May 20, 2010 - Anchorage, AK

Tok is still in our side view mirrors as we turn southwest onto the Tok Cutoff and begin the 328 mile hop to Anchorage. The state designation for the road is Highway 1 and once we reach the intersection of Highway 4, running southeast from Delta Junction, Highway 1 will become The Glenn Highway, into Anchorage. On the way to the most populated city in Alaska, we get our first view of one of the states 19 mountain peaks rising above 14,000 feet. Southwest of Mentasta Lake and the villages of Slana and Chistochina the Wrangell Mountains begin to appear to the west of our route. There is one particularly high peak among the many ragged, yet majestic peaks and while I check our maps to determine the name of this one, Joe and I try to guess its elevation. As we approach tiny, Gakona, the mountain is not more than 30 miles, due west of us. Finally, with the help of my trusty magnifying glass, Rand McNally reveals the answer; we are looking at the 16,237 foot peak of Mt. Sanford. Two other peaks, visible behind Mt. Sanford to the southwest are, Mt. Drum, at 12,010 feet and, Mt. Wrangell, at 14,113 feet. Joe and I both make the somewhat less than astute observation that, "we ain't in Kansas anymore." As the trip progresses and the grades increase to 7%, then 8%, the roads get more narrow and less straight, the moose and caribou begin showing themselves more often and the vistas increase to unimaginable sizes we will repeat that observation almost daily.

We leave the Wrangell Mountains and the Tok Cutoff behind at the Highway 4 intersection, where Highway 1 becomes the GlennHighway. From here we have about three and a half hours to Anchorage and the time passes quickly. About 30 miles out of Anchorage we pass the turnoffs for Palmer and Wasilla, then a few more miles down the road and Elmendorf, AFB appears on the north side of the highway. Now the maps are out and we are searching for the first of the campgrounds we have marked in our "Milepost" directory. Nothing looks inviting, so we pull into the parking lot at Sam's Club and Joe calls his son Ben's new wife, Sam, to let her know we are in town and ask if she knows of any campgrounds in the area. In a short hour, Sam, arrives to take us under her wing and lead us, first to pizza, then to their apartment. It's showers, a sofa and an air mattress tonight; no cold, damp, pick up truck bed for these wore out campers. We've made it to Anchorage. From my little spread in Prescott Valley, Arizona to Ben and Sam's apartment in the mountains above Anchorage, Alaska, we have covered 3,807 miles, or 6,091 kilometers. Joe has driven an additional 1,800 miles, or 2,880 kilometers from his home in Dublin, Ohio. The entire trip, so far, has totaled: 5,607 miles, or, 8,971 kilometers. Either way, it's been a heck of a ride.