It has been five years in the planning and now we are finally on the road to Alaska. The trip was delayed by broken bones, moving to New Mexico, the pandemic and border closings. We expect the trip to last about three months and cover 10,000 miles. We are taking our time. It has been a week since we left Las Cruces and we have just arrived in Canada. We will drive the Alaska Highway across Canada. We will often be traveling and camping in remote areas, but we will post to the blog as often as we can. Wish us well!

Mike in the woods at Manzano State Park, Mountainair, NM

We were concerned about wildfires in the Northwest, but encountered a massive forest fire before we even left New Mexico.

Cancer Root

Dennis along a creek in Sugarite Canyon State Park, 

Raton, NM

Golden Banner

Lake Maloya, Sugarite SP

Broad-Tailed Hummingbird

Wild Iris

Bald Eagle in flight

Spotted Towhee

Deer bedded down against the wind

Apple Blossoms in a rest stop in northern Colorado

Sunrise along the North Platte River with geese 

in Douglas, WY

Interstate Highway 90, a railroad train, and the Crazy Mountains, in western Wyoming

Mike at Hauser Lake, Devils Elbow Campground, outside of Helena, MT

Mountain Bluebirds

Male

and Female in flight

Merganser (we think)

Pine 

Dried Weeds

Lake Hauser

Ranchland along the highway in southern Alberta, Canada

And we found our Spirit Guide in a Walmart in Billings, Montana

Last week we made a trip across southern Arizona: Picacho Peak State Park, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and Cochise Stronghold Campground in the Coronado National Forest. 

Everything was pretty lush at Picacho Peak SP.

But at Organ Pipe Cactus NM, they were in a long drought and there were almost no blooms. 

But Cochise Stronghold was a beautiful oak filled canyon.

Acorn Woodpecker.

Mexican Jay.

Our Campfire.

Pictures from our morning walk in the stronghold. 

We did not see any seesaws, but the police were ready for them. 

And a young buck watching us go by. 

This week we made another quick run to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. As usual it was great fun but everything moves too fast. We missed the pictures of the Bald Eagle, the Javelina, several hawks and road runners, and lots of smaller birds. But here are a few pictures that we did get. 

Winter grassland and the mountains of Bosque.

Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge is on a flood plain of the Rio Grande River about mid-way between Albuquerque and Las Cruces. 

Wild Turkey.

White-crowned Sparrows.

Snow Geese on the water.

A flock of Red-winged Blackbirds rushing past us. 

An irrigation channel in the wetlands.

A Northern Harrier hunting in the brush. 

A Red-tailed Hawk hunting over the grasses.

Evening at our campsite.