Port Hardy, BC

May 30-31, Tues-wed

I arrived in Port Hardy at 10:30 pm, and Ann was there to pick me up and take me to the hostel.  I know this might sound selfish, but it made my day to know that there was someone at the other end waiting for me.  She took me to the hostel and I got settled in for the night.

On Wednesday I did some walking around town and checked out Port Hardy, BC.  I started off by heading out to the Coast Guard unit, where I asked them for a patch.  They said the only patches they had were all sewed on their shirts.  We visited for awhile, and discussed in detail the road from here to Campbell River, a little over a hundred miles long.  Aside from a couple towns, theres not much out there besides a few black bears (no grizzlies, though.)  They did mention that after I get to Campbell River, not only will it be much more populated, but there will be a big change in the weather, and it will be warmer and dryer.  After that I stopped at the Visitor Center and got some more information about the road from here down to Victoria.  She then pointed out a couple trails around town that she thought I'd enjoy walking, so after our visit I headed out to one of those trails.  I followed a trail that took me down to the harbor area and then angled around a campground, and after that I headed back downtown and had a frosted mug of A&W Root Beer. 

Tomorrow, on June 1st, I'll be heading down the road, just me and my cart, on my way to Victoria, BC. 

 

Prince Rupert, BC

May 26 - 28, Sat-Mon

I arrived in Prince Rupert at 1:30am early Saturday morning.  I tried to hand in that darn Canadian document to the customs lady, but she told me to hang on to it until I get to Victoria, BC.  I mentioned that it was given to me in Yukon, and that I didn't realize I needed to carry it through British Columbia.  I also mentioned that I wasn't sure if I could get down to Victoria by July 3rd, the date I need to hand that in by.  She pretty much said have a good day, and turn it in at Victoria when I exit Canada.  So now I guess I'm going to Victoria with a deadline to meet:  July 3rd.

I took a taxi to Black Rooster Guesthouse, a really nice hostel/motel.  They knew I'd be coming in during the wee hours, and my room was ready.  When I finally got up, they pointed out downtown Prince Rupert (only 3 blocks away) and mentioned a few places I might like to see.  It was pouring down rain out, and didn't look like it was going to improve much anytime soon  I mostly stayed inside over the weekend, but on Monday I headed out anyway and went downtown and checked out a couple museums and explored down by the harbor.  It's a very nice, very hilly town, and I enjoyed my walk in the rain.  I stopped at a little bakery for a snack, and 2 men sat in the next table and started visiting with me.  After quite awhile, they got up and left.  We swapped business cards, and I discovered I had been visiting with the mayor!  I also stopped at the fire station and asked them for a patch.  When I told the chief I was a dispatcher from Alaska, he didn't hesitate and welcomed me in and handed me a patch from Prince Rupert.

Tuesday morning is going to start early, since I need to get down to the ferry terminal by 6am.  I'll be taking my last ferry ride down to Port Hardy, BC, located at the north tip of Vancouver Island.  I'll get in at 10:30pm, and that's where my feet will be on solid ground and I'll start walking.  From Port Hardy down to Victoria it's 310 miles.  I'm looking forward to walking down Vancouver Island.

Ketchikan, AK

May 23-24, wed-thur

Twenty hours seemed like a long time on the ferry.  The ride was enjoyable, and the weather was beautiful, but I didn't sleep much and I was ready to get off.

I was planning on staying at a hostel, but I was really reluctant about staying at this one because all the reviews online about this place are negative, and they all complained about a grumpy old man.  But it was so much cheaper than the motels.  When I arrived, the grumpy old man was outside working.  He basically chewed me out for not making reservations sooner, and he then ordered me to carry my cart up to the 3rd floor.  When I asked if there was anywhere on the ground floor inside or outside that I could leave my cart, he was extremely curt and short and said no, that I had to carry it all up 3 flights of stairs.  And that's when I got my cart, turned around, and walked away.  Locals said that Super 8 Motel was the cheapest around, so that's where I headed.  The hot bubble bath was wonderful, and I happily got all my laundry done.

The next day I had a great time being a tourist in Ketchikan.  I walked about a mile to the downtown area, then joined passengers from the 5 cruise ships that were docked to help improve the economy in Ketchikan, AK.  The brochures included a walking tour that covered several miles and a lot of interesting places to stop and check out.  I started off by checking out the Visitor Center, then started out on that walking tour.   A creek runs right through town, and the path and trails of this walking tour followed and crossed over the creek several times.  A lot of old buildings were along the creek.  There were about a zillion tourist-trap shops along the walk, and I was pleased with myself:  I only bought some stickers, a patch and some salmon jerky.

Some of the places I went to were the Tongass Historical Museum, Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery & Eagle Center, Tongass Trading Center, and the SE Alaska Discovery Center.  I think the Discovery Center was my favorite.  The weather was absolutely beautiful to be out and about in Ketchikan, AK.  It was a great day.

Sitka, AK

MAY 20-22, 2012 - Sun-Tue

Today is the first day of my trip that I'm actually traveling alone, and yet, I so wish I wasn't.  I miss Kriss terribly, and she wanted to go to Sitka so bad.  I felt almost guilty going there without her.  When the ferry arrived at 12:30 pm, there was an RV park right next to the ferry terminal, so I asked the lady if I could pitch a tent there, and she said sure.  She pointed out a couple of picnic tables down by the waters edge, and I happily set up my tent in some soft, plush grass looking out at Sitka Sound with a beautiful view of the ferry docked.  I'm sure I had the best spot in town! 

Later, I started visiting with Jen & 14 month old Jake.  She & her husband have a charter fishing excursion and she would be staying there in their RV all summer.  She fixed us a wonderful supper of salmon & vegetables, and mentioned that she'd be driving the 7 miles into town tomorrow if I'd like a ride.

The next day we were heading into town.  She gave me the quick tour and pointed out several spots I'd like to see, then she dropped me off in the middle of town.  The first thing I did was hit a few of the souvenir shops and I bought Kriss a Sitka, AK t-shirt, 4 Alaska place mats, and some post cards.  Then I headed for the post office and bought an over sized envelope.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it only cost $12 to mail it all to South Africa.  I thought it would cost a lot more than that.

I did check out quite a few places, such as the Sheet'ka Kwann Naa Kahidi Community House, Totem Square, Castle Hill, St Peters by the sea Episcopal Church, and the Sheldon Jackson Museum. I also went to Sitka Luther Church, and also toured St Michaels Cathedral. But probably my favorite place was going to Sitka National Historical Park & Totem Trail. It was a beautiful park with many totem poles, and I really enjoyed walking around there.

                                                                                                       St Michaels Cathedral

Gustavus, AK

I took the ferry from Juneau, AK to Gustavus, AK to see my friend Rachel.  I was able to spend the first night camping out at Glacier Bay National Park, and the next night I stayed at her house.  Glacier Bay was beautiful, and I enjoyed the camping.  I also had a great time visiting with Rachel and her Mother, Jill.  The visit was short but sweet, and today I'll be back on the ferry on my way back to Juneau.  I'll arrive back in Juneau at 6:00pm, then head out on the ferry for Sitka, AK at 8:00am tomorrow.

Here's a few pics of Gustavus, AK:

Seawolf at Bartlett Cove in Glacier Bay Nat'l Park.

Rachel, in front of my tent at Glacier Bay Nat'l Park.

Albo, Eve, and Finnvara at Bartlett Cove in Glacier Bay Nat'l Park.

A glass of hot tea.

Now this is how I camp!  You can't see it, but there's a blazing fire in the stove!

Jill, Me and Rachel

Juneau, AK

Kriss and I enjoyed our last day together in Juneau, AK.  We checked out the shops, and did a bit of sight-seeing, such as touring the State Capitol, going to the City Museum, checking out the governors mansion, and riding the tram up to the top of the mountain.  Of course, the worst part was saying goodbye. 

The next morning, we got up super early -- 4:30am -- to get me to the ferry terminal to catch a ferry to Gustavus.  When we got there, the guy behind the counter said I was plenty early, and that my ticket to Gustavus didn't leave until thursday -- 2 days away!  Like a dummy, I hadn't paid attention to the date and just assumed that we were both leaving on different ferries on the same day!  Kriss and I gave each other a you-gotta-be-kidding-me look, and went out for breakfast.  Her ferry didn't leave until noon, so we had PLENTY of time to get her back to the terminal for her ferry ride to Whittier!  And, like I said earlier, saying good bye was really very hard.  We had a great time traveling together, and I'll miss her a lot.

Here are a few pictures of Juneau, AK:

Haines, AK

The rain has finally stopped for a day, and we've had a wonderful morning.  We headed out to an area out of town by a bridge to see birds dive-bombing for hooligans  Quite a few gulls and some eagles were busy getting their fill.

Then when we were driving back, we saw 2 bears on the beach.  We stopped and watched them for about an hour!  It was so much fun.  Kriss was so excited!

Then we spent some time around the harbor, and for lunch I treated her out to a Mothers Day dinner at the Lighthouse Restaruant.  It's been a great day so far!

Yukon Territory

On Thursday, Kriss and I drove from Tok, AK to Haines Junction, YK.  As we were approaching the Canadian Customs building, I was teasing her, sure that they would question her with her foreign passport and just let me through -- but exactly the opposite happened!  They waved her right through, but told me to come inside the office.  So in I went.  They asked me a hundred and one questions, made me prove that I had the finances to walk through Canada (I even had to show him the cash I had!), and were VERY skeptical of me.  They especially didn't like the fact that I'm a transient, and that I don't have a home to go back to.  He drilled me with a bunch more questions, and I had to show him that I had already purchased a ferry ticket out of Skagway, AK for July 2nd.   After 45 minutes of answering questions, in exasperation I said I could change my ferry ticket to leave in a few days if that would make him happy, and finally he let up and said that wouldn't be necessary.  He did, however, document that I was allowed in Canada until July 3rd, and that I must turn in this document to a customs agent by July 3rd proving that I was in fact leaving, otherwise there would be a warrant out for my arrest!  This document claimed that 1) I could not get a job, 2) I could not take any classes, and 3) that I need to be out of Canada by July 3rd.  And of course they got a mug shot of me to go along with this document!  By the time I finally walked back out to the car, poor Kriss had smoked her entire pack and was ready to throw my bail!  And by the time I got back into the car, I told her I was ready for a beer in each hand and 4 cigarettes all at once!  (I didn't, though!)  We were both highly stressed at the moment!

Then as we were driving in the Yukon, I was amazed at how vast it all was and how much of nothing there was!  All the rest areas and camp grounds and businesses that I had written down or marked on my map were either closed up or shut down for the season, and there were indeed miles and miles and miles of nothing.  We finally reached Haines Junction and settled into a motel for the night.

On Friday, we headed down to Haines, AK where we'd catch the ferry to Sitka.  The drive was beautiful, until we started up a mountain pass and ran into a snow storm.  The roads were bad up at the top, and we wondered if we'd even get through.  We finally reached the summit and headed back down.  By the time we finally got to the bottom, all the snow was gone and it was just raining.  But while we were up in this mountain pass, all I could think of was the fact that I only packed shorts and t-shirts -- and aside from one pair of long johns and a pair of rain pants, I have no pants!  And there was snow everywhere and I was driving in blizzard conditions!  By the time we finally crossed back into Alaska, we were both pretty much done with being in the Yukon.

When we got to Haines, AK, we headed for the ferry terminal to see what the schedule looked like to go to Sitka, which was where Kriss really wanted to go.  Sadly, none of the schedule fit into the 5 days she had available.  Instead, she bought a ticket to take her and the car back to Whittier, AK -- where I use to live!  -- since she needs to get back to Anchorage.  I got me a ticket to Juneau, and then to Gustavus.  And now I am very much in limbo and not sure what to do.  My ferry tickets that I've already bought are not until July.  Do I just change the dates and keep on going (assuring, indeed, that my butt is out of Canada by July 3rd)? Or do I hang around for awhile and stay on schedule?  I'm pretty sure that I'll get ants in my pants sooner rather than later.  But for now I'll head to Gustavus to see a friend for a few days. 

It has been an interesting couple of days indeed.

On My Way!

On Monday, May 7th, I was finishing up all the details and tying up loose ends to get ready to head out on my journey Tuesday.  Around noon, I met up with a group of friends to have some coffee and catch up on news.  While we were sitting there, we noticed a lady sitting by herself.  No one recognized her, so we invited her to join us.  Turns out Kriss, 64, is from South Africa and was having an Alaska Adventure!  My friends told her that I was about to start out on my own adventure tomorrow, and Kriss looked at me and said "come with me!"  Well, I thought, I'm all packed up and ready to go....so I said "sure!"  She drove her rental car to my house, and we loaded up my stuff and hit the road! 

First we headed down to Valdez, around 350 miles south.  Three hundred and fifty miles of driving gives a lot of time for visiting, and it didn't take long to figure out that we had a lot in common.  We made several pit stops at gas stations, lodges, funky-looking buildings, pull-outs, and photo-ops, and eventually, slowly, made it down to Valdez.  We split the cost of the motel room, and decided to explore Valdez in the rain.  On foot.  And we had a mah-valous time.  We also spent our 2nd day in Valdez, but did some driving around.  We watched a bear for awhile, and saw a couple moose while we were driving.  We also drove out to a glacier and some waterfalls, and enjoyed that.

On Wednesday, we drove to Tok, AK, and split the cost of a little mom & pop motel.  We went out to eat at Fast Eddies, and did some exploring around there.  Getting to know Kriss has been a lot of fun.  She's so sweet, and we're already planning my Africa Adventure when I go to visit her.  She lives in Windhoek, Namibia in South Africa.  She has 2 grown sons.  Daniel is married to Tori and they have their daughter Lucy, 3; and Simon is a pilot in the RAF.  Kriss and I are amazed at how well we get along together.  We have traveled for 3 days now, and feel like we've known each other for years.  It is a very comfortable, very enjoyable fit.  We are both quite pleased that we're traveling together.

We are now heading to Skagway, AK.  She wants to take the ferry to Sitka, and then on to Ketchikan.  I plan on traveling those areas, too, but I intended to walk to Skagway and then take the ferry.  So I am kindof at limbo -- I'm really not sure what my next move will be.  At some point I need to bail and start walking, since that was and still is my goal.  And she is traveling exactly where I intended to walk to, so I am torn between walking or driving.  I honestly don't know what my next move will be, but for now I'm just traveling with her.  And enjoying it.