Pondering in the Rain

While waiting in the pouring rain, hopeful that a bear might come snag a spawning salmon nearly at my feet, I began to ponder the journey we all make in life. Mew gulls scream all around me as they feed on the spawned out carcasses in the nearby creek.

Sitting in the shelter of the branches of a massive Sitka spruce I ponder life's destiny. The rain is relentless but bears and birds don't care- they survive with their built-in raincoats. Fortunately, I have dry clothes and a trailer to return to. Unfortunately, the bears decide not to come eat in the rain this morning. 

I'm witness to the destination of hundreds of chum and pink salmon in Fish Creek in Hyder Alaska. Their destination to create new life. It may be a destination but it is not the end of their journey. The journey simply changes. Their carcasses feed the the stream that the juvenile salmon will emerge into. Their death feeds innumerable species besides the grizzly and black bears we come to observe. Mew gulls scream as they discuss their carcass gorging. Wolves will scavenge them. Carcasses will be drug into the surrounding landscape feeding the lush forest of salmonberry, western hemlock, devils club, alder, cottonwood, and so many more trees, shrubs, and plants. Even butterflies will gather nutrients off their carcasses. Research has found that at least 137 species benefit from salmon carcasses- even the tiny alevins feeding on the aquatic insects drawn to the nutrients of the creek. That's quite a legacy.

Our destination is similar and our journey continues in the legacy we leave behind- Love, kindness, compassion, wisdom. Our journey on this planet as a living being is short compared to others. These spruce are hundreds of years old. They stand and grow through all the changes of weather- wind, heavy snows, rains, and heat. Be a tree. Be a salmon. Be you.


A little winter wren sings it's big song serenading the only drenched human on the elevated boardwalk. Time to move on and continue my journey of discovery.

Final Thoughts About the Journey

Pilgrimage: any long journey, especially one undertaken as a quest or for a votive purpose, as to pay homage

Why did I do this trip? Why not take three weeks, fly up, and spend more time at Denali National Park and other amazing spots? Because I wanted to see and feel the landscape, inhale its scents, meet the people who call it home. You can't do that from 30,000 feet up in the air.

It was a journey, a pilgrimage to find myself again and to follow a dream, a calling to go north. Because I drove 5,396 miles alone towing a trailer through amazing places on some pretty tough roads at times, I'm stronger, more confident, and wiser than when I began. I pushed past the fears and moved through the challenges. 

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Next time with unlimited time so I could spend more time visiting the places I had to bypass.

Would I take all the same stuff that I didn't use? Yes, I was completely self-sufficient so if something did happen I'd be fine until help came. Yes- the generator, solar panel, 5 gallons of gas, 5 gallons of water, and other assorted items would be packed up with me.

Someday I'll fly back to Anchorage and return to Denali and make some time for exploring the Kenai peninsula. It would be lonely without my little travel buddy though.

Even in the rain I enjoyed Hyder and I plan to drive back, maybe in July, to look for the elusive bears and the wolves that catch the spawning salmon.

Here's a great article describing the little enclave.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/us/canada-alaska-hyder-stewart-british-columbia.html?_r=0

I found what I was looking for and I have a new vision for my life. Wish me luck!

The Beginning- Planning

Planning for a 3 week road trip where I will be towing a 13-foot fiberglass trailer seems like a crazy idea to many. I'm nearing 60 with a little pom-chi dog, Templeton, and a bucket list that needs fulfilling. I apparently have a great sense of adventure albeit within safe limits. There's trepidation in a solo trip of over 2,000 miles one way with Denali National Park as my destination.

I have a box of brochures, and tour books, and many maps for my planning and I still haven't figured out how long it will take me to get there, where to stop, or where to stay. How much money should I budget? Wait- should I have some Canadian cash? Can I use my debit card at campgrounds? Where are all those pull offs for a quick overnight stay?  Most importantly, where are the natural wonders and wildlife spots I shouldn't miss?

This is a trip I've wanted to do all of my life. I'm nervous and excited and ready for it. Three weeks of solitude is attractive. Time to reflect, time to listen- to my inner voice, to the wilderness, to the critters. Time to find the part of me that was lost in the last few years.

"The mountains are calling and I must go!" John Muir

Whistler pull off in North Cascades National Park