Teslin, Yukon to Fort Nelson, British Columbia

This morning we left Teslin and didn't have to drive very far before we spotted a nice big cow moose.  Not more than an hour later we spotted a charcoal black fox with a very white tail end.  Unfortunately, we were not able to get the camera out fast enough to get a picture of it.  Soon after we came upon a cluster of loose horses.  One had a bridle on it, so we don't think that they were wild horses; but they were just grazing along the side of the Alaska Highway. 

Loose horses

Just outside of the Muncho Lake Provincial Park we came upon a Bison herd.

Once inside the park....

Rocky Mountain Fall Colors inside Muncho Lake Provintial Park

Fall Colors in Muncho Lake Provincial Park

Caribou Cows with this years young...

 Beautiful Muncho Lake...

Stone Sheep.....

and a nice sized Male Caribou with his impressive antlers...

Roger also saw a black bear, which I missed.  Needless to say, we had an exciting day of animal viewing.  It's off for Alberta tomorrow.  Until my next post.....

Goodbye Cantwell RV Park

The night before we left Cantwell RV Park, Eileen and Jim had a little pizza party for all of us and my cousin, Denny Teal, came to visit from Wasilla one last time. We left the Cantwell RV Park yesterday giving everyone a sad goodbye hug.  Our friends Dean Theel, Mary Olson and her finance Tom met us at the Monderosa Grill just outside of Nenana for one last "great Alaska burger".  With full stomachs, we drove as far as Tok, Alaska, which is about 100 miles from the Alaska/Canada border.   

Denny & Roger

My pal Molly - I will miss your visits!

Today, we got up early and made it to Teslin, Yukon.  We are staying at the Yukon RV Park which is situated at the confluence of the Nisutlin River and Teslin Lake.  Our site at the park overlooks the river with beautiful tree colors changing on the mountains.

View from our Motor home window of the Nisutlin River

Our site at the Yukon RV Park in Teslin

Until tomorrow, nighty night!

Along the Denali Highway

One recent night Roger and I drove down the Denali Highway and we spotted a car off the side of the road.  As we approached it, we noticed that the red light is flashing on the dash and we can smell gasoline.  The car is on its roof and there are bullet holes shot in the side of the car.  We're afraid that someone is inside......nope no one inside, did they fly out of the car.......called and looked down in the valley, no one.  We have no phone service, we'd better head back to Cantwell (about 20 miles) and report the accident.

Scary!

We went directly to the State Troopers office and reported the accident.  Apparently, it happened the previous night.  All the trooper would say was "we dealt with the incident the previous night".  There is definitely more to this story!

I'm not sure if I've posted a picture of our campsite recently, I want to show you how beautiful it is in the fall.  There's a little "termination dust" on the mountain in the background.

Our campsite in fall

Mountains surrounding the campground

Surrounding mountains of the campground

We leave Cantwell RV Park tomorrow morning.  It's a bittersweet day, I'm anxious to go to Minnesota and see family, I'm excited for our new adventure to Florida this winter, but I'm sad to leave the beauty of Cantwell and the surrounding area.

Trip to Nenana & Campground Pot Luck

This past week has been really busy for us.  We took a little trip North to visit our friends Jeannie and Dean Theel and Mary Olson in Nenana.  Roger and Dean made 70 lbs of moose sausage and Jeannie, Mary and I made caribou pasties. 

Dean checking his sausage recipe

Roger checking out the "stuffer"

Millie & Roger "resting"

The following day, we all went 4 wheeling along Dean's trap line trail, the power line with views of Minto Flats, and checked out some moose hunting spots for Dean.  We even came across a hay field in the middle of the bush.

Dean & Jeannie at hay field

Riding along the trap line trail

Mary Olson on trail

Think this is really that many volts?

View of the Minto Flats from the trail

Low Bush Cranberries

Jeannie in a High Bush Cranberry patch

After our ride we went back to Jeannie and Dean's sons cabin where he has a nice stone fire pit and a Finnish Sauna.  We bar-b-qued caribou hamburgers and potato/vegetable packets, had a little of Dean's raspberry wine and s'mores for dessert.  We sat around the fire pit after dinner and then we fired up the Finnish Sauna and took a sauna.  What a way to finish out the day!

Mary, Jeannie & Dean enjoying the fire pit

Roger and Sue around the fire pit

On 9-11 we had a nice pot luck picnic at the Cantwell RV Park with friends and neighbors that we've met while here.   Jim and Eileen supplied the hamburgers & hot dogs along with fresh salmon that Jim caught.  He fixed the salmon several different ways; traditional with tmaple omato and lemon, jalapeno; and maple/brown sugar.  We cooked up some of the moose sausage links that Roger and Dean made and I made some caribou pasties to share.  Others brought lima beans and ham; chicken soup; sausage, cheese & crackers; potato salad; many desserts and watermelon.  What a feast - as always!

Some of the friends and neighbors to the Cantwell RV Park

What a nice looking group of people!

Workkampers Dennis & Marilyn Delo; Sue & Roger Harju in front of the office

We're on our last week here at the campground.  We head for the lower 48 by the end of this week.  We are going to try to see the Aurora Borealis tonight, we'll see if we can view them or not.  Until our next adventure.....

Fall at Denali National Park

Roger and I went for a ride through Denali National Park to look at the beautiful colors for what we think will be our last trip into the Park.  We leave Cantwell in 10 days and will begin our trip toward Minnesota.  The colors in the Park are like nothing I've ever experienced before.  I hope that you enjoy these pictures as much as we do.

Denali National Park 9-5-11

Denali National Park 9-5-11

Denali National Park, Savage River area

Denali National Park 9-5-11

 

Denali National Park 9-5-11

 

Denali National Park 9-5-11

 

Denali National Park 9-5-11

 

Denali National Park 9-5-11

 

Denali National Park 9-5-11

 

Denali National Park 9-5-11

 

Nenana River off the Parks Highway

Denali National Park 9-5-11

 

Good-bye Denali National Park, we've been so fortunate to be only 27 miles south of the Park entrance.  It's been so nice to be able to drive over to the park and see it change over the past 4 months.

Alaska State Fair

The Alaska State Fair is going on now in Palmer.  I made a trip to Wassilla to visit with my cousin, Denny Teal, to celebrate our birthdays together and we decided to make a day trip to check out the fair.  Palmer is only about 15 miles from Wassilla so it's an easy day trip to make.  Before I got to Denny's place I stopped at the store picked up a nice looking rib eye steak, a pound of Alaskan King Crab, a salad, a loaf of sourdough, and some pre-mixed margarita's.  It's time to celebrate our birthdays since we haven't been able to celebrate together in about 35 years!

After consuming our feast and downing a couple of drinks, we decided to call brother/cousin Paul and his wife Dottie in Juneau.  It's been about 30 years since I've spoken to him and we had a lot of catching up to do.  Dottie is a great woman and it was wonderful to speak to Paul,what a great time we had!

The next morning we lazily got ready to head to the fair.   The Alaska State Fair is not anything like the Minnesota State Fair; but it is very nice and much bigger than I expected it to be.  They don't have all of the different food on a stick like they do in Minnesota; but they have great food like halibut taco's, salmon chowder, ice cream, and reindeer sausage.  The booths are much more interesting and contain more items that are made in state.  I was able to pick up some Fireweed Honey, a native Alaskan Kuspick, and some birch syrup.

They also have some nice buildings that contain items that have been made and entered into the fair for judging such as the largest produce, prize animals and homemade items such as bakery, jams, clothing and wood working.  These items were really fun to admire; but I do have to say I missed the butter sculptures that are done in Minnesota of the Dairy Princesses.

Denny in front of the prize pumpkin

That's a lot of coleslaw!

Denny in the horticulture gardens

Denny and Alaska's most famous bear

I don't know of too many state fairs that have this kind of view

I don't think I'll ever take these mountain views for granted!

After munching our way through the fair, we headed home for the evening and relaxed.  The next morning I headed back to Cantwell.  I always hate saying good-bye, but Denny and I hope to be able to connect once more before Roger and I head back to the lower 48.

On my way home, I couldn't help but stop and take a couple of pictures of Hurricane Gulch and of the colors changing in the Alaska Tundra.  Both areas are just beautiful this time of year, we are so lucky to be able to be in Alaska and see the changing of the seasons.  The seasons change here so fast and are so different than in the lower 48.

Hurricane Gulch bridge

Hurricane Gulch - Wow, it's high on top of this bridge!

The Alaskan Tundra near Cantwell what beautiful color!

More of the colorful fall Alaskan Tundra