We are North to Alaska!

by Bob | May 10, 2014 | Alaska, Boondocking, Camping Locations | 50 comments

I’ve dropped the trailer in a storage yard in Flagstaff for $35 a month. The Honda is behind it covered and locked to it. It hurts me just to look at my poor trailer chained up and in prison! It was born to run free and wild but look at it now! What were you born for?

The last few weeks have been eventful! We moved to Flagstaff and had a beautiful week of weather but then a storm blew in and dropped 3-4 inches of snow on us and it got cold! Oh well, Judy and I are adaptable so we made it through that okay. Then a week ago a Ranger came into camp and said we were parked on a road closed to camping, so we had to move. We had already been there for a week so that only left us one week in the Kaibab National Forest. We had planned on leaving for Alaska in one more week anyway but we weren’t enthusiastic about moving twice. What to do?
We didn’t want to keep moving so we just moved about ¼ of mile down the road to where it was legal camping and decided that when that week was up, we would just head north to Alaska. It was only a week earlier than we had planned and we thought we could get everything done in time. Because we are leaving my trailer and motorcycle in storage here in Flagstaff, we had a LOT to get done in a week:

What a difference a few weeks make. From the cold and snow of Flagstaff to the high desert warmth of Utah. A drive of 150 miles make a huge difference in the Southwest!

What a difference a few weeks make. From the cold, snow and tall Ponderosa Pines of Flagstaff to the high desert warmth of Utah. A drive of 150 miles make a huge difference in the Southwest!

Remember, I live in the trailer and use my van as a storage shed. I carry a lot more than most people because of the RTR. When people come to visit me, I want to have all the tools someone would need to do a project on their van. As a result, I have enough carpentry tools to easily build a small cabin. I also have all the electrical supplies needed to install a solar power system, including an 8 foot step ladder! Another thing to keep in mind is that Judy is going to work at an Amazon fulfillment center in Reno, NV starting in September. As soon as we get back from Alaska, she is going to work while I continue the trip. Towing the trailer to Alaska would have cost us so much MPG that we decided to leave it in Flagstaff, but if we had left my van there she would have had to done a lot of backtracking to drop me off. To solve that I’m driving my van to Ogden, Utah where we will put it in storage. That way she can drop me off at it along our route from Alaska to Reno with no backtracking.

Our overnight camp on the Paria River where I am writing this blog from. It was worth every bit of the hard work!

What all that means is we had to do a massive amount of shuffling things around to get ready and we were very, very busy:

Judy had to make room for me in her van. Everything had to be consolidated and space used with ultra-efficiency.
I had to move everything I need to live for the next 6 months into Judy’s van.
Then, because I’m going to live in my van for a month or so after she goes to work I had to move everything I didn’t need out of my van into the trailer.
Stock up on supplies for the trip. I know from experience that things are very expensive in Canada, and especially in far North Canada and remote Alaska. When we get into Anchorage prices will be more reasonable, but still very expensive. So we wanted to leave Flagstaff with 30 days’ supply of whatever we needed. We are stuffed to the gills with groceries!

That was an awful lot of work, and we only had one week to do it in. Judy has pretty minimal stuff anyway but to make room for me it had to be very consolidated and some of it had to come out and be left in my trailer in Flagstaff. Then as I brought over my things she had to get them tucked away. We both can live on very little so I was confident we could do it and it turned out we could! The big problem was I have quite a bit of camera gear and electronics. Plus I have a 95 pound dog and he likes to eat! So I brought along a lot of dog food for him.

Homer enjoying our beautiful, warm camp on the Pariah River.

Homer enjoying our beautiful, warm camp on the Paria River.

To make things even worse, Homer has been going through a serious health crisis and I had to get him looked at before we left for Alaska. That’s meant several trips to his vet in Williams, AZ and multiple trips to the pharmacy. I don’t want to go into details now but I will tell you this; He has one of two things one of which has a good prognosis and the other is terminal. The terminal one is more likely but we won’t know for another month. I don’t want to talk about it until I know for sure. But, as you can imagine, that has just added tremendously to the stress of the last week.
So Judy and I worked and worked, and moaned and groaned, and it all got done! Yesterday we dropped the motorcycle off at the storage yard and this morning we dropped the trailer off and we left Flagstaff for Alaska. I knew we were going to be stressed out so I made this first day a short and easy one with about 150 miles of driving.

Now this is the good life! Sitting in the shade of a giant Cottonwood tree listening to a babbling brook! Thata our friends Al's van behind Judy. He's traveling part of the way with us to Alaska. We've caravaned with Al before and we know he is a great traveling companion.

Now this is the good life! Sitting in the shade of a giant Cottonwood tree listening to a babbling brook! That’s our friends Al’s van behind Judy. He’s traveling part of the way with us to Alaska. We’ve caravaned with Al before and we know he is a great traveling companion.

I’m typing this at our first campsite about 15 feet from the Pariah River in Utah just off of SR 89 between Page, AZ and Kanab, UT. This is one of the prettiest campsites I’ve ever been to! Four years ago I camped here for a week while I was trying to get a permit to hike back to Vermillion Cliffs (more commonly known as the Wave) and anytime I’m in the area I plan to camp here. We’re right beside the river in a beautiful little valley under four giant Cottonwood trees! It’s a little slice of heaven. In a future post I’ll give you more photos and details on how to find the campsite.
The blog is going to change now into mainly a travelogue of where we go and pictures along the way. I also expect there to be stretches of time where we will be without internet service so I can’t be sure how regular my postings will be. I’ll do my best! I hope you enjoy the trip as much as we do!

A map to the Paria camp.

50 Comments

Linda Sand on May 10, 2014 at 1:46 pm

Bon voyage. I look forward to reading as you go.
- Bob on May 10, 2014 at 9:04 pm
  
  Thanks Linda!
  Bob
Jo L. on May 10, 2014 at 4:40 pm

I know that you both are going to have a wonderful time! I am looking forward to your posts and pictures! Be safe and have a great time!
- Bob on May 10, 2014 at 9:01 pm
  
  Thanks Jo L!
  Bob
jonthebru on May 10, 2014 at 4:49 pm

Safe Travels!
- Bob on May 10, 2014 at 9:01 pm
  
  Thanks jonthebru!
  Bob
Rob on May 10, 2014 at 5:11 pm

A travelog is good! Have a safe trip…
- Bob on May 10, 2014 at 9:00 pm
  
  Thanks Rob, will do!
  Bob
Karen on May 10, 2014 at 7:50 pm

Have a wonderful time! I’m looking forward to your trip reports and photographs.
Give Homer some petting from me. I hope he’s okay.
- Bob on May 10, 2014 at 8:57 pm
  
  Karen, we are off to a great start! Only time will tell on Homer.
  Bob
BC Guy on May 10, 2014 at 8:36 pm

I hope for the best for Homer. Enjoy your trip.
- Bob on May 10, 2014 at 8:57 pm
  
  Thanks BC Guy!
  Bob
LaVonne Ellis on May 11, 2014 at 12:17 am

Happy trails, and hugs for Homer.
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 9:04 pm
  
  Thanks LaVonne! We hope your summer is going well also!
  Bob
Peggy on May 11, 2014 at 4:20 am

Enjoy your trip, Bob and Judy! Give Homer a big hug for me!
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 9:04 pm
  
  Peggy, Homer thanks you for the hug!
  Bob
Calvin R on May 11, 2014 at 4:52 am

Bon voyage! I look forward to enjoying your pictures and learning from your travels. I have tried to picture the process of condensing your and Judy’s lives into one van. All I get is that it must take great cooperation.
I wish you, Judy, and Homer all the best.
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 9:03 pm
  
  Calvin, “great cooperation” is an understatement! Fortunately, we seem up to the challenge.
  Bob
Wolf on May 11, 2014 at 5:06 am

You, Judy and Al have a safe, restful and fun trip !
May CREATOR keep you safe ! Aho !
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 9:02 pm
  
  Thanks so much Wolf!
  Bob
Richard on May 11, 2014 at 6:39 am

Wish I was still in the US and going with you. This is one journey that I would have truly enjoyed. Guess I’ll just have to settle for following your blogs and seeing the beauty through the lens of your camera. Thanks for documenting this.
Hope the future is bright for Homer.
Cheers,
Richard
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:57 pm
  
  Richard, nothing would have made me happier than if you could be traveling with us. Oh well, I know you have a great life their with your family. Be well!
  Bob
Roger Harris on May 11, 2014 at 7:51 am

Enjoy the trip!! Sounds like my kind of adventure. Hope the best for Homer! Look forward to more post and pic’s! Take care and be safe!
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:55 pm
  
  Thanks Roger, we will do our best!
  Bob
Sameer on May 11, 2014 at 9:06 am

I am so excited for you and Judy! Mr. Pico and I are looking forward to reading about your ‘Great Adventure’. I wish you the best of luck and look forward to seeing you ‘In The Desert’…later in the year.
Cortez, Colorado
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:54 pm
  
  Sameer, we are also looking forward to seeing you again. What a great life when you can go off and find adventure on the road in the summer and then come home to spend time with valued friends in the winter!
  Bob
ILDan on May 11, 2014 at 9:22 am

Travel safely, you three and make some wonderful, new memories! (And maybe share a few, too!)
As spring and summer sees me sitting in my same and constant Barcalounger, I look forward to future posts.
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:53 pm
  
  I’ll try to keep you imagination fired ILDan, with my photos! Don’t get too used to that Barcalounger.
  Bob
Openspaceman on May 11, 2014 at 10:20 am

Bob_
“NOT I – NOT ANYONE else, can travel that road for you, You must travel it for yourself.” – Walt Whitman
…well at least I have your travelogue…I sincerely appreciate you stopping here and there and documenting your trip.
*And spending time in Alaska in the summer with the long days your solar should always be topped off. Safe and Fun travels my friend!
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:51 pm
  
  Openspaceman, Walt was an extraordinarily wise man! I love taking pictures and the blog is just an excuse to get other people to look at them.
  Bob
Al Christensen on May 11, 2014 at 10:34 am

A little clarification on the map: the site we used is at the end of a turnoff from the road that leads to the $5 campground. The mile of washboard before that turn is worth it.
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:50 pm
  
  Thanks Al, your quite right.
  Bob
Naomi on May 11, 2014 at 11:49 am

Have a safe and wonderful trip! I’ve missed reading about your adventures, but hope to keep up with them again.
– Naomi
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:46 pm
  
  Thanks Naomi. Good to hear from you again!
  Bob
Ming on May 11, 2014 at 1:02 pm

here’s hoping for the best for Homer. I just lost my dog (who looked like Homer) a few months ago and know how difficult that can be. Old dogs are the best, they get more and more loveable as the years roll on.
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:45 pm
  
  Thanks Ming, loosing a dog is so hard, but the joy they bring is still worth it.
  Bob
Gloria Brooks on May 11, 2014 at 5:14 pm

Happy travels, Bob and Judy! I’m so happy for you two that you’re making it work to travel together! Big hugs from me to Homer and a big lick for him from Rochelle! We love Homer dog! May he get through this illness and be an even happier, healthier dog!!
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:44 pm
  
  thanks Gloria! We are already looking forward to seeing you again this winter.
  Bob
Karen on May 11, 2014 at 6:55 pm

I’m excited to follow your trip! Something I’d love to do, north to Alaska! Thank you for whatever posts and photos you’re able to share.
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:41 pm
  
  Glad to do it Karen!
  Bob
Chey on May 11, 2014 at 9:11 pm

OMG, that is way too much organization….sounds like you have it all under control. Have a wonderful and safe trip. Looking forward to following along. Prayers Homer is OK.
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:40 pm
  
  Thanks Chey! Judy is a master organization. The only problem is I can’t find a thing in the van so I am all the more dependent on her! My mind isn’t nearly as sharp as hers is!
  Bob
judy on May 12, 2014 at 12:21 pm

Hello to all and Thank You for your best wishes on a great trip. Every day our goal is to Make It So.
The evening of May 10th clouded over and we had a doozy of a wind storm at that days campsite beside another stream just west of Zion NP.
Mothers Day was cold with sprinkles. Happy to report that we 3 have made it through our first day “cooped up” inside the van.
Homer is a sweetheart. He goes to his assigned spot in the passenger seat and promptly falls asleep.
Bob’s rainy day place was in the “recliner” between the seats. Homer would occasionally compete for a bit of his space.
Bob was able to be online, therefore content w/ his world.
I surveyed our tiny kingdom from the bed which now takes up wall to wall space in the back half of the van. Glad to have time to catch up on my journal.
I will admit to getting cranky toward evening. All it took for me to cheer up was to hear Bob give me a huge grin & say: “It’s all part of the adventure. It’s ALL going to be OK”.
By the way, I can highly recommend the $5 pizza & salad bar lunch buffet at a little place across from McDonald’s in Kanab UT
- Bob on May 12, 2014 at 8:38 pm
  
  Judy, you always brighten my day!
  Bob
Joe on May 14, 2014 at 8:29 am

Hi Bob, Feel the excitement building. Hope Homer is gonna be ok. Be safe…HoboJoe
- Bob on May 14, 2014 at 8:33 pm
  
  Thanks Joe.
  Bob
Steve on May 20, 2015 at 10:07 am

Bob, what is the name of the storage yard in Flagstaff you put your trailer in for you trip to Alaska. I am trying to find one for a second vehicle..all are either full or want $100+/month for indoor storage. Thanks much!
- Bob on May 21, 2015 at 9:40 pm
  
  Here is the info Steve, but it was outside storage for that price.
  Bob
  Mini Storage of Northern Arizona
  5501 E Empire Ave
  Flagstaff, AZ 86004
  - Steve on May 23, 2015 at 2:55 pm
    
    Thank you so much Bob…just what I needed!
    - Bob on May 23, 2015 at 8:58 pm
      
      You’re welcome Steve!
      Bob