Our Alaskan Tribe

July 4th Saturday

We cannot be accused of not being spontaneous!  We drove 85 miles one way out of our way to cast for pinks, or humpies. Valdez was brief, because at 11pm after getting skunked we turned around and headed back the way we came. We were standing out at the Valdez Arm, sunglasses on until 10:30pm watching people pull in fish while we broke reels and rods. Reese never lost his drive, however, and we had to tear him away. We were fishing shoulder to shoulder, combat fishing as it is called, watching sea lions and gulls, bald eagles soaring overhead. 

We turned around and headed back the way we came to go to Anchorage.  As the sun was setting about 12:30am we noticed we don't have headlights. We hadn't been driving with the light so low yet!  We pulled over to wayside and poured the kids into their sleeping bags above us and slept for a few hours as many others do as they travel the state.

We changed plans to drive straight up north to catch fiireworks with friends in Anchorage. The kids still remember being in Yellowstone last year without a show. It will give us time to regroup, shower and launder and do a few 'fixits'. Today is the first day I feel a bit like Mad Max. 

July 7, Tuesday

The van has been dusted off and vacuumed, clothes cleaned, a few fixits accomplished but not the headlights. At least it doesn't get dark here. We are back on the road headed for the Gates of the Arctic after a wonderful visit with Rich's Alaska family. 

The Von Wichman tribe expands and contracts depending on the time of year, the visitors present and whether the boats are in or out. It seems whomever stumbles into the Von Wichman world becomes some degree of family. Rich found them in 1981 and has been a member of their tribe since. I definitely felt welcomed and included from the moment Kjersty told me not to worry about the floor 'the dogs will take care of it'. The kids quickly gelled into a mob spending most of their time on the trampoline. There were no fireworks for the 4th due to fire restrictions but the kids were so happy about having other kids around they forgot and never mentioned it. We were happy for the breathing room from each other as well, after four weeks on the road.  After only three days I felt I too was a member of the Von Wichman tribe. My heart is full after spending time together and I look forward to spending more time together later this month. 

We spent time hiking in Arctic Valley outside of Anchorage where the kids found hundreds of spent machine gun shells they had to carry down the mountain. We watched the World Cup (yahoo!) and stayed out of the van. Part of the extended family included Stevie who helped Rich tighten things up in preparation for our Arctic adventure. The Dalton Highway involves hundreds of miles of dirt road. We still don't know why the headlights don't work, but we'll be back to figure it out. Every evening was a community meal involving at least nine people, home cooked meals and plenty of wine and beer. The last night Brad changed out with his sister Alex. The two of them own two boats that they charter for tourism and science, among other purposes. We were lucky to see both of them during our brief stay as summer is busy on Prince William Sound. 

Now we're headed north on the Parks highway, past Denali to Fairbanks. It took me over an hour to feel like a road warrior again. The skies have cleared enough to see Denali park but the clouds are low over the mountains.