I ended yesterday by driving to Soldotna and spending the night in the Fred Meyer parking lot. I’m heading north to get out of 5+ days of rain and blown out rivers. Fairbanks is warm and clear for the next week, and halfway to Fairbanks is good Grayling water, and better weather.
Seven hours, stopping sometimes for gas / food / soda / life, driving due north with the windshield wipers on the whole time. 340 miles with constant rain. I decided to shoot on ahead another hour to Denali National Park, and by the Denali Highway which is known for beautiful scenery (the best!), and great Grayling fishing.
Denali National Park was full, and I joked about “It’s Alaska. I’ll park behind some trees and camp”. The guys working at the park nodded and stated that many people do that. I laughed and told them that my folding chair was stolen from a camp site, so no way I was going to the end of a road where two “Billy Bob trucks” could pen me in. They laughed, cautiously.
So, time for my first boondocking night with RV’s by the side of the road. I saw the place on the way up and it is getting dark, so I’ll risk it.
I curled up, and woke up three times at night swearing that I hard knocking on my van. But, never a second series of knocks so it was my imagination. There were almost ten campers, including me, and I had a nice night. I woke up at 8:30 AM NAH. 9:30 AM NAH. 10:30 AM, and I got up for the day. I was the only rig in the pullout. Everyone else had hit the road. The owners of the RV’s live a completely different life that I do LOL.
Tight Lines!