Flapped Those Wings and Flew The Coop

The cold moon over Alaska has come full four times since we came to the great state for the second time. Another season comes to a close and it is time to fly (flew) the Chicken coop. It was a busy three plus months and sad to see it come to an end but this here coach was not built with the idea of spending the winter in Alaska - so off we go back towards the south and the lower 48, but not without a final wrap up from Chicken, and some interesting stops on the way back "down."

We all shared a couple final salads from the greenhouse. No cold snap claimed anything other than a cucumber plant or two that were growing with scant protection under the plastic but outside the greenhouse proper...


As for the fabled Gundy Mountain - not much remains of the mountain itself, it having been torn down by miners the likes of us intent on finding what was hiding under those layers of overburden but on top of that black diamond basalt. For our part, I suppose we have become the "man who would move a mountain for an ounce of gold" as we took only slightly more than that from our "claim" but every flake, every nugget, no matter how small, holds a special place in our hearts and our "collection." There is always value to what you work hard for and no exception here! So here's a final look at "The Great Wall of Chicken" as Gene named our diggings. We will surely miss "the wall," and Gene as well. We logged a lot of time looking through our good looking material....



A Great Horned Owl stopped by on his way back south as well to see what was going on in camp- oh, and maybe munch a bunch on some snowshoe rabbits and a few squirrels.

The sides went up on the log cabin for the museum, but we didn't get to the point of putting the ridge poll up, so no sod roof to show you for now, maybe another day and another time, who knows?



And the Boys To Men saga of the Tok Boys I started earlier took a short and sweet twist as their day jobs kept them busier than their "golding" and I never did get to shoot the rest of the story I was working on; so for now, all I have is this abbreviated slide show. Tok Guys: You're the best. We loved every minute of your contagious enthusiasm around camp. You rock, dudes!



So for now, I guess that is "The End" of the story from Chicken. (oh, she's probably gonna kill me for this!!!)

As you read this, we are headed a bit further south on the Alcan and then south on 37, the Cassiar Highway enroute to (hopefully) see the bears feasting on salmon in Hyder. As communications are not so hot in this next leg of the journey, you can use the live Google Map to approximate where we are and what we're up to. I'll update it as best I can. I only took the route so far on that map for now, but the intention is to drop south in Canada, then head east, crossing Canada and visiting at least three more provinces along the way. Then drop down into the USA at NY, taking in Niagara Falls (slowly I turned, step by step) before heading back to PA from whence this mammoth venture launched. We will have added nearly 10,000 miles to the odometer since May by the time we get back there. That's a whole lot of driving, a whole lot of adventure, a whole lot of life!

I'll leave you with this sign we photographed in Haines Junction, Yukon Territory as we left Alaska and ask you this question: Do you think those "Block Ice" Souvenirs will all be melted by the time people get them home????



Tonight from Teslin Lakes, Yukon Territiry, adieu.

To be continued....