We reconnected with Fanda and Kaschka, who’d been able to get some work done and a new rear tire. They were anxious to get on the road and planning going to meet us near Ronetta’s. F&K have been trying to get some confirmation on their visa for the US for some time, but no one seems able to answer their question. Apparently their is a special visa for young folks from Czechia that allows them 3 months in the US, and having spent a month in the lower 48, then almost another month in Alaska, they were trying to find out how much time they had left in the lower 48 and no one seemed to know. One agent had said that by them leaving the US and entering Canada, the re-entry in the US might start the 3 month allotment fresh, but he wasn’t sure. Kaschka messaged that they had found a Czech Consulate listed in Anchorage and were going to stop by that morning and would meet us after.
As Kim, Dave, Heather and I got the bikes packed, Ronetta asked if she might travel with us to Valdez in her Yukon. “Hell yes!” was all our answer. She loaded her gear and dogs, while I went to find Fanda & Kaschka. They had not been able to find the consulate since the address didn’t seem to exist and were frustrated, feeling pressure about their visa. They followed me back to Ronetta’s, where she filled them with biscuits and gravy before our leaving.
Great times - Dave and Heather, Kaschka, Kim, Fanda and Ronetta
We all rolled out together and over to a storage facility to see a couple of custom buses her friend was selling before we finally got on the road for Valdez.
Much of the day had slipped away before we got on the road for Glenallen and then Valdez.
The night before, Kim had suddenly begun feeling bad with a cold. Heather had given her a dose of liquid oregano extract, which really kicked the cold up and into high gear, purposely. Kim had gone to sleep early and had woken up congested but feeling better. Heather said the extract shortened a cold extensively if you got it administered quickly and it seemed to have worked!
As the day progressed I began to feel a sore throat and cough and then began to feel really bad. Obviously I’d gotten a cold as well.
That day I saw a bumper sticker that said "Alaska. Road construction next 2000 miles" and laughed out loud. After all the construction on every road we took, it certainly came off as true.
The fall colors were stunning and it was interesting to see how the temps had changed in different valleys and areas, passing through intense colors and then areas where it was still mainly green
The rain came and went through the day as we rode, until making the turn at Glenallen. It was getting dark and we all were very tired from the long day. There were no campgrounds, so eventually we just pulled off the road into a driveway with a gate. The gate was unlocked, so Dave and I wandered in thinking it might be a pipeline road where we could camp. Instead it led to a small cabin/cottage that was very nice and seemed unoccupied, except for the firewood pile on the porch. It looked like a good camp spot but we decided not to chance it.
Instead, a 4 wheeler path along the roadside became our home for the night. We parked bikes at either end to stop any flying 4 wheelers that might come along, got the tents up and struggled to get a fire going to cook some food. About that time, a truck turned into the driveway and stopped, the driver asking if we needed anything and explaining it was his cabin down the road. He was very friendly, owning a ship tender in Valdez and living in his cabin where we were.
We invited him for dinner, he declined and went through his gate, only to immediately return. He asked about the gate and we told him we’d walked down his road thinking it was pipeline access. Obviously he’d been able to tell it had been opened despite Dave’s efforts to put it back exactly. He was not upset, just verifying it was us and then said if we had any issues to come wake him up.
Of course that brought up the idea of “issues” which we all assumed would be bear or moose. About that time there was a loud crashing and wood breaking in the brush near our tents. Never a dull moment in Alaska and never less than perfect timing. Luckily nothing roared out of the thick brush and eventually we all crawled into our tents for the evening.
I lay quietly, my little can of bear spray at the ready, secretly wishing it was the size of a fire extinguisher. I think I've become Bearanoid.