Day 81 - Monday August 7/17
(Formatted and posted on Thursday August 31st at Battleford, SK)

Today we travelled first to Fairbanks, and then out towards Chena Hot Springs, camping overnight at “Mile 48 Ponds” on the Chena Hot Springs Road. (Map)

We had set the alarm for 6:55am, in order to be up early and be able to call TrailerCraft as early as possible to try to get the trailer booked in either today or tomorrow to have the brakes looked at. The first thing that happened was that the propane hot water heater wouldn’t fire up when we turned it on. (We had never had a problem with it before.) Michael checked out the wiring at the heater, the propane burner itself, and then the switch. The fix came by flicking the switch on and off in rapid succession - and lo, and behold, without our knowing why, the heater fired up!

As well, Michael repaired the stove - several screws had vibrated loose. All screws present, accounted for and re-installed! (Let it not be suggested that Michael ‘has a screw loose’!)

Called TralerCraft in Fairbanks shortly after they opened at 8 am. They were doubtful about getting the trailer in today, or even tomorrow, and said they would call us back around noon. As we were going to be in Fairbanks anyway, hoping to get the trailer in today, and were limited in what we could do as we waited on TrailerCraft, Nancy called and booked appointments for a pedicure and a haircut, in locations near to TrailerCraft. The pedicure was booked for 11:00am; we got on the road at 10am, and arrived at the pedicure salon at 11:05! While Nancy was in for the pedicure, Michael went to the RV dealer to get a new cover for the propane tanks on the trailer, as the old one was disintegrating over time. He also researched to try where there was a carwash that would accommodate the trailer - success on both counts.  Michael picked up Nancy at 12:20, and we scooted over to the haircutter’s for her 12:30 appointment.

Michael journalled and blogged in the truck. TrailerCraft called and advised that they could not get the trailer in until Wednesday, so that ‘liberated’ the rest of today and tomorrow. We made plans then to go out and enjoy Chena Hot Springs, which we had deferred doing when we were in Fairbanks previously. We had lunch of grilled sourdough bread sandwiches at a ‘3-calendar’ restaurant (Ref: William Heat Moon’s book ‘Blue Highways’, one of our touring inspirations, along with John Steinbeck’s ‘Travels With Charlie’ - both well worth a read, if you haven’t! Heat Moon rates restaurants by the number of local calendars up on the walls - the more calendars, the better the food and service!). 

After lunch, we went to the coin-operated car/truck wash to use the outside bay to "peel" the “Dalton Highway Mud” (the highway to the Arctic Circle) off the truck and trailer. It took us about an hour and cost us over $30 US to get some semblance of clean!

We headed out the Chena Hot Springs Road in the late afternoon, and found a ‘dry camping’ or ‘boondocking’ campsite at a wonderful location at the 48 Mile Ponds - right on the shore of a small pond. Michael fished while Nancy made supper of fried salmon, rice, carrots and coleslaw. It was a very photogenic and peaceful location and setting (photos)

We were up at 3:30am and saw sunrise, and the morning star, and moonset at 4:30am. It was very inspiring.

After a snack of crackers and peanut butter we returned to bed for more sleep!