Alaska............. we have arrived !

Day 12, Saturday June 4, 2011  Sunset 12:34

            The winded howled off the Kluane Lake all night and I wondered how cold, harsh and lonely this place must be in the winter.  The wind shock the trailer and I learnt the price of the best view spot, is lack of shelter from the eliminates.   

Kluane Lake

          

            As we continue along the Alaska Highway, our last day in the Yukon for awhile, we see the vast amounts of spruce forests that were damaged by the spruce tree bug in the nineties.  Much of the forest has regrown with Alder trees.   At a rest spot we see trumpeter swan fishing for his breakfast.

Alaska Border

 The road condition continues to worsen.  Much of the soil here is of glacial origins.  Anything that causes the permafrost to melt will cause the ice rich soil to liquefy and the liquid soil has little strength and will settle or subside. Then if this soil refreezes during lower air temperatures, it will expand or heave.

So you southerners do not complain about the odd pothole.

Day 11, Friday June 3, 2011    Sunset 11: 34PM

            Here I sit in the sunshine, sipping on a glass of pinot gris from Robert Mondavi, beside the rocky shores of Lake Kluane recounting the days events. 

   After a 5 am WAKE-UP CALL we board the Mv Malaspina.   This Alaska Marine HWY vessel loads sideways.   Now, here I need to insert that statement “the ideas and thoughts expressed on this blog are blah, blah blah, only my own “.

Entering from the side

 What idiot builds a ferry that loads SIDEWAYS? 

Manuevering to get out.

These people need to take a BC ferry to learn a thing or two.  Don’t get me wrong, they are very helpful and do a great job, given the vessel they have to work with.   Our trailer and truck are 55 feet LONG; IT cost us $267.00 US to cross from Skagway to Haines.
   

Driving out of side door

They need to load us early due to our size, so they get Henry to back out of the line up and on to the ramp.   Skilfully the 10 workers standing at different points guide us on.  Once through the ferry doors, Henry needs to make a sharp left turn to drive over all three still vacant lines, drive to the end of the ferry then make a sharp right turn to drive around on to the otherside of the ferry, then again using the three empty lanes, drive to the front of the ferry, where we finally stop.  They did an excellent job quiding us, but what a time consuming manuever,   every spot is thought out who parks where, so they can again unload.  We had two short motorhomes in front of us. Had they parked Henry there, there would not have been enough room for him to swing wide to make the turn to exit on the side.  Okay, enough of that. 

Leaving Skagway

Approaching Haines

            The ferry takes 60 minutes to arrive in Haines, Alaska.  Along the way we see whales in Lynn Canal and enjoy THE BEAUTIFUL scenery of the Lyn canal.  

We part ways with our friends Eric and Lynne as we embark and head to Haines Junction.  We are immediately impressed with how different the scenery is on this side of the lyn canal.  It is much flatter.  The ChillKoot River is wide and runoff strong.  Soon we come to the Alaska ChilkaBald Eagle  Preserve, which is the annual gathering site of 3,500 bald eagles eery October through December.  Unfortunately we do not see any bald eagles but we do see some of the huge nests that they build and return to each year.  The eagles are drawn here by the late run of the chum salmon.

As we enter BACK INTO British Columbia the elevation climbs steadily and the vegetation quickly changes to sub-artic tundra.  It IS LESS rock then the White Pass with more schrubs that still show no sign ofspring.  The platueau is relatively flat and barren with several feet of snow in spots. As we start our decent we enter back to the Yukon and arrive at haines Junction.  

            We are now backing on the Alaska hwy travelling adjacent to the Kluane National Park Reserve.  These snow peak mountains leave me lacking for words to describe.  The range parallels the highway. The peaks average $2440 metres, with Mount Logan, Canada’s highest mountain at 5959 metres is unfortunately not visible to us from the highway.  Kluane National Park Reserve in Yukon together with Tatshenshini-Alsek Park in BC and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska form a UNESCO  site. 

Most of these park lands are covered in Glaciers, best viewing is by plan but our budget does not allow for this.      The highway soon brings us to the shores of Kluane Lake, Yukon’s biggest lake.  The emerald water is our rest spot for the night. 

 

 

We ate meat for supper, no bite

While I write, Henry tries his luck at some fishing.  The lake still has ice on it and the breeze brings the ice to shore, the sound of the ice crashing to shoreline is laying a concert of bells.    

            As we eat our campfire cooked dinner and enjoy another glass of wine the sun is still shining brightly. 

I ponder the toil that the men and women who followed the gold rush trail encountered.  Theirs was not an easy life in search for wealth, many paying with their lives.  I draw comparisons on how we all still fall victim to gold fever but now we no longer labour form the dream of fortune, all we do is purchase a lottery ticket. ( I think I have had too much wine)

 

Rest Day ( I call it laundry day)

Day 10, Thursday June 2, 2011

            Today is a peaceful day in Skagway, as we have to wait for the ferry to Haynes.  We have reservations for the 7AM departure.  Yikes, we have to be there by 6 AM, wake up at 5AM.  Way too much of a reminder of going to work. 

My Birthday

Day 9, June 1, 2011

            I start the day with a walk from the campsite towards town, I need to pass an airstrip, (that Henry mistook for the road the night before and almost drove on) and head towards town.   I run into a few locals, one of which advised me not to walk the dog in the area because there are so many cougars, who would just snap up Tico.   Great, in-between the bear warning signs at every campsite, the mosquitoes so big that I think I should give them names, now I have to worry about cougars too.   Needless to say I headed back to camp. 

Carcross Post Office

We start the day with a visit to the Carcross Post Office to mail a letter; apparently the post mark is collectible.  The very friendly postmistress invites Tico to come in and have a cookie. 

We wonder around the few old historic buildings, I enter a shop, only to have the storekeeper rush out to meet Tico.  Carcross is Tico crazy, probably because small dogs don’t live here due to the cougars. 

           Carcross also has Canada’s most northerly dessert, left after the last Ice Age, one square mile large.

Now it is off to travel the rest of the South Klondike route through White Pass.

 Absolutely incredibly beautiful and stunning scenery leaves us in awe.  Emerald coloured lakes, glacial ice capped mountains, and crystal clear blue skies.   This road is worth doing.     As we approach the summit, we pass the Canadian customs, and some 37 kilometres we get to the US customs.

While Pass

  The scenery at the summit is rugged tundra, patricianly snow covered.    We now start our very steep decent into Skagway.
 The vegetation quickly changes with our decent, and now the narrow spruce trees line the side of the roads.  

Entering Alaska the first time, through the White Pass

Broadway St. Skagway Alaska

The White Pass train we took last year

Princess Diamond  in habour in Skagway

In Skagway be happen to meet Lynne & Eric from Kaleden

In Skagway we head to an RV park and totally coincidentally run into  some friends from Kaleden, Lynn & Eric Patterson.

Hanging out with Lynne & Eric

  After lunch the four of us set off for a walking tour to the downtown area.   Skagway is a unique place.  The town has about 700 inhabitants in the winter, but come the summer, the population swells to a couple of thousand plus a daily invasion of 4 to 7,000. people coming off the up to 5 cruise ships, that dock everyday.   Having been on one of those cruise ships last year, it is an odd feeling this time around.  The town presents itself has a colourful old west, gold seeking town, with lots of drinking establishments that had notorious reputations for illegal activity.   Today the streets are lined with jewellery stores packed with shopping hungry tourist off the boats.

            I eagerly await the departure of the ships in the evening.  Tico and I take a stroll around town, now that is what I call a ghost town, all businesses closed for the day, the previously crowded sidewalks deserted.  

            After watching the thrilling end to the Canucks win at the Bonanza Bar, Henry and I go for dinner and have some halibut in the harbour area, and call it a great  day.

The South Klondike Trail

Day 8, May 31, 2011  

           

            We pick up a few supplies in Whitehorse and go to visit the Miles Canyon. 

Henry on suspension bridge over Miles Canyon, Whitehorse

me on suspension bridge

Miles Canyon, Whitehorse, Yukon

 Then we had for the South Klondike Trail.  When we get to Carcross we drop the trailer in the Carcross Yukon Park.  Carcross is known for a few things.   It used to be the migration path of the Caribou herd. (CAR ribou CROSSing )  It also is a stop off the White Pass Railroad, built to transport the Ore during the Gold Rush and now serves as a tourist train through the scenic route through the White Pass to Skagway.       

We decide to take a scenic drive to the hamlet of Atlin.  Atlin Lake is the largest lake in British Columbia, and very picturesque.  The drive was rough, dirt road for about half the way.  We spot our first moose, but unfortunately she did not want to pose for a picture.

Atline Lake, BC's largest lake,  Yes that is ice.

 We are very surprised that the lake still has lots of ice on it by Atlin.  Most businesses are closed; I guess the season of tourist has not really started.  We find a café by the gas station and get a cup of coffee.  The business is run by a 30 something immigrant from German who moved to Canada in the 90’s.  (how do they find these places)

           

Whitehorse

Day 7, May 30, 2011  

            We head towards Whitehorse, under beautiful blue skies. The weather gods are with us.    In Whitehorse we have cell phone coverage. WOW.

            We stroll along the Yukon, see the SS Klondike and then browse through the stores on Main St of Whitehorse. 

Downtown Whitehorse

Yukon River, Whitehorse, May 30th 24 degrees and snow on the river.

  All along we are amazed at the heat, the sun just seems hotter up here .   After finding a carwash ($33.00)  and scrubbing the mud off the truck we head to our campsite, Takhini Hot Springs RV.

After dinner we go for a soak in the hot springs, surrounded by trees, deep in Canada’s north.  We meet a group of young Canadians, who live in a Russian community in northern BC, all fluent in Russian, German and English.  One particular young man tells us he is the oldest of 14 children and his mother is 42.  Yikes.

Yukon here we come !

Day 6, Sunday May 29^th, 2011

Today Henry has been in Canada for 34 years.  

            We wake up to crystal clear blue skies at our beautiful campsite on Boya Lake.  

Breakfast at Boya Lake

 After a leisurely breakfast we head out for a short hike on a marked trail along the lake.  |Unfortunately and stupidly I trip over a rock and sprain my ankle).  In pain I hobble back to the campsite.  

 We head out towards the Yukon.  Some 81 kilometres later we cross the Yukon border, the territory impresses immediately with the vast spaciousness.  We are fortunate to have beautiful warm weather around 22 all day.   We had planned on stopping at Nugget City to fill up, but must have blinked at the same time again, because we missed it.  

This blog will show the Ugly

We instead fill up at Rancheria Lodge; I do not know how to describe it, other then to say it has seen better days. We picnic lunched just west of the continental divide.  When we get to Teslin unfortunately the Teslin Tlingit Heritage centre was still closed for the season.  Along the way we had been told about the fabulous cinnamon buns at Johnson Crossing.  I devour the whole thing and I think it will do me for the rest of my life.    

 

And the beautiful   Squanga Lake

 We continue to drive till Squanga Yukon Park and set up for the night, again under blue skies.  The weather has been fabulous so far. !!  

Who know the Yukon was so beautiful

I love Telegraph Creek !

Day 5, Saturday May 28, 2011

            After having listened to heavy rain during the night, we rise early for our back road adventure to Telegraph Creek was the first road built into this remote area in 1922.  The settlement grew with the discovery of gold on the Stikine Rive in 1861.  Efforts to build a transatlantic telegraph line also brought attention to this area in the 1860’s.  The Cassiar and the Klondike gold rushes both contributed to the growth in this area.  This valley is the domain of the Tahltan people.    The road is 112 kilometres of gravel one way.  We leave the trailer in the campground and head off.   Early into our travels we come across two bears but both are spooked by our presence and head for the woods quickly.   About half way point we stop to walk a short trail for excellent views of Mount Edziza, which is snow covered peak.  Three quarter of the way the road narrows dramatically.  The rain from the night before has made the road slick and muddy.  There are three steep grades, two  18% and one 20%...  this drive is not for the weak at heart, but the views are well worth it.   We stop for a short walk across lava beds and have excellent views of the grand canyon of the Stikine and Tahltan Canyon.   At its narrowest part the Stikine River Canyon is only 2.4 m wide.  We cross the single lane Tahltan River bridge and see traditional communal native smokehouses, that still operate and sell fresh and smoked fish ( in season).  

   We arrive at Telegraph Creek (pop 350 really?  )   The town is located on a steep hill side near the river, the homes are mostly original construction and the town has not changed much since original construction around 1930’s. The historic St. Aidan’s Anglican Church has service “occasionally”.  

Northern BC is beautiful !

 Day 4, Friday May 27, 2011

            We leave Stewart and head back to Hwy 37.  On the way in, the day before we had seen our first bear, matter a fact we saw four bears, all black.  

 Today we see none.  As we head north towards Dease Lake the road narrows, with no markings  indicating a centre line,  it makes for difficult driving.  The scenery is beautiful again and the weather variable from sun to rain.     When we arrive in Dease Lake (pop 450) and check in at the only campsite.  We then head over to the local RCMP (4 officers) station to enquire if we can take our quad to Telegraph Creek. The officer advises us the Telegraph creek road is actually hwy 51 and therefore quads are not allowed.   After a campfire BBQ of potatoes & venison steak we head to bed early.

Following the Gold Rush trail

Day 3 = May 26, 2011

            The Buckley Valley greets us with a light drizzle. Our drive through picturesque Smithers we had only a brief glimpse of the snow capped mountains that surround the town.  After Smithers with great expectations I await our arrival in Evelyn, B.C.  Camera in hand, Henry instructed to slow down to take a picture of Evelyn and the Evelyn Hwy sign.  Unfortunately Henry and I must have blinked at the same time, for we missed the township of Evelyn.  Ghees, even the GPS had an Evelyn, and I think I might have seen three houses, and a street sign.

            Through the rain we enjoy peaks at the Babine Mountain Range, as yesterday, the flood threat is high in the area, the rivers, gushing full with spring run off, fields saturated with water, cattle clustering on high ground.

            In the afternoon we arrive at Stewart. At the head of the Portland canal, on the south end of the American Panhandle.   Stewart, BC and Hyder, Alaska used to have a population of 10,000. Now there are 699 in Stewart and 100 in Hyder.  This might be the only place where Americans come to Canada to fill up on gas, as the only gas station is the Petro Canada in Stewart.   There is now a customs stop entering Hyder Alaska, but there is one upon return to Stewart. 

Bear glacier

     We decide to do the self guided Auto tour of Glacier Highway and Salmon Glacier.  Leaving Tico and trailer parked on the campsite we set off. We enter Hyder (a ghost town) which is surrounded by majestic glacier crowned peaks, many exceeding 1800 metres. Some of the largest glaciers in south-eastern Alaska wind among the peaks and ridges of the Salmon Valley. Past Hyder along the narrow, gravel road we come to Fish Creek which has the Bear Rive interpretive Centre.  Bears, both black and Grizzly come here to eat salmon during spawning.  Henry and I walk along the boardwalk but not a bear in sight. We travel along the road narrows, with endless potholes and wash outs.  The elevation rises and now we have a wall of snow on the side easily 10 feet high.  Through windy sections and evidence of damaging avalanches we make it to the top of the summit.  We enjoy a majestic view of the Salmon Glacier, Canada’s fifth largest glacier which is a remnant of the last great age of glaciers the Fraser Glaciations period, reached its peak around 14,000 years ago, covering much of British Columbia and Alaska, with the exception of the Queen Charlotte Ranges and parts of the Rocky Mountains.

 

            A couple of people had mentioned that the fish n chips in Hyder was not to be missed.  Having spoken to locals, they recommend the Glacier Inn.  The walls are covered with money bills, signed by visiting guests, on plastered on the walls.  The bills date back to the 1950’s when the Glacier Inn was opened.  Henry and I mosey on up to the bar and have an Alaskan Pilzner.  We than enjoy a wonderful dinner of freshly caught Halibut.  We chat with other tourist from Germany, and encourage them to enjoy the halibut.  This Inn is known for Hyderizing its guest, since Henry is driving, Evelyn gets hyderized.  Yikes, these Alaskans aren’t whimps.  The bartender puts down a shot, will not tell you what it is and instructs you not to smell or taste but only to down it.  She also supplies a glass of water to put out the fire.  After downing the 150 proof alcohol, she hands me my certificate that I have been hyderized.   We cross the border back into Canada and I am out like a light.