JUNE 26-JULY 4: WHITEHORSE, YT--HAINES, AK--TOK, AK--FAIRBANKS, AK

DAY 28, JUNE 26:  I will only have this day in Whitehorse since I could not extend the campsite stay, so will make the best of it.  I spent some of the day at the Provincial Visitor Center getting the blog update published—they have good WIFI there for internet connectivity.  The WIFI at the park is not good at all—I could not send several messages I had written, much less upload photos to the blog.  Some of the day was spent getting ready for travel.  I also met the Ford dealership owner briefly—we had communicated by email prior to the Women’s March in January which she and her college-age daughter also went to.  We both felt very inspired by that experience.  I told her I would be back through in late August and we plan a longer get-together then.  I really enjoyed meeting her—she’s a real sparkplug!

 I have spent several days in Whitehorse on the two previous trips, so was comfortable with not revisiting some of the places that I found were very interesting on those trips.  I will refer readers of the blog to my 2007 Alaska trip blog (same address used for this trip) for information on Whitehorse—read the June 10-21, 2007 post for the town’s highlights.  I had hoped to go to the Beringia Centre today to find out what is new since I was last there in 2008 but didn’t make it.  That place is really fascinating!  I saw a few changes in Whitehorse—new buildings going up, other older buildings still being used by businesses.  The town appears to be holding its own or better.  One thing that hasn’t changed is the traffic at 5 p.m.!  You don’t go anywhere very quickly when all the businesses and government offices close and employees head for their cars.

 DAY 29, JUNE 27:  As Willie Nelson would say:   On the road again…  This day’s drive was to Haines, AK--a drive I have not made before.  I had been through Haines Junction before, but I had never made the turn south to Haines.  What a spectacular drive with incredibly spectacular scenery!  The total mileage was 249 miles/401 km.

HEADED WEST OUT OF WHITEHORSE, YT



STARTING TO SEE THE KLUANE RANGE
I AM GOING INTO "KLUANE COUNTRY" & I LOVE IT!

 I drove through valleys carved by glaciers, along fast-flowing rivers as well as one “braided” river stretch, with towering mountains on each side of the Haines Highway.  It really is an awesome drive skirting the south side of Kluane National Park (a UNESCO world heritage site) and the St. Elias Range.  Clouds obscured many views of the glaciers and the ice fields above me along the way.  The land mass to my right as I drove to Haines is the largest internationally protected land mass on earth.  It includes Glacier Bay and Wrangell-St.Elias National Parks, The Kluane National Park, and Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park.

 

 

A "BRAIDED" RIVER.  NOTE THE CHARACTERISTIC WIDE, FLAT VALLEY.

 

While driving in the highest elevations (only about 3300 ft/1006 meters above sea level), I was reminded of the Hardanger Plateau (aka Hardangervidda) in Norway.  It, too, is not very high in elevation (averages 3500 ft); however, the frequent severe weather conditions in both areas cause the terrain to be quite barren with alpine tundra-like character. 

A REMINDER OF THE HARDANGER PLATEAU IN NORWAY

Soon after crossing the summit at Chilkat Pass (with high head winds) I dropped down into the valley leading into Haines.  The trees are much larger here since the area is essentially a coastal rain forest.  Very different from up in “the interior”.

 

DROPPING DOWN INTO THE COASTAL RAIN FOREST--HEADED TOWARDS HAINES, AK

The 150 mi/241 km drive from Haines Junction takes you from the Yukon, through a small part of British Columbia, and finally into the state of Alaska.  I crossed the border into Alaska about 40 miles north of Haines.  Since there wasn’t a lineup, I took the time to ask the agent if the scat I was seeing on the road was bear scat.  He assured me that it was and added, “Why would a bear “go” in the woods when it can “go” on the highway?”  That definitely drew a chuckle from me!  Shortly after leaving the border checkpoint, I got a quick look at two brown bears in the brush alongside the road.

THERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF WILDFLOWERS LIKE

 THESE ALONG THE ROADS SINCE I ENTERED CANADA

 I HAVE ALSO SEEN QUITE A FEW SNOWSHOE HARES ALONG THE ROAD SINCE ENTERING THE YUKON TERRITORY.  NOTE THE LARGE FEET IN THE TOP PHOTO.  IT CAN TAKE 10 WEEKS FOR THEM TO CHANGE THEIR COATS TO WHITE FOR WINTER AND AGAIN TO BROWN FOR THE SUMMER.

I pulled into Oceanview RV Park and was greeted by a sign saying Dungeness crab potluck tonight.  Now, what luck is that!  The crab was very good (and very large) as was the food furnished by the other campers.  The campground is undergoing prep work for expansion and it should be very nice when it is completed.  The view here is awesome, looking across the Lynn Canal (think fjord).

THE VIEW OUT MY FRONT WINDOW IN HAINES!

  After dinner several of us sat by a campfire watching bald eagles circling overhead and occasionally doing their mating dance.  (It is mating season for them according to the park manager.) 

ONE OF SEVERAL BALD EAGLES OVERHEAD

Around 9:30-10:00 p.m. a couple of cruise ships were observed in the distance sailing south from Skagway.  All in all, the end to a perfect day.

Wildlife Count:  1 black bear, 2 brown bears (grizzly bears are called brown bears up here, although they are the same species), several bald eagles

Road Report:  The roads were in very good condition all the way with the exception of an 8-10 mile area of construction that begins about 10 mi. west of Whitehorse.  The construction area was being watered down in places where it was just plain muddy.  Where it was dry, the visibility was occasionally down to 100-200 feet because of the dust.  Signs are up cautioning drivers to beware of extreme dusty conditions—the signs need to be heeded!  There were one or two other similar dust warning areas between Whitehorse and Haines Junction.  The road gets a little narrower and rougher after crossing the U.S. border, but it is still in good condition.

 

DAY 30, JUNE 28:  I woke up this morning and looked out the front window only to see a large cruise ship docked in the harbor.  Yes, the cruise lines have found Haines too—for one day a week!  With all the ships I have seen leave Skagway in the evenings, I am thinking it must be getting too crowded for them there so they are seeking other harbors to take their passengers???

I spent much of the day driving along the river between town and Chilkoot Lake in search of eagles and bear.  I didn’t any of the latter but I did see a few eagles, including one nest with two bald eagles on it. 



 

 I also saw a pair of eagles perched on what appeared to be some kind of crane.  These two were really busy talking to each other—I could hear them well while in my car on the road and managed to get some pictures of them with their beaks open as they vocalized.  What a neat show!  The bald eagles are such magnificent birds that I never tire of watching them—and they are one of the main reasons I love coming to Alaska!

WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE THEY ARE SAYING?

I didn’t see a bear, but I did get a picture of some scat on the road. 

THAT BROWN BEAR SCAT IS BIG!  (THE PICTURE DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE.)

The salmon count at the counting station is very low, so the bears are not yet coming to the river to fish. 

SALMON COUNTING STATION ON THE RIVER



COMMON MERGANSERS IN THE RIVER

The state campground at the Chilkoot Lake looks like it would be a nice place to stay when in the Haines area.


CHILKOOT LAKE

TWO VIEWS ACROSS THE LYNN CANAL

 

I spent a few hours at the Sheldon Museum in town and really enjoyed my time there.  They have excellent displays related to the local area, the First Nations culture and activities in the area, etc.  While on this subject, I will post a quote I copied from a Canada Government informational posting that discusses First Nations people.  It explains the concept better than I can, so here goes. 

“Who are the First Nations people in Canada? First Nations people are descendants of the original inhabitants of Canada who lived here for many thousands of years before explorers arrived from Europe.

First Nations people in Canada are the people who used to be called "Indians," but this term is now considered incorrect by some. Early European explorers thought they were in India when they landed in North America, so they called the original inhabitants "Indians." Many people who were misnamed "Indians" now prefer to be called First Nations. First Nations people identify themselves by the nation to which they belong, for example, Mohawk, Cree, Oneida, and so on.

"Aboriginal" is a term that includes First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples…”

The Tlingit Indians were the first to arrive in the Chilkat Valley going back approximately 11,000 years.  In 1741 the first known meeting with white men was made when a Russian ship anchored in the area.  And, as the saying goes, the rest is history.  By the 1890s three canaries were operating in the Haines area.
 

I closed out the day with halibut fish and chips at the Lighthouse Restaurant.  Their reputation for the fish and chips meal is well-earned—the food was delicious.

TIME FOR THE CRUISE SHIPS TO SAIL AWAY FROM SKAGWAY & HAINES

Wildlife Count:  Probably a dozen bald eagles

DAY 31, JUNE 29:  I drove south to the end of the road out of town—which wasn’t far.  So, I turned around and drove back out to Lake Chilkoot in search of more bald eagles and bears.  The weather was drizzling which really seemed to bring the eagles down by the Chilkoot River—there were quite a few along the road.  I didn’t keep a count—there were too many to keep track of.  However, I did see the two back on the nest that I saw yesterday and there were two back on the piece of machinery by the ferry terminal where I saw two yesterday.  I was able to get some photos again today.  However, in spite of seeing lots of bear scat in the same areas as yesterday, there were no bears to be seen when I drove through the area.  The salmon are just beginning to run here so I am really too early to see the bears down by the river.

I solved my water pump issue (I think) using a procedure I had read about several years ago.  I will know tomorrow when I start the next leg of the trip.  The troubleshooting directions that came with the pump installed in the rig were worthless!  I also got the satellite radio receiving Sirius again.  Had to get the manual out for that one, too, but it was a case of not being familiar enough with the radio.

I did some paperwork and started getting ready to move on tomorrow.  We have had drizzle and light rain most of the day.  After stopping at a couple of shops in town, I visited historic Fort Wiliiam H. Seward which was established in 1903 when the U.S. was having border disputes with Canada.  The fort was never heavily used and was decommissioned at the end of World War II when it was sold to five veterans.

I had a good dinner at the Fireweed Restaurant in town this evening.

One thing I haven’t mentioned are the murals that are painted around town.  There are quite a few of them and they really add character and a touch of the arts to the community.  In fact, the community has had a thriving native arts program for many years and it really shows.  In addition to the murals on the streets, there are some nice locally-made artistic products sold in various shops.  A booklet about Haines says the town has more artists per capita than any other town in Southeast AK.  It also says art and the artists are the lifeblood of the town.  Take a drive down nearly any street and this information is borne out.

Well, a bald eagle just flew in front of the coach and landed on a piling where I can see it out my front window.  Maybe it is telling me I need to call it a day since it is already past bedtime.

 

DAY 32, JUNE 30:  A group of 8-10 bald eagles were circling over the docks in front of the coach  as I started the engine to depart from Haines.  Do you suppose they came to bid me good-bye as I leave the Valley of the Eagles?  Maybe not, but it was a pleasant thought anyway.

I passed a couple of fishwheels in the river along the road just north of Haines and was able to get some photos of them.

 

I continued on up the road through the bald eagle preserve (approximately 3500 gather here in the fall and winter) to the border crossing—which turned out to be (for me) a unique experience.  I was going back into Canada, so had to clear their customs/immigration.  The young man who met me just couldn’t seem to get it through his head that I was not traveling with “personal protection”—his term used many times over the course of the next hour.  He asked the normal questions about firearms, tasers, pepper spray, etc.  Then he asked if I own any guns and I said I do.  He wanted to know what they were and where they were at, which I told him.  He wanted to know if I had a safe onboard and where it was—I told him I did and where it was.  (By the way, he never did ask me for the key to the safe, although it had been moved around.  Go figure.)  Then he told me to pull ahead and to the right—at that point I knew this was going to much longer than a perfunctory 3 minute stop.  Frankly, at this point still, I wasn’t sure if I was their “quota” RV for the day to inspect or what.  He had me go into the office where I had to empty all my pockets, he asked about my “personal protection” again—and I told him the only thing I have on board are two canisters of bear spray which are legal to carry.  He then had me return to the coach and put all the slides out and he and the female agent on duty proceeded to go through everything in the coach and in the car.  To tell this story in person, takes more time and there is more to it than I can write here but, suffice it to say, they didn’t find anything—which I knew they wouldn’t.  I was more disgusted at the delay than with anything else because I knew I was “clean”.  I made sure of that before I left AZ and again before I crossed the border initially several weeks ago.  Eventually, they were done with their work and I set about getting everything back together to move on up the road—about one hour and 15 minutes or so after arriving there.  Another of life’s adventures, I guess…

The drive on up to Haines Junction was uneventful and I had a nice tailwind as I crossed over the pass.  The clouds began breaking up, too, as I went further into the interior. 

FINAL LEG TO HAINES JUNCTION, YUKON

After refueling at Haines Junction, I was back on the Alaska Highway and headed northwest. 

BACK ON THE ALASKA HIGHWAY--KLUANE RANGE AHEAD

MORE WILDFLOWERS ALL ALONG THE ROADSIDE

There aren’t many stops to make on this stretch other than photo ops and, since I was still feeling pretty fresh, I decided to make the approximate 300 mile/483 km drive on up to Tok. I had also checked the weather before my departure and factored in an unfavorable forecast for the next several days into my decision—and I wanted to see the beautiful countryside along this part of the trip.  I had some views of the Kluane Range which was covered with clouds much of the time along the way and soon Kluane Lake, Yukon's largest lake, came into view.  That is a beautiful lake and you follow it’s southern and western shoreline for quite a few miles with lots of good pullouts for large vehicles. 

KLUANE LAKE, SHEEP MOUNTAIN ACROSS THE LAKE

KLUANE LAKE

I really like this part of the trip—the Kluane Country is wild country and I gained a wonderful sense of freedom just being here!  Even just passing through as I did this day.  I passed up stopping at Sheep Mountain (now renamed to it’s First Nation name) because I had been there before and it wasn’t a good time to see the Dall sheep there.  The road in that area is wonderful now!  It was all under construction when I came through there in 2007 and 2008.

After passing by Destruction Bay Lodge I began what was the hardest part of the whole trip in 2007/08—and it still is.  One travel guide describes this section of road (Destruction Bay to Tok) as good to very poor.  However, the road is in MUCH better shape now than it was a decade ago!  There are a lot of sizeable frost heaves—some marked, many aren’t.  I was able to drive 50-55 mph for stretches at a time, but there were still areas where I slowed to 25-35 mph to go through the frost heaves.

A LOT OF BLACK SPRUCE TREES ALONG THIS PART OF THE ROUTE

A GRIZZLY BID ME ADIEU SHORTLY BEFORE I LEFT CANADA

I stopped at the border to take some pictures and then drove on to clear U.S. customs.

NOTE THE BORDER CLEARING BEHIND THE MARKER.
IF MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT, IT IS ABOUT 10 METERS/33 FEET WIDE.
I USED TO MAKE A TURN SOUTH OVER SIMILAR CLEARINGS WHILE FLYING FIRE PATROLS OVER IDAHO AND MONTANA FORESTS.

YES, YOU CAN STAND IN TWO COUNTRIES HERE!

MARKER ERECTED BY KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL, MAY

31, 1982.  IT READS:  "THIS UNFORTIFIED BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN THE DOMINION OF CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SHOULD QUICKEN

THE REMEMBRANCE OFTHE MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THESE COUNTRIES, A LESSON OF PEACE TO ALL NATIONS."

(TO THIS I CAN ONLY ADD AN "AMEN"!)

THE FINAL LEG INTO TOK, AK 

Finally, I pulled into the Sourdough Campground in Tok, AK after 13 hours on the road—including the long stop getting back into Canada.  The total mileage for the day was 438 mi/705 km.

Wildlife Count:  2 brown bears, 1 porcupine, 4 trumpeter swans

Road Report:  See Day 33 for why this report is pretty incomplete.  The Haines Highway report is in Day 29.  I had a complete log of all the major areas of concern for the Alaska Highway north of Haines Junction which was lost, so I will do a short summary.  Basically, the road from Haines Jct. to Destruction Bay Lodge is in good condition with a few frost heaves along the way.  The “work” for a driver begins about ¾ mile west of Destruction Bay Lodge where a series of sizeable frost heaves go on for perhaps a couple of miles.  This will be a good initiation for the first-time drivers up the road.  Ha!  Frost heaves continue off and on to the border—some are marked, some you can spot by watching the white lines, some you just have to keep a good look out for.  I don’t recall any particular heavy construction areas; however, culverts were being replaced in a few places resulting in a very short dip and detour in each place.  All in all, the road is in much better condition than when I travelled it a decade ago.  The engineers are doing a good job figuring out how to deal with permafrost.  The road from the border to Tok was in good condition with the usual frost heaves.  (I drove through its reconstruction in 2007/08—what a difference now!)

DAY 33, JULY 1:  Here’s wishing my Canadian friends Happy Canada Day as you celebrate your country’s 150^th Anniversary!

My first full day in Tok, AK.  Most of you who have not driven the Alaska Highway probably have not heard of Tok.  The town calls itself the main street of Alaska because anyone driving in OR out is going to go through Tok.  It is a small town of about 1300 residents situated approximately 90 mi/145 km from the Canadian border crossing in east central Alaska.  The town began as a construction camp in 1942 for construction and maintenance of the Alaska Highway.  Tourism forms the economic basis for the town today.  Tok is also known as the “Sled Dog Capitol of Alaska” and there are kennels all over town.
 

I spent much of the day washing the motorhome and the Jeep.  That is a right of passage for anyone coming up the Highway!  Right behind me was a 45’ Prevost and another coach about the same size, but I didn’t get the make on that one.  Fortunately, I finished with that task about 45 minutes before it began raining—we had showers throughout the rest of the day and into the night.  The wash job wasn’t nearly as difficult as on the two previous trips because the road is much improved.  (More about that when I get to the end of the road, but suffice it to say here that the road is nothing like it was 10 years ago!  Overall, it is so much better!)

I paid a visit to the Visitor Center this afternoon—that is always a “must stop” for people driving into Alaska.  They have information available on all areas of Alaska and the attendants are always ready to answer questions.  From there I went to a local establishment that has been around a long time and is stocked with gifts, trinkets, and some nice crafts from people in this part of the world.  And they still have the best fudge of anywhere I have had it!  Of course, I bought some…

Now for my sad tale.  I use a digital voice recorder when I am on the road to note construction areas, keep count of wildlife, note thoughts about the areas I am driving through or general thoughts that I believe people might be interested in.  This morning while deleting a couple of entries that I no longer needed, I ended up wiping out all of the 90+ entries that I had accumulated to use to update the past 3 days for the blog—entries such as accurate wildlife counts, areas of road construction, etc.  The major parts for the blog have been written for those days; however, what was on the recorder was the “frosting on the cake so to speak” and it is lost.  I will have to do some serious thinking to reconstruct some of the information needed to finish out those days.  I don’t have any instructions for the recorder, so I’m not sure which buttons I pushed to delete everything.  Oh well, such is life…

DAY 34, JULY 2:  I slept in this morning which felt good—I needed some additional sleep.  This was a “down day” to do errands such as laundry, catch up on some paperwork, work on the blog, make some phone calls, etc.  I met another single woman traveler while doing laundry who said she left her caravan at Destruction Bay and came ahead so that she could have some time alone and do things on her own schedule.  The rest of her caravan came in today.  Also, while waiting on clothes to be finished, I found a geocache here in the park.  The park changed hands about 3 years ago and the woman who is an owner with her husband, also geocaches.  She put the cache out here and I left a couple of trackables in it.

SOURDOUGH CAMPGROUND

THERE IS A GEOCACHE HERE!

 

I had dinner at Fast Eddies (still pretty good food at a decent price) and drove by the airport to see if much had changed out there (it hadn’t).  There was a mean looking storm up north and it looked like it was coming this way, so I went back to the coach and hooked the car up for tomorrow’s trip.  The rain began just as I was finishing that job.  And it is still raining4 ½ hours later.  Sound familiar David and Nancy H.?  (They were parkers for me on the 2008 caravan to Alaska—and it was a wet one.)

DAY 35, JULY 3:  I was off to Fairbanks today—a leisurely 205 mile/330 km drive.  There was light drizzle the first part of the drive but as the day went on there were breaks in the low overcast and occasional bits of blue sky showing through.  I just kept thinking about how much fabulous scenery the folks coming up this part of the highway were missing today because of the low clouds.  I will post a couple of pictures from my 2007 trip that show the vast mountains of the Alaska Range that were off to my left (south) and ahead.

 

THE ALASKA RANGE ON A CLEAR DAY

I made the requisite stop at Delta Junction, which is the end of the Alaska Highway at Mile 1422.  The picture certifying I truly made it was taken and I picked up a certificate that also certified I had gotten there.  Personnel at the visitor center told me the Alaska state parks in that area are closed due to budget issues; however, they are open for camping.  There just aren’t any services available such as water, garbage pickup, toilets, etc.  You camp at your own risk the sign said.


THE END OF THE ROAD!

 From Delta Junction I went another few miles up The Highway to one of my favorite stops along the way—Rika’s Roadhouse.  This is a very peaceful setting along the Tanana River where one can see artifacts from Alaska’s earlier history as well as current history; i.e. a close-up view of the Alaska Pipeline.  The restaurant on the grounds serves very good strawberry-rhubarb pie ala mode, too!  I noticed several RVs from a caravan parked there who were also in the Tok campground the night before.

RIKA'S ROADHOUSE

 

CROSSING THE TANANA RIVER AFTER LEAVING RIKA'S.
THAT IS THE ALASKA PIPELINE ON THE RIGHT.

Soon it was time to head on to Fairbanks.  Traffic became heavier as I approached the town of 31,500 population located near the geographical center of the state.  I had hoped to be able to park at the Elks Lodge on the bank of the Chena River and, fortunately, I got the last available spot.  The lodge employees are very personable and helpful and I enjoyed happy hour with my neighboring campers.  The rain began (again) about 6 p.m. and continued through the evening hours.

 Wildlife Count:  1 immature bald eagle

Road Report:  The road to Delta Junction was a good Alaska highway with some frost heaves.  After leaving Delta Junction, there were several short areas of loose gravel where some construction has been done.  These extend across both lanes and are approximately the same size as areas that have been overlaid with pavement.  Perhaps these areas will be paved by summer’s end?  People just need to look for the wavy white lines indicating frost heaves on this leg and evaluate paved areas that aren’t marked with road markings as they approach the areas. 

DAY 36, JULY 4:  This was a lazy day.  I did some work on the blog and went to Pioneer Park to see some of the festivities there.  Pioneer Park is an interesting park in which several historical buildings have been moved to and furnished so a visitor can see how life used to be up here.  They also have an interesting air museum which I will visit on another day.  All in all, the park is much like it was 10 years ago.  Oh, yes, and you can dry camp in their parking lot for a very nominal fee.

PIONEER PARK

 

After an extended happy hour with other campers, I retired to the coach to do some more work on the blog and to watch the Capitol 4^th concert from Washington, DC—an annual tradition for me.  I used to go to the concerts when I lived back there, now I have to be satisfied with watching them on TV.

To recap my mileage:  I have driven 4,018 mi/6466 km in the coach from Anthem, AZ to Fairbanks, AK!  This is the northern-most point on the drive for me.

JUNE 21-25: DAWSON CREEK, BC TO WHITEHORSE, YT

Note to readers:  Road reports will be a little more extensive since travelers coming behind me are looking at them.

DAY 23, JUNE 21:  I got an early start up the Alaska Highway this morning, headed 283 miles (455 km) up the road to Fort Nelson.  It was very windy (cross-wind and headwinds—what else?) the first half of the trip—probably 25-30 mph (40-50 km) with higher gusts.  I travelled in light to occasionally moderate rain much of the way.  It wasn’t long before I was travelling deeper into the boreal forest, leaving the rolling farmland behind.  The road has nice wide right-of-ways (ROW) so you can see animals easier before they come on the road; however, the ROW are becoming overgrown with bushes in many places.

DAWSON CREEK TO FORT NELSON, BC

I stopped for breakfast about 70 miles north at The Shepherd’s Inn—once again, it didn’t disappoint!  Definitely a good place to grab a bite on the way with lots of parking for RVs and trucks.  I passed many logging trucks during the first half of the drive and oil/gas activity was prevalent all along the way.  One noticeable difference from the last times I was on this stretch was all the prefab “work camps” that have been put in along the highway.  I don’t recall seeing any along here a decade ago.

ONE OF THE WORK CAMPS

The road has a lot of long climbs and descents with a few short ones of 6-10% grades.  Driving into Fort Nelson, I noticed quite a few newer buildings and businesses.  The town has changed quite a bit!  I am parked at the Triple G campground which I had stayed at in 2008 when it was under different ownership.  The new owner has made a few improvements since then, but it is pretty hard to do much when you are located in a bog.  This was one of my least favorite campgrounds on the 2007 and 2008 trips; however, it is really the only show in town.  (For RVers reading this:  There are no Good Sam or any other discounts here.  Northern Lights RV Park in Dawson Creek will give a discount to Good Sam members.)  I walked over to the Fort Nelson Historical Society Museum that is next to the campground after getting parked.  It has quite a collection of machinery and artifacts that date back to the construction of the Highway.

FORT NELSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM

I really “goofed” by not setting my “Trip B” odometer to zero in Dawson Creek.  The Milepost lists mileages from certain cities, Dawson Creek being one of them, so you really need to know where you are relative to your starting point or destination in order to figure out where you are when reading The Milepost.  When I hit 200 miles from Dawson Creek, I reset the odometer, so now I just have to remember to factor in the 200 miles.

Wildlife count:  2 deer, 1 cow moose with a calf crossed the highway in front of me (they were moving too fast for me to get a picture), 2 very large gray birds next to road—only got a quick look but probably sandhill cranes

Road report:  Generally good road conditions with short areas of construction.  Potholes, broken pavement, and frost heaves becoming more prevalent the last half of the trip.  All in all, nothing major.  However, in spite of all the securing of things that I did, a few items were “re-arranged” on this leg!

NOTE:  I had planned to go to Fort Liard, NWT from here by Jeep; however, I have decided against that .  Weather is supposed to be pretty good tomorrow, so I want to take advantage of that for the beautiful drive to Muncho Lake.  There are only 2 geocaches in Fort Liard—one of which, from reading the logs, is not one I should do alone.  So, the NWT will have to wait for another trip because I don’t want to drive it without another RV along in the event of a problem.  Oh, well, such is life.

DAY 24, JUNE 22:  This is one of my favorite stretches of road for the whole trip—Fort Nelson to Muncho Lake, BC, a 149 mile (240 km) drive.  And, today didn’t disappoint with perfect weather for the trip.  The snow-covered northern Canadian Rockies became visible shortly after leaving Fort Nelson.  As I approached them, new vistas appeared around every turn—the scenery on this part of the trip is really incredible.  (I took over 100 pictures today!)  Eventually, I climbed up to Summit Pass which is the highest pass on the Alaska Highway (elev. 4250 feet/1295 m).  The speed limit through the Rockies is 50 mph/80 km which is a very comfortable speed for sightseeing and avoiding obstacles such as animals, rocks, or potholes in and on the road.  Also, I like to be a long way from the vehicle in front of me in order to have a good view of the road ahead for some distance. 

FORT NELSON TO MUNCHO LAKE, BC

(INTO THE NORTHERN CANADIAN ROCKIES)

SUMMIT LAKE

 

 

FOLDED MOUNTAIN

For old time’s sake, I stopped at Testa  River Services & Campground to pick up some cinnamon rolls.  They are excellent!  I also stopped at Toad River Lodge to leave a cap for their collection.  They have over 10,000 caps at last count—the hostess gave me a staple gun and said to put it wherever I wanted to.  I had a good piece of brambleberry pie there.

TOAD RIVER LODGE--JUST ONE 0F THE ROOMS!

The black spruce trees are becoming more common as I head further north.  I began seeing them a few days ago; however, they are very common now. 

BLACK SPRUCE

There was a caribou on the road shortly after crossing Summit Pass and I was able to get some pictures of it when it had moved to the side of the road. 

CARIBOU

Shortly after that encounter, I came across two groups of stone sheep along road. 

STONE SHEEP

I am camped at Strawberry Flat Provincial campground on Muncho Lake tonight.  There aren’t any services here, so it is “dry camping” as we call it.  I have a wonderful view of the lake and the mountains out my front window! 

WHAT A VIEW!

The deep blue green water is beautiful.  The lake is long and narrow—about 7.5 miles/12km long and 1 mile/1.6 km wide with a reported depth of 730 feet/223m.

RELAXING AT ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES!
(MUNCHO LAKE, BC)

I am parked next to an interesting couple from Texas who are likely well into their 80’s and they are making their 13^th trip up the Highway.  They go about every other year and pull a 5^th-wheel with a pickup and they have explored much of what is in Alaska and northwest Canada during their travels.

The satellite radio in the motorhome basically stopped reception about 340 miles from Dawson Creek; however, it is still working in the Jeep here at Muncho Lake.  I am not sure what to think about this situation—and I can’t contact Sirius from here to try to sort it out.

Wildlife Count:  3 black bears, 1 caribou, est. 12 stone sheep in two groups

Road report:  A little rougher west of Fort Nelson, but basically in good condition.  Two short stops for construction.  Many small potholes but most are marked for repair, so may be repaired by the time the caravans come through.

DAY 25, JUNE 23: 



HELLO WORLD!
WHAT A VIEW TO WAKE UP TO!

This was a very short drive today—just 41 miles to Liard River Hot Springs, where I am parked in a provincial park again tonight.  This is a nice campground with large flat sites amongst the tall trees and wild roses all around. 

LAST VIEWS OF MUNCHO LAKE-THE PHOTO DOESN'T DO THE SCENE JUSTICE!

After seeing stunning reflections along Muncho Lake this morning, the drive took me out of the heart of the Canadian Rockies, although there were still deep valleys and fast moving rivers.  The slopes were forested with no barren areas along the highway once I was a few miles northwest of Muncho Lake.  Wildlife was abundant along the way—I saw black bears, wood bison (a type of buffalo) in two herds, and stone sheep which were not about to give up their salt lick along the road.  There were really a lot of bison calves in the two herds.

STONE SHEEP

 



WOOD BISON



 

I drove along a couple of rivers for quite a lot of this trip.  They were really running downhill, so to speak, with lots of rapids, etc.  I crossed the wide Liard River on the only remaining suspension bridge on the Alaska Highway.  I had forgotten how wide that river is!  I thought, as I was driving along this morning, that this country is nothing but high, wide, and wonderful!

After getting the camp set up and having lunch, I went to soak in the hot spring pools for awhile.  Oh, but did that feel good! 

LIARD HOT SPRINGS

While on this venture I talked with a park employee and a park ranger who had both had close encounters with bears in the last two days.  The bear spray worked for them and they are here to talk about it!  And, these were very close encounters!  I spent quite awhile talking with the ranger about bear protection and he had some very plausible reasons why bear spray is better protection than a gun or bear bells.  In fact, up here they call bear bells “dinner bells” because a bear hearing the bells is more likely to come to you while investigating what the sound is.  The ranger suggested that, since I am travelling alone, it would be good to have the spray with me anytime I am going into the bush.  So, I guess I will be carrying my bear spray more often now.

I am parked across from two very interesting RVs from Europe.  A couple from Italy is in one and a man from Austria is in the other.  The campers are heavy duty all-terrain vehicles which were brought to Canada by ship.  The trio will be on the road for 1.5 years circumnavigating Canada, Alaska, and much of the Lower 48.

RVs FROM EUROPE

I took a walk back out on the boardwalk to the pools this evening to see if I could see any moose.  Sure enough, one was out there eating.  She was a long way out but I took some pictures anyway.

Wildlife Count:  2 black bear, 50+ wood bison, 9 stone sheep, 1 moose

Road report:  There is a sign by Northern Rockies Lodge telling drivers to use headlights because of extreme dust.  I drove a few miles before I got into the actual construction area which was being watered to keep dust down.  A pilot car was being used in this area, causing a short delay.  Further along while on gravel roadbed the dust was, indeed, extreme in the dry spots.  Visibility was perhaps 200 feet/.06 km or less in places.  The gravel beyond the active construction area runs for several miles and is staked out for future construction.  I suspect future caravans this year will be encountering continued work in the whole stretch which may run as much as 10 miles.  (I didn’t check the mileage, so this is a guesstimate.)  The road was good from the end of the construction/gravel to Liard River.

NOTE:  For people coming north on their own in the future, just west of Northern Rockies Lodge/RV park, I saw what looked like a fairly new lodge/RV park on Muncho Lake.  They advertise 30 amp power and large pull-thrus.  The sites appeared to be by the shoreline so there should be some good views.  This might be another option for future travelers up this road who want hook-ups.  However, from the road, the lodge does not compare esthetically to Northern Rockies’.

DAY 26, JUNE 24:  I had  another short drive of 129 mi./208 km today to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory (YT).  The countryside is predominantly rolling and forested with some deeper valleys.  All in all, very scenic.

ALLEN'S LOOKOUT

I stopped at Allen’s Lookout which has a historic milepost marker and a cairn marking the YT/BC border.  The border is also marked in cement at the foot of the cairn and you can see the original roadbed of the Alaska Highway behind the cairn.  However, the highway runs parallel to the border here, so I won’t cross it for another couple of miles.  I will cross the YT/BC border 6 times before I get to the “official” border crossing at Historic Marker 627.

Shortly before arriving in Watson Lake I could see the snow-covered Cassiar Mountains off in the distance to my left.  I will be seeing a lot more of them before this trip is over—and I look forward to that!  The wildlife was abundant along this stretch.  I saw what I am certain is a young grizzly bear—he was sort of aggressive as he came out of the ditch, crossed the other lane, and headed right for the motorhome.  He went right in front of me, turned and went down the right side of it and around back of the car, at which time I lost sight of him.  I also saw several black bears and wood bison (all males) and my first red fox on the trip.

GRIZZLY BEAR--COMING TO CHECK ME OUT!

 

ANOTHER BLACK BEAR!

MALE WOOD BISON

My first stop after parking was the famous Sign Post Forest which began with a sign posted by a homesick U.S. Army soldier from Illinois in 1942.  The count as of late last September was 83,886 signs!  (There were 64,371 on September 30, 2007, which was the year I put my first sign up.) After posting my sign for the trip, I enjoyed walking through part of the “forest” looking at the various signs and where they were brought from, in addition to finding a couple of geocaches there.

 

THE TOP SIGN IS FROM MY 2007/2008 TRIPS

Then, it was on to the adjoining Visitor Information Center where you can get good information on all things Yukon, plus more maps and books than you can easily carry out.  They really do an excellent job of passing along information at this center.  By then, it was beginning the promised sprinkle of rain; however, I had another stop I wanted to make.  I went out to the airport to see the WWII display in the terminal building.  I really enjoyed it when I saw the display in 2007 and noted several additions had been made to the earlier presentation.  It was well worth the effort to take the 8-mile drive out of town—and it was a good opportunity to review once again how the U.S. participated in the Lend-Lease program during the War.  The evening was spent at the Northern Lights Centre to see their shows.  I have really enjoyed the shows in the past and I was not disappointed again this year.  In addition to the shows in the state-of-the-art theater, there are also very interesting interactive space-related activities one can participate in.  All in all, it was a very busy day filled with lots of different activities!

Wildlife Count:  3 black bear, 1 grizzly bear, 4 wood bison, 1 red fox

Road conditions:  Good all the way.

DAY 27, JUNE 25:  I fueled up this morning and headed to Whitehorse, YT, a 273 mi./439 km stretch of beautiful scenery.  Light rain showers were encountered off and on, but in general it was an easy drive with good roads.  I followed the Rancheria River for some time but opted not to make the walk to the falls on this trip because of the rain.  That is a beautiful stop, so I will probably make it on the way back south.  The route took me back into BC for a short stretch and that was probably the roughest part of the road.  Evidently their maintenance crews don’t spend a lot of time up in that part of the province.  Ha! 

CASSIAR MOUNTAINS

I was in the north end of the Cassiar Mountains during this part of the drive and encountered a few miles of dense fog and many of the mountains were obscured by clouds.  Coming out of Cassiars, you soon see Teslin Lake, which you drive along for quite a few miles.  Teslin Lake straddles the YK/BC border and is 86 mi/138 km long and averages 2 mi/3.2 km wide. 

NISUTLIN BAY BRIDGE--TESLIN LAKE
2ND LONGEST BRIDGE ON THE ALCAN--PEACE RIVER BRIDGE IS LONGEST

From there it was mostly a gently rolling road with some high rugged mountains on each side in spots punctuated by long narrow lakes or smaller ponds/lakes.  The amount of black spruce forestation definitely increased on this leg of the trip.  Those trees are really amazing!  I will write more about them later when I can find my reference material.

 

I pulled into the RV park that I like here in Whitehorse only to find they were already full—and it was only 2 p.m.  I went back down the road to Pioneer RV Park and they can put me up for two nights.  Caravans use this park a lot, so I was fortunate to get in.  I have encountered problems getting into the commercial parks since I left Radium Hot Springs.  I believe the bottom line now is you are almost forced to make reservations to get a spot which is a big change from when I came up in 2007.  I am definitely going to have to rethink how I like to travel without a schedule most of the time.  I drove by WalMart late this afternoon and I would estimate there were between 50 and 60 RVs of various kinds parked there.

I have noticed a lot of motorcycles going both directions on the trip--they typically run in groups of 2-4.  I have also passed 8 southbound cross-country bicyclists.  What a trip that would be!  But it’s not for me!  I am also seeing more southbound RVs than I had seen at the same time on my trips 9 and 10 years ago.  I guess people are going up earlier and heading back south earlier now.

Wildlife Count:  2 black bears, 3 red foxes (1 scurrying along with breakfast in its mouth), several small rabbits along the road
 
Road Report:  The road was in generally good to very good condition.  A 10-mile stretch is marked for construction which begins about 40 mi. east of Rancheria Falls; however I didn’t see any equipment along the way.  It was packed gravel and in good condition.  Around Dawson’s Peak resort there was a sign for 15 miles of construction; however, conditions were the same as for the first area.  There is one really rough breakup along the route which isn’t marked well—and it is the kind that will rattle the fillings in your teeth if you hit it just right.  It covers the whole northbound lane for several yards.  I don’t have a good fix on the location but I believe it was a couple miles after you get back into Yukon from the loop down into BC.  It may still be in BC, but that is the general area.