Goodbye to Whitehorse

Sometimes it seems that if we did not have bad luck, we would have no luck at all -- or something like that.  We planned to leave Whitehorse Thursday after a three day visit.  We had finished all our storage duties and I was in the final stage of bringing in the three slides of our RV.  When I started to bring in the dining room slide, it stuck and would not come in.  I had noticed when we arrived that one of the cables looked slack.  I pointed it out to Jim but he did not think it was of any consequence.  That same cable was now hanging outside one end limp as a noodle.  Dear me.

The only ladder we have is too short for Jim to be able to see the cables near the ceiling so we had to make a run to buy a six foot ladder.  Once he had the ladder, Jim took a look and was able to see what appeared to be the issue.  He worked on it for a bit and was able to get all the cables back in place but when I tried to move the slide, it sounded as if it were crushing rocks.  Not good.  It was apparent that we would not be leaving any time soon.  So, I visited the office and extended our stay another day.  Meanwhile, Jim started calling the three RV service companies to see if someone could come out and help us.  The first two were less than helpful.  The third guy kept telling us it would be a $100 service charge to come out.  Okay, can you come?  To our surprise, he arrive in less than 30 minutes!  Now that is service!

The fellow was very nice.  He took a look and at first said, hmmmm sounds like a gear problem.  All I could think was $$$.  But, he started adjusting and having Jim move the slide a bit and adjust some more until it sounded good as new.  It is a miracle!  In the end, he only (notice I said only) charged us the $100 service call charge which we happily paid I must say.  By the time he finished, it was early afternoon and way too late to think of leaving.  So, we relaxed and puttered around.  It was raining a bit anyway so perhaps tomorrow would be sunny.

Alas, today did not dawn sunny.  We pulled away from the RV resort with rain and heavy clouds.  I took the first turn at driving even though I did not want to drive in the rain.  It turned out to be a good decision as the road conditions were pretty good and I zipped along at 50 to 53 mph, woohoo!  Oh, there were a couple of stretches of gravel road but they were pretty smooth.  Later when Jim took over, the road conditions went to heck.  We had been told that the worst stretch of the Alaska Highway was just before the border crossing.  Well, we are only about 20 miles from the border and the last stretch has been really a challenge.  If the scenery was not so spectacular, it would have been quite a chore.

At Haines Junction, we turned northwest into some of the most beautiful scenery we have enjoyed to date.  We stopped many times to take in the sights and read the history and information that is posted.  I hope you enjoy the pictures.  We really enjoyed seeing and taking them.

Our first sight of the Kluane Range.  The Alaska Highway parallels this range from Haines Junction to Koidern.  This mostly unbroken chain of mountains rise to 8,000 feet interrupted by a only few large valleys that were created by glacier-fed rivers and streams.  Beyond them on a clear day you can see the major peaks of the St. Elias range but not today.

Here in the Kluane National Park and Reserve, the mountains rise to the highest of any in Canada.  These immense ice fields are the largest non-polar fields in the world.  There are a number of glaciers to be seen.  Glaciers through thousands of years have created a beautiful landscape that is still being molded today by these same forces.  It would be a shame is the warming of our world melts these wonders of nature.

The forest itself gives testament to the creation and destruction of nature.  Millions of acres of forest are home to the northern spruce.  These trees are especially suited to this cold environment.  Spruce beetles are common but sometimes they become epidemic and as a result, there are many dead trees visible.  The beetles bore holes into the heart of the tree and lay eggs that hatch and feed on the tree.  Some experts believe the infestation of beetles is due to global warming.

Our first glimpse of Kluane Lake.  This lake is the largest in the Yukon covering approximately 154 sq. miles.  The Kluane Range and the Ruby Range flank the lake on either side.  Because it is so large, there are many features about the lake that make it amazing.

The play of light on the mountains and the water were surreal to me.  It looks un-natural, but it certainly is not touched.

The highway travels around the lake so we got a good look at all its faces.  At one end, the lake shallows and looked like salt marshes or bog.  In this picture, you can see the impact of the wind.  The signs warn of dangerous cross winds; they were not kidding.

As we approached where the highway goes over the lake, we could see the dust clouds billowing upward.  Creepy.

 As we entered the dust, visibility dropped as if we were in the fog.

Further along, there are islands in the lake.  Interestingly enough, we did not see a single boat on the lake.  After seeing the effect of the winds on the water, I was not too surprised.

At the far end of the lake, there were beaches and waves driven by the winds.  It reminded me of Hawaii with the mountains in the background.  Certainly a lovely place.

Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

Our time in Watson Lake was interesting and best of all, restful.  We had an opportunity to visit their Northern Lights Center which was not exactly what we thought it would be but was certainly interesting.  It is a planetarium dedicated to the science and myth of the northern lights.  The first half of the presentation focused on black holes.  While that is something that we both find very interesting, it was not what we expected.  Still, we learned a few things and it was a visually beautiful presentation.  The northern lights portions was very good.  We learned much we did not know and enjoyed seeing the video taken by a scientist who has studied the lights and taken pictures all over in areas where the lights are most active.  I had no idea that the northern and southern lights are actually mirror images of each other.  Nor did I know that there is actually a ring around the earth where the lights are found and it can even be seen from space.

There is a lovely little lake there called Wye Lake.  There is a nice nature hiking trail that travels around the lake and covers just under two miles.  We took Charlotte and Savannah on a hike around the lake.  There were lots of signs highlighting the plants found there and we learned a good bit.  It was a good stretch of the leg.

It is also home to the Watson Lake Signpost Forest.  It is actually a large area of sign posts from all over the world.  It was started by a U.S. Army soldier who worked on the Alaska Highway.  He was homesick and put up a sign showing the distance and direction to his home.  It grew from there.  Today there are more than 75,000 signs and visitors are encouraged to add their own.  What a hoot!

Speaking of the Alaska Highway, I was surprised to learn that the entire highway was constructed in only eight months!  Considering it covers about 1,488 miles that was quite a feat.  But of course, it had a military function so I am sure that played a big part in the speed.

Sunday afternoon brought rain and the temperatures dropped 15 degrees in under an hour.  When we departed Monday morning, the air was cold and the skies threatened rain.  We set out bound for Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory.  It is a distance of 300 miles so we figured it would take us the better part of the day given how the roads have been so far.  To our delight, the road was very good even with the couple of stretches of gravel.  There are lots of signs and red cones with flags along the way to warn of rough roads and ice heaves as well.  We were able to average 50 mph most of the way.  We had hoped we would see Caribou and Moose as the area we traveled was known to have a stable Caribou herd and there is lots of wetlands that are home to Moose, but alas we saw none.

The sky finally cleared and the sun lit the beautiful landscape.










 Moose and Caribou -- well almost.  These statues were the closest we got to them.

There are so many warnings about taking care to make sure camp fires are totally out.  In BC, there is a total ban on camp fires as already they have 15 wild fires burning.  We saw evidence of previous fires marring the face of the land.

One of many lovely lakes and ponds we passed.  All along the way water plays a big part in the landscape whether it is rivers, creeks or larger.  One would think we would see a moose!

TESL River Bridge is the third longest water span on the highway.  It was constructed with very high clearance to allow steamers to pass under it en route from Whitehorse to Teslin.  After the Alaska Highway was completed, the steamers were no longer used.

Whitehorse at last!  We will spend three or four nights here taking advantage of the many sights. We are staying at the Country In RV Park quite close to downtown.  Our first order of business was to wash our RV.  Lots of the parks provide facilities to wash RVs and trucks and ours certainly was in need.  Between the dust and the bugs, it was a mess.

While we were setting up, we met a nice couple.  The wife is from Louisiana and the husband from Alaska.  The winter in Baton Rouge and summer in Anchorage.  What a life!

Destination, Watson Creek

In the past two days of travel, we have driven 699 miles from Grand Prairie to Watson Lake.  Both days were long -- way longer than we planned to drive in a day.  Today’s drive took nine hours and the road was challenging as once again it was rough and there were several sections of construction.  But even with the challenges of the road itself, it was a glorious day.  The scenery was amazing and we saw lots of animals.  A picture is worth a thousand words so take a look.

All along the highway, there are rivers, creeks and lakes that make the trip interesting.  I wish we could stop and pull out a fishing pole and see what we might catch!

 We stopped at an overlook to get a look and take a few pictures.  Charlotte and Savannah were both interested in seeing what was over the barrier.  They both love to get out and run in the grass smelling everything they can.  Charlotte is always looking for something to eat.  Anything from poop to bones is a tasty treat for her, ugh!

Our first sighting of Stone Sheep.  This sheep is actually a sub species of the Dahl Sheep found in Alaska.  The Stone Sheep is smaller and the coloration a bit different as well.  They are quite common in this area but very elusive.  We saw them several times.

A Beautiful Lake.  The water was so pretty and blue.  The information we read says the blue comes from copper oxide that runs off into the waters of many of the lakes.  Seems odd to me, but it sure is pretty.

This was our first Black Beer sighting.  We were moving along slowing through a road construction area where we spotted him in the grass.  I was driving so Jim snapped this picture.

Just an example of how lovely the vistas are as we travel along.  I thought I would get tired or jaded after a while, but not at all.

Look closely at this example of the mountains.  Notice the "trails" that course the face.  This area is prone to heavy rains.  When it rains, without vegetation to slow or stop the water it rushes down the mountain into the valley below.  As it travels, it carries with it rocks and all sorts of debris.






Here you see what is called an alluvial field or fan.  The debris rushes down the mountain and widens and spreads ending in a "fan" at the bottom.  We saw many of these along the way giving testimony to the power of nature and how it impacts this land.

Beautiful Summit Lake.  It covers more than 7 miles in length and the water was so beautiful it takes your breath away.

The far end of the lake framed by the mountains. What a tranquil place to live.

 We sighted this Stone Sheep alone on the side of the mountain.  We think it is a female.  The males horns are usually much larges and tighter coiled.  So, we think it is a female.

A third sighting was of a family of four.  Unfortunately, I was only able to capture this one in a picture.

A lake nestled in a distant alley.

This was the first Wood Bison sighting for us.  This fellow was all alone on the side of the road. He was very large and I certainly would not want to irritate him in any way.

This fellow was part of a group.  At this time of the year, they are shedding fur and growing new. He looked really scruffy.

These two bears were seen separately.  In all we sighted six Black Bears.  The largest one we saw would have made a great picture.  Unfortunately, we were not in a place where we could pull off and take photos.  Both of these bears were along the roadway eating the tender young grasses and dandelion flowers.

I actually got out of the truck and cross the road to capture this fella.  I snapped a number of pictures before he started moving and I made a hasty retreat to the truck.

Alaska Highway

The Alaska Highway is a great adventure, and a very long drive.  It is a journey of a lifetime across a great expanse of Canada and Alaska.  The beginning point for the highway is Dawson Creek in British Columbia and travels northwesterly into the Yukon near Watson Lake and on into Alaska.  We knew that it would be a long journey but we were excited for the sites and experiences we would have along the way.

The road out of Dawson Creek leaves the steep climbs of the majestic mountains and travels through rolling, forest lands.  Over and over, we were warned to watch for all sorts of animals that inhabit the forests but we saw precious few.  Twice, we saw moose.  The first was a female with her calf who came out of the tree line but quickly turned and returned to the safety of the trees.  The second was a a single moose standing on the shoulder.  It was amazing but it too retreated into the safety of the trees before a picture could be taken.  We also saw a large, red fox moving beside a field and into the trees.  The color was lovely but he disappeared quickly.  We also saw a deer but it was only a fleeting glimpse as we rounded a curve.  The closest we got to taking pictures of the animals were the signs warning of their presence.  Take a look at a few pictures we took on the Alaska Highway between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson.

There are many lakes that dot the landscape.  I find the shadows on the face of the mountains interesting to look at.  Were it not for the remoteness, this would be a wonderful place to live.

The highway wound through some beautiful forest land.  After a while, we longed to see other humans.  This picture captured the rare other motorist traveling southbound.

These two pictures are examples of how the British Columbia folks warn of animals in the area.  It is humorous to us to see them looming on the side of the road.  This one warns of Caribou and the one below is for Elk.

One of the many lakes that are stocked with fish each year.  Perhaps at some point, we will do a bit of fishing.

At every turn, there are beautiful vistas to enjoy.

One of the industries in this area is coal.  This power place we pass is another example of how they move the coal from the mining areas directly to the plant using covered conveyors the move the coal down the mountain to the plant that sits beside the river.  Very efficient.

Wildlife at Jasper

Jasper National Park is unique in that it has a town at it center.  Jasper is a small village but is the gateway to all sorts of hiking, fishing and other outdoor activities.  We stayed at the Whistler Campground just outside the village.  Our first morning, Jim came back for his morning walk with the girls to report they had seen a couple of Elk.  Shortly afterwards, the two Elk appeared in the camp just outside our site.  One of the animals had a collar of some sort, probably a scientific study.  These were not the only Elk we saw.  Take a look.

This Elk was only a short distance from our site. It appears to be a female.  They show no fear of the campers but certainly keep their distance and are wary if anyone gets too close.

This female was just behind our RV.  She is wearing a collar.  They are feeding on the young, tender grasses.

Jim and Savannah and Charlotte enjoying the morning.

Just off the highway coming out of Jasper, I spotted this group of Elk grazing just down the hill from the road.  They were so lovely and looked peaceful.  Once we stopped, other cars stopped to check out the group as well.

They appear to be young and female, but it is hard to tell.

When we returned to camp, right in our site were two Elk enjoying an afternoon snack on the grass and also on Dandelion flowers.  This one was a female.

The second Elk is definitely male.  His antlers are covered in soft velvet.  It would be interesting to see him when they are fully developed.  He kept walking toward us and we retreated to the opposite side of our truck.  He was really beautiful.

As you can see, it is difficult to spot the animals.  I knew he was there but thought it would make a good picture.  It will be very interesting to see what they look like at the end of the summer or early fall.