Roll Call Alaska 2016

[GGeorge]

I have been planning this trip for 4+ years. It is now time to update my estimates and make my reservations.

Estimate Wash/BC border about 5 May 2016, north on route 97/1/2 to Tok, south to Valdez, make the hump to Anchorage, then to Homer and Seward, north to Denali, Fairbanks, back to TOK and off to Dawson, then south to Watson Lake, Smithers, then to CAN 16 east to Jasper,/Banff, on to Glacier in Montana, arriving early Sept so I can get thru the park then west to Kalispell. South thru the US to Houston area for the thanksgiving holiday and Florida for the Christmas holiday. Since I am sure it will be cold in Ohio I wont return home till April 2017.

Alaska here we come!!!!

G George

On edit, yup it's time to plan 2016. I edited your post to modify the title to be consistent with previous years; it will facilitate future searches for members.

... Eric (Moderator)

[GGeorge]

I think we all should give Lizzie a big round of applause for keeping us all straight for this 2016 trip. Thank you Lizzie.

We are at Glacier NP now about 1 month ahead of the original schedule
due to one of us being homesick and missing the grand children. So we had to hurry a little faster, Glacier till next Tuesday then off to Missoula for a week then 3 days of travel east to wherever that lands us. Day or two rest the eastern movement again. I promised we would be home before 22 Sept. So I have 33 days to get back to Ohio. Besides the Buckeyes will be playing football on Saturdays and I gotta watch those games. So thanks again for everyones help, advise, and making the trip worth while.

GGeorge

[Caysea]

Hi All
Still on the road and enjoying the adventure of seeing this great country along with our neighboring country of Canada. I left Florida at the end of April spent a little more than 2 months in Alaska back down to Jasper and Banff stopped at daughters in Ann Arbor. Back up to Canada toward Nigiara Falls. A few days at the falls and then East to Cape Cod. Just came off the beach after spending a couple nights beach camping at the Cape Cod National Seashore. Staying now at a camp site on the cape and will be exploring the bikicyle paths. The pieces of this adventure puzzle keep falling in to place.

Alaska was all I could have hoped for it regards to scenery wild life and people I met along the way. A flight over the summit of Mt Denali on a crystal clear day and landing on the glacier was one of many highlights. How does that slogan go. " Just Do It "

Expect to be back home to Sarasota Fl sometime in September.

KC

[MamaGoose]

rag-ftw wrote:
Here's a link to all kinds of fireweed info. This is the receipt we use for jelly and it is excellent. You must use pectin and not Certo with this receipt.
U.A. Fairbanks Fire Weed Info

Good luck and enjoy!

Thank you!

[rag-ftw]

Here's a link to all kinds of fireweed info. This is the receipt we use for jelly and it is excellent. You must use pectin and not Certo with this receipt.
U.A. Fairbanks Fire Weed Info

Good luck and enjoy!

[MamaGoose]

rag-ftw wrote:
We are still in Wasilla. Will be here for another month before heading south.

This week is our jelly/jam week. We made 35 pints of fireweed jelly on Monday, 15 1/2 pints of raspberry jelly this morning and picked Hatcher Pass blueberries this afternoon for an estimated 24 pints of blueberry jam tomorrow. Friends and family always look forward to our Christmas gifts to them!

Next week is a visit to the Mantinuska Glacier and the Alaska State Fair. Can't miss the 1000lb pumpkins, 40 pound cabbage heads, and 16 pound zucchini squash!

Hope everyone had as good a summer as we are having. Thanks to all for your road condition reports!

Would you mind posting the recipe for fireweed jelly? (Or pm me if you prefer.)
It sounds wonderful!

[Fer2005]

Rag-ftw, where in the Wasilla-Palmer area do you recommend. I've driven thru several, heard good and bad reviews.

We are back home now, but the next time we go we're staying a lot longer the Palmer area. I'd like to try to make some fireweed jelly myself.

Thanks.

[rag-ftw]

We are still in Wasilla. Will be here for another month before heading south.

This week is our jelly/jam week. We made 35 pints of fireweed jelly on Monday, 15 1/2 pints of raspberry jelly this morning and picked Hatcher Pass blueberries this afternoon for an estimated 24 pints of blueberry jam tomorrow. Friends and family always look forward to our Christmas gifts to them!

Next week is a visit to the Mantinuska Glacier and the Alaska State Fair. Can't miss the 1000lb pumpkins, 40 pound cabbage heads, and 16 pound zucchini squash!

Hope everyone had as good a summer as we are having. Thanks to all for your road condition reports!

[MamaGoose]

We're just on our way to Alaska, day 4 of our trek. We are currently in Alberta, we expect to reach Dawson Creek day after tomorrow. We like fall camping and quieter parks.

[missnmountains]

lizzie wrote:
Has the Class of 2016 graduated? Has Elvis left the building and the RV
ers left Alaska? When we left NC in May, I had about 50 names on the Roll Call List. It would be interesting to see how many of us made the trip. We did and it was everything we wanted it to be. It was our second trip towing the TT and we sort of "mopped up" all the things we missed in 2013. I'm not sure we will tow again, but we plan to fly out this winter. We didn't meet up with anyone on the list but we got lots of good information from others and tried to give good info when we could. Good luck and safe travels to everyone. lizzie

We had an awesome time. Got back to southwest Florida on the 25th of July. Just under 3 months. We are already planning our 2018 trip.

We are also leaving on the 15th of September for the Northeast for a color tour for one month. New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

Cannot wait for the next trip up to Alaska.

Ken

[lizzie]

Sorry for the double post. This internet access is not the best. I forgot to say that we are in Sacramento, will be headed to Reno tomorrow. We are going back to NC via Kansas City, so not home yet. lizzie

[DakotaCamper]

We did it and had a grand time. Currently at Glacier NP wrapping up our wonderful trip.

[lizzie]

Has the Class of 2016 graduated? Has Elvis left the building and the RV
ers left Alaska? When we left NC in May, I had about 50 names on the Roll Call List. It would be interesting to see how many of us made the trip. We did and it was everything we wanted it to be. It was our second trip towing the TT and we sort of "mopped up" all the things we missed in 2013. I'm not sure we will tow again, but we plan to fly out this winter. We didn't meet up with anyone on the list but we got lots of good information from others and tried to give good info when we could. Good luck and safe travels to everyone. lizzie

[lizzie]

Has the Class of 2016 graduated? Has Elvis left the building and the RV
ers left Alaska? When we left NC in May, I had about 50 names on the Roll Call List. It would be interesting to see how many of us made the trip. We did and it was everything we wanted it to be. It was our second trip towing the TT and we sort of "mopped up" all the things we missed in 2013. I'm not sure we will tow again, but we plan to fly out this winter. We didn't meet up with anyone on the list but we got lots of good information from others and tried to give good info when we could. Good luck and safe travels to everyone. lizzie

[Fer2005]

rag-ftw wrote:
Wow! The ice must have really been thick. When we were there last week he was pushing chunks as big as the boat out of the way enroute to the face!

You can tell he really enjoys what he does and it is more than just a job for him. One of the good things about owning the boat is you don't have to live by a schedule. It was 9:30 when we got back in the harbor on our last trip. He was on schedule to get us back around 8:30 but we saw a whale just before the narrows and that obviously extended his time on the water. Talked with Cpt Alan of Stan Stephens and he indicated one of the complaints against the Lu-Lu Belle was always getting back to port late. I thought that was interesting that someone would complain about missing a dinner reservation because they had spent an hour watching a humpback put on a show!

Yes the ice was very thick! I spoke with him before we got into the thickest part, he stated he had to do go around the left side the day prior. We went to the west face and he pushed as far as he could to get close. It was still amazing!

We arrived in port around 8 p.m. The other guys had long gone home.

During the trip I told Capt. Fred I wanted his job when he retired. He said most people do what they love AFTER they retire. He said he was doing what he loved right now! You can tell he loves what he's doing! Great trip!

[sue_t]

There's a forest fire burning on the north end of the Cassiar Hwy (Hwy 37), about 22 km south of the Yukon border. The BC Wildfire Service is warning of smoky conditions.
http://bcfireinfo.for.gov.bc.ca/WildfireNews

Check updates at http://www.drivebc.ca/#mapView&z=7&ll=59.367885%2C-130.715332

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