Alaska or BUST v 2.0

Hmm--it's strange how we're repeating titles. There truly is a reason for the "bust" part of the saying. DJ and kids made it up 494 miles along the gravel Dalton Highway, became honorary polar bears in the Arctic Ocean, and then 250 miles back. They fueled and then camped near Coldfoot, woke up in the morning, and the gas had leaked out. No problem, right? They're at the repair place along the road. HOWEVER..... The repairs that are done at Coldfoot are only tire repairs. Not fuel pumps, lines, or anything else. OK... We have AAA's 200 mile tow package. That should work, right? Not in this part of Alaska, it doesn't. After calling the towing place in Fairbanks, DJ found out that it would be $1700 and at least 3 days before the tow truck could make it there. I was flying into Fairbanks in 4 days. Not my idea of a fun time. DJ checked around, and all the trucks coming back from Prudhoe Bay had full loads. Wow--was this getting fun, or what? DJ and kids had a prayer, and he got the distinct impression, "Don't worry--someone's coming." OK--that's a good thing. However, as the hours passed, and passed, and passed, he was getting worried. The kids started wrestling in the car, Tre' cracked his head on the spare battery DJ was carrying, blood was running down his head, and then a truck pulled up and the trucker said, "Do you need some help?" Turns out, the trucker and his wife couldn't get a load, and came back; they loaded up the van, took the 2 oldest kids, and farmed DJ and the 2 younger ones out to another trucker they knew who was headed back. When the wife was talking to our kids, they talked about the school they want to go to (BYU), and the trucker & wife were Mormons. We went to church with them on the Sunday after I got to Alaska. Small world?

Here's some other pictures from the Prudhoe Bay adventure--I love that peak. It's so typical of the Alaskan mountains.

Have I Been Too Worried?

Both DJ and Tre' want me to tell you that I made it more scary than it sounds. However, to combat that impression, take a look at this (its not our picture, but I stole it off the wikipedia):

DJ was sleeping in the tent on the tundra right by the river outside of Prudhoe Bay. (Long nights driving, etc.). The kids were playing in front of the tent, and he kept hearing shouts of "Wolf!" However, in the tradition of the boy who cries wolf, he ignored it. Hmmm--in an area where polar bears, arctic grizzlies, and wolves roam, would you do that? When he came out, the 3 younger kids swore there was a pack of wolves watching them right across the river.

Would you say that it's time for me to get up there? Yeah--if I want to bring anyone home alive. I'm almost in the mood to leave DJ up there.

Canadian/Alaskan Wildlife

Oh no--it's not just moose and bears in Canada. You can also find shedding mountain goats, great horned owls, bison, and more shedding mountain goats. There's also the omnipresent bears. From my perspective, way, way, way too many bears. Especially when there's my husband and his camera around.

Here's a grizzly the family saw--you can see it rooting around in a rotting log--then you can see the dust fly as it digs in--and then you can see it looking around at DJ, who's not in car because he needs to take a picture. Fun, huh?

Reagan 's the next subject here--with a mama bear and cubs. I'll admit they are cute--but that mama is looking at Reagan with the look of "Stay away you idiot!"

In general everyone needs a picture by a bear to be complete, right? WRONG! Of course, I wasn't invited on this portion of the trip.



















And finally, you have my all time-favorite sequence (at least from a story telling perspective--this is a least favorite from the mother side of me.) Tre' was out being photographed by a bear when the bear decided to come over to the van. DJ yelled at Tre' to get in, which he did, but as the bear got closer, and closer, you can see Tre' peering out the window. This bear came right up to the side of the van looking for handouts. Thank goodness Tre' has a bit of my self-preservation instinct!

Canada--It's A Rather Pretty Place, Eh?

Yes, they made it --- You can see all the provinces they traveled through on the Alaska Highway--ending with the State of Alaska. DJ ran into a little problem. We had the passports for everyone, but since I wasn't with them, both times he crossed the border, he had to answer questions about why he didn't have an approval letter. I'll bring one up to him!

One of the preparations we made was for Watson Lake. Some time ago, someone put up a sign saying their name and how far it was to their home town. Of course the Risk's made a sign--they made two!!! When I was looking at these pictures, I called DJ up and asked him if I was a part of the family--he pointed out that I was on the bottom sign. It says "Mommy stayed home." While there, DJ looked up, and say a sign from the Greiners, neighbors of his from Iowa. Of course we had to include that.

Of course because this trip's theme is "Arctic or Bust," we have to include the first bust. DJ started having electrical problems after driving through the waterfall (Imagine that!). He was coming on the 4th of July, so he took off for Canada, since it wasn't a holiday there. Didn't make it all the way, so we love AAA! Obviously, he made it back on the road.

"I Love Technology"

Do you remember the song "I love technology" from the movie Napolean Dynamite? Well, I do love technology. Imagine--I was sitting there, working, and also watching DJ drive through the last major town in Canada on his way to Alaska.

Oh, the beauties of technology. Here's a real-time picture of DJ, trailer, stuff, etc. almost hitting a guy walking across the road in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. We found the webcam yesterday, and coordinated capturing the picture with DJ during his daily call-in. Dad took it, and made it so we could import to here.

Yes, we love technology.

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park--doesn't just the name sound cold? As a prelim to their initiation into the Polar Bear Club, our rugrats got to swim through a glacial river--look at that lovely blue-green color--yep, it's not touched up!

The other major adventure through in the Park was the spring-runoff waterfall. Note that there was PLENTY of area to drive around. However, that's not the Risk way. Instead, DJ had Reagan get out to take a picture and drove THROUGH the waterfall. All of a sudden, he heard a voice pop up from the back-- "Uh, Dad, there's some water coming into the van!" Evidently, the fine automakers of Dodge created window seals that are good enough for rain, but not waterfalls. Imagine that! DJ swears that the fact that the alternator went out 1 day later has nothing to do with this latest adventure.

Alaska or Bust

23 Bears later, DJ has made it to at least Watson Lake, Yukon Territory. They've seen bears, mountain goats, swam in a glacier river, camped next to one of the 23 bears, spent time in Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, crossed through 3 Canadian Provinces, and had a generally fabulous time. He's downloaded pictures through Glacier National Park. Here's some pictoral summaries:

Here's our first stops in Utah--there was still snow in some of the areas we collected water. The big underhang is where my great-great grandpa used to stay when he would go up to quarry rock for the Logan Temple. We had the obligatory ice skating adventures as well.

After Utah, the true adventure began--Here's some Yellowstone shots: