We awoke at 4:30 a.m. today. It is so light out that John thought it was much later than it was. He started the coffee and was dressed before he looked at his clock and realized he hadn't changed the time so it was early. "I'm up, we might as well hit it", he says to me. My body is in rebellion. I'm stiff and achy all over. I know he is too. Why, or why did we start this adventure at our ages? (More imagination than brains some would say).
On the road at 6:00 am making the turn south on the Tok Cutoff. The road looks good, the sun is shining, my tummy has had breakfast, and my spirits are high (for now). My odometer now reads 80888. I have this thing for repeating numbers. Wasn't it just a few days ago it read 77777?
By 9:15, we had only 150 miles to go, but then the roads, oh my, the roads. Frost heaves, pot holes, gravel, and that was the good stuff! There is no traffic and no cell reception. I'm wondering if we have a flat or a breakdown how we'll ever get help. To top it all off, it is beginning to rain. My mood is not improving.
By 10:30, we've entered the Chugach Mountains. The road is narrow, the rain and fog make it difficult at times to see for any distance. John, who's never really driven in the mountains, is a basket case, but God love him, he perseveres. What a trooper.
At 11:30, we hit the worst of it all, but there on our left, is the magnificent Matanuska Glacier. White and blue, it stretches for miles along the mountain. The melting gives the Matanuska Lake a milky white color. Turn outs abound for picture taking, but they are all on the opposite side of the road, making it difficult to maneuver this big rig over. I settle for rolling down the window and snapping a pic as I go past.
The turns are so tight, and the mountains so high that I often lose radio contact with John, most often he is not even in sight. I learned to drive in the mountains (Colorado Rockies), but my sweet hubby is getting trial by fire and pulling a trailer too. When we do make the rare radio contact, I can hear the tension in his voice. I reassure him that it is almost over, "Just keep on trucking, babe"
We finally hit Palmer (20 miles from home) at 12:30. A quick break to stretch our legs (and the dogs too) we hit the final stretch for home.
When we pulled into the drive, it was almost too much to believe. The land is awash with the fuchsia blossoms of the fireweed. The RV pad is ready for us. Hooray for Team Sagerian. We made it. The long hours of driving are finally over, and our new life is ready to start.
BUT WAIT.....we have NO POWER (the Matanuska Electric Authority has not yet connected the lines. Without power, we have NO WATER. I call our contractor who tells me he's still waiting for MEA to come out to inspect the set up. There is some water in the pressure tank, he tells us, but it is musty smelling and the well should be decontaminated. GREAT. I turn on the tap but I don't smell anything but old garden hose. When I disconnect that, the smell goes away. The water is clear and tastes wonderful. We have a generator so all is not lost.
Not knowing when to quit, John and I were up until 11:30 p.m. "putting things away", finally collapsing from shear exhaustion. Tomorrow we will awake to face these new challenges.
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