In May/June 2023, Jill and I toured Alaska by land and by sea. We traveled from Fairbanks to Whittier by motor coach and train and then sailed from Whittier to Vancouver aboard the Majestic Princess. We had a blast!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, is about my off-roading adventure - fun, fun, fun! - in Healy.
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, is about my off-roading adventure - fun, fun, fun! - in Healy.
Healy, Alaska (May 31, 2023) A few years back – it was October 2019 – Jill and I spent a long weekend in Ruidoso, New Mexico. One day, we went off-roading through Lincoln National Forest – an outdoor paradise – in a Can-Am Maverick X3, courtesy of Backcountry Attitudes.
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That was a whole new experience. But it didn’t take long for me to get the hang of driving it, or driving off-road, and once I did...
I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE! |
So, it was a no-brainer when I scanned the list of optional excursions at Denali on my 12-day Cruisetour of Alaska with Jill. It HAD to be the…
Black Diamond ATV Tour
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Driving your own four-wheel ATV is as close as you can get to being in Alaska’s wilds. This experience takes you on old coal-mining trails and spills you out onto the Dry Creek riverbed, where Athabascan Indian artifacts have been found in archaeological digs. Across the river, you’ll pass by an authentic abandoned Alaska cabin and travel past local vegetation while soaking in the scenery. Your trek takes you high where you can view the entire Healy Valley.
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Jill was supposed to join me, but bowed out because she wasn’t feeling well.
“Dad, I’m afraid you’re on your own this afternoon,” she said over lunch at Fanny Q’s. “I’m going to rest while you’re having fun and, hopefully I'll feel better this evening.”
And that’s what she did, and the rest cured what ailed her.
At four, I boarded a bus that took me to Black Diamond Resort and Golf Course. Located along the northern edge of Otto Lake in Healy – a little more than a mile north of the Princess lodge - this ‘day trip’ resort boasts miles and miles of trails for hiking, biking, and driving, and offers covered wagon, ATV, and side-by-side adventures into the back country of Alaska.
I signed the Release of Liability waiver, got a quick driving lesson – and a lesson in hand signals – suited up in a helmet and waterproof jacket (I should have grabbed leggings and boots, too!), and followed Jesse, my tour guide, to a row of Kawasaki Brute Force 300 ATVs, which sported four-stroke, mid-size 271cc engines. So did two young ladies from New York, sisters Allison and Amanda.
“Who’s done this before?” Jesse asked with a mischievous smile.
We looked at one another, and the message that passed among us was clear: We were ATV virgins, one and all.
“No problem,” said Jesse. “We’ll start with a couple of laps around our practice course to give you a feel for driving these ATVs under different conditions. Follow me.”
And we did.
It wasn’t quite ‘over the river and through the woods’ – that would come later – but we gained experience as we drove on flat land, rutted terrain, up and over hills, across rocks and small boulders, and through water both shallow and deep…and always muddy!
Once around, twice around, and off we went on the first trail, a narrow path that led into the woods. The trees whizzed by; at least, they seemed to.
Wow, I thought, we are going fast. What a blast!
But I was wrong, because when I glanced at the speedometer, the needle pointed to ’15’ – as in 15 mph.
Whoa! Not nearly as fast as it felt.
Later, when I mentioned this to Jesse, he said, “It has to do with being on a small vehicle in tight terrain. It’s a much different sensation than when you’re in a car on the open road.”
That it was.
We shot out of the woods – yes, I said ‘shot’ tongue-in-cheek! – and onto a broader trail. Soon, Jesse slowed (left arm down, palm facing back), then stopped (left arm down, hand in a fist). We did the same.
“Dad, I’m afraid you’re on your own this afternoon,” she said over lunch at Fanny Q’s. “I’m going to rest while you’re having fun and, hopefully I'll feel better this evening.”
And that’s what she did, and the rest cured what ailed her.
At four, I boarded a bus that took me to Black Diamond Resort and Golf Course. Located along the northern edge of Otto Lake in Healy – a little more than a mile north of the Princess lodge - this ‘day trip’ resort boasts miles and miles of trails for hiking, biking, and driving, and offers covered wagon, ATV, and side-by-side adventures into the back country of Alaska.
I signed the Release of Liability waiver, got a quick driving lesson – and a lesson in hand signals – suited up in a helmet and waterproof jacket (I should have grabbed leggings and boots, too!), and followed Jesse, my tour guide, to a row of Kawasaki Brute Force 300 ATVs, which sported four-stroke, mid-size 271cc engines. So did two young ladies from New York, sisters Allison and Amanda.
“Who’s done this before?” Jesse asked with a mischievous smile.
We looked at one another, and the message that passed among us was clear: We were ATV virgins, one and all.
“No problem,” said Jesse. “We’ll start with a couple of laps around our practice course to give you a feel for driving these ATVs under different conditions. Follow me.”
And we did.
It wasn’t quite ‘over the river and through the woods’ – that would come later – but we gained experience as we drove on flat land, rutted terrain, up and over hills, across rocks and small boulders, and through water both shallow and deep…and always muddy!
Once around, twice around, and off we went on the first trail, a narrow path that led into the woods. The trees whizzed by; at least, they seemed to.
Wow, I thought, we are going fast. What a blast!
But I was wrong, because when I glanced at the speedometer, the needle pointed to ’15’ – as in 15 mph.
Whoa! Not nearly as fast as it felt.
Later, when I mentioned this to Jesse, he said, “It has to do with being on a small vehicle in tight terrain. It’s a much different sensation than when you’re in a car on the open road.”
That it was.
We shot out of the woods – yes, I said ‘shot’ tongue-in-cheek! – and onto a broader trail. Soon, Jesse slowed (left arm down, palm facing back), then stopped (left arm down, hand in a fist). We did the same.
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He dismounted his ATV and stood next to a tree – it was a paper birch, I believe – and pointed up to scrapes in the bark.
“A bull moose marked this tree with the tines on his antlers,” he said. “He announced that this was his territory, and he was ready to breed. “By the way, I’m six-foot-four,” he added. “That top scrape is 10 to 11 feet off the ground – the hoof-to-antler height when that moose raised its head.” Dang! I’d hate to come face-to-face with one of these giants. |
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The trails we traveled were varied.
Some were narrow, and the brush and branches along the sides nipped at my jacket. Others were wide open, with plenty of ‘elbow room.’
Many were made of hard-packed dirt and stones, which made for a smooth and easy ride. And more than a few had significant ruts or were littered with small boulders, which caused me to bounce around like crazy.
I kept in mind what Jesse had told us: “Avoid locking your elbows and bend your knees to absorb the movement.” His words served me well!
Some were narrow, and the brush and branches along the sides nipped at my jacket. Others were wide open, with plenty of ‘elbow room.’
Many were made of hard-packed dirt and stones, which made for a smooth and easy ride. And more than a few had significant ruts or were littered with small boulders, which caused me to bounce around like crazy.
I kept in mind what Jesse had told us: “Avoid locking your elbows and bend your knees to absorb the movement.” His words served me well!
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We also encountered many water-filled depressions – shallow, deep, narrow, wide, short, long, you name it. The ‘fill’ was not clear water; rather, it was ‘stain your clothes’ muddy water. One depression, which looked like a small lake (but wasn’t), was long, deep, AND muddy. Allison, Amanda, and I followed Jesse’s lead: We revved the engines before we reached the water and flew through – or so it seemed – at full throttle. None of us got hung up in the water, and while I can’t speak for the ladies from NY, my shoes, socks, and pant legs were soaked…and mud stained.
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For the record, I did a load of laundry that night and dried my shoes with an electric hair dryer. My clothes were as good as new!
We reached a trail that led upward – up, up, up – to a plateau where we had a splendid view of the Alaska Range, including a handful of snowcapped peaks. I would not say that God favored Alaska over other areas or regions of the world, but for what it’s worth, I felt that I was in God’s country! |
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I had great fun to that point – I even managed to ‘race’ along at 20 mph on a flat stretch of trail – but the best part of my adventure lay just ahead.
We drove a trail through a heavily wooded area, and then through an opening in the trees. Jesse slowed, and then signaled for us to stop.
“This is Dry Creek,” said Jesse, as he gestured towards a river that was mostly rock, with a single rivulet of swift water that ran from left to right.
We drove a trail through a heavily wooded area, and then through an opening in the trees. Jesse slowed, and then signaled for us to stop.
“This is Dry Creek,” said Jesse, as he gestured towards a river that was mostly rock, with a single rivulet of swift water that ran from left to right.
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“This river flows 12 miles northeast to the Nenana River,” he added.
I watched Jesse as he eyed the riverbed downstream. I bet he’s looking for a path around the water, I thought. But then I saw a playful look in his eyes, and that mischievous smile I saw earlier. “Follow me,” he said, “and go exactly where I go.” OMG! This is going to be fun!! |
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And it was...and a bit scary, too, as at times I thought I would be swept aside by the running water and knocked off my ATV.
But I wasn’t.
Instead, I experienced an adrenaline rush that I hadn’t felt since I drove the X3, and that feeling
WAS AWESOME!
We followed the river downstream for 10 minutes or so, as Jesse weaved a path around and through the small stream, and then we turned back the way we had come, past the point where we had entered the riverbed to a site near a couple of near-barren hills. We dismounted and followed Jesse to the edge of the water.
But I wasn’t.
Instead, I experienced an adrenaline rush that I hadn’t felt since I drove the X3, and that feeling
WAS AWESOME!
We followed the river downstream for 10 minutes or so, as Jesse weaved a path around and through the small stream, and then we turned back the way we had come, past the point where we had entered the riverbed to a site near a couple of near-barren hills. We dismounted and followed Jesse to the edge of the water.
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He bent over the stream, reached in with his hand, fished out a large stone, and held it up for us to see. It was smooth – worn smooth by friction over hundreds, if not thousands, of years – and had an unbroken line of calcite that encircled the stone. Apart from that vein of calcite, the stone was otherwise drab.
Then Jesse told us the legend of the ‘wishing stone.’
“The Athabascan people believe that if you close your eyes and make a wish as you trace the line of calcite with your finger, your wish will come true. And when it does, you pay it forward by passing the stone to a friend.”
Allison, Amanda, and I went in search of wishing stones. We each found one. My wishing stone was gray, about the size of my hand, and it had an uninterrupted band of calcite that ran around it.
I closed my eyes and traced that vein of calcite with my finger.
This wonderful trip I'm on with Jill is far from over, but I wish to come back to Alaska someday soon.
I stowed the wishing stone in my backpack and placed it in my suitcase when I got back to the lodge. It sits atop my desk at home, and I look at it often. Someday, when my wish comes true, I will pass it on – perhaps to my wife, who is my dearest friend.
The ATV tour proved to be more fun than it was adventurous – that was a good thing! – a memorable experience from start to finish.
Please click Ridin' the Rails to Talkeetna to read my next story.
Then Jesse told us the legend of the ‘wishing stone.’
“The Athabascan people believe that if you close your eyes and make a wish as you trace the line of calcite with your finger, your wish will come true. And when it does, you pay it forward by passing the stone to a friend.”
Allison, Amanda, and I went in search of wishing stones. We each found one. My wishing stone was gray, about the size of my hand, and it had an uninterrupted band of calcite that ran around it.
I closed my eyes and traced that vein of calcite with my finger.
This wonderful trip I'm on with Jill is far from over, but I wish to come back to Alaska someday soon.
I stowed the wishing stone in my backpack and placed it in my suitcase when I got back to the lodge. It sits atop my desk at home, and I look at it often. Someday, when my wish comes true, I will pass it on – perhaps to my wife, who is my dearest friend.
The ATV tour proved to be more fun than it was adventurous – that was a good thing! – a memorable experience from start to finish.
Please click Ridin' the Rails to Talkeetna to read my next story.