Following a restful 6 week hiatus back in Kelowna that was definitely the feeling as we set out Tuesday this week to continue our journey.
So, what took almost 6 weeks you might ask…? Well, there was quite a lot to be done and frankly a good part of it was just some very enjoyable relaxing ‘family and friends’ time since the next segment, as planned, would have us away much longer. Heading out on a more or less indefinite trip requires a great deal of logistical planning and preparation and that consumed much of out time – vaccinations, some over a series of weeks, putting financial and legal matters in place for an extended absence, examining health insurance decisions for an extended trip, making certain camper modifications, and generally just attending to a host of other household minutiae.
All cleaned up and ready to go !
A farewell present from our 5 year old neighbours, Gavin and Leo !
First port of call after leaving Kelowna was to stop in and catch up with long time friends Deb and Garth in Chilliwack, an easy 3 hour drive west and directly on our planned route. Had a delightful evening there before heading to Abbotsford where we were fortunate to catch up briefly for a Starbucks coffee with old friends Ed and Mae who had recently moved there from Kelowna. From Abbotsford we crossed into the US – not the easiest of crossings as the wait time was long and the questioning fairly intense; possibly the destination and duration of the intended trip played a part – I just don’t think the border guy could really wrap his head around why anyone would want to do what we had planned !
Deb and Garth in ChilliwackCoffee with Ed and Mae at Starbucks
Having had 5 weeks on the road up north we learned a lot about the truck and camper and it’s “liveability”. We had always planned to use that experience to make necessary modifications, fix any obvious flaws and correct some initial notions of what we really needed to bring along – as with any trip, we took things we didn’t need and forgot some things we should have taken. Ditching the heavy and bulky 2nd spare tire that had been stored inside the truck ( in anticipation of multiple possible Dalton/Dempster punctures ) freed up an amazing amount of space much to our delight. It was quickly filled with other stuff. We also fashioned a few modifications to the camper that we had either seen others use or that we felt would be helpful on the road – better storage for dishes and pots in what for us is a very confined space; an external BBQ / cooking shelf ( useful when camping without a table ); additional tie down points in the truck for securing bulky items; an “in a pinch” internal shower for periods of extended remote camping; and, finally, mounting points for our awning ( on both sides of the camper ) that would enable us to carry the awning inside the truck when travelling and place it outside when camped moving it easily from side to side as the sun moved. It should be hot in the Baja and the awning was something we definitely missed up north. Thanks again to Andy and Jason who helped with all that !
Removable cooking shelfOur logo and website – added to the camperAwning mounts – amazing what you can do with UHMW ! Thanks to Ian’s creativity at Industrial Paints and Plastics in Kelowna it all came togetherAwning now slides on and off – on either side of the camper
Destination on day two was Seattle and our final ‘friend’ stop. After our visit there with Gary and Mayumi we do not have a single contact between Canada and Argentina so it was wonderful to enjoy an afternoon and evening with these two old friends from our life in Japan back in the mid ‘80’s. While we’d remained in contact over the years we had not seen each other since 1990, over 29 years ago ! Wonderful hosts, and Mayumi, the dinner was delicious. Thank you !
Mayumi, Lois and Gary at their home in Woodinville, near Seattle, Washington
We’d travelled many times to Seattle in the past but it had been a while and we’d forgotten how congested it was – travelling during rush hour as we left our hosts did not help of course. The “I5” took us south through Tacoma, and Olympia before turning west to the 101 – it would be that road which would essentially take us all the way down the three western US states generally hugging the coast all the way to the Mexican border, of course with a few planned detours along the way. Stopped to camp for the night at a quaint county state park in southern Washington where we enjoyed the company of some overlander bikers from Chile. Matias and Paulina ( www.elrovano.com ) had ridden a BMW 800 from Santiago, Chile ( where we are headed ) all the way to the USA and were en route to Alaska ( where we had just been ) – we shared some great tips about our respective journeys over a few glasses of wine and bid them “hasta luego” as they rode off in the morning.
Drinks with Matias and Paulina from Chile Our Chilean friends heading off north
The morning saw us, too, heading out of Washington and ready to tackle the famously beautiful Oregon coast. More details of that on our next post…….
After 11,233 kms travelled ( distances are huge up north ! ) and a full month on the road, the week closed out with an eagerly anticipated pit stop in Kelowna where we planned to spend a small part of our beautiful Okanagan summer with family and friends before continuing on south .
Odometer reading on the day we returned
From Beaumont Lake, Highway 16 took us across to Prince George where we stopped briefly to visit some old work colleagues. In a former role Prince George was in my ‘territory’ so I knew it quite well. By far the largest city in BC’s north, it seemed to have grown even more since our last visit in 2011 and ( like Whitehorse in the Yukon ) appeared very vibrant. This stood in stark contrast to a lot of the smaller communities we passed through on the Alaska Highway on our way north ( in both B.C. and Alaska ) many of which were ( sadly ) in very obvious states of economic decline with quite a number of businesses closed altogether.
Heading south from ‘PG’ ( as Prince George is more commonly known ), Highway 97 would ultimately take us all the way to Kelowna. Our first attempt at camping for the night was at 100 Mile House Municipal campground. This appeared to be more a campground for the otherwise local homeless than for genuine tourists. Since our arrival was met by some pretty sketchy stares we decided to move on. Next stop was the scenically beautiful Lake La Hache Provincial Park campground where it was puzzling to see a lot of folks leaving the campground at around 4 pm ( normally ‘arrival’ time ). A big place, it was also eerily empty. One needed only to open the truck door to discover why – infested with mosquitos ! Two nearby bikers were packing their tent up so we figured this might not be our best option either. Onwards it was.
These kinds of things do happen from time to time and are the reason most folks will tell you to find your camp spot by mid afternoon ( which we generally did ) – always time for a ‘Plan B’ then. Fortunately the drive on south was easy and in less than an hour we were in Clinton and comfortably settled at the Gold Trail RV Park – famous for its on-site restaurant. We took the night off from cooking and enjoyed a nice meal and the company of some interesting fellow travellers….and no mosquitoes.
Kept bumping into an Alaskan couple driving this 1931 Model A Ford truck, parked here at the Clinton RV campground we stayed at. They travelled slowly……..
Finding a great coffee shop in small towns is rare and the holy grail of good coffee AND fresh baked goods almost non existent. While Clinton did not serve that up the next morning, nor Cache Creek, a short drive through the streets of Ashcroft, not far to the south, brought us to the delightful Ashcroft Bakery and Coffee Shop. Definitely a stop worth making if you travel through – obviously a local favourite, rated a 4.8 out of 5 on Facebook and I can see why. Just one of those little gems you sometimes stumble upon ( and the best scones – ever ! ).
Enjoying a morning ‘wake up’ – best coffee and scones at Ashcroft bakery, but best hot chocolate at Bugwood Bean ( Smithers ), seen above
Climbing out of Ashcroft took us past the massive Highland Valley copper mine, through the town of Logan Lake and on to Merritt where we were happy to take full advantage of an all out local ‘gas war’ that was raging. Filling up ( 140 litres ) at 113.9 was a considerable saving when we had just passed Prince George ( normally home of BC’s cheapest gas ) and seen it at 135.9 everywhere. Having paid as much as 1.70 in the Arctic, a Merritt fill up was noticeably ( and happily ) lighter on the wallet than we had become accustomed to !
Just a 90 minute drive from Merritt and we found ourselves coming around that sweeping bend on the Coqhihalla Highway where one gets that first, magnificent view of Okanagan Lake. It never disappoints and on a beautiful, sunny, 30 degree day it’s at its best. You know you are home when ! The lake, and entry to Kelowna itself was as beautiful as ever. Where had a month gone ?
For the next month or so we will be regrouping, catching up with friends and family, getting our personal affairs in order and taking our learnings from the month up north to make necessary modifications to our vehicle and camper to ensure maximum comfort and functionality for the trip south to come. With hindsight, we both agreed that splitting the trip up this way had been a wise move. We learned a ton about what works ( and what doesn’t – or probably won’t ! ) for what is ultimately planned to be an extended overland trip through many countries. We now have time to make changes, dump what we won’t use and add what we know we will.
We’ll pause on any further posts for a few weeks and provide our next update just before we set off, likely later in July. Meanwhile we plan to enjoy the rest of what is shaping up to be a wonderful Okanagan summer ! Stay tuned ……..
Last post we had reached the end of our journey north, over 7,500 kms of driving ( indirectly ) from Kelowna, BC, and camped for the night in the tiny Arctic hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk. While we were happy not to have gotten any ‘road rash’ souvenirs from the Dempster, one souvenir we did want, but could not find, was a ‘Tuk U’ t-shirt. Short for the fictitious Tuktoyaktuk University, I’d heard of them, but alas could not locate anyone in Tuk who would sell me one or who even knew of their existence. We would try later in Inuvik.
Crossing the Mackenzie River on our returnMy first ‘drone shot’, 200 feet above the Dempster Highway, north of Tombstone Park
Like anywhere, heading ‘back’ never holds quite the same appeal as arriving at a destination but we made great use of the time spent retracing our steps ( at least as far as the Klondike highway, at which point we would explore some new territory). As always, we bumped into many of the same folks at campgrounds on the way back as we did on the way up, so renewed those acquaintances and compared experiences- these usually related to road conditions and wildlife sightings, or particularly appealing territorial park walking trails. By unanimous agreement, Tombstone Territorial Park ( at the bottom of the Dempster ) was the standout highlight….definitely a park not to be missed for any that come this way !
Preparing for a hike at Tombstone
Off the Dempster ( and another self congratulatory high five for completing both the American and Canadian Arctic highways with no vehicle damage ), the Klondike Highway took us south to Carmacks and on to Whitehorse. Notable really for a lack of vehicle traffic more than anything else ( but more wildlife sightings as a result – 5 bears in all ), the Klondike highway was our first paved road after almost 2,000 kms of dust and gravel. While 2,000kms of gravel is tough in a truck and camper, spare a thought for those doing it on a bicycle – and yes, like the Dalton, we passed a few hardy cyclists while on the Dempster. Most notable was ‘Kamran’ , a fellow from Pakistan who had cycled all the way from Ushuaia at the bottom of Patagonia in Argentina ( our own longer term destination ) and, after almost 3 years in the saddle, was about 10 cycling days away from his destination in Tuk. Read his blog ( www.kamranonbike.com )…..fascinating chap ! Speaking of the interesting folks you meet in places like this, while overnighting in Carmacks we met a few young German lads who were ‘canoeing’ the Yukon river – we caught up with them on the stretch between Whitehorse and Dawson City. Cycling the Pan American highway, canoeing the mighty Yukon – we suddenly felt like relative lightweights doing our thing in the relative comfort of a truck camper !
“Kamran” from Pakistan – cycled from the bottom or Argentina to Tuktoyaktuk !Camping by the creek at Tombstone – choice camp site !Brown bear up close on the Klondike Highway near Carmacks
Soldiering on south took us back through Whitehorse where we replenished our supplies, serviced the truck, topped up the propane tank and rotated the tires ( the combination of 1600kms of Dalton gravel and 1800kms of Dempster gravel had really chewed up our rear tires, while the fronts were in relatively good shape ). Lois had a distant cousin living in Whitehorse who had just given birth to her second child so we celebrated that while there – ironically the baby was born in the very same hospital as Lois – so it was nice to catch up and take advantage of the timing.
We stopped at Marsh Lake, outside Whitehorse, where Lois’ family once owned a cabin. A group of school kids were playing at the time ( but no one was swimming – check the clothing ! )
This week just must have been the week for meeting particularly interesting people – as we checked in to the campsite in Whitehorse we were parked behind a smallish Ford RV with an Aussie flag and map of North and South America adorning its back wall. Recognizing them as likely overlanders, I chatted as we checked in and found they were two Aussies, Roland and Arun, originally from Goa, in India, who had also ( like our Pakistani friend earlier in the week ) travelled overland from Ushuaia at the bottom of Patagonia and were heading for Tuk ( read about them at www.freespiritcoelhos.wordpress.com ). The typical travel tips were shared and best wishes exchanged before we headed off in opposite directions the next day.
The Coelho’s from Australia just finishing their Pan American journey in this RV – no 4×4 !
Whitehorse had typically not delivered us good weather and apart from some sunshine as we drove in, this stop ( our third there ) was no exception. The drizzle that we experienced throughout our stay continued as we headed east towards Boya Lake Provincial Park in B.C. The long drive was uneventful apart from the many bear sightings, this time including 4 browns – rarer than the blacks it seems ( one of the sightings included a brown and a black bear seemingly playing together, something we had never seen before ). I can only say that Boya Lake lived up to its reputation – known as one of B.C.’s most beautiful provincial parks, we had to agree. Probably the prettiest park we had ever visited, a fact enhanced by the wonderful camping neighbors we met there, including Janet, the Ontario mum (doing it all solo) who we had crossed paths with at campgrounds in Eagle Plains ( both times ), Inuvik, and Tombstone ( and with whom we would cross paths with yet one more time). None of these encounters planned I should add !
One of many black bears munching on plants by the road outside Whitehorse – we got quite close
Boya Lake is at the very top of the Cassiar Highway, a route we had not taken on our previous trip north due to forest fires there at the time. We were very much looking forward to our trip on the 875 km long Route 37 that would take us south through Boya Lake, Dease Lake , Meziadin Lake ( our next camping stop – almost as stunning as Boya Lake – and final rendezvous with Janet ) and on to the intersection with the Yellowhead Highway ( Route 16 ). It did not disappoint – in places, far more stunning scenically than the better travelled and more populated Alaska Highway that brought us north. The Cassiar going south, like the Alaska Highway we had taken north, delivered a comparable abundance of wildlife but perhaps the generally better quality of the road itself ( or the fact we were seeing it for the first time) made it our preferred choice – in any case, both great road road trips !
Boya Lake Provincial Park CampgroundJeff at Boya Lake
Starting at Boya Lake and continuing south we began to notice three significant differences from the trip up. Firstly, mosquitoes were starting to become a problem – to the extent it was actually difficult to get in and out of the truck and camper without at least a few sneaking in. We were very thankful to have started the trip in mid May as they become wicked up north by mid June ( and we had encountered very few in our time there ). Secondly, it was becoming noticeably darker at night making sleeping much easier ( north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska and the Yukon there was no darkness at all and it made sleeping a challenge). Our week closed out at yet another beautiful campground – Beaumont Provincial Park campground right on Fraser Lake, just west of Prince George. Dipping our feet in the lake we noticed the third difference; it was ‘Okanagan-like’ in its warmth, a sure sign we were not far from home !
Meziadin Lake Provincial CampgroundTypical Cassiar Highway scenery – sadly it rained much of that day
I’ll close this post on a more unusual note. We’ve seen many monster RV’s and often marvelled at how much ‘stuff’ and how many ‘toys’ some folks travelled with; RV’s pulling boats, Jeeps, quads, small cars, some carrying motorcycles and the like. Not unusual at all. But, just outside Meziadin Junction, while taking a break at a rest stop, this pulled up beside us……look closely – yes, an RV ( from California )………… pulling its own helicopter no less !
Fresh from almost 1340 kms up and back the Dalton Highway in Alaska ( described in Post 2 ), it was time to rest up and recharge in Fairbanks. After a few fairly exhausting days on long, dusty, potholed roads the comforts of Fairbanks were a welcome relief – hot showers, laundry facilities, a great selection of food and drinks, and a Japanese restaurant were all enjoyed before heading east and ultimately back into Canada.
The ’shortcut’ back to the north Yukon took us over the scenic ’Top of the World” highway via the quaint community of Chicken – last stop in Alaska before crossing the US/Canada border . The highway got its name due to the unusual nature of the road – unlike most roads through mountains which follow the valley floors, this road ( for the most part ) hugs the high ridges giving it a ‘top of the world’ feel. Chicken is an old gold mining centre ( still actively mined ) with only basic facilities but what must be one of the coolest bars in all Alaska – local legend has it that the town gots its name when town founders could not agree on the spelling of ‘Ptarmigan’, the name originally proposed !
Town of ChickenBar in Chicken
Chicken’s 3 stores
Dawson City, Yukon, home of the 1898 goldrush, never disappoints and probably has one of the best visitor centres we have come across – that and a visitor centre for the North West Territories ( across the street ) where we stocked up on tips about our planned run up to Tuktoyaktuk on the Dempster Highway in the days to come. The mandatory warnings ensued……drive slowly, watch for wildlife, take extra tires, extra fuel and be prepared for long distances between services – hey, that’s what make it such an adventure ! Jokes aside we were very much looking forward to the Dempster Highway and knew much of what had been explained to us in Dawson ( the jumping off point for the trip ).
Historic buildings in Dawson City and the impact of building on permafrostGoldrush era paddlewheeler in Dawson City
In the past days we had started bumping into other travellers at campsites with the same route in mind – getting to the Arctic now that Canada finally had an all season regular road to travel on. Seems that remote, hard to get to places, will always attract a diverse assortment of visitors – we’d already met 3 young Dutch travellers sharing ( and sleeping in ) in a mini van, a retired single lady from Ontario, a couple of Americans on motorcycles, several Swiss and Germans in true ‘overland’ vehicles shipped to Canada for the adventure and more Kiwi’s in rented truck campers than we have ever met in one place ! These would all become friends in the coming days as we traversed an almost identical route north – on 900kms of very dusty, rough, unforgiving gravel road.
Out of Dawson and on the Dempster our first stop was to be the very famous Tombstone Territorial Park – alas, the weather was not in our favour so rather than linger we pushed on to Eagle Plains pushing the Tombstone stop out to the return journey ( it proved to be a good call since folks we would later meet were to wait 3 days for the weather in Tombstone to change ). ‘Fair’ would best describe the road conditions – lots of loose gravel, and in some places severe washboarding reminiscent of the Dalton just a week before. Nothing like a trip up the Dempster to remind one just how big ( and beautiful ) this country is with every few miles bringing something different. One surprise – and we could not help but compare the road to the Dalton ( as everyone did ) – was the relative lack of bigger wildlife; no moose all the way up and just a black bear and two cubs and a fox on day two, yet it made the scenery no less stunning.
Jumping off point for the Dempster Highway, just outside Dawson City
Campground at Eagle Plains
Crossing the Arctic Circle just north of Eagle Plains, Yukon Crossing the Peel River Typical tundra scenery Black bear near Eagle PlainsFox with fresh kill
Day two took us all the way to “Tuk”, crossing the Arctic Circle, the Continental Divide, Yukon/NWT border ( gaining an hour and an appreciation for their markedly better roads ! ) then passing through both Fort McPherson and Inuvik. Doing so involved crossing the Peel and Mackenzie rivers on seasonal ferry’s which had only started operating a few days earlier – one can’t arrive here before June 1st or it’s a long boring wait at the Eagle Plains campground ( a trap many fall into every year we are told ). Finally, at around 7pm on Wednesday, June 5th, and after over 7,500kms ( 4,000 direct, the rest due to our detour via Alaska ) we pulled into the “Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk” right on the shores of the Arctic. We’d made it – no flats, no broken windshields ( and praying we could duplicate that feat on the way back ). That all said there is really not much in “Tuk” – a very small community and still getting used to the fact that they are now ‘connected’ by road to the rest of Canada ( the all season road was completed only in November 2017 ). The tourism infrastructure, while very limited, is not stopping a throng of adventurous types from making the pilgrimage north – it remains to be seen how this tiny community will cope with their sudden fame. Like all before us we made the requisite photo ops at the ‘Welcome to Tuktoyaktuk’ sign and the Arctic Ocean signs on the waterfront, dipping our feet in the cold Arctic for good measure. Today, as far from Kelowna as we would get and as far north in Canada as it is possible to drive – tomorrow would begin the long journey back.
Long stretch in the NWTPingoes outside TukArriving in ‘Tuk’ -7pm and broad daylight. It remained the same at midnight making it difficult to sleepRight to the top !Lois ‘dipping’ in the Arctic OceanTuk hamlet Heading back south !
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 !
Dalton Highway near Antigun Pass
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.
Kathleen Lake, Kluane National ParkProving you CAN be in two places at once – Lois with a foot in BC and one in Alaska !A long stretch of the Denali Highway
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.
Crossing the Arctic Circle
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’ ! ).
The Ram truck was from Hawaii – the owner shipped it over to ‘Do the Dalton’Hawaiian plates – really !Caribou on a lonely stretch of the DaltonMusk OxenWe made it – Deadhorse, end of the Dalton Highway !Filling up in Deadhorse, for the return trip with our Brazilian friends behind usNo ‘scenery’ in Deadhorse itself – just oil service equipment everywhereAntigun Pass, Brooks Range on the return‘Dalton mud’Moose near Marion Creek, Dalton HighwayThe Dalton – one long, endless road……..!
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 !
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.
First night camping in Valemont, BC
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.
Liard Hot Springs
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.
We are Lois and Jeff, of Kelowna, BC, Canada. Recently retired with a serious overlanding travel bug, we hit the road in our truck camper in May 2019, initially tackling the Pan American highway. The PanAm completed in April 2022, and truck camper sold, we plan to continue exploring again later in 2022 in our Sprinter 4×4!
