SAFE IN EAGLE,ALASKA

For some of you, that title may seem unremarkable. That's because you have not pulled a trailer about 4500 miles, with the last 160 being mostly gravel, and the last 65 often being too narrow to pass another vehicle, let alone the huge ore haulers and petroleum tankers which shortcut part of the way from Dawson City in the Yukon. This is a wonderful, but very remote and very small community on the Yukon River just west of the Canadian border. There are seven Alaska State museums here and it was the home of "Jessica Fox Mather" the subject of Betty's book, Jessie. Today in the museum she sold nine signed copies for the Society to the tourists who arrive by boat or motorcoach every mid-day. We are staying in a small BLM Campground just a mile from "downtown" and have already connected with many of our friends from our former venture up here. It remains bright even after midnight, and it was east to read outdoors at 2:30 AM since the sun which did set below the northwest hills was never far below the horizon it traversed the north to reappear in the northeast. We will be involved in the Eagle Historical Society activities for almost two weeks and be a part of the Fourth of July festivities before we start south again. We will have occasional internet connections in the local library (which Jessie started) or important messages are still possible by relay through Patty. We'll be calling her a time or two befor we leave here. This is a special time for us and I hope to share some photographs when I can use my own laptop somewhere.

A WEEK AT CAMP

One of the wonderful things about having friends/family in Alaska is the (sometimes) unexpected opportunity to participate in special events. THis week it is church camp in the Matanuska/Sutsitna Valley under the Chugach Mountains to the South and the Talketkna Mountains to the north. It's even better than being surrounded by the Rockies.

The Juneau time was, as always, much too short. We could have easily spent the summer. Then the days in Sitka went too fast. Betty did a reading one day at the Pioneer Home where "Jessie" spent her last days, and half a day of signing her book the next. The ferry ride back to Juneau and on to Haines the next morning was relaxing. The drive to Anchorage was uneventful (in a mechanical sense) but we saw many bear and moose and other animals. The scenery is spectacular, and the road in places was as thrilling as anything offered at Magic Mountain or Six Flags.

The Alaska Museum at Anchorage wants Betty's book and an order is on its way this morning. Book sales are secondary to camp this week, but Betty has still sold three quarters of her 120 book shipment, many times just by telling fellow travelers on the road about the story.

We are volunteers at Camp Challenge, a work of the TurnAgain Church. I am Camp Grandpa just like at Yamhill, plus fixer-upper, day counselor, kitchen helper, and general go-fer. The age ranges are from pre-school to teens and there are only about 60 kids and 25 staff. It has a very nuclear-family feel to the classes and activities. The kids all favor the lakeside activities: swimming, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboats, and on the otherlake, water-skiing and massive tow-rafting. Also popular are archery, the pellet gun target range, and a host of other recreational equipment.

Tomorrow Betty and I stock-up on groceries and head for Tok so we can drive the Taylor Highway to Chicken and the goat trail on to Eagle on the Yukon River. Internet access will be scarce but we hope to borrow connections a time or two while we are there.

We will be checking in with Patty while everyone else is away, so messages can be left with her if they are important. Otherwise just e-mail us.

STATUS REPORT

Mission Accomplished! Geoffrey and Dana are wed and away on their honeymoon trip. They will be in Vancouver soon, briefly, enroute to Romania for their annual mission work in Bucharest.

Betty and I are in Sitka now, will return to Juneau this afternoon, on to Haines tomorrow to pick up our rig, and on the way north to Wasilla and Eagle.

We are well. Thinking of you now and then, and enjoying the wonderful people and splendor of Alaska. Wildlife abounds, birds are everywhere (eagles especially, including the ones within fifty feet of me at the moment), and the weather is awesome pretty.

Pray for us and the van on the highway; we'll be thanking God for all our blessings too, including you.

JUNEAU OR BUST?? / JUNEAU AT LAST!!

OK, for those of you who check here now and then for whatever reason, good news.

We finally arrived in Juneau, after seven days of driving through Washington State, British Columbia, portions of the Yukon and eventally a fragment of Alaska. Halfway along, after more than a thousand miles, we had to seek help with the van which was not producing power enough to continue. Two and a half days of shoptime later, we were again enroute but I had to drivethe remaining Eleven Hundred Miles in a day and a half, averaging 52 miles an hour pulling, a 22' camper trailer. We came to Haines late Saturday night in time to catch the ferry to Juneau early Sunday and arrived on schedule, but badly battered and weary beyond description.

In brief, the catalytic heater collapsed and stuffed itself into the muffler. When that was fixed (a story in itself), the cause was traced to fuel pump and filter and the original problem was probably bad gasoline (which was probably contaminated with diesel fuel). Oddly the dealership was able to import a replacement converter in 12 hours by air all the way from Edmonton and replace it for us at no cost (at 76 thousand miles on an 80,000 mile drive train warranty). They could NOT get a standard muffler and promise it would even arrive within 10 days, time we did not have to spare! A local shop did that part of the job in 35 minutes, not cheaply. And then it took another day and a half to get the rig up to power again.

The reward was having Patty, the twins and Tabitha along for company and support. We saw lots of scenery, and wildlife, and beauty, and made a host of memories, but flying along at the speed of a train is not the best way to see this georgeous northland. Awesome mountains beyond belief, beautiful water in lakes rivers and waterfalls, varities of trees and terrain and some farmlands, and more. We did not have to cope with any rain until the last fifty miles coming into Haines.

I'll try to post pictures after full recovery, and when I locate a suitable internet wireless site.

To our Prayer Team: we couldn't have made it without ya. Thanks, big-time!