DAY 78 AUGUST 3 HOME

Day 78. We said our goodbye's and headed for home around 10 a.m. We arrived in St. Louis around 2:30 p.m. Our house, both inside and out, looked in good shape thanks to the attention of our two sons, Nate and Ben. We unpacked the car and immediately turned around and went grocery shopping. We then prepared supper for Nate and Abby, and Ben was able to stop by while on patrol. Abby brought by our our mail and financial records from her bill paying, which she did for us while we were gone. We have a mountain of catching up to do, but it feels good to be home!

This will be the final entry of our Intoafarcountry blog. Thank you for following along on our adventure. Thank you for your words of encouragement in the comments. Thank you for your prayers and good wishes and we went on this great adventure. For the record, we were gone 78 days. Our mileage for day 78 was 258 miles, which brings to total mileage for the trip to 12,002 miles. Other than two flat tires we had no car problems. We met many wonderful people and saw God actively working in strange and woderful ways. We take many wondeful memories of this trip with us which will undoubtedly change us as we move forward. Who knows what God has in store in the future? That is an appropriate thought for everyone. Stay tuned...

Pastor Bill and Gail

DAY 77 AUGUST 2 KANKAKEE

Day 77. We enjoyed bruch with Hillery at Ann Sather's and headed out for Kankakee, about 1 1/2 hours south of Chicago. In Kankakee we had a nice family reunion with Gail's mother, three of her sisters, plus spounses and their children. We recounted for them the highlights of our sabbatical and the 11 weeks we have been gone. Gail recounted that in addition to the 25 days we spend in Fort Yukon, we spent 32 days tent camping. Quite an experience! It seems strange that we head for St. Louis tomorrow and home.

Mileage for the day: 74 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 11,744 miles.

DAYS 75-76 JULY 31-AUGUST 1 REENTRY

Day 75. It feels stange being back in the major metropolitan area of Chicago. I mentioned to Gail that contrasting Chicago to Fort Yukon was like comparing St. Louis to the far side of the moon. We are adjusting to the press of traffic, the level of noise, the dark at night. It is all vaugely familiar and yet strange. Our daughter, Hillery, worked from home in the morning so Gail and I read and relaxed. In the afternoon we drove to IKEA--always an shopping event! Afterwards we took Hillery and Joseph (her significant "other") out to dinner for Hillery's birthday (actually July 26). We had a delicious meal and wonderful conversation.

Day 76. We relaxed in the morning, did some shopping at Home Depot after lunch, and then spent the balance of the afternoon at the Shedd Aquarium on the lakefront. There is always something new to see there and we always enjoy going. We rode the El back to Hillery's, where she prepared a supper. We continued to catch up on all the news and make plans for our reentry into our St. Louis routines.

Mileage in Chicago: 65 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 11,670 miles.

DAY 74 JULY 30 CHICAGO

Day 74. We're almost back to home country. Today was full of anticipation as we left LaCrosse bound for Chicago and our daughter Hillery. It continued to rain off and on, a weather system that has been following us since we left Yellowstone. I90 was fine, although traffic increased as we crossed the Wisconsin/Illinoir border. By the time we headed east from Rockford we felt like we were back in full-blown civilization. We arrived at Hillery's mid-afternoon and settled in for a three-day visit. We took our soggy tent and spread it out on her back porch to dry before we pack it away. Tent camping was a good experience (Honest, you can even ask Gail!), but it feels good to be ready to pack it away. We plan to celebrate Hillery's birthday while we are here (July 26), do some sightseeing, and make plans for our return to St. Louis on Monday, August 3.

Mileage for the day: 270 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 11,605 miles.

DAY 73 JULY 29 TRAVEL DAY

Day 73. Today was devoted almost exclusively to travel. It rained during the night so we broke camp and stowed a wet tent. We headed east on I90. The one sight seeing destination was the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. We watched the interpretive film and toured the building, which was an effort by the community to put Mitchell on the map. There is some interesting native American artwork made from corn that is worth seeing. We continued east through southern Minnesota, eating supper in Albert Lea. Since it rained all day and tent camping was out of the question, we pushed on, figuring we could crash late in a motel. We did so in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, around 10 p.m.

Miles for the day: 583 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 11,335 miles.

DAY 72 JULY 28 DEVILS TOWER-MT. RUSHMORE-BADLANDS

Day 72. Today was packed with much sightseeing as we traveled. We headed east on I90 from Buffalo, Wyoming. Our first stop was Devil's Tower in northeast Wyoming, about thirty miles north of I90. This was the geologic formation featured in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Very interesting and impressive. Then we contined east to Rapid City, SD, and then southwest to Mount Rushmore. Mt. Rushmore itself does not change, but the surroundings have changed alot in the 18 years since last we saw it. That being said, it is an iconic American symbol and well worth the trip to see. We then headed east and drove through Badlands National Park. Though totally different than the Rocky Mountains, these peaks, bluffs and valleys are equally awesome. God has worked some remarkable wonders in this world and the badlands certainly qualify for the term "wonders." After the badlands we headed to Wall, SD. We visited Wall Drug and heard the story of the Hustead Family that founded it. Interestingly, they settled in Wall because they wanted to attend Mass daily and could not do so in their previous town. Now Wall Drug is known throughout the country (and beyond) and is well worth the stop (which is easy because it is right on I90). We made camp in Wall after a busy day.

Miles for the day: 391 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 10,752 miles.

DAYS 69-71 JULY 25-27 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Day 69. Today we drove across Montana to Yellowstone National Park. We had contacted Yellowstone from Glacier about accomodations, and were overjoyed when we were able to book two nights at Old Faithful Inn! We arrived at Old Faithful Inn around 4 p.m. and checked into our room in the West Wing. It is an historic building (built in 1904) and on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. We took a tour of the geyser basin around Old Faithful, ate supper, did our laundry, and concluded the day by watching Old Faithful erupt at 10:45 p.m. in the moonlight.

Miles for the day: 459 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 9,981 miles.

Day 70. Today we took a tour of Old Faithful Inn to begin the day. We then drove the lower loop drive, looking at many of the geyser basins. We also toured the "Grand Canyon" of Yellowstone from the north rim drive. On our way to Lake Lodge, our supper destination, we were stopped for over a half hour by a huge herd of bison. One got right in front of us on the roadway and I drove behind it for several minutes while listening to it grunt! We got many great pictures of bison. We ate supper at Lake Lodge where we had eaten 18 years ago on our family vacation to Yellowstone. We returned to Old Faithful Inn for a quiet evening reading in the huge lobby. Such an impressive building!

Miles for the day: 65 miles.
Miles for the trip: 10,046 miles.

Day 71. We got up this morning, anticipating my KFUO call-in program at 10 a.m. (MST). Unfortunately there was a scheduled mix-up and another pastor had been scheduled for my slot. So we got off earlier than anticipated. We viewed the gyser basin near West Thumb on the southern end of Yellowstone, visited to of the park Visitor Centers, and left Yellowston via the east entrance by 1:30 p.m. We drove through Cody, Wyoming to I90, and drove until Buffalo, where we spent the night. Tomorrow we head for Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park. We should be in Chicago by Thursday afternoon.

Miles for the day: 315 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 10,361 miles.

DAYS 67-68 JULY 23-24 GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Day 67. We broke camp early and were in Calgary by 10 a.m. We crossed into the lower 48 by 1:30 p.m. It felt wonderful to be back after being gone almost ten weeks. We drove to the St. Mary Visitor Center and were delighted to find that we could get a room for the night at Many Glacier Lodge in Glacier Park. We had stayed at the same lodge nine years ago for our 25th anniversary trip, so this was a stroll down memory lane. We took a ranger-led tour of the lodge in the afternoon and attended a ranger-led program on Glacier National Park in the evening. It was a wonderful reentry into the lower 48.

Miles for the day: 282 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 9,363 miles.

Day 68. We were unable to secure a second night lodging at Many Glacier Lodge, so made reservations at the Isaac Walton Inn on the southern border of the park. During the day we drove to East Glacier and intercepted the east-bound Amtrak Empire Builder train at East Glacier. I spoke with the conductor and reminisced on this route which is one of our favorites. From East Glacier we drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road through the park, stopping at the Logan Visitor Center at the continental divide and hiking up to Hidden Lake. Ask Gail how she like that hike! We then drove to West Glacier, ate supper, and drove to the Isaac Walton Inn in Essex. We arrived in time to wave (and Isaac Walton tradition) at the west-bound Empire Builder on its way to Seattle.

Miles for the day: 159 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 9,522 miles.

DAY 66 JULY 22 BANFF

Day 66. The day was clear and we were off by 8:40 a.m. We went from Pacific to Mountain Time before arriving in Jasper, AB. We traveled through Jasper and Banff National Parks--magnificent! The Icefield Parkway winds through the Canadian Rockies and affords some spectacular scenary. Climbed up to the Athabasca Glacier. It felt 20 degrees cooler as I approached it. We ate supper at Lake Louise and camped at Banff National Park campground. This is a place we will want to return sometime.

Mileage for the day: 427 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 9,081 miles.

DAYS 64 AND 65 JULY 20-21 STEWART AND PRINCE GEORGE

Day 64. Mosquitoes were terrible this morning--the worst we've had on the trip. They were so thick we had to break camp in a flurry and eat breakfast in the car (after killing about a dozen mosquitoes in the car!). We left Watson Lake at 8 a.m.--a good start. The trip down the Cassiar Highway was uneventful, and the trip down the spur to Stewart, BC/Hyder, AK was spectacular. We saw several glaciers coming down almost to the roadway, plus many melting snow packs and waterfalls. The highlight of the evening was watching the bears at the Fish Creek Observation Walkway in Hyder, Alaska. We saw a black bear, two bald eagles, and two grizzly bears, one of which was romping in Fish Creek trying to catch salmon. It was awesome being so close to them and yet completely safe.

Mileage for the day: 417 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 8,222 miles.

Day 65. It rained overnight so we got a slower start this morning. Fortunately the sleeping bags stayed dry, but the tent was very wet, which made for a soggy departure. We left Stewart, BC around 9:20 a.m. The trip went well and the skies cleared as we drove southeast. We arrived in Prince George, BC, around 6 p.m. We ate supper, are updating the blog, and then heading out to our campsite. The destination tomorrow is Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. It should be a beautiful drive.

Mileage fot the day: 432 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 8,654 miles.

DAYS 62 AND 63 WHITEHORSE AND WATSON LAKE

Day 62. We left Dawson City at 9 a.m. We were thankful to be back on paved roads again after our experiences on gravel. We arrived in Whitehorse around 3:30 and immediately set out finding a tire to replace the one shredded on the Top of the World Highway. We purchased a tire and had it mounted, washed the Jeep and refueled. We got situated in our campground and ate supper at the Klondike Ribs and Salmon Barbecue Restaurant, the same one we ate at on the way to Alaska. I had halibut fish and chips (delicious!) and Gail had the half barbecued chicken. We retired around 10 p.m., thankful for safe travel and reprovisioned for the trip ahead.

Mileage for the day: 341 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 7,530 miles.

Day 63. We were off around 10 a.m. this morning, bound for Watson Lake. This will be the last stretch that we repeat on the Alaska Highway. From Watson Lake we will head south on the Stewart Cassiar Highway, bound for Hyder, Prince George and Lake Louise. The trip to Watson Lake went without hitch. We are doing laundry, revisiting the Sign Post Forest, and hopefully getting some calls out to our children. Tomorrow should be a long travel day, so we'll need to get a good start. We're looking forward to the Canadian Rockies and Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise.

Mileage for the day: 275 miles.
Mileage for the trip: 7,805 miles.

DAYS 60 AND 61 JULY 16 AND 17 DAWSON CITY, YT

Day 60. Today we drove from Tok, Alaska, to Dawson City, Yukon Territory. The word for the day is: We survived the Top of the World Highway. We did okay through Chicken, Alaska, and to the Canadian border. However, midway to Dawson City from the border we blew a tire and before we knew it, it was shredded. Fortunately we did not lose control of the car and, fortunately, I had a full spare that I could put on the car. God is in control and demonstrated it again by his grace and provision. We even had a good Samaritan stop and volunteer help. We made it into Dawson City around 5 p.m., set up camp, ate supper, and hit the sack early. A little too much excitement for one day!

Mileage for the day: 192 miles
Mileage for the trip: 7,189 miles

Day 61. Dawson City was the destination for the Klondike gold rush of 1897-99. It sits on the junction of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers. This morning we took a walking tour of the town which was most interesting. We did some shopping and ate some lunch. In the afternoon we took a tour of a working gold mine. Let's just say that no one in mining by panning for gold. The process involves moving a lot of dirt that is deep in the permafrost, just above bedrock. It is then sluiced in a three-part process to finally end up with gold dust. It takes tons and tons of sluiced soil to produce and once of gold. Needless to say, when we completed the tour and panned for gold, we only ended up with a few flakes. But the experience was worth it. We ended the day with dinner in town and some relaxing reading at the campsite. Tomorrow we head for Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory.

DAY 59 DEPARTED FAIRBANKS FOR TOK, AK

Day 59. We were up and out by 8 a.m. this morning. We grabbed a bite of breakfast, filled out some get-well cards, and got some last minute provisions. We stopped by the Carlson Center to watch the athletes preparing for the meets. Opening ceremony is this evening. We stopped by the Episcopal Diocese office to say good-bye and headed out around 11:30 a.m. We stopped at the North Pole to make some arrangements with Santa (yes, he's there!), stopped outside Delta Junction to pick up some exotic meats that we are bringing home in our cooler: reindeer summer sausage, elk kielbossa, yak meat sticks, and buffalo jerky. We arrived at Tok around 4:15 p.m. We are staying at the Tundra RV park and campground. We have a nice wooded spot and plan to make a campfire this evening. Tomorrow our destination is Dawson City. It will be a 200 mile drive, which normally wouldn't be too bad. However, the road is gravel so the going will be slow. If we can average 40 mpg (perhaps a little optimistic) the trip will take 5 hours. We'll spend one day and two nights in Dawson City so we can pan for a little gold. I'll let everyone know how we do in an upcoming blog. It feels good to be back on the road again.







Mileage for the day: 260 miles
Mileage for the trip: 6,997 (excluding air miles from Fairbanks to Fort Yukon and back)

DAY 58 JULY 14 RETURN TO FAIRBANKS

Day 58. We woke up early so we wouldn't miss our plane. Rev. Mardow Solomon picked us up and took us to the airport. Our flight, scheduled to leave at 8:50 a.m., actually left about 9:20 a.m. The flight itself was uneventful except for the fact that the skies of the Alaskan interior are full of smoke from all the forest fires. We did not see the ground until we were on our descent into Fairbanks. Rev. Anna Frank met us at the terminal and surprised us with an invitation to stay in the upstairs apartment over the Diocese office. We gladly accepted as our original plan was to tent camp. The balance of the day was spent getting the tires rotated, shopping for supplies for the return trip, and doing some souvenir shopping. This blog is being generated from the Fairbanks public library. I feel like I'm in a race car compared to the internet speed in Fort Yukon. We have modified our plans. Instead of spending two nights in Fairbanks and leaving on Thursday, we're going to spend only one night. We should be in Tok, Alaska, tomorrow night, and then drive on the Dawson City in the Yukon Territory on Thursday. We plan to pan for gold in Dawson City, which was the destination of so many prospectors back in 1898 when the Klondike gold rush was on. Blog updates may not be daily for the return trip since we will need to find public libraries along the way to do the updates. We'll do the best we can. We should be back in St. Louis in about three weeks.

DAYS 54-57 JULY 10-13 FORT YUKON FINAL DAYS

Day 54. Today was spend preparing for worship on Sunday. I am preaching on "Who are you Dancing With?" based upon both the Old Testament and Gospel readings. In the afternoon the Deacon of St. Stephens, Theresa Thomas, stopped by for a visit. She has been appreciative of our service at St. Stephens.

Day 55. The skies were filled throughout the day with dark billowing clouds suggesting heavy rain. We could use them. The forest fires are bad throughout Alaska, the worst since 2005. However, it did not rain and the fires continue to spread. Thankfully we are in no danger. Nancy James, lay reader at St. Stephens are Yukon Flats School Board Member, stopped by for a visit. Nancy is a signficant person in the church and the community. We discussed ways that St. Stephens can reinvent itself and be renewed in its mission and ministry in the community. One conclusion: Begin a new emphasis on children's ministry.

Day 56. Worship was very uplifting with a fairly full church. After church we received and invitation to dinner by the administrator of the Fort Yukon Medical Clinic. It was a delicious meal of king salmon cajun style, moose stroganoff, rice, peas, fresh salad, cake and ice cream. It was an answer to one of my prayers, which was to eat salmon and moose before we left. It was a nice conclusion to our service to the church. We spoke will all our kids, made final plans for Monday, and tried to hit the sack early.

Day. 57. Today is day 24 in Fort Yukon and our last full day. Laundry, final blog posting, last minute visits, and photography will be the order of the day. We leave Fort Yukon at 8:50 a.m. tomorrow morning on Warbelow Airlines bound for Fairbanks. We will blog again late tomorrow after we make camp and attend to some chores in Fairbanks. Among other things we need to rotate the tires on our Jeep before the 4,000+ mile trip home.

Concluding Fort Yukon reflections: It has been a very good stay. It has taught us to slow down and enjoy life. We leave with several resolves that we want to implement when we get home. We shall see how successful we will be after returning to the press of duty and the rush of life in Saint Louis.

DAY 53 JULY 9 FORT YUKON TOUR

Day 53. We woke up to much cooler, almost chilly, weather in Fort Yukon. A cold front came through overnight with much rain. The high today we in the mid 60's and there was a stiff southerly wind. We were bothered by no bugs on our afternoon walk because of the wind. Very nice. This evening we were given a driving tour of Fort Yukon by Bentley Solomon, son of Rev. Mardo Solomon, who arranged the tour. For a bush community with no roads to the outside world, Fort Yukon has an incredible number of roads. Miles and miles of roads. The town is actually spread out quite a bit. Every native family has an outer allotment of 160 acres from which they cut firewood for the winter. In addition, they have a smaller parcel of land in town available to them to build a house (usually log). There is, of course, an airport (which is slated for a $15 million expansion to begin next week). There is a power plant, sewer (about half the town is on city sewer with more every month), and water works. Only one store, though, one convenience store with gas, and one post office. All gravel roads. But miles and miles of roads. Before coming we wondered if people had vehicles, this being a bush community. Everyone has vehicles, be they ATV's or cars/trucks. Many have boats. It is a bustling community, just one a different pace from what we're used to.
Today is our last post for the week, with the Tribal Office closed for the weekend. We will make our last post from Fort Yukon on Monday, because we leave Tuesday morning at 8:50 a.m. for Fairbanks. We will be in Fairbanks Tuesday and Wednesday next week before starting the trip home on Thursday. Have a relaxing summer weekend and uplifting worship. The Lord be with you!

DAY 52 JULY 8 FISH AND MOOSE

Day 52. Today is the last day that the native Alaskans can run fish wheels for the next ten days. The United States has a treaty with Canada which provides for 50,000 king salmon to migrate into Canada. This is necessary to protect Canadian fish populations because the Yukon must travel 1,000 miles through Alaska before entering Canada. Unfortunately, the king salmon counts are down this year so fewer fish are being caught, and that's true also in Fort Yukon. Native Alaskans rely on king salmon and moose as the staple in their diet. Salmon shortage is a significant concern. On top of this problem, the moose population is down due to an increase in the number of bears. There is encouragement to shoot bears in hopes of boosting the moose population. In Alaska, where many of the people live pretty close to the earth, these inbalances in nature come pretty close to home. The people in Fort Yukon always have Fairbanks to fall back on, but money for many is scarce and transportation costs are signficant. What is needed, said one woman at our weekly Bible study Wednesday night, is an increase in the Athabascan tradition of giving to those in need from those who have more than enough. I hear echoes of St. Paul in those words. Wednesday was thankfully cooler than Tuesday with some hint of rain in the air. We have begun to make a list of things to do next week in Fairbanks before we begin our trip home on Thursday, July 16.

DAY 51 JULY 7 FOREST FIRES

Day 51. The air in Fort Yukon today is thick with smoke. There are two forest fires in the general vacinity, one of which has over 150 fire jumpers working on it. Actually, forest fires in Alaska are a common thing and a major summer employer of native Alaskans. Some are the result of careless use of fire, but the majority are naturally occurring. Alaska is mostly wilderness, and the vast interior of Alaska gets very limited rainfall. For instance, the dust off the roads in Fort Yukon (no roads are paved) is a major problem. One full time job in town is watering the roads twice a day. Today had quite a bit of activity. At the laundry we finally met the televsion cable guy who said he was coming today to hook us up. (After no television for eight weeks this seems almost superfluous.) When we got home we met Rev. Mardo Solomon, the pastor of St. Stephens. He had just returned after an absence of three weeks, during which time he had been attending his terminally ill son-in-law in Houston. Mardo is a fine man and most gracious. He was more than pleased that we were here and invited me to conduct worship one last time this coming Sunday. After Mardo left we got a call from our daughter Abby, who was bringing us up to speed with events back home. Later in the day Laurie Thomas, church administrator, came by to deliver some mail and introduce her father, Dennis, who was visiting from Rapid City, South Dakota. We watched the ten o'clock news for the first time in forever and went to bed. All in all, a full day.

DAY 50 JULY 6 RADAR STATION

Day 50. Today we had a most interesting experience. Last Saturday while sitting by the Yukon River we met two men working as contractors for the Air Force. It seems the Air Force maintains one of its 15 Alaskan long-range radar installations in Fort Yukon. They invited us to visit. Today we took them up on the offer. It is an impressive installation on the outskirts of Fort Yukon. With only two staff the installation provides strategic radar coverage, along with the other 14 installations, for the entire northwestern United States. The technology is sophisticated and the facility modern in every way. Gail and I commented that it was like walking into the 21st century from our accomodations these past two weeks in the 19th/20th century. They invited us to stay for supper which we gladly accepted: chicken breast in a tomato sauce, pasta, fresh acorn squash, fresh spinach salad with tomatoes and zuchinni, toasted bread, chocolate milk, and brownies with Alaskan coffee for dessert. Best meal we had had since my birthday dinner two weeks ago. They work three months straight away from family before having six weeks vacation back home. It would be lonely work at times but they are generously compensated. Glen, the station technician, showed us some footage of the northern lights, which are out from October to February in Fort Yukon. Spectacular. We won't see them with our own eyes this trip, but perhaps on a future trip during the winter. It will take a while to screw up the courage to come here when its 50 degrees below zero!

DAYS 46-49, JULY 2-5 INDEPENDENCE DAY

July 2. The big news for Thursday was the arrival of a care package from our daughter, Hillery. We had mentioned the previous Sunday about how expensive groceries were in Fort Yukon and that we were economizing by getting only the basics. She loaded a flat-rate priority mail box with all manner of goodies--food, personal care, and reading. It was a great lift! Later in the day I continued my writing by completing another devotion. These may be published later by LAMP-US.

July 3. Today is the legal holiday so most public offices are closed in Fort Yukon. The streets, usuall busy with ATV's, are quiet in anticipation of the Fourth of July celebration, which is a big thing in Fort Yukon. Later in the day as we were sitting at a picnic table along the Yukon River we met two men with an interesting story. They are contractors working for the Air Force manning the long-range radar installation at Fort Yukon. This installation is one of 15 operated by the air force. Together they provide comprehensive radar surveillance for the United States. They invited us to tour the facility, which is on the outskirts of Fort Yukon (and which we did not know was there). We plan to do so on Monday, July 6.

July 4. Today was a big day in Fort Yukon. At noon there were sirens as the ambulence, followed by ATV's decked out with balloons, drove down main street. The parade ended up in "downtown" where burgers and hotdogs were being grilled and a big luncheon was being laid out. On main street the big event for the day--races--were being prepared. There was race after race by all ages. Running, three-legged, gunney sack, bicycle. They raced for cash and soda prizes. It was quite the sight. The egg toss and nail driving contests were especially fun. While we retired from the festivities at supper time, we could hear dancing going on until the wee hours of the night. Quite the celebration. Later in the evening I paid a pastoral visit on a member of St. Stephens who was flying into Fairbanks tomorrow (Sunday) for a colonoscopy.

July 5. Today begins our last full week in Fort Yukon. Church attendance was light--17--probably due to all the celebrating. I preached on the Gospel reading, Mark 6:1-13, on "Honoring Your Prohets." We have made some wonderful friendships at St. Stephens and in Fort Yukon. They have a deep and abiding faith in Jesus despite some incredibly difficult circumstances. One friend has four children. However, two have died (cocaine and alcohol) and two are in prison. Yet he remains positive in disposition and rooted in faith. We can learn from them the power of faith to carry us through even the deepest valleys. The deacon of St. Stephens, Theresa Thomas, expressed appreciation for the clear and simple Gospel that I have shared. I told her in the end it is the only message that matters. For it endures to eternal life.

DAY 45 30TH ANNIVERSARY

July 1. Today is the 30th anniversary of my ordination and the occasion which inspired this sabbatical. On July 1, 1979, I was ordained and installed into the Holy Ministry at Trinity Lutheran Church in Isle, Minnesota. At that time I was a 27 year old graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was accompanied by my wife of four years, Gail, and two small children: Hillery, age 2, and Nathan, age 6 months. That was a long time ago. Much has happened in these past 30 years. And while they have had both some very great highs and some very deep lows, I am confident in saying that God has been faithful to his promises to us. It is for freedom that Christ has set you free. Reflect on that freedom as you celebrate the fourth of July. We will be "off the air" until July 6 because the Tribal Office will be closed Friday for the July 4 celebration. Be safe. We plan on enjoying all manner of races that will be held on main street in the village. When we blog again on Monday we will have only one more week in Fort Yukon. We're beginning to make our plans for the return drive. More on that to come. Oh beautiful for spacious skies...

DAY 44 JUNE 30

June 30. Today we visited with the superintendant of the Yukon Flats School District. The district educates 270 students in ten villages, the largest being Fort Yukon. The big issues for the villages in having ten students in order to maintain a program in the village. Less than ten students means education via correspondence courses or relocation to another village. The schools provide much of the social structure to the village. During the long winter months basketball is the glue that holds many of the families together. After supper we discovered a sheltered picnic table perched on the bank of the Yukon River. It was very peaceful and reminded me of the Mississippi River. The Yukon is as much as two miles wide here at its northern-most bend. From here is bends to the southwest on its journey to the Berring Sea. The village is gearing up for its 4th of July celebration on Saturday repleat with many races. Then next week the fish (king salmon) may be running. Life in the Alaskan bush.

DAY 43 BEAR BAGGED

Day 43. Today we visited the state-of-the-art Yukon Flats Medical Center. In the midst of a fairly laid back and rugged village it is houses the most recent medical technology to provide distance care to ten villages in the Yukon Flats. The center is five years in the making and primarily funded with federal dollars. It houses a doctor, dentist, optometrist, remote conferencing with the villages, travel office (to transport patients), and a number of patient rooms. Truly impressive! It is the northern-most medical center in the United States. In our evening walk a couple of fellows passed us pulling a trailer with their ATV. On the bed of the trailer was a bear! There had been reports of a bear on the outskirts of town for several days. Apparently they finally caught up with it. Bear, along with moose and salmon, are a staple in the village diet. While we haven't had any bear (yet), I'm sure that bear will end up on someone's plate soon. It was a bit of a strange site seeing a dead bear on the back of a trailer being pulled through town. Life is a little different up here!

DAY 40, 41 AND 42 JUNE 26, 27 AND 28

June 26. We have settled into a routine here in Fort Yukon. In the morning I go to the Tribal Office for internet access. In the afternoon we go to the grocery, visit with villagers, and see sights. In the evening we go for a walk and enjoy the country. It is a different pace of life from St. Louis, but there is a rhythm and pace which has an appeal to many. Our highlight of the day was visiting with the Deacon of St. Stephens, Theresa Thomas. She helped fill in some of the blanks we have about the people and the area. We are learning more each day. We found out today that we did not miss the barge, that it had come in today. So after supper we went down to the Yukon River and saw the barge. Actually there were two: a fuel barge (jet fuel, unleaded, diesel) and a cargo barge. Barges arrive from Tanana about three times in the summer (while the Yukon is ice free) with all the heavier items that cannot be shipped via airplane.

June 27. I spend the morning preparing for worship tomorrow. I will preach on the Gospel reading, Mark 5:21-43, on the theme "Do not fear, only believe." Took some nice pictures in the afternoon before being driven inside by the mosquitoes. Spent a quiet evening making final preparations for worship.

June 28. There were 26 in worship this morning. We had an organist this morning which added much enthusiasm to the singing. During the announcement I invited everyone to take some of the children's books we had brought with us from CPH. To our delight most of the books were taken by the time we left the church. Thanks to CPH for donating these books to the good people at St. Stephens in Fort Yukon. In the afternoon the deacon and I visited an ailing member of the church. We spoke to our children during the afternoon and evening and reflected on our first full week in Fort Yukon. We have met many good people and enjoyed our time here. At the same time, we will enjoy our trip home (via another route) and appreciate all that we have at home.

DAY 38 AND 39 JUNE 24 AND 25

June 24. Today was my birthday. I got a great birthday present in active phone service today. We were able to call all our children. It was good to hear their voices. One of the ladies from St. Stephens invited us over to her home for birthday dinner: roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, homemade bread, and rhubarb/strawberry pie. Delicious! Afterwards we hosted a Bible study at our house for the church and community. We had a small turnout but a large outpouring of the Spirit. All in all it was a blessed day.

June 25. This was a slow day. The weather has turned cool and wet. It rained hard yesterday and remains overcast with highs in the 60's and lows in the 40's. We missed the annual fuel barge which was only in town for a day. We continue to explore Fort Yukon on our walks. There are a surprising number of roads for not connection with the outside world. The roads always have cars and ATV's on them. We think people drive just for the fresh air. Later in the evening one of the gals from last night's Bible study came by with her niece and two children. The people here struggle with many issues. For the people of faith you sense a very real understanding of dependence upon God. We would all do well to embrace such dependence, which is the truth, rather than become comfortable in our independence.

Next update: Monday, June 29. The Tribal Office is closed for the weekend. Have a blessed weekend and uplifting worship!

DAY 37 FISH WHEELS

Day 37. Fort Yukon is readying itself for the annual run of king salmon. The people build fish wheels which rotate in the Yukon river and systematically pull great catches of fish from the river. Reminds of Jesus instructing the disciples to cast their nets one more time, at which they caught so many fish their nets were tearing. The people here catch a year's worth of fish in a few days in this way. Salmon and moose are the main staple in their diet, along with the vegetables they raise in their gardens. Food in the grocery store here is extremely expensive (e.g. a 12-pack of Pepsi is $10.99). The average household income is less than $40,000, so many here take advantage of the subsistence provision for native Alaskans. This allows them to hunt and fish for personal use, a provision not afforded to non-natives and visitors. It is a good arrangement, since unemployment in Fort Yukon is 50% in the summer and 80% in the winter. The main summer work, other than governmental, is fire fighting. Late in the day we take the bus tour of Fort Yukon that Warbelow Airlines arranges for tourists wanting to fly above the Arctic circle.

DAY 36 KFUO

Day 36. We got up early for the KFUO call in. 11 a.m. cst is 8 a.m. in Fort Yukon. The phone connection was good and the program went well. It was good to hear Chuck Rathert's voice, and a bonus to have Pastor Greg call in with his whip-cracking comments! What good news that Pastor Jeff will remain with us at Christ Memorial. You might tell him that his high regard for the chancel schedule is appreciated (unlike the attitude of our senior pastor), but he has to work on his attitude regarding the dress code! Later in the day we had a nice visit with the lay minister who has been our unofficial host. After supper we received a phone and tv. Unfortunately, neither work because there is no active phone or satellite service. Hopefull they will be operational tomorrow.

DAY 34 JUNE 20 FORT YUKON

Day 34. We're finally back online! We do not have internet connectivity in our home, and the only public site is a very slow computer in the Tribal Office. But slow is better than none... We broke camp early on Saturday morning, met Anna Frank at Zion Lutheran Church (where we're storing our car), and were taken to the airport. We flew into Fort Yukon on a 12 passenger Warbelow 2-prop plane. Half the seats were taken out for cargo and we were the only passengers. The flight was uneventful, although in such a small plane you feel every air current. A bit uncomfortable. We were met at the airport by a representative from St. Stephens and taken to our home. It is modest but comfortable. When I asked her who was conducting worship tomorrow, she replied, "why you, of course." Back in the saddle on the fast track!

DAY 33 JUNE 19 FAIRBANKS

Day 33. We got up early and headed back for Fairbanks today. We hoped to yet see Denali on our trip past the park on the Parks Highways. No such luck. Once again the mountain was shrouded in clouds. We have a couple more opportunities before we leave Alaska. We remain hopeful. We arrived in Fairbanks around 3:30 p.m. We stopped at the Episcopal District Office to confirm arrangements for tomorrow. We fly out at 12:45 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. It will be a one hour flight to Fort Yukon. We really won't know any details about accomodations or expectations until we arrive, which is a bit unsettling. However, God has not brought us this far to drop the ball now. While 3 1/2 weeks sounds like an eternity now, I suspect the time will fly by and we will leave Fort Yukon with many cherished memories. We don't know if we will have comupter connectivity, so INTOAFARCOUNTRY.BLOGSPOT.COM may not be able to be updated. We will do our best, including seeking out alternatives (library, internet cafe, etc.), to keep you posted on our experience. Thanks for your prayers and good wishes through the duration of the sabbatical. We have learned through this experience how little control one has over their circumstances. For instance, after setting up our tent late this afternoon, it proceeded to rain--perhaps the hardest we have experienced since leaving St. Louis. God has a funny sense of humor! All's well that ends well. It is 8:30 p.m. and it now appears the rain is over and the sun is coming out. Walking by faith is a bit stressful. We'll have plenty to talk about when we get home. In the mean time, God's blessings.

Mileage for the day: 388 miles. Mileage for the trip: 6,737 miles.

DAY 32 JUNE 18 PANNING FOR GOLD

Day 32. Today marks one month since we left St. Louis. We spent the day panning for gold. We were given a sample pouch with a few gold flakes in it to get us started. We panned our hearts out at Crow Creek Gold Mine, but to no avail. It gave us an appreciation for how much work goes into panning. By the time we were done our legs were sore, our backs hurt, and our spirits were dampened. Regardless, the experience was fun. The girls did some last minute shopping. Then we went to an Anchorage well known diner for supper: The Lucy Wishbone. Great pan fried chicken! We then took the girls to the airport and relunctantly bid them goodbye. May the angels fly with you. Tomorrow we head back to Fairbanks to make final preparations for our flight to Fort Yukon on Saturday. We have to remember to put on our dramamine patches tomorrow night--the plane will be small that takes us to Fort Yukon. We are a bit anxious about this next chapter in the sabbatical but trust that God will use it for good according to his promise.

Miles for the day: 106 miles. Miles for the trip: 6,349 miles.

DAYS 29, 30, 31 DENALI NATIONAL PARK

Day 29 (June 15). We drove 239 miles north from Anchorage today to Denali National Park. The drive was filled with anticipation at seeing the park and hopefully a glimpse at the highest peak in North America and the tallest mountain in the world. The drive was uneventful. After checking in to our cabin we proceeded to the Denali Visitor Center for orientation, followed by a trip to the Wilderness Center to pick up our tickets for the shuttle bus ride to Wonder Lake tomorrow. We're praying for clear skies.
Mileage for the day: 239 miles. Mileage for the trip: 5,885 miles.

Day 30 (June 16). We got up early to take the 9:15 a.m. shuttle to Wonder Lake. The bus was full. We brought all provisions for an eleven hour trip which covered 86 miles into the heart of the park. The trip into the park did not reveal too much wildlife and the Mountain (Denali) was shrouded in clouds. We are disappointed but not surprised. Denali is visible only about 20% of the time. The locals say Denali makes its own weather. My take on it is that Denali is shy. Regardless, we see some spectacular scenary. On the way back from Wonder Lake we have some great (up close) animal sightings: several caribou, two malmots, dozen+ dall sheep, three moose, several golden eagles, and five grizzly bears. Two of the grizzlies crossed the road right in front of our bus. These are awesome animals and it was quite a thrill to be up close to them in their natural habitat. One stood up to its full height (8+ feet) as it was pursuing a snowshoe hare. Hopefully the pictures turn out alright. We got back to the cabin after 10 p.m., exhausted but exhillerated.
Mileage for the day: 84 miles. Mileage for the trip: 5,969 miles.

Day 31 (June 17). We get up early again today so that we can see the first demonstration of dog sledding at Denali. This is a program of long standing in the park and very popular. We got to see the huskies up close and got to pet a number of them. The ranger explained the history and rationale for maintain a husky kennel and sledding program (snow mobiles are not allowed in the park so sled dogs are used for transportation in the winter). The ranger then hitched a team and took the sled around a course for a demonstration. Very interesting. We saw the interpretive movie on Denali at the Visitor Center, bought some final souvenirs, and headed for Anchorage. We arrived around 4:30 p.m., checked into our hotel, and got some supper. After supper we went for a dip in the hotel pool and relaxed for the balance of the evening. The girls fly home tomorrow evening.
Mileage for the day: 274 miles. Mileage for the trip: 6,243 miles.

DAY 28 WHITTIER CRUISE JUNE 14

Day 28. We woke up early, got ready and were on our way to Whittier by 9:30 a.m. We went through the Whittier tunnel at 10:45 and browsed Whittier until we boarded the Emerald Queen at 12:45. The skies were mostly cloudy, but we were told that was good so that we would see more colors (especially blue) in the glaciers. They were right. The sights were remarkable, especially of calving glaciers and waterfalls. The seas were mostly calm, the US Forest Service Ranger was very knowledgeable, and the salmon and prime rib dinner was tasty. We traveled 22 miles into Prince William Sound before returning. All agreed it was a memorable day. We ended the day with pizza at Moose Tooth Pizza and Brewery. We are tired but elated by the day. Tomorrow we check out and head for Denali. The 10 p.m. weather report said high pressure and clearing skies. We're keeping our fingers crossed! By the way, it is 10:45 p.m. and the sun is still up a long way in the sky. It looks like 6:00 p.m. in full summer in St. Louis. Good thing we have light darkening drapes in the room.

Mileage for the day: 198 miles
Mileage for the trip: 5,646 miles

DAY 27 JUNE 13

Day 27. The girls arrived around 8:00 p.m., tired but happy to be in Anchorage. We took them out for a late supper and lights were out by 11:00 p.m. (although that was 2:00 a.m. midwest time). The morning started slowly but picked up steam as the day went on. Following brunch we went to the Anchorage Farmers Market and Craft Fair. There were many authentic Alaskan crafts and displays and it was a great place for souvenirs. We then went to the Chugach State Park and Thunderfalls for a hike back to the falls. The exercise was good and the scenery was very impressive. We ate supper at the same seafood restaurant that we ate at before leaving Anchorage last year after our family reunion. Hillery had halibut fish and chips which she was determined to have. All the selections were very good. Tomorrow we leave early for Whittier and the Major Marine Cruise of Prince William Sound. I am hopeful for a clear day but the forecast has rain in it. We will see.

DAY 26 ANCHORAGE JUNE 12

Day 26. We left Valdez under the same overcast skies we saw when we woke up Wednesday morning. We didn't appreciate how rare clear skies might be when we arrived there Tuesday night to clear skies. Regardless, the drive from Valdez to Glenallen was spectacular even with overcast skies--perhaps the best drive of our trip to date. We stopped at the Wrangle-St. Elias National Park Visitor Center outside of Glenallen and watched the interpretive movie of the park. Six times the size of Yellowstone! However, that will need to wait for another trip. The drive to Anchorage was uneventful with intermittent rain. We arrived around 4:30 p.m. and checked in to our hotel. No camping while our daughters are in town. Their flight is running about 1 1/2 hours late, so we're waiting awhile at the hotel. We will take them to dinner after their flight arrives around 8 p.m. Tomorrow is Anchorage sight seeing and preparations for a glacier cruise on Prince William Sound on Sunday. Our spirits our high even though the skies our overcast.

Mileage for the day: 342 miles
Mileage for the trip: 5,448 miles

DAYS 24 AND 25 JUNE 10 AND 11

Day 24. We woke up to overcast skies and a low cloud deck--just a few hundred feet. It was cool and a bit depressing after the gorgeous scenery we had seen just the night before. So we opted to do something we had been talking about for a number of days: we washed our sleeping bags. The drying took forever... But after sleeping in them for three weeks, it was time. We also saw a movie on the making of the Alaska pipeline. What a monumental undertaking. It was constructed from 1974 to 1977; do you remember what you were doing or listening to progress while it was going on? We drove around Valdez Bay to the entrance of the pipeline terminal, but that's as far as you can go. We were told that along the bay drive you can see lots of bear, but we didn't see any. We have plenty of time for more wildlife viewing.

Day 25. Today is equally overcast, but there are some glimpses of blue sky. We're hopeful that as the day goes on the skies will clear. We want to see another movie today on the 1964 Alaska earthquake. It was the largest on record in North America, somewhere between upper 8 and lower 9 on the Richter scale. It totally wiped out the town of Valdez. The current town was rebuilt after the earthquake and resulting tsunami about four miles further up the bay. We also have laundry to do and final arrangement to make for our daughters' arrival tomorrow. We drive to Anchorage tomorrow and they arrive around 6:30 p.m. It will feel different sleeping in a bed after sleeping in a tent the past three weeks. I hope we don't get spoiled!

DAY 23 VALDEZ

Day 23. We met with Anna Frank this morning. She is the coordinator for native missions for the Diocese of Alaska. We received our orientation to Fort Yukon. We fly in Saturday afternoon, June 20. I will be assisting 80 year old Rev. Mardo Solomon. She was most interested in my teaching confirmation and doing shut-in visits. In general she is hoping that I will be able to inject some new life into the congregation which has been in decline. By the Spirit's leading I will do what I can. She thought we should be able to enjoy some cariboo which were migrating north of Fort Yukon earlier this spring. There might also be opportunity to enjoy some moose. I'm looking forward to it although Gail is more cautious. After our meeting we headed for Valdez on Prince William Sound on the Gulf of Alaska. It was a 7 1/2 hour drive through the most spectacular country we have seen to date. The road winds its way through the Wrangle and St. Elias Mountains and there will snow peaks and even glaciers on either side of the road. We had to drive slower than the speed limit to soak it all in. It was almost like walking through a cathedral. Our destination, Valdez, is the terminal for all the oil coming from Prudhoe Bay. Unfortunately since 9/11 they now longer allow tours of the facility. Through Valdez flows 1/10 of all the oil consumed daily in the United States. It is a massive operation. Valdez itself is primarily a fishing destination with many charters going out daily. We found a nice campground, ate a late supper, and retired around 11:00 p.m. (while it was still light).

Mileage for the day: 472 miles
Mileage for the trip: 5,106 miles

DAY 22 MUSEUM OF THE NORTH UA FAIRBANKS

Day 22. We started the day with a trip to the Fairbanks Visitor Center for a viewing of Fairbanks at -40 degrees. It was a most interesting presentation of life in the far north in the dead of winter. Interestingly, there is a lot of life up here eveb when the thermometer drops to -20, -40, even -60 on occasion. They know how to dress for the weather and they cultivate outdoor activities. Many of the sourdoughs tell us they wouldn't live anywhere else. Then we proceeded to the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. This is an excellent museum of life and culture and history of this most interesting part of the country. We spent five hours there and they time flew by. We returned to our campsite to rest for a moment and then met Glen and Karen Eiler, son and daughter-in-law of Bud and Eunice Eiler. We went to the Red Fox Pizza Parlor for supper and had a great visit comparing notes on family, weather, and plans for the future. Glen and Karen were gracious hosts and treated us to some real Fairbanks hospitality. We promised to call them after we come out of the bush at Fort Yukon. Tomorrow we have our Fort Yukon orientation with Anna Frank and then head out for Valdez. On the raod again...

DAY 21 JUNE 7 SABBATH REST

Day 21. We were up late listening to boats on the Chena River (right beyond our campsite) while the sun was shining down on us at midnight. The night was chillier than we thought it wold be but warmed up nicely in the morning. We attended contemporary worship at Zion Lutheran Church. It was very similar in format to Christ Memorial's. Afterwards we went to the Pioneer Park in Fairbanks for an afternoon of relaxation and phone calls to family. This evening we discovered that our campground has phone line internet connectivity so we're able to update the blog before the public library opens tomorrow. Tomorrow we visit the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska and have dinner with Glen and Karen Eiler (Bud and Eunice Eiler's son and daughter-in-law). Tuesday we meet with Anna Frank for our Fort Yukon orientation and then head out for Valdez. Valdez is on the Gulf of Alaska and is the terminus of the Alaska pipeline. Through Valdez flows 1/10 of all the oil used in the United States--quite and operation. Friday we head of Anchorage to meet our daughters who will be flying in from Chicago and St. Louis. It should be another busy week! The sermon this morning (Trinity Sunday) was on the Holy Trinity. How thankful we are to know the God who made this remarkable world, the God who redeemed it and us at such great price, and the God who invites us into a relationship with Him , a relationship that will have no end and that anticipates the renewal of all creation in the age which is to come. Our God is an awesome God...

DAY 20/ JUNE 6 REPAIR AND REGROUP

Day 20. We woke up this morning to discover we had a flat tire on the rear right. The Haul Road took its toll. We were told to bring a full size spare if you drove it (actually two if you drive all the way to Prudhoe Bay). The advise was good. I put the spare on the car, drove to the Sams Club in Fairbanks, and had the tire patched. Fortunately it was repairable. They told me there that many tires coming off the Dalton Highway are unrepairable because of the size of the puntures. Ours was small and repaired in short order. Following that and some shopping, we retired to the laundrymat to prepare for next week. Tomorrow we visit Zion Lutheran Church in Fairbanks, where we will be storing our car while in Fort Yukon. The weather is cool (lower 60's) and overcast, but it has not rained yet today. My shoes have developed a hole over the course of the trip. I believe we will be shoe shopping tonight. Until then I'm avoiding puddles! Best wishes to all.

DAY 19/JUNE 5 ARCTIC CIRCLE

Day 19. Today was quite the adventure. We got up early, ate a quick breakfast at the campsite (juice, breakfast bar, fruit, coffee), and headed out for the Dalton Highway (the "Haul Road") and the Arctic Circle. The Dalton Highway, which goes all the way to Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic Ocean, bisects the Arctic Circle around mile 200. It was some of the roughest road we have ever driven. To be sure, some if it was paved (although broken up with frost boils). But the majority was packed dirt and gravel. It took us five hours to drive the 200 miles, and I felt we made pretty good time. At the Arctic Circle there is a pull-off with rest area and signficant display marking the spot. We set the camera on the tripod and got a couple of good shots of us there. On the way back we got certificates authenticating that we have been to the Arctic Circle. By the time we got back to Fairbanks (7 p.m.) the car was covered in dirt. So the first order was to get a car wash, followed quickly by food. Needless to say, we slept very soundly last night, even with light rain falling. I'm happy to report that our tent is water tight and nothing got wet inside the tent.

Mileage for the day: 511 miles
Mileage for the trip: 4,584 miles

DAY 18 DISCOVERY BOAT TOUR FAIRBANKS

Day 18. Today we had an eventful day. We contacted Anna Frank and set up our orientation to Fort Yukon for next Tuesday, June 9, at 10:00 a.m. We contacted Don Treakle, LAMP-US pilot. We visited Zion Lutheran Church and introduced ourselves to the staff. Then we went on a 3 1/2 steamboat and cultural tour of Fairbanks via the Chena River. The tour was simply excellent and a strong recommendation to anyone visiting Fairbanks. It included a dog sled demonstration by the family of a former iditerod champion and presentations by native Alaskans on the Athabascan culture both before and after the introduction of western culture. The river cruise was on the paddlewheeler Discovery, run by a three-generation family. This evening we rest up for our drive to the Artic Circle tomorrow. The temperatures have been warm--we regisetered 82 on our car thermometer after the river cruise. Our plan is to leave Fairbanks next Tuesday and work our way down to Anchorage, where we will meet up with our daughters on Friday. Thanks for all your comments, prayers, and good wishes.

DAY 17 NORTH POLE, AK

Day 17. Today we visited the North Pole! Not the magnetic north pole, but North Pole, Alaska, which is about 10 miles out of Fairbanks going south on the Richardson Highway. North Pole is repleat with Santa's house, candy cane light posts, and Christmas decorations throughout the small town. The attraction for us was to send postcards to our small nieces and nephews depicting Santa's house (in winter) and postmarked from "North Pole, AK". They should bring a smile when they arrive. We have concluded, upon further research, that it will be too difficult and costly to travel to the Artic Ocean. As a compromise, we plan to drive to the Artic Circle on the Dalton Highway, about 1/3 the distance to Prudhoe Bay. We are not equipped with the necesssary emergency equipment should we have a breakdown along the Dalton Highway. Perhaps we will do in on another trip in the future. Tomorrow we plan to take the Discovery Steamboat up the Chena River which flows through Fairbanks. It is a 3 1/2 hour tour revealing the history of the city and its earlier inhabitants. The weather today has been perfect with highs in the mid 70's. The low last night had to be in the low to mid 50's--perfect for camping. Even the mosquitoes have not been too bad, although we did break out the Deet last night. We are looking forward to seeing our daughters, who will be flying up on June 12 for a week. Plenty to see in the mean time...

DAY 16 FAIRBANKS, AK

Day 16. The night in Delta Junction was cool--low 40's--but comfortable. We had a casual morning including repeat trip to the visitor center to purchase some memorabilia commemorating our completion of driving the Alaska Highway. By late morning it was off to Fairbanks. We had our first sighting of the Alaska pipeline--impressive. We arrived in Fairbanks mid-afternoon. The weather is warm--mid to upper 70's. We are camping at the River's Edge RV campground, which is very nice. We are now researching the best way to get to the Arctic Ocean at Prudhoe Bay. It is a public road but a bit rough. The literature cautions about flat tires and broken windshields. In addition, Prudhoe Bay itself is private property; it is owned by the oil companies. So we will need special authorization to reach the Arctic Ocean. In addition, after 9/11 security was tightened. We have been told we will need to fax our identification up at least 24 hours in advance to receive clearance. It all sounds pretty complicated. But I am determined to do it because of what I have read we will see along the way. We also want to collect a vial of sand from the Arctic Ocean to add to our collection. In addition to Prudhoe Bay, we want to take the Discovery Riverboat tour, visit North Pole, Alaska (about 10 miles outside Fairbanks), and possibly take the Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Denali National Park. We have been blessed with very good weather for which we are very thankful. There are many things outside of our control. Thankfully, everything is under God's control. We are counting on that. Tomorrow we continue our preparations from Fairbanks.

Mileage for the day: 122 miles
Mileage for the trip: 4,073 miles

DAY 15 DELTA JUNCTION, AK

Day 15. The night in Tok was chilly but not nearly as cold as Haines Junction. We woke up refreshed and ready for the journey. While breaking camp I received a call from Anna Frank, the administrator for the Alaska diocese of the Episcopal Church. She is the one coordinating our time at St. Stephens Episcopal Mission Church in Fort Yukon. We confirmed flight in (June 20) and out (July 14) arrangements as well as an initial meeting on June 11. We will camp while in Fairbanks; the apartment she had offered was not in working order. If the highs in Fairbanks remain in the 60's and lows in the 40's, it should be very pleasant. We left Tok for Delta Junction, the end of the Alaska Highway. We arrived around 2 p.m., having completed 1,721 miles--the entire length of the Alaska/Alcan Highway. We will purchase a bumper sticker declaring the same and proudly display it for all to see! We are now attending to some much needed laundry. We will drive the concluding 100 miles to Fairbanks tomorrow and set up camp for the next several days. After seeing the sights in and around Fairbanks we will plan our next adventure: A trip to the Artic Ocean! More on that to come. Thanks to all for your comments, your concern, and your prayers. We have been blessed with dry weather if a bit cold, good health, and no car problems. And through it all we have seen some spectacular country.

Mileage for the day: 115 miles
Mileage for the trip: 3,951 miles

DAY 14 TOK, AK

Day 14. Saturday night was bitter cold in Haines Junction. Even with sleeping bags rated to 0 degrees we froze. You could see your breath in the morning, so I'm guessing the low was around 30 degrees. It took half the day to thaw out! We broke camp late and spent the day driving the worst part of the Alcan Highway. From Destruction Bay to Beaver Creek the road is in very poor shape because of the permafrost. East year the road bed heaves and produces all manner of pits, depressions and upheavals, and just bad driving conditions. We were able to drive 50 mph a good deal of the stretch although it was like driving an obstacle course. We ate supper at Buckshot Betty's in Beaver Creek (a recommendation from my brother, Bruce) and continued on to Tok in the good old US of A. A bonus upon arrival was that we once again had cell phone service. Canada has Northwestel, a system that does not cooperate with USA carriers. We found a nice campground with hot showers and retired early for the night. Forcast low was 40 degrees. It should be okay.

Mileage for the day: 300 miles
Mileage for the trip: 3,836 miles

DAY 13: HAINES JUNCTION

Day 13. The wind howled all night long in Skagway last night. Fortunately it was a south wind, so the temperature stayed in the mid 40's. The tent withstood the 20-30 mph winds and we rested well. We broke camp early, splurged on a Starbucks coffee, and set off for Whitehorse. We had our second bear sighting a little way out of Skagway. It was eating grass along the side of the road. We pulled up practically beside it, got some great pictures, and went on our way. The bear didn't seem to mind us a bit. We reprovisioned in Whitehorse around 1 p.m. and then set off for Haines Junction, from which this blog is being generated. Our destination tonight will be about 30 miles up the road in Kluane National Park. We are surrounded by lofty mountains, all of which are at least half covered with snow. It is, in a word, beautiful. We've been playing some Enya music, soaking up the surroundings, and feeling some real peace in the soul. The mountains first article (Apostles Creed) images, as they remind me of the majesty and awesome nature of God. Tomorrow we press on toward Destruction Bay, where the road is supposed to be quite hazardous. We may make few miles tomorrow. We press on in high spirits and full of anticipation.

Mileage for the day: 231 miles
Mileage for the trip: 3,536 miles

DAYS 11 AND 12

Day 11. We broke camp and headed for Skagway around 10 a.m. The trip down from over a mile elevation to sea level was spectacular. Snow covered mountain peaks that reached for the sky, the world's smallest desert at Carcross, a road that hugged the mountainside much of the time, snowpack everywhere as winter is reluctant to release its grip to spring. Skagway is nestled on a fjord in a mountain valley. It has 800 residents but at any given time might have as many as 10,000 trourists coming ashore from up to five cruise ships. Tourism is geared to the well heeled as there are more jewelry shops than any other in town. The day was clear, the sun warm, and we have a wonderful campsite just off downtown.

Mileage for the day: 128 miles
Mileage for the trip: 3,305 miles

Day 12. We woke up today to completely changed weather. We closed our eyes last night to clear skies and moderate temperatures. We woke to overcast skies, a low cloud deck, and as the day progressed, a stiffening north wind. The tent could be cold tonight! After some morning shopping, we took the White Pass & Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad up the While Pass to Frazer. By the time we reached the summit the snow was over 10 feet high and it looked like the middle of winter. The tour guide said all the snow would be gone in a couple of weeks which is hard to imagine. It was a breaktaking ride and quite an engineering feat. The topper was that we were able to book our rail trip with one of the two historic steam engines that they still use. (Most--20--of the engines are diesel.) It was like a trip back in history to the time of the gold rush of 1898. The line actually was not completed until 1900, but it secured Skayway's future while Dyea and the Chilcoot Trail became a ghost town and trail. Today the rail line runs five months a year when cruise ships dock. The rest of the time it is dormant, as I'm sure the town of Skagway is as well. We plan to eat at the Red Onion Bar for supper, which was a notorious brothel during the gold stampede (but is totally toned down now!). Tomorrow we head back to Whitehorse and Haines Junction. Originally we wanted to take the ferry across the bay to Haines, but unfortunately the ferry doesn't run on Saturday, and not until late in the evening ono Sunday. Hopefully we'll drive out of this cold weather and back into spring. We plan to be in Fairbanks next Wednesday.

DAY 10: WHITEHORSE, CONTINUED

Day 10. Well we had a bit of a bump along the way. We stayed at the Takhini Hotsprings Campground last night. AAA gave it a "better" rating so we felt pretty safe. It turned out to have no running water (read pit toilets), only one running water restroom for the entire campground, and no private showers. The "hotspring" was indeed a thermal spring, but it was directed into a swimming pool which filled every day and was drained every night. It was not a good evening. Thanksfully it didn't rain. We broke camp this morning, returned for sightseeing in Whitehorse today, and are looking for another campground tonight. We did take the tour of the S.S. Klondike, a paddlewheel steamboat that plied the waters of the Yukon river until 1955. It could carry 300 tons of cargo, much of which was silver and gold take out of the country downstream like Dawson City. We walked the downtown area, have visited with a number of the locals, did laundry, and plan on visiting a local haunt--the Klondike Rib and Salmon BBQ--for dinner tonight. Tomorrow we head for Skagway. Despite our camping setback last night, we have been blessed with much better than average weather--thanks for your prayers--and no mishaps (car, health, etc.). It is beautiful country and the people are generally quite genial. All goes well...

DAY 9: WHITEHORSE

Day 9. Today we travelled from Watson lake to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. A partly sunny day but with warmer than usual temperatures. The car read 59 degrees earlier this afternoon, which is 2 degrees above their average high summer temperature. We have had several firsts. We spotted our first bear yesterday along the side of the road and got some great up close (Gail would say too close!) pictures. We saw our first wolf today, but it had been hit by a car/truck and was along the side of the highway. I pelted Gail with a snowball yesterday at our campground, and she returned the favor today while we were doing a short hike to a waterfall. The lakes still have quite a bit of ice on them and there is snow wherever there is shade. We will camp at Tahini Hotsprings tonight and hope to get a nice soak there. Tomorrow we plan to stay in Whitehorse and see the sights including the old paddlewheeler S.S. Klondike. We may even pan for gold if we have the oppportunity. As it stands now on Thursday we will head for Skagway for a three day stay. But stay tuned; those plans may change! We have been thinking about taking the Alaska Maritime Highway home rather than returning via the Alaska Highway. If we do we would hopefull take the ferry (car and us) from Seward to Seattle and drive home via the upper tier of states. We will research that further when we get to Skagway. But there is much that will happen before we exercise that plan. Keep praying for warm weather. We've been fortunate to have relatively balmly(!) weather so far.

Mileage for the day: 272 miles
Mileage of the trip: 3,177 miles

DAYS 7/8

Days 7 & 8. We were without cell or internet service yesterday (May 24) so today is a combined blog. We travelled from Fort Nelson to Liard Hotsprings yesterday, a distance of 199 miles. The weather was cool all day, from a low of 33 degrees at Summit Lake (highest point on the Alaska Highway) to 44 degrees at Fort Nelson when we got up yesterday morning and broke camp. The days drive was spectacular. Got many fantastic photos of mountain vistas, the ribbon of road winding through primeval forests, and many wildlife. Summit Lake was still ice covered as was Muncho Lake. Spring comes late in these parts! There is also quite a bit of snow along the shaded side of the road. Yesterday we saw one moose, two deer and two cariboo, four rock sheep, and seven bison. Not bad for a days drive! We concluded the day with a soak in Liard Hotsprings. The temperatature at the time was cool (mid 40's) but the water was 105 degrees to as hot as you could take it by approaching the place where it bubbled up from the ground. It felt glorious on an otherwise raw day. Since yesterday was our 34th wedding anniversary, I spurged and Gail and I spend the night at the Liard Hotsprings Lodge. Am I a romantic or what?

Mileage for the day: 199 miles
Mileage for the trip: 2,777 miles

Today we travelled to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory. The sun came out mid morning and it has been a glorious day. We saw the signpost forest in Watson Lake, a park-like setting with post after post of signs from all over the world. People come and nail signs from their hometowns. It began by a serviceman in 1942 who was lonely for his hometown of Danville, Illinois. Today there are over 55,000 signs in the signpost forest. We also saw a movie on the aurora borialis--the northern lights--that paint the night sky in the far north from fall to spring. Unfortunately, we are a little too late in the spring to see them. Tonight we head for Nugget City outside Watson Lake to find a campsite and soak in the beauty of the land. First its off to the grocery for some provisions. FYI we paid $1.02 (Canadian) for a liter of gasoline in Watson Lake, or about $3.60 US a gallon. God bless the USA! Thanks for your prayers and good wishes. We are following your comments and are encouraged by your words. We press on toward Whitehorse tomorrow.

Mileage for the day: 128 miles
Mileage for the trip: 2,905

DAY 6

Day 6. Today we travelled from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson, British Columbia. We broke camp around 9:30 a.m., visited the farmers market in Dawson Creek, and set out. The day was a mixture of sun and rain, but the temperatures are mild for which we are thankful. The Alaska Highway stretches out in front of us for miles and miles. It has been cut out of the forest, so the road looks like a ribbon through the wilderness. Beautiful. He had our first moose sightings today. We saw a pair of adolescent moose (mooses?) grazing off to the side of the Alaska Highway. We slowed down to not hit them which was good because they immediately darted in front of the Jeep. Later on Gail spotted another moose (with small antlers) running along the side of the highway. We slowed just a bit and it was keeping pace with us. After a short distance it also ran in front of the Jeep and into the woods on the other side. We see the mountains off to the west, which will be our destination tomorrow (Muncho Lake). There were pockets of snow along the shaded side of the road indicating that spring is just arriving in the north. We arrived in Fort Nelson around 4:15 p.m., went to the Visitor Center, and am generating this blog from there. Next up we find our campsite and then a good place to eat supper. All in all a good day.

Mileage for the day: 298
Mileage for the trip: 2,578

DAYS 4 & 5

Days 4 & 5. This blog covers two days, May 21 & 22. We were unable to access the web with our laptop last night, and then again today. So this blog is being generated from the Dawson Creek Public Library. We left Edmonton at 11:00 a.m. Thursday (5/21) after a leisure morning and shopping for provisions. We arrived at Dawson Creek at 5:30 p.m. after driving 379 miles. Dawson Creek is the start of the Alcan (Alaska) Highway. The Alcan was built in eight months during 1942 by the military as a supply route to Alaska for the defense of North America. We have watched two movies on the construction of the highway today. Gail and I are amazed at the effort that was necessary to accomplish this task. It has been deemed one of the sixteen engineering wonders in the world. Tomorrow we will see it first hand. Our destination tomorrow is Fort Nelson. Regarding our accomodations here in Dawson Creek, we pitched our tent are now in our camping mode. We slept fine last night, although the temperature was cold (I suspect upper 30's or lower 40's). Fortunately the sky is clear with no rain. The high approaches 60 today which is downright balmy for this far north. Our spirits remain high and we are full of anticipation. God did a pretty good job of creation and we're going to get some experience of it first hand tomorrow. Best wishes to all back home. Continue praying for good weather.

Mileage for the day (to Dawson Creek): 379
Mileage for the trip: 2,280

DAY 3

Day 3. Today was a long travel day. We left Winnipeg, Manitoba, at 6:00 a.m. and drove 836 miles to Edmonton, Alberta! We essentially travelled the entire width of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and half of Alberta. We did this to leave a relatively short drive to Dawson Creek (the start of the Alcan Highway) for tomorrow. The weather today was rainy off and on with temperatures between the higher 30's and lower 40's. At one point we were concerned that the rain might be freezing! In Saskatoon a clerk at the bank (helping us with some currency exchange) said this was unusually cold. We're hoping it changes quickly as we tent camp tomorrow night for the first time. Gail is pressing for contingency plans. The topography is no longer flat and more like rolling hills. We anticipate seeing the mountains tomorrow. Pray for warm weather!

Mileage for the day: 836
Mileage for the trip: 1901

DAY 2. We left Sioux City, Iowa, at 8:20 a.m. Forecast high for the day in Sioux City is 93 degrees! We're hopeful to encounter cooler weather by midday. As it turns out, by mid-morning the temperatures start to cool. We cross the Canadian border at 4:30 p.m. with no incidents, although the border agents didn't know what a sabbatical was so it took some extra explanation. We arrived in Winnipeg at 5:30 p.m. with the temperatur at 49 degrees. The forecast low for tonight is 39 degrees. The trees in North Dakota and Canada are just budding out, about six weeks behind St. Louis. Thanksfully no snow on the ground! Tomorrow we plan to leave at 6 a.m. in hopes of reaching Edmonton, Alberta, by tomorrow night. AAA indicates it should take 14 1/2 hours! If we can do it we will have a much shorter drive on Thursday to reach Dawson Creek and more time to make camp. We'll let you know tomorrow night if we succeed with this aggressive driving plan. Overall the drive has been pleasant and the weather clear. We're looking forward to seeing mountains soon.

Mileage for the day: 539
Mileage for the trip: 1,065

DAY 1. Off and running! We left St. Louis around 8:30 a.m. with a chill in the air but full of anticipation. Lunched in Kansas City around 12:30 and arrived Sioux City, Iowa, 5:45 p.m. As we traveled north from Kansas City, instead of the air getting increasingly cooler, the air got increasingly warmer. When we arrived in Sioux City it was 88 degrees. We had dressed for cooler weather. That will teach us to check the weather forecast for the next day. Tomorrow our destination is Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a forecast high of 54 degrees. Getting closer to the Artic Circle!

Mileage for the day: 526
Mileage for the trip: 526

Mt. McKinley--Denali--beckons.

Denali--the "Great One"--beckons. Denali is the iconic image of Alaska.

Pastor Bill

Welcome to Intoafarcountry!

This blogspot has been created to chronicle the events of Bill and Gail Simmons on their Alaska sabbatical. We leave Saint Louis, Missouri, on Monday, May 18, bound for Fairbanks, Alaska and the Artic Circle. We look forward to driving the Alcan Highway, visiting Anchorage, Denali and Prudhoe Bay, and serving the people of God in Fort Yukon. We welcome your blogs and intend to post updates regularly on our progress. The theme for the sabbatical is Psalm 19: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Bill & Gail Simmons