Where Do You Think You Are?

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It started, as so many of Mike’s projects do, with a problem to solve.

He’d noticed that on breezy nights, Bearcruzer has a tendency to swing around her anchor line and make enough noise to interrupt a good night’s sleep. Solution: an anchor snubber bridle, rigged from what we had on hand. It worked well enough, but Mike being Mike, he immediately identified the one thing that would make it work better. “What we really need is a shackle. Let’s pick one up before we leave town — we should be able to find one at the marina when we refuel.”

Reasonable assumption. As it turned out, a bit optimistic.

But first, a lovely morning neighborhood walk, breakfast aboard Bearcruzer, and the important business of dressing Sierra in her very fashionable lifejacket. With the crew properly outfitted and fed, we made our way to Devils Gap Marina to top off the fuel tanks before leaving the comforts of civilization and heading out into the wilds of Lake of the Woods.

Refueling Bearcruzer is its own little production. It begins with a slow approach, binoculars raised, scanning the docks to figure out where the fuel actually is. Then comes the wind assessment, the bumper decision, the dock line strategy — and then my personal favorite part: the delicate dance of getting myself, the bumpers, and the lines all the way around the narrow gunwale and into position before we arrive. It is a choreographed routine at this point, and I will say we are getting better at it.

While the dock attendant topped off our tanks, Mike and I headed up to the marina store in search of the shackle. The store turned out to be more convenience store than marine outfitter — snacks, sundries, a healthy selection of fishing lures — but hardware? Slim pickings. We asked the person behind the counter if they had any shackles.

A blank stare.

“What’s a shackle?”

We explained. A shackle is a U-shaped metal fastener with a pin across the opening, used to connect lines and fittings — in this case, to complete Mike’s anchor snubber bridle.

Another pause.

“What’s a snubber?”

And there it was. The moment it became completely clear that we are not in coastal cruising territory anymore. Lake of the Woods has over 65,000 miles of shoreline when you count its 14,000-plus islands and the surrounding mainland. It is a vast, magnificent, fish-filled wilderness. It is not, however, a place where the marina store stocks shackles — or where anyone particularly needs one.

We thanked them, smiled, and headed back to the boat. We’ll make do with what we have.

As Mike’s hat says: Among the Wild.

A Stop in the Town of Kenora

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Leaving “Marty’s” anchorage was harder than we expected. There’s something about a place that greets you with butterflies and Bald Eagles that makes the anchor feel heavier when it’s time to go. But explore we must, and besides, Canada wouldn’t allow us to bring in any fresh fruits and vegetables, so onward to Kenora it was.

We followed the main route northeast for about 22 miles at our usual fuel-conserving trawler pace of 7 to 8 mph, and we’ve been leaning heavily on the Canadian Series Detailed Lake Maps published by Fishing Hot Spots to find our way. Lake of the Woods is enormous — the sixth largest lake in the USA after the Great Lakes, as our CBP officer reminded us — with so many islands and channels that route planning without a good paper chart feels like a fool’s errand. We use the maps to get the big picture and plot our course, then trust the GPS to keep us honest on the way there. Highly recommend them to anyone cruising these waters.

Kenora turned out to be a genuine little Town, a welcome sight after days in the wilderness. We tied up at the public dock and explored the area closest to the waterfront before making the walk to the local Safeway to restock on fruits, vegetables, and a little wine and beer for evening happy hours at anchor. There are smaller docks right next to the Safeway for boaters who want to arrive by dinghy, but after a full day of cruising, it felt good to just walk, bags and backpack in hand, stretching our legs on solid ground like regular people.

With the provisioning done, we checked the charts and found a well-protected anchorage just northwest of town in Keewatin Bay. We settled in alongside a moored houseboat and an older yacht, neither of them occupied, which suited us fine. And then we noticed it: sitting out in the middle of the bay, moored to nothing in particular, was a floating swim platform — with a hot tub on it. We did not investigate whether it was operational. Some mysteries are better left unsolved.

That evening, we took Sierra ashore along what turned out to be a snowmobile trail, which wound through the woods and eventually delivered us to a set of railroad tracks — and two very startled white-tailed deer who clearly had not expected company. Back at the boat, we spent the next solid hour doing what every dog owner in tick country learns to do: brushing Sierra out completely and conducting a full tick check on each other. It has become as much a part of our anchoring routine as setting the hook. Unglamorous? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.

The next morning, I decided Sierra deserved a gentler outing. I loaded her into the dinghy and motored over to the small community of Keewatin, where we walked along proper sidewalks through a beautifully manicured Beatty Park. No snowmobile trails, no railroad tracks, no deer, and — fingers crossed — no ticks. She trotted along happily, and honestly, so did I. The wilderness is magnificent, but sometimes a well-kept park and a flat sidewalk are exactly what the crew needs.

North to Canada

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We said a fond goodbye to Bobbies Bay on Oak Island, grateful for the shelter it had given us and the muddy little hike through the woods to Sunset Resort that Sierra had thoroughly enjoyed. With the anchor up and the bow pointed northwest, we set our sights on the NW Angle — the northernmost point of the contiguous United States — and whatever lay beyond it.

One thing we’re learning out here is that “marina” means something different on Lake of the Woods. Forget the fixed docks and ship’s stores we know from the coast or the Caribbean. Out here, the boats are small fishing rigs, and Bearcruzer qualifies as a large vessel. We pulled cautiously through the shallow entrance of Youngs Bay Marina and eased onto their fuel dock — Mike’s captaining skills on full display — topped off our tanks, snapped a few photos, and then did something we’d never done before: checked into Canada via a white handheld phone mounted on a booth near the dock. No appointment, no border crossing, no lineup. Just pick up the receiver, follow the CBP officer’s instructions, and answer a few questions. When they asked how long we planned to be in Canadian waters, we said at least a couple of weeks. The officer paused and said, “How about 21 days?” Being the sixth largest lake in the US after the Great Lakes, he probably knew better than we did. We took the 21 days.

Just north of Youngs Bay, we made our way around Magnuson Island to get a look at Fort St. Charles — a re-erected French fur trading post from 1732 that served as a vital base for western exploration. We really wanted to go ashore and poke around, but the wind was blowing hard out of the northwest and straight onshore. The fort wasn’t going anywhere, but Bearcruzer might have, so we settled for photos from the water and pointed ourselves further north in search of a calm anchorage for the night.

The further north we traveled, the more dramatic the landscape became. Lake of the Woods was carved by glaciers, and it shows — granite island outcrops rise straight out of the water, draped in dense moss, ferns, and lichen, with a remarkable mix of southern hardwoods and boreal forest growing right down to the shoreline. It feels ancient out here, in the best possible way.

Following the main track north toward Kenora, we passed Cochrane Island and noticed a small, unnamed island tucked beside it, with a calm patch of water between them and a little beach just big enough for Sierra to stretch her legs. We dropped anchor and barely had time to set it before we spotted them: a pair of Bald Eagles perched in a dead tree directly overlooking our anchorage, keeping a watchful eye on the new arrivals.

Then came the butterflies and dragonflies across the bow — always a welcome blessing.

We dinghied ashore and walked the little beach with Sierra, and as if the eagles weren’t gift enough, we found a couple of fishing lures along the water’s edge. That evening we sat in the cockpit and watched as the eagles weathered a noisy bombardment from the neighboring crows with complete dignity, and brought food in to their nestling as the light faded. Their calls echoed across the water long after dark.

We thought of Dad. He would have loved every minute of this — the eagles, the wilderness, the quiet. He is soaring with them now, above this little bit of heaven on earth.

Miss you, Pops.

Arlo Martin Sperry Jr 9/27/37 – 03/06/26

Into the Unknown: Where the Fish Boats Outnumber Us 100 to 1

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If you want to feel like a celebrity, here’s a tip: bring a cabin cruiser to a lake where everybody else fishes out of a 16-foot aluminum boat. Our launch from the Warroad City Boat Launch went smoothly, just a little dragging of the trailer over the launch to keep us humble. But the inspector at the ramp told us flat out he’d never seen a boat quite like ours come through there. We’d pictured sharing Lake of the Woods with other pleasure boats like Bearcruzer. Instead, we’ve gotten a steady stream of stares, questions, and what we’re choosing to interpret as friendly curiosity from the campground regulars. We were even presented with some fresh fish on Thursday night….since we hadn’t had the chance to catch our own yet, and he didn’t want us to miss a Friday fish fry.!!! We shared it with my Dad…as it was always his favorite!!! Our plan now is simple: explore respectfully and toss a line in here and there so the local fishermen know we come in peace.

Our first real test came fast. The channel leaving Warroad was skinny; we are still getting to know Bearcruzer, so when shallow water alarms sound, it’s all hands on deck to make certain we are not about to sink or run aground. We trimmed the engine and proceeded slowly till we were in deeper water. Crisis averted. We’d read about Garden Island on the US side of the border and pointed Bearcruzer thirty miles north to check it out. The wind was out of the west and built the lake into a steady three-foot chop the whole way up, enough to keep us both gripping the helm as the waves splashed over the bow, and we kept watch on Sierra, decked out in her new life jacket, bracing against the rocking. We were hoping for the calm serenity of a Garden Island. Instead, we found the waves wrapping clean around the island, turning the main anchorage into something closer to a washing machine than a place to spend the night. No, thank you!

So we pulled out the charts, made the call, and turned northwest toward Oak Island and a spot called Bobbies Bay, hoping the geography would cut us a break from the wind and waves and allow us a calm anchorage to hide in till Mother Nature was done rearranging the upstairs furniture. We tucked in just northwest of Hennum’s Oak Island Lodge and found exactly what we needed: flat water, a handful of cabins along the shore, and a couple of fishing lodges keeping watch over the bay. We stayed two nights. Aleshia served us a wonderful Breakfast Saturday morning at the lodge restaurant, and invited us to return later that evening for live music. As we arrived that evening, the inflatable floor of our dinghy began hissing at us and getting very squishy. She should still get us back to the boat, we’ll deal with it tomorrow. We went on to enjoy some classic country music and easy conversation with the local fishermen before limping back to Bearcruzer. Mike found that the valve cover on the underside of the dinghy floor had not been closed properly. An easy fix…thank goodness.

Between enjoying a meal and entertainment at Hennum’s, we took Sierra exploring the forest roads connecting the lodges on each side of the island, mud and all, where we found evidence of both bear and hearty pioneers. Which brings us to an important seasonal discovery: we have arrived at peak mosquito and tick season. Lucky us. Every hike now ends the same way, full-body brushdowns for Sierra and a thorough tick check for both of us, conducted with the seriousness of airport security. Worth it. Mostly.

Wildlife Scorecard so far: 1 turtle, 2beaver (tail-slap victorious), 2 Loons (not us), numerous White Pelicans, countless mosquitoes & ticks (I think we are losing this fight)

Sometimes the weather likes to test us!

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Our first day on the road, we were met with rain and winds from just east of Denver all the way to Ogallala, NE, where we stopped at Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area for the night.   We opted for the West side Campground as it was less crowded, and we had our choice of beautiful Lakeside Pull-Through Camp spots where Mike proceeded to check and tighten any loose bolts on the trailer. After giving Sierra a much-deserved walk, we settled in for a beautiful sunset followed by an amazing lightning storm.

To clarify our camping situation.  We are staying on the boat on the trailer while traveling.  It is set up to provide us a warm, dry place to sleep, eat, and get out of the weather.  Sierra even has her own little cubby.   While on the trailer, we use a step ladder to get on and off, and Sierra now waits for us to lift her on and off after she learned the hard way about boat-to-ground distances…she is OK.

Our 2nd day driving we were still challenged with both wind and a little rain but made it just outside of Nunda SD where we experienced the very best of what Harvest Hosts is all about thanks to our hosts George and Linda Fenwick — the private tour of the Waterfowl Production Areas, dinner at the Nunda Bar & Grill (rated 4.8 stars, by the way — clearly a gem), souvenir t-shirts, and a storm shelter offer during a tornado watch. That’s hospitality you don’t forget.  Linda’s elective collection of yard art along her walking paths made exploring their property fun.  It was a pleasure spending time together.

On our 3rd day, we pulled a 12-hour drive day with rain again and several detours.  We arrived in Baudette, MN. While exploring our choices for boat launches and a place to leave the truck and trailer, Sierra met a western painted turtle and saw her first beaver at Zipple Bay State Park She was enthralled and wanted to swim after it but it slapped its tail and dove under the water.  Nothing quite like a tail slap to establish the pecking order!

We pulled into Warroad City Campground around 8:00pm and found one of their larger camping spots with electricity available. With the wind still out of the NW at 18 – 20mph with rain expected, we settled in for a couple of days.   We talked to the ranger the next morning and were told it would be no problem leaving the truck and trailer.  The Campground itself is extensive with many of the long-term campers looking like they have been handed down through generations.   After 2 nights at the campground we decided we could wait no longer, so with the wind and waves finally letting up a little we readied Bearcruzer for her aventure onto Lake of the Woods. We felt secure knowing this boat was built to handle wind and waves.   With over 14,500 islands straddling the US/Canada border there is no shortage of places to explore….so where to now?    Come along and find out!

The Adventure Begins – Again…

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Well, we thought we were done with boats — but our hearts said otherwise. As much as we love being armchair sailors watching other people’s adventures on YouTube, we wanted to be out on the water ourselves again. Just one more boat adventure, while we still have the drive and mental capacity (sort of — after all, we did buy a boat!) to make our adventure dreams come true before the challenges of aging rob us of our abilities.

After lots of research and recommendations from friends and family, we shopped around and made a trip to the Pacific Northwest to find our boat. The adventure began almost immediately: the weather during our search was complicated by flooding in and around Seattle, WA, due to an atmospheric river that had us taking numerous detours to avoid flooded roads. We stopped off at the Ranger Tug factory and were given an impromptu tour. Thanks Guys! We walked quite a few docks and were shown a number of both Cutwater and Ranger Tug boats, and finally found our boat in Tacoma, WA. A 2023 25ft Ranger Tug with only 23 hours on her Yamaha 250, — and since she didn’t have a name yet, we’re calling her … what else, BEARCRUZER. We even designed a logo for her and my amazing brother sent us the Vinyl Decal to complete her outfit! Thanks Jamie!!!!

Making our dream a reality didn’t come without a few snags. When we arrived to take ownership of the boat we found that there had been a problem with electricity on the slip she was plugged into and we had to replace the house batteries, lucky for me, I know a great electrician!!! We were also in a pickle because she didn’t come with a trailer, so we had to find someone who could build us one so we could take her home to Colorado. That, in itself, was an endeavor — but the folks at King Salmon Marine came through for us. We hauled her home over mountain passes, through snowstorms & detours, but made it safely, and she fits perfectly under our carport.

The last few months we’ve spent learning her systems and adding a few necessities for longer trips. We bought a Sport Boats Dolphin inflatable dinghy and a small Hangkai motor to get to shore when we are anchored out. We took her over to Navajo Reservoir and practiced loading and unloading her onto her trailer… a new experience for us. We got a lesson in how to keep our boat and engine free of freshwater Quagga/Zebra mussles, which cause major problems throughout much of the US. Continued watching numerous videos to decide what are 1st big trip might be, and decided……Lake of the Woods on the Border between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. With over 14,000 islands and designation as the Walleye capital of the world, we are headed your way. Will will spend a few weeks exploring & fishing, and then head over to Wisconsin to visit the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. Stay tuned!

Totems and Waterfalls

Totems and Waterfalls

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08/29 – 08/30/19 Towards the end of the Cassier Hwy we came across the town of Gitwangak or Kitwanga on the Map. It is the home of some of the oldest Totem Poles in Canada. These amazing carvings represent the different indigenous clans. We also stopped at a place called battle hill where Chief Nekt built a fortified village on top of this hill and would defend it by rolling spiked logs down on his enemies. We climbed the hill and were amazed at how many people were said to have lived in this village a the top of the hill as it did not seem that large. We drove on and finally made it to the end of the Cassier Hwy and found our way to a beautiful free campspot at Twin Falls Recreation Site outside of Smithers BC. This little area had beautiful trails and 4 level campsites with fire rings. We thought of our little caravan and how much Jim, Jackie, & Bob would have loved this site. We hiked up to the overlook of the falls and enjoyed a wonderful Scallop dinner cooked on the coals of the fire.

Skagway to Hyder

Skagway to Hyder

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08/26 – 08/29/2019 We purchased passage on the ferry from Haines to Skagway in order to avoid having to backtrack. You know we couldn’t go on a trip without getting on the water at least once. While waiting in line for the ferry to begin loading the vehicles, I took Sierra for a last walk and ended up having to run to catch up with the Camper as it was pulling onto the ferry. We locked Sierra in the Camper and made our way up on deck. The ferry has cabins, showers, a café, numerous seating areas inside and out. There was a large solarium where many people gathered on lounge chairs and some folks even pitch tents on the deck using duct tape to secure them. The ride took just under an hour but it was nice to be back on the water even for a short ride. As we arrived in Skagway we saw three cruise ships docked and pulling off the ferry we found ourselves in a Disneyland like atmosphere with crowds of people wandering the streets and very little parking. We were finally able to find a parking spot and spent a few minutes among the crowds, gift shops and took a few pics, but feeling a bit overwhelmed we carried on north toward Whitehorse. and retraced our route back through part of the Yukon. We stopped a night at Squanga Lake Govt. Camp that had free firewood for our evening campfire. The next morning we continued on down to the Cassier Hwy 37. We found the Cassier to be in better condition than most of the Alaskan Hwy. As we traveled south we encountered a few black bears and moose enjoying the clover along the road. On the whole, We have seen more wildlife in Canada than in AK. We spent another night at Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park where we enjoyed a beautiful evening walk along the lake. The mushrooms were plentiful and the sunset over the water very pretty. Our Hyder destination is the most southern town in AK accessible by road. It is also known for Bear Viewing and we were still pumped about seeing bears from our time in Haines. As we drove Road 37A into Stewart, we passed quite a few large transport trucks carrying logs. The bay on the sister towns of Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK was full of floating logs waiting for transport. We camped down the road from the Fish Creek Wildlife Viewing area at Camp Runamuck where we caught up on laundry. We then went down and paid the fee to walk the boardwalk along fish creek where the chum and pink salmon were running so heavy you could almost walk across their backs. We enjoyed a wonderful halibut dinner at the Bus. And spent a couple of days visiting the viewing station but never saw a bear until we went to leave and saw one along the creek next to the parking lot and a mother and cub crossing the road down the way from the viewing station. Guess we really didn’t need to pay the fee but it goes to a good cause educating the public about the salmon, bears, and wolves of the area. We hit the bakery in Stewart on our way out of town the next morning and pressed on South.

Bucket List Checked

Bucket List Checked

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08/22 – 08-25/19 Time to head south and start making our way back down to the lower 48. After our adventure in the Interior of AK we spent the night in Fairbanks and another at Deadman Lake again. We decided to make our way down to Haines, AK and then hop the Ferry to Skagway. We stopped at the Welcome to AK sign to take a photo since it was early in the morning and not so crowded and busy as when we arrived. Better late than never. The scenery on the Haines Highway through the Yukon, BC, and back into AK was spectacular and different that anything we had seen previously. We pulled into Haines and stopped at the grocery store before heading to camp. Weather was a little cloudy and damp but we make our way out to Chilkat State Park where there was plenty of open camping spaces so we settled in and took Sierra out for a walk. I of course took the camera along just in case. Sierra and I walked down to the inlet and as we were walking back another camper told us there was a mother and baby moose making there way through the campground. He said he saw Mike trying to take pictures with his Phone. It was almost dark but I was able to get a couple of shots before my battery died. When I got back to camp, Mike said she and the calf had walked right through our campsite. Mike and I drove into town to check out the local farmers Market and saw the set of Dalton City that was constructed for the Disney movie White Fang. We enjoyed poking around the town of Haines, walking the Docks and driving around Fort William H Seward’s historic buildings. We heard there was another campground on the opposite side of the town beyond the Ferry Terminal where there was a fishing weir and where bears often congregated. After filling up with fuel we made our way out to Chilkoot Campground. We passed the weir on the way there and saw a number of people with long lenses….looks like we were in the right place to see the bears. We found a beautiful campsite right next to the lake and walked back down the road to the fish weir. The fish and game dept. monitors the fish that are passing through the weir and also helps to keep people and bears getting to close together. We were told that there had been a bear at the weir earlier but there were none on our first walk down. Walking back into camp we noticed a strong smell of gas. We looked under the camper a saw that the fuel tank was leaking. We drove the camper back into Haines to find a parts store and spent the next few hours working in their parking lot to seal the leak with some epoxy designed for just such an event. The patch seemed to hold and so we headed back to our camping spot. We met Holly and Terry who were also hoping to get some good photos and had been traveling specifically to destinations where they could view bears. We walked back to camp and were just finishing a game of cribbage when she stopped by our campsite to let us know that there was a couple of bears at the weir. I grabbed the camera and we made our way down and were able to get a few pics of the bears fishing and chowing down on Salmon. What a thrill! Getting a picture of a Grizzly bear in the wild was on my bucket list! Check!!! Over the next few days we enjoyed numerous walks to look for, and photograph the bears, wildlife and scenery. At one point all the fisherman on the river were bunched together on a island. We assumed correctly that there was a large bear close by and were able to get another bunch of great bear photos. We stopped off at the Haines Brewery and toasted our wonderful luck with a pint of Spruce Tip Ale. We also enjoyed one of the tastiest and beautifully presented meals of this entire trip at the Pilot Light Restaurant. I don’t usually take pictures of my food but couldn’t resist snapping a quick photo of my halibut tacos. While conversing with the waitress we learned that her family owns a restaurant near Hearst Castle, she gave us the name and we will definitely stop by when we travel down the California coast with Mom and Dad next month. We fell in love with the town of Haines and would love to return here someday for another visit.

Into the Wild

Into the Wild

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08/14 – 08/21/19 Our little Caravan made our way up to Fairbanks where we spent the night at Pioneer Park. We enjoyed exploring many of the historical buildings and museums and of course the proverbial gift shops. In the morning we said a heartfelt goodbye to Jim, Jackie and Bob who continued heading south through Canada back to the lower 48 while we spent the next week with our friends the Bouldings. We met up with Charlie, Robin, and Tory Boulding in Fairbanks after not seeing them since they had sailed in and visited us while we were Caretaking GSJ Island in the USVI. We had first met them in 2009 on the Island of Barbuda and again when we sailed together from St. Marten to the BVI in Nov of 2010. (Click on Highlighted Script for previous blog entries and Information) We told them that we would one day visit them in AK and we were determined to keep that promise. On Friday morning, we drove 4.5 hours from Fairbanks to Manley Hot Springs ahead of Charlie, Robin, and Tory while they finished up with Appointments. We met them at a small cabin they keep in Manley before loading up a couple of daypacks and the dog and headed down to the slough to help load up their boat with numerous groceries, supplies and a large Satellite Dish for one of their neighbors. The 5 of us, Sierra and their house dog Nook, boarded their river boat for the 20 mile trip to their homestead on the Tanana River. With Charlie at the helm, dodging sandbars, and floating debris, we relaxed as he navigated us up the rising Tanana River while the Robin and Tory pointed out places of interest and regaled us with stories of life along the river. After dropping off the Satellite Dish we made our way to their little slice of Paradise in the heart of the Alaska Interior. We tied off the boat to a tree next to their fishwheel and helped offload the supplies. They settled us into their one room guest cabin and proceeded to show us around their property consisting of around 35 acres, 2 Cabins, Shop, Smokehouse, Garden & Cache. Sierra was in dog heaven. She feasted on a number of pieces of dried fish that had been buried by one of their 6 sled dogs around the property and would curl up for a nap in the straw just like they did. The homestead is completely off the grid, true AK wilderness living. Their water is caught in rain barrels and is carried into the house for washing and cooking. Light is provided via windows and propane lights. They have a generator to charge the house batteries and a small solar panel that keeps their house batteries topped off. They do have some electric lights that are used when the generator is running. There is no phone but they do have the ability via Hughes Net to access the Internet so they can keep in touch with the outside world and their friends and family. There is no indoor plumbing but an outhouse is provided for comfort. They told us the small window in the front door was installed after a couple of close encounters with bears on their front porch. Their main cabin consists of a living space, a sleeping loft, a back bedroom, and a kitchen complete with an old fashioned but wonderfully functional wood burning oven, propane stovetop and another central wood burning stove for heat. Their refrigerator is a cold hole into the permafrost under the kitchen floor. Their garden provides them fresh vegetables and they hunt and fish for their meat. Part of their summer is spent at their Fish Camp where they catch the King Salmon that is a staple of their diet. We spent the next few days taking excursions on the Tanana and Kantishna Rivers, we fished for Northern Pike, picnicked, scouted for Moose, as hunting season is near, and visited some historical sites including part of the original Iditerod trail used to transport diphtheria serum from Seward to Nome AK. We stopped at the Tolovana Roadhouse that is now used for Sled Dog Excursions in the winter. We were also a witness to history in the making when we traveled up river and watched as the Kantishna river beginning to cut a new channel through a narrow bank that separated a mile long loop in the river. The Bouldings had been watching this spot during floods for the last 30 years knowing that it would happen one day. We helped where we could with summer chores, splitting kindling, harvesting the garden, helping with meal prep and clean up, and a bit of maintenance around their place. We picked green beans, summer and winter squash, carrots, kale, & a lot of peas. Robin canned 16 quarts while we were there. The rising river made it imperative to get as much as we could harvested. Robin fed us like kings and queens, baking bread and Apple Cake in her oven and an amazingly wonderful and huge King salmon filet for dinner. We also had a marvelous Moose stew and Bear and Cranberry sandwiches for lunch. Her Cranberry-banana jam is delicious! We spent our evenings together reminiscing and sharing stories of sled dog rearing and racing, sailing, & travels, past and present, as well as unpacking the large box of homeschooling books for Tory. As the river continued to rise the flooding around the cabins got deeper and eventually was above the level of our rubber boots, graciously provided to us by our hosts. We had to resort to using the canoe to travel between the cabins. I don’t know of too many people who would choose this lifestyle and Robin told us there are not too many people they would even consider inviting out to the homestead, especially during flood season. After the river had crested and started to recede, we decided we had better start our journey home to Colorado or risk being tempted to look for a place to build our own cabin in the AK wilderness. Charlie, Robin and Tory reluctantly carried Mike, Sierra and I back to Manley where we had parked the RV. We were sad to leave them but extremely honored and delighted to be their guests and felt so privileged to be allowed to experience and participate in this grand adventure for this brief but joyful reunion. We hope they will come visit us someday in Pagosa Springs or perhaps we can meet up again during our mutual travels. To our dear friends the Bouldings, Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We will miss you! Fair Winds & stay warm till we meet again.