Dreadnought: The Buildening - 2024 JT/M

[Cattywumpuss]

TINY BATMAN HOODIE!

Also, everything went fine at the dealership, and Dreadnought is now out of surgery. Axle is brand new and rolling along fine. At least until I break it.

Ok, that’s a pretty darn cute hoodie!

Glad everything went well at the dealership too. Need to get mine in soon for its first checkup at 1000 miles!

Sponsored

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Now, to proceed to my super-secret underground mechanics haven to replace my springs with Mojave X springs. (Also known as Affordable Auto on Eagle St.)
All hail Dave Silver.

Plus, yesterday was a very pretty morning.

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Another beautiful day in Anchorage. At least for a while.

So, I've added a C6 Outdoors Rev Tent platform to my rack. I have also confirmed the the Rev Tent/Platform will work with the iKamper Raconteur Mid-Height Bed Rack. Last two photos are of the platform, minus the tent itself, both closed and opened. The opened is without the ladder attached.

The Rev Tent itself is an interesting little bit of kit. Can be used in the truck bed, on the platform (sold separately) or just tossed on the ground. And its only twenty-five pounds, folded up. For those of you who camp with their Gladdy, and don't need an RTT to sleep 5 people and a dog, or who aren't 6'5", the Rev is a hell of a bargain.

Even Topoak RTTs are nearly $2000. The Rev Tent and platform came out to under $1000 for me.

Check them out, if you're interested.

Lastly, for this edition, I was walked up on by some random lady at the Anchorage airport, and she gifted me the following Duck. I have no explanation.

Its a weird town, man. Least the Duck in Question matches my trim. And my glasses.

I have to go back to work tomorrow for two weeks, but have 2 trips planned into the wilds soon, one near Hope, AK and one into Denali National Park.

I'll post pics from both, and from what it looks like with the tent on and in position.

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

And, being an idiot, I completely forgot to mention that, if you can tell from the pictures, that changing out the front springs for MojaveX springs has leveled out the front, yet again.

Also on the plus side, the extra stiffness from the X springs does wonders for the handling and bounce over hard terrain. Should have gotten this done much earlier.

Now, to order the rear X springs and have those installed. But that's a future problem.

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Update: I have returned in glory from the North Slope.
Update: I did not strangle anyone publicly for rampant dumbassery. I am inordinately proud of this.
Update:

Dave at Affordable Auto (hallowed be his Name), finished up extending all my breather tubes up to my engine compartment and tied them all into an ARB diff breather kit. Quite nicely, IMHO.

No, I did not crawl up under my Precious to go look at how he did each individual connection. He DID say that the tubing that came in the kit was a very VERY stiff material. Furthermore, it did not want to bend and curve, to the point that he even tried boiling and bending the tubing, to no avail.

Where the tubing didnt want to make a smooth 90 degree or more bend, he would splice in softer tubing and make the curves. Again, I was nearly 700 miles away at work while he performed his super-secret magical toob work. However, I trust his Daveness implicitly.

Now, to my addition.

I'm a cheapskate at heart. That being said, I will also pay (usually) for quality.
I did not do this in this instance. I cheaped out and bought the Hooke Road Gladiator Bed Molle Panels.

First panel, the one against the front of the bed, went great.

Everything slotted right into place and its solid as I can make it.

Side panels, not so much. No pics, because they did not get put on.
As you can see from the above pic, my bed has a spray liner. Yay, AutoArmor of Alaska.
Buuuuut, half of the bolt holes on the side panels, such as the ones around the rear right power plug, simply dont exist in my bed. Also, the bed power plug kit doesnt exist in my bed.

So, I have nowhere to connect the brackets and bolts to, except to hang them from behind the Trail Rails.

Le sigh. So, I have some work to do in trying to find (oh, please God, let them be there) the lower bolt holes for the attachment brackets. Then ever so delicately peeling back the bedliner. Then likely cleaning out the bolt holes. Double Le Sigh.

But thats a tomorrow problem.

Right now, Dreadnought is lazily sunning herself, outside. I'll go play more later.

Have a pretty view facing northeast from AK-1, just before the Knik River Bridge toward Eklutna.

Locals, you'll know right where I was. Oddly enough, I did not get hit by a drunk on the highway, so I have that going for me.

Okay, more from the build later.
Currently contemplating buying 5 lightly used Black Rhino Warlord 17in wheels in gunmetal/light bronze. Only 1100 bucks for the set.

Just have to... talk myself... out of them (so pretty).

 

[Cattywumpuss]

Update: I have returned in glory from the North Slope.
Update: I did not strangle anyone publicly for rampant dumbassery. I am inordinately proud of this.
Update:

Dave at Affordable Auto (hallowed be his Name), finished up extending all my breather tubes up to my engine compartment and tied them all into an ARB diff breather kit. Quite nicely, IMHO.

No, I did not crawl up under my Precious to go look at how he did each individual connection. He DID say that the tubing that came in the kit was a very VERY stiff material. Furthermore, it did not want to bend and curve, to the point that he even tried boiling and bending the tubing, to no avail.

Where the tubing didnt want to make a smooth 90 degree or more bend, he would splice in softer tubing and make the curves. Again, I was nearly 700 miles away at work while he performed his super-secret magical toob work. However, I trust his Daveness implicitly.

Now, to my addition.

I'm a cheapskate at heart. That being said, I will also pay (usually) for quality.
I did not do this in this instance. I cheaped out and bought the Hooke Road Gladiator Bed Molle Panels.

First panel, the one against the front of the bed, went great.

Everything slotted right into place and its solid as I can make it.

Side panels, not so much. No pics, because they did not get put on.
As you can see from the above pic, my bed has a spray liner. Yay, AutoArmor of Alaska.
Buuuuut, half of the bolt holes on the side panels, such as the ones around the rear right power plug, simply dont exist in my bed. Also, the bed power plug kit doesnt exist in my bed.

So, I have nowhere to connect the brackets and bolts to, except to hang them from behind the Trail Rails.

Le sigh. So, I have some work to do in trying to find (oh, please God, let them be there) the lower bolt holes for the attachment brackets. Then ever so delicately peeling back the bedliner. Then likely cleaning out the bolt holes. Double Le Sigh.

But thats a tomorrow problem.

Right now, Dreadnought is lazily sunning herself, outside. I'll go play more later.

Have a pretty view facing northeast from AK-1, just before the Knik River Bridge toward Eklutna.

Locals, you'll know right where I was. Oddly enough, I did not get hit by a drunk on the highway, so I have that going for me.

Okay, more from the build later.
Currently contemplating buying 5 lightly used Black Rhino Warlord 17in wheels in gunmetal/light bronze. Only 1100 bucks for the set.

Just have to... talk myself... out of them (so pretty).

Great update! I’ve seen those molle bed panels too and wondered how well they went on.

Certainly recognize AK-1 and where you were. Turned out to be a nice night for a drive and I even had the front top opened up and the fresh air and dazzling sunshine coming in. So much fun!

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Alrighty, Dear Reader. I'm getting everything packed and ready to go for The Bigger Trip tomorrow morning. Food/Drink, check. Sleeping materials, check. Thermacell Mosquito Repellers, 2 of them.
Also went by and had my 20k mile checkup, oil change, and did my pumpkin fluid changes. Tires are good. Turbines to speed. And yes, the next checkin will include a crapload of photographs. I cant post from up there, as I'll be too far off the network for nearly the entirety of the trip.

Wish me luck!

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Dear Reader:

I have returned from my trips. This first one will be 2 days testing my gear and getting away from the humans. Went to Hope, AK/Porcupine Campground, and the Palmer Creek Road.

I'll just post the pictures. If you have questions, please ask.

TL;DR - Went camping. Found a rope and a cliff, down to a beach. Gravity tried to win. Gravity failed. I didn't lose my hat. Bourbon is good. Wind was strong. Tent and stuff works beautifully.

Palmer Creek Road was a well-maintained trail, and not the bumpity-bump horror that it used to be. They replaced the bridge at the top end, near the Coeur D'Alene Campground, but the road was washed out by a sinkhole about 100 yards north of the bridge and I had to head back.

Didnt get pics of the sinkhole, sorry.

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Welcome back.

First part of the trip was, of course, getting everything together and ready for travel.
I decided early on that I wanted to drive from Anchorage up to and over Hatcher Pass, making a stop at Summit Lake in the pass on the way.

Sadly, even though the road to the pass was open on June 2, the road stopped at Independence Mine, at the top of the pass. The rest of the road from Independence Mine all the way over the pass and back out in Willow, AK was still snowed in. (I personally thought that Dreadnought would make it, but I'd rather not bash down a road closure gate to do it)

So, I turned back through Wasilla and got back on the Parks Highway. First stop was for lunch in Talkeetna.

Fun fact: The elected Mayor of Talkeetna, AK is a cat. No, that's neither insanity, nor a joke. These people would rather elect a cat than a human. Governance is by a council that interprets the will of the cat.

More later (I'm at work on the Slope).

Next stop: Denali STATE Park.

 

[Cattywumpuss]

Welcome back.

First part of the trip was, of course, getting everything together and ready for travel.
I decided early on that I wanted to drive from Anchorage up to and over Hatcher Pass, making a stop at Summit Lake in the pass on the way.

Sadly, even though the road to the pass was open on June 2, the road stopped at Independence Mine, at the top of the pass. The rest of the road from Independence Mine all the way over the pass and back out in Willow, AK was still snowed in. (I personally thought that Dreadnought would make it, but I'd rather not bash down a road closure gate to do it)

So, I turned back through Wasilla and got back on the Parks Highway. First stop was for lunch in Talkeetna.

Fun fact: The elected Mayor of Talkeetna, AK is a cat. No, that's neither insanity, nor a joke. These people would rather elect a cat than a human. Governance is by a council that interprets the will of the cat.

More later (I'm at work on the Slope).

Next stop: Denali STATE Park.

Interesting news about the road being snowed in at the top of HP. I want to take Gladys up there but wondered if snow may still be an issue.

Eager for the next update!

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Talkeetna to Denali State Park.

Note to explorers: For the LOVE OF GOD, fill up before you get to Cantwell, AK. I have a picture below which is the reason why. I think you'll see it.

Dreadnought did incredibly well on the road, even with a full bed and loaded rack.

The South Overlook in Denali State Park (on a clear day) is arguably a better place to actually see Denali. For the record, even from there, you're nearly 60 miles away from the mountain itself. Its that big. (And still rising by nearly an inch a century, so saith the geology nerds on site)

Next Time: Denali National Park, Day 1

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Denali National Park, Day 1

Well, I was almost at the point of posting this entry when I screwed up and accidently hit back and erased the entire thing. I have since gotten a bowl of soup and stopped cursing.

Having consumed soup, I am now ready to do this all over again.

After arriving at the park and taking the ubiquitous photograph of the entrance sign, I boogied on down to Riley Creek Mercantile to check into and received my reservation papers and road pass.

Tips: The campsites have water and bathrooms. They do not have washing areas. Please bring your own firewood in. I highly recommend getting some local firewood from Anchorage on Facebook Marketplace. They normally sell larger bundles for far better prices than you would find at Alaska gas stations (its everywhere) for $10-11 a bundle. The firewood at Riley Creek Mercantile is nearly $15 a bundle. No bueno.

Another thing about camping anywhere in Alaska at this time of year: The Sun will NOT DIE. In Denali, it would go into extended twilight with the sun going below the horizon for about 2-3 hours, and then pop right back up at 0330-0400. I am lucky in that my little C6 Rev Tent has an add-on StormShield that acts as both a thermal insulator and a blackout curtain.

Going into the park, there are several road stops where Denali will be plainly visible on a good, clear day, but don't go in and expect to actually see the mountain. Only about 30% of people will actually to get to view the mountain on any visit, due to it being either cloud-wrapped or it being overcast. This is still the Pacific Northwest. I got EXTREMELY lucky for my trip days, in the fact that it was very sunny and clear. Please remember that even if you were able to go all the way down the road to Wonder Lake, Wonder Lake is STILL 20 miles away from Denali. The mountain is just massive and far away.

After leaving Riley Creek, Dreadnought and I went into the park to Savage River Bridge and rest area. I hopped out to stretch my legs and get some shots. There were some Dall Sheep up on the surrounding mountain sides, but too far out of reach for my phone camera. Don't forget your binoculars.

I arrived at Teklanika Campground at around 1330 and started putting everything up. Upon arrival, I heard something and thought for the life of me that it was a guinea pig. I kept putting the camp together when I noticed a football-sized bird on the ground, and that it was VERY unafraid of human. Little bastard hopped up on my camp table and started exploring. IT NEVER LEFT MY CAMP. Hooting quietly and constantly. For. Two. Days.

No, I did not kill the bird. Sorely tempted, but did not. Found out later that it was a young Rock Ptarmigan. Ptarmigan are all over the park, in three different varieties. You will undoubtedly hear the AWEBO noise of Willow Ptarmigan more than once. It will get stuck in your head and you might find yourself answering your coworkers with the occasional AWEBO at random.

My last photos of the day were from the river basin of Teklanika River, which the Campsite draws its name. They warn you several times that the River is a major bear highway for them to travel within Denali, believe them. Keep your food locked up in your vehicle and leave nothing out. They do have food storage areas at the campground for you to use. AWEBO.
The final photos in the series were taken from 2230-2330. You'll note that I probably still had 2 hours or so of sunlight.

Next: Denali NP Day 2, Polychrome Pass and East Fork

 

[Cattywumpuss]

Denali National Park, Day 1

Well, I was almost at the point of posting this entry when I screwed up and accidently hit back and erase the entire thing. I have since gotten a bowl of soup and stopped cursing.

Having consumed soup, I am now ready to do this all over again.

After arriving at the park and taking the ubiquitous photograph of the entrance sign, I boogied on down to Riley Creek Mercantile to check into and received my reservation papers and road pass.

Tips: The campsites have water and bathrooms. They do not have washing areas. Please bring your own firewood in. I highly recommend getting some local firewood from Anchorage on Facebook Marketplace. They normally sell larger bundles for far better prices than you would find at Alaska gas stations (its everywhere) for $10-11 a bundle. The firewood at Riley Creek Mercantile is nearly $15 a bundle. No bueno.

Another thing about camping anywhere in Alaska at this time of year: The Sun will NOT DIE. In Denali, it would go into extended twilight with the sun going below the horizon for about 2-3 hours, and then pop right back up at 0330-0400. I am lucky in that my little C6 Rev Tent has an add-on StormShield that acts as both a thermal insulator and a blackout curtain.

Going into the park, there are several road stops where Denali will be plainly visible on a good, clear day, but don't go in and expect to actually see the mountain. Only about 30% of people will actually to get to view the mountain on any visit, due to it being either cloud-wrapped or it being overcast. This is still the Pacific Northwest. I got EXTREMELY lucky for my trip days, in the fact that it was very sunny and clear. Please remember that even if you were able to go all the way down the road to Wonder Lake, Wonder Lake is STILL 20 miles away from Denali. The mountain is just massive and far away.

After leaving Riley Creek, Dreadnought and I went into the park to Savage River Bridge and rest area. I hopped out to stretch my legs and get some shots. There were some Dall Sheep up on the surrounding mountain sides, but too far out of reach for my phone camera. Don't forget your binoculars.

I arrived at Teklanika Campground at around 1330 and started putting everything up. Upon arrival, I heard something and thought for the life of me that it was a guinea pig. I kept putting the camp together when I noticed a football-sized bird on the ground, and that it was VERY unafraid of human. Little bastard hopped up on my camp table and started exploring. IT NEVER LEFT MY CAMP. Hooting quietly and constantly. For. Two. Days.

No, I did not kill the bird. Sorely tempted, but did not. Found out later that it was a young Rock Ptarmigan. Ptarmigan are all over the park, in three different varieties. You will undoubtedly hear the AWEBO noise of Willow Ptarmigan more than once. It will get stuck in your head and you might find yourself answering your coworkers with the occasional AWEBO at random.

My last photos of the day were from the river basin of Teklanika River, which the Campsite draws its name. They warn you several times that the River is a major bear highway for them to travel within Denali, believe them. Keep your food locked up in your vehicle and leave nothing out. They do have food storage areas at the campground for you to use. AWEBO.
All of the photos were taken from 2230-2330. You'll note that I probably still had 2 hours or so of sunlight.

Next: Denali NP Day 2, Polychrome Pass and East Fork

You did have wonderfully clear skies and lovely weather. And glad you made friends on the trail too! AWEBO

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Denali NP, Day 2

Twas a beautiful day upon awakening. To the damned bird quietly hooting on the ground outside of my tent. I was sorely tempted to go wake up the campground host and report said bird, but it was 0500 and I just couldn't do that to the poor man.

Got up, made breakfast (Go Mountain House Blueberries and Granola) and proceeded to give myself the morning wipee scrubdown in the Traffic Cone of Modesty.

After that, I decided to give myself a few hours of walkabout into the forest near the campsite. Beautiful sunlight through the trees, incredibly springy moss all about, and I was highly glad I had given my pantalones, Keens and socks a good dousing in Permethrin. No ticks found, later. Woot.

Eventually wandered back and reloaded my pack for the day of getting good and lost ahead.

Now, once you are this deep in the park, you are not allowed to drive any further. In fact, you aren't allowed to drive your vehicle out of your camping spot until you are leaving the campground, and then only driving back toward the park entrance. So, being a Teklanika resident, they offer what's called the Tek Pass. Its for the green buses that traverse the park, but its only good for Savage River to the east and East Fork at the end of the road. It will not take you back to the park entrance.

So I plopped myself down in the bus depot and sat for a while until my proffered green bus came along. After that, I rode along with the rest of the tourists (not a bad bunch... yet. You'll see.) towards East Fork. We stopped along the way at the Teklanika Rest Stop, about 5 minutes down the road, for the passengers who needed to stretch their legs and do bathroom things.

After that, the bus continued on, with sightings of Dall sheep on the mountainsides and another beautiful clear view of Denali. About halfway to East Fork the bus driver suddenly killed the engine and told all of the passengers to be quiet, because there was a grizzly just off the road near the river on the right. That bus nearly flipped because suddenly every single person flooded the right side, to the point it squished a few people sitting in the right side seats.

I may be jaded because I live in Alaska, but; Good. God. It's a bear doing bear things, people. Try not to splortch your pants. I was sitting on the left side and the lady behind me smoothly clipped me in the back of the head while she stood up to get a picture.

Thus began my quiet hatred of the cityfolk. To clarify, I grew up in a small town in Louisiana. If you go into the wilderness, your gonna get dirty. But more on this later.

After The Great Bear Sighting, we continued west along Park Road, seeing hikers off in the distance, plenty of ground squirrels and the ever-present ptarmigan crying their AWEBO. I still hear that damned AWEBO in my nightmares.

At any rate, we pulled into East Fork and I got off to do some medium-range hiking up river.
I spent the next few hours outpacing the few brave tourists that got off to explore as well. Managed to get myself properly far ahead of everyone and marveled at the surroundings.

This was the place I had been searching for, for a long time. No people, no noise except for the sound of running water and the occasional birdcall. Found myself a beautiful spot about 4 miles upriver and settled down by a crystal clear babbling stream in a small wash to have a bit of lunch and drink some water.

This place alone was worth the trip.

Spent a couple of hours doing nothing but looking for cool rocks. Found one that was the exact color scheme as Dreadnought, and took this as a sign to turn back for the day.

I eventually wandered my way back to the East Fork Bridge, to mount the steep 30 foot staircase there that is the only real way back up to the road.

This is where things immediately went to shit.

Upon arrival at said stairs, I was greeted by 30 or more tourists that had just gotten off their bus and decided to go into nature. These people were NOT READY FOR ANYTHING. Mall clothes, short skirts, thousand-dollar sunglasses, three hundred dollar shoes. One lady was actually wearing heels. Arriving at the bottom of the staircase, I crossed a stream, a bit of leftover trail ice, some mud and then was immediately question by a 20-something young woman wearing designer jeans, a t-shirt and a denim jacket about how to get from "here" to "over there", vaguely waving at the trails on the other side of the things I had just crossed to get to where I was.

Then she muttered, I shit you not, that this place, "...was dirty and not like it was on TV."

My jaw fell open and I damned near came unglued on the lady. I pointed the nearby trail and asked, "You mean how do you get over there?" She answered yes, and I promptly dusted off my hiking pants and knocked the mud off my boots and told her, "You get dirty to do it. This is the wilderness. Have fun, don't die."

Oh my stars and garters, did she suddenly look appalled and the realization of where she was standing hit her. Lady, you are not meant to be here, you are not prepared.

I then kindly asked all the people on the staircase if they could kindly f***ing move, so that others could go up.

I then happily trundled back to Teklanika, safe in the assumption that I had saved both a life from the wilderness and all its horrors, and saved the wilderness from having to clean up some dead idiot.

Back to the safety of my precious Dreadnought and another evening tipping back some bourbon at my campfire.

It was one of the best days of my life.

Tomorrow: Leaving the Park and the Denali Highway.

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Pt 3, Leaving the NP and The Denali Highway

After waking up and realizing that I'm getting older and I REALLY shouldn't have hiked that far and then gotten decently drunk, I moved again to the Traffic Cone of Modesty for my morning cleaning.

Only to find that the godforsaken bird had decided she liked it. Ever almost step on a prairie chicken when you're half awake and mostly hungover? Unpleasant.

After that debacle, and my trip to the (gratefully) nearby toilets, I grabbed the morning's Mountain House (Breakfast Skillet) and drank two big cups of double-bag Irish Breakfast Tea. Which is actual tea with a huge amount of caffeine in it, not just tea with more whiskey.

After that, there was the job of breaking down camp, rearranging my gear back into containers, packing and making sure the fire was drowned. After removing my reservation paperwork from the post at my campground, I was legally not there anymore. That was actually a little sad. This had been my peaceful corner of the world for a while. But, I'll be back. This I swear.

This brings us to 1030am. I trundled slowly out of the park, stopping at a few places to absolutely marvel at this incredible place. I actually remarked that THIS was what my tax dollars were for. I realized that I had been lucky to have been here in this time and this place. Remember that, for when you are out and about in the wild places in our shared land.

Then it was onward to the park entrance and turning south toward Cantwell.
To the legendary Denali Highway.

Little bit of history, here. Until 1985 or so, when the Parks Highway was built, this east-west highway was the only access road to Denali National Park. Even while I was toodling across it in my big ass heavy Dreadnought, it was not a HIGHWAY, highway. Only about a tenth of it, split up on either end, is even paved. So, pre-1985 going to Denali NP was an expedition. To this day, all the land, minus some on the west end around Cantwell which belongs to AHTNA, is all BLM land. Which means its free to camp on. Wherever you want. All along the highway are hundreds of turnoffs and trails that are yours to go exploring down, and almost every single one will end in a campsite with a stone fire ring. Go and explore the place.

At any rate, the road is actually constantly being worked on, like most Alaskan roads, just to keep the frost heaves to a low roar. When I was out there, I actually witness some poor shmoes that were trying to navigate the highway in bus-style RVs. That's a bad idea.
I'm very glad for my Mojave suspension and the protection it gave against all the massive potholes, ruts, frost heaves and washboarding that was going on in any given unpaved stretch of that road. Its not BAD, its just not smooth sailing. You're going to feel it.

Starting out on the west end, it was basic beautiful Alaskan spruce forests and muskeg bogs, for miles and miles. In the second section, those gave way to riverlets and rising mountainside roads. The higher you got, the more you realized that you were still completely surrounded by mountains, and the Great Green Sea was all around you. After plateauing the mountains, the third section looked exactly like the high deserts of New Mexico or Colorado. There were several points when I just stopped and had weird moments of deja vu and "where the hell am I actually?" Then after a while, in the fourth and last section, it started to look like Montana or Wyoming Plains, complete with snow on the ground and the ever-present mountains. There was still enough snow on the ground in the eastern parts, that people were still out there snowmachining. It was nuts.

135 miles. That's the total length of the Denali Highway. Just 135 miles.
That was both the longest and strangest 135 miles of road I have ever borne witness to.

And that's not even mentioning the two spruce trees somewhere in the middle of all that road that were decorated Christmas Tree style. Seriously. No reason, no rhyme. Welcome to Alaska.
There were more people traversing the Highway via bicycle than there were cars. Almost every car was a 4x4 of some type, minus the one tiny Chevy Spark that blew by me at one point. Obvious local is obvious.

I eventually ended up back in Paxson, on the eastern end of the highway with a wonderful sense of having DONE A THING, and a slightly depressed feeling that it was over. For now. I turned right again onto the Richardson Highway, south, to return to Anchorage and home.
On the way, I managed to find a pullout on the highway and get a long range shot of the big Matanuska Glacier, black tailings and all. Still stunning.

Vacations can't last forever. But I left some important part of myself in that park, and on that highway. I suspect it will call to me the rest of my natural life. Even if its only an echo of an old, smiling man and his Gladiator.

Thank you all for reading.

Sponsored