Denali, Healy and area.

Denali RV Park and Motel

In December we accepted summer positions at Denali RV Park and Motel in Healy, AK, just 8 miles from the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve. Our compensation includes our RV site with full hookups and pay for all hours worked. The fact that we were already in Alaska helped us get the job because we could be on location and ready to work in May, before the park officially opened Memorial Day weekend. We had visited Denali NP in 2008 while living in Fairbanks so were familiar with the area. More photos from that visit can be seen at:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vDOOXfbhbqN9Komn1

Barbara and Peggy

My sister, Barbara, and her friend, Peggy, were visiting when we made the move from Soldotna to Healy which was a 400 mile drive which takes 7-8 hours pulling the RV. After getting settled in we wanted to explore the national park. We were able to drive 30 miles into the park because we arrived before the summer season, when cars are only allowed 15 miles into the park. After Memorial Day weekend, bus trips are available to go the length of the park road (70 miles) which reduces the traffic, noise, exhaust and human intervention in this huge wildlife preserve. We saw moose, caribou, one bear, and lots of ptarmigan changing from winter to summer plumage. 

Moose

Brown bear who was more surprised than we were!

Ptarmigan

Denali

 It was good to see my sister and the three of us had a good time!

After they left we had 2 small snows. These photos were taken out our RV door; the snow was gone by 10:00 am. The highs were in the 40s and 50s in May and the lows in the 30s. But with 20 plus hours of sun every day that changed quickly. June saw 60s and 70s with one day that hit 82. Nights were still cool but so short we didn't notice. By the way, we had cardboard in our bedroom windows to keep the night sunlight out! July was warmer with 4 days in the 80s. We had several thunderstorms which I have been told have only happened the last few years in this area.Twice we had 50 mph winds which rocked the RV! On the brighter side, we saw numerous rainbows, one at midnight! There were always beautiful clouds, often below the mountaintops as if we could hike up and touch them.

After training for 2 days to manage the office where Rollie and I were hired to work, I was informed by a coworker that I would be working in housekeeping for the motel. I had been bumped by someone with seniority. This was the first of many things we learned "through the grapevine" instead of from the manager/owner himself. This made for an interesting summer! I ended up doing the motel laundry 3-4 mornings per week, 3-5 hours per day. Rollie worked in the office 5 evenings from 4-10. We did have 2 days off together but every 2 weeks we drove the 2 hours to Fairbanks for fun and groceries. I did some hiking in the national park when Rollie was working, just the easy trails near the visitor center. My favorite was the trail to Horseshoe Lake where there was a family of beavers to watch.

There were trails from the RV park out into the surrounding area that we explored on our dog walks. Bears had not been seen in the area for two years so we did not worry. There were moose droppings when we arrived but we did not see moose, or caribou. The main wildlife were the numerous squirrels that frequently chased each other through the RV park and excited the dogs. No mosquitoes to speak of as most days were quite windy.


The online group RVIllage connected us with RVers visiting our park and added to our social life. We got to know them better while dining at 49th State Brewery which served excellent food as well as a nice selection of local brews.

To top off our summer, my three sons and their girlfriends came to visit for a week. They toured the national park, rafted, hiked and explored the area.

Michael and Megan stayed a few additional days to travel with us back to Seward where Rollie went on a fishing charter one more time and filled our little freezer with halibut, salmon and rock fish. Michael and Megan took a wildlife cruise and hiked to Exit Glacier. I sat back and enjoyed my favorite place in a state I have grown to love.

For more photos: https://goo.gl/photos/BPk3KxQk6Ux8J9ib7

Winter on the Kenai

After working 9 months full-time without any time off I am now working 25-30 hours per week so have a little time to catch up on blogging. I would like to share our experiences while spending the winter in Alaska. We are not in the extremely cold interior or north slope but near the Pacific on a peninsula, south of Anchorage. I would compare the temperatures with Minnesota, but we did not have much wind so did not have the extreme wind chills. We had about 3 feet of snow on the ground 3 weeks ago but have had sunny weather with afternoon temps around freezing so melting has started. But the low temps are still in the single digits and I am ready for that to change! Still have to bundle up to walk the dogs in the mornings!

We moved into an apartment in October, just before the first snow fell. By the end of October we had 4-5 inches accumulated and we have not seen grass since. The last 2 winters were unseasonably warm here with very little snow so everyone was hoping for a real winter. I was still able to walk to work into November because I started at 4 pm. Rollie was working as a school bus attendant so he worked early mornings. We share one vehicle which takes some planning.

Sitka spruce

We took several drives to see the snow in the trees, the beach, the frozen rivers and the countryside. I love snow and mountains so I was in my element!

Kasilof Beach, Cook Inlet

Kasilof River before it froze

Looking east, Kenai Mountains

Soldotna is on the western side of the Kenai Peninsula near Cook Inlet. The eastern half of the peninsula is mountainous with the largest icefield contained entirely within the United States, Harding Icefield. 

Mt Redoubt

Looking west across Cook Inlet we can see the mountain range that makes up the Aleutian Islands farther south. There are many active volcanoes including Mt. Redoubt, which I can see looking west up the street we live on, Redoubt St. 

Redoubt St. and Mt. Redoubt in the distance

On one of our drives we saw a dogsled team training and it reminded me to check for local races. The Tustumena 200 was held January 28/29. the race starts and finishes near the Sterling Highway just south of Kasilof which is where we spent the end of the summer at Crooked Creek. The route goes through the Caribou Hills almost to Homer and back, 200 miles. They were looking for volunteers so I did. I helped with teeshirt/sweatshirt/hat sales at the start and had a great view of the activities.

Preparing to enter the start chute

One team started every 3 minutes

Most of these teams also ran the Iditarod which made that race much more interesting for me to watch. I had seen them up close! 







The dogs really love to run!











We see moose around our neighborhood frequently. I think It is the same cow and calf but I could be wrong. They are not afraid or aggressive when the dogs and I pass by and the dogs don't bark at them. They are obviously used to humans since they live in town. I have gotten to know where they hang out in the wooded lots and I see tracks and droppings, even right outside our window!

Their long legs are great for walking through deep snow 

Moose droppings look like pecans in their shells

Two eagles in the top of the tree

And we have bald eagles in the neighborhood. It seems as though the local fur shop tosses animal carcasses out behind their building which attracts the eagles and ravens. It's about a block from our apartment. There are 2 adults and two juveniles (don't have white yet) so I assume it is a family.

They watch the dogs and I watch them

Two juveniles feasting, the adults were up in the trees.
A raven and a magpie watching and waiting.

The winter was dark, cloudy and snowy but the last 3 weeks have been sunny which we all appreciate. With longer days, melting has started but we have a long way to go before we can move back into our RV. We have accepted workamping positions May to August at Denali RV Park and Motel just outside Denali National Park. Another new adventure!

Some miscellaneous photos:

Mt. Iliamna

One of our favorite dog walks, Beluga St., with fresh snow

Had some serious fog which frosted the trees. 

Frozen Kenai River from Soldotna Park

The sun did not rise very high in December and January.
Soldotna Park

Sitka Spruce, typical countryside for the west Kenai

Heading east on Sterling Hwy towards the mountains

The spruce trees are good at catching snow.
Frequently there was bare ground under them.

How sand, snow and wind make art. Kasilof Beach.

A true Minnesotan cannot let 2 inches of snow lie on the driveway!

Mia and Sonny taking it all in stride.

More photos at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fjPiopUMceaGiZnn1