unalakleet. Their fleet was basically Caravans, some small single engines --- running passengers are cargo to remote areas. Sadly, Jim Tweto the patriarch of the operation just died in a crash a few weeks go.

I supposed I need to give an honorable mention to "Northern Exposure" too...

 

Don’t forget about Ice Road Truckers.

 

Totally -- love the quirky humor. I had a friend had an adult child for some reason moved to Alaska against his choice for some reason that no one would talk about...But, on one of his rare visits, the show came up and he was asked "Whats it really like up there?" He just pointed at the TV and said...this is pretty close actually

Its been probably 20 years since I've seen that show -- I may need to head out to half price books and see what I can find...

I stopped streaming -- If it is on some one else's computer and you can't take it with you, do you really own it? I know vinyl LP's are making a come back -- I wonder how many people are rejecting cloud for similar reasons...

 

I can honestly say I've never seen that show. But know about their 'road' -- I'm sorry, those guys are cra cra....same for anyone who ice fishes or skates on lakes. This was popular where I grew up....No @#$ way.

This weekend was nearly a camping washout for us; we didn't get to the camp site until Sunday. We had storms here in Indiana on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The added delay had a small positive --- I am a huge fan of the movie JAWS, and I got to see it on a big screen. What an amazing film. Especially when you're in a crowd, and there are about 30 people in a crowded theatre that hadn't seen it.

When ol' Ben Gardner made his appearance ---- priceless.

It was in the 80 and far too warm for a campfire -- so my "perfect fire ring" in Indiana didn't get used, but it was still good.

My other half has all kinds of commitments this weekend --- I think I will try to round up a friend or two and have a guys' weekend. I think we'll head to Wagners for dinner. Pretty amazing what you can do with chicken, flour, salt, paper, and lard.

If you are passing through Indiana between Cincinnati & Indianapolis --- it's a very worthwhile stop. That general area they call the "Fried Chicken Trail" --- rest assured, unless you see Kentucky in the name, or a cartoon character...you'll likely find some very special Fried Chicken. That area takes it seriously.

 

Today is a rest day before a four day drive up the Dalton Hwy. I’ll have internet here in Fairbanks then only once again in Coldfoot along the way to Deadhorse. This will be a 1000 mile round trip mostly on gravel roads.

 

Eh, it depends. Gravel roads are more prominent than in The Lower, and gravel breaks in roads that are in disrepair or a state of re-pair are common. But the majority of the highway destinations feature pavement to get you there. It’s just not nice pavement, sometimes riddled with undulating bumps introduced by the permafrost shifting under the road, and rarely if ever is it a divided 4 lane highway.

 

Now THAT road is almost all gravel, that’s the Dalton, and it’s a beast. That particular road did tear our camper up a bit, as it is graded with a substance that makes it “nearly pavement” but has some salt or salt-adjacent substances in it. We got a little pitting on the 560 from where that stuff sat on the fenders for a few days before we drove home.

We did NOT go all the way up the Dalton, but we did plan to on two different occasions only to have weather or time intercede. We did camp just north of the Yukon River, however.

 

Be safe and take a million pictures! Atigun Pass and camping on the North Slope is the #1 item on our list of “things we regret not getting done when we lived in Alaska.” I’m very jealous!

 

I never thought I would ever get the opportunity. I wouldn’t if it weren’t for my friend. He has a 4WD truck and all the camping stuff we will need. We just threw two spares in the back to supplement the one under the bed. He just told me he has has 7 flats up here in the three years he was here before and the one year here this time.

 

We got lucky - no flats between Fairbanks and Yukon River on either the TV or the 560. We took the TV further north to the Arctic Circle sign and then another 16 miles or so further up the road before heading back.

You have a Milepost?

 

Yes. It’s on the window sill. My friends walls are 18” thick.

772362F0-D804-4353-89BC-B5AE94BE80E7 by Tour 931 posted Jul 5, 2023 at 7:25 PM