Fri 9th May 2003, Healy to Talkeetna

I set off early as it was to be a fairly long haul down to Talkeetna and I wanted to drive into Denali National Park on the way.  Which I did and it was lovely.  It started raining as I left Denali and it was to stay that way.  I pretty much drove all the way through with only a few coffee/rest stops.  The rain and high winds continued most of the way down and made it very tiring.  Nevertheless I enjoyed the drive and the scenery, of course, was great.  Not vast vistas or big mountain scenery because of the weather but great all the same.  The mountains shouldered their way out of the snow to where the cloudline shrouded their peaks.  Low cloud that made the mountains look as though they had been beheaded with a clean, sharp strike.

A strange thing happened on the way down; the trees had a faint haze about them as the buds were on the verge of breaking out.  But the trees were shy, keeping their little sticky-bud fingers tightly folded over the leaves until the weather should warm just that bit more ... then I blinked! ... and there were green leaves everywhere.  Just like that!

Talkeetna is 15 miles off the main highway, situated on a flood plain and very flat.  But there are plenty of trees and character - just ignore the souvenir shops, although there aren't all that many of them and they are not very obtrusive.

Again I have a cabin, this time with 2 double beds, dining table, en-suite shower and toilet and fully equipped kitchen area complete with fridge, microwave, 2-ring burner and filter coffee maker.  There’s also a satellite TV with video.  Need the video, as the satellite is unreliable out here.  I went for a short walk after settling in and settled on Cafe Michelle's for dinner.  I had a truly delightful organic meal of curried lentils and fragrant Thai rice soup, followed by (and here you are Mum, Dad) fresh Alaskan Halibut.  Mmmmm.  Fine food and fine prices, but really worth it.  The people at the next table seemed to think so too judging by their comments.

It had been a very long day so I watched a Harry Potter video borrowed from the cabin owners and then went to bed.

Thurs 8th May 2003, Chena Hot Springs to Healy

I left at 11 o'clock and didn't stop until I was safely past the Fairbanks traffic.  Nerve-racking, I felt like I did when I first passed my driving test - ridiculous!

Once past Fairbanks I stopped off for coffee, at a pool-house I think it was.  I had to really concentrate to understand what the man was saying, he had such a strong accent of some sort, but the woman was ok.  They were pleasant, if a little strange – the dog was nice! Apart from roadworks before Healy it was a pleasant, if unmemorable, drive down.  

I missed the turnoff for Earthsong Lodge so turned round in Healy (Healy = no more than a dozen buildings that I could see, perhaps I wasn’t looking hard enough).  The Lodge is about a 4 mile climb off the main road at the end of the 'blacktop’, above the tree line and looking over open tundra towards Denali National Park.  I risked a drive 4 miles further on down rough track for a view of Mount McKinley but it was too misty.  I did stop and get out though.  Just stood enjoying the wind, the solitude and the wilderness scenery.

Jon and Karin, the owners, were there with their daughter Sera (Seraphin), who had come up for a few days; a 27 year-old with ambitions to be a forensic pathologist.  I passed on Mary Shields' regards.  She’d asked me to when she knew I was going to be staying there, and also to ask if they had any puppies at the moment.  

I went for two dried up pork chops in Healy then back to Earthsong where I spent a very enjoyable evening in the main Lodge with the family.  Apart from a few arts and crafts in one area the whole of the front of the lodge is their living room with comfy sofas, a wide view, and it is open to the visitors from 8:00am to 10:00 pm.  Karin, Sara and I sat around the dining table drinking tea and swapping stories.  They told me how they came to be there.  Karin was alone with the three children when she met Jon and moved up from the lower 48 to be with him.  They had a small cabin two miles further back in the wilderness from where they are now.  The children had a long walk to the road for the school bus and Karin used to watch through binoculars to make sure they didn't come to any grief from bears and the like.  Sera is the middle child and all three have stayed in Alaska.  Theirs is a lovely story and one Karin has written up and put in a book.  In my turn I told them about my travels and promised to send them photos of the Orient Express and the Egyptian pyramids when I get back.

Jon was sitting on one of the sofas with his leg up, he’d just had an operation on his foot and was feeling rather sore.  He should have had it done before but wanted it to be at their quietist time of year.  I wondered about the wisdom of the tall, sloping roof and big windows when it can get so cold.  Jon said they need the tall roof especially because the place can seem too small in the winter months otherwise.  The windows are triple glazed and although there is only a small heater the ceiling fan circulates the warm air efficiently.  They also have a woodburner in case the power goes off.  

I bought Jon’s book but forgot to ask him to sign it, then off to my cabin for bed.

Close to the main lodge are a series of wood cabins, each decorated out front with a different theme, mine with sled dog booties.  Yes, they get booties in certain circumstances that escape me just now.  The cabin is raised off the ground to protect the permafrost and has very small but extremely efficient heaters.  With the tremendous insulation they are enough to keep the cabins cosy even when it's -40 degrees, which is not right now I hasten to add.  At first it felt like a sauna but I eventually got it turned down to a rosy warmth.  The cabin is beautifully appointed with homemade crafts, patchwork quilt, pictures etc.  There is just room for the double bed, small sofa and coffee table.  The en-suite was locked off as it is too early in the year to turn the plumbing back on (in case of it freezing over).  Only a few steps outside to the cosy winter shower and toilet facilities though, which I have to myself, as I am the only person staying.

I stretched out on the sofa for a while writing my journal listening to the wind howling in off the tundra.  Later I snuggled up in bed, lulled by the wind and the sound of the wind chimes from the main Lodge, gently drifting off to sleep.

Next morning Jon and Karin had gone to a meeting and Sera introduced me to their sled dogs.  Last night Jon had told me a lot of people are breeding sled dogs smaller now.  He and Mary Shields are two of the few who prefer the bigger dogs, who are better for their purpose – full of stamina rather than speed.  He is always looking to breed them with Mary’s.  They have puppies at the moment and they are gorgeous.  The bitch let me cuddle one and she was quite happy so long as she could see it.  Litters have name themes; e.g. Geordi, Worf etc, or Pooh and Tigger.  They also have a black Labrador who was shy but friendly.  Sera made me laugh trying to get the dogs to howl along with her, I’d heard them last night but they were more interested in enjoying the unexpected entertainment of her howling than joining in this morning.

I wished I wasn’t leaving today, it was wonderful here.  The only drawback being no public transport if you haven’t got your own car and no decent place to eat close by.  They’ve built a place next door, called Henry’s, that will open up this summer for the first time but nothing as yet.