It has been years since we stretched our legs and journeyed out of town and across the border into Canada and beyond. Reminiscent of great memories of road trips in what has become known as “the before times” (pre-pandemic) I set aside a few weeks in September to “stretch” and roll down the road and visit the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. Through a not-so-amusing comedy of errors we ended up at Chena Hot Springs. Not that engaging in “staycations” has caused any compromise of quality. Au contrair, for the last two years I have adopted the mantel of stewardship and assumed the role of camp h ..read more

A Tale of a Road Less Travelled Day 1. Down the road less traveled: the Nabesna Road, accessing the northern reach of Wrangell St Elias National Park. Most folks have never even heard of it. Love heading down a new road. Hitting the colors just about right, heading down the Nabesna Road into Wrangell St. Elias. The first few miles are paved, then dirt for the length of its 42 miles. At the end: The beginning of the largest expanse of road-less wilderness in North America. Camping above Kettle Lake (about seventeen miles in) in a pull out we enjoyed all to ourselves. Big adventures beginning a ..read more

Navigating the Saline Valley Passes Warning: The Surgeon General would no doubt determine that the contents of this blog can lead to physical injury, discomfort, and possibly death Mostly I have written about how things were in Saline Valley in the long-ago times. This winter warrants its own Chronicle. It has not necessarily been the worst winter ever but given the increased popularity and notoriety of the Saline Valley since its inception into the National Park Service, perhaps this winter has affected more visitors and created more consternation across the ..read more

The real story behind the real Marble Bath Many of the current visitors to the Saline Valley have come to hear of Marble Bath, located toward the top of Steele Pass, connecting Saline Valley with Eureka Valley. Not so many people know how it came to be, or why it came to be. Fewer know of the original Marble Bath. Early USGS topographic maps showed a location called Marble Bath at an elevation of roughly 5000 feet perched high above the surrounding valleys on Steele Pass. The problem was that there was nothing there, per se. The map makers at the USGS got it wrong. So just what “was” the Marbl ..read more

Travel into and out of the Saline Valley has often been a perilous adventure. Before social media and improved cell phone coverage, a trip into Saline Valley was often a matter of tossing the dice and hoping for the best. Even with the advent of “improved” information (for better or worse) across social media platforms, the unknown can often rise in surprise and thwart even the most stalwart. This is an account of just such a time, when determination conquered all, and love moved mountains. The year is 2010. The day is February 7 and it is Super Bowl Sunday. President’s Day is just around the ..read more

My first tribute to our missing Chilkoot mama bear named Speedy, was very well received by her many fans. As such I feel compelled to expand upon the original offering and include many photos that did not make the first cut. I started compiling these photos a few weeks ago and had delayed adding comments and quips. I am now compelled to complete the task with the arrival of sad news. Obituary for Speedy Fans are crushed today to hear that, in fact, Speedy the bear was killed around this time in 2019 by a hunter. According to Alaska Department of Fish and Game, it was a legal hunt and harvest ..read more

For many years and to the enjoyment of countless visitors, the star of the Chilkoot corridor has been a coastal brown bear (essentially a grizzly bear) sow known locally as “Speedy.” This Chilkoot bear was so named many years ago in awe of the great distance she might cover in a short time. Speedy has always been a very well mannered, even-tempered bruin who could often be counted upon to display herself at any time of day. That is to say she was habituated to humankind and gave visitors the chance to experience a sense of wildlife in the wilderness of Alaska. Everyone wants to see a bear, and ..read more

To borrow from Dickens, it is the worst of times, it is the best of times. This current Corona pandemic is fraught with paradox. At the outset I want to acknowledge that the year 2020 has caused much suffering and hardship for countless souls. The repercussions of this event will undoubtedly be unfolding for much time to come. Meanwhile, many of us are seeing a silver lining in an otherwise dark cloud. I do think it is worthwhile to find the positive among the negative and focus on the gratitude that counters the regret. To focus on and identify some of the positive outcomes of this pandemic p ..read more

Travel into and out of the Saline Valley has often been a perilous adventure. Before social media and improved cell phone coverage, a trip into Saline Valley was often a matter of tossing the dice and hoping for the best. Even with the advent of “improved” information (for better or worse) across social media platforms, the unknown can often rise in surprise and thwart even the most stalwart. This is an account of just such a time, when determination conquered all, and love moved mountains. The year is 2010. The day is February 7 and it is Super Bowl Sunday. President’s Day is just around the ..read more

A Chilkoot State Park management plan has been years in the making. The Chilkoot State Park, including Chilkoot Lake and the Chilkoot River continues to be a favorite destination for travelers. Watching eagles and bears or sport fishing are favored pass-times for visitors and locals. Many are content to enjoy the calm and serenity offered in the quiet peace of a pristine environment. This quiet peace is often punctuated by hordes of spectators and traffic congestion during “bear season.” There has been little official regulation or supervision through the corridor. This has caused concern and ..read more