Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take,
but by the moments
that take your breath away.

Conclusion

It has been such a wonderful summer in so many ways. I am home now since Sunday night, readjusting, and trying to keep up with work demands......
I really enjoyed getting to know Alaska's Interior. It offers so much wildlife, hiking, rafting, views of the Alaska Range and Denali itself, a monumental massif which truly towers over everything else. I loved taking friendly people on hikes and getting to know them, even if for a short time before saying goodbye. I loved the beavers very much, and the peace of the lake when I walked there at night.
Some highways I took:
The Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek BC to Tok
The Parks Highway from Denali to Fairbanks
The Richardson Highway from Fairbanks to Tok
The Sterling Highway to the Kenai Peninsula
The State Highway to Whittier
The Top of the World Highway (aka The Taylor Highway) from Tok to Dawson City
The Glenn Highway from Tok to Palmer
The Cassiar Highway from Watson Lake, Yukon to Prince George, BC

Top of the World Highway

I am very grateful to be safe after driving so many miles. (over 9,000 in all)
Thanks for checking in on my blog!!
Mucho love,
Mare

Heading South

I am very tired of being in the car. After I get home, I hope to walk as much as possible.
Today I drove 511 miles, yesterday I drove 667 miles and Thursday I drove 816 miles. Ugh!
I am staying in a motel in Grants Pass and will visit Kendra tomorrow. It seems like ages since I have spent time with her!!! I tried to get there this evening, but fatigue, darkness, curvy roads and deer hovering at the roadsides freaked me out.
I will get home tomorrow evening, and (sadly) return to work on Monday.
Highlight today was being greeted by magnificent Mt Rainier as I zoomed down I-5.

I thought about maybe returning to work there next summer. (A much shorter drive and a very magical place!)  Ahhh- time will tell!!

Yow!

Well, I broke my former record. Today I drove 816 miles. If you think I am a maniac, I will agree with you......
The day had its ups and downs. Right away, within the first half hour, I had a glorious excitement! I communed with a lynx.

(I got this pic from googleimages)

I saw it cross the road, then I stopped my car and walked to where it seemed to go. There it was, looking right at me, like the lynx in this photo!! It just stayed there looking at me, and I talked to it a bit and warned it not to trust people because they might shoot it. It was seriously BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!

I had to drive extra long today because

I was delayed yesterday due to road construction and having a flat tire.

My back is rather killing me, and neck too.

Another highlight was counting 11 different black bears along the Cassiar Highway. I also saw a dead one, and decided to honk my horn to scare the ones so close to the road ...they lustily chew on the new vegitation springing up and are nonchalant regarding vehicles carreening by.

God, I am TIRED, but very grateful to be out of the car!!

Aug 16, 2011

It is really amazing that I can sit here at 11pm at a picnic table outside of the Chicken Coop Saloon in Chicken, Alaska and write this! I have had a marvelous day and tonight has been most memorable!!
After leaving Denali State Park, I had the beautiful gift of watching a huge porcupine cross the road. They are a marvel!! Then not 2 minutes later, I watched a coyote for awhile. I drove north, then east to Fairbanks through lots of rain and the glorious mountains that surround Denali. There is so much vast acreage and wilderness space between Healy and Fairbanks; very little human settlement. The huge, tenacious Tenana River writhes like a giant anaconda. The sky was filled with magenta purple clouds.  I drove along the Chena Hotsprings Road for quite awhile and decided to camp at a place called the Tor Trailhead, which incidentally, was so lovely, I will return someday to backpack in there.
This morning I trotted to Chena Hotsprings, a place that I have wanted to visit for years! What a trippy resort!! My cure for 8 weeks of "shower deprivation" was swimming in the very hot water. It was just what I needed in transitioning from work, to roadtripping.
I got a ticket for the Ice Museum Tour and went crazy with excitement! It was filled with ice sculptures and colorful lights. At 20 degrees, we got to borrow parkas, play music on the xylophone made of ice, and fool around at the altar where some oddnicks get married, and in the rooms they rent out for 650 per night! Highlight was the "appletini" served in an ice glass. God, it was FUN!!!

Ice Museum

Ice Bar

Afterwards was driving time. I drove through 1.5 million acres of burned trees from the 2005 fire. I went  through rain, sun and rainbows.  I was feeling great! I drove all the way to a most unique little town: Chicken ! Population 5 year-round, 27 during the summer!! The people there mine gold, (not necessarily successfully), look for mastodon fossils (very successfully--one guy even gave me a hearty piece), and drink beers. I have never been treated with such warmth by total strangers. A guy even bought me an IPA. (they cost $7.50) I talked to all sorts of people and learned about gold mining and life in a teeny tiny town. I loved all the chicken statues and artwork. Apparently the folks who first lived there wanted to call the town "Ptarmigan" for the Alaska State Bird, but didn't know how to spell it. Such a delightful and wonderfully spirited town!!!!!!!!!!

Town Welcome Sign

                                                               Downtown Chicken (in total)

Chicken Location on AK map

Ha Ha Ha !  (not me)

This giant work of art is on Chicken Hill overlooking the Chicken River! It is very impressive!!!

This is not my car but I liked the bumper sticker.

I am finishing this up (the following day since I got booted off the wifi in Chicken) from the library in Dawson City, Yukon. The weather is fair and I have about 8 hours of driving ahead to my next destination: Watson Lake.

Love and joy to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

August 15

Well, the sad day has arrived that I must pull out of my lively, beautiful summertime trailer home. It has been most invigorating and satisfying being here....
My boss, Howard, my co-worker Freddy and I shared a wonderful dinner last night. Wonderfully tasty sockeye salmon that Howard's young son caught. Howard told me he really appreciated my work and energy and asked if I would like to return next summer. I felt very uplifted! I am not sure I will say "Yes," but I certainly love a green light and open door. I may be tempted and inspired to return, given the multitude of gifts offered to me in this amazing place. But I need a few months to reflect and let imagery sift in as to my next goal.
I head north to Fairbanks and Chena Hotsprings after work today. I hope to write some along my journey home.
I send lots of love and gratitude to you, my friends and family.

Only Three Days

Only three days left!!! I am sad!!! I have had such a wonderful and memorable summer!!
I leave Monday, August 15th after work. I will take the Cassiar Highway. I think a new route will make the return journey more interesting. My general itinerary for the way home looks like this:
8/15   Chena Hotsprings
8/16   Haines Junction
8/17   Dease Lake
8/18   Prince George
8/19   WA
8/20   N. California
8/21   Return Home

I look forward to seeing family, puppy and friends back home, but GOD! will I ever miss the vast giant magnificent wilderness I have been so revitalized by all summer!!