The Adventures of Andrew Maurer

Today was a driving day. We again passed lots of incredible scenery. Mountains, big lakes, and partly snow-covered landscape. We had the easiest border crossing we’ve ever had, heading across into Alaska. The border guard barely asked us any questions, even excluding the customary ones about alcohol, firearms, and fruit.

We lunched just across the border at a picnic table by a viewpoint. Soup and sandwiches. It seems like the wind has been following us everywhere, but weren’t too cold since we bundled up. We gassed up and were pleasantly surprised to find showers, albeit lukewarm. $4 per shower has been customary.

We stopped in the early evening at a closed campground. This time it was gated, so we hesitantly parked in a ditch by the road, hoping to be able to get out in the morning. I figured it wouldn’t be a problem since we weren’t blocking any roads. Though Katie has the voice of caution, worried in this case about getting a ticket and/or not being able to get out in the morning.

The campground had signs of animals everywhere. Lots of tracks of various shapes and various sorts of animal poo pellets. We found a nice camp spot, clear of snow and right by a running stream. Excellent! Essential for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. We hung our food in a bear cache. It would be interesting to find out how far a bear can actually reach up into the air.