VIEWING THE WILDLIFE

We were fortunate to see a lot of wildlife throughout British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska. This grizzly was strolling along beside the highway between Haines, Alaska, and the Alaska Highway. He was unpreturbed that we slowed to his pace and tried in the dark afternoon to get a clear picture of him. Loafing and huffing seemed to be his schedule until suddenly he reared up on a sapling and vigerously scratched his back to a fare-thee-well. We could almost hear him sigh!




Camped near the road in a rest are provided by the Yukon department of parks and highways, we were sharing the area with a bicyclist who was enrout from Whitehorse, Y.T., to the Arctic Ocean via the Dempster Highway. Snug in his tent, he was not aware of this fox which was upon his table and going through the remains of his dinner. Even when the man roused, stepped out of his tent and "chased" the fox away, the critter did not stay gone long, and he returned soon for the rest of the goodies he was stealing.



On several occasions we spotted moose, both cows like this one and bulls still developing the huge horns they will display this fall when the courting season comes around. After the scarse grasses of spring are no longer filling, most moose move into the ponds and lakebeds to forage on the new vegetation to meet their daily quota of sixty to one hundred pounds of graze. Amazingly, all this is converted to small, hard green/black pellets no larger than half the length of my little finger. Nearly 99% of all the moose eats is converted to fat, muscle or energy. Almost nothing is left for scat.

Black Bears are common along northlands highways and love to feed early in the season on the greens and easily dug roots in the roadside right-of-ways where such stuff grows first because that's where the sun melts the snow first. Unfortunately, most blackies are quite shy and flee to cover as soon as a car slows, for a picture, for example. We saw a lot but got very few photos, usually of the part that goes over the log last. This was a good year for black bears to judge from their lush coats and the several husky sized cubs which will soon be on their own.


The Alaska Highway goes through some pretty amazing mountian passes at times including one impressive region west of Fort Nelson where the springtime sheep and goat herds are protected and have found that the road surfaces offer plenty of salt from the winter efforts to make the road drivable. This stone sheep ram stepped off of the road surface as we stopped for the photo-op, but all the youngsters with him didn't bother.




Bison have been introduced in several locations along the highway, and believe me they have the right of way whenever they want to cross the road. Most just munch along the roadbanks where thick. lush grasses abound and act very much lke a bunch of cows. Come to think of it, that's just what they are. In herds of thirty or fourty, however, there is another dynamic at work and one can begin to imagine what the American and Canadian plains once were like when such animals covered the land to the horizon.


Another creature often seen but difficult to capture with a camera is the eagle. We saw hundred - maybe more - in groups throughout Southeast Alaska and more individuals further north. Always magnificant flyers and sometimes acrobats in the air, they carry the majesty we have assigned them as national symbol quite well. These are two of several which were noisily pearched only a few feet above the ridge of the house where we stayed in Juneau. Actually this limb and others near it held haalf a dozen or more of the birds, all outstanding in the bright morning sun.

This little guy is a yearling cariboo. As soon as I "clicked" this picture all we saw was his white flag bouncing downhill! You'll have to take our word for all the other animals we saw but didn't photograph because we were driving along and the camera was not at hand or the critter fled too quickly. And who tries to picture the squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, porkypines, rabbits, weasel-types, and - was that a lynx?? - and other small unidentified beasties and birds.




We did see some wonderful swans and geese, and other waterfowl. Birds are probably the hardest to capture while driving along at fifty miles (80 kilometers) per hour. Once in a while at a waterside spot a few would sereenly pass with little concern at the bankside watchers. The bottom line, I guess in all this wildlife viewing is that the real thing in the wild is sure a lot more impressive than a zoo setting, you-betcha.

AFTER SEVEN WEEKS, HOME AT LAST

First, let me cover the basics: Seven weeks on the road, almost 6,200 highway miles through British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska, about 10% of which was on gravel highways or just plain dirt roads, and maybe 200 miles was ongoing road construction. We stayed 14 nights in federal or municipal campgrounds, 14 at private homes (including the time we were gone to Juneau and Sitka), 6 at church camp in Wasilla, 6 in commercial RV Parks, once in a parking lot and once at an auto dealership. and six times just along the road in remote locations. And we slept well every night!

Let me briefly review the whole trip. we left Vancouver and took I-5 to Bellingham and then straight north to cross the border at Lynden, WA. We took the Frazier River Canyon route north into central B.C., the Cariboo Region, passing through Prince George to intersect the Alaska Highway above Fort Saint John. That's where we had the mechanical troubles! Then it was up the highway as far as Haines Junction and south to Haines, Alaska. (2,380 miles)

We took the Alaska Marine ferryboat to Juneau and were quickly into the whirl of Geoffrey and Dana's wedding plans. The Happy Deed witnessed, Betty and I flew to Sitka for three days, returned to Juneau on the ferry system, and returned to Haines to rejoin our rig on June 14th. The next few days were spent driving through lower Yukon and portions of Alaska to Anchorage (another 800 miles) after which we drove to the Mat-Su Valley to help in a church camp. Leaving Wasilla, we stocked up on groceries, headed for Tok, and began the infamous Taylor Highway arriving in Eagle (via Chicken) dusty and rattled, but delighted to be there. (3,762 from home).

I'll detail the time in Eagle in another blog or two later, but after a truly wonderful two weeks we retraced half of the Taylor and took the "Top of the World Highway" a gravel highway where it is safe and actually smoother overall to drive about 45 to 50 miles an hour, dust and all. It crosses upper Yukon and ends at Dawson City, the site of the famous Gold Rush of 1896. Beginning to head south at last on pavement most of the time, we drove a couple of days to reach Whitehorse, another to get to Watson Lake where the famous "Signpost Forest" is located. We opted again to take the beautiful but somewhat primitive Cassiar Highway as an alternative to our northbound route through B.C., and a couple of long days later arrived in Smithers, one of our favorite towns. We took a rest day there to enjoy the quaint scandinavian character of the area before continuing home through Prince George again and duplicating the beginning route home from there. (Total distance 6173 miles).

We pulled our 22' light-weight camper/trailer all the way with the GMC Safari Van. Mileage varied - depending on speed, grade, road conditions, wind direction - from lows of 10.8 mpg to highs around 12.8 mpg. Gasoline prices ranged as high in Alaska as $3.87 per gallon, and it was even worse in Canada where the price of $1.28 Canadian per liter converted to the USD equivalent of nearly $4.50 a gallon. Ouch!

On the other hand, we were comfortable and completely self-sufficient. Staying with friends was always fun and we were well fed during the week at church camp. In wilderness locations, we always had good food, usually fresh, thanks to well supplied markets in the larger towns and our efficient propane refrigerator/freezer in the camper. Cooking on the road while camping always tastes good too.

We had almost no rain until we left Eagle, and then it was never severe but enough to hold down the dust and clean smoke and haze from the air. We only got "slimed" once and that was expected on the Cassiar. That is what happens when the combination of ultra-fine glacier dust found on most road surfaces plus the topping chemicals applied in construction areas make a mud spray that completely obscures the lower and rearward surfaces of a vehicle to the point that it is impossible to recognize any feature of color, make, style, or lighting at all. If it is not removed before it sets up dry it can become the most miserable job of car washing you can imagine. We lucked out twice as rain almost immediately removed 90% of the grime within minutes of collecting it.

By next blog I will have all the pictures available and can begin to illustrate some of the things I will be writing about. I'll cover a few more topics, but I don't plan to relive the entire trip here. Maybe I'll have a CD put together someday that you can ask to see.

ON OUR LAST LEG IN SMITHERS

With Alaska and the Yukon behind us, we are now in Smithers, B.C. at least three full driving days from home. We drove six long hard days since leaving Eagle, getting a little respite only as we passed through Whitehorse, Y.T. After a rainy day reaching Watson Lake, we doubled back to come south on the Cassiar Highway (a very loose use of the term "highway") which was both muddy, graveled, and under construction for sections of 40 or 50 kilometres at a time.

We did stay a night at Red Goat Lodge on the beautiful Eddontennajon Lake, but it was raining and blowing and not quite the paradise of last time. Consider how long it takes to drive just a hundred miles at 25-30 miles an hour (and we have done a dozen of these) or even at an average of 50 to 55 mph (and we have done a dozen of these on the paved portions)and more.

Finally arriving yesterday in Smithers, B.C., one of my favorite communities up here, we staked claim to a nice spot in the municipal park and splurged on water, power, and sewer hook-ups for a couple of nights. Hot showers! Flush toilets! Well, it's still in our own camper but such luxuries. OK, so all of you shouild say a prayer of thanks for the basics you take for granted! We can tell you what it's llike doing without these things for over a month.

Today we are resting and strolling Smithers and catching up on e-mail, and planning on a lunch somewhere in a "real cafe" and buying some of the best landjaeger made anywhere to snack upon. In the morning we will head for Prince George, and probably will turn right so as to head toward Vancouver (the original Vancouver, that is). I've washed the van so we can identify it, and this afternoon I'll try to clean the Camper. I won't quite need a trowel, but some power washing before the brush and rag are in order. Without doubt, it will take a while to clean everything inside and restore/repair some of the effects of 1000 miles of washboard and rough gravel in a land where I learned flats cost $10 per patch, if you have a friend in town. (Elsewhere they add $10 to dismount the tire before doing the repair!)

FIY, Canadian exchange in the last bank we used was down to $1.02 Canadian to a single US dollar. The rate no longer favors the US traveler. And credit card companies are charging 5% on card purchases (per each) on this side of the border. No one told me that last May!

You know, we haven't seen Bamff and Jasper since 2004. Hmmmm.

After a dozen days in Eagle and a couple along the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City, Yukon Territory, we are now in Whitehorse, YT, southbound toward home... maybe... We have been heavily dusted on the northern roads and just spent three hours trying to de-dust the interior of the van. Gradually we get it all clean of the ultra-super-microscopic-ancient-glacieral-stone-flour that seeps and creeps into every crevice (and orifice).

The Fourth of July in Eagle was awesome with parade and flag ceremonies, community picnics and potlucks and ball games and rifle shoots across the Yukon River, and more. (BTW - the open sights winner was shooting at a target 18" square at 380 yards on a gusty day and put all three shots in a 8" circle within a foot of the center of the target -- freehand and standing!!!)

I floated about nine miles of the Yukon River again, rambled through the woods on Carol's ATV like a true adventurer, and even Betty enjoyed the ATVs so much we may all have an item to put on everyone's Christmas list for her. It was hard to leave so many fine friends and such a wonderful, laid-back, interesting lifestyle, campground and all. Betty was able to sell all of the Historical Societies books and all of her own after that, so the total sales of "Jessie" may have been around 200 books. Working the courthoust and museums with the tourists from all over the world was a hoot. I could re-retire here, helping out and looking at the river and the fine forested surroundings. At least in summer, because winters at 40 below might not be as appealing, I guess.

We will go to Watson Lake and hang our sign, then take the Cassier Highway south to Smithers for a day or two. We may have more access here and there to internet that was possible in Eagle, but I'll wait to see whether that is a blessing or not. Beyond that we have no goals or deadlines.

THIS WEEK IN EAGLE, ALASKA

We are really having fun. Our camper is set up in the BLM Campground just over a mile from "downtown". We have running water like most of the rest of the area by "running to the wellhouse" and "running it home". It is quiet, beautiful, and feeling really home-like. We spend late morning and early afternoon at the historical society and the book signings have exhausted the supply of "Jessie" copies in town. (All of their 200 is gone, as is Betty's supply!)

Both of us have ridden ATVs and admired the local arts and crafts, we ate in the local cafe, and have been to a wedding, community potlucks, done all the tours through the seven state museums here, driven all around town and the area, been to the Potlatch given for Betty by the local Han Indian Community in thanks for her giving the early historical pictures to them, I've drifted the Yukon River by Canoe, we have held readings and parties/receptions, and photographed all the cabins, outhouses, and opthe scenic wonders of Eagle..... All in a single week. It is Awesome.

Working in the 1900 Wickershan Courthouse greeting tourists on the Holland American trips has been a blast.

We are well and happy and might head home in a day or two.

No telling when we can e-mail or blog again. Caio from Eagle.