July 2022 Canlife Correspondence, Our Almost Monthly Newsletter
Getting to Alaska – Check!
We often get asked “what’s your favorite National Park,” and we’ve always shied away from a straight answer, I mean “who’s your favorite kid?” We love them all for their own special qualities. But getting to our first Alaskan park might have us leaning toward one. More on that below…
We’ve been calling this summer our “Alaska Trip” but it has taken us the better part of 6 weeks to even reach that destination. We don’t plan ahead too much so that we can take advantage of side trips, unique travel recommendations, and rest / work days when we need them – not to mention weather getting in the way. “You’re doing it right!” residents tell us as we meander through their welcoming communities. With the effort and time invested in getting here, we’re fortunate to be able to spend the better part of the next three months exploring our newest frontier. It was an incredible feeling the day we crossed into Alaska with Hamlet in tow, our 50th state together, and the 49th with Hamlet – sorry Hawaii, Hamlet doesn’t know how to swim!
Now, this is kind of a big deal for a badass OG with over 150K+ miles on him, and that’s just since WE started traveling together in 2012 – goodness only knows how many he had prior to us. It certainly won't be HIS Last Frontier! Hamlet's been our full-time home as we've worked, volunteered, and hiked-biked-paddled across the U.S. and Canada since 2012. For those of you who haven’t seen our rig up close, you can take a virtual tour on our website.
Meet Hamlet:
- Born: 1957 in Cortland, Ohio
- Lived: Many years in Michigan, eventually "retired" as a hunting trailer
- Length: 15' from tongue to tush
- Square Footage: 72
- Purchased: 2010 on eBay by Shari then moved to North Carolina
- Restored: 2011-12 by Shari + Hutch, adding a few creature comforts including a solar powered system.
- Explored: From 2012-2022, 49 U.S. states + 10 Canadian provinces...and counting!
“A (person) on foot, on horseback, or on a bicycle will see
more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourists can in a hundred miles. Better to idle through
one park in two weeks than to try to race through a dozen in the same amount of
time.” ~ Edward Abbey
Every time we spend some significant time traveling by foot, bike, or kayak, we always return to this quip from Ed Abbey’s ode to the Utah canyon country, “Desert Solitude.” After spending a week in Glacier Bay National Park, where we paddled our way through just one tiny slice of this vast park, we found that driving in our truck took on a slightly fearsome edge – 45 mph suddenly felt like 100 with everything whizzing by.
What we saw and experienced in the park cannot be contained
within this small paragraph. While our
expectations were light, low, and open, they were exceeded one
thousand-fold. Humpback whales breeching
near our tiny campsite, sea lions frolicking in all night rave in the cove
where we slept, sea otters gently backstroking through kelp forests while Orcas
patrolled the channels with their mast-like dorsal fins raised to the sky – this
is the stuff of nature nerd dreams coming true!
We chose not to head to the west arm where all the cruise ships go, opting for a true backcountry experience. We stuck to the east arm of the bay, allowing us to get familiar and comfortable with the sea creatures who call this place home. We saw only 5 small boats all week and a handful of other kayakers. If this isn’t our favorite U.S. National Park at the moment, there are few other contenders. Getting here can be a logistical challenge and the information is scattered among various websites. To save you the time of doing all the research, we put together our thoughts in this blog.
Featured Videos:
Weeks 4 & 5 of our Canada-Alaska Adventure!
Watson Lake to Whitehorse, Yukon (with a side trip to Atlin, BC): From the Sign Post Forest to the Continental Divide to the famous Yukon River, the ALCAN Hwy continues to pass through some amazing landscapes. Some friends suggested that we might also find Atlin,BC a cool place to hang out. About 55 miles south of the ALCAN, you’ll find this stunning little treasure…and we happened to find it during some of the best weather of the summer.
Haines Junction to Juneau & Glacier Bay: We left Hamlet behind with some friends while we drove down to Haines, AK to catch the Alaska State Ferry to Juneau and then Gustavus for our adventure in Glacier Bay. It’s always great to have friends all over the place, and Natasha and Shane were right along the path. Thanks again for the parking place and we’ll see you again in the fall!
If you’ve just joined us, you may find inspiration for your
own adventures in our Alaskan Travel shorts on our YouTube Channel.
Despite the rainy weather, we enjoyed our first Alaskan RV
Rally last week, the Rendezvous in the Range. Stacey & Gary did a fantastic job
organizing the rally, and we met some really fun fellow campers, participated
in some boondocking and solar RV workshops, and enjoyed a stunning view of the
Gulkana Glacier for the week. We learned
how to make Alaskan Waddingers, a fun and delicious dessert cooked over a campfire.
We uploaded the basic recipe and process on our blog and
look forward to trying it on our OTZI Grill, too.
Articles of the Month: Helpful Resources for Solar Newbies!
Choosing the Right Voltage for Your Solar System: 12V, 24V, or 48V?
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need for My House?
Our Go-To Camping Apps: There’s still time to get some great camping in
this summer, and get away from the heat and stress of the city. If ever there’s been a time for us all to say,
“F-it! Let’s go camping!” it’s now.
Some of our favorite apps are running SUMMER SPECIALS
through the end of August. These apps
will help you find new, unique, and free camping…and you can even book a
reservation through many of them!
The Dyrt PRO (US Only): 30 days FREE with this link
Harvest Hosts (US + Canada): 20% off annual membership with this link AND promo code “HHFRIENDS20” (until the end of August)
Boondockers Welcome (US + Canada): 15% off annual membership with this link
WikiCamps (Canada Version): A
steal at just $2!
Something Bugging You This Summer? Yes, it’s true that both Canada and Alaska are full of mosquitos, in fact there are 35 different species of mosquitoes up here. It’s not the worst we’ve ever seen by a long shot…so far Alaska’s got nuthin’ on the UP of Michigan in early July or the Maine coast in June! But, instead of just Deet-ing up or making a smoky fire every time we want to be outside, these strategies have served us well. Check out our recent blog for details!
Our Charismatic Megafauna Count as of July 31st!
We’ve been told that we won’t see as much in central Alaska as we have for the
past few weeks in Canada and SE Alaska, but we’ll see if that rings true…
- Black Bears: 21
- Grizzly Bears: 2
- Elk: 1
- Canadian Lynx: 1
- Moose: 9
- Caribou: 1
- Stone Sheep: 10
- Wood Bison: 241
- Blond Timber Wolf: 1
As well as hundreds of Humpback Whales, Orcas, Stellar Sea
Lions, Harbor Seals, Sea Otters, Harbor Porpoise, and a whole host of pelagic
birds during our sea kayak camping trip in Glacier Bay National Park!
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