Alaska Day 8

It was an exceptionally warm and comfortable 57 degrees when I woke up. I slept decently again until just before seven. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t seem to force myself and so I gave up. Showering this morning felt almost as good as it did yesterday, but clean clothes feel even better.

We got a later start today than planned since we were chatting again with the other New Jersey couple. It was such a pleasure talking with them and sharing stories, we could have sat around all morning, but we did have to get on the road. From the North Pole we are heading back south. On the way to Denali and the Fairbanks, we took Route 3 and the views were gorgeous. We are now on Route 4 and the views are even more stunning. There is so much snow on the surrounding mountains it’s hard to believe it’s summer. The road has been rather desolate. While we have seen other cars and campers, we haven’t passed a single town, at least not one visible from the highway.

Paxon is the town where Route 4 and the Denali Highway meet. We were on the other end of the Denali highway a few days ago, but this (east) end of the highway is allegedly even more beautiful. We had hoped to get gas and food in Paxson, but when we arrived, the town wasn’t much more than a dot on the map. There were no stores, no gas stations, no restaurants. We had to drive another fifteen miles south to Meier’s Lake Roadhouse for food and fuel. They were the only option for both and so they price gauge everything. Fifteen dollars for a grilled cheese and fries and six dollars for a gallon of gas. The gas pump was so old, it must date back decades. A padlock is kept on the pump and we had to go inside to get the key. The numbers on the pump are not digital. They are the old roll and scroll numbers. To pay, you have to take a picture of the final gallon count and you get charged accordingly.

We spent the afternoon driving along the Denali highway and taking in the views. The Wrangell Mountains in the distance are amazing. They must be higher than the mountains on the other end of the highway because they are snowier—some of the peaks even look completely snow covered. We had hoped to see some moose and maybe bears. People we spoke to and articles we read said wildlife is in abundance on the Denali Highway. We were disappointed that our experience did not reflect what we had been told. The only wildlife in abundance for us is the mosquitoes.

By five o’clock I was getting super antsy sitting in the car. I needed to get out and get some exercise. We parked at the Maclaren Summit trail head and set out on a hike. We did not hike to the summit. We did not even hike to the base of the mountain. We simply walked across the valley with the Maclaren glacier and the snowcapped mountains in view the entire time. The ground was mostly flat, no serious inclines, so Kati’s knee didn’t act up. It was cloudy and cool, the wind whipping through the valley pretty intensely.

Tonight we are boondocking. It’s what they call dispersed camping up here in Alaska. That means we can camp for free on public land. Finding a site was a bit of a challenge. Most—perhaps all—of the pullout areas are more geared towards RVs. We also wanted a spot with a good view. Eventually, we gave up trying to find a spot for our tents and settled for an overlook that had a fabulous view of the mountains and glaciers. We will sleep in the car. We have done it before. It’s not the most comfortable but it will do for a night. We’ll also be safer from the wildlife in the car than we would be in a tent.

The spot we chose was exposed to the wind. There was, however, a nice big stone fire ring and the stone sides were built high enough to shield the fire and sparks from escaping. Since we didn’t have to set up our tents, our first task was building the fire. The wind ensured that the wood caught easily and quickly. For dinner, we ate rehydrated food. It’s never great, but it is filling. It was so incredibly peaceful to sit by the roaring fire and look out over the mountains.

After dinner, at around ten o’clock, G3 asked me to hike up the steep hill behind our campsite. I’m always happy to hike, but I was even happier he wanted my company. The terrain was soft and marshy and there were still patches of snow left from the winter snowfall. The view from the top of the hill was even better than from the campsite, especially since the sun had sunk into the clouds and hovered just above the peaks. An orange glow seeped between the mountains and clouds giving the sky an almost eerie glow.

It is now half past eleven and we have all settled into the car. G3 is watching a movie he had downloaded onto his phone and Kati is already asleep. I suppose I should try and get some sleep as well.

There is absolutely no cell service on the Denali highway which is why I will be so delayed in posting.