Pacific Time
Sunrise 6:12 a.m.; Sunset 9:44 p.m.
One year ago today we were traveling through Quesnel, British Columbia when we had our tires slashed by a Canadian who hated America and Americans. One year later, we have had a trial and the man was acquitted even though we had taken a photo of the license plate and entered into evidence was the pick-axe. Apart from the lack of justice, a lot has happened in this past year from violence to having our first grandchild who lives on the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage.
For those who are interested in sport fishing, our son-in-law manages Alaska River Adventures in Cooper Landing. He is what I call a ‘fish whisperer’. He fishes King’s, Red’s, Sockeye, Pinks, Rainbow and Dolly Varden – some catch and release; others you get to beat, keep and eat. They set up trips to Homer for Halibut, too. They are one of the few outfitters on the Kenai River that has permits to fish through the wildlife refuge with seasoned and top-notch fishing guides. We began campground hosting in the area as a way to spend our summers with our daughter, son-in-law and now growing grandson. We work for Alaska Recreation Management who manages the US Forest Service Campgrounds on the Kenai. We are at a small campground called Cooper Creek. We service 28 sites with no hook-ups. There are pit toilets and a water pump, but the beauty of the Kenai River and sites along Cooper Creek makes up for the ‘roughing’ it whether you are in a tent, a small rented RV or boondocking for the summer as we do.
Our trip up the Alcan or Alaska Highway begins at Mile 0 at Dawson Creek. We decided to spend two nights here just because …. We are staying at the year-round Northern Lights RV Park and it’s more like a gravel pit with full hook-ups. With all of the melting snow and huge puddles, the owner brought us a pallet as a little porch so we wouldn’t always be stepping in the water. Of course, after having living in Alaska, we have our mandatory ‘rubber boots’ which makes sloshing and jumping in puddles fun.
Notice the huge pond behind me in the parking lot at the Alaska Highway Mile Zero sign? Yeah, I jumped in that a LOT!
Last year we arrived in Dawson Creek late and had enough time to set up, take a quick look around town, do a little laundry, sleep and get on the move. This year we have explored the town a little more. The visitor center woman named Jennifer was full of information, information that we will definitely need as provincial campgrounds won’t be open until the end of May. Seasonal campgrounds are opening late because of the snow and we needed a little heads up on what is available over the next 1500 miles.
We also took a little side trip to the Kiskatinaw Curved Bridge which used to be on the Old Alaska Highway at Mile 21. It was built in 1942 and is no longer used since the New Alaska Highway by-passes it.
Today, along with laundry and baking cookies (my husband is spoiled), we are going to take a walking tour around this quaint town and maybe grab a coffee at Tim Horton’s or lunch at a local cafe. We are also going to visit the Mile 0 Museum and learn more about the building of the Alaska Highway which became a necessity after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and an attack on Alaska. The weather is tremendous and warm with blue sky and sunshine that will make the snow melt even faster and flow down the sides of the roads like raging rivers. Tubby’s, where we stayed last year, is nothing but a river right now as it is sits next to the creek that is overflowing its many banks.
New Word for the day: Swamp Donkey
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