September 18-20 (Days 117-119)

Monday:
Today was a travel day again. Dan left early to find the Edward Jones office at Michael’s request. It seems Michael has just hired the field rep from the Kalispell office to come work for him in St. Louis. So, Dan had no trouble with that and visited with the man for about an hour.

Darrell and Sharon and I were ready to leave when Dan got back and we were soon on the road. Destination today is Bozeman, MT. We drove 90 miles to Seely Lake, MT, and stopped at a wonderful fabric shop for about an hour. We grabbed snacks out of the trailer to eat along the way after leaving there. We got into Bozeman around 6 p.m. (310 miles today), and stayed the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot. After eating dinner at Famous Dave’s Barbeque, we retired for the evening. We were able to watch TV by running it through the converter. We had a peaceful night.


Tuesday:
Dan made an appointment to have the oil changed in the Suburban at the Wal-Mart before we left. We finally got away and back on the road east at 9:30 a.m. We traveled on I-90.

We stopped to tour Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (place of Custer’s Last Stand) east of Billings, MT. We took a bus tour with a narrator through the battlefield and burial sites. After two hours, we were back on the road and traveled a total of 275 miles before stopping at Sheridan, WY, for the night at another Wal-Mart. Today’s miles traveled were 275 miles. Dan and I walked to a near-by Taco Bell for dinner while Darrell and Sharon ate left-overs in their trailer. We were able to get some TV service, so watched a little TV before going to bed around 10:30 p.m. Temps today ranged from 49-69 degrees. We are glad to be beyond the rain and cold.


Wednesday:
We woke up early, as the garbage trucks arrived early at Wal-Mart to pick up their trash, and we were parked near the dumpsters! What a racket! We got on the road around 8 a.m. and continued on I-90. The last couple days, we have seen many, many antelopes along the way. There are ranches and farms with livestock grazing on the hillsides. Today, we also saw deer and lots of horses. The true West!

We dropped down on I-25 at Buffalo and headed towards Casper, WY. We stopped at a pull-off to have lunch in the trailer. About half-way down I-25 we heard a CB transmission and saw an Airstream motor home pass us, and it was a couple from our St. Louis unit, Paul and Betty Rathbun. They have been touring the northwest since our International Rally in Salem, OR. They tucked themselves in between us and Darrell and Sharon, and we ran together for about 20 miles, chatting all the way. They were heading on south to Colorado when we turned east. So, we wished each other well and safe travels until seeing each other again, “on down the road”, as we Airstreamers say.

We traveled on to Torrington, which is about ten miles from the Nebraska border, to stay the night. We found a city park, where we were all alone with electric hook-ups and were by the North Platte River. Cost of camping with electric is a donation! We took a walk to the river and along the shores to the dam, before returning and making some phone calls. It was so good to hear from Susan that Mike Frick’s kidney transplant went well today. We hope he continues to heal and improve.

Once again, we studied the maps with plans to move on tomorrow and continue east.

September 16-17, 2006 (Days 115-116)

Saturday:
Dan and I were at Liz and Stan’s around 9 a.m. Plans for the day were to drive up into Glacier National Park. We had heard that the east side was closed, so we prepared to go up the west side.

Liz packed a picnic lunch and we left around 11 a.m. Stan gave us a good tour and narrative and history of the mountains. We drove up to Logan’s Pass where the road was closed from there on. The road was very narrow and winding up the side of the mountain. It was straight up on one side and straight down on the other with no guard rail. It was a little scary. We found no picnic tables up at the top, so we ate our picnic in the Suburban. It would have been too cold any way, as temps at the Pass were 30 degrees and a strong wind was blowing. We visited the visitor center there, but there wasn’t much information there. We drove back down, as it appeared there was a storm moving in fast. We did stop for a couple photo opportunities.

When we got back to their house, Logan was there and we took them all to dinner. We returned to the campground and planned our next travels on Monday with Darrell and Sharon.


Sunday:
After getting up, we did some grocery shopping and got gas and propane before going to Liz’s after lunch. She had prepared lunch for us, as there had been a big misunderstanding about when we would be there. We hated that they had waited to eat until we got there. We encouraged them to go ahead and eat. We enjoyed visiting some more. Dan enjoyed getting to see Stan’s wood shop. He is now making cabinets as a self-employed contractor for a cabinet shop. He does beautiful work. They also showed us their plans for remodeling their kitchen and master bathroom.

Before leaving, we got to see their new fifth-wheel camper they just got. It is real nice. They were planning a week-end camping trip for the next weekend. Later in the evening, they came over to the campground to see our trailer.

It was wonderful visiting with them and seeing where they live.

September 13-15, 2006 (Days 112-114)

Wednesday:
Today we got up early at 6 a.m. (it was still very dark) to leave for Banff. It wasn’t raining when we left, but it soon began. The skies looked very heavy and gray. We drove along the Icefields Highway. The mountains were absolutely beautiful. Snow was on all of them at their tops.

We stopped at the Columbia Glacier Icefields and bought tickets to ride the snow buggy up on the Athabaskan Glacier. We couldn’t believe that we were standing on top of a glacier. The ice underneath us was over 1,000 ft. deep. That was quite an experience. As we were coming down off the glacier, it was beginning to snow. We were at over 6,800 ft.

When we reached the Banff National Park, it was 3:30 p.m. We went into town for dinner and then strolled the streets. Before going back to the campground, we drove to the Banff Springs Hotel. What a magnificent structure. The whole town looked like a Swiss village with lots of shops and restaurants.

We were in bed by 10:00 p.m.


Thursday:
We awoke to a surprise…2 ½” of wet, heavy snow on everything. Most of the trees in the campground are evergreens and all were “painted” with this first snowfall. Very pretty!

We decided to sightsee anyway, and we left with Darrell and Sharon to visit Moraine Lake and Lodge. Then we drove to Lake Louise and toured the lodge. Had hoped to eat there to celebrate Sharon’s 65th birthday, but she didn’t want to spend so much money on food. Prices on the menus were quite high.

When we returned to the campground in Banff, we found the snow had deepened and we found 5 ½ “ of the wet stuff. Again, we were amazed at the beauty. We drove into town to find WIFI so we could pick up our e-mails. There was one from Erin saying she and Marc were looking at their neighbor’s house with an intention to buy if all could be worked out. This was a nice surprise, and we hope all works out for them. The quaint little village was so pretty with the big fat flakes of snow falling and people scurrying about. Temp was at 35 degrees. When we went back to the trailer, it was really cold in there. We turned on the heaters and went to bed around 10:30 p.m.


Friday:
Today we planned to leave Banff and head toward Kalispell. When we woke up, we found it had continued to snow all night and there was an additional 3” on the ground, making a total of 8 ½” total. There was some question as to whether the roads out of town would be passable or not, since it was in the mountains and we had a couple mountain passes to go through. Dan and Darrell went into Banff and talked with the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) to find out the road conditions. They said all were passable and we shouldn’t have any problems. So, we decided we needed to stay on schedule and forge ahead! The RCMP were correct. Roads were wet and slushy, but okay to travel. The views of the mountains with all the snow covered evergreens were spectacular.
We passed through Canadian customs and US Immigration okay. When we arrived in Kalispell, it was 6 p.m. and temp in the mid-50’s. There was no snow on the ground. Snow was just visible on the surrounding mountain tops. We called Liz and Stan to say we would see them the next day, went out to get some dinner (at a Perkins) and then back to the campground (Spruce on the River Campground in Kalispell) and to bed at 10 p.m. We were all very tired. Plans were made to see Liz and Stan the next

September 9-12, 2006 (Days 108-111)

Saturday:
This morning we got up early to wave good-bye to our friends as they left the campground. There are about six units, including ours and Waters’, left here. We plan to take the day to relax and clean our rigs. Sharon had to do laundry yet. Dan worked on cleaning Black Bear and Silver Tent. I wasn’t feeling very good, exhaustion I think, so I rested most of the day. When I felt better, I cleaned the inside of the trailer.

Later in the day, Dan and I drove into Prince George to get gas, now around $3.40/gal (U.S.), some groceries and find a Radio Shack. We drove up to a scenic point on top of a hill overlooking Prince George. It was a city park and there were lots of beautiful flowers there. We just drove through, as there weren’t many places to pull off and stop to look….just a drive around. We set our departure time with the Waters as 8:30 a.m. in the morning.


Sunday:
We left on time and started the drive to Jasper, Alberta, a National Park. We have reservations at a campground named Whistler’s. We awoke to the pitter patter of rain drops on the roof, a familiar sound by now. We drove out of the rain after about an hour and by the time we saw the mountains of the Canadian Rockies, it was a beautiful day.

The campground, with over 800 sites, was almost full. We were glad we had made reservations. It is in a forest of pine trees with level sites and most are pull-through. It is part of the National Park System of Canada. We couldn’t park with Waters, but we are about a minute’s walk to where they are.

We scouted the town of Jasper and found a pizza place for dinner before coming back to the campground. The town was full of tourists. They come by train and bus.

The campground has warned us to be watchful for elk, which frequent the grounds. They are in their mating season right now and the bulls can be very aggressive and attack. Supposedly, they wail in the night, but we haven’t heard them or seen them. I’m afraid I’m too tired to sit up and wait to hear them or wait to watch them frolicking in the night.


Monday:
Today we left with Darrell and Sharon around 10:30 a.m. to see some of the sights here around Jasper. We drove to Maligne Lake and Canyon. We walked down the steep canyon, which is one of the most beautiful gorges we have ever seen. Limestone walls plunge to a depth of over 165 feet. Darrell and Sharon went to the bottom; I only made it half way. I knew what went down, must also come up, and it would be taxing. Maligne Lake lays in its corridor of stately mountains. As we rounded a corner in the road, there before us was this 14-mile long lake, blue-green in color. It is the second largest glacier-fed lake in the world. It was breath-taking.

The next lake we came to was Medicine Lake. It is an intriguing lake which is a place of mystery and Indian legend. Due to a unique underground drainage system, the water level of the lake varies from season to season. Sometimes, it actually disappears. Early Indians once through that “spirits” were responsible for the dramatic fluctuation in the placid waters. It fills from glaciers melting on surrounding mountains. It begins to empty through a series of underground rivers when there is no more melting of the glaciers. We could tell it was very low, and evidentally emptying for this season has begun.

The drive was beautiful and we are thankful to once again have good roads!


Tuesday:
We left around 10:15 a.m. to see some more of the area with Darrell and Sharon. We drove about an hour to see Sunwapta Falls. Sunwapta is a Stoney Indian word for “turbulent river”. At the falls, the Sunwapta River abruptly changes course from northwest to southwest and plunges in a cloud of spray into a deep canyon. There was a walkway around the falls and river that we were able to walk and a bridge across the gorge for great picture-taking.

After leaving there, we drove to Athabasca Falls, which is one of the most powerful and breathtaking falls in the Rocky Mountains. The Athabasca River thunders through a narrow gorge where the walls have been smoothed and potholed by the sheer force of the rushing water carrying sand and rock. Watching it was mesmerizing.

The next stop was at Mount Edith Cavell. It has a summit of craggy mountain tops. A small, powder blue meltwater lake and beautiful Angel Glacier could be reached by a short trail. It had a beauty all its own. Before leaving, we had a picnic lunch on a bench. We found it strange that there were no picnic tables. I guess the parks take care not to draw in the wildlife.

When we came back to the campground, I spotted elk in the park just one inner road over from our trailer. We had been warned that the elk were in the area. It is mating season, and they find this campground a great place for doing “it”. With this huge bull elk were four other elk, we assumed females, as they did not have horns. The bull elk had a full, large rack. He was also enormous. He walked up to an area a couple camp spots from us, used his antlers to toss vines, bushes and moss, then pawed at the area with his hooves to made a bed to lie down. We first thought he was preparing to charge the people who were taking pictures. We were warned not to get any closer than three bus-lengths, because he would charge. The park official said he gets a little stressed at this time of year if he thinks anyone is a threat to his harem! The other elk soon layed down, too. We actually got tired of watching them and went in our trailers. When we looked out again, they were gone.

Dan and I went into town to have some dinner and get gas, as tomorrow we leave Jasper and head south.

Temperature was in the upper 50’s and lower 60’s today. It was pleasant when the sun was out.

Till Banff……

September 7-8, 2006 (Days 106-107)

Thursday:
Could we expect the nice weather to last? This morning it was a cool 44 degrees. We left with the Waters at 7:15 a.m. It was cloudy. We stopped in a small town named Smithers for breakfast. We were able to park right on Main Street in front of the restaurant. It was a good breakfast. We were back on the road at 9:30. We met up with two other couples from the caravan at the restaurant.

As we traveled, we saw many logging trucks. Lumbering is a big business here. We passed a couple huge logging camps and lumber mills. We began to see livestock in the fields. It was becoming more populated. Remote homes were becoming more visible and businesses, along with billboards, electric and power poles along the road.

The fall colors were very evident. There are many yellows here from the aspens. Some weeds and bushes are bright orange and a few are red.

We stopped in the small town of Houston to see the World’s Largest Fly Fishing Pole. This was mostly a gimmick, but fly fishing for steelhead is big in this area. The sun was out by then and it was getting warmer. When we reached Prince George, it was 76 degrees. We were an hour ahead of the parking window, so we wasted our time in a Wal-Mart, first one we had seen for some time.

In the evening, the Waters’ and we toured downtown and had dinner. Everyone was tired, so we returned to our trailers and went to bed early.


Friday:
Everyone seemed to be up and enjoying the nice weather this morning. They were peeling the coatings off their trailers and tow vehicles that have been on for stone protection since the beginning of the trip. Some also had stone guards and they were being dismantled. Several washed their tow vehicles and trailers. Many were doing laundry. Dan and I took our laundry to a spot in town, as the campground laundry was so full. We had five loads of clothes, towels, etc. Each washer was $3 and each dryer was a quarter for four minutes. Expensive! Our total laundry bill was $27.50. Oh, give me my own washer and dryer!

Tonight was the farewell dinner at the Ramada Inn in downtown Prince George. It was a beautiful banquet. The buffet was great. They had about 8 salads, rolls, four fishes, three hot meats (including prime rib), broasted potatoes, two vegetable dishes and a dessert bar. After eating, we had a great program. Certificates were given out to each caravaner for various Adventures and Misadventures. We won the award for “Maintenance Champions”. It stated: “Dan and Beth have had many problems with their rig on this caravan. The TV antenna broke, the microwave oven shelf broke twice, the pantry doors came off, clothes rod came out of the wall, the mirror broke, a tire was wearing due to alignment problems, another tire was leaking, he had water leaking into the trailer, and he had the first cracked windshield on his tow vehicle. The most remarkable thing is that they are still smiling!” We also received a certificate of achievement for being first-timers. Then we had to make our good-byes to everyone. It was hard to say good-bye to these new friends we had made over the past two months. They had become family. We know there will be some that we will keep in touch with for a long, long time. Our leaders wished us safe travels and said, “See you down the road.”

September 5-6, 2006 (Days 104-105)

Tuesday:
Today was a travel day again. We left Stewart this morning with the temperature at 55 degrees. It was cloudy and there was fog in the mountains. We needed to dump and the only dump was in town, so we drove in and did that before meeting up with the Kolley’s, with whom we are traveling today. They were de-parkers, so we didn’t leave until around 9:15 a.m. We were not in a hurry as we only had 168 miles to travel to Hazelton, BC.

The drive was beautiful. We soon had blue skies and sunshine. The mountains were majestic with their many waterfalls and streams. We found a roadside park for lunch. It was 70 degrees. We were lovin’ it.

We got to Hazelton around 2:50 p.m. to the K’San Indian Village RV Park. When we drove in, there was a pleasant surprise. Our friend, Ed, was there with his repaired motor home waiting for us. It was good to see him. He had been taken to Terrace, BC, to a Peterbilt facility where they fixed his motor home on Labor Day Sunday. He stayed the night there, then drove to Hazelton to meet up with us and the caravan on Tuesday. That evening, we five had dinner in town at an interesting and quaint restaurant.

Hazelton was a wintering place for miners and prospectors. A Hudson’s Bay Trading Post was established there in 1868. For some years, before the arrival of the railroad and highways, supplies for trading posts and the goldfields moved by riverboat from the coast to Hazelton and then from there, over trails to the back country. The name Hazelton comes from the numerous hazelnut bushes growing on the flats.

This area is all Indian First Nations territory. Many of the local people paint their nation’s symbol on their buildings, mailboxes, or above their doors. Many also have totem poles in their front yards. The totem poles tell their families’ history.

The campground is owned by the first nation. It was very nice, on grass with pull throughs, and by a river. At the campground is the Gitksan Indian Village which stood at this site for centuries. We are to tour the Village tomorrow.


Wednesday:
Today we toured the Gitksan Indian Village. Our walking tour began at 9:30 a.m. We had a guide, a young Indian woman, who was very interesting. There were seven communal houses, some totem poles and dugout canoes. We went into the different communal houses and she told what they were used for, and saw a lot of artifacts in them. Several of them had fires burning on the dirt floors in the middle of the room, just like they did in teepees. One of the things we saw was the elaborate costumes they wear for their ceremonial dances and events. They were beautiful.

At the carving shed, carvers produce First Nations’ arts and crafts which can be purchased. They had some beautiful items. We spent some money there on gifts, etc.

After the tour was over, we had lunch, then Dan and I drove to a neighboring town to see the totem poles and village. Its name was Kispiox. Kispiox is noted for its stand of totems close to the river. Dan is fascinated by the totem poles, and I believe he wants to try and carve some.

We saw several signs along the road that said “Mushroom Depot” or “Mushrooms $”. These are hunters and buyers who pay up to $150/lb. for mushrooms. Most are Japanese buyers. Mushrooms are a delicacy in Japan.

That evening we had a dessert social. It was my turn to fix a dessert this time. I made lemon bars. Afterwards, then was the drivers’ meeting for tomorrow’s trip, our final trip together, to Prince George, our final destination. A bear was seen by the river as we went back to our trailers; however, Dan nor I neither one saw it.

September 2-4, 2006 (Days 101-103)

Saturday:
It was an amazing sight today when we got up---the sun! It was warmer this morning,too, with 51 degrees, but it was still very buggy. Our friend, Ed, had misfortune with his motor home, as it broke down and wouldn’t start. The self-made mechanics in our caravan worked for a couple hours to get it started, but to no avail. Ed called Good Sam Travel Assistance and they contacted a place in Terrace, which is about 160 miles south of where we are, and sent a tow truck. He was still awaiting their arrival when we left. The Kolley’s stayed with him until the tow came. With this a holiday weekend, Labor Day (which is also celebrated in Canada), he is fortunate anyone could be contacted at all. It was a little sad to leave him go on his own.

We traveled with Steurer’s and Water’s on our trip to Stewart, BC. We stopped at several turnouts for pictures. It was a beautiful drive. The road was bad in spots, but there were also stretches of good chip and seal and later, blacktop with middle and side lines!

Our breakfast/lunch stop was at Bell II Lodge. This was a home to winter heliskiing and guided fly fishing packages in the summer-fall. The restaurant was not expecting such a big group, as most of our caravan stopped to eat. They were out of their famous cinnamon rolls, but the rest of their food was home-cooked and very good. We were sad to miss the cinnamon rolls.

We were on the road at 12:05 p.m. We saw a gamble quail and several hanging glaciers and many waterfalls from the steep mountains along the road to Stewart.

Before entering the campground, Rainy Creek Municipal Campground, several of us went to the RV wash to clean the gooey mud off our rigs. There were four of us piled up at one time, so we all helped each other wash each rig. It took almost two hours before we all headed into the campground. This campground is in a forest of pine trees and is a nice place. We had a difficult spot to park in, but we got the trailer in just fine between two trees on a corner.

Three of us couples then teamed up to go eat dinner. We had a very good pizza at a recommended eatery. It was called “Sealaska”. There was a hotel and motel there, too. We had to laugh when we walked in to order (walk-up window) at a sign placed there by the menu that said what they were out of. There were many items on that list. So, as we pondered the menu, we also had to check to make sure they were not out of that item. After we ordered, the cook came out and marked off the items the six of us had ordered, then turned and looked at us and said, “Don’t worry. I have enough for your orders.” Some others came in and after they ordered, she came out and marked off some more items. Then after we got our food, the cook made a new sign that said, “Items we have.” Underneath the sign was a note that said, “Closing sometime tomorrow, September 2.” We figured she was glad for all our orders, as that meant she could close earlier the next day. And, I am talking about closing for the season.

It seems things here all close around Labor Day. People close up their shops and go south (in Canada) or “hunker down” for the winter. Snow will probably be falling in a couple weeks. They get 15-30 ft. of snow each year. It’s as if they hibernate until June, like the bears!

Stewart is at the head of the Portland Canal on the AK-BC border. Hyder, AK, is 2.3 miles beyond Stewart, BC. Population: Stewart--699; Hyder—83. They are at sea level and Stewart is at the head of Portland Canal, a narrow saltwater fjord approximately 90 miles long. The fjord forms a natural boundary between Alaska and Canada.

Both Stewart and Hyder have historic old buildings, some still open and others in a state of disrepair. Hyder seems to be a dying town with very little businesses; a couple gift shops, a photo studio, a hotel and motel, and a couple little rustic restaurants. They actually have a post office. Mail is picked up and delivered here by float plane when the weather is permissible. I mailed some belated cards from there today.

Hyder is known as the place for night life. Hyder has earned the reputation and town motto of “The Friendliest Little Ghost Town in Alaska.” You can also become “hyderized” here by drinking a shot glass of 190 proof whiskey. I didn’t try it. Dan said it would knock me on by butt!

We can see our stay in Stewart/Hyder is going to be interesting….

Sunday:
We had light rain in the night. Guess we shouldn’t complain about the rain since we are and have been in a natural rain forest for several days. That is why the flowers and grasses are so green and beautiful and lush.

In the Stewart/Hyder area is a well-known Fish Creek Wildlife Viewing Area. It is located three miles from Hyder, owned and operated by the U.S. Forest Service. Both black and grizzly bears can be easily observed and photographed here as they fish for chum and pink salmon in the shallow waters of Fish Creek from mid-July through early September. Viewing is from a boardwalk above the creek area.

Fish Creek is a spawning ground for some of the world’s largest chum salmon, mid-summer to fall. It is illegal to kill chum in fresh water in BC. It is legal to harvest chum from both salt and fresh water in Alaska.

We slept in this morning and were glad to be here when the Kolley’s arrived around 10:30 a.m. They had waited with Ed for the tow truck at Iskut until 7:30 p.m. They left and drove until 11 p.m., and then they came the rest of the way to Stewart this morning. After they got set up, we took them for a tour of the towns (having to go through customs each time and showing our passports and answering questions). We stopped at a converted school bus that serves local seafood. It is operated by a local woman in her 40’s that has a couple sons. Her husband is a fisherman and catches the fish she cooks. They also own a fishing business that catches, cleans, packs and delivers fish to Washington, Oregon and Montana. It was very rustic. A dining room had been built behind the bus for seating. Ray and I had scallops. JoAnn had halibut, and Dan had a steak that she cooked special for him after he told her he was allergic to fish. We don’t know what kind of steak it was, but he said it was good. She didn’t even have hamburgers or chicken on the menu. He didn’t even eat the French fries, as she said they were fried in the same oil as the fish.

After lunch, we drove out to Fish Creek to see the salmon and watch for bears. The salmon were thick in the creek and fighting to swim up stream to lay their eggs. Then they die. These are very big fish. It is a little sad to watch them struggle. We saw one black bear come out of the bushes and “fish” and eat salmon. Right now the bears are eating a lot to build up their endurance to get them through the winter. Forest Service rangers are always present to make sure the people don’t get too close. While the bears are “cute” and you just want to pet them, we must remember they are wild and can attack and kill someone any time.

After the bear excitement, we drove on past Fish Creek about 14 miles along a dirt road that got narrower and narrower as it climbed up the side of a mountain with no berms or guardrails. (Kate, you would not have liked this!) We saw some old mines that are no longer in operation. Some were silver mines and some copper. The view was breath-taking. We saw another spectacular glacier, the Salmon Glacier. A lot of people do not chose to make this trip, but we were glad when we did and that we were safe.


Monday:
We were free to be on our own again to do sightseeing, or whatever. The Kolley’s and we decided we would sacrifice sleeping to go early to the bear watching area, as that is when the bears come out (daybreak). So, we all got up and went out at 6:30 a.m. and stayed two hours. While every other day, bears were seen, today proved the opposite. We finally gave up and game back to town to a bakery for bagel breakfast.

Then we worked around our rigs at the campsite and went into Stewart and Hyder in the afternoon to visit the shops. Most of them were closed. I think we are closing Alaska behind us! Some of the group decided to have a potluck dinner, so we did that. They only thing I had in the trailer to fix (without going to a grocery) was macaroni and cheese. We had a nice potluck with everyone just fixing what they could. We had our driver’s meeting around a campfire, as we will be leaving tomorrow for Hazelton, BC. Till then…..

September 1, 2006 (Day 100)

Wow! Day 100 already! Yet, it seems like we’ve been gone a very long time. This is a sign that our time is running down and we will soon be at the end of our caravan. L

It was 8:15 a.m. when we left with the Kolley’s and Ed. It had rained in the night, but was just cloudy when we left. Temp was 48 degrees. This was the beginning of the Cassiar Highway, but hopefully, we’ll only have bad roads for the 100 miles our leader talked about. This stretch of highway was primitive. There were no towns or services along the way. We stopped at the first gas station we came to, as we were told to keep our tanks full. There was no gas here. We stopped another time on down the road, but again, no gas. It was raining by now and there were heavy clouds.

We stopped later at Jade City. It was remarkable to see all the jade in this store along the road. I guess we were in the heart of jade country. Their sidewalk to the steps was lined in big chunks, like big rocks, of jade. A gentleman was out front demonstrating under a tent the cutting of the big jade rocks into small pieces. One could buy the remnants of little pieces that are left from this procedure at $5/pound. They offered free coffee and sweets for us and a 20% discount offered on any jade jewelry. It was tempting, but I resisted, as I already have the nice jade necklace I bought earlier in the trip.

The rain is heavier now and we found a lodge at Dease Lake to eat. I don’t remember what I had, but I’m sure there were hamburgers on the menu.

Dease Lake was the center for boat building back in the late 1800’s. Supplies were ferried down the river by boat during gold rush days. It is now a popular point to fly-in, pack-in, or hike-in the surrounding mountains. There are also several jade mines in the area.

It had warmed up to 60 degrees, but the wind was very cold. We had to cross a mountain pass at 4,116 ft. elevation. It was called Knat Pass. The transmission fluid in the Black Bear got warm—higher than Dan said he had ever seen it. However, we had no problems.

We got into Iskut in late afternoon. We saw a porcupine cross the road in front of us as we entered town. He had his quills all out as he waddled across the road. It is the first porcupine we have either seen in the wild.

Iskut is a small Tahltan Native community on the Cassiar Highway. Its population is 283. The Kluachon Center Store on the highway houses the post office, a grocery, hardware supplies and pizza takeout. Gas and diesel fuels are also available there. There are several lodges and guest ranches in the area for fishing and hunting expeditions.

This campground, Tatogga Lake Resort, was a unique place. The road went all the way down past the campground to the lake. It is a seaplane/floatplane base. There were also helicopters based there that work with the mines delivering supplies. We heard them several times taking off. It is a hunting and fishing lodge as well, with some cabins and motel rooms. It was quite primitive. The “laundramat” was one washer and one dryer sitting on the porch of the office in the outdoor weather. It is also there that they wash the bedding and linens for the cabins. I’m glad I didn’t need to do laundry there!

We had heard so much about the Cassiar Highway and how bad it was. We have been dreading it all along. It is known for its terrible condition: gravel, ruts, washboards and potholes. Well, all we heard was correct. We wondered if what is left of our trailer would be shaken completely down by the time we were finished with the highway. Well, that is almost true. On this 208 mile highway (for this day), we had the other wardrobe closet door hinges break, pantry shelves come loose again, and pantry door hinge come loose. This is after taking all heavy canned and boxed goods out of the pantry and overhead cupboards, all hanging clothes out of the wardrobe closets and overhead cabinets put on our beds to eliminate the weight from pulling down the shelves, etc. as we bounce along. This has now become a daily ritual before traveling. And, what a hassle it is.

In the evening, we had a big campfire and the driver’s meeting. After the meeting, just when we were ready to enjoy the campfire, it started raining, so everyone headed to their trailers for the night.


Here is an Alaskan fact:
HOOLIGAN: a smelt that grows up to 9 inches in length and is so oily that they are reputed to be a good source of lamp oil; hence, they are known as Candlefish.

August 31, 2006 (Day 99)

Today was another travel day. Our destination is a “fork in the road”, Junction 37, Yukon. There was a campground here, “Baby Nugget RV Park”. There was not much here but a gas station, a couple restaurants, small store and the campground. It was here that Alaska Highway 1 junctions with the most-dreaded Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37).


We traveled today with the Water’s. It was 44 degrees when we left with gray, damp weather. It had rained in the night and termination dust had fallen on the mountain tops. We had lunch at the Continental Divide Lodge, then traveled on to our destination, Junction 37. We arrived there around 2:30 p.m. It is always my job to go in the trailer first and assess the damage, if any, and report to Dan gently.

In the evening, there was a GRAM meeting (Get Re-Acquainted Meeting) where half of the group brought desserts. We then had our driver’s meeting for tomorrow’s trip to Iskut, BC.

August 28-30, 2006 (Days 96-98)

Monday:
We awoke to another dismal day. Skies were gray, the clouds were low, and it was 46 degrees. We left at 7:15 a.m. with the Steurer’s. Rivers remain high and churning from the recent rains. We have been lucky not to have any problems in our travels with the flooding.

We reached the Yukon border at 8:30 a.m. and passed through okay. This time, for the first, we had a lady customs agent who could actually smile and be friendly. Usually, agents are serious looking and almost bark at you. We are instructed to not speak unless spoken to and then only “yes” or “no” answers. This is so hard for Dan to do, and I have to warn him every time we cross the border.

We stopped for lunch in Haines Junction at the Village Bakery. They also served light lunches. I had a wild mushroom and leek soup which was very good, and a spaniopita. The spaniopita was made with phyllo dough and spinach and feta cheese. It was very good. Dan had a deli sandwich made of ham and cheese.

The roads were good. The sun was shining for a change. We noticed a lot of yellow color on the hillsides and in the forests. It was beautiful, and I found myself snapping pictures right and left. We got into Whitehorse, YT, around 2:30 p.m.

After getting set up, we went into town for supper with the Kolley’s and Ed. We found a nice Italian restaurant and had some good food.

After we got back to the campground, we gathered in the clubhouse and the Journal Committee showed the pictures that were entered in the photo contest. As I stepped out of the trailer door to head for the clubhouse, I turned to look at the end of the trailer, and there went a black bear! I yelled to Dan, “BEAR”! He grabbed the camera, but wasn’t fast enough. The bear, a little frightened as he wanted to find a way out of the campground, was running for the woods. It was funny at first, but then we all realized that this was a wild bear and not just there for our entertainment!

Each unit was asked to enter three pictures into a contest. These would be voted on by the caravaners and put on a video to show. We have some very talented photographers in this group, and we enjoyed seeing the pictures very much. They will be voted on and the winning picture will become the front cover of the manual for the Alyeska 2008 caravan.

We also saw a video of pictures of the Baja caravan that was taken last January and February. Three couples of our caravan went on the Baja caravan then. The video was set to Mexican music and was fun to watch, too.

Tomorrow, there will be a new adventure for us. Till then….


Tuesday:
We were up bright and early, or so we thought, to board a bus that was going to take us from the campground to the train station at Frazer to go to Skagway. At 7 a.m., I looked at my alarm clock, and was glad I had time to get ready without a rush. Then suddenly Dan said, “The bus is here!” What had happened was that we forgot to change the time to Pacific time (we had been on Alaska time) and we were an hour slow! I had just washed my hair and had it up in a towel. We were fortunately both dressed. I had no make-up on, still had to get my shoes and jewelry on, had to throw some granola bars in the backpack so we could eat some breakfast on the bus and flew out the door with wet hair and no make-up. When we got on the bus, everyone must have known we had overslept, because they greeted us with jokes and laughter.

It took me a little while to get woke up. Before reaching the train station at Fraser, the bus stopped at a little gold rush town of Carcross. We had a half an hour to tour this little town…not much time. Then it was back on the bus and to the train station. We were on a narrow gauge railroad the rest of the way to Skagway. It was very scenic as we rode through the mountains along a river. The narrator told us many stories of how things were back in the days this was an active community.

When we arrived in Skagway, we were given four hours before we had to be back to the station. Skagway was very much like Juneau. It was a tourist town and a cruise ship port. That day there were six cruise ships in town. Everything was very crowded. We did a little shopping and had a nice meal with the Kolley’s and Ed. I met a woman from Toronto who was of East Indian descent. She saw our tags (which we have to wear everywhere) and was asking all about our group, where we were from, how we got there, etc. She had good English skills, but we had a hard time communicating everything. She was on “holiday” with her husband for 30 days, and was missing her eleven-month-old granddaughter so much. We shared our similar homesickness for our grandchildren.

The bus ride home wasn’t as bad as we had thought, and it was beautiful as evening settled over the mountains. The bus stopped once for pictures as we were at what is called the smallest desert in the world. This unusual desert area of sand dunes, east of the highway is a site for ecological studies. The desert is composed of sandy lake-bottom material left behind by a large glacial lake. Strong winds off Lake Bennett make it difficult for vegetation to take hold here; only lodgepole pine, spruce and kinnikinnick survive. (Kinnikinnick is a low trailing evergreen with small leathery leaves used for tea.) Everyone was very tired as we returned to the campground.

Wednesday:
We were glad to sleep a little later this morning, and we did know what time it was when we got up, as we had correctly set our clocks to Pacific time. I did a little laundry while Dan worked on the newsletter for the club’s monthly publication. In the afternoon, we went into town and toured a couple of things we wanted to see. We were greatly disappointed that the salmon run was over and we did not see any salmon on the fish ladders at the river.

That evening, our group was divided into three groups for dinner. We were in the first group which ate at 4-5:30 p.m. It was a complimentary dinner at a favorite place in town that was called the Klondike Salmon and Rib BBQ. I had the best halibut I’ve had yet, and Dan had chicken.

In the evening, we had a driver’s meeting to prepare us for our trip to Junction 37, YT. We also voted on the pictures. That was a hard job, as so many were professional-like quality.

Till tomorrow, from Junction 37, YT…….

August 26-27, 2006 (Days 94-95)

Saturday:
Today we awoke to cool weather and sprinkles of rain. Our activity today is a high-speed catamaran boat trip to Juneau. The group was split in two, with one half going today and the other half of the group scheduled the next day. We were asked to switch to group one (alphabetically, we are always in group 2!), to even out the numbers.

We were to carpool to the docks where we would board the catamaran at 8:30 a.m. The catamaran was enclosed and a rather new boat. The only way anyone can get into Juneau is by boat or airplane. The ride was surprisingly smooth, until we hit some open waters where it became rough. We bounced around quite a bit. We traveled 75 miles to Juneau in 2 hours. The captain was good to slow down at places for us to see sealife—otters, seals, birds. We also saw humpback whales breaching and diving, bringing their tails out of the water and a beautiful and graceful display. There were also a couple lighthouses along the way.

About 2/3 of the way to Juneau, we felt a thump and the boat slowed down. Power had been lost in one of the two engines. The captain went down into the engine room and said we would be able to reach Juneau, but it would take a little longer with one engine. We later learned that the propeller shaft had been broken off and was not even attached to the boat on the one of two engines. We now wonder what it came into contact with to break it off like that?!

We had a hard time docking at Juneau as there was no power on one side. There were several crew hands waiting there to help get the crippled boat to the dock.

After getting off the catamaran, we boarded a bus to take us on a town tour. We were then left off downtown for 2 ½ hours. Juneau is also a cruise ship port and there were four cruise ships in that day. It was truly a tourist town and was packed with thousands of people. We walked around and visited a couple places we had read about, then got a quick sandwich and were back at the bus stop where we boarded our bus again to go to the Mendenhall Glacier. We were at the Glacier for about an hour. We were once again in bear territory and were told to be careful as we walked around the streams on the wooden boardwalks at the glacier.

The bus then took us back to the dock where we boarded another boat, not a catamaran, and all of us were a little doubtful if we wanted to ride on this smaller boat. We had no choice if we wanted to get back to Haines, AK. We learned on that trip that because the “ferry” line had no more catamarans to replace the crippled one, the other half of the group scheduled the next day, would not get to go on a trip to Juneau. So, we were lucky to get this excursion under our belts!


Sunday:
This was a free day for us, so we enjoyed sleeping in a little and puttering around the trailer and campground. In the afternoon, we went into town to see what we could, but there wasn’t much there.

We had a driver’s meeting in the evening to prepare for our move to Whitehorse, YT, the next day.

Till then….

August 23-25 (Days 91-93)

Wednesday:
The alarm went off early this morning as we prepared to leave at 6:00 a.m. on the parking crew. It was cold, rainy and gray…again! We traveled with the leaders and the Gilles-Traiil group. After twenty miles out of town, the leader phoned back to the rest of the group at the campground to say the roads were passable and to come ahead. We had been concerned with flooding from the recent rains, as some roads in the area were washed out. Rivers and streams were high and churning, but we had no problems getting through.

We soon were climbing the Wrangell-St. Elias mountains. The highest elevation on Thompson Pass was 2,771 ft. This was a 7 ½ mile climb and Dan was watching all of the gauges (especially the transmission temperature gauge) on the suburban during the climb. We had no problems. It was a beautiful drive.

The crew stopped for a picture opportunity at Worthington Glacier. Then a breakfast break was taken after 80 miles at a wilderness lodge called Tonsina Lodge. There were no customers there yet and the owner (a grizzly-looking man) met us at the door and said when he saw us drive in, he put the hash browns on the grill.

We ordered breakfast in this dining hall that is also a weekend and winter dance hall and gathering place for the locals. In the corner of the room was a piano and a bass violin made out of a wash tub, 2x2 and rope which is actually played on the weekends. We were invited to make our own toast, get our own utensils, and help ourselves to tea and coffee. The juice and milk were sitting in their jugs in a tub of ice on a table, to which we were told to help ourselves, also. After a while, he brought our breakfasts, two at a time, and soon a woman showed up (we assumed to be his wife), and she helped carry food out from the kitchen. It was rustic, to say the least, and after a while, locals started showing up for breakfast. Everything was good and plentiful, and this again was a new epicurial experience!

As we left, other Airstreamers from our group were stopping in and reports were later that everyone enjoyed their food and experience there. You see, there just aren’t any other places to eat on these roads….no Denny’s, no IHOP’s, no McDonald’s. (Thank heavens!)

We were back on the road at 9:30 a.m. There was a lot of road construction and lots of gravel, rough roads. Water trucks kept the gravel wet to prevent dust, but this also created a brown, sticky mud. Our rig is dirty again.

We had a couple road stops while construction crews moved about on the roads. We find that there are many young men and women working on the construction lines and also driving the big earth moving equipment, dump trucks, graders, rollers.

The sky was blue now and there was no rain. It was still 47 degrees. We arrived in Tok, AK, at 2 p.m. at the Tundra RV Park, got set up, and prepared to greet and park the rest of the caravan. It was warmer by then and the sun was out. I was a flagger, and flagged the Airstreamers into the park entrance off the main road. Dan and two other gentlemen guided the RV’s into their assigned sites. We got lucky and didn’t have to park in the rain.

After we were finished, we found a local restaurant and had dinner with the Kolley’s and Ed. When we got back, we attended a driver’s meeting in preparation for tomorrow’s move to Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada.

Tok is a very small community with a population of 1,435. It had its beginnings as a construction camp for the Alaska Highway in 1942. Because Tok is the major overland point of entry to Alaska, it is primarily a trade and service center for all types of transportation, especially for summer travelers coming up the Alaska Highway. Tok has 13 churches, a public library, an elementary school, a 4-year accredited high school and a University of Alaska extension program. Local clubs include the Lions, VFW and Chamber of Commerce.


Thursday:
Today was another travel day and we traveled with the Kolley’s and Ed, with the Steurer’s and Water’s a little ways behind us. It was a very cool 34 degrees, the coldest morning yet.

After twenty minutes, the roads turned to gravel and were rough. We noticed that fall has begun here in the northwest area, as aspen trees were beginning to turn bright yellow. The contrast against the deep green of the evergreen trees was beautiful. The fireweed along the road was losing its bloom, but the stems turn a deep red and are a nice contrast to the yellow trees. Some fireweed is starting to seed. It seeds much like dandelions with white, silky tufts of seed blowing in the wind.

We passed many mirror lakes which are so pretty. We passed through Canadian Customs with no problems. We arrived at the Kluane (kloo-ah-nee) RV Kampground in Haines Junction, YT, around 4 p.m. Knats were swarming and such a nuisance. Some put on their mosquito netting headgear. It had been a long drive and we were tired.

One rest stop where we stopped, we found the parking crew still there. (They are usually an hour down the road ahead of everyone else.) We found that one of the Airstreamers had become ill with what was thought a kidney stone. They were trying to determine what to do. They were in the middle of no where with no clinics or even emergency personnel even close. After getting in touch, by using the CB, with the nurse on our caravan who was far behind us, the leaders decided all they could do was drive on and try to get into Haines Junction asap. They did that, and Dottie—the sick one—had to endure 2-3 hours of rough roads while in intense pain. She was taken immediately to the town clinic in Haines Junction upon arrival. She was given some pain medication and sent on to Whitehorse, YT, (another 90 miles) to a hospital. They would end up staying there until we caught up with them in a couple days. It turned out she had a severe kidney infection and was given antibiotics by IV.

The evening, rather rainy and dismal, was quiet with a driver’s meeting scheduled for the next day at 8 p.m.


Friday:
Another travel day today. At least, the weather seemed some better. It was 56 degrees and windy at departure. Today we will travel with the Luther’s, a couple from Auburn, Massachusetts, about our age, with whom we have traveled a couple times.

We traveled with mountains all around us and lakes all over. We drove along Lake Dezadeash which is huge and goes on along the road for miles. We see tundra swans on the lakes. They are larger than the ones we know. From the locals we have learned that when the tundra swans take flight and head south, that means there will be snow that night or the next morning.

We stopped on top of a mountain range and saw a rainbow, with the whole color spectrum stretch across the entire valley, one end complete to the other end. We then could see where the pot of gold was!

We went through Customs smoothly and continued on to a lookout where we were told eagles and grizzly bears could be seen along the river. We saw three eagles, but no bears.

We reached our campground around 4 p.m., the Haines Hitch-Up RV Park in YT. We were glad to settle in for a couple days after being on the road three days. The last three day’s mileage was 260 miles, 295.5 miles, and 149 miles. The first two days’ mileage was long considering the roads, construction breaks and pulling a travel trailer.

The blog will continue with our activities in Haines, AK…..