Trekking to the Kenai Peninsula

Tranquil Scene South of Denali

Over the course of the past week, after leaving Denali and heading for the Kenai Peninsula, I made two stops of interest before arriving at Hope in the Kenai Peninsula.

The first was at a campground just south off the Parks Highway - the Mat-Su RV Park.  The park is neat and clean, has showers and laundry failities and at $17 is a bargain.

Owned and operated by Therese (sic) Jankowski who originally hailed from Idaho.  She moved to Saugatuck, Michigan 13 years ago and after ten years there she said, "She missed the west."

Typical Alaska Village

In order to rectify that problem she bought the Mat-Su RV Park three years ago and with the aid of her son has spent the past three years bring the park back to nearly pristine condition that is today ("nearly" - only because she says there is more work to be done).

An engaging personality, she loves Alaska and in her words she repeated a comment I heard for the second time, "It's warmer than Michigan!"

My second stop was at the Chugach State Park: Eagle River Campground.  Just a short distance from Anchorage the park (like most state parks) lacks any facilities beyond an outhouse, but at just $15 a night, it is a worthy of the investment.

The best thing about my experience at Chugach was meeting "Silver."  Silverio Ruiz (who goes by the name of Silver) is a Native American Inupiaq Eskimo and justly proud of his heritage.

The Mat-Su RV Park

We met as I was in the process of setting up the tent when he wandered up from his tent site across the way.

He offered to help me set up tent and after seeing that I had only a small shelter half for protection against the rains (which appeared imminent), realizing my despair gave me an extra tarp (which appeared new and unused) that he had.

I offered to pay him for it and he appeared insulted; I thanked him and said no more - that was the nature of Silver.

                  Therese 

Jankowski

Later that evening we set around his campfire with his wife Delores, son a grandson (Zeb a Chris respectively) and re-fried the precooked caribou sausage that had been given to me by Kurt when we went airboating.

Silver told was a school teacher and ex-basketball coach who talked with intensity about the game and his days as both a player and coach. His love for the game was obvious.

Having lost his mother at ten and his father three years later, he was raised for the remainder of his adolescent years by foster parents.  He told me that his father had wanted him to be a doctor, but smiled proudly, when he told me, "...but, I don't think he would  be disappointed."
________________________________________________________________

Silver, Chris and Zeb

I'm headed home!  When I left Michigan I pretty much locked the doors to house, had my mail forwarded to my sons house and departed.

That is just not the way to do things; torrential rains have flooded my (finished - walk-out) basement and grass has grown out of control (arrangements were made to have it mowed, but I lost communication and the plan went awry).

Original plans were to go to Kenai City, Homer or Valdes and I was probably just 10-12 days short of - Mission Accomplished; but I have only myself to blame.

In addition, I'm now in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and still have to complete the blogs for Hope and Seward in the Kenai Peninsula.

Perhaps in another year I can ride to Vancouver or Seattle, load my bike on a ferry, take the Inland Passage to Valdes and finish my quest.

For now I have an alternative plan of action, but will need to set things right at home first.