Road Life to Alaska

[Tom and Margi]

Margi - WOW they were good! 

We had the good fortune to run into razor clams at Costco in Roseburg flown in fresh from Alaska this week - $9.99 per pound.  We bought 7 pounds and immediately fried the first batch for dinner.  So good!  Will save the rest in the freezer and ration them out over the next few months.

Margi

 

[roadlife]

I'm glad to know costco has them!  I'll look for them when we get back to the states and I get a razor clam craving.  ;-)

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

.....The dogs were unleashed to disencumber everyone in case of attack.  The dogs went on the offensive and chased Mr Moose to the woods, then returned to be re-leashed.  Good doggies.

It's not advisable to unleash the dogs. If that moose had decided not to run you would have had some badly injured if not dead dogs.

I lived in Alaska for over 20 years and have seen the results of dog-moose encounters. It was never good for the dogs.

 

[Tom and Margi]

I'm glad to know costco has them!  I'll look for them when we get back to the states and I get a razor clam craving.  ;-)

They're a rare find at Costco.  Strictly serendipity.  We've only seen them there once before.  We have been able to order them in the past from Fred Meyer in Roseburg, but that's iffy, too.

Margi 

 

[Jim Godward]

It's not advisable to unleash the dogs. If that moose had decided not to run you would have had some badly injured if not dead dogs.

I lived in Alaska for over 20 years and have seen the results of dog-moose encounters. It was never good for the dogs.

It is not adviseable to unleash the dogs in any large animal encounter; deer - large fine and may have injured dogs, bear, same thing only worse; moose, as Don advised and fine; elk more of the same.  Here in MT we also have the wolves and they will kill the dog.  Coyotes, same thing unless the dog is large and agressive but even then you may have to put them down due to infection, rabies, etc.

Get some instruction or books on dogs in the wild as well as humans.  There are a lot of do's and don'ts.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Good thing that moose didn't have a calf nearby! They are extremely protective!

 

[roadlife]

Well, I agree about not unleashing the dogs, but I wasn't there.  Perhaps I should note that the dogs were under voice control and were not allowed within 20 feet of the moose.  (In my story I said they chased the moose, but it was really more bark than chase).  DH was prepared to send them back to camp and out of the situation. 

In retrospect, DH thinks the moose was being fed by the residents and was looking to see if he was going to put out food.  We talked to a woman here who said the moose were starving and folks had gotten permission to put out feed for them.

 

[Derby6]

We talked to a woman here who said the moose were starving and folks had gotten permission to put out feed for them.

Very hard winter with recod snowfall made it a difficult winter for the moose.  But it remains illegal for folks to feed them.  Some groups got permissions to feed the moose this winter, but just not the average person.
On the dogs...I laugh every year when fishing here.  Folks have dogs of all shapes and sizes and Mr Bear often is attracted to the dog--often just wants to play.  Leave the dogs at camp....

 

[roadlife]

The Kindness of Strangers - DH lost his money clip the day we went king salmon fishing (got one!).  Retracing our steps, I called the Safeway store where we had stopped and a woman had fouind it and left her number.  Long story short, she was in the area of our RV camp and brought the money clip complete with money back to us.  Well-deserving of a good reward.  There are such wonderful people in this world.  Not including the guy here at the RV park who gets into his truck every morning and starts honking for about 5 minutes til his family has joined him.  (gets everybody outside to see what the hey is going on!)  Him I don't include.  LOL.

 

[roadlife]

We are at Fort Richardson's Black Spruce campground by Anchorage.  This is the first time we have opted to stay on base (DH is DAV) and it really is quite nice.  It was a little bit odd this morning to look out the window and see a black bear foraging in the woods.  I wonder what rank he held?  E4 maybe?  There's quite a bit to do in Anchorage and we've had two long days so today is a day of R&R and RV cleaning.  Hopefully the bear will wander off and we can spend some time outside.  If it weren't for the other campers I might put on my Rolling Stones album...hehehe.

 

[catblaster]

You could consider him an E-4 if you saw him working, an E-5 or above if he was standing, pointing and growling and an officer if he was standing with other bears and looking around.

 

[Marsha/CA]

Anna, we drove right past you today in Anchorage.  We were on the Glenn Highway coming from Glennallen and stayed about  50 miles outside of Palmer at a very nice campground called "Glacier View"...gorgeous and it was sunny!!!. 

We are now in Seward parked in the dry camping section of Resurrection Bay.  It's cold and rainy!  But the campground is almost full.

Marsha~

 

[RoyM]

You could consider him an E-4 if you saw him working, an E-5 or above if he was standing, pointing and growling and an officer if he was standing with other bears and looking around.

;D Good shot

 

[Derby6]

Roadlife,
There is the BearPaw Festival in Eagle River over this weekend if your still around.

 

[roadlife]

You could consider him an E-4 if you saw him working, an E-5 or above if he was standing, pointing and growling and an officer if he was standing with other bears and looking around.

Then he was definitely an E4.  LOL.

Thanks Derby!!!  We will try to go that.  Festivals are fun.

 

[roadlife]

Thanks for the Heads-UP on the Bear-Paw Festival in Eagle River.  We had a blast.  It was huge.  Lots of rides, booths, games, food, doggies, and fun

 

[roadlife]

Nobody told me how exhausting a trip to ALASKA can be!  There is so much to do and see.  We headed up to Fairbanks which has loads to see and do and then took a three day jaunt to the Arctic Circle in Bettles, Ak of Ice Road Truckers fame.  Then Back down to Fairbanks, passing by North Pole to Tok, then through the Yukon and British Columbia to Haines Alaska.  Whew!!!

We had a few grizzly encounters on the way to Haines.  Then in Haines, one block off Main Street, right there in the middle of the road, was Bear Poop.  Which answers that age-old question.  Does a bear poop in the woods?  NO!!! A bear poops on the road in downtown Haines Alaska.

 

[Marsha/CA]

Anna, did you drive to Bettles? 

We are now in Fairbanks and like you, there is tons to do here.  We are taking a drive/fly excursion tomorrow leaving at 4:30 am...(I detest these early morning departures).  Someone will come and let Charlie out of the coach for potty walks.  The drive goes up the Dalton Highway only to Coldfoot, puts us in the Artic Circle then we fly back; about a 12 hour day.

Enjoy Haines, we loved it there.  Be sure and drive up to the lake and look for bears along the river.  There are supposed to be lots of grizzlies in the area.  Where are you staying?

Marsha~

 

[roadlife]

We stayed at Oceanview RV park in Haines - their Saturday night dungeness crab feed and potluck was really really good.  We loved Haines too.  We are in Skagway now - in the overflow section of Pullen RV park in the parking lot facing the harbor and cruise ships. 
Almost all the shops and businesses in Skagway are owned by the cruise ship companies.  Money pours into the town but pours right out again.  They get jobs and the taxes paid by the cruise lines.  Doesn't seem fair.  We took the White Pass and Yukon Railway trip today - Chuck was in heaven.  Great views.

About Bettles - We flew to Bettles - had a toursaver two-for-one coupon and did three days two nights for $1250.  I'm glad we did it.  Would I do it again?  Probably not, but Chuck would.   Another couple we met did the tour you are taking and absolutely loved it.  Have Fun!!!

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

Marsha,

Watch for the Northern Lights. A friend of mine said they were out a couple of nights ago.

Glad you're enjoying your trip. Your travel log is making Peg and I homesick.