June 18 and June 19--Kenai to Black Bear Campground, Alaska

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Saturday, June 18, 2011 Diamond M Ranch and RV park, Kenai Have now driven 10,028 miles. 55 degrees at 11:00 High clouds

I worked some more on the daily narrative to try and get up to date and Valerie added pictures to my previous entries and posted a few to the travel blog. We both worked on cleaning Rosie II more. We had to leave the space by 11:00, so we closed things down and drove over to the bathhouse to take showers. Since it was 11:30 before we left, and we wanted to do some shopping in town, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant for lunch. We had a really good meal and took half of it home and had it for dinner. Filled the gas tank before we started out also.

Since it was late before we finally got on the road, we had planned only to drive a few miles to a campground on the Russian River. On the way, we stopped at a wood carver’s shop that we had admired on the way to Homer. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any small carvings only stuff so large we would have to ship home in a U-haul truck.

When we went back through the area that I had stated in an earlier entry was real resort-like, it was now filled with people! Being father’s day weekend, the area was absolutely PACKED with fishermen. We hadn’t realized that the Russian River is THE river for salmon fishing and the salmon were beginning to run. All along the river for miles and miles, people were standing 4-5 feet apart fishing---they call it combat fishing, since you are so close that you constantly come in contact with your neighbor when you cast or possibly catch a fish. Obviously, that, and all other campgrounds in the area were full.

So, continued to drive toward the town of Hope where we had planned to be the following day. The campground at the end of the road was, we thought, far away from the normal traffic and would have some open spots.

Entered the quaint old town of Hope only to find that the campground was closed for the season---why they didn’t post a sign to that effect where you turn off the Seward Highway and drive 17.8 miles on the Hope Highway, I’ll never know. Anyway, checked on a couple private RV parks and one was full because everyone was attending a wedding and the other one wanted $35 per night to stay in it. We did learn that you could park at another part of the park where there was a trail head over the mountains.

So, up a narrow gravel road we went looking for the place. Found it next to Resurrection Creek, which is a very fast moving stream. Looked around the wide rocky parking lot and decided to spend the night as it was off the beaten path, a good many people were parked there also, it was in the National Forest, and other people could be seen camping in tents in the woods nearby. Met some guys who camped the night while waiting for their friends to complete the 38 mile hike from the highway on the other side of the mountain.

Sunday, June 19th Happy Father’s Day! It had rained in the night and continued to rain all morning. Temp at 51 degrees starting mileage was 10147.

Left camp after taking some pictures of the river, the camp spot, and the hikers starting up the trail, in the rain, and fully loaded down with their supplies for their week of back packing. Drove back into the town of Hope to look at the small log cabins that make up the main part of town. This was a gold rush town of 1896 whose fame lasted just a short 3 years before gold was discovered in the Klondike. The social hall was built in 1902 and is still used. They have a small museum and other small log buildings along Main Street.

The town sits in a very pretty spot along Turnagain Arm. While slowly creeping down dirt town roads, saw several lovely wild flowers in bloom; pink thorny wild roses against a birch tree and chocolate lilies in a field. The lilies have their heads down because of the rain, but they are a very lovely deep brown flower with pointed petals and bright yellow lily-like stamens.

Had a two for one price coupon in our Alaskan coupon book for a boat tour on the lake formed by Portage Glacier. When we drove to the place to catch the boat, we were surprised to find it just a couple miles from where we had previously camped on July 7th at Williwaw Campground. Anyway, we took the 1 hour tour and it was interesting only because the ranger who narrated the tour was so entertaining and very knowledgeable about glaciers.

The area, for example, gets 400-600 inches of snow a year because it is so close to the ocean. That is why all these glaciers and ice fields are along the high mountains along the coast. The warm Pacific waters creates the heavy snowfall which only melts approximately 40% a summer and so 60% of the snow compresses each year after year forming the ice fields from which the glaciers fan out from. After the tour, we watched 3 cruise ship tour buses load and unload passengers,

Then we head for Black Bear Campground that is two miles from Williwaw where we stayed about 10 days ago. As we entered the campground we saw the really pretty birds, robin cousins, we had admired before, but didn’t get a picture of. This time the male “varied thrush” stood still long enough to get a good shot.

Napped and read and rested the rest of the day. Mosquitoes out in droves in this spot and with the rain in particular, so, just admired everything looking at the windows from inside Rosie II.

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Comments

[Wm. G Oliver]

My Favorite Spot
You Camped at my favorite spot... That little Cottonwood bench by Resurection Creek. Up the road a piece from the Resurection Trail head. Its Gold Mining country... I Love that little Campspot. Hope you guys are having a good time on your trip, It loooks like you are having a Blast... Have you thought of any more alaska Songs? Do you know the Iditarod Trail song? (Hobo Jim) Hit Youtube for it, Its a cute little Ditty... Have Fun, Enjoy Alaska... Bill

[Wendell]

hikers
The hikers look like they are wearing their tents--especially the one on the right. My first thought was, "They are going to roast in all that gear." But, I guess it's no in the mid 90s there.