Welcome to Rich Hudgins N5ALE Web Page

2015 August 01

   I had a bald eagle fly along the cliff today so I got a shot of him.



2015 August 02
  Church and rest all day.

2015 August 03
  On the move again from Homer back to Elemendorf AFB.   On the way I was treated to the rare sighting of the Alaskan yellow construction flagger.  These only come out in the construction season as Winter is to cold for their short yellow fur. 





This is a female of the species but the males are even rarer and can be found in a verity of colors and fur lengths.  They all seem to occupy the narrow range of asphalt that runs through out the state.  Their trails are marked by these odd orange and white cone shaped objects.  The purpose of these objects is unclear at this time but if you run over one or more the Alaskan flagger may become very irate so they must have some connection to the food cycle.



Ok, Ok, just kidding these folks have a pretty thankless job but at least they have one hell of an office.

2015 August 4 Tuesday

  I have to get the oil changed in the truck So far I have changed it in Dawson Creek and now in Anchorage with a total of close to 7000 miles on the truck.  I have a spot in the family camp on Elmandorf AFB for a couple of days and then on to Valdez.

For an old Air Force guy like me it is such a treat to sit in the Family Camp and eat steak and listen to the F22's , C17's, and the occasional Navy Harrier fly right over our heads to land.  The F22's Howl like a Wolf after they pass you which only makes them seem more special. 

They even have the newest stealth fighter flying in.





Not a good shot I admit but it pretty neat................

Well maybe I shouldn't have had that last glass of wine..

At this point I think I should note some of the fine people I have meet on this trip.  I am not good with name's so in a complete laps of thought I forgot to get their names but they were from Iowa and on an RV trip of Alaska.  I meet them on the beach at Seward and then I left a day before they did and went to Homer and what do you know they showed up at the cliff side RV park I was at in Homer. After a day on the Spit [tiny little bit of land that extends out into the bay] they returned to the cliff side RV park.  Wonderful couple who left me with their extra food as they had to fly back to Iowa the next day, so that is how I ended up with the Real Butter, potatoes, and the urge to broil a steak over charcoal.   A long story to get to the tasty part but well worth it. 
Tomorrow on my way to Valdez


2015 August 5
  Well I didnt make it to Valdez I got about 70 miles northeast of Anchorage at the Matanuska Glacier. 

The Glenn hiway is an old hiway that winds and turns through the mountains.




Past rivers and creeks...  When I got to the Glacier I knew this was the place for me to spend the night.  It was a mile and a half to the visiter center down a dirt road and another two miles to the camp sites non of it improved. 



But it was worth it



Tomorrow GlennAllen maybe.
2015 August 6 
   Made it out of the Glacier park [there was a real steep rock road to get back to the Hiway] .  The drive to Valdez was very pretty and pretty much uneventful and  I did pass through Glenna llen [Fran up  here its spelled a little different but we know the right way to spell it, and pronounce it don't we].  I am in the city park near the Valdez glacier,  and  suffered the first breakdown of the trip so far.  As I was starting up at Safeway the alternator light came on and went off several times then just stoped charging.  The Lord is looking out for me that could have happened on the drive down and then I would not have been able to get to the Napa auto parts store and buy a new one.

A little closer look at the glacier



Its been some time since one of those shameless selfees.  This is front of the Valdez Glacier near my camp.  As you can see it has retreated so distance into the mountains.



And last but not least My Mechanic  That will help me change the alternator tomorrow , at least thats what he said he would do.  Maybe he will just give well intentioned advice. [grin]



tomorrow The great mechanical mystery's of the truck......
2015 August 7 Valdez
    Well my mechanic was right it was easy to change the alternator.  The hardest part was getting the damn connector on top of the alternator off so I could change the alternator.   All is well now and its time to explore Valdez....  Well thats it, it takes about an hour to explore all of Valdez, but I found the only real Radio shack in Alaska and guess what its owned by a HAM.  I found  it by looking at the antennas on top of the store.  I will have pictures tomorrow.  Nothing much except the truck to report today, its a fooling with the truck friday I guess.

2015  August 8 Saturday Valdez
    The sky was gray and overcast as another weekend played out.  Well thats how my only attempt a writing would have started.  But is is gray and over cast today and the public Gun range about a quarter of a mile from us is back  in full swing today like it was yesterday evening.  As a Texan I am proud of our gun rights including the cannons that were going off yesterday and have resumed today.  There were also several of what sounded like full auto rock and roll clip buster  rounds.
Just resting and getting ready for the wienie roast tonight wow two wienies but thats about all I need these days. Tomorrow is Church and Monday I start back home Slowly ooo so slowly.  This is a picture of one of the Trailers at the little park I am in.  It looks like a fine small house for someone who has to move every once in a while.



And I found that the Bald eagles have a nest in the park, but I havent seen any of them.





Well maybe tomorrow.
2015 August 9 Sunday
Well no Bald eagles, because its raining a nice steady rain.  The first rain I have come across since I have been in Alaska.  Most of the time it just mists and that is it, but this time near the coast its really raining like you and I know it.  So nice to sit at the computer in the trailer and listen to it rain.  I have found something out about Alaska, there are no radio signals here  on the VHF UHF bands at all not even the CB is active here.  I have talked to other Travlers and they confirm my observations.  No nada nothing not even much traffic on the marine bands and so close to the water here.  So far this evening  I have come to the conclusion that I should have installed the HF radio and not the VHF radio in the trailer with its antennas mounted on the trailer as that is all that is operating in  Alaska. I seem destined to be at the end of what ever runway that is near where ever I am and not to fear that is the clear case here in Valdez as well but Today is Sunday and rainy as well so no traffic from the air strip at all.  At mass today the Father asked for visitors which seems to be a pretty common thing here and about thiry percent of the people were from the lower 48 and visiting.  Valdez is one of the nicesest little towns that I have visited so far, The largest would be Fairbanks but of the two I like Valdez the most.

2015 August 10
Well its time to start leaving Alaska.  I will take the Tok Bypass and save some time and miles.  It rained all night and not just that usual slow drip, so this morning It was wet and cold when I stoped at the dump station before leaving Valdez. 



While driving the Tok cutoff I found that the best speed was a bout fourty miles per hour as most of the road was a roller coaster of asphalt and gravel.  Some of the highway was new and a good road.



Its hard to tell from this photo but about every twenty feet the road gives a little undulation and its just enought to through every thing in the trailer and truck all over the place.  Last night in Alaska I am at the Sourdough RV campsite outside of TOK.  Tomorrow Canada..

2015 August 11 back in Canada
    Canada has this stretch of Alaska highway that extends for sixty or seventy kilometers that is the worst road on the entire trip.    But they also have some of the most beautiful land scape ever seen. 



As a traveler through Canada you get to see some pretty odd sights some of which are man made.



What the hell is that?  It looks like it should sprout a cannon from the top of the vehicle.   I don't know what it is but I like it, if  I was to want a single vehicle that would be it.  Sorry now update from here as there is no wireless at all here nada no nyet nothing.  I stopped by a lake just past destruction bay and this is the view from the lake edge.



Tomorrow I move south again but slowly oooo so slowly.  Danielle told my that the temperature at home is still 98 so I will try to make it home  some time this year.......

2015 August 12
    It rained last night and I think I am coming home at about the right time as the Picture below shows Snow on the mountain tops that was not there yesterday.


 
Tomorrow the Cassiar Hiway new wonderful road that I have been told by one of the locals that ALL the road work has been done and finished so its a clean smooth hiway....  Well lets hope anyway.  I am not sure where this will lead but hopefully not to the crusher on Hiways from Hell tv show.  There may be a two or three day delay in updates as this hiway has even less than any of the others do in the way of services....

2015 August 13
   Started down the Cassiar highway this morning after some friendly advice to fill all my Gas tanks before I left the RV Park.  Its 140 miles to the next gas station.  The road is a one and a half lane asphalt twisty windy up and down [what I wouldn't give for a motorcycle] .  But I didnt hit any gravel until after Deese Lake and it so far has only been four or five Kilometers so not so bad. 





I also saw a red Fox I think as he didnt have much intrest in posing for my camera



After having lunch by a stream  on the side of the road



I stopped at a little BC Regional Camp ground on Morchucha Lake south of Deese Lake about twenty miles.   All there was was this little wooden sign by the road and the gps had a point of  interest for it.   There was a narrow forest trail of gravel that went back in the woods so I followed it and ended up by the little lake.  When I got here there were two guys in a Toyota four wheel drive that went fishing in the lake, but after three or four hours they loaded up and left.  Now I am the only on in this park to spend the night.


This is the view from my Trailer




Tomorrow on ward and upward. 
Ps there is no Cell coverage or wifi or ANYTHING here.
Well as the evening has progressed there has been a young couple from bc in  compact car with a canoe on top and two motorcycle riders pull in and setup camp.  still very quiet. 
2015 August 14
    It was 46 inside the trailer this morning and there was ICE on the windshield.  Got started early and was on the road by 6:45, a nice quiet drive for several hours until the Bubba Busses[you know the super turbo charged Diesel RV coaches ] woke up and got on the road about 09:00.  The road just crys for driving slow and I was doing just that and enjoying it very much.  I did run into some construction I know that is so unusual here up north.  The gravel lasted for ten kilometers [about 7 miles] and was very dusty.



There were still very beautiful views along the way including several Black bears that ambled across the road from time to time.




When I got to the Cassiar RV park the owner told me about a salmon counting station about a klick down this little dirt path behind the office so a friend [AL ] that I meet in the slot next to me and I went down to look at it and see the salmon being counted.



This is the clearest picture I got, but there were thousands of salmon in the stream.  They erect a fish barrier and have a little slot at one end that has a gate on each end of the slot, then someone sits over the slot and opens the downstream gate and lets in five to ten fish counts them on a hand held mechanical counter [ six different buttons for the differnt kinds of salmon] and then opens the upstream gate to let them out and starts over again.   Very slow and tedious I would think. Tomorrow I head for Prince George and see where I go from there.

2015 August 15
   Left at 08:00 this morning and headed for Prince George.  Stopped for a sandwich at a nice rest stop in the valley and got this picture.  How would you like to live in a place like this?  It seems idealic to me.  Thats a Hay field which began to pop up along the side of the road from time to time and now and then a few cows. 



For all those fishermen and fisherwomen out there this is the biggist fly fishing rod in the World, and its found in of all Places   drum roll  please........  Houston BC.



Not to be out done the insects of the world struck back and assalted me with a Dragon fly  or Mosquito hawk .  It came in through the open window and smacked me right in the  head.  Poor thing was knocked senseless for about thirty minutes and then tried to get out by buzzing around inside the cab of the truck untill he landed on the door by the driver and I  got this shot.



He bailed out shortly after that.
2015 August 16 Sunday

Stayed in Hixon BC Saturday and Sunday nights and went to church  Sunday  Had a World Famous Hixon Burger Sunday for lunch from the Hixon burger joint right next to  the Hardware/liquor store/grocery/DVD rentals /Gas station store...



The land changed after that into a more open type of landscape.






Then went back to a valley and river sort of landscape. O did i forget to mention I WAS ON THE HIWAY FROM HELL THE COK....



Its three lanes both ways and its smoooooth and fast.  perfect for wrecks. I ended up at Allison Lake municipal rec site.  A very beautiful camp ground near the lake.



One of the small critters there at Allison Lake that harvest the small berry's on the bush's there.



2015 August 18

Well I am back after two days of travel.  I left Lake Allison BC Tuesday morning bright and early and headed for the border with the U.S..  On the way the valley widened out and that part of BC is Wine country as well as every kind of fruit you can imagine.

I crossed at Midway BC, a little town with a very good dinner.  After I crossed the GPS sent me right into the fires that were raging in Washington, so I had to back track and head further south on the Crows nest High way.  Which is  a very twisty and  mountious  highway.

The smoke started  to get bad from there on and even covered Spokane and south.  Here you can see the first indication I got that fire was working in the area.

Well this says it all in a nutshell.  Today



Today is going to be a short day I think because yesterday was so long.  I stoped in Mundo Idaho a little spot town in name only I think but about two miles off highway 95 located in the middle of the farm belt with nothing but field all around very quiet. It has a nice wind blowing as I sit under the shade of a large tree and enjoy a beer.  I may stay here for a couple of days so I can dry out and warm up some from Canada.  The pool opens at four Pm with the Bistro at the same time they have a hot spring pool and even rent swimming trunks....... 



2015 August 20 Thursday
   Not much to say today the sun came up and because of the smoke it was red and angry.



The wind has been steady all day from the west and its hot but dry.  So what do you do on days like that well funny you should ask..



Tomorrow on the road again down to salt lake or there abouts.
2015 August 21
 On  the road at 07:00 and off further South.  Before I get to far away I wanted to show you the morning sun with all the haze in the air.




The next picture is one that I am not proud of but everyone who know me will immediately understand.



Believe it or not thats a piss ant vespa  scooter that  PASSED me on the hiway........  Yes I do drive slow but that is an insult.

 
Some place in the picture above you can see the mountains in the distance through the smoke from the fires in California.  Who says California only exports communist propaganda and trashy movies.
Tomorrow hopefully cooler temperatures and less smoke in the mountains of Colorado..

2015 August 22

A day like any other day as it started out, but lo I say unto you a come to Jesus moment  was in the offing, more later.   First a look at the wide open spaces that are part of southern Utah.  It would have been better without the haze  but that cant be helped.



Both of these shot were taken on hiway 6 east of Salt lake city.  Vast open desert with no services or water [cant you hear music in the back ground playing WATER ] but very good highway.




And then and THEN  and THEN



BOOM the clutch master cylinder housing just craped out, broke, busted, no clutch nohow.  Nice place for it to happen right near a fine small city after highway six joined highway 70.  It could have happened anywhere as I was constantly using the clutch uphill and down hill all the way.  I thank the Lord Jesus for my fortune in having it break where it did. Thanks to coach net for the towing and the yellow pages lookups for Mechanics and RV parks [phone numbers so I could call].  So now I am at the KOA in Green River and have made arrangements with some local mechanics to come and replace the master cylinder.   In the mean time I am enjoying the local food and getting some rest. 
Francine I may not get to the Colorado RV site until middle of the week but I will get there.

2015 August 23 Sunday
  The local mechanics from Desert Mechanical showed up after lunch today and brought the master cylinder but after looking the whole clutch peddle assembley was broken at the firewall  so they took it out and went to see about getting another one.  Maybe tomorrow it will be fixed.



You will notice that there is supposed to be another peddle there but its gone now. 



The nice thing is they came to me and I can keep my truck with me, instead of letting it sit someplace in a yard.
   I have been taking advantage of the down time to read and have dinner at a local restaurant [The Tamarisk Restaurant] that is within walking distance of the KOA and have enjoyed several  very good meals there.  So if you are ever broke down in Green River Utah be sure to stop at the Tamarisk Restaurant and have a good meal.



PS it got up to 107 degrees F to day in the shade but its a dry heat.  Thank goodness for Air conditioning.

2015 August 25
  Well how disappointing they ordered the part and the dealer [you have to go to the dealer for this part of course] sent the wrong one, so not today and hopefully tomorrow. Well into each life some rain must fall or in this case the sprinklers are going full tilt around the trailer and its not hot at all so far.  The forecast says rain tomorrow so I may see it rain here before I get back on the road.  O well what to have for dinner ?

2015 August 26
  Happy birthday Margaret I love you and hope you have a great day.   The truck is fixed, the right part finally came in from the Dealer and the guys from Desert Mechanical popped it right in and away we go.  I wont leave Green River until tomorrow morning but I want to say that the people  here in Green River have all been very helpful and nice.  If you get by here in an RV or tent please stop at the KOA here they are good folks.  Tomorrow off to Gunnison Colorado for a week or so.

2015 August 27
    Got underway at about 07:00 slow and steady into Colorado and near Gunnison.  Meet my sister and her friends and we then went to shoot moose..  OK so its with a camera and not a gun but then you dont shoot females with young.



While we were there looking for more Moose to shoot [ looking for Dad] I got some real pretty sunset shots.






We never did see Dad but then we can look again some times.
2015 August 26
  We went on a four wheeler ride today up into the mountains surrounding the camp site.  The RV park is at 9,500 feet so the mountains are some what higher maybe 10,500 or so.  This picture is from a nice open spot on the ATV trail and shows the valley and mountains beyond. 



The ATV is the red one



This thing can climb a vertical wall and we did some of that today.  It will also beat the tar out of you so I wont have any problem getting to sleep tonight.  We passed an old miners cabin built on the mountain many years ago and stopped to look it over.  Thats my sister Francine.




I have no idea what is in store for tomorrow.

2015 August 29
  Thirty four on my electronic temp gauge.  I'm not sure I believe it, but it is cold and frosty this morning.  Yes its right and it got colder because there was Ice on the picnic table.  Well today I decided to drive over Cottonwood Pass on the way over the mountains.  I have all Wild life photos today, snaking through the trees on a dirt road up and over the mountains.



Big Bull Moose just having an early lunch and he didnt mind the eight or nine car loads of people that stopped to take his picture.




Now how the devil did that guy get in here? 



Small faun that was part of a larger group of females and males that just crossed the road and slipped into the woods.

2015 August 30 Sunday
  Thirty three degrees this morning so it wasnt a fluke.  Road trip today to Fairplay Colorado.   Its about thirty five miles east over the mountains and thirty miles north on hiway 24.  On the way over cotton wood pass again we saw some more deer and the Bull Moose again.



Doesn't He just beg for a cross hair centered on his chest.  O well we also went past the meadows that had the stage stop between Tincup and Buena Vista.  I cant imagine making that trip in a stage but I can see why they would need to change the horses, they would have to be very tired.




2015 August 31 Monday
  We picked up an ATV rental here at the RV camp site and went on a long trip to several of the perfect citys that I could live in with no problem at all.  We took the road through Tin cup to Pitkin Colorado and I found the perfect city to live in.  Not that I will but it is the perfect ciy it very small and everyone is friendly and it at least twenty miles of dirt road to get there[ keeps out the rifraf]...
We went from there to the Alpine Tunnel the train that used to connect Buena Vista and Gunnison from 1880 to 1910.  Below you can see some of the road bed that the train used to run on and now see heavy traffic in Colorado.

This is the blocked tunnel entrance that the trains used to come through to get to Gunnison. If you look at the upper left blocks of the tunnel you can see some of the present users of the tunnel.





I don't know what he is but he is very fast and watchful.  I will include a short video of the ride down from the tunnel.  keep in mind that this is at an altitude of 12,000 feet and the drop off the side of the road is from five hundred feet to several thousand feet.  The road bed that we rode on was once the train track so you can get an idea of the thrills awaiting anyone who took the train to Gunnison.

On the edge of infinity.....