I’m on another adventure. Left Alaska Tues morning headed for Yuma, AZ hauling a nice 56 Chevy for a friend. Nice trip 3 nights on a cot in the trailer in Walmart parking lots. (Whitehorse YT, Dawson Creek BC, and Great Falls MT) I’m not a union member anymore so I’m not entitled to “downtown like hotels”. On to Saint George UT on the fourth day with a slight maintenance delay in Montana. I sprung for a hotel but was only there about 6 hours after arriving at 2 am. Saturday started out with a strikingly beautiful drive down a canyon for about 20 miles on I-15. One lane was closed so no pictures. I had to pay attention to keep it between the white lines. I couldn’t get any takers to join me on this adventure on short notice. Vegas was pretty dead on Sat morning. I had plans of unloading the car and cruising the strip. I’m still too fat to squeeze in the drivers side window in the tight trailer or I would have. Then I had another thought of putting the rest of my fuel money on red but I came to my senses and just kept moving not stopping at all in Vegas Now it’s off I-15 and on the backroads through places I have only heard about. Needles, Blythe, Laughlin, I remember why now. These are often the hottest places in the country on the weather reports. It was 112 degrees when I took on 150 gallons of cheap diesel ($2.71). Saw some in the sticks in California for $4.69. Later I saw 114 on my truck thermometer. Pretty hot for an Alaska boy. I’ve been to the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and I can’t ever remember being this hot. On through the desert to Yuma. I saw the marine Harriers fling overhead and was reminiscing of flying military charters like ones that I flew to Yuma while unloading the car. 5 o’clock now and a little less than a 3 hour run to Phoenix, air conditioning, a long shower and a big bed. Sunday is a rest day. Appointments Monday to look for more solar panels for my hangar roof.
Monday afternoon it’s a flight back to Anchorage to work the fish wheel by our cabin to try and fill the freezer with salmon. After fixing a few broken things at home I’m coming back to Phoenix next Sunday to head north. I know most of you are too smart to join me and MacGyver on an adventure but a seat is open. Can’t promise anything but a wild time.
Thank you Lord for watching over me, my family, and my friends.
I’ll be in touch.
Blue skies!!!
August 20, 2019
Rod Alvarez met me in Phoenix two weeks ago to continue the rest of my last adventure. 113 degrees in Phoenix, too hot for an Alaska boy. Made a short detour to Indiana to visit our friends at NAPA only 1700 miles. Took the southern route through Montana to join the Alcan at Dawson Creek, BC. 100 miles north of Ft. St. John we ran into snow. Snow continued through Ft. Nelson, over Steamboat Mountain (where the pictures were taken), on past Summit Lake and down the steep grade to Muncho Lake. Still snowing at Watson Lake. Spent the night in a sleeping room with very little heat and no wi-fi. Snowed overnight and most of the way to Teslin. Where is Willard Scott, this is the middle of August. On through Whitehorse yesterday and back into Alaska spending the night in Tok. There are many stories but I’m too tired to type them.
Well just one… We were on top of Steamboat pumping fuel and two motorcycles went past headed south. I looked at Rod and said “No, no, no.” He said “No sense of adventure.” I replied “I would rather be back in Phoenix at 113 degrees climbing a saguaro cactus in my underwear. “
We are 4000 miles from Indiana only 250 to go to Wasilla. Now to deal with the wildfires burning in the area when we get home.
Next adventure is to get past the fires to the cabin to hunt the moose.
I’ll be in touch.
Thank you, Lord for a safe trip.
Blue skies!!
The View from the Outhouse 