g r o t t o 1 1

Peeve Farm
Breeding peeves for show, not just to keep as pets
Brian Tiemann
Silicon Valley-based purveyor of a confusing mixture of Apple punditry and political bile.

btman at grotto11 dot com

Read These Too:

InstaPundit
USS Clueless
James Lileks
Little Green Footballs
As the Apple Turns
Entropicana
Cold Fury
Capitalist Lion
Red Letter Day
Eric S. Raymond
Tal G in Jerusalem
Secular Islam
Aziz Poonawalla
Corsair the Rational Pirate
.clue
Ravishing Light
Rosenblog
Cartago Delenda Est

« ? Blogging Brians # »





Book Plugs:


Buy 'em and I get
money. I think.
BSD Mall


Amazon Honor System Click Here to Pay Learn More



 5/23/2005 -  5/24/2005
 5/16/2005 -  5/22/2005
  5/9/2005 -  5/15/2005
  5/2/2005 -   5/8/2005
 4/25/2005 -   5/1/2005
 4/18/2005 -  4/24/2005
 4/11/2005 -  4/17/2005
  4/4/2005 -  4/10/2005
 3/28/2005 -   4/3/2005
 3/21/2005 -  3/27/2005
 3/14/2005 -  3/20/2005
  3/7/2005 -  3/13/2005
 2/28/2005 -   3/6/2005
 2/21/2005 -  2/27/2005
 2/14/2005 -  2/20/2005
  2/7/2005 -  2/13/2005
 1/31/2005 -   2/6/2005
 1/24/2005 -  1/30/2005
 1/17/2005 -  1/23/2005
 1/10/2005 -  1/16/2005
  1/3/2005 -   1/9/2005
12/27/2004 -   1/2/2004
12/20/2004 - 12/26/2004
12/13/2004 - 12/19/2004
 12/6/2004 - 12/12/2004
11/29/2004 -  12/5/2004
11/22/2004 - 11/28/2004
11/15/2004 - 11/21/2004
 11/8/2004 - 11/14/2004
 11/1/2004 -  11/7/2004
10/25/2004 - 10/31/2004
10/18/2004 - 10/24/2004
10/11/2004 - 10/17/2004
 10/4/2004 - 10/10/2004
 9/27/2004 -  10/3/2004
 9/20/2004 -  9/26/2004
 9/13/2004 -  9/19/2004
  9/6/2004 -  9/12/2004
 8/30/2004 -   9/5/2004
 8/23/2004 -  8/29/2004
 8/16/2004 -  8/22/2004
  8/9/2004 -  8/15/2004
  8/2/2004 -   8/8/2004
 7/26/2004 -   8/1/2004
 7/19/2004 -  7/25/2004
 7/12/2004 -  7/18/2004
  7/5/2004 -  7/11/2004
 6/28/2004 -   7/4/2004
 6/21/2004 -  6/27/2004
 6/14/2004 -  6/20/2004
  6/7/2004 -  6/13/2004
 5/31/2004 -   6/6/2004
 5/24/2004 -  5/30/2004
 5/17/2004 -  5/23/2004
 5/10/2004 -  5/16/2004
  5/3/2004 -   5/9/2004
 4/26/2004 -   5/2/2004
 4/19/2004 -  4/25/2004
 4/12/2004 -  4/18/2004
  4/5/2004 -  4/11/2004
 3/29/2004 -   4/4/2004
 3/22/2004 -  3/28/2004
 3/15/2004 -  3/21/2004
  3/8/2004 -  3/14/2004
  3/1/2004 -   3/7/2004
 2/23/2004 -  2/29/2004
 2/16/2004 -  2/22/2004
  2/9/2004 -  2/15/2004
  2/2/2004 -   2/8/2004
 1/26/2004 -   2/1/2004
 1/19/2004 -  1/25/2004
 1/12/2004 -  1/18/2004
  1/5/2004 -  1/11/2004
12/29/2003 -   1/4/2004
12/22/2003 - 12/28/2003
12/15/2003 - 12/21/2003
 12/8/2003 - 12/14/2003
 12/1/2003 -  12/7/2003
11/24/2003 - 11/30/2003
11/17/2003 - 11/23/2003
11/10/2003 - 11/16/2003
 11/3/2003 -  11/9/2003
10/27/2003 -  11/2/2003
10/20/2003 - 10/26/2003
10/13/2003 - 10/19/2003
 10/6/2003 - 10/12/2003
 9/29/2003 -  10/5/2003
 9/22/2003 -  9/28/2003
 9/15/2003 -  9/21/2003
  9/8/2003 -  9/14/2003
  9/1/2003 -   9/7/2003
 8/25/2003 -  8/31/2003
 8/18/2003 -  8/24/2003
 8/11/2003 -  8/17/2003
  8/4/2003 -  8/10/2003
 7/28/2003 -   8/3/2003
 7/21/2003 -  7/27/2003
 7/14/2003 -  7/20/2003
  7/7/2003 -  7/13/2003
 6/30/2003 -   7/6/2003
 6/23/2003 -  6/29/2003
 6/16/2003 -  6/22/2003
  6/9/2003 -  6/15/2003
  6/2/2003 -   6/8/2003
 5/26/2003 -   6/1/2003
 5/19/2003 -  5/25/2003
 5/12/2003 -  5/18/2003
  5/5/2003 -  5/11/2003
 4/28/2003 -   5/4/2003
 4/21/2003 -  4/27/2003
 4/14/2003 -  4/20/2003
  4/7/2003 -  4/13/2003
 3/31/2003 -   4/6/2003
 3/24/2003 -  3/30/2003
 3/17/2003 -  3/23/2003
 3/10/2003 -  3/16/2003
  3/3/2003 -   3/9/2003
 2/24/2003 -   3/2/2003
 2/17/2003 -  2/23/2003
 2/10/2003 -  2/16/2003
  2/3/2003 -   2/9/2003
 1/27/2003 -   2/2/2003
 1/20/2003 -  1/26/2003
 1/13/2003 -  1/19/2003
  1/6/2003 -  1/12/2003
12/30/2002 -   1/5/2003
12/23/2002 - 12/29/2002
12/16/2002 - 12/22/2002
 12/9/2002 - 12/15/2002
 12/2/2002 -  12/8/2002
11/25/2002 -  12/1/2002
11/18/2002 - 11/24/2002
11/11/2002 - 11/17/2002
 11/4/2002 - 11/10/2002
10/28/2002 -  11/3/2002
10/21/2002 - 10/27/2002
10/14/2002 - 10/20/2002
 10/7/2002 - 10/13/2002
 9/30/2002 -  10/6/2002
 9/23/2002 -  9/29/2002
 9/16/2002 -  9/22/2002
  9/9/2002 -  9/15/2002
  9/2/2002 -   9/8/2002
 8/26/2002 -   9/1/2002
 8/19/2002 -  8/25/2002
 8/12/2002 -  8/18/2002
  8/5/2002 -  8/11/2002
 7/29/2002 -   8/4/2002
 7/22/2002 -  7/28/2002
 7/15/2002 -  7/21/2002
  7/8/2002 -  7/14/2002
  7/1/2002 -   7/7/2002
 6/24/2002 -  6/30/2002
 6/17/2002 -  6/23/2002
 6/10/2002 -  6/16/2002
  6/3/2002 -   6/9/2002
 5/27/2002 -   6/2/2002
 5/20/2002 -  5/26/2002
 5/13/2002 -  5/19/2002
  5/6/2002 -  5/12/2002
 4/29/2002 -   5/5/2002
 4/22/2002 -  4/28/2002
 4/15/2002 -  4/21/2002
  4/8/2002 -  4/14/2002
  4/1/2002 -   4/7/2002
 3/25/2002 -  3/31/2002
 3/18/2002 -  3/24/2002
 3/11/2002 -  3/17/2002
  3/4/2002 -  3/10/2002
 2/25/2002 -   3/3/2002
 2/18/2002 -  2/24/2002
 2/11/2002 -  2/17/2002
  2/4/2002 -  2/10/2002
 1/28/2002 -   2/3/2002
 1/21/2002 -  1/27/2002
 1/14/2002 -  1/20/2002
  1/7/2002 -  1/13/2002
12/31/2001 -   1/6/2002
12/24/2001 - 12/30/2001
12/17/2001 - 12/23/2001
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
11:19 - Dodging flying monkey wrenches

(top) link
Update on the Alaska trip (which is now just over two months away—yikes!)...

The route is pretty much the same as I'd planned already, with one exception that's just come to my attention. My plans up till now for the big multi-day figure-eight through Alaska's south and interior and the Yukon went like this:

After Denali, we'll head south through Anchorage, and that's where the really interesting part starts . . . It starts with the Whittier Tunnel, longest highway tunnel in North America, recently refitted to allow a single lane of cars to share the same driving surface as the railroad that has used it for many years (they queue up 240 deep and then meter them through—if there's a fire or an emergency, there are a bunch of safe-rooms dug into the rock that are fireproof and have their own oxygen supplies). At the other end, at Whittier, is the first leg of the ferry: the brand-new M/V Chenega, which takes us across Prince William Sound to Valdez. Thence it's up through Glennallen and Slana to Tok again, and up one of the last major highways still gravel-surfaced: the Top of the World Highway, though such metropoli as Chicken and Eagle, past the trailer serving as the border station and customs office, and on to Dawson City.

Then down through the heart of Yukon and back to Whitehorse, where we head south across the border again, over the Chilkoot Pass and into Skagway, there to wallow in the Gold Rush nostalgia for a night before picking up the ferry for the leg down to Juneau...



But I just got a note from the reservation people saying that the leg across Prince William Sound on 8/11, instead of being a 3-hour trip arriving in Valdez at 3:00PM (letting me get a bunch of driving under my belt that evening before the two-day loop up to Tok and through Dawson City and back down to Skagway), would instead be a six-hour affair arriving in Valdez at 8:30 in the evening. Here's why:

(Juneau) – The Alaska Marine Highway System today announced it will re-deploy its two fast vehicle ferries to winter routes that will determine the suitability of that type of vessel for routes between Petersburg and Juneau, and Petersburg and Ketchikan. Currently, the M/V Fairweather serves Lynn Canal and Sitka from Juneau, and the newly built M/V Chenega will serve Prince William Sound communities of Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova, once it enters service.
“The Southeast Regional Transportation Plan calls for the use of a third and fourth fast ferries to be used between Juneau and Ketchikan, and we want to find out how well they will work in that area before we commit to build those vessels,” said Robin Taylor, deputy commissioner for marine transportation at the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. “We have options on construction of the next two fast ferries, potentially a $100 million purchase when you factor in shore-side modifications that will be needed. We need to fully understand their suitability for their intended routes. After October 1, we will use the Chenega for a daily round-trip between Ketchikan and Petersburg, while the Fairweather will make a daily round-trip between Juneau and Petersburg.

“Between now and October 1, the Chenega will be joined in Prince William Sound by the M/V Aurora, which will continue on that route throughout the winter.”

And the Aurora—which I'm now booked on—is old and slow. (But $28 cheaper.) So we barely leave any later from Whittier, but we arrive in Valdez too late to make any further headway up the Richardson Highway toward Tok. Which means that the 12th will be a day of much frantic driving through scenery that really deserves better than to be seen by someone tearing through at breakneck speed, but there's no choice, really, because I have to get across the border between Chicken and Dawson City during daylight hours while the trailer housing the customs lady is open. The following day isn't much more sedate—I have to get to Skagway in the evening because the ferry to Juneau leaves at 10:00 AM on the 14th, and I don't want to come screeching into Skagway after driving four hours in the early morning light from Whitehorse, careening down the Chilkoot Pass and scattering hapless prospectors trudging up the slope in the opposite direction.

See, I really don't have any way of knowing how much distance I can cover during a day. Maybe 500 miles is a good rule of thumb, maybe it isn't. The roads aren't exactly freeways. But then it's the summer, and sunset isn't until about 10:30 at Valdez and points north, so that's more driving hours (and, possibly, customs-being-open hours). Is it doable? I'unno.

The guy I just talked to at the ferry reservations place said that one possibility might be for me to drive up through Dawson City and over the Top of the World Highway, on the way into Alaska... and then take the Alaska Highway through Kluane and Haines Junction back towards Skagway after the Prince William Sound ferry leg, which would be faster and more direct. But I don't know if I like that—it sounds backward and disjoint. I'd really like to loop through the Yukon interior at the end, so I can still be immersed in Gold Rush phantasmagoria while I sit on the deck of the ferry to Juneau (on the Fairweather, the other brand-new fast ferry, I must note, which now I wonder if it's going to get redeployed like the Chenega, further messing up my plans).

Or maybe I can still drive after landing in Valdez. But I don't think so. There's not much between there and Tok—not much to compete with Valdez, anyway, where I think I'd enjoy spending the night if that's the way things are going to be. Maybe we should just wake up reeeeeally insanely early on the morning of the 12th, and drive until the wheels fall off.

In the Yukon tundra.

Hundreds of miles from civilization.

Sounds like fun!

UPDATE: Seems the best bet would be for me to kick back the ferry departure by one day, because I have something like 12 days to get up there and get done with the whole Alaska Highway and Fairbanks and Denali experience, which I think is plenty of time. However, the August 10th sailing is a "restricted" ticket, one that isn't officially available for bookings, but that will become so at some undisclosed future date. I'm to call back once a week or so until I get in. Sounds like a plan.


Back to Top


© Brian Tiemann