East along the Yellowhead Highway

Monday, July 17, 2017

Tyhee Provincial Park (Telkwa, B.C.) to Mt. Robson Provincial Park, B.C.

It was time to make tracks heading east and so we did. The Yellowhead Highway is not four lane divided highway but it is a good smooth two lane road. Except for towns we were able to maintain 55 or 60 mph. Most of the wayh the road follows the route of B.C. Rail mainline to Prince Rupert on the Pacific Ocean.

We were out of the mountains and traveled along beautiful farms.

We ended the day at out fifth BC Provincial Park in as many nights. Mt. Robson is the highest mountain in the Candian Rockies at just under 4000 meters

Since we are back in civilization we could listen to radio today while we travelled. The news was all about the terrible forest fires further south in B.C. About 55,000 people are under a mandatory evacuation order and a number of major highways are closed. The same high pressure dome that pushed cold wet air into southeastern Alaska and northwestern B.C. has created a hot dry tinderbox over the central interior of B.C. We saw evacuation centers in some of the town we went through. I talked with a young woman with a one year old son in the campground. She said she was from Williams Lake and they had been forced to leave. So far we seem to be on the edge of the affected areas and I expect we will skirt around it. However, some of decisions in the next few days may be impacted by smoke.

404 miles today

Maine Coast Surveying & Flood Consultants

a division of Nadeau Land Surveys

918 Brighton Avenue

Portland, ME 04102

(207) 563-1500

local contact:

Roderick H. Craib, Jr.

21 Clarks Cove Road

Walpole, ME 04573

(207) 245-0162

groceries and showers

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Meziadin Provincial Park, B.C. to Tyhee Provincial Park (Telkwa, B.C.)

Today we finished with the Cassiar Highway and turned east onto the Yellowhead Highway (our old friend Route 16).We found the largest collection of standing totem poles at a small First Nation village along the way. Unfortunately they were not recently painted and the gray day made them hard to photograph.

I think these ravens found it appropriate to sit on the carved raven at the top of the totem.

We did a big grocery shopping in Smithers and then stopped for the night in neighboring Telkwa B.C. Hooray, this provincial park had hot showers! Our trailer has a shower but we use it only when absolutely necessary since it requires moving all the dirty clothes we store in the shower out onto the dining table. Our campsite is surrounded by Saskatoons. The grow on fairly high bushes and taste like a meaty blueberry. We had pie made from them at the rodeo a month ago.

We love hearing the loons calling in the night!

202 miles today

Maine Coast Surveying & Flood Consultants

a division of Nadeau Land Surveys

918 Brighton Avenue

Portland, ME 04102

(207) 563-1500

local contact:

Roderick H. Craib, Jr.

21 Clarks Cove Road

Walpole, ME 04573

(207) 245-0162

one last time in Alaska

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Kinaska Provincial Park, B.C. to Meziadin Provincial Park, B.C.

We continued south, down the Cassiar Highway to Meziadin Junction, where we found yet another beautiful provincial park campsite on as lake. Along the way we found this black bear out for a morning stroll along the side of the highway.

After setting up camp and having lunch we set off on a side trip to the west. Route 37A runs west 40 miles to the very end of a long fjord at the southeast most corner of Alaska and the town of Hyder. About the only thing Hyder has to offer is salmon and a great fish viewing walkway that is mostly safe from the bears. Only we were about one week to early for the fish. In Hyder we had a Norther Exposure moment when a Black Bear appeared between two houses and casually walked across the road and into another back yard.

These logs were on the Canadian side of the inlet in Stewart, B.C. and were being shipped out to China? The last time we saw logs being floated like this was the last Kennebec River log drive in the early 70s.

This is Bear Glacier running off into Bear Lake.

This is the icefield at the top of Bear Glacier melting off and forming waterfalls.

135 miles today (plus the side trip of 100 miles +/-)

Maine Coast Surveying & Flood Consultants

a division of Nadeau Land Surveys

918 Brighton Avenue

Portland, ME 04102

(207) 563-1500

local contact:

Roderick H. Craib, Jr.

21 Clarks Cove Road

Walpole, ME 04573

(207) 245-0162

along the Cassiar Highway

Friday, July 14, 2017

Boya Provincial Park, B.C. to Kinaska Provincial Park, B. C.

We continued south along B.C. Route 97 (the Cassiar Highway). This has to rival U.S. 50 across Nevada as the loneliest highway. But we did come upon a Jade mine and store.

These were off cuts from the raw materials, but inside they had a number of very handsome pieces for sale. Most of it was more than we wanted to spend but we did make a small contribution to the local economy.

We ended the day at Kinaska Provincial Park.

With campsites right on the lake.

173 miles today

Maine Coast Surveying & Flood Consultants

a division of Nadeau Land Surveys

918 Brighton Avenue

Portland, ME 04102

(207) 563-1500

local contact:

Roderick H. Craib, Jr.

21 Clarks Cove Road

Walpole, ME 04573

(207) 245-0162

East on the Alaska Highway

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Carcross, YT to Boya Lake Provincial Park, British Columbia

We headed east along the Alaska Highway re-tracing some of our route of four weeks ago.

We re-crossed the Continental Divide from areas that drain the Pacific Ocean (via Yukon River) to areas that drain into the Arctic Ocean (via Mackenzie River)

After a while we left the Alaska Highway and headed south into British Columbia on the Stewart- Cassair Highway (Route 37). We had been re-assured by all we spoke to that the fires in B. C. were south of Route 16 (the Yellowhead highway and that we would have no trouble. The road was not as good and much less travelled but we made good time. The first 40 miles or so were heavily burned by fires several years ago but then it was lush and green. We camped for the night at Boya Provincial Park.

Felix had a great time!

298 miles today

Maine Coast Surveying & Flood Consultants

a division of Nadeau Land Surveys

918 Brighton Avenue

Portland, ME 04102

(207) 563-1500

local contact:

Roderick H. Craib, Jr.

21 Clarks Cove Road

Walpole, ME 04573

(207) 245-0162

Skagway

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

In camp in Carcross, YT

Today we went southwest down to Skagway, Alaska. Once again it was a gray, cool day. We noticed that what we could see of the mountaintops was covered with newly fallen snow.

The road down to Skagway parallels the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad. This 3’ gauge railroad has a long history of moving goldminers and freight over White Pass from Skagway to Whitehorse where they would transfer to riverboats for the trip down to Dawson City. Today it is very busy with tourist excursions especially when the cruise ships are in town.

The landscape at the top of White Pass is very rugged and forbidding. Imagine trying to lug 2000 lbs. of gear over it to the gold fields in the middle of winter.

That is the Coral Princess at the south end of State Street in Skagway. This is the same ship that Dorothy and Carter, Cal, Justin and Debbie, and Luci and I were on here seven years ago.

This is a small arm of the Tayia Inlet. Below the bank in the foreground in the mud on the bottom lies the remains of the Bark “Canada” built in Bath, Maine in 1859.

This junk is now a historical artifact. It is representative of the extraneous items left behind by the gold seekers on the way over the Chilkoot Trail. This particular junk is at the townsite of Dyea, now completely abandoned and grown up to trees.

The town of Skagway has a total of about 1000 residents. But on any given day in the summer it swells by 2000-3000 per ship in town for the day. There were three here today. Two show in the picture and the third is leaving and is behind the trees to the right.

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

Bears!

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Near Beaver Creek, YT to Carcross, YT

We headed south and east and southeast along the section of the Alaska Highway that we skipped several weeks ago when we went to Dawson City and the Top of the World. The road was better than the Alaska section we traveled yesterday, but still bumpy and parts were under repair. It rained most of the day with temps in the 40s. It seemed ironic that we began to hear reports that we might have to modify our route due to forest fires in southern and western British Columbia. The decision making in Watson Lake, B.C. is still a couple of days away, but it would be frustrating to have to backtrack for two days just to get around. We will keep an eye on it and keep you posted 😊

The highlight of the day was two Grizzly Bear sightings. They are very large animals! There was very little temptation to get out of the truck to get a better picture. This bear seemed to be playing in the road. He crossed at least twice more, once between Jim and us and once behind us.

The second bear was having lunch of spent dandelions.

Then he lumbered along beside us for a while.

We crossed a wide glacial plain at the former outlet of Kluane Lake.

Just before we got to Carcross, Yukon Territory, we came upon Emerald Lake. The beautiful color is created by sunlight reflecting off a layer of white limestone marl on the lake bed. Presumably it would be a slightly different color if the sun was actually shining 😊.

290 miles today

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

Goodbye to Alaska

Monday, July 10, 2017

Glenallen, AK to near Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory

We got the day off to a good start with momma moose and her two calves. We also saw a lynx, snowshoe hares, a bear, another moose in the road, and a coyote today. They were too fast for the camera but the sightings were real…Honest!

Luci got quite a kick out of seeing the effect the permafrost had on the utility poles.

Unfortunately, permafrost has a similar effect on roads! This is the Alaska Highway between Tok and the Yukon border. Many of Alaska’s roads have similar stretches of road like this. It tends to slow the average speed down to about 35 if you are pulling a trailer. Of course the 18 wheelers sail right over as if the asphalt roller coaster isn’t even there. These make our Maine March frost heaves look like kid stuff. Plus, ours go away in April when the frost comes out of the ground! Luci fussed for a good hour putting the cupboards back together and cleaning up after a beer can bounced around and burst in the fridge.

Before we knew it, we were saying Goodbye to Alaska! The Canadian customs station in Beaver Creek, Yukon lay before us. We plan on a day trip to Skagway, but the campers will stay in Carcross in the Yukon. Cal and Justin may remember the good beer in Skagway 7 years ago. Time for another quality control taste test!

278 miles today

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

Glenn Highway Palmer towards Valdez

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Palmer, AK to Thompson Pass (about 25 miles north of Valdez, AK)

Even though we are well past the solstice and well south of the Arctic Circle the sky is still light at 12:30 AM.

It rained most of the day as we travelled East on the Glenn Highway and up the Matanuska River. This road had some very winding parts. Note on the right below how the road was relocated inward as the outside guardrail dangles in the air a bit! There were several stretches like this. At least there was a guardrail!

These Black Spruce are typical in permafrost areas. The roots don’t penetrate the permafrost and they lean like a drunken forest. The roots get heaved by the frost and the next growing season, the tree’s leader tries to straighten out.

The Fireweed seems to love the rain and cool weather. This pic was taken at the Wrangell & St. Elias National Park Visitor Center. The road to Valdez just glances the park. We did not go into it.

Although they stayed hidden most of the day, the mountains were always looming well above us.

We camped tonight at Blueberry Lake State Recreation Area at the top of Thompson Pass. It is an alpine landscape, but cold and raining and we can’t see a thing.

268 miles today.

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/

Valdez

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Thompson Pass to Glenallen, AK

The day was gray and foggy when we woke, but soon the sun burned it off and we discovered what a gorgeous campsite we had!

We took a ride down into the Harbor of Valdez. It is a busy oil terminal with the end of the Trans Alaska Pipeline and a busy fishing port. Luci had a great time talking with the captain of the Seabrooke. The Seabrooke takes salmon from the fishermen offshore and delivers them to the processing plants. She can handle 400,000 lbs. of fish! The captain and his family live on Kodiak Island. They were tied up in Valdez waiting for the call to come get fish. The captain also has a small personal smoker on board. He gave us a small bag of his smoked salmon. YUM! In the pic below check out the garden on the fishing boat!

This is near the end of the Alaska pipeline, 800 miles from the Arctic Ocean. The terminal is well guarded and we couldn’t get any closer.

On our way north we stopped at Worthington Glacier. Felix and I walked right up to the face of it. We don’t know those other people but Felix was eager to meet them. He waded briefly in the 32 degree water coming off the glacier. Jim and Barbara had been there 7 years ago. They couldn’t believe how much the glacier had receded!

Worthington Glacier from Thompson Pass

We camped tonight in the forest at Dry Creek State Recreation Area just north of Glennallen, Ak. The mosquitoes celebrated our arrival.

95 miles today

On the road

Rory and Luci

Blog: https://roryandluci.wordpress.com/