Epsilon Adventures

We are on our final Alaskan day in Hyder AK, and it is bittersweet. We long for extended summer in America’s final frontier, but as we roll south it is clear fall is not just nipping at our heels, but jumping ahead of us. This is clear from the slightly cooler mornings, the longer periods of nighttime darkness, and the telltale signs of Aspen trees donning their golden robes for fall. Alaska has exceeded all expectations.

To prepare for this trip, over the last couple of years Steve and I watched our favorite RV YouTubers camp through Alaska. I was prepared! I expected it to be beautiful, rainy and cold. Of course It would also be stupendously beautiful. BUT, the pictures don’t do it justice. Although we did have a few rainy days, the Lord blessed us with outstanding weather — indeed, our views of Denali put us in the “Ten percent club” for our experience (only ten percent of visitors will experience unhindered views of the mountain). The temperature have been in the 70’s for most days and has made for a most delightful summer

I can’t think of a better way to visit Alaska then in an Airstream. We’ve traveled for five weeks and learned about the state’s history, gold mining, the American subcultures of native peoples, Russians & Ukrainians (and other baltic state peoples), this unique climate, and the animals inhabiting this area of the world. It has been spectacular, and we’ve only seen a small area of the state that is two and a half times as large as Texas. 

Alaska was also surprising! As we looked out on the gorgeous vistas and took out our cameras to try to catch what we observed, we found the images to be a poor reflection of the experiences. Everything captured in memory seemed more vast, more majestic, and more glorious. We’ve seen many glaciers, bears, eagles, and salmon. We’ve seen whales, sea lions, seals, puffins, and otters. We were blessed to visit four of the seven national parks.  Gates of the Arctic gave a small clue of how big this state is. Denali was majestic. Lake Clark was a study of contrasts with the mountains and turquoise waterways, and Kenai Fjords was lovely with ice and sea life abounding. The mountains here are spectacular, and braided rivers with glacier silt are uniquely remaking the landscape. We simply marvel at every new bend of the landscape as we drive through it.  

I highly recommend visiting Alaska. We enjoyed this summer. I hear the northern lights and winter activities are lovely as well (but take your airstream up early if you dare — I recommend a cruise, lodge, or Air BNB instead for winter time).. It’s a tough drive to get here and to travel around the state, but well worth it!