Ok. I have found the limit of my positive thinking about endless rain. Arrrrggghhhh.

Sometimes I get a reprieve for a few hours during the day, but rain pours all night, every night and during most days. I am here to experience the outdoors yet I am doing little more than driving around, visiting the library, picking up mail, and visiting the local book and grocery stores. Along my various routes, I find coffee and sometimes stop for breakfast at McDonald’s. In the evening, if there is a break in the rain, I listen to the sound of endless helicopters touring Mendenhall Glacier or the echoes from the shooting range while I try to read or listen to audiobooks in the tent. I cannot resist saying: I reached my saturation point!

After some research, I learned that Fairbanks, despite its subarctic setting, is warmer than Anchorage.Furthermore, the rainiest months are July and August. June has a mere 7 days rain, on average. Dare I head that direction? 

Yes! So now I have a new plan, which renews my sagging, soggy soul. Long driving trips are not Tango’s favorite but he adapts, especially when given a few extra treats.

I will arrive in Haines by ferry on Sunday afternoon and drive north to Haines Junction, across the Yukon Territory in Canada. At Haines Junction I join the Alaska Highway, follow it west until it ends, and then go on to Fairbanks. I am allowing 1 week for the 700-mile journey, with stops at scenic points and all the kitschy Alaska Highway landmarks on the way. I need a good dose of humor and am desperate for some entertainment. I don’t expect to spend much time in Fairbanks, but I like the idea of heading into potentially better weather.

There’s more! I made a camping reservation ($12/night for seniors) at Denali National Park (south of Fairbanks) for 3 nights, starting June 4. I am hopeful that the campground is not densely packed this early in the season.

In the Denali region I will be back into a colder mountainous climate but by then I should be dried out enough to adapt again. Just give me a few days of sunshine. Perhaps I shall learn to live again without long underwear layers and heavy waterproof boots. Such a dreamer! 

It is worth noting here that my travel plan has worked for me –  planning one segment at a time. I first planned the Alaska Marine Highway segment and am now planning my first inland segment. I purposefully did not plan the whole trip in advance because a). I am gone too long to plan the whole thing in advance and b). I wanted the flexibility to adapt, to follow a whim or to respond to new information and new priorities. I have made friends I want to meet up with again. I have learned about rain. Later in the summer, I may need to plan a bit more in advance when more people are out and about but, for now, planning a few weeks at a time is adequate.

Note to self:  On June 1st, don’t forget to celebrate 1 month of travel since crossing into Canada and jumping on the Alaska Marine Highway and also a total of 2 months of travel since leaving New Mexico April 1. 

Changing the subject: I can see why some people struggle to live in this part of Alaska. Long winter nights would be brutal and, combined with the activity-limiting rain or snow, it would be too depressing. I am not experiencing the rainiest months in the Southeast (that would be the fall), but it is rainy enough that I can get a sense for what life is like. Double the amount of rain that I have experienced? Tough. It is clear that  my rather adventurous pioneer spirit would not adapt well to fulltime life in Alaska. I always admired people who live in Alaska; now, I think they are saints.

This is an important discovery. I have long dreamed of moving to Alaska, maybe even taking a seasonal job here. I am over that now, although I hope to travel here many times in the future.

Onward! Tomorrow I do laundry, take a shower, and stock up on basics before heading out Sunday on the ferry to Haines and then driving up to Haines Junction. As I head inland I should see more wildlife too. Can’t wait.

The following maps show my route, I explain it in the caption!

Haines Highway (E) to Haines Junction and then the Alaska Highway towards Fairbanks. Denali is off the road marked as F on the map.