The Dalton…..

by Jeff Gunn | Jun 2, 2019 | North America

As in, ‘Highway’ to those unfamiliar with the road and the main subject of our 2nd post. The very word ‘highway’ is a misnomer if ever there was one – 415 miles of potholed, washboarded, and frost heaved mud track would better describe it. Lois had suggested that we change the name of our blog to “OneHorrendous Road” in its honor !

But, alas, I am getting ahead of myself. Last I left off, we had arrived in Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon and, more sentimentally, where Lois was born and spent her very early years. Not a lot to see ( and our 3rd visit ) so more of a supply stop only. The next few days saw us camping at the always magnificent Kathleen Lake ( Kluane National Park ), still in the Yukon and just bordering Alaska, soaking up some great weather and enjoying a couple of hikes. We largely followed a fairly well worn path on through the aforementioned Alaska Highway but diverting south from Tok down the Tok Cutoff to Gakona, before turning north up the Richardson Highway to Paxson at the eastern end of the famous Denali Highway. A seasonal road only, we’d missed it on our last trip up so made sure we took it in this time. Camping there overnight, we saw plenty of wildlife, stunning vistas of the Alaska Range and, nearing the western end of this 135 mile gravel track, peek a boo views of Denali itself.

Denali National Park was the main attraction – we had hoped to see a grizzly bear this time and while it was distant, with binoculars we managed to get as clear a view of a grizzly bear in the wild as we had ever seen. Not the kind of thing you want to be much closer to ! A large female moose with 2 newborn calves was another highlight.

Heading north again we got to Fairbanks and used it to resupply ourselves for the next 3-4 days on The Dalton. Reaching Deadhorse ( or Prudhoe Bay ) would put us as far north as it is possible to drive in North America and at the very northern end of the famous Pan American Highway. Save for a short shipping detour around the impassable Darien Gap in Panama, it is possible ( and we plan ) to ultimately drive all the way to Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, at the very southern  tip of Argentina. 

The weather was on our side as we set off ( always a bit dodgy this time of year, but hey, travelling now you avoid the brutal mosquitos that will be out in force in 2-3 weeks ) and made Coldfoot our first stop. More or less half way up ‘the track’, and a dusty, muddy camp more than a town, it famously got its name during the gold rush era when some of the prospectors got ‘cold feet’ on the long trek north and turned for home at this point. It was here that we met Cristiano and Maria, a Brazilian couple ( along with their teenage daughter ) travelling the Pan American highway in a camper, coming ( obviously ) from south to north. Our paths crossed often in the next few days as we followed the same ( only ! ) route north ( enjoyed some photo ops at the Deadhorse Store ) and back to Fairbanks again. The route is truly remote, and the scenery stunning – wildlife was not as plentiful as the last trip up in 2011 but we managed to see moose, black foxes, caribou and the amazing musk oxen ( see pics ). Sadly, the road is now much more travelled ( likely in part to the fame it received often being the subject of the ‘Ice Road Truckers’ series ) and is in much worse shape as a result. Horrendous frost heaves, ruts, washboarding and giant potholes were just a few of the hazards – that said, we managed to complete it up and back with neither a flat tire or a cracked windshield – two of the most common souvenirs one takes away from the Dalton Highway ( I claimed it it as the result of my fine driving, Lois attributed it to her repeated advice to ‘Just slow down, Jeff’ ! ).

Last post, I mentioned a fellow we met at Liard Hot Springs who had hitchhiked with his dog all the way across Canada. We thought that was a long ‘hitch’. While driving the Dalton we twice passed a young man – incredibly – WALKING the route. We had wondered how long that might take and speculated on the challenges of weather and other obvious dangers. Back in Fairbanks, as luck would have it, we bumped into our Brazilian friends who asked if we had seen ‘Mateus’ walking the route. Indeed we had, and had speculated on what a long walk it was. In fact, for Mateus, the Dalton was just the beginning – his ultimate goal ( and he had a 2 year timeframe ) was the very same as ours – Ushuaia, Argentina ……only he was doing it on foot !

One week in….

by Jeff Gunn | May 24, 2019 | North America

Week one saw some long stretches of driving as we headed to the more interesting attractions in the far north. Our route took us initially via the Yellowhead Hwy with stops in Valemount, then Grand Cache, Fort Nelson, Liard Hot Springs and on to Whitehorse which completed our week. Read on for more details.

Not that southern BC lacks attractions but we’d simply seen most before. Intermittent rain and low cloud marked the first two days often restricting visibility and making planned detours around scenic Jasper somewhat pointless. Changing up the obvious route north via Kamloops, we had taken  the Forest Service Road between Salmon Arm and Barriere which introduced us to the beauty of Adams Lake ( of the famed ‘salmon run’ )- the price paid was a filthy truck as the gravel road somewhat predictably turned to mud in the prevailing weather. I was keen to test the vehicle in these conditions and it handled the road admirably…!

Shortly after leaving Jasper the wildlife got more interesting with significant herds of mountain sheep by the road – and one lonely moose ! Surprisingly little other wildlife to be seen. Turning north out of Jasper, Alberta’s Highway 40 proved rather flat and dull and the only reason we chose it was that it was one of the alternate routes north we had not travelled before – at least the weather was improving. In advance of hitting the more remote ( and consequently expensive ) communities of northern B.C. and the Yukon, Costco in Grand Prairie was a great supply stop…..endless food choices and Alberta’s famed cheap gas and cheap booze ! We loaded up.

Rather uneventful driving through Dawson Creek ( starting point – or ‘Mile Zero’ of the Alaska Highway ) and Fort St John but the scenery improved noticeably as we neared Fort Nelson – signs warning of wildlife on the road proved bang on and much excitement accompanied our first black bear sighting. Hours later we had stopped counting as we had seen so many -deer were also in abundance. Camped in Fort Nelson for the night and we met ‘Rick’,  a true ‘Sourdough’  ( one born in the Yukon ) who, along with his wife, was returning to Whitehorse from an annual 6 month ‘snowbird’ trip to Yuma, Arizona. We reckoned it had to be one of the longest snowbird runs of all. Rick kindly helped with some invaluable Yukon highway tips when I asked questions about our proposed route. ‘Take plenty of spare tires on the Dempster ( Highway )’ he said, and seemed relieved when I told him we had two. ‘You’ll need them both’ he predicted. Hopefully not, I thought. In a curious kind of way I had hoped we might need the extra spare. Not that I like changing tires any more than the next guy but fitting in this extra spare ‘in case’ really used up a lot of precious space in what used to be the back seat of the truck, adding considerable weight and some irritating squeaks to the vehicle as it bounced around on rougher roads.. Somehow actually using it would vindicate the decision to take it along I thought. Time will tell !

Stunning views views from Summit Lake Pass were an early highlight on the road from Fort Nelson to Liard Hot Springs but more was  in store – caribou, more bears, mountain sheep and other wildlife were seen often as we drove on through some of northern B.C’s most stunning scenery especially in the area around Muncho Lake. Note to self – next time in the area reserve a campsite at Strawberry Flats campground on Muncho Lake ( we picnicked there and found it one of the prettiest settings in any camp ground or rest area we had seen). Two weeks from now and it would certainly be packed with campers.

On a previous trip to Alaska we’d stumbled across Liard Hot Springs and vowed to revisit if we ever had the chance. With no hard schedule we stayed a couple of days this time and, apart from some irritating smoke in the air from an Alberta wildfire, found it as relaxing and beautiful as ever. Licence plates are a great guide to how famous a place is and a quick perusal of other campers’ vehicles showed plates from as far afield as Florida, Ontario and Georgia. A great place, ‘off the grid’, and a welcome respite from miles and miles of endless highway driving. Well, not everyone was driving. Standing out front of the campground was a young man with his backpack and dog,  waiting to ‘hitch’ a ride west to Dawson City. Unsuccessful the previous day he had slept overnight by the road side and was forlornly waiting for that rare driver that picks up a hitchhiker – certainly an adult male. I approached and asked where he had come from and where he was going. Montreal to the former and Dawson City ( home ) to the latter, he answered. I suggested that hitching with a a dog could not be increasing his odds of a ride. Indeed not, he replied……..but it kept the bears away ! Of course. 

Well and truly rested after a couple of days at Liard we followed the Alaska Highway westward as it zig zagged between BC and the Yukon, crossing the Continental Divide and several markers of note attesting to various aspects of the construction of the famed road – built in just 9 months between 1942 and 1943 as a supply road to Alaska in response to fears of a Japanese invasion in the north. it never came, thankfully, but the road was a catalyst for much of the subsequent development of this formerly remote region.

We managed to make Whitehorse at the end of the first week, which was about where we thought we’d be. One of the joys of travelling just ahead of the busy school holiday season is that the roads see far less traffic and campsites are invariably available on a drop in basis. No problems getting accommodation and some of the nicest sites we have encountered anywhere ! A month from now and that won’t be the case ! Lots of shopping to get caught up on ( big towns are sparse up north so one saves one’s ‘to do list’ for when you pass through ). On a nostalgic note, we visited the house Lois spent her early years in, having been born right here in Whitehorse.