My Day 34 – Jeep Expedition – Mt. Rainier, Washington

 Mt. Rainier

The old site of the Mineral Springs, Longmire

Subject:  My Day 34 – Jeep Expedition – Mt. Rainier, Washington 

After the turn of the century the automobile ruled and people just wanted to take it everywhere as much as they still do today.  So, the park service was faced with a new dilemma; should Americans driving automobiles be allowed to drive in national parks?  Would specially designed 4X4 jeep road crawlers and their drivers spoil the park experience for other drivers driving ordinary automobiles?  This was but one dilemma that the park service faced back then. 

So, in 1907 an experiment was tried.  Let the drivers who pay a $5.00 entry fee enter the park.  Mt. Rainier became the first park to allow drivers entry and Mr. Will Sanders on July 24, 1908 became the first driver to pay his $5.00.  Will received permit number one (1) for the privilege to drive his Model A Ford automobile into Mt. Rainier.   Today, Tim and I drove the red 4X4 jeep from one end of the park to the other because Tim knows everyone and because he was conducting park service business.  While he conducted business I took a walking tour of the site that had previously served as James Longmire's homestead, lodging, and mineral springs resort. Although park headquarters are no longer at Longmire, the original headquarters building houses a museum that tells the story of the early days of the park. All of Longmire is now designated a national historic district.

Another historic fact is that it wasn’t until 1929 before the park began to provide gas and other services to the then growing auto tourists visiting the park.      

See you on the mountain! 

Trawlercat  

May Day 11 - Jeep Expedition Tour 7/8/2011

This is the start of Mile 0 for the Alaska Highway. 

This is where we all ate lunch today.  Pulled in just as the downpour started. 

We decided to get our jeeps muddy.  Woody is showing up an a-ok sign.  John is staring at his dirty muddy tires and Tommy is on the otherside wishing he had his Gold Wing motorcycle with him. 

Cockshutt - can you say cockshutt! 

Notice a resemblance?  This truck was on a lawn just off the road so I thought it fitting to take a picture for future reference. 

Beard is fast growing.  On the drive to Watson lake - Day 11 without shaving. 

The frenchman on his way to a peace park.  Sorry I forgot to get his picture before he took off.  Also we both stopped in the middle of the road to talk.  I forgot all about any possible traffic as I hadn't seen any in so long. 

Two big semi's had to stop to let these guys make it across.  when they want to cross - they cross.  They were everywhere but looked rather solitary. 

Same

This is the sign forest I was talking about - you post your own sign and it is like a jungle. 

Subject:  My Day 11 - Jeep expedition - Liard Hot Springs

Everyone is now at Watson Lake, Yukon Territories.  Early this morning I made a run for Liard Hot Springs while most of the troops were just getting up or possibly on their last few hours of their beauty sleep (all except for John & Tommy) the other early risers. 

On my run to Liard I saw several signs announcing hot cinnamon rolls.  The temptation was too great - in I swerved directly for the hot cinnamon rolls.  The only one that beat me in was Don, a now retired trucker towing a fifth wheel up from Oklahoma on his way to Wasilla - just outside of Anchorage.  Don and I talked for exactly 35 minutes until the buns came out of the oven.  Let me tell you folks this was the finest baked good anyone could consume.  Besides coffee I took a sourdough freshly made loaf with me.  All of this cost me $10.00 because he did not want to make change on a US $20.00 bill. 

Don is a 3rd generation Alaskan and while we waited he told me about his grandparents and how one day the old man told his wife that they were moving to Alaska.  They had to depart in the dead of winter because it took something like 7 months to make it to Alaska in a Ford Model A.  He paid something like $167.00 for 160 acres of land and then built a cabin from the wood on the land.  In addition to coaling and two other jobs he supplied potatoes to the Army. When the Army wanted them in crates he built himself a sawmill to make the crates. 

On todays drive what didn't I see - bison, bears, lynx, caribou and a frenchman pulling what looked like an outside.  See picture above.  I stopped and offered up some snacks and he took the cornnuts and Tiger Bar but nothing else.  The guy says he is on his way to a peace park in Jasper.  Man is he tough.  I've seen guys riding bicycles in all kinds of wet weather but this guy takes the cake.

When I started this blog it was 1:48 p.m. and lunch.  My lunch today consisted of Canadian (Canada Dry Gingerale) and a Mountain House beef stew heated up on a whisperlight backpacking stove.  Earlier I soaked in the Liard Hot springs.  Honestly folks, this is the best and by far the cheapest hot springs ($5.00) anywhere.  I've been to four others on this trip.  

I sat on a picnic table just outside the entrance to the board walk that leads you to the hot springs.    The original boardwalk consisted of planks leading to the hot springs according to a long time Canadian visitor who has been coming here since 1966.  He said that the US Army dug out the hot springs to make it accommodating for the soldiers that needed hot baths.  The boardwalk now leads you through a beautiful meadow forest that now make it possible for a variety of plants to grow year round.  If you’re interested in coming here it is located at Mile 497 of the Alaska Highway, just over 300 kms (190 miles) northwest of the Town of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, and 140 kms (85 miles) from the BC-Yukon border.

“This location is just north of the intersection of the Alaska Highway with the Liard River which winds its way from Canada’s Yukon Territory through northern British Columbia before merging with the MacKenzie River at Fort Simpson in the Northwest Territories. The word “Liard” comes from the French word for the poplar trees that grow in abundance along sections of the river.”

They call the area not yet traveled by me the Serengeti of North America. Deer, moose, bears, and elk are supposed to be seen along the highway and roads as they forage for food.  So far I’ve seen two black bears and a young elk, moose, or caribou I don’t know what it was as it was on the opposite side of the river. 

I’ve also seen bison signs as they are supposed to be roaming freely as well.  In addition to the bison and moose, there are sheep, mountain goats, elk, caribou, and deer.  The animals that kep them in check are the wolves, coyotes, foxes, grizzly bears, black bears, lynx and wolverines. I thought this morning I saw a lynx cross the road but am also not sure as it resembled more a monkey crossing the road. 

Watson Lake is where the original wood signposts are located.  Take a look at the picture.   

Trawlercat

Day 1 Arctic Jeep Expedition

Subject: My Day 1 – Arctic Expedition

Day 1 - At around 11:00 a.m. I chose to depart Los Angeles and steer my little ship (Jeep Wrangler X) the four hundred or so miles northeast to the anticipated hot and windy city of Las Vegas. Nevada – the first state line I cross. Vegas will be my day one lodging stop. I say ship because driving this lifted Jeep new All-Terrain big 33” tires on the freeway doing at times 80+ mph sometimes does feel like I was aiming her instead of steering her. The cross winds didn’t do much to throw her around because she seems about as heavy as a Sherman tank.

Maybe I’ll check the steering gearbox later on as she did wander a little more than I liked. My engine light is still on but, that’s only because I swapped out an exhaust emission part called a DCP solenoid. Now don’t make me out to be a mechanic as what I did just sounds more complicated than it really is. I really like the way engines are now. All you have to do is plug in a small computer that you can buy for about $50.00 to a port just below the steering wheel and turn the engine on. In no time flat she tells you what ails her. The computer flashed a code P0455 which told me she had a small leak in the emission system. $70.00 later in parts it is now repaired; however, the code reader said it would cost something like $10.00. Since the code had not yet cleared itself by this morning I plugged her in again and cleared the code myself.

The first goal upon arriving to Vegas was to get fed and rested. Rested from what you might think – unlike my recent hiking experience on the Pacific Crest trail where I started walking from the Mexican border towards the Canadian border – I didn’t walk to Vegas. I drove here but, this driving does get you tired. Mostly though I think it was my eyes. Since the windows of the Jeep are heavily tinted I didn’t wear sunglasses and so the bright glare must’ve put a strain on them.

My visions of jumping in the Jacuzzi quickly vaporized when I realized it was possibly 110 in the shade when I got to Vegas. A nice cold Sam Adams felt more appropriate and so I topped it off with a large shrimp combo of scampi, fried shrimp, cooked shrimp. Tuscany’s Forest Gump version of all you can eat shrimp.

Let me warn you that the on-line Vegas hotel specials are deceiving. Sure, the hotel room was $20.00 plus tax making the total about $23.00 but, who said anything about a RESORT fee? Since anyone can come off the street to use this place (except for the pool and fitness room fully equipped with some weights and one stair stepper) where’s the resort? Hidden fees! Yes.

Last night I woke up from a nap and felt I needed a real fishing pole. Not just the rusted, salted over rod and reel combo that I was now caring in the Jeep. Before I left Outdoor Sportsman World it stayed behind. Someone probably picked it up, refurbish it to almost new like condition and probably catch way more fish than I ever did.

I am now the proud owner of a trout spinning reel combo. There were way more choices than I expected and so I felt intimidated as to what to purchase. My packaged combo came with a prepackaged plastic box that contained everything but the fish. You have your bait, your hooks, your knife for cutting your fish and your string line for carrying trout from the river to your camp fire.

So far in this expedition there is no team yet, just me. I don’t yet know who the Expedition Leader of the trip is as I haven’t yet met him. Like the “trail” we all go by road names vs. real names. My real name is Ralph but my trail, road, Jet Ski; ocean etc. name is still Trawlercat.

My Day 2 will be on the way to Mystic Hot Springs and camping; about 260 miles from Las Vegas. Did you know that Nevada has more hot springs than any other state? I’m about to visit one of those hot springs that looked way cool in the photo. Let’s see if that is the same in real life.

See you on the trail!

Trawlercat