Archive for the ‘North to Alaska’ Category
Monday, September 1st, 2008
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Today we headed towards Hazleton. Actually, there are 2 (maybe 3) Hazleton’s - the new and the old. We stopped short of Hazleton to look at some totem poles and were greeted by a friendly cat.The first thing we saw in Hazleton was a glass shop so we stopped to have the windshield fixed. Cost $44 Canadian. |
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Hazleton has many totem poles and near Hazleton you will pass through Moricetown. Here the local First People or Aborigines as some call themselves, fish the Skeena river for salmon using nets. Not really fishing - more like catching. Over 5 million salmon run up the Skeena each year. |
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The day we watched, they were catching, tagging and releasing. As far as I know, there is no limit to what the First People can catch.Tonight we camped at Dave’s RV and finally got showers! |
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Tags: Alaska, BC, totem poles, YT
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Thursday, August 28th, 2008
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We pulled out about 7:45am heading south on the Cassiar Highway. We snapped a photo at Gnat Pass Summit, 4,072 feet and Mt. Edziza (9,000 ft. volcano). |
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The Cassiar Highway is a beautiful way south, some gravel and a pretty narrow road especially on the northern end. Some traffic but tall mountains, lakes and lots to see. We passed 4 black bears along the way. |
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At Meziadin Junction we turned toward Steward to see the Bear Glacier which at one time touched the highway. The blue ice of the exposed end and the water pouring from was incredible. |
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We turned back to camp at The Meziadin Lake Provincial Park (dry) where we had a site 10 feet from the lake. We had a nice fire and cocktails. We watched a beaver taking home fast food and we had chili bean burgers. |
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We also learned 3.84 liters make a gallon (from one Debbie’s many cookbooks) so now I can figure out some mileage. |
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Debbie’s report on the Bear Glacier. |
Tags: Alaska, BC, Black Bear, Glacier, The Meziadin Lake Provincial Park, YT
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Thursday, August 28th, 2008
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We got an early start (7:40am) heading south. As we started there was a beautiful string of Canadian Geese, lighted up by the sunrise, heading south. Just after that 2 young elk crossed in front of us. We crossed the Continental Divide, just as we did in Yellowstone the year before. |
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We pulled of the road at Lake Lebarge to visit Moms Bakery (owned by Tracy Harris, a former director of the Yukon Quest and a great baker.) We had coffee, looked at some of her pictures, including Mary Shields (see the Fairbanks). She has a local fox she feeds an egg a day to keep him away from her chickens (we had seen him on the way in. We purchased a giant cinnamon roll, sourdough bread and some halibut chowder and were on our way. |
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We stopped in Whitehorse for window repair and to refuel. Window repairs are not done on Saturdays and diesel . . . ah, that is the question. We had seen pumps with no markings, pumps with a “low sulphur” sticker and pumps with “Ultra” written next to the low sulphur sticker. I can’t really say good fuel was available after Chicken until Prince George. |
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We camped at The Cottonwood River rest area (dry) with a mountain and river view. Leftovers for dinner, a Scrabble game and to bed. |
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Our open house video for the grand kids, nieces and nephews. |
Tags: Alaska, BC, Continental Divide, YT
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Thursday, August 28th, 2008
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Around noon, we bid farewell to the “Coast Guard” and headed southbound towards Whitehorse. We stopped to do a quick car wash that took just the first coat of mud off. The floor of the carwash was covered in mud. There was no soap setting just water under pressure. |
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Next we stopped at Gravel Lake, an important bird migration spot. After being so careful for 500 miles a rock finally found it’s way to our windshield. I was a little upset (those who know me, know what this means). |
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We also visited the Five Fingers Rapids Recreation Site and later learned about a layer of volcanic white ash (possible from St. Elias) that covered the southern Yukon Territory. You can see this layer clearer at cuts in the road about 1 foot below the surface. |
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We stopped at Pelly Crossing, which is on route of the Yukon Quest and one of the many sites owned by the First Nation. It was here that Debbie lost her idealistic view of the indian way of life. Sadly the government dole system has taken it’s toll on some of the First People as it has on many Indians. |
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Time to camp (dry) at Twin Lakes Government Campground. |
Tags: Alaska, BC, Twin Lakes Government Campground, YT
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Thursday, August 28th, 2008
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We stopped by the Post Office on the way out of Chicken to mail post cards and then headed towards the Top of the World Highway and the Yukon Territory. |
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Climbing up, up, up we came to a turnout showing some of the of the 40 mile Caribou herd’s territory. The herd now numbers about 20,000 from a known population of 500,000. Killed off by hunters, predators and possible weather the herd dropped to 10,000 before starting to comeback. |
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We came to the border crossing with the highest post office in North America, and kept climbing on the Top of the World Highway (4,515 ft.). We pulled off at an interesting rock point with a great view (W140.77996 N64.10164 at 3,750 feet elevation). We discovered the point was a great place for producing multiple echoes or yodeling if you prefer. |
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Since this position is not in the Milepostguide, we claim the rock to be Debbie and Keith’s Echo Rock. I am reasonable convinced also that we were the first Sportsmobile Sprinter across the Top of the World. |
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The highway continued on dropping as we went, then climbing and dropping again. As we approached Dawson City, we found the Top of the World Golf Course. Traveling the world’s longest driveway we checked out the course. |
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Next we crossed the Yukon River on a small ferry (lots of current and mud due to all the rain) and found our campground (wet).Skip, who was also at the campground, convinced me to accompany him the one of the local watering holes at The Downtown Hotel. The bar offered us a chance join that long sought club membership, that premier group of adventurers, that one-of-a-kind devil may care explorer society by kissing a severed human toe. |
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I was prepared for this adventure with a delightful pasta with garlic and broccoli dinner. My experiences with several unnamed Army buddies (ok, I will name them - Jim Butler, Larry Kimmel, Richard Brokhausen and other members of the exclusive CCN band of brothers also prepared me for an event of this importance.) |
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Some of the pictures here might not be suitable for frail, weak or otherwise gentle persons or girly men. The toe tasted slightly like chicken with just a hit of Madagascar cinnamon and Vietnamese nuc-mam.And is all I will say about that. |
| Video of the partial range of the 40 Mile Caribou herd. |
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Tags: Alaska, BC, kiss the toe, YT
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