I took my family up to Coldfoot on Saturday.  We started late on Saturday and arrived in Coldfoot at about 2300 on Saturday night.  We camped at Marion Creek camp ground Saturday night.  We drove back south to Hotspot Cafe near the Yukon River on Sunday and camped there Sunday night.  This morning (Monday) we packed up and headed south to Fairbanks.  We pulled over at the Manley Hotsprings turn off to get some snacks for the kdis and to get photos of the signs there.  

At the Manley Hotsprings turn off there was a guy there in a pick up pulling a trailer with a side by side ATV loaded on it.  He was coming from Manley and was also pulled over.  While my wife was getting grub from the back of the truck he pulled out and headed south.  We caught up with him about 10 minutes down the road and started to pass him while going down a hill.  I got around him and saw a large tractor trailer rig stopped in the road so I hit the brakes and stop.  There was a flag man stopping traffic for road repairs.  Anyway, I gave it no thought......I eased to a stop and pulled in behind the tractor trailer.

At this point the guy in the pick up (that I saw pulled over at Manley Hotsprings) pulls in behind me (about 30-40 yards back) and gets out of his truck and approaches my vehicle on my side.  I honestly thought he was going to say he saw something blow out of my truck (we were packed to the gills with camping gear).  Anyway, he walks up and knocks on my window.  Of course I roll it down (like an ass).  He immediately starts cussing at me claiming I cut him off and then stopped right in front of him.  I told him to have a nice day and he got back in his truck.  The whole exchange lasted about 30 seconds.

AAR comments:

- Never roll your window down for anyone, even if you think they are there to help.
- When I realized this guy was a potential threat I was first shocked and then things seemed to slow down....it was kind of weird and hard to explain; I remember trying to see if he had anything in his hands but could not because he was standing slightly behind me (I was seated in the driver seat of my truck).
- I was armed with a Glock 20 that was on my hip at the time of the exchange (it would have been difficult to get un-holstered with a seat belt on and to clear the steering wheel had he attempted to contact me through the open window.
- The truck was in gear and I can distinctly remember thinking to drive away and create distance if this guy escalated the  exchange.
- The scenario ended quickly and abruptly; the guy dropped a few obscenities and got back in his truck; I expected more trouble from him on the rest of the ride back to Fairbanks, but he remained back a safe distance the entire ride back.
- I created space between he and I and turned off the Dalton Highway and gave him time to pass (saw his trucked parked at the Hill Top Dinner).
- My Glock 20 was loaded w/ hard cast LFN ammo.  I feel this ammo would have been adequate had the situation taken a different turn.

Always be ready gents!  This was a gorgeous sunny day.  The kids were singing songs in the back of the truck and the next thing we knew there was a strange angry man yelling obscenities through the open window of my truck.  I feel this could have ended much differently and poorly based on my initial decision to roll down my window.  Drive safe!