Summer 2001: Canada and Alaska

June 27 - July 16: Drove across Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan to arrive in Alberta on July 2. Camped at Canmore one night and then in Banff and Jasper National Parks for 2 weeks. Here we are on a hike on the Athabasca Glacier.

July 17 - 22: Drive to Skagway, Alaska, via Cassiar Highway. Spent one night in Hyder, AK, near the huge Salmon Glacier. Saw both black and brown bears along the highway.

Best bear story: We saw a brown bear playing with an inner tube on the edge of a lake. He would twirl the tube around his head, spraying water everywhere, let it go, sending it sailing into the water. Then he would leap into the water to retrieve it, pounce on it, and repeat the whole process. Like a puppy playing with a ball. Unfortunately, we weren't close enough for good pictures. More on bears at the end of August, below.

July 23 - 31: Skagway. Discovered that the RV's radiator had a leak due to the gravel roads we had traversed, so left it in Whitehorse to be repaired while we traveled via the Alaska Ferry to Juneau.

Left to right: Downtown Juneau, with ever-present cruise ships; Mendenhall Glacier; spawning salmon.

August 1-6: Drove to from Skagway to Whitehorse and on into the interior of Alaska, camped at Kenny Lake (near Copper Center) and went to Kennicott Glacier Lodge near McCarthy for one night. Took a flightseeing trip over the Kennicott and Root glaciers and a guided hike over the Root glacier.

August 7-15: Valdez and Cordova (via 8-hour ferry trip). Went sea kayaking and visited the spectacular Childs glacier (3 miles wide and 300' high at base).

August 16-23: Seward and Kodiak (via 13-hour ferry trip).

August 24-29: Kenai Peninsula: Ninilchik, Homer. Highlight: Bear viewing at Katmai National Preserve.

August 30 - September 1: Anchorage. Had a nice visit with Dee's cousin Bill Parker, his wife Tina and daughter Arianna.

September 2 - 7: Anchorage, Talkeetna, Fairbanks

September 8 - 14: Elderhostel in Kantishna, Denali National Park. Highlight: Flight over Denali
And more bears! This grizzly is ready for winter.

Special page: More Glaciers