The Great Northern RoAdventure: Weeks 5-8

Day 29, August 13, 2022: Kluane Lake, YT; Nines Creek Gravel Pit

Looking at our calendar and travel outline, we realized we had a couple weeks that were a bit free. We were able to get enough service on one end of the lot we were camped in to check the weather over in the McCarthy area, which was our next planned destination. With rain and overcast forecast there, and sun where we were, we decided to stay for a couple extra days.

Charlie had spotted a route up Nines Peak on our way to the area. He wasn’t feeling up for a big day so I decided I’d give it a go, however I didn’t start until 11:30 AM. We all know how that goes. Plotted on my phone, the route appeared to be roughly 8.2 miles with a gain of 5,900’ so I knew the day was big. With none of it on a trail, I quickly realized I wouldn’t make it up the peak, and back to the van until after Logan’s bedtime. I decided to just make a hike out of it. There was a nice breeze in the air, and the walking reminded me of being in the Grand Canyon. It was quite pleasant, and although a little bummed about leaving late in the day, thus hindering my desire to climb a peak, I had a nice day out.

When I got back to the van Logan was on the fold up thermarest pad, having fun pulling it over himself. It was almost like a little fort for him. Charlie was happy and said it had been one of the best days yet with Logan. They had gone on an hour hike, Logan had taken good naps, and they were both in great moods. We headed back to our gravel pit where Nines Creek used to flow, did core, made dinner, and enjoyed the evening together.

Charlie and I have started watching Better Call Saul in the evenings. Logan had been waking up about 45 minutes after he went to sleep, likely due to the audio. After feeling rather guilty the day before, Charlie realized we could use his Bluetooth headphones that I got him for his birthday,

putting one in each of our ears. We exchange about halfway through the show so we don’t go deaf in one ear. I actually think I hear it better this way, AND Logan didn’t wake up at all during the show! However he did wake at about 10:30 PM, which is before I typically give him milk. It was so windy, and I think it woke him up. I decided to feed him and am hoping it doesn’t bite us moving forward.

Day 30, August 14, 2022: Kluane Lake, YT to Beaver Creek, YT; Airstrip

I’d looked at the map and saw that you could connect to the route I was attempting to climb the previous day, from where we were camped. It was a little longer, however we knew there was a road that some excavators had made because we tried to drive it the first day in search of a prettier campsite. I suggested Charlie ride his bike up this, and intersect the route that way, via the Nines Creek drainage. This allowed him an early start without Logan and I needing to leave camp.

When Logan went down for his first nap, I did core and muscular endurance. It was 500+ miles to McCarthy and I figured the next couple days might be more driving than playing, thus I could recover in the van.

After his nap, I blew up his inflatable tub and gave him a bath in the van, because it was still so windy outside. He enjoyed splashing around in the water and playing with his comb and the washcloth. After he bathed, I shaved my legs and rinsed myself as well as I figured the weather might be getting colder making bathing harder, and I’ll take any chance I can to clean myself up.

It’s crazy how time seems to fly by, even on a day like this. I have all these desires to catch up on my blog, read, work, and I end up getting about 20% of anything done between feeding, playing with, and changing Logan. At 12:45 PM I received a text that Charlie had made it to the top, but he might come down the other way. I figured I needed to stay on top of checking messages, in case I needed to pick him up somewhere else. Around 2:15 PM, Logan and I were doing our rounds in the lot to try to find cell phone reception, and I received a message from the inReach that he’d be back in 30 minutes.

Charlie refueled and we packed up camp once he returned, to get back on the open road. We needed water and ice. As we drove, we recognized how remote and wild the area around us was.

There were little communities we passed through, but if there were shops or fuel, most of the areas were closed down. We stopped at a couple campgrounds to try to get water, but neither had it. Eventually we made it to the little town of Beaver Creek, the most western town in all of Canada. We found a visitor center that had water, and some useful info. I never made it inside as Logan had one of his biggest blow outs ever and I was in the process of cleaning it up, but Charlie said they were really nice, and seemed excited to have visitors. They told him some archaeologists found a baby mammoth, completely preserved near Dawson City just 3 weeks prior. With Logan’s bedtime nearing, we found some camping next to an airstrip on the west end of town. We made dinner, and went to bed soon after arriving.

Day 31, August 15, 2022: Beaver Creek, YT to Wrangell Saint Elias National Park, Nabesna Rd., AK Rock Lake

Today we entered Alaska! It was fun getting pictures of Logan on the Yukon/Alaska border. We were excited to find diesel for under $5/gallon in Tok. I picked up the necessities, a 6 pack of Solstice IPA and a huge bag of chocolate chips for deserts. Hoping it lasts us the rest of the trip, because chocolate up here is super expensive, hence the quantity buy.

We made a spontaneous decision to check out the Nabesna Road, as my friend, Sarah, had mentioned it when I asked for recommendations on places to visit. Since we didn’t have maps of the area we stopped in at the Visitor Info center in Slana and talked to a ranger. Sarah had mentioned some public use cabins, but the ranger said they were both reserved. We ended up

finding a nice dispersed camping site about 20 miles in at Rock Lake, which had a picnic table and vault toilet. Logan and I hung outside when we got to camp but the flies were eating him alive, so I decided to take him on a hike on the trail across the way. I was a bit on edge and needed to move, and I noticed that one of the public cabins was up the trail, only ¼ mile away. We hiked through a bunch of huckleberries and found

the log cabin that a homesteader had built. There was no one there, so we went inside. It was neat to imagine someone building it, and we actually found his old truck up there, which was wild because the area was all forested now.

Charlie went for a short run up the road and when he got back, I biked down to the Caribou Creek Trail and up towards the Metasta mountains. It was fairly overcast so we only got glimpses of the nearby Wrangells. Occasionally we’d spot the base of a glacier and the larger peaks in the area. Despite the lack of mountain views, the forest around this area is really neat, and is made up of small coniferous trees, giving way to the peaks beyond.

Day 32, August 16, 2022: Wrangell Saint Elias NP, AK: Nabesna Rd to McCarthy, Swift Creek

The Nabesna Road is 42 miles total; however, the last 15 miles require multiple creek crossings, and both 4-wheel drive and high clearance are recommended. Based on an info packet we picked up, I thought the Skookum Volcano Trail sounded interesting, but it required a 15 mile bike ride each way from where we were, passing through some creeks that might be thigh deep according to the ranger. Since we wanted to get to McCarthy which was 60 miles of dirt road on the opposite side of the Wrangell’s, I decided we better get an earlier start on the drive.

Soon after gaining the Tok Cutoff, we hit another junction that came in from Delta Junction. Charlie connected another dot with a previous adventure he had done in 2008, where he biked an 800-mile loop around Alaska with a Bob trailer. I always love hearing his stories and it was fun to hear him recall this adventure. We were hoping to get cell phone service in Glennallen, where we planned to pick up a few groceries. As we neared town, we realized we didn't have service, but we did find a grocery store to get a few things. The prices were very high but to offset them, we found a bag of ice just sitting on the sidewalk, which we needed for our cooler.

You win some, you lose some, and we really can’t complain. I hope that our travels are supporting these small communities. I find it hard to comprehend the prices, as the people living in these small towns have to pay these all the time, yet I’m guessing most of them don’t have jobs that pay a whole lot. Maybe that is why so many Alaskans are self-sufficient, spending much of their time hunting and gathering.

As we drove into town proper, I noticed that Subway had a guest Wi-Fi. We went over there to check our email, and Charlie was able to download two more seasons of Better Call Saul. With 90% rain forecasted, we wanted to have our bases covered for entertainment. We drove on through Copper Center, seeing a sign that said 90 miles to McCarthy. We wondered if we would have enough diesel, and figured to be safe, we better get a few more gallons. Luckily, we spotted one last convenience store that had diesel in Chitina. The lady tried to sell Charlie more than the $20 he gave her, telling him the only way out was a tow truck.

The road into McCarthy was in decent shape, and what we thought would take us 3 hours, only took us about 2.5. There were construction crews working on it, and we thought it might be a never-ending process of fixing different sections. We were hoping the camping in McCarthy would be free, but it turned out there is a small section of land next to the Kennicott River crossing that is privately owned. It is largely run by various outfitters, doing their best to make a living in a very remote place. We don't mind paying for camping, however these spots were basically just a spot in a giant parking lot, and they were charging $30 for camping, or $10 to park. We drove back a half mile to the small National Park lot, which was free, and took a short hike along the Kennicott Glacier Trail before heading back up the McCarthy Road 2.5 miles, where we found a great spot with a fire ring at Swift Creek.

Day 33, August 17, 2022: McCarthy, AK; Swift Creek

It was a rainy night which left me feeling unmotivated to head out early in the morning. We had a lazy morning watching Better Call Saul, and savoring some of our last Krema yogurt, leftover from our stop in Whitehorse. Charlie and I love yogurt, and choose the highest fat percentage of anything we can buy, which is 10% in Canada! Charlie has played a big part in converting me, as I haven’t always been this way, but through a little research I have learned that for endurance, fat metabolism is actually preferred, and I think we are both active enough that carrying the extra calories as actual fat on our bodies is unlikely.

The rain stopped and there was actually a little bit of sun, so after Logan’s first nap I fed him, pumped some milk, and headed off for a day up in Kennicott. I biked from camp, immediately covering myself in mud on the dirt road as I descended into McCarthy. It was about 8 miles up to Kennicott, but easy riding. There is, what appears to be a huge, steep glacier that you can see when you cross the Kennicott River at the end of the

McCarthy Road. As I passed the town of McCarthy I noticed the old train station. There used to be a train all the way from Kennicott to Cordova when mining was booming in this area. Supposedly, this area is where the last big Gold Rush in Alaska occurred.

The boundary of the National Park is interesting in this area, interspersed with sections that are privately owned, and operated by various outfitters. There is a small population of local residents between McCarthy and Kennicott as well. I passed a community church, a few houses which seemed to be remodeled out of the old mining buildings, lots of Toyota trucks, and a post office. While the general public cannot drive to Kennicott, there is a good road and shuttles you can pay for to eliminate the need for a bike. Perhaps the vehicle bridge needs repair, or maybe they just want to limit traffic on the dead-end road. Kennicott is part of the National Park, with easements to private residences. The town is full of mining history with a big mill and old buildings defining the town. I passed a mill tour as I rode into town, looking for the route up to the Bonanza Mine. I had seen a few direct trails on my map, but as I rode by didn’t notice any roads that headed that way.

I continued on to the end of town and found the old mining road that I could ride up part ways, which seemed wide enough for ATVs. When the going got steep, I pushed my bike for a bit, as it would be much faster coming down on wheels. Again, I passed a couple residences. One, belonging to Charlie and Lyn, which seemed quite nice, and had incredible views of the valley.

I realized that the road I was on was actually wide enough for vehicles when I spotted their 4 runner and Tacoma.

Eventually I stashed my bike so I could hike faster. I passed a couple groups as I ascended the steep road, which eventually turned to more of a rocky trail, as I neared the old mine. Seeing the remnants of the old tram gave sign to just how much grit these miners had. The mine was nearly at the top of the peak, and it looked like they

had mined the top half of the mountain to rubble, leaving gendarmes where the rock must have been the most solid. Later I learned that the Bonanza Mines were actually hugely successful copper mines, and what funded the $23 million dollar railroad from Kennicott to Cordova. The highest grade of commercial copper ever discovered came from these mines, leading to $100 million in profits, and 4.6 million tons of copper ore. I got to the ridge above the mine and thought the next ridge looked too steep initially, however looking once more I could see that people had hiked it so continued up the loose scree.

At the subpeak, I took in the views. If Mount Logan would have been visible it would have been an incredible vantage point. The final ridge to Bonanza Peak looked loose with a few exposed sections around gendarmes. With dark clouds sweeping over the peaks around me I got nervous weather was moving in. I tend to get a little in my head these days, and decided to turn around here. After descending, I wished I had at least tried the ridge, to see if it actually went more easily than it looked. I had a feeling I had done the toughest of it and was a little disappointed in myself for being a chicken. Between age, doing more solo adventures, but mostly becoming a mom I don’t have the desire to take unnecessary risks, yet still like challenging myself. Finding that balance is something I’m trying to figure out.

Charlie is very good at estimating the time it will take for our adventures, something I am not very good at. I get nervous about going slower than the estimation, but it is nice having an idea of the time we will be gone. Before I left, he had estimated 7 hours--an hour to bike, 3 hours to summit, 2 hours down, and an hour back. I was way ahead of this, so it was nice knowing I wouldn’t have to hurry back. I took some time admiring the old mill town and riding my bike through McCarthy’s town center. There were restaurants, coffee shops, and art which was pretty neat to see in somewhere so remote from your everyday civilization.

When I was passing the Visitor Info the park provides, and the only free place to park in town, I saw our black van coming down the hill. I was happy to not have to ride back up to camp. Charlie was surprised to see me. I dropped him and Logan at the bridge so they could go on a little walk towards McCarthy without the long approach from the free parking, and then we returned to camp.

We ate spaghetti for dinner, which Logan seemed to enjoy playing with. He’s doing much better at keeping the food in his mouth, chewing, and swallowing, yet still struggles to feed himself. We accidentally got a sauce that had olives, which both Charlie and I don’t really like. We let Logan try a few and he seemed to enjoy them, although I’m sure they're a bit salty for health’s sake.

Day 34, August 18, 2022: McCarthy, AK to Chitina, AK; Ahtna Campground

In the morning we drove down to the National Park parking area outside of McCarthy. Charlie biked up to Kennicott while Logan napped. I was hoping to walk back to McCarthy’s main street and down to the McCarthy River, but we ran into Charlie heading back and we hadn’t yet hit the Kennicott River. I told Charlie to pick us up in 30 minutes by the bridge, which didn’t give us quite enough time to make it town. Oh well.

Once Charlie picked us up, we drove back out the McCarthy Road, stopping once to make coffee. The construction crews had graded a large section of the road, leaving it in better shape than when we came which made the going a little quicker. We stopped to camp at the confluence of the Chitina and Copper Rivers, at the Ahtna Campground. We found a trail that had been created by ATV’s towards the rocky banks of the Chitina River. It was quite musty in camp, so we spent the rest of the evening in the van.

Day 35, August 19, 2022: Chitina, AK to Palmer, AK; Hatcher Pass

Today was primarily filled with driving and errands. We stopped at the Visitor Center at Copper Center to look for a stuffed animal but they didn’t have what we were looking for. Charlie

recognized the spot he’d camped along the river when we pulled into town. On the way through Glenallen we stopped at Subway to use the Wi-Fi to check messages, which ate up some time. Charlie bought a turkey sub so we weren’t completely free loading. My friend Ayrowyn had her baby girl this morning, which was the most exciting update from our time out of service. The drive from Glenallen to Palmer was pretty, and occasionally we’d get glimpses of big glaciers entering the valley, which turned into glacial rivers. About 45 minutes out of Palmer we pulled into a roadside pullout to try to get Logan to nap, but he decided otherwise.

As we neared the city, which is pretty decent sized, I realized we still didn’t have service,

despite the cell phone towers we kept passing. Maybe our plans don’t work in Alaska, I thought. It’s funny how accustomed we grow to having the convenience of maps on our phones, and a constant ability to connect. Luckily, we spotted gas and a grocery store upon entering town and then decided to head up into the Hatcher Pass area, which is a state park on the eastern side of the Talkeetna Mountains. My friend Sarah recommended hiking to Snowbird Glacier, but added the whole area was neat.

There were a couple designated camping areas, that were basically a glorified parking spot at one of the trailheads. After a long day in the car, we finally settled on a spot at the base of Marmot Peak, and quickly transitioned Logan into bed.

Day 36, August 20, 2022: Hatcher Pass, AK; Marmot Peak

I started on the Reed Lakes trail, originally planning to trail run to the lakes, however upon a closer look at the map, I realized I could access Snowbird Glacier from this same approach. Once I split off the main trail, the hike was more of a route, but it was generally easy to follow the entire way. The valley up towards Glacier Pass was beautiful, with a small creek running through it, and rolling terrain.

I considered trying to climb Lower Spire if the route looked good, but it was all clouded over, with fresh snow. The wind was blowing at the pass which cooled me off rapidly. Snowbird glacier was largely diminished, but it was a beautiful area. It looks like there are a bunch of huts in the area, which would make for some incredible backcountry ski trips, or backpacking, depending on the season. After taking in

the views, I jogged back down the trail. Once I hit the Reed Lakes trail there were a bunch of families hiking, many with little kids. Seeing the kids in their rain suits splashing in puddles may have been my favorite part. It made me miss Logan. We had come to the trailhead early to ensure a parking spot, and when I saw all the cars, I quickly realized we had gotten the best spot—flat, near a creek, and secluded. It’s important, because typically Charlie or I will go on a longer adventure, while the other hangs out with Logan in the van, making sure he has a comfortable place to play, and adequate time to get his naps. We take him on shorter outings, but if it’s over 2 hours he often starts to whine.

Washing my hair was high on my priority list today. I think it may be a long-haired girl thing, but my head was itching like crazy, and starting to hurt from stiff hair. With the creek nearby I was able to get water in our Nemo Shower, which I planned to heat on our stove top. Charlie had found a path down to the river when he filled up a 10-liter storage bag so we could filter drinking water. After water was filled, he left on a bike ride up the pass. I put Logan down for his afternoon nap and then began heating the water. I went on a cleaning spree of all the things, washing all of our dishes in hot water, cleaning the counters, and finally it was my turn. Between the sprayer on the shower, and this little gray plastic tub I used to assist me in catching water and rinsing my hair, I successfully took a “van shower” and it felt absolutely amazing, all while Logan slept.

The plan was to meet Charlie at 4:30 PM back at camp, so around 4:00 PM I checked the filter. It was complete so I put our water jug in its place under the sink, and filled up the storage bag once more so we could filter another round back at camp. Logan woke just in time to head back to the main road and up to meet Charlie.

Day 37, August 21, 2022: Palmer, AK to Chugach State Park, AK; Eklutna Lake

Since we were camping at the base of Marmot Peak, I decided to take advantage of the steep trail for a hill workout. It had rained much of the night, so I wasn’t sure how it would go, but the plan was to do 10-15 second hill sprints. The going was slick, but I gave it my best effort. 10-15 seconds doesn’t feel like much, but supposedly it helps train the fast-twitch muscles which I don’t have much of, because I’ve never been a sprinter. The ridge up Marmot Peak was beautiful, offering views of many of the mountains around. It would have been really fun to continue scrambling beyond Marmot, and exploring the grassy tundra ridgelines.

After I got down, we headed to the Gold Mint Trailhead where Charlie planned to trail run. Logan had already taken his morning nap while I was out, so I fed him and then we went for a hike. It is prime berry-picking season, and many of the people out and about have containers for gathering berries. I wish I knew more about what’s edible, beyond blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, as there are so many varieties.

On this hike in particular I noticed these huge leaves with cornucopia looking berries. The trail was easy walking, but eventually became quite muddy. We ended up running into Charlie on his way back so we turned around too. He walked with us for a while and then continued on his run while Logan and I casually made our way.

Leaving Hatcher Pass, we drove through Palmer to Eklutna Lake Campground in Chugach State Park. The campground was nearly empty so we had prime choice out of the 50 sites available. We took a walk to the lake, and then Charlie heated water for Logan to take a bath. Since he was offering to heat more, we all ended up bathing/showering. Even though I had the van shower yesterday, I’ll take any chance I get as sometimes it’s few and far between.

Day 38, August 22, 2022: Chugach SP, Day trip to Anchorage, AK; Eklutna Lake

We woke to a misty morning. I wanted to ride the trail along the lake, but we had a lot of errands to run in Anchorage, so we decided to head there first thing. I knew everything would take longer than we expected. When we arrived, we still didn’t have cell phone coverage. We pulled into a Fred Meyer and I was able to use their Wi-Fi to contact our carrier, Google Fi, about the issue. I must have looked like quite the fool sitting on the floor since the sitting area at Starbucks was closed to provide workers with a bigger break area, but I wanted to get the ball rolling.

Other errands included rotating our tires, washing our clothes, visiting Hoarding Marmot, and the art store next to it which we’d been in last year after our Glacier Bay trip. I found Big O’s Automotive and the Public Laundromat and saved them in maps. When we arrived at Big O’s, I realized that it was not Big O Tires, and we headed to the laundromat to get

our wash started. Fortunately, they had a guest WiFi we could use. At this point, we divided and conquered, with Charlie taking care of the van while I washed the clothes and tried to figure out our phones. Luckily, the customer service rep had emailed me after our chat dialogue got cut off with some steps to try. After resetting our phones we were able to reinstate coverage, hooray! Logan took a short nap in the laundromat, which allowed me to get some work done for Skurka. I think the sound of the nature channel that played on TV lulled him to sleep. Soon after the clothes were dry and folded, Charlie was

back with the tires rotated, and we headed to Hoarding Marmot, which is primarily a consignment shop. We all found something. Charlie got a t-shirt, Logan got the cutest Patagonia bear fleece, and I found a brand new Pearl Izumi tank, score! We also picked up a piece of art and a present for Charlie’s mom from Los Manos, which was next door. We were both drawn to this painting of a bear last year, and when Charlie commented on it again this year, I said we should get it.

We considered going downtown but Logan was tired, and I still wanted to bike, so we headed back to camp. It was nice riding along the lake, and I got glimpses into the Chugach Mountains, but there is so much more to explore. Isn’t that all of Alaska? When I returned to the van, Logan was tired and in a grumpy mood. Having me arrive in this moment didn’t help because then he wanted to stay awake and play. I always feel bad if he’s upset when I’m gone, or when I get back, but I guess the ups and downs we feel are simply part of being human.

Day 39, August 23, 2022: Chugach SP, AK to Talkeetna, AK; Milepost 104

Charlie mentioned he wanted to do Matanuska Peak before we got to Alaska. There is a race up it each year that he heard about when taking the Denali shuttle years ago. I didn’t know much

about it, and whenever I googled it different locations came up. When we were in Palmer we could see the peak, which has a striking appeal. In the race, you go over Lazy Mountain and then up Matanuska. We left town and were headed to the Lazy Mountain Trailhead. Luckily we decided to take the old highway, because as we were driving in we saw a sign for Matanuska Trailhead and went there instead. Charlie started up the 6,000'+ climb while Logan laid down for a nap.

When he woke, we headed up the steep trail. While steep, it had pretty good footing and wasn’t slick for the most part, so I felt comfortable taking Logan up in the pack. An older lady ran past

us and asked if we were one of the Colorado vehicles. She mentioned it had been an awful summer, with lots of rain since July 4. It was a beautiful day today, with low clouds, so we were thankful. She scurried on her way, and we slogged on ours. There were trail markers that marked every 200 of something…1200, 1400, 1600. I knew they couldn’t be altitude because we weren’t climbing that fast. I never figured it out, but asked Charlie what he thought later, and he thought it was feet covered on the trail. I guess in one sense you get a lot of markers for your progress which can be rewarding, but it seems like quite the waste of time and resources to put them so often.

Logan and I went just past Lazy Creek and to the turn off for Lazy Mountain, where the view opened up to the valley below Matanuska. Logan was getting moody, so we decided to turn around. I’d also received a text from Charlie from the top that mentioned it’d take him 3 hours to

get down and it was about time for us to turn around if we wanted to wrap up about the same time. On the way down, Logan started whining more, and I eventually fed him alongside the trail in the middle of some fireweed and berries. I was really hoping a bear wouldn’t scramble upon us. Soon after we started back up, Charlie caught up and hiked the rest of the way with us. He gave me his poles which was nice for the steep descent. We stopped in at Fred Meyer’s one last time to restock our cooler and then continued on to Talkeetna. Charlie and some friends climbed Denali in 2016, so he had spent some time in Talkeetna waiting for flights, and had memories of calzones at Mountain High Pizzeria, and breakfast at the Roadhouse.

The town is small and quaint with cute shops. We decided to grab pizza tonight, because we might just spend the morning in Talkeetna before continuing towards Denali further. After dinner we looked for a campsite around Talkeetna, but saw a lot of private property signage. We ended up driving back to the Parks Highway and camping near Milepost 104, along the Chulitna River.

Day 40, August 24, 2022: Talkeetna, AK to Denali State Park, AK; Beyers Lake Campground

Waking up with the sun shining on the Chulitna River was beautiful. We took a short walk towards the river before making our way back to Talkeetna. I stopped in at the Talkeetna Post Office where I picked up a package from general delivery. I have a friend who is a freelance writer and reached out about having me test a backpack for her. There wasn’t enough time to get it before we left, so she had it sent here. I wasn’t even sure what kind it was, so I was excited to open it and find out. I received a sweet ultralight 20-liter day pack from Montane. Tested it right away, seeing if Logan would fit in it, and then used it around town as we stopped in various shops looking for trinkets. We found some stickers for Pike and Hazel, and a ceramic mug to remind us

of the area and this trip. Talkeetna is one of my favorite towns we’ve spent any time in during this trip.

We drove down towards the river where I got lucky, as the clouds briefly cleared just enough to see the tops of Denali, Foraker, and Hunter briefly. By the time Charlie went over with the camera, Denali had clouded over. We were happy for any of the big mountain views we got, as with the forecast

we’d looked at, we didn’t think they’d be visible at all. After Logan woke we took him to “see” the view and then headed on our way towards Denali State Park.

After a stop at a viewpoint, we pulled into Beyer’s Campground which was quite empty so we had. I tried to do a mountain bike ride along the lake but was only minimally successful. The trail gradually became more and more rooty and I turned

around before I even made it to the S. end of the lake where I would have been turned around anyways due to a bridge closure. I wanted to go for a bit further so I rode down to some Public Use Cabins that were on a peninsula in the middle of the lake, and then up to a Veterans Memorial along the highway where I learned about various plane crashes and rescues in the Alaska Mountains and some history on the military in this area. I also read about the plate tectonics and why Denali is so tall. There is the Denali fault which is stagnant and then the Pacific Plate along with the Yakutat Block are moving northward into the Denali Fault which pushes the giant magma block upwards, creating the tallest mountain in North America. From the sounds of it, it will

probably keep getting taller. Once I rode back to camp, we all took a walk together, heading the opposite direction on the lakeshore trail. We found an old cabin that must have been built by a homesteader and enjoyed the evening light together.

Day 41, August 25, 2022: Denali SP to Denali NP, AK; Riley Creek Campground

I was hoping to traverse part of the Kesugi Ridge Trail today, but after an entire night of rain that continued into the morning, I was feeling rather unmotivated. The forecast was rain for the next few days and I wanted to be active in someway, plus I may never get the chance again so I decided to give it a go. I left from the campground, and Charlie told me he’d wait around until 1:30 PM, in case I decided to turn around. I was able to trail run the first part, but then the bushes closed in on the trail, and soon after passing a couple backpackers who gave me fair warning, it got really muddy and wet, making it difficult to run but I persevered. I wanted to at least get to the ridge. When I did, there was a map which showed I had 14.9 miles to Ermine Hill Trailhead, where I planned to meet Charlie and Logan, and I had already gone 4.5. Another day where it was longer than I had anticipated. On top of that, the wind picked up on the ridge, it was very foggy, yet fall-

colors added light, and made the tundra landscape beautiful. I continued on towards a little lake but the going was rocky and tough to run. I wish I had given it a little longer to see if it got easier, but I was already in my head about taking too long creating worry for Charlie and Logan, plus I was nervous about becoming too cold in the windy conditions, as I was already soaked to my skin even though I had rain gear on top to bottom. I didn’t want to chance missing Charlie and Logan before they headed out to the Ermine Hill Trailhead, so I turned around and ran most of the way back, with plenty of time to spare even with taking my time capturing some of the beautiful fall foliage.

On the way down I slammed my knee into a rock, which created a lot of initial pain, as well as pain once I finished and sat down. I think it will be fine after some rest, it's just one of those sensitive areas. Back at the van I removed all of my drenched clothing and dried out. Charlie was sweet and supportive, turning on the heater to help things dry out, and packing up all of camp as it continued to rain. Internally, I grew bummed that I hadn’t tried a little harder. I took a look at the pictures which showed me the reasons I turned around, but I was a little disappointed in myself for not trying. I think in the future I need to consider how long it might take me to finish what I originally planned, and take a

little bit more time to make the decision about turning back. Perhaps it was the right call, but I’m not 100% sure. The ridge was really neat, even in the fog and rain, and I wished I had gotten to see more of it. Maybe someday I’ll return and get lucky enough to do it on a sunny day, which would give incredible views of the Alaska Range.

After packing up camp, we continued on the road towards Denali National Park. We hadn’t made campsite reservations so we stopped in at the office to see what was left. There weren’t any vehicle sites, but luckily there was a walk-in tent site, which we originally booked for 2 nights, but later switched out the second might for a vehicle one. This would be Logan’s first night in the tent since Banff, and we weren’t 100% sure how he would like it.

He loves being in the tent and finds the flapping walls quite entertaining, but he’s grown accustomed to sleeping in the van, so we try to keep the consistency. He ended up having a great night sleep, and it was kind of fun to switch things up. The weather was actually quite nice in Denali, despite the rainy forecast, with bits of sun shining through the clouds here and there. Charlie went for an hour trail run, and Logan and I did a short loop on some of the trails around the Visitor Center. I noticed that many vehicles were driving up the Denali Road further into the park and suggested that we drive up and make dinner. The light hit the peaks beautifully as we drove up and we found a nice pull out near Savage Creek, which is near shortly before the closure where we enjoyed a nice evening before settling into our tent.

Day 42, August 26, 2022: Denali National Park, AK; Riley Creek Campground

With coffee on our minds, we packed up our tent and headed to a parking lot near the Backcountry Office and Bus Depot to plan out our day over breakfast. We wanted to go back up the Denali Park Road one of the days we were in the park, and decided tomorrow would be

better. We spent the better part of the morning lazing around before heading back to the campground to claim a “B” campsite. We found a great site in the Bear Loop that was surrounded by trees and sandwiched between a trail and an accessible site which was not used, so we had lots of privacy. I went ahead and did a muscular endurance workout while Logan napped. Later that afternoon we hiked up to the Mount Healy Overlook as a family, seeking fall tundra, which we found.

The other hikers were excited to see a little baby at the overlook. Logan enjoyed the attention and getting out of the pack for a few minutes before we headed down. He wasn’t so keen about hiking on the way down. We attempted to sing songs, but as his whining intensified to crying, I decided to just carry him for a bit. We were through the steepest bits of trail, so I wasn’t worried about tripping. Charlie and I traded off and he was happy to be in our arms. Eventually we put him back into the pack and he nodded off to sleep only 5-10 minutes before getting back to the van, which served as his very very short, afternoon nap.

Charlie and I enjoyed the evening with a beer and a half each, which we picked up at the nearby mercantile. We also played a game of cribbage, and my losing streak continues.

Day 43, August 27, 2022: Denali National Park, AK to Fairbanks, AK; Parks Highway Pullout

We woke to patches of blue sky this morning, which motivated us to get on the move, beating the majority of people up the Denali road. The early morning sunlight hitting the fall tundra was spectacular.

We snapped some photos, and even with Charlie’s fancy telephoto lens, the pictures never capture the complete beauty our eyes do. One of our hopes for this trip was “fall in Denali,” and with that there’s always hope for sunshine. Today was just that, even with the mix of fog and clouds, which really only added to the contrast and beauty. We went to the same pull out we had made dinner in a couple days prior and Charlie headed out

on a bike ride up the Denali road, past mile 15 where passenger vehicles cannot go any further. Logan took a really long morning nap while I worked on this blog, often peaking out at the beautiful view. Once he woke, I fed him and then put him in the backpack for a short walk towards Savage Creek. We would have gone a little further, but as I was snapping a photo of Logan in the fall colors, I spotted Charlie riding back

towards us. I wanted to bike as well so we headed back and all met up at the van. When we returned there were a lot of people in the pull out, and Charlie overheard that they had spotted something near the river. We looked out and there was a grizzly bear digging around in the dirt. He was quite a ways off, but a neat site to see, regardless. I got changed and headed out on a bike ride up the road, only planning to

go to Sanctuary Creek in the sake of time, plus my legs were sore from yesterday’s workout. It’s fun riding on the road past mile 15, because you get a lot of solitude. I saw a few tour busses, a couple construction vehicles, some hikers, and a couple caribou. The sun continued to make its way through the clouds, and the colors at the top of the small pass I climbed were incredible. After I returned, we headed to the visitor center where there is a neat wildlife exhibit, filled up our water at the Riley Creek station, and grabbed a huckleberry ice cream cone to split. Filled up our diesel in Healy and then continued on, camping about 25 miles south of Fairbanks in a gravel turnout.

Day 44, August 28, 2022: Ester, AK to Delta Junction, AK; Delta River Pullout

We drove into Ester in the morning and found a parking area near a bike shop and saloon. Passing the community park I saw what must have been 100+ child vehicles—scooters, big reds, strider type vehicles. It would have been pretty crazy had there also been that many kids driving

them. Across the street from us there must have been a good breakfast joint, because people kept coming and going. Unfortunately, we had already eaten.

On Mountain Bike Project we had spotted a couple loops on Ester Dome. I figured out a route from where we were to get to them and headed out around 11:15 AM. Charlie would meet me over at the parking area closer to the dome in a couple hours. Riding

over proved challenging, with lots of down trees and difficult route finding; however, once I hit the outer loop via the Henderson drop-in, it was well worth it. The riding was the best single-track on this trip thus far, winding through aspen groves, with fall foliage lining the ground. The trail was flowy with occasional woopty woos, and even the climbs were rideable and fun.

Back at the van I recommended Charlie ride it rather than run, although I’m sure the running would have been fun as well. I actually saw multiple signs on spur trails for the Equinox Marathon, which I’m guessing must be a fall trail race in the area. After Logan’s nap I took him on a short hike in the front carrier, and he wiggled his legs as though running himself through the fall leaves.

We stopped in Fairbanks for some groceries, and then Logan took a short nap at a park by the Chena River, while we

decided what to do next. We had considered heading to the Granite Toor trail in Chena River State Park, but chose to continue on towards Delta Junction, where Charlie had fond memories from his bike tour. On the drive, we joined the Alyeska Pipeline, which we would parallel as we continued south along the Delta River. The evening drive was wonderful, with the sun shining and glistening on the Tenana River, rainbows

falling from the sky, and amazing evening sun on the lower flanks of the Alaska Range. We found a campsite not to far from the river and spent the evening writing and reading.

As Charlie drifted off to sleep, I looked at the maps app, zooming out so I could see Alaska in its entirety. We had been talking about how much of the state we’ve seen on this trip, yet when I looked at the entire

mass, we had only really seen a small portion of the area. I was amazed at the size of this place, and how much area there is. Next up, Brooks Range. I’d love to see the northern part of this state and I hear incredible things about traveling there. Once Logan can hike and carry his own pack, I think we’ll head there. The other thing that blew my mind was how close Alaska is to Asia. 60 miles across the Bering Straight…60 miles! I must’ve learned this in World Geography but as I’ve found out through numerous occasions, my memory has failed me.

Day 45, August 29, 2022: Delta Junction, AK to Chicken, AK, Taylor Highway Pullout

I wanted to offer Logan an opportunity to eat breakfast before he got tired, which happens within the first couple hours of being awake. The past few yogurts we’ve bought contained honey, which infants <1 aren’t supposed to consume. After seeing honey on the ingredient list, I felt guilty I had let him try it. I prefer plain yogurt, but the grocery stores have been sold out in a few areas, and even some of the plain yogurt we had purchased, contained a “touch of honey”. We found a

different kind yesterday that was honey-free and lemon cream flavored, so that along with some rice cake was on the docket this morning. Logan seemed to enjoy, laughing as he took small bites. I’m excited to get a better high chair once we’re in Canmore along with some baby utensils so that he can get more practice trying to feed himself.

Charlie and I had talked about driving up towards Paxson and spending a night around there, which was about 55 more miles. With low clouds and limited views we decided to eliminate the extra driving and head towards Chicken

when we finally got moving. We had a low-key morning around camp, allowing Logan to nap. Charlie has been busy reading , "Alaska," trying to finish it before we leave this state. It's allowed me to catch up on writing this blog. After a short drive to get better views of the Delta River, we turned around and started making our way north again. Before going too far, we had a couple stops to make. As we drove to our campsite the day prior we spotted a trail up the east side of Donnelly Dome, which was right off the road. It was just a small spherical peak along the Delta River, which when clear would give incredible views of Mount Hayes and the Alaska Range, but today provided the perfect outing for hill sprints through fall tundra.

After a lunch break at the 800-mile, Alyeska Pipeline where we read about its construction and various features implemented to prevent the destabilization of the permafrost soil, we stopped at a roadside pullout where I headed up the dome. On the way down I got a little off track but eventually regained the trail. Near the bottom I ran into Charlie and Logan, who were out enjoying a hike. Once back at the vehicle Charlie handed me Logan, and he leaned in for a nuzzle, excited to see me. One of those little moments where I wish I could freeze time.

As we headed through Delta Junction, we picked up service and I checked us into ArriveCan. This would be our final night in Alaska, which was kind of bittersweet. We completed the Alaska Highway when we arrived at the Tok Junction, and shortly after headed north towards Chicken, AK into new territory for all of us. The terrain changed from river valleys that separated gigantic mountains to rolling hills. We found a nice pull off next to a small round peak that looks like it may be volcanic rock.

Logan ate bits of tomatoes, avocado, black beans, and cheese for dinner which was a big win before going to bed. He was more interested in the dishes dad was washing than topping off his little plum with milk, which may have led to the early wake ups in the night. Tomorrow, we have to start adjusting back to Pacific and then Mountain Time, so this is his final “late night.”

Day 46, August 30, 2022: Chicken, AK to Dawson City, YT; Top of the World Highway Gravel Pit

We enjoyed a lazy morning in the van while it rained outside. Logan napped early, I made us eggs, and Charlie read. After making a second coffee, we got on the road. We’ve lucked out the last couple of days, with incredible sunlight as we drive which highlight the fall colors, and rain only arriving once we’re at camp. The miles went by slowly today, which gave us time to take in the views. After passing Chicken, established and developed for its airstrip which served as a refueling area for military, the highway turned to dirt. We climbed up into some mountains with panoramas in all directions. The tundra is currently a vibrant red, which the small green spruce contrast beautifully with. Denali brought on the start of fall for us, and the colors keep getting better.

About 10 miles from the border the highway changed back to pavement which was a nice break and we climbed, climbed, climbed to a small border crossing called Little Gold Creek. This time Charlie explained to the border attendant we’d be staying in Canada until the end of December, because he was on leave. We’re looking forward to having a home base in only 11 days now, but still have a few van ventures ahead of us. We were thankful we decided to take the alternate route back towards Canmore. The Top of the World Highway is adequately named. The entire drive it felt like we were on top of

mountains, yet not the jagged, carved out kind. More of a rolling hills type that still made you feel high, giving views in all directions. It was another day we were reminded that it is so hard to capture what the eye can see through photos.

We found a side road to stop on and take a break. Charlie did a hill workout while Logan and I hiked up the dirt road to the top of one of the mounds. The sun came out for the hike and unfortunately Logan came back with some red cheeks. He enjoyed the fresh air and seeing daddy at the top of our hike, but fell asleep for a short snooze on the way back to the van.

Typically he takes 3 naps a day, sometimes 2. Today he took about 4 but they were all short. Hopefully we can get him back in his usual routine tomorrow.

Loving our surroundings, we thought about stopping to camp early, but luckily continued as we ended up at one of our best sites yet about 15 miles from Dawson City. It’s another gravel pit, which happened to have a wonderful little pull off on the side with views of the valley below. We can see a small section of the Yukon River which is how this area was settled, and into Tombstone Territorial Park in the distance, where we will head tomorrow. A mix of rain and sun gave way to some incredible rainbows to round out a nice evening together as a family.

Day 47, August 31, 2022: Dawson City, YT to Tombstone Territorial Park, YT; North Klondike River Gravel Pit

Nearly out of water, we scrounged around the van and after emptying all of our water bottles, and even the cooler, we had just enough to make a morning coffee before heading into Dawson City. We did boil it due to the dubious sources. Fog hid the hilltops and colors of the day prior, and we were happy we came as far as we had. When we hit the Yukon River, it was clear there was no bridge and spotted the ferry leaving the other side. We lined up with the one other vehicle waiting and within about 10 minutes were across. While we waited, I spotted a puppy that looked just like Jasper. I got out and he ran over wiggling, to say hi.

Logan took his morning nap in the parking lot of the visitor center while Charlie finished his book and I caught up on some work emails. Afterwards we walked around the town. What was most interesting to me about Dawson City was the Beringia history. Camels, bear-sized beavers, grizzlies that were a foot taller than today’s bears, and most notably, wooly mammoths, traveled this area before the last ice age. In fact, only 3.5 months ago, a miner in the area found an entire baby wooly mammoth completely intact, trunk, flesh, tusk, and all. They said it

was likely 35,000-40,000 years old, and preserved perfectly in the permafrost soil.

It is only the second fully intact wooly mammoth to be found, and first in North America. Pretty neat.

As we left town what triggered the “Klondike” Gold Rush finally started to make sense as it all originated from where the Klondike River hit the Yukon, in Dawson City. From 1897-’98 this town boomed with miners seeking gold. The type of mining they did was placer mining, meaning they used dredge boats to sift through the river bed looking for gold. It was neat to have stopped in Skagway a few weeks earlier, where stampeders chasing this gold arrived, and put 2 and 2 together as we left town. Driving towards Tombstone, the

amount of tailings that lined the Dempster Highway around Dawson which were created from this short history was astounding. Turning onto the dirt highway towards Tombstone, we saw a sign for the Arctic Ocean, it was only 890 kilometers away from us. We’ve seen a lot, should we go even further? Probably not this time, but how neat would it be to travel there by van? The mountains grew as we traveled north and we stopped at Grizzly Creek Trailhead for some hiking. Charlie did a longer outing while I took Logan up to a viewpoint. Like always, he got all the hellos and lots of compliments. It was quite windy up top but we hid behind a rock and he laughed at my

“coo-coo’s.” It’s sure a joy seeing him smile.

Logan and I made it back to the refueling

station just in time, and not long after Charlie arrived. We found a nice spot to camp next to the North Klondike River, by yet another gravel pit. It had been a while, and I’d been talking about a shower the last 3-4 days. Tonight we made it happen, and it was amazing.

Day 48, September 1, 2022: Tombstone Territorial Park, YT to Stewart Crossing, YT; Stewart River Rest Area

It was my turn for a bigger day. Logan got sleepy earlier than usual, and Charlie and I were slow at getting going so before we were packed up and ready to leave camp, Logan was due for his first nap. He slept for 1.5 hours, which in napping terms is great, but it led to a late start for me.

We drove up to the Continental Divide which splits water between the Yukon and Mackenzie, and I headed up Angelcomb Peak. I’d plotted a route following the ridge to the next peak, and then figured I might have to turn around, however as I ascended the first peak I noticed a ridge that circled around to the south that seemed like it might connect to my proposed route. I eyed where it’d bring me out on the road and it all seemed somewhat doable, if it in fact went.

It was full on fall tundra tromping and once I got through the bushes which filled the lower elevations, the going got much easier. I entered the clouds as I neared the top of the first peak, which made things feel a bit more intense, especially on the steep north face of the mountain. At first I thought I should just head down the way I came as I knew it went but I took a breath and looked at my map. I figured if I headed east I would gain the connecting ridge to the next peak I plotted, which

didn’t look steep based on the contours. Putting one foot in front of the other I quickly realized the terrain was very manageable. Dropping down to the saddle I was able to see again, which reassured me in my decision.

As I started ascending the next peak I spotted two lightly beaten paths that diverged. Initially I took the more mellow one, fearing the ridge would get too steep, but once it petered out, found myself taking the direct route to the ridge anyways. I went up a sub peak

initially thinking I was at the top however as the clouds dissipated, I spotted something higher in

front of me. I backtracked and found a route to the top. I pulled out my phone and saw that the ridge I was looking at earlier did connect. I almost turned around, thinking I didn’t have enough time, but fortunately thought through the rough mileage, and took into consideration that I’d already done a lot of the elevation gain as the ridge descended with each little high point. I went for it, reminding myself there were places to bail and take a

more direct line back towards my starting point if necessary.

Shuffling along the ridge, there were a bunch of little birds hanging out in the tundra. I wish I could have captured a photo as it was so neat having them fly all around me. I didn’t want to disturb them much so I scurried by as quick as I could. On each saddle between the high points on the ridge there was a path where no rocks were where water must’ve run. At this point I probably wasn’t actually on the divide anymore, but I imagined the water going to two different oceans. There was a short break in the clouds where

the sun shined through on me and gave view of the two first peaks I started the adventure with. As I got off the ridge and into the flats I took the most direct route to the road, bushwhacking through the red-leaved bushes. Running the final ¾ mile back, I spotted Charlie and Logan returning to the van as well and called out. Seeing these two out smiling and taking pictures made the adventure in this beautiful area complete.

We quickly got the van in order and headed on our way, snapping photos of the peaks and river valleys in the perfect sunlight on our way out. We filled up diesel at the junction between the road we were on and the Klondike Highway. We wanted to get as many miles as we could by 7:00 PM, which landed us right outside of Stewart Crossing. We found a nice pullout next to the Stewart River, which they used to run steam engines up to Mayo to carry silver ore out, to camp.

Day 49, September 2, 2022: Stewart Crossing, YT to Johnson’s Crossing, YT; Canol Road Rest Area

Logan didn’t sleep great last night and woke quite early, meaning none of us really slept great. It’s probably my fault for the early wake up because I’ve been letting him snuggle in our bed during the early morning for the past week, and I think he was requesting that at 5:50 this morning, after a 4:00 AM feed. After some crying, I was feeling guilty, yet didn’t want to be trained by him. I was able to help calm him, and he snoozed for another 15 minutes in his own bed, which I think was progress. When he woke again, we decided it best we all get out of bed and start making miles. We had a big day ahead of us between travel, errands in Whitehorse, and trying to get at least some fresh air so the early start was nice.

We ran out of propane yesterday, so we heated some water on our backpacking stove to make coffee as well as enough to wash of Logan’s bottles and were on our way.

Nothing went especially smooth in Whitehorse. We needed cash for the laundromat so our first attempt was “cash back” at the grocery store. Charlie bought our favorite Krema Yogurt, but unfortunately he was unable to get cash back. We all enjoyed a few bites, including Logan. Next we tried to stop at a bank, but it was a phone store. The ATM at the laundromat wouldn’t work for our US Debit Cards. Eventually we just gave up on getting laundry done and moved onto groceries, which actually went smooth, and I think we bought enough to get us to Canmore which will be nice. Next was propane.

We tried Canadian Tire but they only exchange. I waited on hold for multiple locations to no avail. I found an RV Centre on the way out of town that listed propane as a service, but unfortunately they did not have a filling station. The RV Park down the road did have it, but the guy who was authorized to fill was in town. We ended up heading back to town, right where we had been, and filled our little tank at Integra Tire. Finally, we were on the road again, making miles. I was wrong the other day when I thought we’d finished in Tok. We officially finished the Alaska Highway this afternoon when we hit the

junction for Tagish Lake, where we had turned off to go to Skagway. Charlie and I high-5’d. We both wanted to get out on a little run this evening. I found a little trail next to the Teslin River which was at the Johnson’s Crossing where the Canol

Road heads north to Ross River. Charlie knew this area, as he and Tom drove this route to go to Warren’s place on Finlayson Lake on their first trip, and said it would be a good place to camp. We found a rest area and a huge plow to camp next to where we could run along dirt roads. Logan worked on building his foam fort, which he brought all his toys into. We recently found the baby paper that had been tucked away, and crinkling that may be his favorite activity currently. I made chicken fajitas for dinner, which Logan loved! It’s so fun seeing him start to enjoy food more and more.

Day 50, September 3, 2022: Johnson’s Crossing, YT to Stikine River Provincial Park, BC; Stikine Riverside

Charlie proposed the idea of grabbing breakfast in Teslin. At first, I discounted the idea, saying I could just make it, but we decided it would be nice to change things up. Per usual, Logan was all smiles for the waitress and other diners. During our stop Charlie downloaded some shows to watch, and I refilled our water container so it was a nice and productive stop all around.

We drove for a couple hours and then stopped again in a perfect pull out overlooking a small river. Charlie did a muscular endurance workout, I did core, and Logan rolled around on his mat and played in the dirt. I think it’s really nice for him to have time to move around and get his wiggles out on these longer driving days.

As we were wrapping things up I noticed some raspberry bushes on the steep bank leading down to the river. There was a ripe one within reach and Logan ate it right up. I set him down so I could gather more. He ended up with berry-stained hands and a raspberry nose. Like his mom, he can’t resist a wild raspberry!

Soon we turned onto 37-South, the Cassiar Highway, which was new territory for us. Immediately, we were happy with our decision. While it was a little bit longer to Jasper, it winded through mountains and the road was in surprisingly good shape. Coming from Colorado where access to public lands is so extensive, it is crazy that there aren’t any trails up any of the mountains we were passing. The result is some truly wild places to explore, however, when time is limited, it makes getting up anything unrealistic, as the bushwhacking to get to treeline alone would eat up a half day.

We soaked in the views, and continued on our way. Passing through Dease Lake, which I thought was going to be a decent sized town, I saw a sign that said we were nearing the divide between the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. It would have been neat to climb a peak in this area, but we continued on, descending Gnat Pass towards the Stikine River. I thought maybe there was a trail along the Stikine due to some prior research, but it must have been accessed from Telegraph Rd., west of Dease Lake. There was access to the river, which made for a great campsite. I decided to do my final muscular endurance workout. I say final because over the last 12-14 weeks I’ve been gradually increasing weight and reps through a series of exercises, which will hopefully lead to more stamina and endurance, specifically in ascending and descending mountains. It consisted of 12 workouts which have been spaced 7-10 days apart. I’m glad that we didn’t just give up on these once on the road, and have actually used the weight vest, kettle bell, exercise bands, and insulite pads we brought for these. It’s been kind of fun doing them in various locations along the way.

I did the exercises I could on the sandy beach looking at the river flow by. Downriver from us was the Grand Canyon of the Stikine, which is supposedly unnavigable to any watercraft. It sounds like the canyon walls narrow and grow to 300m tall. I’d like to google images and see what the rapids look like through this section. I’m sure it’s striking as the Stikine goes through the Coast Mountains into Alaska, and exits into the ocean somewhere near Juneau.

Yesterday really marked the beginning of the end of this gigantic road trip. I find myself reflecting on what these past 7+ weeks have meant. To some, I’m sure it seems completely ridiculous that we would take off with our 6 to 8-month-old and live out of a van…yes, it’s been 2 months. To others, I’m sure the environmental impacts of driving so much irk them. I majored in Leisure Studies, and believe that we are truly living a life of leisure, meaning we prioritize it, which I believe is the most important aspect to life. It’s where we make sense of who we are, and find meaning and our purpose in this world. Too much leisure and we might become idle, but I think even at this point, we are making the most of everyday, we have grown closer as a family, and we have seen some amazing and wild landscapes that will positively affect our actions moving forward. Occasionally, we work too, with me continuing to help the backpacking company, and Charlie responding to emails and setting goals for bigger projects.

Just a few days ago I heard news of a friend, younger than me, who passed away from cancer. I can’t get her off my mind. The unfairness of it saddens me. She did everything right…eating well, practicing meditation to keep her mind clear, exercising and living a life of adventure, chasing ambitious goals, and avoiding anything that might be bad for her. It is a reminder that life isn’t fair, and no matter the days we are given, whether it’s 32 years like her, 58 like my mom, or 97 like my sweet gramma, life is short, and we need to make the most of every single day.

Day 51, September 4, 2022: Stikine River, BC to Smithers, BC; Hudson Bay Ski Area

We woke to a drizzle which ceased as we ascended from the Stikine River valley, providing sucker holes of the mountains ahead. It was a beautiful morning, and we found a sunny pullout

to make breakfast. Shortly after, Charlie spotted a trail in Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park. It was just 2.5k one way. I’d been wanting to trail run the last few days, so I took off while Charlie packed up Logan for a hike. It took me to these neat falls where this flat river rolled in, split into two and dramatically dropped off in both directions. The trees have grown, and the ground cover has thickened. We are in a wetter part of the world again.

The services through this area were limited, and the communities were spread thin. It almost seemed the stretch between Teslin and Meziadin Junction may have been the most remote area of anywhere we had been. At Meziadin Junction we filled up diesel at a pretty decent price and continued south. When we hit 16-East, the towns got bigger and busier. We passed some striking peaks in New Hazelton, picked up some treats in Smithers and then drove up to the base of Hudson Bay Ski Area just outside Smithers, BC. Dependent on weather, Charlie planned to attempt the peak the following day.

Day 52, September 5, 2022: Smithers, BC to Snowbowl-Grizzly Den Provincial Park, BC; Hungary Creek FSR

The nights are growing colder, and we keep forgetting to fill up the diesel heater, which can make it hard to find motivation to get going in the morning. Nevertheless, Charlie took off for Hudson Bay Peak around 7:45 AM. I got a text just after 9 that he was heading down, and wondered if

he’d already made it to the top. Logan had just woken from a nap, so I fed him, and we packed up for a little hike. Luckily, I picked the same route up to the Crater Lake trail that Charlie was coming down on. He looked worn out, and said he wasn’t feeling well. Unfortunately, he has been dealing with awful headaches the last week, and today his head was pounding with every heartbeat. He remarked it was windy, cold, and socked in above treeline, but the hike up to that point was nice so we continued on until the wind got too cold for us after giving him the keys for the van.

There were a few mountain bike trails that descended from where we were parked. After the hike, I planned to ride one of them and have Charlie and Logan pick me up where it popped out below. The trail I chose was far steeper than I prefer, causing me to ride the breaks, and walk some sections. Luckily I didn’t take any spills, because I think I might have just

slid down the rocks in some areas rather than come to an immediate stop. At one point I ended up on Piper Down which was literally straight down these rocks where moss had been scrubbed away by tires. I had seen a different route just above and reascended to take that instead. It’s crazy what people can do on mountain bikes. My hardtail is probably not the ideal bike for these, and becoming a mom has perhaps decreased my need for adrenaline from this type of riding. What I thought would be a quick ride took a bit longer, but eventually I rolled up to Charlie and Logan, who were waiting patiently. In Smithers we grabbed some Timbits, filled up water, and got on the road. At one point we considered booking a site at Robson River Campground, which would be a guaranteed site, with showers.

We decided otherwise as we wouldn’t get there until 7:45, which would be pushing all of our limits, especially Logan’s, whose second nap had been cut short by random stops we made. Charlie eventually soothed him to sleep for a third nap, but pushing late into the evening past his bedtime would have been too much. It worked out in our favor to gamble as I found info on Hungary Creek Forest Service Road in Snowbowl-Grizzly Den Provincial Park, which was about 50 miles past Prince George. We turned off the highway and found a nice open spot away from the highway, which made for an awesome campsite. Logan’s whines turned to smiles, and he laughed as he rode around on Daddy’s shoulders, which he can now do without the assistance of holding his arms, roll around in the dirt, and play in his thermarest fort in the sunshine.

Day 53, September 6, 2022: Snowbowl-Grizzly Den Provincial Park, BC to Jasper National Park, AB; Edith Cavell Trailhead

The FSR we were camped on continued 9 miles up to a trailhead. Charlie biked it in the morning while Logan and I had a lazy morning around the van. After his nap we went outside where he played in his fort and I did core until Dad returned. Around us were huge cedars, and just 10 miles further down the highway was Ancient Forest Provincial Park. After seeing a picture of one of the trees in some marketing ads, I initially wanted to stop for a family hike but by the time we left, Logan was in need of a nap, and it was better to let him sleep while we drove.

We stopped at the Terry Fox Rest Area which provided an awesome view of Robson. The top was obscured in cloud cover, but it was neat to see the mountain from a different perspective. I’d purchased what I thought was whipped cream cheese at one of our grocery stops, which Charlie pointed out was whipped cream cheese frosting when I was about to use it on an egg burrito. To our delight, we enjoyed this yummy surprise on some rice cakes.

The entrance stations into Jasper were closed, and there was a sign saying all the campgrounds were too. Oblivious to what was going on, we pulled into Jasper where the traffic lights had

become 4-way stops and the gas stations were either closed or had lines out to the street, yet no one was filling up. In a google search to find out if the campgrounds really were closed, I quickly found out the Chataman Fire was burning 10km north of town around Jasper Lake. It had grown out of control just 2 days prior leading to the closure of the campgrounds, and causing the power outages which shut down all other services around Jasper.

Our plan the following day, weather permitting, was for me to climb the East Ridge of Edith Cavell. What was a sunny day two days prior in the forecast, had changed to rain, and snow up high, but I figured I might as well try and see what happens as forecasts change often, and can be wrong.

Since all campgrounds were closed, we figured we’d just camp in the Edith Cavell parking lot and headed in that direction. It was a beautiful evening, and we took a family walk up to the viewpoint of the north face and glacial tarn. Edith Cavell is a magnificent mountain, and I quietly hoped the weather would hold. As we went to bed, I got a bit nervous, but Charlie who has climbed this route before reassured me I was capable and talked about how fun it was. It was tough to sleep the first half of the night but eventually I drifted off.

Day 54, September 7, 2022: Jasper National park, AB; Tonquin Valley Trailhead

When I put Logan back to sleep after his 5:00 AM feed I started to hear rain drops pattering on the roof of our van. At first, it was very light, but it gradually increased. It was still quite dark,

and I tried to get a little more rest, hoping that it would pass over. It became clear that I would not be leaving with an alpine start as the rain continued, and having lost hope in the goal being reality due to the weather, drifted off and snoozed another hour.

I am holding onto the hope that maybe the weather will clear enough this afternoon, but am nervous that the rocks are too wet at this point and won’t dry out. Unfortunately, tomorrow’s forecast doesn’t look any better. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are sunny at this point, but with our move in date set for Saturday, I’m not sure it’s worth sticking around. I’m bummed as I’ve been looking forward to an opportunity to do this route, but both times we’ve been in Jasper, the weather hasn’t been ideal. Perhaps we should have pushed further in the days prior so I could have done it yesterday. Maybe we’ll stick around but I feel bad making our family’s plans center around me.

Well, I wrote that in the morning, and around 10:30 AM, the rain stopped. I figured I might as well head up the approach as today was the best day as far as family plans went. I could turn around if necessary, but maybe I’d end up at the base of the East Ridge with the perfect window to climb it. I got changed and headed out around 11:15. On the approach it started to hail on me, but I continued forward as there were patches of blue sky surrounding the dark cloud that hung on over Mount Edith Cavell. At the base of the ridge, the sun poked through and landed on my head, which I took as a sign to keep pushing. The first half was straightforward, with only a few scrambly moves and I felt comfortable retracing my steps if the weather worsened. When I got to the shoulder, which separated the lower and upper ridge, I spotted the top of the East Peak

glistening in the sun. “Heck yeah!,” I exclaimed out loud. The ridge ahead looked steep, and the exposure to the steep North Face increased but I stayed mentally with it, reminding myself to take one section at a time. It was fun climbing, with positive

handholds, and ledges for feet in all the right places. There were a few challenging moves, but they were always followed by a short step to regain confidence. In one of the steeper sections I spotted a piton, reassuring me I picked a good line. As I neared the top there were pockets of fresh snow on the horizontal rocks and little gullies that might be easier to ascend. I moved carefully and stuck to the rocks where I could confidently place my feet without the fear of hidden ice. I made it to the top in ~3:31:21, and was proud of my ascent. The views of the surrounding mountains, including the Columbia Icefield, the Tonquin Headwall, Geikie, and a hundred other mountains were incredible. Prior to the climb I’d looked to see if there was an FKT for this route, and found

only men’s times. My guess is it’s been done faster than what I did today by another woman as I wasn’t really pushing it, and took many breaks for photos, layers, and simply catching my breath (turns out I’ve lost my Colorado lungs after all this low altitude travel). That said, maybe I’ll submit it to encourage other women to get after it and challenge themselves. This route was something that pushed me beyond my normal comfort limits, but was well within my wheelhouse, making for a really fun day out. I descended the West Ridge, which had incredible views of Edith Cavell. Heading down the loose scree col between Edith Cavell and was perhaps the most taxing part of the entire day.

When I hit the trail I emptied my shoes of rocks and trail ran down. I realized I didn’t know how far I had to go, but thought maybe I could break 6 hours round trip. I hit the main Tonquin Valley trail with 15 minutes to spare. Turns out it was further than I thought. A little after the 6 hour mark I ran into Charlie and Logan enjoying a hike. I walked with them for 5 minutes or so giving them the quick trip report and then scurried on my way to the trailhead, finishing in 6 hours, 15 minutes.

With the campground closures throughout the Jasper area, we camped at the Tonquin Valley Trailhead, which was really nice and quiet. The only downside is we’ve been out of diesel in our heater for the last week, which adds an extra bit of coziness.

Day 55, September 8, 2022: Jasper National Park, AB; Wilcox Campground

We headed into Jasper with our fuel light on empty, hoping the issues of a couple days prior had been resolved. To our delight, we were able to fill up our tank, get ice, and continue down the Icefields Parkway with ease. We decided to head to the Meeting of the Waters, where the Whirlpool and Athabasca Rivers meet, and where we had spent a couple days during our earlier time in Jasper to eat breakfast. Despite not

napping yet, Logan was full of energy, so we all got out of the van and enjoyed the nice morning by the river. Charlie and I did core while Logan rolled around and wiggled on his mat. We all enjoyed some granola and yogurt together and then headed south towards the Columbia Icefield. As we went further away from Jasper, there were a couple campgrounds open, and we were able to find a campsite in the Wilcox Campground.

We filled water and hung out around camp for a while and then drove down the road to the Brazeau Valley Trailhead. Logan and I hiked while Charlie did a trail run. Logan’s naps have been deteriorating, probably because we changed from napping in the bear’s den to napping while the van was moving when we needed to make miles on our way back to the Canadian Rockies.

These last couple of days we’ve had time for him to nap in the bear’s den again, but switching it up on him has been hard. Only two more days and we can stick to more of a routine and get him back on track.

Before bed, Charlie and I played a game of cribbage, and Logan was keen on joining in. With his help, I finally broke my losing streak. Due to a later nap, Logan had a tough time falling asleep, but once he did, he slept great. It was a cold night but we doubled up the sleep suits to help keep his core warm. Charlie and I are much weaker than him when it comes to cold, as he doesn’t complain at all, but I feel bad when his hands are little ice cubes when he wakes to eat at night.

Day 56, September 9, 2022: Jasper National Park, AB to Banff National Park, AB

We had a true lazy F morning on the Struggle Bus, sleeping in until 8, and staying in bed until 8:45. After Logan’s 6:15 feed, I couldn’t bear put him back in his bassinet due to the chilly temps, so he and I snuggled up on my thermarest. He is so cute when he wakes up, grabbing at our noses, pulling at the zippers, and tugging on our hoodie strings. Having a little snuggle puddle with our entire family in the morning is such a wonderful start to the day. I eventually started the tea kettle to heat water for our morning coffee and to start the ball rolling. The peaks had a fresh dusting of snow and the air was crisp, creating a sense of fall around us. During a short morning nap for Logan, Charlie and I had a competition to see if we could remember all the places we

had camped along the way. We both had to help each other a little and by the end we got them all.

The sky was clear and it was a beautiful drive along the icefields parkway. It was fun reminiscing about the adventures we had of the trip north along this drive a little over a month earlier, and dreaming up future endeavors while we live in this area. We stopped just outside of Saskatchewan Crossing and I did a trail run towards the Howse River, joining up with the Great Divide Trail that headed south from the section I had the epic on while Charlie stayed with Logan in the van so he could nap. Afterwards we went on a family hike above Mistaya Canyon. We eyed Murchison across from us which supposedly has a popular area to ice climb.

We considered heading up to Moraine Lake but the parking was full, and Lake Louise but they were charging for parking, so we decided just to head to Norquay Ski Area for the night and return to the lakes when the snow flies and the crowds lessen. It was another chilly night and with service I found myself getting sucked into searching for things we need for Logan rather than enjoying the moment. I didn’t sleep well. I think I’m in desperate need of a shower, and kind of anxious about figuring out our new normal. As the road trip comes to a close, we find ourselves excited for a home, yet sad this huge adventure is ending. We’ve seen so much along this route and shared some really special moments together as a family.

Day 57, September 10, 2022: Banff National Park, AB to Canmore, AB; HOME SWEET HOME!

It’s hard to believe that we spent the last 56 nights living out of our van, with a 6 to now 8-month-old. Logan is our alarm clock, and is the ultimate shot caller. It has been really neat seeing him grow and develop new skills over the last couple months on this gigantic road trip. We're looking forward to having some more floor space to spread out on, but we're a little sad to be wrapping this experience up. Waking early, we enjoyed one last snuggle puddle in the van. Around 9:30 we made the drive up to our home for the next 2 months, which is located right next to the Nordic center. We moved in, showered, and eventually peeled ourselves from the comfy couches to go explore our new stomping grounds. I went on a trail run on the EKG loop, which is one of the summer trails at the Nordic Center. I found a pull up bar and some rooty, flowy, awesome trail running. We feel so fortunate to really be living here! Below are a few photos of how it's going so far.