Grand Circle Tour - Alaska Style

June 21, S.D. and I arrived in Tok with two and one half  weeks to spare before we started our volunteer gig at Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. After spending two days checking out Deadman Lake, the campground where we're now hosting, Dave took a two day chainsaw certifcation coures and I went rafting down the Tanana River. That left two weeks, and all of Alaska to explore.

Alaska is big, really big.  It was only after pondering a loop drive of over 861 miles along most of the major state roads and then realizing that those roads only provided access to the relavitely small southeast corner, that we got an idea of just how big.  No matter how much time you have, a car isn't going to get you everywhere.  On the other hand, where it will get you is still pretty awesome.  People ask how would you describe Alaska and I'd say, it's the kind of place where you can point out a nesting pair of bald eagles to a local and they'll show you four more.  A place where massive mountains,  glaciers, meadows, rivers, moose, eagles, bears, salmon, and frost heaves are common, everyday occurances.  A place where wilderness and weather still run the show and people are just a very small part of the whole.

The Circle Tour itself progressed as follows:

 Drove south to the Wrangall St Elias National Park and Preserve. --Huge mountains, glaciers, snow fields, moose

 Continued south to Valdez. --Took a tour boat, the Lu Lu Belle, out into Prince William Sound. Spent 9 hours looking at Humpback whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, eagles, and a hugh glacier - that calved less that 1/4 mile from the boat.  We also saw a black bear climbing out of a dumpster and began to get the idea of just how casual Alaskians are about bears, and bears are about Alaskans.  The bear was in a dumpster at the shooting range!

 Then west to Palmer/Anchorage -- Spent a night feeding mosquitos outside the small town of Glennallen before heading Anchorage.  Aside from an abundance of stores selling furs and ulu's (curved, native american knives) the big city was unsettling similar to other U.S.cities.  We stocked up on groceries, beer and wine and headed back out as soon as we could.

 North to Denali National Park - The road between Anchorage and Denali is probably the best road in Alaska. Still mostly two lanes, it's relatively frost heave and pot hole free!  We spent three rainy days in Denali and never did get to see the mountain.  Still it was very beautiful and we got up close and personal with a moose.  Also took a Ranger-led discovery hike off into the tundra. 7 hours of wading through bogs and streams out into the wilderness.

 Further North to Nenana - Spent the 4th of July in a very small town and joined in the local celebration.  They closed down mainstreet, a whole blocklong, and everyone watched as the kids, then adults participated in three-legged, potato and tricycle races,  along with a 'shoe scramble' and other competitions.  "One dollar for the winner, fifty cents for second place, everyone gets a quarter."  And everyone else enjoys the day immensely.

 Still further North to Fairbanks - Fairbanks is pretty cool.  There is LARS, the large animal research center where they raise and study caribou and musk ox. The two month, and two year old musk ox are adorable, and weighing only 200 and 500 pounds respectively, the largest cute mammals in North America. (That's on the official Kelly Cuteness Hyperbole Scale)

 East again, through North Pole, Delta Junction and back to Tok - Stopped at Santa's Workshop and 1960's-style tourist trap. Took a photo, left. At Delta Junction we toured the Alaskan grain belt. The area raises barley and most of Alaska's feed.  It also is home to two Buffalo herds and a Yak ranch.  Naturally the dinner there serves Buffalo burgers...and they were awesome. 

 Back through Tok and onto to Deadman Lake - Tonight we'll be cooking up the Yak steak we purchased in Delta Juction. 

The Circle Tour complete,  it's good to be 'home' for a few months.

Kelly's First Fish

Me and my fish

Perhaps I've been reading too many books about life in the Alaskan tundra. 

Dave took me fishing Sunday and the first ever fish I caught and gutted turned out to be a female with eggs.  The eggs looked just like sushi roe, so I ate it. Straight from the fish.  And it was good!

 Primitive response aside....Yay! I caught a fish,  three in fact.  One we let go because it was too small,  but the other two,  along with Dave's three are on the dinner menu tonight. 

Dave's been showing me the ropes, or should I say lines (ha, ha) for the past week. First was casting where he risked and did get hooked a few times.  Then there was the 'bail incident' where for some reason the line got wrapped up inside the spindle thing. And then there was just a day of not catching anything. But today made up for all that.

Dave at the Hidden Lake Trailhead

For fishing folk, the fish are rainbow trout and we used a "meps 5 spinner."  For non-fishing people this whole thing is like learning about a previously unknown piece of the world. There a special rods, and reels, and lots and lots of different thingees you put on the end of the line to attract different fishes. Then you have to know what lakes they tend to hang out in, or were stocked in. For instance it was Hidden Lake where we went fishing and where the state of Alaska stocks rainbow trout. 

Winning form

Even if we didn't catch any fish it would have been a lovely morning as Hidden Lake is a 1 mile hike into the taiga forest.  We hiked through huge patches of ripe blueberries and mats of ripening red cranberries. The wildlife refuge leaves a small john boat on the shore and it's perfect for getting out...and catching fish... just like an Alaskan, just like real fishermen.

Camp Hosts in Residence - Deadman Lake

Clouds on the Lake

We're here and all settled in as Volunteer Camp Hosts at Deadman Lake.  After we get into our routine I'll write up a few posts about the last three weeks and the Great Circle Tour of Alaska.

But for now, a few thoughts on Deadman Lake. First of all, the name.  As far as anyone around here can recall they do not know why it is called Deadman Lake.  During our time in Alaska however, we've noticed that places are either named after things, or represent some super-literal, super-obvious description of the place.  Beaver Creek has a giant beaver lodge,  Eagle City has lots of eagles, Copper Creek has copper.  I wouldn't be surprised if someday there was a deadman here, and that happened to be the day they named the lake.

 Name aside,  Deadman Lake is lovely,  typical tiaga-area lake.  There's a beaver lodge (two in fact), one nesting pair of trumpeter swans (they mate for life and establish territory of one lake per couple), eagles, lots of ducks,  and fish.  The shoreline is marsh/bog, perfect moose habitat.  Haven't seen one yet, but there is enough scat to assure us they are around.

Our neighbor - Mr. Beaver

 As far as the campground goes, it's pretty sweet too. Our site is level and high enough from the lake that there aren't hordes of mosquitoes, but close enough that we can easily walk down to the dock/boat ramp....oh, and we have a canoe!  The sites here have no hookups, no water, and no fee.  They do have lovely views, privacy and a chance to be in the Alaska wilderness.  So far this combination has already attracted a very distinct type of camper. After only 4 nights on site we've met a bicyclist from the Netherlands,  two couples, traveling together in old VW vans from Argentina,  an Australian family from Hollywood that filmed themselves swimming in an actually Alaskan lake (it's really kinda warm right now),  an old-school Alberta rancher.  The rest of campers have all been friendly, self-sufficient and very happy to be here in Alaska.

As are we!

Through the Yukon: Kluane Lake and Kluane National Park

Lunch with a View - Kluane Mountains

June 15-16, Whitehorse to Kluane Lake

Everywhere you go in the Yukon people will tell you that you need to go somewhere else. At Teslin, the host insisted we should drive the Top of the World Highway. In Whitehorse, a fellow camper told us Dawson City was a must see. Back on Boya Lake, a fellow traveler insisted that Atlin Lake was "The Place." At the Kluane National Park Visitor Center we talked to a couple just returning from Haines, a place they just loved. All those places do sound great. We hope to see them all someday, but in the meanwhile...You just have to go to Kluane Lake and Kluane National Park!

Driving the road north out of Whitehorse is much like driving on a rollercoaster through Tiaga. Built

Outhouse with a view - Kluane Visitor Center

over permafrost that causes the road bed to freeze and thaw, and dip and rise the road winds along for over 100 miles through Tiaga, sparse forests that live above permafrost. Named by early Russian explorers, it means "little sticks" because that is what the forest looks like. Thin 20 or 30 ft high spruce trees doted above marshy ground. The further west you go, the more glimpses you get to see of far off mountains until at last, you reach Haines Junction and you're in the Kluane Mountains.

Roll another 60 miles down the road and the eastern end of Klaune Lake comes into view. Klaune Lake is the largest lake in the Yukon covering 154 square miles. It's a long, narrow, bright blue lake, one of the biggest and the most beautiful in the Yukon. It's at the edge of the Kluane National Park, and there is a territorial campground midway along the south side. In that campground is a campsite right on the lake. We camped there, Mesmerized by the lake we finally looked up and noticed the huge, towering snow covered mountains of the Kluane Range to the south.

Campsite with a View - Kluane Lake

It was sunny, beautiful and warm. Needless to say we spent two days at the Lake. Hiking along the shore on the first day. On the second day we hiked up into the mountains, Sheep Mountain to be specific. The Rangers at the Station thought the Dall sheep that live there had already moved onto higher ground, but there had been bear sightings. We did not see any bears, even a bear paw track. We did see a sign commemorating the memory of a woman killed in a "bear encounter", lots of sheep tracks, amazing mountain scenery, and far off the blue tongue of the Kaskawulsh Glacier.

If you every go to the Yukon, you've just got to go to Kluane!

Through the Yukon: Part One

Through the Yukon

June 13 - 14, Watson Lake to Whitehorse: 438 miles

Stopping for fuel at The gas bar 100 miles west of Watson Lake we hear that two days ago the generators in the town of Teslin failed. Without generators the gas bar (Canadian gas stations are gas bars) can't pump gas. The Teslin gas bar is the only other place to get fuel on a 150 mile stretch of the Alaskan Highway between Watson Lake and Johnson Crossing.

Teslin Totems

Folks will tell you that the Yukon is remote. They'll say that the population of the capital city is only 28,000 and at that size it holds 60% of the population for the entire territory, a land mass bigger than a whole bunch of big states combined (not having access to the internet, I can't look that up right now) But trying to calculate if you can make it to the next fuel pump, or should stay in town until Jack fixes the generation puts the remoteness of the Yukon in a new perspective.

Teslin,  the town sans generator mentioned earlier, is no exception. The visitor information center in Watson Lake hands out a flyer listing all the gas stations, restaurants, hotels and campgrounds between it and the capital of Whitehorse, 282 miles away. The flyer is double-spaced, 14 point font and one page. We've only had cell phones reception in one town, and there has been no data service in any of Canada. The only wifi to be had is via the painfully slow dial-up or satellite hotspots offered at various camps and information centers. There are a lot of trees, and lakes and mountains. The remoteness, at first, is discomforting, but after a little while it starts to feel good.

Teslin is in the middle of all these woods, and mountains, set on the shore of Teslin Lake, an 88 mile long, 2 mile wide lake that runs approximately east - west. It's the home of the interior Tlingit, a First Nation tribe that runs a very nice Cultural Center. You get the idea these folks were doing just fine being 'remote.' It is, in fact, not remote to them. It is the center of an amazing universe.

S.S.Klondike

And that's where we spent the night.

June 14, Whitehorse

The next morning we hit the road early, heading to Whitehorse. The plan was to set up camp early. Get into town, stock up and spend two days looking around.

Whitehorse is the capitol of the Yukon. For a territorial capitol, it's very small. Laid out on a 8 street by 24 street grid on the floodplain of the Yukon River, at the head of the navigable waters. Apparently S.D. and I are becoming acclimated to being out of town. Even as small as Whitehorse is, it didn't feel right. There were too many people and cars. The rain and clouds didn't help as we couldn't see any of the surrounding mountains.

After touring the S.S.Klondike, a 1937 stern wheeled steamboat, (which was really interesting) we walked around town, had lunch, bought groceries, filled up with diesel, and decided we'd move on tomorrow. We needed to get back into the country.

Cassier Highway : Part Two

June 10, Mezadin Lake to Iskut 150 miles

The mosquitoes situation has progressed from wicked bad to holy shit.

Lynx - checking us out

Last night we camped right on the shores of Mezadin Lake, a beautiful site not less than five feet from a crystal clear lake. Apparently it is also the mosquito capital of British Columbia. We did not enjoy our evening beverage outside.  Additionally, we did not enjoy our evening beverages inside.  While at first we were sadistically amused by their massing outside our windows, they were the ones that got the last laugh. Somehow the little buggers were able to get in. While I perfected my mid-air mosquito grab, S.D. plugged every possible hole he could find.  We killed so many their cold spindly bodies littered the bathtub, but still they came....and they wanted blood.

It was a beautiful site but we were glad to leave the next morning, shooing the last remaining bugs out of the truck cab as we hit the highway.

From what we've heard, that will not be the last of them, they will probably get bigger, and we really need a way to keep them out of the trailer!

June 11-12, Iskut to Watson Lake

We were just starting to get a bit jaded.  How  many times can you gasp at snow capped mountain vista's and clear, blue mountain lakes? And that's when we pulled into Jade City. Seriously, there is a store only the Cassier Highway called "Jade City."   The Cassier mountains, through which we were passing produces 80% of the worlds jade.  The "City" is a direct seller of jade things. Statues, pendants, earings, and beatiful big blocks of jade. 

Beside the beautiful blue water of Boya Lake

Even more beautiful however, was the lake we camped beside later that day.  The bottom of Boya Lake is compsed of white granite sand which reflects the sun, giving the water a definetly tropical blue and green cast.  The weather was warm, and sunny and it was impossible, despite the cold water,  not to go swimming.  I did, and it was lovely!

The next day we drove the few miles to Watson Lake, leaving B.C. and the Cassier Highway.  We're officially on the Alaska Higway now!

Cassier Highway : Part 1

Close up of Kitwanga Totem

June 8-12, 2016 : Kitwanga, B.C. to Watson Lake, Y.T. 450 miles

Does a bear poop in the woods? Apparently not if the Cassier Highway is close by.

The Cassier Highway runs 450 miles, almost due north through northeastern British Columbia. We had read that bear, both black and brown would be all alongside the highway.  Other travelers reported seeing big brown bears and black bear cubs running alongside them.  We saw three black bears, and a whole lot of bear poop.

There are few roads to Alaska.  Eventually, in fact everyone has to drive the 800 or so miles of the Alaska Highway from Watson Lake , YT and over the U.S. boarder to Tok. Before and after those two towns, however there are a couple of routes.  From Prince George there are two options. Go due North and hit the Alaska Highway at Dawson Creek, aka Mile 0, or take the less traveled, route west out of Prince George on the Yellowhead Highway, then turn North on the Cassier Highway.

The Yellowhead Higway is a well traveled, developed route from Prince George to the major port of Prince Rupert.  The Cassier, was only just completed in 1972.  And it's still kinda rough. Naturally, that is the route we choose. As previously mentioned a hot spot for bears but there are also miles of trees, lakes that are miles long, rivers that run wild, stands of totem poles, masses of mosquitoes, few towns, fewer but lovely camping spots and an awesome side trip to the Pacific Coast with a few glaciers thrown in for dramatic effect.

June 9 : Side trip to Stewart / Hyder

S.D. on the Seafood Bus

One of the highlights was the side trip to the town of Stewart, and it's neighboring town of Hyder, U.S.

It was an awesome trip.  The day, which was forecasted to be rainy, was actually only partly cloudy and in a good way.  There were clouds and there were large patches of blue skies.  We were able to see the deep, glowing blue of the glaciers and sometimes the far off snow covered mountains that probably rose all around.  Driving West along the Bear River, wildflowers bloomed alongside the road, hanging waterfalls tumbled off every mountainside, and the river roared through the little canyon.

It tooks a little over an hour to arrive in Stewart, B. C.  A small town, right at the foot of the Portland Canal/harbor. We stopped at the Visitor Center, had a nice chat with the staff, walked out their boardwalk into the center of the harbor, marveled at the meadow wildflowers and then headed a mile west up the road to the United States and Hyder, Alaska.  (No customs or boarder patrol)

Ice Field of the Salmon Glacier

...Which was smaller than Stewart, but which also had a Seafood Bus.  Finally, our luck was turning.  So far on this trip we've been too early for a lot of places. Museums have been closed, campgrounds locked, etc. Today however, we arrived on opening day.  The fish and chips with really, really fresh, the halibut was awesome!!!

Continuing down the road, and this is the only road, we turned up alongside the Salmon River, re-entered Canada, bounced over potholes, squeezed over to the side to let giant mining trucks pass, passed an operating gold mine, climbed up a steep rock-strewn, avalanche-prone grade and arrived at the overlook for the Salmon Glacier.

Whoa! Glaciers are awesome!! Having witnessed their after effects for years in New England, and all across the country it was amazing to see one in action. And yes, action is the right word for although they move at a pace of inches per year, still you can see the massive amounts of soil and rocks built up in the side and terminal morans,  You can see the marvelous blue jumble that is the ice field and the cracks and striations in the body.  Just awesome.

Reversing our drive we headed back. Minus the fish and chips lunch and this time, passing through Canadian customs on the way into Stewart (What he thought we possible could have purchased in store-less Hyder I have no idea), we wound back up the Bear River valley. Just as lovely as it was that morning.

Smithers, B.C : Back in the Mountains- with Sausages

Just a little glacier hanging out over town

Day 7 : June  Lake Telkwa to Smithers, 9 miles

Early this  morning we swapped lakefront for riverfront, moving only 9 miles up the road to the municipal campground at Smithers, the best town on the road so far.  So good it has two bike shops, two bookstores, three coffee shops and two sausage shops. 

Yes, not one but two sausage shops. Both featuring good cheeses and local, homemade sausages made from elk, deer, buffalo, beef, lamb and / or pork. It took about 25 minutes of pacing and deliberating but we ended up with a sampler of dry sausages from The Sausage Factory. 

Downtown Smithers

Even more impressive however, are the views and the hikes. Just south of town, visable over every street is Hudson Bay Mountain.  The Babine Mountain range rises to the North.  All the mountains are still snow covered, waterfalls are dropping off every cliff and the Buckley River is roaring. According to the helpful folks at the visitor center there were also lots of great hikes in those hills.

After walking Main Street, oogling all the sausages, checking out a few of the oudoor stores and enjoying a fine cup of dark roast at a street-side table we set out on our first one.

So far on our trip through British Columbia we'd stayed mostly along the river bottoms. Admittedly, most of those rivers have been huge, and the bottoms wide and wild. But they'd also been flat.  Immediately after turning left off the Yellowhead Highway, 4 km from town, the road began to rise steeply.  The trail, immediately off the trailhead was no different.  Two short kms later, all alongside a rushing whitewater creek we came to viewing platform at the base of two thunderous waterfalls.

Day 8 : Smithers, 0 miles

It's too nice here to move on just yet. Hiking along the Buckley River and then up alongside a side creek was a wonderful way to spend the day.

That and pondering why Smithers does not have a brewery. It's the perfect town for one, and it did have one. Plan B Brewery was voted best Northwest B.C. brewery in January 2013, and then closed. It's presence is sorely missed.

Rest and Refuel Day : Prince George - and S.D. Goes Native

Day 5 : June 4, Quesnel to Prince George 60 miles

Mr Prince George
the giant lumber guy?

It was the moment that he turned to me and said, "The mosquitoes are wicked bad, eh?" that I knew S.D. had gone native. Still retaining the important Boston idioms, S.D. had picked up the ubiquitous Canadian 'eh'.

We were in Prince George, BC for a day of stocking up, doing laundry, accessing the interwebs, and chatting with the locals. The eh's were everywhere and they were contagious.  I dare anyone to spend more than 3 days in Canada, or with a Canadian and not start sprinkling them randomly into sentences. Sometimes they turn a statement into a question, as in "20 degrees Celsius is 70 Fahrenheit, eh?".  Sometime it is attached at the end of a statement to provide emphasis. 'It's a gravel road, eh." meaning, you know it's a really bad, gravel road that you really might not want to haul your trailer down. And then it also shows up in the middle of long sentences or paragraphs, seemingly just to make the listener nod and acknowledge that they are still listening. For example:

60 ft. Fly Rod
(for Mr P.G.?)

Private, Provincial and Canadian stores all sell liquor. Private stores usually have a larger selection, eh, but the prices are higher. The Provincial stores only charge Canadian tax, eh but don't carry much beer. The Canadian stores are the best deal, but there aren't all that many, eh....

Regardless, we stocked up as tomorrow we're headed West along the Yellowhead Highway, into the Lake District. There aren't many towns, fewer liquor stores of any kind, lots of lakes and apparently, the mosquitoes will be wicked bad, eh?

Day 6 : June 5, Prince George to Telkwa 220 miles

An hour west of Prince George as we approached the first town of the day I asked S.D. if he wanted coffee?

Canada, eh.

"Timmies, eh." he replied. Sipping our Tim Horton's regular brew was another truely Canadian experience. It wasn't as bad as I'd remembered. Extremely mild, but smooth enough.

Later that night, our Canadian experience reached an even deeper level. Camped beside Lake Telkwa we listened to Loons, the very inspiration for the Canadian dollar, call and wail. Long into the night... long past sunset (at 10:15), they continued to call.

It had been a longer than usual driving day. The road was relatively straight, rolling and easy driving, the countryside rural, mostly farming. Where there were woods, they were primarily aspen and pine. The towns, the few that there were, were small rural towns. A grocery store, gas station, post office, lumber mill and Tim Hortons. It looked a lot like New Brunswick. Nice, but no reason for tourists to stop and hang around.

Red Winged Black Bird at Lake Telkwa

We finally stopped just outside Smithers and camped beside the large Lake Telkwa, and underneath Hudson Bay Mountain, the first big mountain we'd seen in a few days. The site was nice and close enough to the lake where we could see the water shimmering in the sunlight and the mosquitoes wouldn't have to travel far for their dinner.

Canada's Arizona

Day 3, June 2, 2016 : Skihist Provincial Park to Lac La Hache 104 miles

Hat Creek Ranch

The road north through the Southern Cariboo area of British Columbia rises up out of the Fraser River Canyon and onto the Fraser Plateau. A vast expanse of rolling grassland know for its large cattle ranches. Some of the promotional materials also called it "Canada's Arizona", or "Canada's Wild West" It is not. Yes it does have ranches, cows, cowboys, colored rock formations and small towns with false front stores. But it does not have thousands of over grazed acres of grassland, massive irrigation dams and projects draining it's mighty rivers for the benefit of far off unsustainable cities. Additionally it also has a boggy plateau, hundreds of lakes and wolverine crossing signs. I suppose there are also wolverines but so far no sightings.

The landscape was beautiful and the history inspiring. We even managed to do some touristing. The first stop was the Hat Creek Ranch, an historic roadhouse, ranch, and first nation interpretive site. The coffee shop also sold an awesome sausage roll pastry thing. The exhibits explained how the gold rushes of the 1860s brought miners to the area, which were quickly followed by ranchers and the stage coaches and supply waggons. (PS that is the correct, local spelling of waggon.) Clydesdales were big on these stage routes and the Ranch was home to many who pulled the stages.

Trapper Cabin with Sod Roof

70 or so miles up the road we stopped at 108 Mile House. This historic roadhouse and building collection included a barn that once housed 200 Clydesdales. It was a big barn! There was also a cowboy bunkhouse, complete with a bathing plywood cowboy and also a sod roofed trappers cabin.

A quick aside on the name 108 Mile House. Roadhouses along the early stage route to the gold fields were named for their mileage location on the route. Eventually some of those stops became small towns and today, in the land of the Metric System, there are now towns with names such as 70 Mile House and 100 Mile House.

Soon after leaving 108 Mile House we pulled into Lac La Hache Provincial Park and picked out a nice site overlooking the lake. At the same time, the rain started and the mosquitoes picked us out for an afternoon snack. Hmmmm, I don't remember there being mosquitoes in Arizona either.

Day 4 , June 3 2016, : from Lac La Hache to Quesnel 125 miles

Biggest, Blackest, Slug Ever

Sunset: 9:35 Sunrise: 4:15

After driving an other day through lake-filled ranch land, through small towns with worn false-front stores, many with "Mile House" in the name we set up camp just north of Quesnel. Aside from having an awesome name (pronounced Qwee-neel) the towns other remarkable features are that it sits at the confluence of the Quesnel and Fraser Rivers and has a giant gold pan. According to the map we drove right by the gold pan, but some how missed it.

Slugs and Bears!!

We had, however, stopped at Williams Lake, headquarters for the two biggest log home builders in the world. Big is big out here. The visitor center was a huge log structure, a joint project of both companies and it was beautiful done. Carved beams, soaring atrium, lofty spiral staircase, all with a solid feel and faint pine smell.

Today's campsite was along-side 10 Mile Lake. After setting up, taking a long walk (our first with a bear warning), eating dinner and taking another long walk we hung up towels over the bedroom windows, stuffed a spare cloth in the bedroom skylight and went to bed. It was 10:00 pm and just getting dusk. Waking up at 6:00 the following morning, the sun was blazing through the rear window. We're only about a third of the way North that we need to go, and it's not even the equinox yet, but...wow, there's a lot of daylight.

Driving Through Canada: Along the Fraser River

Day 1 , May 31, 2016, 50 miles from Sumas, Washington to Emory Bar, Canada

There was a time in this fair land When the railroad did not run 
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun 
Long before the white man and long before the wheel 
When the green dark forest stood too silent to be real.
   - - The Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Gordon Lightfoot

We spent the first hour after crossing the boarder into Canada refreshing our math skills. Navigating east on Canada 1, converting miles to kilometers and gallons to liters. Grocery shopping in Chilliwack, converting ounces to kilograms and dollars to loonies and two-nies at the Visitor Information Centre. When it's time to fill up with diesel, I'm just going to fill the thing. Liters and gallons, and the exchange rate calculations are just too much.

61 kilometers east on Canada 1, and our math-challenged selves fell away as our adventurous selves took over and turned North into the Fraser Canyon. 35 km later we backed into our first British Columbia campground at Emory Bar. Right on the banks of the Fraser River, and surrounded by huge pines, big leaf maples and cotton woods.

Loonies and Toonies

The Fraser River runs from high in the interior of British Columbia to Vancouver, where it joins the Pacific Ocean. Pushing over 200 millions gallons of water per second at 25 mph, this huge green roiling river is serious. Apparently it had also been loaded with gold. In the 1850s gold miners began flooding up river, followed by roads, the lumber industry and railroads. 150 years ago the campground had been a mining town of over 20,000. Today there were less than 20 campers. .. and the railroad. Two, in fact. North bound freight used the western track, south bound used the eastern, right alongside the river, 500 ft from the campsite.

Even with rumbling, or maybe because of it, the site remained scenic, beautiful and historic. With every train I thought of the first peoples, the miners, the railroad workers the road builders and eventually the setters. After the train, I marveled at the "green dark forest" and the flowing green power of the river.

Day 2, June 1, 2016 : Emory Bar to Lyntton, 62 miles

Retraction Ferry

Just for the record - we're in no rush and have all of June set aside to drive to Tok. It's a trip that many do in a week but our Plan is to average 100 miles a day and see the sights. And there are a lot! But it will be interesting to see just how much touristing S.D. and I can actually manage. One year on the road and we're still working on our relaxation skills.

Today we continued North of Canada 1, rolling and winding along side the Fraser River. Hell's Gate is a spot on the river where all those rushing 200 million gallons squeeze through a narrow rock chasm. B.C. has built a gondola that carries tourists from a platform alongside Canada 1, down hundreds of feet, over the Gate and to a little museum/salmon exhibit/fudge shop. We arrived 25 minutes prior to the first gondola ride. Walked alongside the canyon, watched a gondola - load of workers descend to the fudge shop and left. Not sure how well this slow trip to Alaska is going to work.

After setting up camp at Skihist Provincial Park, we visited the nearby town of Lytton. Lytton sits at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers, and at least 5 different railroad lines. It also boasts one of few remaining retraction ferries in operation. Retraction ferries use only the power of the water for propulsion. Like a sailboat on a reach, but using the ferry's hull and a series of seriously strong cables and wires the ferry almost sprints across the Fraser River without using an engine of any kind. (The was a small push boat tied alongside but it was not used.)

Tomorrow we leave the Fraser for about 200 miles and head into the heart of the Cariboo, "Canada 's Arizona. "

A Year on the Road - Next Stop Alaska!

Probably, we'll take the blue route

Wow!!! Two days ago, May 29th, marks one year that we've been on the road!!!  One year since we sold the house, and pretty much everything in it and hit the road.

Admittedly the plans have evolved. From hiking the PCT, to bike touring, and now to camping around the country, but the adventure continues. And it continues to evolve for the better!!! (Are there really enough exclamation points to convey the excitement??!!!) Living, and traveling 24/7 with S.D. gets better every day as do the adventures.

Leaving Oregon we drove North up the coast through Washington. Stopping along the way to visit friends and eat seafood, enough seafood and oysters to make up for the last six months deficit. The plan is to be at the Canadian border by June 1. Explore British Columbia and the Yukon and arrive at Tok, Alaska by July 11. July, August and into September we'll be volunteering at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge four days a week and exploring other parts of Alaska on our days off. Come September it's a quick descent south. Winter comes quickly up there and we'll need to get to warmer climates!

Yesterday we were talking about traveling around the country with a friend. She pointed out that it's the lifestyle that attracts her. Yes, she wants to see all these great places, but it's being on the road, living like a nomad, that really feels right. I gotta agree. This morning we're up early. After three days in Seattle it's time to get back on that road!

Transitions: Good Bye Deserts, Hello Trees and Plate Tectonics

The Deschutes River

(This post covers adventures between May 1 and May7th)

This week, without our really planning it, has been the perfect transition between our last six months, and the upcoming six months. Since October of 2015 we've been in deserts. The Mohave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Basin and Range, and now, in Oregon, the High Desert. Starting next week we'll pass west over the Cascades, and back into wetter climates.  We'll stay in this climate through summer in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, the Yukon,  Alaska at least through September.

As a fitting desert wrap up we visited the High Desert Museum. There were some great exhibits on desert weather and desert life. There was also a fun forest fire game where I did manage to put out the fire, but not before the loss of 30,000 acres of old growth trees. Guess I won't be looking for a job in the forest service any time soon.

As one would expect, during our desert days we haven't seen many trees. This week however we're getting a preview of forests to come. Surrounded by thousands of Ponderosa pines, we've been enjoying our stay at La Pine State Park in Central Oregon, just south of Bend.

One day we rode our bikes to the "Big Tree." It was a ponderosa pine with the largest circumference living in Oregon today. Until 2000 it was also the tallest pine, but it split in a storm and lost that claim. The interpretive sign did not reveal where the tallest pine might be hiding. Seems it would be a hard secret to keep.

Dave ponders the Big Tree

This wasn't however, our first "Big Tree". Just east of Mt. Rainier we followed a similar "Big Tree" sign. Sadly, that one was no longer living. Standing on the stump, it was easy to see that it had been a big tree, but really, it no longer qualified. Between then and now we've passed other "Big Tree" signs including one for a Douglas Fir in Western Washington. According to the web that tree was so big loggers refused to cut it down and instead built a curvey 30 mile road to it. We passed on that one but and we've also been to the Redwoods a number of times and seen lots and lots of other big trees. Leave trees alone for long enough and they will grow...provided they have enough water.

When not looking at trees, or causing them to virtually burn, we visited Lava Land National Monument. Aside from the fact that the gift shop does not sell lava lamps, it's pretty great. We drove up to the top of the cinder cone where we met a volunteer and talked about all the volcanoes, lava flows, cinder cones, etc all over the west coast. Reminding us again that while we might be leaving the desert, we'll be spend the next six months not only surrounded by trees but also in the Rim of Fire. Or to put it another way, we might be moving North to Alaska, but it's moving southeast to Midwestern United States. We'll be leaving the desert and re-entering tsunami land!

Wildflower Tour of Northeastern Oregon

(This post applies to adventures during the last week of April, 2016)

One of the many hillsides of beautiful sun flowers

Back in March, S.D arranged a late April tour of the Outdoors RV factory in La Grande, (Northeastern) Oregon. That's where our little home was built and April seemed about the right time since we also wanted to be in Ashland, OR the second week of May. Having sprinted through Northern Utah, Northern Nevada and Southern Idaho we found ourselves at the factory, mid-April, a week ahead of schedule.

The La Grande valley itself is largely agricultural, with a lumber mill and two RV manufactures thrown in. There are several smallish rivers and lots of mountains surrounding the plain.  In mid-April the weather was sunny, and warm in the daytime. The valley was green with the new spring grass and budding trees. The mountains however, were covered with large amounts of snow. It was beautiful but also possible, we were a little early for camping in Northeastern Oregon.

Unidentified purple flowers

We recalled from our previous time in Oregon that the natives seemed an adventurous bunch, undeterred by a rain or snow and walked into the Wallow-Whitman Forest Service Office to inquire about camping and hiking options. The Ranger inquired if we had noticed the snow? None of the Forest Service Campgrounds opened until at least May 1, and then only if the snow was gone. "You might" she ventured, "find that the state campgrounds are open."

Minam State Park - Camping under the flowers

We checked online, and it appeared that indeed they might...or they might not. It's amazing how unclear campground websites can be. But with hope in our hearts, and the promise from the Ranger that it was a beautiful spot we headed East up alongside the Minam River to the Minam State Campground. Thirty miles of winding paved and two miles of bumpy dirt road later, we arrived to find the campground. It was open, it was green and it was beautiful.

Calypso Orchid

It was at this point that we realized that while we might have been too early for our tour, hiking up into the mountains, or camping in the National Forest, we had arrived at just the right time for the wildflower bloom in the valleys. Big, bright yellow daisy-like flowers covered every hillside. Next to our campsite, and scattered throughout the forest were white and pink blooming wild apple trees. We walked along the swiftly flowing Minam River and found wild apple trees, sunflowers and some other purple flower.

The next day we left the Creekside (our RV) parked under the apple tree and drove further up the Wallow Valley along side the eponymous river, through the neat and tidy towns of Lostine Enterprise and Joseph, under hills covered in yellow flowers, through hay and grain fields, past greening cow and sheep pastures. It was raining and with no chance of getting a good hike in we settled for the next best thing(s). A good burger and a fresh microbrew at Terminal Gravity Brew Pub. (Middle of nowhere, and the center of the universe). By the time we returned home, the RV was lightly frosted in white apple blossoms.

We woke to sunshine the next morning and really wanting to do some hiking, decided to try our luck at Catherine Creek State Park. According to the website, and the state brochure, it was not only open, it also had hiking trails. To get there we drove back to La Grande, then wound south, along Catherine Creek, for twelve miles before arriving at the campground. It too was open! We pulled into a lovely spot beside the wildly flowing creek, set up for the night, and set out to find those hiking trails!

The bad news was that there was only one trail it was only a mile and half. The good news was that the trail climbed through a beautiful forest and there were lots more wildflowers. We saw a ... blooming Oregon grapes, Calypso Orchids, lupines and more. Probably more wildflowers per foot hiked than anywhere else.

Trout lily

Following the night at Catherine Creek we headed a bit North, this time headed for Bird Tracks Spring Campground. Unimaginatively named for the fact that a bird walked in drying cement around a spring head...and left tracks. There was also a trail there that went along the Grande Ronde river and was a birding hot spot. We didn't see many birds and we did find the spring head with the tracks but more remarkable was our campsite. It was surrounded by yellow trout lilies! I don't think they bloom for very many days so it was all the more remarkably that we were there for their brief show.

Two days later we toured the RV plant. No wildflowers there but it was a very interesting, two hour tour. Learned that RV manufacturing and boat building aren't all that different. Admittedly an RV will not float but the design efficiency, and parts have a great deal in common...and they make it all possible for us to be on the road and see more wildflowers!

Three Weeks in New Mexico

It's now mid-April and over a week since we left New Mexico.  I haven't posted much about those three wonderful weeks in the "Land of Enchantment" - maybe because it was just that - enchanting. Or maybe I was just lazy, or maybe there was just too much to write about. Considering that we're now heading North and West to new adventures there is little chance that I will ever get around to detailing our weeks in New Mexico but what I can do is summarize what we learned there.

So here they are, the top 10 things we learned about New Mexico (in no particular order)

Not included in the list but this is the
best commuter rail ever-
The Rail Runner

1. New Mexico has a state decoration and it is the Chili Rasta. There are everywhere and they are big.  Santa Fe has the longest ones measuring in at 5 feet.  And just to be clear - these are hanging everywhere, all over the state.  And they are real. Hatch, New Mexico is the chili growing capital of the world. If you want to see lots and lots of chili's and thousands of chili rastas drive through Hatch. You don't even have to stop, just drive down the main street and  you will see more in those three minutes than in the rest of your entire life.
2. The state parks are awesome. We stayed in five different ones. They were all different but all well run, with good trails, and outdoor stuff, as well as nice facilities. This is no secret. New Mexican's love their state parks...especially at Easter when they all descend for egg hunts.

   

   City of Rocks State Park.
   Lots and lots of rocks. Lots of Egg hiding spots

3. New Mexican's are not fond of Texans.  It all stated in 1841 when the president of Texas invaded and laid claim to the state and continues to this day when Texans show up at the state parks in droves and mix their Easter eggs in amongst the local's. 
4. Columbus, New Mexico (website features a chili rasta) is code for cheap, good Mexican optometry which can be obtained right across the border from Palomas, Mexico.
5. Towns name and other words are often pronounced in un-expected ways. Everyone will tell  you that New Mexico is a blend of (at least) three major cultures, Spanish, Native American and Anglo. This makes for a culturally diverse and interesting state. It also so made it so that I stopped attempting to pronounce the names of most towns and geographic features until after a local had already done so. (and still managed to flub a few)
6. According to the Forest Service Rangers, while there are black bears in the area one doesn't

   

   S.D. scoping out the Mountain Lions for me

   need to worry about them.  You should however carry the bear spray in case you meet up with a mountain lion. Oh, and stay together, they tend not to attack if there is more than one person. 
7. When the weather forecast, or a local says that the wind is going to blow and it's springtime prepare for the wind to really blow. They're not talking a light spring breeze. They're talking about sustained winds of 40-50 knots with gusts in the 60s. Oh, and this being desert, there will be lots of dust in that wind so prepare to not be able to see more than five feet in front of you and to spend the following day(s) cleaning dirt out every remote corned of your car, truck or camper. If, on the other hand you have something in need of a good sandblasting - just bolt it down and your problems are solved!
8. Flashlights are illegal in New Mexico. (Well not really, but they should be) The night sky, anywhere in the state is awesome!!!  We spent nights along the Rio Grande near Taos and a few more at Bandelier National Monument and every night just stood outside and looked and looked at the sky.

   

   Typical Descent! This one into the Rio Grande

9. Any road may, at any time suddenly turn from a flat wide paved surface into a narrow, winding, dirt free fall into a river canyon.  There are three major wild and scenic rivers in New Mexico and several smaller streams, tributaries, washes, etc. Since the predominate land is sedimentary, anytime, and any place that water flows tens to form deep, steep valleys and canyons.  The roads follow the contours so it's important when plotting the day's drive, especially when towing an RV to careful note the terrain and any sudden, or even small switchbacks that may appear on a road. 
10. Santa Fe is The Best Capital City ever.  Truly representative of the state, which as I point out in the next point, is awesome!
11. And last but not  (and yes that's more than 10)--- it's just awesome!! I love New Mexico. The place and the people are unassumingly lovely. Diverse, interesting and open.

Hee-la Not Gee-la

Looking up at the Gila Cliff Dwellings

(This post applies to the week of March 23-29. I'm way behind!)

In Tucson, we met up with an old friend from Maine.  We visited the Desert Museum together.  As we were looking at the reptiles, the guy standing next to us smiled benevolently as Dave, Linda and I discussed the Gila monster display at the Desert Museum.

"Where are you folks from?" He finally asked, plainly amused by something we said.

When we told him we were from the East Coast he responded, "It's Hee-la, not Gee-la."

Yes, it was the kindness of that stranger that saved me from mispronouncing not only the name of an


amazing reptile, but also the name of a national monument, a national forest and New Mexico's last wild and scenic river. And that was a very good thing as we spent an entire week exploring those very Gila (Hee-la) things.

CDT Sign!

We set up base camp on the Mesa Campground, in the Gila National Forest. For the first time in over five months we were in trees! Ponderosa pines, Mexican Blue Oaks and Juniper. It was open, high desert forest, but it was lovely. The Gila National Forest covers over 3.3 million acres, of mountains (over 6000 ft) in Southeastern New Mexico. The Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument, Gila River and Gila Wilderness are all contained within the Forest.

The first day, in a new location is generally a scouting day. After setting up camp we drove North alongside the Gila River, to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. It's a long winding route but well worth the drive. The builders only lived in the cliffs for approximately 30 years but while there they took the time to make some really great little rooms and buildings. The Dwellings are located a little over half-way up the side of a narrow slot canyon off the Gila River. If location was as important then as it is today, I think a place on the River would have been preferable.

And in fact, that's probably where the cliff dwellers moved next. On the way home we stopped at some other roadside exhibits that explained riverside habitation.  

These days living along the Gila River is more difficult.  The Gila River is one of New Mexico's Wild and Scenic Rivers. New Mexico, in fact has five wild and scenic rivers. The fact that the state is also mostly desert and contains the lowest percentage of water held in lakes (all man-made) also means that all of those rivers are under constant pressure of being damned. Unbelievably the biggest motivation for damming seems to be recreation. The Gila is no exception. A number of folks and politicians seem to feel lakes are more fun that rivers. In my opinion they certainly are not fun, natural, wild or beautiful. There is a special beauty of extremes that comes from a river flowing through high canyon walls and desert.

Old Horse Corral

In the following days we took several hikes, not along the River, but into the Gila Wilderness.  The trails followed small streams into lovely, intimate canyons. One of those was on the CDT, or Continental Divide Trail.

Add caption

Starting out from the trailhead the path led North across the wide river valley before entering the narrow valley of the stream's outflow. After two miles of hiking along the meandering stream bed, checking out the many birds and exploring the the remains of a primitive horse corral, the canyon narrowed further. The stream now ran along the bottom of a narrow slot, the trail carved along the only dry(ish) land beside and above it. When the canyon narrowed so much that there wasn't room for the trail, the path turned north west and rose steeply out of the canyon. Within 400 yards we were up and climbing through high range again. Grasses, junipers, pinion pine and cactus doted the hillside.

At the peak, looking out over the Gila Forest, Wilderness and River I couldn't help but thank the stranger from the museum for helping me 'know' the area just a little bit better....and wonder if he ever went to Massachusetts if he'd be able to  correctly pronounce 'Gloucester', or 'Haverhill' for that matter.

1 Week, 3 States, 3 Deserts

Written March 21st

A desert, by definition, is an area of land that receives less than 10 inches of rain per year. With that limitation one might assume that all deserts are pretty much the same, especially ones that lie roughly on the same longitude. The last couple of weeks proved that assumption entirely wrong.

Since leaving Ash Meadows, we've driven east through Nevada, and Arizona to New Mexico and through the Mohave, Sonora, and Chihuahua Deserts. They may all receive less than 10 inches of rain per year, but due to differences in temperature range, and the timing of those 10 inches (or less) they are noticeably different deserts.

Mohave Desert (in bloom)

Driving through Nevada and then South-western Arizona we were in the Mohave Desert.  The landscape was a lot like what we'd been living in for the last three months. We were surrounded mostly by mesquite trees, occasional Joshua tree forests, creosote bushes and an occasional cholla or beavertail cactus. This being the year of the super bloom, ie the year after record fall rains, there were also lots of wildflowers. Acres of desert gold, desert ghost, phacilia, and other wildflowers.

The Mohave, the driest and most extreme desert, receives an average of 5 inches rain per year, generally in the spring and fall. Temperatures range from 20 degrees on January and February nights to as high as 130 in July and August. This creates a distinct landscape, a barrenness relieved by the occasional plant.

The cactus jungle that is the Sonoran Desert

Driving east through Arizona and into Tucson we were in the Sonoran Desert.  The Joshua tree groves were replaced by short then soon, towering Sonoran Cactus. Prickly bear, fishhook, barrel, organ pipe and lots of other cactus plants all crowded together. Succulents like agave, and yuccas also forced their way in to the wild plant jumble along with ocotillo, a tall, thin cactus-looking plant sporting red blossoms at the tip of their long spikes.  Hiking through this intimidating jumble looked impossible, if not painful. The Sonora desert is like the rainforest of deserts. It receives approximately e3 - 16 inches of rain, and temperatures are more moderate. Desert plants not fond of freezing temperatures thrive in the climate as do birds and animals. We spent a day at the Desert Museum just outside Sonora National Park in Tuscon. Five hours of walking through bird aviaries, cactus and agave gardens, desert reptile and mammal displays and we hadn't even begun to get a handle on the Sonora Desert's diversity. 

Chihuahua Desert

We hit the road, again heading east and into New Mexico. Plants began to thin out, the Sonora cactus disappeared and the remaining desert plants desert spread themselves out a bit thinner. Creosote bushes and mesquite once again appeared. And everywhere there were bright yellow desert popChihuahua's temperature range is closer to that of the Mohave, but days spent in the extremes are fewer. A more defining characteristic of this desert is that it has a monsoon season in July and August. What rain does fall, about 10 inches per year, the majority of it falls in those two months. Oh, and in the spring there is a lot of wind. Lots of wind. We stopped at the welcome center just over the line in New Mexico. The woman at the desk was less than welcoming but did manage to tell us that "The Wind" was coming. She couldn't tell us when, or from where, or what kind of wind it was going to be, just that "The Wind" was coming. Her ominous sounding prediction was made more so by frequent highway signs warning that "Dust May Blow" and instructing drivers to "Pull completely off the Highway during periods of Low Visibility". Well, the wind has arrived. It's blowing about 30 knots out there right now with gusts up to 45. Tonight they're predicting gusts as high as 60. There's something that happens with jet

Preview of hikes to come !

stream and land temperatures that really packs the isobars close together. If you're in a dusty area, and there are a lot of those in Southern New Mexico, then you could get a brown out. If there isn't any dust, you still have to keep an eye out for blowing debris and keep your own stuff tied down.
pies.  The

Tomorrow we're heading into the Gila Mountains. We'll be out of the desert and into the trees for the first time in over five months. It's going to be an adjustment.