Haines Alaska

We took the ferry from Juneau to Haines. It was a later ferry, so we were able to have a little picnic on the beach before we left. With the 4 hour ferry ride we got into Haines at 8:30pm. We rushed right over to Chilkat Lake State Park to get a campsite. Next day our canoe got wet again as we took it fishing on the lake.

It took awhile but eventually we got a trout on the line.

However, there was a bald eagle sitting on a big tree overtop of us, and when we brought our fish up, he was on his way down to get it! I happened to see him just as I was getting a picture of our supper coming up for air, and was able to grab a quick pic of the eagle as he swooped by. We were too quick for him this time, and although he and his mate watched from the tree the rest of the time we were fishing, we were already wise to their tricks.

The next day we headed north to the Canadian border, climbing up the mountain pass towards Haines Junction, Yukon. We spent the next two nights at Dezadeash Lake along the Kluane range. It was a long lake and there was a constant, strong wind coming from in between the two bordering ranges of mountains, but it was sunny enough to warm us and I got in my first swim of the year (not counting the hotsprings).

We also hiked up between two mountains to little St. Elias Lake. The hike was on a well marked trail, and mostly uphill. The lake was very clear, and a pretty green colour. I saw a mountain goat up above and B caught supper after a couple of hours. As this was a well known grizzly bear area, the hike home was a lot quicker!

We are now back in Alaska, just south of Tok, in a busy place called Sourdough Campground. They have lots of activities and are famous for their sourdough pancakes. There was even live music last night and we were up dancing to Johnny Cash. It's a dramatic change from the wilderness campsites we have been using.

We are not certain of our next route, whether we go south to Valdez and take another ferry to the Kenai peninsula, or drive over to Anchorage. We'll keep you updated.

W

Alaska Marine Hwy a.k.a. the ferry

Skagway was very much a Cruise Port. It was a small town that we walked end to end many times, but it had at least 15 jewellry stores! Our campground was, as usual, devoted to big RVs, but they found us a small corner. It did boast showers and a laundry, so we were glad we booked for two nights.

The day we left was gloomy and cool. We were due to be in line for the ferry at 6am, but had already done most of our packing the night before so we only had to stow the tent and bedding - a 20 minute job at best.

I wanted to take pictures of Skagway from the deck of the ferry on our way out, because the tall mountains so close around the town are amazing, but the clouds were low and we could not see the tops. So B and I found a spot in the observation lounge, right at the front of the boat, with our binoculars and raincoats. We were not disappointed. In the six hour trip we saw several humpback whales, porpoises, a pod of orcas, a golden eagle and a bald eagle. We were on the edge of our seats the entire trip!

It was still cloudy and gloomy when we got to Juneau. We headed straight for the campgrounds at the lake that is formed at the bottom of the Mendenhall Glacier. After setting up camp, we went to a salmon bake at this old wooden building that looked on the outside like it was going to fall down. We were given paper plates and plastic cutlery. But the food was great! Fresh salmon grilled over flames, beer-battered halibut, tasty brown beans, and a salad bar.

Early the next morning we put our canoe in the water by our campsite and paddled to the glacier. We were dodging icebergs that calved off the glacier. We even picked up some small pieces of ice for our cooler! There were Arctic Terns nesting on the cliffs off to the side.

The next day was clear and sunny, so we took a drive north of Juneau where we picniced at a bay at lowtide. It was almost impossible to walk to the waters edge without stepping on the thousands of small purple mussels that littered the rocky beach within the high tide mark. We drove on until we got to the Shrine of Ste. Therese. This is actually a small chapel on a small island close enough to the mainland that they could create a little rock causeway to walk out on. The grounds were beautiful and the scenery incredible because it was on a point going out into the ocean. B did some fishing there, and we watched 2 whales go by just in front of him. We also saw sealions playing in the water, a family of merganzers nearby, and an bald eagle's nest on a big tree on the property. And he caught supper, to boot!

Today we are getting ready for the ferry ride back up the coast to Haines, where we can continue our travels inland. I wouldn't have missed this part for the world. It truly was the experience of a lifetime.

W

Whitehorse

It didn't take long to get to Whitehorse. There didn't seem to be as many animals along the road - although they kept promising caribou (by warning signs). We were told it was the wrong time of year for caribou. "Come back in October!"
So we got to the city and found someplace different to stay: a campground exclusively for tenters. Up to now we put our tiny little tent off to the side of these big RV campgrounds.
We found Whitehorse to be a bicycle friendly city, so after we pitched the tent, we unlashed the bikes and took off. For the entire time we were there, we biked everywhere. The bike paths were right beside our campsite and they extended all along the Yukon river. Our poor truck, after driving constantly from Ontario to Yukon, was finally getting a rest.
B got a chance to do some fishing in the Yukon River, he caught two northern pike, and we did some sightseeing and some shopping while we were there.
When it came time to leave for Skagway, though, the battery in the truck was dead! Guess it was feeling neglected. So we got to try our our Emergency Roadside Assistance. Didn't take long before they came and got us going. We think that we had been in and out of the truck so much with loading and unloading that the dome light killed it. We have now turned the dome light off!

The road to Skagway was amazing. It goes right through the mountains and alongside the White Pass Railroad at points. We even stopped and got to see our first mountain goat! It was too high up to take a picture of, but we could see it and a baby kid easily through our binoculars.

So tomorrow we are off on the Marine Hwy Ferry to Juneau. So much more to see!

W

Yukon

I am so grateful that the BC government decided to make Liard River Hotsprings a provincial park. That has kept it natural and not commercialized. There is a long boardwalk that leads to the pool, to keep paths from forming in the bog-like surroundings. The pool itself is totally natural except for one side where the boardwalk comes alongside the water and has steps leading down.

There are plants and flowers all around the pools, and the bottom is a pea gravel that keeps the pool clear with the running water, even with all the bodies in it! And when you camp there, you can access this pool at any time. Since it never gets totally dark here, that means midnight dips for some or very early soaks for others. We stayed 2 nights and it was worth it. The relaxation alone was great.

Right now we are on the Continental Divide just beyond Rancheria, Yukon. We are aiming for Whitehorse tonight. It's cold in the mountains, but at least it's sunny, and B finally got a chance to fish!

W

Alaska Highway

The Alaska Highway is an exciting trip,every turn and summit brings new views of mountains and wildlife. We stayed in Summit Lake for two nights and now are at Liard River Hot Springs. Internet and cell phone use is not reliable, so we may have long periods between blogs.

You cannot drive quickly along this highway. The roads themselves are good, even if they are winding and up and down. But the wildlife is everywhere. We saw mountain sheep, bear, moose, and even wood bison on the last stretch. They do not dash across the road - they stand right in the middle!

Sorry this story is short - we are sitting in a restaurant that offers WiFi. Just know that we are having the time of our lives!

W

Moving On

Here is Wendy at the West Edmonton Mall. We had a great time in the big city - mostly shopping and driving around lost in the never-straight streets and avenues. We stayed in Rainbow Valley Campsite, just south of the center of the city. It was so convenient, very secure, and amazingly quiet for being just 100m from a main highway.

And look! We learned how to "self-portrait" while we were there! Edmonton was in our rearview mirror on June 8th, although we left the city late - after 1pm. But we got to Williamson Provincial Park just outside of Valleyview (east of Grande Prairie) by 5:30pm. This park does something called "self register". There is no attendant, just a standing kiosk telling you how much money to leave in the envelope. Guess only honest people stay there.

There was a lake in the park - Sturgeon Lake. We went for a walk along the water front after dinner and cleanup. Someone had caught a nice northern pike, and there was a water skier out ... and this was after 9 at night! There were also lots of birds: geese, sandpipers, ducks, swallows and of course seagulls. This picture is of Basilio looking at the ducks at 9:30pm.

We are now in Dawson Creek, BC. We saw the museum of the construction of the Alaska Highway and it just makes us more eager to see it in person. We will aim for the Liard Hot Springs for tomorrow night, and plan to stay a couple of days.

Edmonton

After a great visit with D3, hubby loaded up the Avalanche and we pulled out at 5am, Saskatchewan time. The neat thing we've found so far is that the days are so much longer up here. Sundown is 10:30ish, daylight is 4:30am. So getting up early is very easy because you're not fooled by the dark into thinking that you're still tired! Granted, an hour or two down the road and I'm dozing while hubby is driving :) but I hate missing anything so a quick nap is usually all I need.

About 100k north of Kindersley, SK we started seeing what I thought was heavy frost on the roadsides. Another 100k and we were driving in snow, with accumulation on the scenery around us. This is June, right?

The flat lands of Saskatechewan gave way to gentle hills and lots more trees. We were lucky to avoid most of the road construction and got into Edmonton by 10:30am. It is so good to see old friends again! We wouldn't have missed this part of the trip for anything. We intend to stay in Edmonton for a few days, shop and sightsee a little, and then we are off to parts northwest.

W

Saskatchewan

We had a great camping trip in Central Saskatchewan. Typical camping in some ways: a little cold, a little wet, a little buggy - unfortunately, absolutely no fish to be had in Saskatchewan until late June :(. We came, we tried, we did not conquer. BUT, we did enjoy the peace of an early camping season where we had almost the entire park to ourselves. Probably because there was no good fishing. And there were very few bugs....and that could be due to the -3C one night...

This is what we woke up to this thick frost.

You would think that Saskatchewan weather would be predictable. You know, you can see it coming for miles, right? But this trip, it was cold and cloudy, then hot and sunny, then cold and cloudy and wet, then hot and sunny, etc, etc, etc. Poor hubby didn't know whether his shirt should be off or on. And in a space of an hour, it was both about 5 times each. Wife, who likes to be warmly dressed no matter the weather, just kept covered up. Smartie.

Jennifer and Wendy trying self portrait

What else is there to do in the bush?







Actually, we enjoyed the peace enough that we extended our stay by one day. 'Course, when we got home the women enjoyed the hot showers that aren't timed, the slathering of cream, and plenty of hair conditioner. Oh, and the pedicures that are already booked for tomorrow. Sure, the wife can survive 3 months of camping.... sure.....

We have three more days in amazing Saskatchewan, and then we are bound for Edmonton to renew old friendships.

Keep you posted, W