The Trip: 1971
Alaska
May 30, 1971 - June 16, 1971



May, 30, 1997 Sunday
What a start! It's 10:40. Bill said, "oh, we won't need an early start" and thank goodness. We got up early enough (7:30), but we didn't move very fast. After a leisurely breakfast and finish loading, we tried to put the tent trailer down -- and found the top wouldn't go down! Our new Coleman ice box was about two inches too tall! Sooo we had to rejuggle things and put some more boxes from the trunk in the trailer and get the ice box into the trunk. Actually, that's going to work better anyway -- 'cause we can now use that ice box at noon.

I read most of the morning and afternoon (with time off for a nap). We picnicked in a roadside rest stop overlooking the Llano River high up on a Hill Country hill. It was beautiful and quite cool, with a spitty little rain on us because of a front that was coming through. We got to Odessa a little after five and had a great time with Dick and Dot. Rick had gone to see his girl, so we missed him. We ate, played cards, talked, washed hair (Barb), bathed (everyone) and had a good sleep.

May, 31, 1971 Monday
No fast start -- again -- Dick & Dot got up, fixed us breakfast, and left for work. We lolled around a bit longer and then fixed lunch and took off about nine o'clock.

We ate lunch in a city park in Roswell, New Mexico. 'Twas very airish and pleasant. Everyone's in good spirits. As we drove along today we finished Agatha Christie's, And Then There Were None and started Witch of Blackbird Pond. The former got 5 votes of excellent. Witch is also going well.

About five this afternoon we got into Echo Amphitheater Campground, a state park. Bob, Bill, & I took a ten minute hike back to the amphitheater, and it was great. Had good signs along the trail and they told us about the geological formations, flora and fauna. I was especially interested in the geological bit because Mr. Kutzer, our science teacher, asked me to check on that. These layers were interesting -- all different colors.

When we left the RA, we drove only about a mile and the muffler fell off the car -- at least, one end did. Bill had to wire it up and go on to Chama for the repairs. Because we were late with those, we ate at a cafe and stayed in a commercial campground.

Supper was delicious and the campground was very fine -- but, it was cold, cold, cold! We nearly froze. Mother got so cold she went into the restroom -- it was warmer there. I went and got her, and I slept with her. She was actually shaking with the cold. I was too cold for real comfort. Needless to say, we got up fairly early.

June 1, 1971 Tuesday
Because of the cold, we didn't loll in bed today, but got up and were away by 8:30. However, our brake lights wouldn't work, so we went back to the same mechanic that fixed us last night on the muffler.

We drove from Chama to Pagosa Springs and stopped to make some purchases -- thermal underware for the Brookses and blanket sheets for mother. We don't intend to be that cold again! It was 38 degrees last night.

Our destination today was the South part of Canyonlands National Park. We gave ourselves enough time this time to set up camp and do a bit of hiking and exploring. Our campsite was at Indian Creek State Park -- a beautiful canyon area complete with sandstone cliffs and a rippling stream. Our particular campsite was beautiful -- with its own birds and rabbits to amuse us. Also, Newspaper Rock is located here -- its an area of protected red sandstone cliffs with a black covering on it that looks like soot. Indians for 1500 years, according to the sign there, have left messages and signs on the rock face. It was so loaded with all sorts of symbols and drawings. Most fascinating. I liked the big foot with six toes, Bob liked the wheel and two figures with antennas. He felt this showed there were flying saucers and men from Mars even back in Indian days.

June 2, 1971 Wednesday
A good night's sleep! Today we left our trailer at the campsite and went to explore South Canyonlands. It was great! We drove to the end of a road to Elephant Hill -- a road went on, but without four wheel drive, you couldn't make the 40 percent climb and switchbacks you had to drive forward and backward over. We hiked up the Elephant Rock Road and then out to the canyon itself. It was exhausting, but good fun. Then we drove back to an environmental hiking trail that was laid out by the rangers. I', glad we took it! It was called Cave Springs Trail and had in it everything you'd want to know about South Canyonlands. We saw rat nests, Indian pictographs, the spring in the cave, and an old cowboy line camp, and all sorts of goodies. It was most interesting.

We drove back and lunched at Indian Creek and then drove on to Moabe for supplies before going to our dry (and dusty) camp in North Canyonlands. We just drove around to lookout points this evening -- we were tired -- but we saw Green River Overlook and Grandview Point -- much like the Grand Canyon.

Tonight we are camping on an 'Island in the sky', having arrived here via 'The Neck', the narrow strip that connects this mesa to the mainland. It is a wild, interesting, sand blasted place. We like it, but South Canyonloands gets our vote on interest and things to do.

We finished our second book, Witch of Blackbird Pond, it got five 'very good' votes.

We all slept well tonight -- despite gusting winds and blowing sand.

Oh, yes, a word about the pit toilets. They are tin, and when you are in them with the wind blowing, you feel you are about to blast off into outer space -- they really rattle and shake. Most interesting.

June 3, 1971 Thursday
Up and breakfasted in the trailer -- we did last nights' and this morning's cooking inside because of the wind and sand. It worked very well. In fact, we'll probably do more of it that way. Today is a driving day. We finished Utah about three and went into the potatoe state -- Idaho -- immediately saw more snow, so we've had snow in every state since we left Texas.

Today we lunched in Salt Lake City in an expressway rest stop. It was beautiful -- snowy mountains all around. It was cold! Tonight we stayed in a commercial campground in Bliss -- a Woodall Campground recommendation. We didn't think it really rated the two diamond rating, but we bathed, laundered, and slept like logs. 'Twas a good stop.

June 4, 1971 Friday
A lazy 9:30 start this morning. We slept 'til 7:30. We're driving along the Snake River Plain today. Then we'll go into the mountains. Then plains and mountains again. This morning we're driving through old lava bed country. It's a beautiful day!

We moved into Oregon and had lunch in a beautiful road side park -- in the mountains. The birds were singing up a storm and a little stream went by our picnic table. It was very lovely.

Then we got into Washington, shopped at Yakima, and went to the Ohanapecosh Campground in Mt. Rainier National Park. A beautiful place! There were a few other hardy souls there -- but not many! We had a supper of thick pork chops, fried potatoes, asparagus, and soup. 'Twas great.

Sleeping was great, too.

June 5, 1971 Saturday
Up, good warm breakfast, and a 9:30 start. There's snow all around us. We went up toward Cayuse Pass to the Chinook Pass Road, which was still closed. There were several cars parked but no people. We saw them later -- skiing down the mountainside. We didn't ski, but we surely Snow Winged.  It was great fun. I hope I got some good pictures. We all slid down two or three times (the climb up was killing). Tho the snow was still about 12 and 15 feet deep in the drifts, it was delightfully bright and surprisingly warm while we Snow Winged. My feet got pretty wet and cold, but other than that, it was a delightful, fun time.

[note]
This was the time that Barb and I were supposed to stop Bill Sr. from bouncing into the slushy parking lot at the end of his run on the Snow Wing. We were stationed so that we could catch him by his elbows. The only thing was, he was coming at such a fast clip that neither Barb nor I had nerve enough to try to grab him. He ended up with a three foot drop into a big puddle of dirty snow and slush. Good man that he was, he eventually forgave us.
Nona Brooks

From there we drove into Seattle and went to the Seattle Fair site. It was still pretty, colorful, and jumping with people. We ate lunch at the International Food Circus. I had Japanese, Bob Italian, Barb & Bill English, and Mother American food. It was fun to see the place again. I would have liked going into the U.S. Science Pavilion again, but the old bug-a-boo, time, caught up with us and on we went.

 We went to R.E.I. (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) and spent a couple of hours having a ball looking over all sorts of camping gear -- clothing -- tents -- food. Bill and Barb bought hiking shoes, and Bill got a bit of food and some other odds and ends. We stayed in this store for a couple of hours -- and wished for more.

While the folks were checking out, I went back to check on mother. I took a wrong turn and walked a block in the wrong direction. When I turned back, Bob was just coming out of the store with his purchase -- a machete in a case. I was about half a block behind him. He was half pulling the blade out of the sheath, and a Seattle police car and two officers saw him, turned around in the middle of the block, and called him over and ask him where he got the knife. I walked up then and told 'em, and the officer said,  "Well, don't drop it on your toe".

We left about five and drove to Sammamish  looking for Norman. We found his name in the phone book, but the phone had been disconnected.

We drove on to Rockport State Park, up from Sedro Woolley. It was a beautiful state park with immense Douglas Firs all over. We had a fine campsite, a good supper, hot showers (at $.10 for five minutes of hot water), and good sleeping.

June 6, 1971 Sunday
Today we left our little 'tail' in camp and drove up to North Cascade National Park. 'Twas a beautiful drive along the Skagit River. What a broiling river it was. Very beautiful and very rapid (cold, too, I bet). We took a few pictures, got some more snow for the ice box, picked up the trailer, and headed north.

In Bellingham, before going into Canada, we bought groceries. We found a big shopping center - open on a Sunday.

At the Canadian border, we were ask a few questions about our destination and wished us a good trip -- it took all of two or three minutes.

We drove through a very scenic canyon along a river by the same name -- Frasier. We went through about ten tunnels. The river was beautiful. We enjoyed the drive muchly, and when we got tired of it, I read Jack London's, Call of the Wild -- since we  were headed for Alaska, 'twas fitting. This is the first time we read a book in one day.

Tonight we are staying in a commercial camp with rather primitive accommodations in South Cariboo (at least that's what the two yellow school buses that are parked by the office, have on their side).

June 7, 1971 Monday
It rained tonight after we were all in bed -- slow, big drops puttering on the canvas and top of our trailer. It made for excellent sleeping -- wasn't too cold either -- just comfortably cool!

We drove north today -- along the Frasier River and through beautiful country. It rained on us off and on throughout the whole day; so tonight in Smithers, B.C., we got us a couple of rooms at Fisherman's Motel. We ate out at a cafe, too! How fancy can you get. What's more, we played cards and watched a 'Charley Brown Special' on TV. Golly! Such  luxuries! We're about 250 miles from Prince Rupert & our ferry. We'll get in there tomorrow -- but tonight, after being well fed, showered, and bedded down in a real bed -- well, we're enjoying ourselves. G'night.

June 8, 1971 Tuesday
Since Bill's and my room was a house keeping room, we had the facilities for breakfast, so we cooked in the room -- over a real stove and with running water -- both hot & cold. Oh, me!

We got away about 9:00. It's a beautiful day -- a bit overcast, but really bright and clearing (we hope). Everyone's in a good humor (we had 'indoor' everything last night, that helps).

We drove to Prince Rupert today. We left our trailer at a beautifully  clean Prudhomme Lake Provincial Park about ten miles out of town, came in and washed clothes in a brand new Co-op center, and went back to fix our foil suppers. We had 'em all foiled up and on the fire dad had starte, but we couldn't get the fire to blaze up and make a real hot fire, so we finally just made a New England boiled dinner out of it and fried the hamburgers. 'Twas as good a meal -- much more than we could eat.

This is the first night we have set an alarm, but knowing we had to board our ferry at eight and be at customs at seven, we had to set the alarm.

June 9, 1971 Wednesday
That jangle of an alarm was terrible this morning! 5:30 is an almost indecent hour -- especially when you are out camping. However, the excitement of knowing today was the day kept us going. We were at the dock in plenty of time.

We cleared customs & were on board by nine, and the Taku slowly moved away from Prince Rupert. What scenery! What an interesting boat. It has four decks. The bottom, cargo deck is where we boarded & where the cars, trailers, & freight is taken on. You aren't allowed down there unless the boat is docked.

The next deck is where the state rooms & purser's desk is. In the middle were also some reclining chairs like bus chairs & in the center of them were some lockers like bus terminals have. However, everyone seemed to trust everyone else. In fact, we didn't even lock out stateroom. Our room consisted of a little anti-room with a chair and mirror and a bigger (but not much) room with two bunks on either side. They have a nice reading lamp over each, but we soon discovered that we passed out each time we hit the bunk. The reading I did was in the lounges.

There was a small lounge at the back of the ship on our stateroom deck. The nice, big lounge, open via wide windows to the view of where we were going & the world sliding by on either side, was on the third deck. Here also was the curio shop, snack bar, and in back a fancy dining room.

Here was our floating, 'home away from home'. Both going up and coming back, we had nothing to do but admire the beautiful scenery, write post cards, read, play cards, and eat and sleep. The eating was great. The snack bar was good and this evening our fancy cafe meal was sumptuous! For our evening meal, Bill had Crab Louie, Barb had scallops, Bob, prawns, Mother, ground round, and I, Alaskan salmon. Oh, it was good. I tried everyone's and I think they all tried mine.

We soon learned that when the boat docked, we could go ashore and walk around a bit. We went twice -- at Wrangell, the 'garnet salesmen' were out. They were young kids eight or nine years old with muffin tins marked with prices from 5 to 25 cents and with rough garnets of varying sizes to sell. We also walked about three blocks of the main street of Wrangell.

June 10, 1971 Thursday
We went to bed about ten and fell (literally) into a deep sleep. I mean, this was one of our better better nights for sleeping -- four of us, anyway. Poor Bob slept on deck, and he had a bit of a rougher night.

We got to Juneau about eight, rented us a car -- a little old Chevy Chevelle -- again our home away from home. We went out to the Mendenhall Glacier and spent the morning hiking and taking pictures. We got rained on, but it wasn't bad. We had an excellent lunch at the Juneau airport. Then in the afternoon we visited the museum and library and totems of interest around town. Supper was at the Mikes in Douglas, across the bay from Juneau. What a place it was! They had a loaded bar that was really excellent. We had spaghetti and our salads.

Then we drove out and filled two bottles with Alaskan snow, so Barb could take Rusty a snowball. We went back to the library 'til it closed and then to see a Dean Martin movie. We went in at nine, came out at eleven, and I could still see to read a book in the car. The next four hours were a little rough -- waiting in the car and trying to snooze 'til we could get back on board ship, but we made it and about five (after a shower for me) we were all asleep.

June 11, 1971 Friday
We slept 'til ten. We got Bob a stateroom, and he slept 'til noon, ate with us, and then slept 'til four. The trip back was fun -- two whales were spotted, but I didn't see either of them, but as we went through the narrows, we saw a bear and a deer. We ate both our meals in the snack bar this time, but it was delicious, too (you get supper hungry on a ship). Mother and I played cards 'til ten, but the rest went to bed earlier since we are leaving the ship at 4:30!

June 12, 1971 Saturday
Off and back in opur own car by 5:25. We hated to leave the casual -- everything done for you attitude of the cruise ship living, I guess we can fend for ourselves again, but it will be rough! We think we notice a new powdering of snow on the mountain tops around here -- and could be! It's cold enough!

As we drove along to Terrace, Bill and I stopped and filled the ice box with snow -- here we go again!

We had a rough time today in that we ruined a trailer tire. While Bill and Bob were changing it, Barb, and I fixed lunch. Then we drove on to a pretty, new campground between Prince George and McBride. It was on the highway and along a beautiful, cold, dancing river. We had a good supper and went to bed early. I read Rifles for Waty for a while and then concked out.

June 13, 1971 Sunday
Wow, it got cold during the night! No one wanted to get up this morning. We finally did, however, and had a good breakfast and got away about 9:30 -- a rather slow start. I read Rifles this morning because I knew we'd be in the Canadian Rockies in about three hours and I'd want to look!

Sure enough, when we entered Jasper, and even before, it started being beautiful and terrific scenery that I couldn't miss. We started down through the first park and at Horseshoe Lake Bill got worried about gas and decided to go back to Jasper for some. I'm glad. It gave us a chance to do some shopping at Jasper and buy some post cards and the like. We drove on down to Lake Louise. We spotted a couple of moose and about three black bears, and also stopped at the Athabasca Glacier again. We filled our ice box with strange ice crystals we found in patches at the foot of the glacier.

About twenty miles out of Lake Loise it started raining, and we decided to motel it and eat out. It was a great meal. Bill and Barb had salmon, mother and I had rainbow trout, and Bob had fried chicken. Twas a good meal. Our 'motel' is really an apartment with a beautiful fireplaced living room, a bedroom with four bunks, and a kitchen and bath. We intend to eat breakfast here in the morning. This is a new place that apparently caters to skiers in the winter (there's a little outside closer with a note on the door saying not to take skis into the apartment, rather, leave them there.

After supper and baths (I washed my hair and Barb, bless her, rolled it up) I finished the book, Rifles for Watie. It got five excellents in the vote. It was one of the best books we've read yet. All of us enjoyed it.

W all had our baths and were in bed (I still wrote) by 10:30. It was still raining outside. We made a wise decision.

June 14, 1971 Monday
We got up about eight and had a great breakfast. This motel is called King's Domain, and it is beautiful -- we could live here for a while. When we were loading the car, a black bear came to the motel parking lot. It's drizzly this morning. We drove out to Lake Louise this morning, but it was raining and misty and not really worth a picture. We decide, because of the rain, to head straight south and skip Glacier. I don't mind missing Glacier, but I do Flathead Lake. It's one of my favorites.

Well, as it turned out, we didn't miss Flathead -- we just came down the west side rather than the east side of it -- no problem. I've been reading Andre Norton's, Star Patrol today -- It's only fair, as far as I'm concerned

We ended up in Ronan, in a city park, washed clothes, had soup, beef stroganoff on noodles, and green beans for supper -- and went to bed.

June 15, 1971 Tuesday
Up and away in record time: 8:00 -- but that's without breakfast or lunch. Mother talked us into a breakfast out -- it didn't take much talking.

We drove to Missoula for breakfast. This is where Dick Brooks is going to summer school this summer. We wrote him a letter and told him we traveled down Brooks Street. We ate at Paul's Pancake House -- a delightful place with all sorts of pancakes. We had a terrible time ordering -- but finally we did. Bob got a fancy thing with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Barb got crepe suzettes and Bill potato pancakes. Mother and I stayed with the old faithful buttermilk ones.

Old faithful -- that is where we headed after that delicious breakfast. We stopped once for ice in Yellowstone and then drove to Old Faithful and saw her erupt -- a beautiful display under a beautiful sky. Then we drove to West Thumb and out south to the Tetons. Today was elk day. We saw no bear, but we saw herds of elk. It was great. Also, we were in snow all through Yellowstone. It was still quite deep, and some of the lakes were still frozen.

We're staying tonight in a beautiful (and pretty crowded) camp at Coulter's Bay. There is one small patch of snow in camp, but that is all. It really isn't real cold.

We had a good supper, drove to the general store for breakfast and lunch material, and now, at nine-fifteen, we're ready for bed. It's still light enough to read and write, and the birds are singing up a storm. It's great. G'night!

June 16, 1971 Wednesday
Up and away at 9:05. No one slept too well last night -- too civilized, I guess. It wasn't too cold last night, really, it was a good sleeping night -- we just didn't -- very well. We drove through the Grand Tetons Park -- through Jackson, to Teton Village.

There we went up the aerial tramway and got quite a view of the snow covered mountains all around us. Great.

The rest of the day was driving and reading James Ullman's, Banner in the Sky.

We stopped about 7:30, at Laramie, went into the N-H Trailer Ranch, which was very clean and nice -- fine hot showers and good restrooms, but it was one of the noisiest stops we had. Also, a wind and rain storm (mostly wind, fortunately) came up -- a dilly. But most of us slept well. Bill didn't, however.

June 17, 1971 Thursday
Up and away after a quick coffee, toast and cereal meal. 'Twas a nice, warm, sunny morning -- no sight of our rain clouds from last night.

We stopped in Denver and gassed up and got some fruit for lunch, then, just outside Denver and before Colorado Springs, we finished Ullman's, Banner in the Sky. It was a good but exhausting book. We then started Captains Courageous, but I gave up on it and started Voight's, Mystery of Deer Hill. It's a little paperback book TAB that I got at school. It has a Maine woods setting.

We crossed the Texas border about four. It rated a 'hip-hip-hurray'.

We ended up in Dumus, at a city park. Ate at Kona Kai -- a fine all-you-can-eat fish place with two good salads and relishes. They lost money on us.

The city park invited overnight campers and was quite nice. After supper mother and I played cards 'til it got too dark to see (around 9:20 here -- imagine!), Bill and I took a walk, and we went to bed.

June 18, 1971 Friday
Up, slowly. Although it isn't really hot today, it certainly can't be called cool either. I like cool vacations!

We had a coffee, toast and cereal breakfast, got our first ice since the third day of the trip (even iced down the thermos) and started toward Anson. I read.

And here the journal ends.

Books Read:


1971 Alaska
Brooks Family
Canyonlands National Park
Utah
Brooks Family
Canyonlands National Park
Utah
Brooks Family
Barb was showing of her new hiking boots.
Bill & Nona Brooks
Inland Passage, Alaska

Bill Brooks SR.
Snow Sledding
Canada ?

[note]
The picture of dad sliding in the snow came, dad believes, outside of Yellowstone. This was the time that Barb and I were supposed to stop him from bouncing into the street at the end of his run, and we were stationed so that we could catch his elbows and stop him. The only thing was, he was coming at such a fast clip that neither Barb nor I had nerve enough to try to grab him, and he ended up with a three foot drop into a big puddle of dirty snow water at the edge of the highway.
Nona Brooks