Category: Uncategorized

Dropping Cas off in the morning was hard. Being with her for 3 solid weeks was amazing, and then having to let her go home was definitely not my favorite.  But she has a real job, and kitties to snuggle, so I suppose that’s reason enough. We say our goodbyes, and I head back to the hotel room to plan some more trip routes for when FiFi gets here.

When FiFi lands, we’re instantly off to the races. If you don’t remember who Felicia aka FiFi is, see back to when I was in Austin, TX around mid-March. I want to take her to see some of the best hikes Cas and I did while at Banff, plus I already have a sweet campsite figured out. So, we take the next 3 hours to drive north to Parker Ridge and hike up to get a glimpse of the glacier hiding on its eastern side.

After a quick and surprisingly empty hike (I’m not complaining), we headed out of Banff’s boundary to the campsite on the river. When pulling off the main road to start on the dirt path, we spot a large black bear. Fifi whispers “pull over pull over!!” I whisper back “why are we whispering??” This is our turn anyway, so I’m obviously pulling over… Regardless, the bear allows FiFi to get some amazing close up shots before heading for the road. Oh no, a truck is coming! FiFi starts calling the bear over towards her, “here bear! Come this way!” We don’t want it to get hit by the truck but fuck don’t call it towards us!! The oncoming truck sees the bear as it starts its lazy crossing of the highway. All is good. We continue on to our site.

We pull up to the exact same spot Cas and I had a week ago, start a fire, and open a bottle of wine. We were alone, but as the night wore on a 90’s gold blazer pulls up. Shit, this is probably some creepy dude… What pops out is a small blonde chick. Lindsay was visiting her grandma 14 hrs away and wanted to break up the trip. We chat for a bit, then head our separate ways to bed.

In the morning we have coffee with Lindsay, then head south to hit Peyto Lake. This is pretty much the exact same route Cas and I took, except FiFi and I decided not to hike down to the water. We snag a few pics, hike down a tiny bit to get some different vantage points, then head on our way.

The next stop was Lake Louise, but if you remember from my previous post, the traffic and parking is a bitch. Cas and I got lucky when we tried to park at the lake, so I try this technique again. But, I did not get lucky. We did find a picnic area to park at, but this will add 2 miles to our hike for the day. No matter, FiFi is a damn marathon runner and I could use some extra steps. We pack up, and start our walk to the lake. It’s raining at this point and we’re hiking on a damn road, but we don’t care. Just excited to be up and moving and heading to cool shit.

We get to the Lake and take our obligatory photos, but quickly move on to get out of the crowds. We’re going to follow the exact same route Cas and I did, hiking around the lake, up the Plains of 6 Glaciers to the tea house. There are less people up on the trails today, probably due to the rain. This makes me very happy. FiFi and I quickly hike the 5 miles up to the tea house and sit down for a cup of, well, tea. We sit and drink while hoping the glacier falls. Which it does. It’s thunderous aftershock flips heads around from every inch of the tea house. Fifi inquires about working there next summer, and the waitress takes her very serious, offering to give her an email to contact her. FiFi isn’t serious… well, is she? Who knows. And who cares at this point. We’re just two friends drinking hot tea on a damn mountain watching glaciers fall. Life doesn’t get much better!

After my oolong, we set off to visit the other tea house then head down the mountain. The section of trail between the 2 houses is my favorite, so I’m excited to see it again. It’s not as exciting as when Cas and I were there, as the weather has begun to deteriorate. The sky is now a slate grey, and the wind has picked up. We get to the second tea house right before a storm sets in, but there’s a nervous energy here. A helicopter hovers at eye level, dropping a basket to someone below. A rescue of some sort. The basket come up with a person in it, and the helicopter ascends straight up out of the tree line, then shoots off towards the park’s headquarters. A few moments later, the helicopter is back, picking up an employee (paramedic maybe?) and shoots off again. We decide to leave the tea house as the storm must have just skirted us.

Once back at the car, we talk about where to go next. The weather is shit, and we don’t feel like fighting for parking. We were originally supposed to stay in the overflow parking area for the night. Aka pay $10 to park in a shit gravel lot with hundreds of other people sharing a single bathroom. But this does not sound appealing to FiFi. We look up a camp spot towards the US border and head south. We can be close to Montana and cross the next morning, giving us more time in the American parks. Once in the car, we start listening to a podcast about toads. I’m totally sucked in.

The drive was short and full of scenic views. We drive about 10 miles on crappy gravel road to reach a mostly secluded site right along a fast moving river. FiFi attempts to climb down a steep bank to retrieve water and almost dies. We then immediately find a safer route 20 feet away. Typical. That night, I learned the game of Farkel, and immediately kicked FiFi’s ass in the game. Beginner’s luck. I should note that there appears to be an extended family living out of a trailer a couple hundred yards away from us. An entire camp with grill, outdoor patio furniture, UTVs, trucks, camper, you name it. They drive by to make sure we aren’t axe murderers. Nope, just two chicks playing dice, nothing to see here…

The next morning we head to Montana. Customs was slow due to only one line being open. The officer there didn’t give a shit about us, and didn’t search us. Which is good because I wouldn’t want to have to reorganize all the crap in here. We have to drive a ways to get to Glacier, and set our sights on getting poutine for FiFi. I mentioned to her about how amazing poutine was, and how Canadian of a thing this dish was and now she wants a taste. Maybe this brewery will have it? It’s a spot called Backslope Brewery and it’s just outside of Glacier NP. The name of the restaurant came up when FiFi searched ‘poutine near me’ so we’re going.

Of course they didn’t have poutine, but they had some of the best burgers and fries I’ve ever had. Seriously. It was amazing. We sat at the bar and were able to watch the food coming out of the kitchen and everything looked so good we couldn’t decide what to order. Of course we figured it out eventually, but it was tough.

Leaving our new favorite restaurant, we decided to get some groceries and head back into the woods. Glacier NP was calling so of course we answered. We started at the SW section visitor center named Apgar, and then hit Lake McDonald. FiFi went for a swim, but it was too damn cold. I took the photos. After our lake trip, we decided to hike Avalanche trail which leads you up to an alpine lake. We found some sweet Buffleheads here, and talked to some other birders about finding 3-toed woodpeckers. Ohhhh that would be a treat to find! After a few pics at the lake we turn around and head back to the trail head. Once to the car, we decide to drive the Road to the Sun and camp on the east side of the park. This road was terrifying and amazing. I was super thankful to do it at a non-busy time, as it was pretty much just a few cars limbering around cliff walls. Broken glass on the road was all that was left of people’s side mirrors. A few wrong moves, perhaps a sneeze, and you’re pretty well fucked! I drove, FiFi photographed. Along the way we saw a mountain goat and kid, as well as marmots and cool birds like the western tanager. PS I almost wrecked the truck I was so excited to spot this damn tanager. In my defense he was stunning…. We also stopped at Logan Pass, but the visitor center was closed for the day. Oh well. Onward to try and find camping!

Of course everything within the park was booked solid, so we opted for a private RV park. For $30 we got a spot and two showers. Not a bad deal! It would have been perfect if our camp site had any level ground within its boundaries… But it didn’t matter. We were just happy to have a place to sleep and a shower.

We’re on our way out of Banff National Park now, and as we head south, we decide to stop and hike at a place called Johnson Canyon. Seems to be a shortish hike with some cool views of a canyon. We pull up and see that the parking lot is full. It’s only 9am, so this is a bad sign. We find nearby road parking and head over to the trail head. It’s packed with people, but I suppose this is no surprise to us. We find a park employee dolling out information under a tent and ask her for some help. Where in the hell can we go to get away from all these people? She provides some awesome recommendations, one of them being a hike named Lady McDonald. This is a hike in Canmore, a town just south of the Banff boundary line. We say thank you profusely and head out to the canyon for our hike.

The views were ok, but oh man the people are so unaware of their surroundings. Families taking up the entire path. Old people randomly stopping in the middle of the trail to take a picture. Couples holding hands and blocking the trail, just all around inconsiderate people with no trail etiquette. Still, this is nothing new. We’ve been dealing with this the entire time we’ve been here. The problem with this trail is that it’s mainly bridges, so there’s no way to skip around the large, slow herds of internationals feeding chipmunks. It kind of sucked to be honest.

We finished the trail, then hurried back to the car. We skip all remaining hikes and head straight into the town of Banff, which is inside the national park boundary. Once in town, we find a rooftop bar and settle in for a drink while we research what to do. Feels great to have some cell service! Looks like there is a cool hike, named Tunnel Mountain, just outside of town that is challenging and provides some cool views of the city. Before hiking I need to feed Cas. We found a distillery in town (Park Distillery) that looks to be serving up some great food. We pop in, split some poutine, then head off to the mountain.

PS I forgot to bring my camera on this hike.

The mountain wasn’t difficult, but it gave us a workout. The view from the top was impressive, and allowed Cas and I to really get a feel for the town of Banff. It’s a cute, compact, touristy spot that surprisingly has a lot to offer. The hike down was much easier than the hike up…

Once down, we filled up our water jugs at a public bathroom, then headed out into town to see what there was to get into. We found a thrift store, some cute shops, and tons of tourist traps. We ultimately landed at a local’s joint known as the Pump and Tap for beer and wings. We talked with Banff residents here, shot the shit for an hour or so, then headed south to Canmore. There’s a free parking/camping spot on the edge of the railroad tracks here that we took advantage of. It wasn’t the best, but the location was idea. We planned on hiking Lady McDonald in the morning and didn’t want any more shitty cop encounters.

The only awful thing about this spot (besides the loud ass trains) is that we had to leave by 7AM. So, we woke up at 6:30, packed our things and hit the road for coffee and trail head parking. This hike was going to be a bitch. 3,000ft of elevation over 3.5 miles with a boulder scramble did not sound fun. But the views are promised to be amazing, so Cas is committed. I guess that means I’m committed too!

We start the hike with almost no one in the parking lot. Maybe 2 other groups are on the mountain. Such a change from Banff! As we ascend, we see Marmots, Pika, and grouse alongside the trail. When we get to the boulder scramble, we’re completely lost. There’s one plate with an arrow pointing up nailed to a tree, but other than that there is no trail. We climb up and down and over huge rocks, and finally come to a point where we don’t know which way to go. We sit and wait on a large rock to see what some following groups decide to do.

After seeing other hikers find their way, we follow them up to what is a cold, exposed ridge line leading to a wooden platform. Turns out this was supposed to be another tea house, but it was never completed. Now it’s a helipad with a cool looking windsock and weather station. I’m nervous to sit on this platform, but I don’t want to be the only puss not willing to take a cool seat. I hurriedly eat my snack, take some pics, then prod Cas to head down. It’s cold, and stupid high. I’m very uncomfortable up here.

The hike down was easier than the hike up. I love going downhill… When we finally reach the bottom our ankles and feet are killing us. All I want to do is nap, but I know that’s an awful idea as it totally screws up your sleep schedule. The last thing you want is to have insomnia while sleeping in a truck outside. So, we decide to check out one more local distillery then head off towards a camp spot on our way to Calgary. The distillery is named Wild Life Distillery, and is a bit disappointing. I was hoping to see a place that gave back to wildlife, maybe had a cool animal theme, but this joint was just using the name. Lame. The bar tender was weird, so we left after one drink. I have to say the drink I ordered was absolutely amazing. The place just had a shitty atmosphere.

After our physical morning, we drove East to the middle of nowhere. I found a camp site that was an hour off the beaten path. We crossed cow pastures and passed though tiny farm towns to reach a secluded hilltop site that was pretty much perfect. Cas and I read a book in the afternoon light, cooked potatoes over a campfire, then went to bed in cool, bug free weather. Not much else you could ask for.

In the morning we headed into Calgary. Cas flies out tomorrow so I got us a hotel room. I don’t want her to smell like she’s homeless on the plane, plus it has been a solid 12 days since we showered last. It was about time to sleep in a bed too.

Once in town, we got some amazing Vietnamese food and went to bed early. We’re both exhausted and ready for decent sleep. Cas is leaving in the morning, and then I’ll be picking up my good friend Felicia (FiFi) in the afternoon. So happy to have more company on these beautiful sections of my trip!

After a win from our Women’s National Team for the World Cup (YAAASSSS), I was ready to head into one of the world’s most visited National Parks. Is that a real fact? I have no clue. But there are a shit load of people here so I’m sticking to it. Fight me. As we drive into the park along the Icefield Parkway we are greeted with loads of traffic, wildlife along the roads, and lots of scenic pullouts.

After finally snagging a park map, we find that there’s lots to do and see on this road. Our first stop is the Athabasca glacier toe, which is just a small one mile hike from the road. As we pull in, the parking lot is packed and cars are lining the roadway in. We snag a spot a good distance away and walk towards the glacier. Tours that allow you to walk onto the glacier are gathering at every corner. A bus full of tourists takes a side road and drives up and onto the glacier. This place looks like a kicked hornet’s nest. I wonder how much money this chunk of ice makes a year… Probably more than me. Well, I make zero, so definitely more than me.

As we get to the glacier access, the hike is actually pretty strenuous. Straight up for a half mile. People are struggling to get up this short, steep, paved hike. The altitude isn’t helping anyone. Cas and I sprint up past the large herds, and realize we really can’t get close to the glacier at all. Damn you climate change!! Oh well. At least we got out of the car for a bit. As we trek down, we pass large groups of ice tours beginning their summit hike to the viewing area. I don’t think half of these people are even going to make it to the ice.

Back at the car, we want to stop at the Columbia Icefield visitor center, but, there are just way too many people there. Screw it. let’s keep driving south. We found a hike in my Milepost Bible just off the Icefield Parkway, and near to where we are planning on camping. The Taylor Ridge parking lot is packed with cars and RVs, but we’re able to find a spot and prep for the hike. It’s a short uphill trek, and tons of people are on this path. When we finally get to the top of the ridge, the view is incredible. You can see a sweet glacier, plus there are tons of Colombian ground squirrels, grey crowned rosy finches and Clark’s nutcrackers fluttering about. The weather was cool, but we decided to stay at the top and have a snack while soaking up the views.

After leaving Taylor ridge, we head to a camp spot that’s just outside of the park’s boundary. I have some written directions that Cas is reading to me, but I think we have different ideas about what a “road” is. I’m looking for something small and made of dirt, and Cas is expecting an actual paved road. Maybe even a road sign. Regardless, we pass our turn by about 7 miles. We put the coordinates into my GPS after realizing we are lost, and back track for a bit. A tiny path meanders into the woods, and we follow it along the Banff boundary line. Very happy for 4×4 at this moment. At the end, we are greeted with an amazing site right along the river. We decided to start a fire, eat a nice dinner, and sleep in. We soak up the lack of people and amazing views.

After a lazy morning, we headed into Banff to try and get some hikes in. We know it’s going to be difficult to find parking, but we decide to try it out. Our first stop is Peyto Lake, which is a glacial lake that has an amazing blue color.

When we get there, it’s a mad house with people. But, there is ample parking and plenty of room on the trail to quickly pass slow people. We get to the main overlook and were blown away by the view.

While we are standing around checking out the lake, Cas decides she wants to get closer to the beautiful water. Hm. That’s a long way down, you sure about that? But she had already found a trail down and was starting her descent.

The “trail” we took was pretty much straight down. No frills. A bit scary as we were the only people making this journey. Cas didn’t care. She just kept on walking, clapping at more frequent intervals to alert all the bears that we were coming down.

Once at the bottom, the color changed. Being at this vantage point did not provide the same pretty blue that was spotted higher up. Light refraction, angles, sunlight, blah blah blah. Regardless, it was still neat. Plus there was only one other person down there, so it felt as if we had the lake to ourselves.

The hike back up sucked, but was relatively short. After leaving this shit show parking lot, we headed to an even shittier show parking lot at Lake Louise. We stopped at the main visitor center/town center here and grabbed a hiking guide. While there, we asked about how to get down to see Lake Louise and the other lake there that starts with an M. I can never remember its name…Moraine. Had to look that up for like the 5th time.

Anyway, the park ranger is awful. He says there is no way we’re getting down there until 9PM tonight. Don’t even try. Well ok then, let’s go find a camp spot and chill for a bit, then try and get to the lake later tonight.

While leaving the parking lot, I’m forced to take a right which leads me towards Lake Louise. I try to find a turn around, but there is none. Signs flash “PARKING LOT FULL” over and over again. I get it. It’s full. I just need to get out of here…

When we get to the area of the Lake’s parking lot, we are waved in. Um, what just happened? Did we just get a parking space? The answer to that is yes. Yes we did.

Here’s the bad part, we have a 12 mile hike planned and neither of us are mentally prepared for that. Oh well! We suit up, grab a ton of snacks and water, and hit the trail.

Alright this area is a lot like an amusement park. Tons of people. A damn hotel right on the lake’s shore. Lucky for us, we’re planning on hiking 5 miles up on the plain of 6 glaciers trail to a tea house nestled just under a glacier! There can’t be that many people up there, right?

Wrong! Tons of people were up here. But, it didn’t matter because this place was super cool. The owner grew up in this house as a little girl. She now owns the property and runs a tea house in the summer. No electricity, no running water, they helicopter in the supplies once a year. Everything else is brought up and down by horses. The staff live on site in cabins around the tea house. This was super cute, plus it was delicious tea and soup. On top of this, there was a very active glacier calving just above the tea house offering thunderous roars every few minutes. I loved it.

After a nice late lunch, we decide to hike another few miles to see the other tea house in this area. This section of the hike was my favorite. Few people, small trail width, and awesome views. Cas also got to see an arctic hare hop past her on the trail!

The other tea house was closed when we got there, but it was fine. We just wanted to check it out. We stopped for a moment to soak it in, then headed back down the mountain to try and see if we could sneak in to see the next big lake here, Lake Moraine.

Back at the car, the parking lot was starting to clear out. It’s 7PM now, so all these people with kids should presumably be going back to wherever they are staying the night, right? Even with fewer people around, Lake Moraine was a bitch to get in to. We had to sit in traffic for about 15 minutes before finding a spot. Once we were there, we decided to walk around the lake shore and get some photos in.

After walking another 3 miles, we had completed 16 miles of hiking for the day. We were beat and ready to settle down for the night. We found the overflow parking/camping area (aka a gravel parking lot), and found the last spot available. It was only open because it was in a huge puddle… But we didn’t care. We just backed on in and made ourselves comfy. Tomorrow we’re headed down to the town of Banff to check it out, and then down to the town of Canmore. Should be interesting!

Well this whole park was a bit of a shit show. We got into Jasper National Park midday. We stopped at Mt. Robson Provincial Park for a short moment, but I was too excited about the national parks to stay long. The weather wasn’t offering any views of the park’s namesake peak, and there were people everywhere… I knew all of these parks were going to be overrun with people, but that didn’t make it any easier to deal with.

Leaving Mt. Robson, we finally get into the province of Alberta and into Jasper NP. We found a great hike to Beaver Lake in the heart of the park that didn’t have too many crowds. The mountain scenery was spectacular, even though it was a gray and dreary day. The lakes are clear and aquamarine, almost as if inviting you to take a dip. But you know they are damn cold so you resist the urge. About 5 miles on our first trail, and we were ready to explore something else.

We dropped down to Maligne Lake, and saw some black bears along the road. A mom and 2 cubs just puttering around. They were adorable. The lake was beautiful, but nothing to write home about. Every lake up here is amazing, with just an ever so slightly different hue of blue….

By this time, we are looking for somewhere to camp. Every legal site is booked solid, as the main campground of the park is closed for the season. That means the park is down over 600 sites! We drive down another park road, headed towards The Miette Hot Springs. As we approach the end of our road, Cas spots an unmarked gravel trail that descends down a steep hill. We make a U-turn and drive down. Score! An unkempt trail head with no signage telling us camping is illegal. Plus, another camper van has already set up shop at this same spot. The weather has turned to rain at this point, so we settle in for the night.

FYI, my camper top is still leaking…

The next morning we wake up early and head to the hot spring parking lot to see if there is a cafe. I want coffee, but didn’t want to draw attention to our truck this morning by wandering around in my PJs. We found a tiny cafe and get the most perfect coffee and Americano. Plus, the barista used to work in Banff National Park, so we’re peppering her with questions. We ask her mainly about where to camp, and she tells us that illegal camping in Banff is a no go. Fines up to $2000 are being handed out to people found sleeping in their vehicles. She tells us Jasper is pretty lenient, but Banff has some Nazi rangers who hand out tickets like the ice cream man. Great.

After coffee, we decide to hike a trail named Sulfur Skyline. Straight up for 3 miles, it’s supposed to offer the best view in the park. The only problem is that it’s foggy as shit. I promise Cas that the fog will burn off by the time we get to the peak, or we’ll be over the fog and have an amazing view regardless of its presence. She somehow believes me, and we head out for the uphill slog.

Mud, loose rocks, and more mud were the theme here. This hike sucked. Tons of people and shitty conditions made this steep trail incredibly dangerous and strenuous. After a little more than an hour, we emerge to the top. Or at least I think it’s the top…. There’s no way to know. The fog is so thick you can barely see your own damn feet. At least there are some cute chipmunks up here begging for food. I try to tell them that this food is bad for them, go forage for your own shit, but they don’t listen. They never listen…

Hiking down was even worse than hiking up. Each step could have led to a twisted ankle or busted knee. I’m tankful for my hiking poles, and insisted Cas and I both take one. I think they helped… The best part of the entire trail was that when we finally emerged out into the parking lot, a herd of bighorn sheep were rubbing off their winter coats onto parked cars. I very much enjoyed watching this…

We took a peek at the hot spring and saw that it was just a heated public pool. No thanks… We head out of this area, and drive North to Hinton. We were hoping to get laundry cleaned here, get some grub, and find a camp spot outside of the park. But, this place was weird. While walking around town waiting for our laundry to dry, we noticed there were no good restaurants, and just an all around shitty vibe to the city. We decided to hit one brewery south of town, and drive even farther south to the town of Jasper which is nestled within the national park.

We got into Jasper around dinner time, and attempted to go to the Jasper Brewing company. Come to find out, it’s a 30 minute wait. You can’t even go to the bar because they have that as assigned seating there as well. Lame. So we continue walking, and found the best locals joint named De’d Dog. They had great beer, awesome poutine, and a damn good bison burger with no wait. And way more character. Cas and I were very please with our find.

After dinner, we scouted out a trail head to camp at. We checked the area out, and found no signs saying camping was illegal. Score! We decided to hike off dinner for a bit, then settle in for the night.

The next morning, we were both woken up by loud knocking

Cas, in a whisper: What was that???

Me: Someone is knocking…

Cas: Ummm no shit Sherlock… who do you think is knocking?

I struggle to turn around, and finally get the camper open to see two police officers standing at my truck. Oh boy.

Lady Cop: Did you sleep here last night?

Me: Nope, just waiting for the rain to pass to go for a hike

Cop: Don’t lie to me, did you sleep here last night?

Me: Yup

So that probably wasn’t my best move. She takes my ID and goes back to her car. All the while, she has not figured out Cas is in the truck. Hasn’t asked about any weapons… She doesn’t seem to be the best police officer.

She finally comes back, presumably knowing that there’s no way to look up my information. Florida and Alberta are not on talking terms. Legally. She asks where I’m from about 3 more times. Finally gets my license plate number, then hands me a ticket.

Cop: It’s a $50 fine for illegal camping, and $40 if you pay within 14 days.

Ok, after the conversation we had with a worker who used to work in Banff about $2000 tickets, $40 is a piece of cake. This is cheaper than camping legally anywhere in this town. I gladly take the ticket… When she asks me out of the blue if I have a job.

Get this. I tell the lady cop I have no job, I’m just wandering around North America…. And with that, she snatches the ticket out of my hand. Tells me to not camp illegally again, then leaves! WTF just happened! Such an awkward encounter with crappy policing. Oh well. At least I didn’t get a ticket.

After this nerve wracking of a wake up call, Cas and I try to find a coffee shop with WiFi to stream the Women’s World Cup finals. We find the perfect place, and settle in with Lattes and our laptops… Until… We realize they have the WiFi set up so it doesn’t allow streaming! Dammit! The game has already started, and we’re scrambling to find a new venue. Dad is texting me updates as we drive around Jasper.

We looked up multiple places to watch the game the day before, but being so early in the morning, nothing was open. Cas decides to stop in at a hotel/sports bar, and finds a caring soul that eventually allows us to watch the game in the bar. The bar is closed, but we done’t car. We got the watch the game with one other American couple while eating an amazing breakfast. After a pretty shitty start, today was looking up.

The day got even better after USA won! Hoping we can put Jasper behind us for good, and move on to explore Banff.

We crossed into British Columbia finally, and started our long decent down the province through the Cassiar Hwy. This is a lonely road for sure. You seldom see other cars on the road, and when you do it’s a shit show as the road is narrow and shitty, and there are no stripes painted. But, like I said before, bears and other wildlife are abundant. We see black bears, red foxes, marmots, lynx, porcupine, all sorts of shit. We drove another solid 6 hours to get to Smithers, as I know a good camp spot there and there is a cute downtown to explore.

When we get to town, Cas is starving. We find a pizza joint and bring a pie into the Smithers Brewery. They have WiFi, and Cas needs to catch up some work things. I enjoy a few beers and check out social media, check in with dad, and examine the upcoming weather. Looks like rain. Darn.

Now on this drive to Smithers, I thought I heard a large snap. Turns out, my solar panel had come loose from my roof, and whiplashes itself so badly that it was not holding the correct voltage, and not charging my battery. I have one more test to try tomorrow morning, and if that fails I need to buy a multi-meter. I kick myself, as my dad has about 35 multi-meters back home. Oh well.

After the brewery, we head to the campsite, and decide to go for a short hike. It’s the same twin falls hike I did on my trek up to Alaska, but infinitely more enjoyable now that Cas is with me. We hike to the falls, and even spot a mountain goat adjacent to the water. How neat is that! Pretty neat…

That night, I tried so hard to make a fire, but the rain intensified. Might as well go to bed and read for a bit. As I get into the cab, I realize it’s leaking again. Thought I had solved this tiny issue… Good thing it’s only near my head, and Cas is spared. We have wet blankets, but I have a waterproof cover on my pillow. Thank baby Jesus for that.

After a crappy, wet night, we head into town to get a multi-meter and check out my solar issue. I run through some tests I find on the internet, and find that everything is working fine except the panel. It’s fucked. I need a new one. I spend the next 3 hours trying to figure out how to get a panel sent to me. Renogy (the brand I have) won’t ship internationally. If I send it to a post office in the states, I’ll have to pay shipping twice (don’t ask me how that works). So, I dial up a friend I made while working at FWC who is now a PhD student in Montana. Ellen came through with an address to send the panel, and a safe spot to keep it until I get there. Ellen, I cannot thank you enough! Going to be stocking your fridge with beer…

So, until that gets hooked up, I have no electricity. No worries though, I brought propane for hiking which is coming in handy. Once I get over the stress of calling 20 places and planning my solar panel’s trip, we decide to spend the night in Smithers again. It’s already 2PM, and Cas is tired of driving. We hit up another brewery in Smithers, and chat with the bartender a bit. After some grocery shopping and meandering around town, we settle back in at the same campsite.

The next morning we leave bright at early for Prince George. The last big city we’ll pass through before getting to Jasper National Park. We check out one of the nicest visitor centers there, snag some free books, drop off already read books, and head over to a brewery in town named Crossroads. After a shared flight of 4 tiny beers, we head east to our campsite at Beaver River.

This free campsite is our last stop before entering the National Parks. Camping is apparently a bitch in the parks, so we relish our last night of free and easy camping. A man working cutting lumber lives on site, and stocks us up with awesome firewood. We have a legit fire, cooks some amazing potatoes, and I work on waterproofing the truck. Tomorrow brings us into Alberta and into the Rocky Mountains. We’re both beyond excited!

After driving the “Top of the World” road from the Canadian border, we get into the Dawson City area. This town has been kept to resemble a late 1800s gold rush town. Starting in 1896, the Klondike gold rush brought thousands of people to the Yukon Territory to try their luck in gold mining and panning. In fact, the town still mines millions of dollars of gold from the land each year. We read that it feels like you’re stepping back into time when entering Dawson City. But before you can get there, you have to take a free car ferry across the Yukon River. I suppose not having a bridge fits into the old timey theme.

When we pull up to the river, there are multiple lanes laid out in cones, and signs telling you where to park based on your vehicle’s size. This ferry is only say, 80 feet long, and can only carry 3-7 vehicles across at a time. Aka it’s small as shit and looks terrifying. There are huge RVs in line next to us, and lines of cars across the river waiting to get across. As soon as we pull up, the ferry leaves our side and heads into town with 5 cars. We watch as the ship lumbers slowly across the fast moving water, beaches on the other side, and spits cars out onto the bank. Oh boy. As it makes it way back towards us with a new crop of vehicles, we start to get nervous.

It’s finally our turn to board. First on. We drive up onto the ship, turn off the engine and hope for the best. We take some pics like good tourists, then we’re on our way across. Water splashes up onto my hood as we bump across the water. On the other side, we’re first off. Glad that’s over!

In Dawson, the dirt roads and old building structures do provide an old feel. But the plethora of cars and modern technology remind you that it’s a facade. Oh well, at least they really tried to preserve some of the historic look. It’s not like you could force people to ride horses when they got into town. Although I would be totally in for that…

After chatting with the visitor center folks, we grab some amazing grub, and then head up to a campsite I found online to scope it out. Midnight Dome overlooks downtown Dawson, and provides a perfect camp spot for the night. Wildfire smoke is slowly creeping in and stealing our view, but it’s still pretty amazing. We hang out for a bit, chat with locals, and just chill in the cool, crisp air on this mountain top.

While prepping for this trip, I learned of the sourtoe challenge in this town. At the Downtown Hotel (yes that’s the name, see pic above) there are multiple amputated toes kept by the bar for one reason. To allow folks to take a shot of whiskey with a toe in it. The rules are simple. You can drink it fast, or you can drink it slow, but your lips must touch the toe. I, of course read about this in the comfort of my Panama City apt, and tell everyone that I plan on doing this challenge. But now that we’re actually in town, and getting ready to do the challenge (they only do it from 9-11PM), I’m getting cold feet. After seeing that gross ass hand at Wal Mikes the other day, I start to feel sick about having a cut off toe near my mouth. But Cas tells me to suck it up. I’ve been talking about this challenge for months, and she won’t let me talk myself out of it. Damn.

We decide to get to the hotel bar a little before 9 to scope things out. To our surprise, the challenge has a huge line and is well underway with participants. We grab a shot of whiskey from the bar, a beer, and get in line.

This place is making a killing. You have to buy your whiskey AND pay an $8 toe fee to do the challenge. Pensacola needs something similar! While in line, I watch many, many other people do the challenge and get their certificates. I can do this. Just need to stop thinking about it so much.

Once I’m up there, an old dude dressed like a ship captain describes the rules, and pulls the toe out of rock salt. One shake in front of your face, and then sploosh! The toe is in your drink! A quick shot and it’s done. Not so bad! I take my certificate, shake the captain’s hand, and throw a few bucks in the tip jar. Glad that’s over with!

After my shot, we see an old man who can’t start his car. Cas chases him down, we pull the truck up, and give him a jump. With all this good karma, let’s go to one more bar! It’s early still! Getting into another bar, we finally realize that it is in fact an hour earlier as we crossed into Pacific Time and didn’t realize it. No wonder the sourtoe line was already packed. It’s now 11PM, bright as shit outside, and we’re singing along to a cover band playing Fleetwood Mac. Life is good.

The next day, we’re headed to Whitehorse and Carcross. Whitehorse in another large city in the Yukon, but I’ve already spent 3 days there wandering around. There isn’t much I want to show Cas here. As we pull into the visitor center, a huge storm starts rolling in. We pack up our things and head out to the Carcross desert which is just south of Whitehorse. Also, Carcross is short for “Caribou Crossing.”

Carcross claims to have the smallest desert in the world. I found out about this place in the same book I learned about the sourtoe challenge Atlas Obscura. It’s not really a desert, just an old dried up lake bed that has deposited a lot of sand. It’s an adorable little desert! We walk around the dunes, explore the high points, and run down the steep slopes. We even spot some cool camp spots!! We decide to camp here for the night. Oh did I mention we saw a grizzly bear with three cubs here? So damn adorable! Cas can no longer claim she has seen zero bears.

As we walk back to the truck, about 10 cars pull up with ATVs and loud music bumping. All we can hear are ATV engines and yelling. This really is shaping up to be a redneck riviera. Let’s find another camp spot. Apparently it’s about to be Canada Day? Oh shit, that’s apparently a big deal in Canada… That’s why all these people are out and about.

We leave the desert and and find another nearby camp spot. I’m so thankful we did, because this one was quiet and beautiful! Two French Canadians were already there, but they didn’t mind us joining them in conversation. Cas decides to go for a swim in the lake, and I watch from shore while drinking a beer.

The next morning, we head into the town of Carcross to see what’s there, but we get quickly stuck in a Canada Day parade. Good thing the town has like, 30 people in it, so the parade is short lived. This town is adorable, and very much geared to mountain biking (see what I did there??) We walk around for a bit, buy some cookies, then head on our way to Watson Lake. We have a lot of driving over the next few days, so we need to stay moving.

On our way out we get caught in another adorably small Canada Day parade, but no matter. Bears dot the roadside and are crossing everywhere here, so it’s a slow drive regardless. After about 6 hours on the road, we hit Watson Lake. I wanted to come here because of another Atlas Obscura section that told me about a sign post forest. We expect a few signs to be erected for a fun photo opt, but holy shit we were wrong. This was a damn forest!! We wander around for a bit, then get asked by some local homeless people for money. That was our cue to leave.

Oh did I mention I have a gnarly case of athlete’s foot? It’s bad. So, you know, if you see me wearing flip flops, that’s why.

Being Canada Day, not much is open (I was searching for athlete’s foot cream). We head to Boya Lake Provincial Park down the Cassiar Hwy, and pray there is a spot open. When we get there, we see it’s packed. I don’t think we’re getting a spot unfortunately. But, then after all odds, we find a spot tucked away next to another RV! What luck! We settle into what remains of Canada Day, and have a great fire.

The next day is more driving. I want to get to Smithers, BC so we can tour the cute downtown area together. Cas is getting tired of the long drives, but at least there is tons of cool wildlife to spot!

After our night in Healy, we head north to Fairbanks, AK. We’re excited to be in a city to get groceries, but not sure exactly where we are going to camp. We’ll figure that out later. In town, we grab some food, and decide to check out an old theme park that used to be called “Alaska land.” It’s now named Pioneer Park, and is a very sad place. Mostly abandoned and falling apart, this place is pretty creepy. We wander around for a few minutes, but ultimately decide to abandon the park (as it seems this town has) and walk to downtown Fairbanks. Maybe we’ll find something fun there! At least we can locate a bar or restaurant that will have the USA vs. France women’s world cup game. France, being at home, has the advantage. So I’m very keen to watch this game and root for the home team.

After a 2 mile walk along the Chena River, we arrive in downtown Fairbanks. This place is also pretty sad. Mostly industrial with only a few businesses open, everything is run down and dirty. There’s a large homeless population present. Where do they go in the winter??? All of the bars look to have some major alcoholic population. To our astonishment, we can’t find any establishments that are going to be open and have the soccer game on. Why does Alaska hate soccer so much?!

After our sad downtown tour, we walk back to the car, and decide to find some local breweries to kill time. The first one we visit is named Hoodoos Brewing, and is located in a super industrial section of town. The brewery itself is beautiful and modern, and is also packed with tourists and locals. Cas makes friends with a man sitting next to us, and finds a restaurant in town that will most likely show the soccer game. Score! Side note here, Alaska laws only allow you to have 2 beers at a brewery. They are very strict in this law, and keep tabs on how many each person orders.

After a beer at Hoodoos, we head to a second brewery named Black Spruce. This is in a different industrial section of town, and is not as pretty as Hoodoos. Doesn’t matter, we’re here and they have beer… So we’re staying. As soon as we order, we see a couple about our age that we spotted at the previous brewery. They see us as well, and join us at a table. We start chatting, and we learn that Andy and Kristal work in physical therapy (one is occupational therapy and one is speech therapy). They travel for work, and took a job together in Sitka, AK. They are just visiting Fairbanks, and agree with us that this town sucks hard. Glad it’s not just us! Side note, this place sucked, so not many pics.

After talking for an hour or so, we swap numbers and head off on our different ways. We decide to camp at the local Fairbanks Wal Mart, catch the game early, then get out of town. The Wal Mart encourages RVs and campers to stay in their lot, so don’t worry, it’s legal.

This was an awful night of camping. Trucks were incredibly loud, it was hot, and there was nowhere to pee. This is the complete antithesis of the previous camping spots I’ve taken Cas. She is not impressed with my most recent camping spot selection. After sleeping like shit, we head to a restaurant that we pray is playing the USA game.

Success! We get to the restaurant as soon as they open, and they have the game on the big screen and the noise on. There is even another fan watching!! What luck! After a solid win, we leave Fairbanks as fast as we can. Don’t ever go to Fairbanks unless you’re trying to buy lumber or sheet metal. Or if you’re homeless.

After leaving, we head east towards Canada. Our first stop was at the North Pole to visit Santa, then we’re planning on going through Tok, then going north to the Taylor HIghway, through Chicken, then across the Canadian border to Dawson City. We basically drive all day, so nothing too exciting to report. Cas is still loudly exclaiming she has seen zero bears…

When we turn North from Tok to get onto the Taylor Highway, we embark on some very desolate roads. About half gravel, half pavement, this road is lonely but beautiful. We find an empty pullout with an amazing view, and set up for the night.

The next day, we continue on the road towards Canada, stopping in Chicken to get gas and potentially some pie. Chicken is hilariously small and has three shops in direct competition for the most chicken propaganda. We stop at all of them to see what they have to offer. The answer is not much… We get gas, cherry pie, cookies, and some Sriracha chocolate. It was delicious.

Leaving Chicken, we head to the Canadian border. I clean up the truck, lock up the shotgun, and prep myself for the truck to get searched. Last time I came across the border it was pretty intense, so I’m expecting something similar. We get to the border, and it’s basically just an outpost on the top of a mountain. An officer is on foot approaching cars with a handheld scanner. He scans our passports, I show him my gun paperwork, and he waves us through! This guy clearly did not give a shit. Makes life easy for us! Onto the Yukon…

The road after the border is know as “Top of the World.” It’s basically a road above the timberline on a narrow mountain ridge. Beautiful views surround us. Cas spots a herd of Caribou out of nowhere! More than 50 animals are present, munching away on the ridge above us. We find out later this herd is known as the “40 mile caribou herd.” They are apparently a common appearance along this stretch of road. I tell Cas that there is way more wildlife in Canada due to extremely strict hunting regs, and this herd is totally proving me right.

By the end of the day, we’ll be arriving into Dawson City. We read that there is a free car ferry we have to take to get into town? Not too sure what that will look like…

My buddy Kevin gave me a book on USA and Canadian State Parks before I left on this trip, and I’m very thankful he did. While skimming its pages, I happened upon Denali State Park, a property just southeast of Denali National Park. Reading through it’s description, I learned that the state park contained very similar habitat to the National Park without the crowds. This sounds appealing to me, as I hear the National Park can get quite crowded. I reserved a campsite in Trapper Creek (middle of BFE) for two nights near the state park entrance so we can explore this section of Alaska thoroughly.

On our way north to the campsite, we decided to take a detour to the town of Talkeetna. This small village acts as a base camp for climbers heading to Denali’s summit, and not much else. We made a pit stop at Denali brewing, and sauntered among the climbing stores, tourist traps, and restaurants. Being pride month, gay flags were flying all over town. It was small and adorable, so I’m thankful we made the stop. After about 2 hours, we continued on.

At Trapper Creek, we’re basically camping at a gas station/hotel/campground/cafe combo. It has a shower and a laundromat on site as well, so we’re very excited. Having some time to kill before bed, we decide to walk around the area and see what’s around. There is one additional store… Wal Mikes. It basically looks like a hoarder selling random shit for ridiculously high prices. Need a razor? $15 for one. Need a pad of notebook paper? $12. The one item that catches our attention is an entire human hand and wrist in a jar of alcohol. Just writing about it now makes me want to puke… The skin was sloughing off, and a large “not for sale” sticker was adorning it’s stand. So gross. I look at Cas, and we immediately and simultaneously decide to leave at that moment.

After a decently quiet night with only limited mosquito issues, we head north to Denali State Park to hike a bit. We want to see Mt. Denali, and reading about it suggests that it’s commonly covered with clouds, hiding its craggy peak from view. At around ~20,000 feet, it will be the tallest mountain I have ever laid eyes on. I’m excited.

The hike I picked was at random. Just looked at a map in the state park book and chose one that seemed close and reasonable. Truth be told, we got incredibly lucky. The hike we picked, Curry Ridge, was one of the best hikes I’ve done on this entire trip. Good distance (~6 miles total) good elevation changes (~1000 feet up over 3 miles) and awesome views. It was pretty much just us and 2 other women on the trail. I could not have asked for anything else! Plus, we got some awesome views of Denali. We tried a few more hikes at the state park, but none were as perfect as Curry Ridge.

On the drive back to Trapper Creek, we spotted a moose for Cas! First one! She was pretty stoked! I have to say, I expected to see more wildlife in the area of the state park, but didn’t see much there at all. Too many people maybe? Or perhaps hunting is allowed? I have no idea.

When we got back to our campsite, we conducted laundry, took a much needed shower, and prepared ourselves for Denali National Park. Cas loves biking, so we decide to rent bikes and ride into the National Park on the main road. If you don’t know about the park, it’s basically a 90ish mile dirt road that travels into the heart of the park. One way in, one way out. You can drive your personal car about 15 miles in, but after that you have to pay for a park bus to take you farther. We decide to take the free bus to mile 15, then ride our rented bikes deeper into Denali. You know, get the full immersion experience. We hear stories of grizzlies and moose adorning the roads at every corner. We’re prepared for adventure, and a little nervous of what we’ll find.

We found a shop right near the entrance of the park that rents bikes. $42 for a full day? Hell ya! The 17 yr old boys give us our bikes and helmets, and take basically zero information from us. No drivers license, don’t have to pay upfront… And they look incredibly stoned. One kid is just smiling and nodding his head when we ask questions. He’s useless… The other one is trying to help us get going, but it takes him a lot of fumbling to get things together. No matter. We have decent bikes at a great price. We’re ready to ride!

Ok, mile one, and my ass hurts. Bad. How the fuck do people do this?? Cas tries to wrap her jacket around my seat, but it’s no use. I’m sitting on what feels like a vagina clamp. It’s awful. We find a free park bus with bike openings (only 2 per bus) and head west into the park. At mile 15, known as the Savage River, we’re dropped off next to a caribou and tons of tourists. We start our trek farther west straight uphill for the next 3 miles. After those 3 miles, I pretty much hate life. I can’t sit anymore, I’m sweating bullets, and I’m seriously second guessing this sport. Cas sees my pain, and feels bad, but there’s nothing she can do. We’re alone on a dirt road heading into serious wilderness.

As far as wildlife, we see a rock ptarmigan and her chicks clucking across the road. Unable to figure out the pronunciation of ptarmigan, we decide to call them “Parmesans.” We also spot some seriously beautiful wild flowers. Other than that, nothing. The panorama is open, vast, and desolate. You feel very alone while biking in such open terrain. I’m still unable to sit, and still hating life, but I don’t plan on quitting. Cas loves biking, and I’m going to try my darndest to do this for her.

After 15 miles on the bike, I can’t do anymore. We decide to stop and catch a bus back to the car. We’re told you can catch any bus headed back into civilization. Well that sounds lovely, but 3 buses have passed and they are chalk full. I really, really really hope we aren’t stuck 30 miles out in Denali…. After waiting around an hour, we finally find a bus with 2 open seats! Praise Baby Jesus! We ride back to civilization, and get me to the visitor center right before they close so I can get my national park stamp in my passport. As we leave, we hit the bathroom, knowing we’ll probably be sleeping in a parking lot somewhere. Out of nowhere, in the bathroom, we run into one of Cas’ friends who has just attempted to summit Denali. What are the odds! We decide to do dinner with her and her wife to hear about the climb.

We meet Cas’ friend at a cute bistro near the park and have some amazing food, great beer, and hear a pretty incredible story about her attempt at Denali. She, and a handful of other women veterans attempted the climb, but were turned around only 300 ft (in elevation) away from the summit due to the weather. Super impressive, but too intense for me. Plus I hate heights.

After leaving dinner, we head to Healy, AK. This is where the book “Into the Wild” ends with a young man entering the wild, and never returning. We stay at a roadside rest stop here, and I can’t help but turn the Kindle on and reread some sections of the book. I wonder what he was thinking when he realized he couldn’t get back out of the woods due to a flooded river. I think about Chris McCandless a lot that night. While I would never be as reckless as him, I definitely know what he was feeling. The same emotions that pushed me to take the trip were probably similar to what gave him “itchy feet” to travel constantly and prove that he could survive in the wilderness. I feel a sense of sadness being here. Happy to be moving on tomorrow.

After a relaxing night on the gravel river bed, Cas and I decide to head back into Seward. The annual seabird festival was going on, so I was adamant to check out the vendors and visit the Seward Sea Life Center. The vendors for the festival were a bit lame. I was hoping for a more ornithological theme to things which was not the case. Oh well, at least we can indulge in tons of birds inside the center!

After $30 a person, we were granted access into the aquarium/wildlife rehab center. There were tons of exhibits, but all of them centered about 2 themes. Single use plastic use, and global climate change. Within the center were typical arctic animals such as king crab, sea cucumbers, seals, sea lions, and many different salmon species. My favorite exhibit by far was the birds. I spent waayyyy too long in there. It was basically an open exhibit where kittiwakes and puffins fly freely around you. Even some black oyster catchers were wandering around. I loved it.

Once I had almost been pooped on by a passing murrelet, I decided it was finally time to get out of the center and explore more around the town of Seward. We looked up some local hikes, and decided on Caines Beach SP just south of the town. We parked, and headed out along the forested trail. The only noteworthy moment was when Cas thought a particular fluffy log was a bear. While on the hike, we decided to indulge in a 5 hr glacier tour that leaves out of Whittier the next day. Since we’re already in the area, might as well. Plus, who knows how long these glaciers will stick around!

Once back at the truck, we headed into town for a beer at our favorite place, Seward Ale House. Cas noticed some older men pulling cardboard apart at a nearby table, and asks the bartender what they’re doing. It’s a form of gambling. 1$ gets you a cardboard piece that you open up, and it either says you win with the dollar amount, or it says nothing. We decide to give in a shot, and go in with $20. The bartender shows us how to open one of the cards, and the very first one shows us winning $100. No lie. We think she’s just messing with us, but nope! Beginners luck! When the old men hear we just won on our first card, they all simultaneous get up and walk out. Ha! They were not happy.

After gambling with a $80 return, we head to the grocery store, then back out to our favorite camp site on the river. We meet up with a friendly guy named Don who is camping next to us. He’s been scuba diving in Seward, which apparently has water visibility similar to the Keys in FL. Who would have thought. He gives us firewood, and we exchange stories over a very nice fire. As we eat roasted veggies and scrambled eggs, Don chows down on Mountain Dew and Doritos. Those Doritos look soooo good, but we refuse to buy trash food. So much self control…

In the morning we leave bright and early to head to Whittier. There’s a tunnel we have to pass through to get through the town. Not a normal tunnel, this is a one lane, shared railroad tunnel. Every hour on the hour traffic flows out of Whittier, and on the half hour it flows to Whittier. When you’re driving, you’re straddling a railroad track, trying not to scuff up against rough cut rock. It was pretty nerve wracking to be honest. Even though the tunnel is only like 2 miles long, the 20 mph speed limit made the whole ordeal last forever.

Once we were safely out of the tunnel, we were greeting with an adorable harbor town. We grab a parking spot, and meander over to the cruise boat. Looks like we’re gonna be saddled between a crap load of Asian tourists, no different than anywhere else we’ve been on this trip. As we start boarding, we find that our seat mates are a married couple from Alberta. Farmers of soy and wheat, they are on vacation from the heartlands to see the glaciers. I see a large cross on the ladies neck, and do my best to not seem super gay. So hard… The husband chats to us about beef production and tractors as we push off from Whittier.

Once out on the water, Cas and I are out on the third deck, binoculars in hand, searching for whales and sea lions. Cas made fun of me hard for bringing gloves, multiple jackets, neck guard, hats, and long underwear. But, I had the last laugh when she was wearing every ounce of clothes I packed us! Cruising speed was around 30 knots, and the chilled wind whipped and chapped any exposed skin.

The first animal we saw? A dead sea lion. Great start! After that the captain pointed out a Bald Eagle. The entire boat flocked to the starboard side to get a shitty picture of a super common bird. Cas and I look at each other confused. We had seen a dozen eagles just driving to the port. Bald eagles are literally everywhere in Alaska. I conclude that people just normally never look up to see them. I tell Cas about one time that I saw two eagles fighting over the beach when I lived in Venice, FL. Grappling with claws and bright yellow legs, the two birds fell from great heights, only to break off, fly up, and start the battle again. I looked around the packed beach to see no other eyes on the fighters. How could people be so unobservant of their surroundings?? I was actually worried the birds would fall onto the beach and start a panic among the beach goers. But, no such luck.

The cruise boat took us through narrow passages with forested mountains flanking the water. Even with no animal sightings, this cruise was worth it for the scenery. Being so cold outside, we had the deck mostly to our selves. We braced against the cold wind, eyes watering and fingers slowly getting colder and colder. It was amazing.

When the captain suddenly alerts of a seal on the port side, he slows down so passengers can get a look. There are two individuals apparently fighting, oblivious to the huge ship creeping up. Cas and I were at one moment alone on the top deck, but now a stampeded of expensive cameras and foreign language is flocking around us to catch a glimpse. We stay in our spots, as we’ve been there for the last 30 min. It’s a good spot. As we stand, I hear a passive aggressive asshole state loudly that we need to share the boat. And that they cannot see the seal as well from 6 feet away… I get pissed, ask the man to PLEASE take my spot, and go stand on the other side of the boat. Fuck rude people.

This went on for the rest of the ride. “Look at that sea lion on the ice off the bow of the boat,” we quickly move away, avoiding the herds. By doing so, we actually see way more than what is pointed out. We even saw a whale fluke… It was magical. No picture of the whale, sorry not sorry.

Once at the main glacier, we set up just a 1000 feet away from the toe. Large chunks of ice careen off, plunging into the water with a crash. Waves from the impact rock the boat. I had never expected to see such a thing in my life. It was exactly what I wanted out of this cruise. Out of this trip in general. We say for 30 minutes, watching many calving events occur, feeling the sound as it swept across the open water. We loved every minute of it.

The rest of the cruise consisted of animal sightings, and glacier sightings from a distance. 5 hours was just enough time to see everything and not get too bored with the trip. Upon returning, we grabbed a beer at the local pub, then took the tunnel back through the mountain. We found a sweet little camp spot along a river, and set up shop for the night. I have been lucky with camp spots thus far. Cas is getting spoiled. I’ll have to take her to a Wal Mart or something else shitty to knock her back into reality….

The next morning we woke up early, wanting to catch the US vs Spain game on TV. We were sure the game started at 10AM, and found a sports bar open at that time in Anchorage. After pulling into town and finding the bar, we realized the spot was closed! Damn you Yelp!! We get back in the car and race to find another joint. While in the car, NPR reports that USA has beat Spain 2-1. Um, Cas did you hear that?? I download the ESPN app, and realize that we had in fact missed kickoff by 2 hrs… And the game was over. Damn! At least we won?

Defeated, and mopey, Cas promises me we can watch a little of the Canada v. Sweden game. We find a different sports pub showing this match, and drink some coffee. Oh well. At least we won… While in Anchorage, we drop off our signed marriage application back at the courthouse, and pay for an official certificate to be sent back home in FL. Once this was all over, we got out of Anchorage and began the drive North to Denali SP and NP. Should be a couple of wild days ahead of us!

As we drive north, Cas announces loudly she has seen zero bears… Ohhhh just hold on, you’ll get your fill of bears…

So, my solar panel crapped out recently… I have been unable to charge my laptop for about a week now, so I apologize for sporadic posts. We’ve also been traveling in the middle of nowhere, so cities have been far and few. Hoping to get things squared away once I get back into the states. Will post more soon!