Day 72: Memaloose State Park

It was a quiet day of relaxation, rest, and catching up on odds-and-ends.  The day started out cool enough for a long walk with Ranger, and while it got up into the upper 80’s, it was not nearly as oppressive as the day before.  I organized and labelled photos from the trip, washed hair and washed dog, and read in the shade.  We looked over the route for the coming days.

Considering that there are really no activities available here, the park has been surprisingly busy, especially with tenters.  I guess with this being so close to the holiday, people are squeezing in a little more vacation.  The park does, understandably, seem to attract an older crowd, with far fewer kids running and biking around.

That’s about it.  Tomorrow will be a long day of driving. We’ll be spending Labor Day weekend in the southeast corner of Washington state, close to the Idaho border, and I’m guessing we will not have either cell service or internet, so it may not be until next week that I can post any more news of the trip.  

Day 71: Milo McIver to Memaloose State Park

The day was hot, hot, hot!

The drive began as one of those where we just trusted the GPS to get us where we wanted to go.  I knew we needed to end up on Interstate 84, heading east, but the route it gave took us through back roads, past Christmas tree farms, blueberry patches, and what appeared to be bedroom communities for Portland.  We did eventually get to I-84 and drove through some beautiful areas of the Columbia River Gorge.  The river was wide and blue, with mountains on either side, lots of greenery, and some weird rock formations.

As we traveled east, the land leveled out a bit, still hilly but not as rough, and it began to look drier and more like “The West”.  We arrived at our reserved site at Memaloose State Park in early afternoon, and getting out of the RV, the heat hit us.

Memaloose is a strange little park, located on the Columbia River between Hood River and The Dalles.  We ended up here for two nights largely because sites at other state parks were impossible to find, and it looked nice, right on the river.  Well, it’s not really on the river; there is no river access due to a railroad track that runs between park land and the water.  To reach the park, we had to pass it, go to the next exit, backtrack on I-84 west, get off at the rest area, and the park road began at one end of the rest area.  The entry took us downhill toward the river, into a grove of trees which provided some shade (thank Goodness!).

Memaloose’s claim to fame is its location along the Oregon Trail.  The name refers to the island in the river, just offshore, where Native Americans buried their chiefs.  So the story goes.

The park is wedged between the highway and the railroad track, so depending on where one’s campsite is, you hear either highway noise or train noise.  Our site happens to be one along the highway which is very close by but above us, due to the slope of the land.  So, yes, we do hear trucks and cars pretty much constantly.  There are no hiking trails, but it’s too hot to hike. There’s no swimming or boating or fishing.  I guess it’s a place to simply relax.

And it’s hot.  Did I already mention that?  The campground host said that the previous day, the temperature had gotten to 102.  High today:  96.  Hot.  Dry.  However, there was a good breeze, so we stretched out in our recliners in the shade, drank many cold drinks, and read. 

When it was still 86 degrees in the RV after dark, we gave in and started up the air-conditioning.  AHHH!  Lovely!  Sure glad we are not in a tent!

Day 70: Milo McIver State Park

Having two nights reserved at this park, we had a full day to explore.  We set out hiking at about 11 am, heading for the other side of the park.  The park is in two sections: ours has the campground, fish hatchery, lake, and trails, while the other side (Riverbend) has picnic grounds and a disc golf course. 

The two sides are divided by a large hill, so the first part of our hike, about 1 ¼ miles, was uphill.  At the top, there is a large dog area and a memorial to Milo McIver.  From there it’s all downhill (mostly on hiking trails on the way out) to the other section, until one is on a path that runs along the Clackamas River  at the bottom of the hill.  At the top, one gets a good view of both the river and of Mount Hood, the highest peak in Oregon.

The day was very hot, so by the time we had gotten to the boat launch at the far end of the park, Ranger was happy to get into the river.  The trek back up the hill was agonizing, but fortunately the last part was all downhill.  We were more than ready for a cold bottle of water when we arrived back at the RV after around six or seven miles of hiking. 

All three of us collapsed for the rest of the afternoon, two of us enjoying showers to get some of the sweat off.  It’s now around 7:30 and the temperature has dropped to 80, so at least it should cool off enough to sleep well tonight.  

Day 69: Montesano WA to Estacada OR

Today's drive was a relatively short one, only about 150 miles, so we slept in a bit, took the dog for a walk, and then left Lake Sylvia State Park, traveling east on Route 12 to connect with I-5.

About 90 miles south on the interstate and we were in the Portland OR area.  We are now at a state park southeast of the city, Milo McIver State Park.

We arrived early enough in the afternoon to allow some exploring before dinner.  This is a fairly large park along the Clackamas River.  It is full of hiking and equestrian paths, and we followed one to the boat launch at Estacada Lake, formed by a large dam.  People were fishing, swimming, and kayaking on what seemed to us (after the past months) a very hot afternoon.

Below the dam, we followed paths along the river to the Clackamas Fish Hatchery, where we saw a pool of thousands of little salmon and tanks of larger ones.  A trail looped back to the campground from there.

The campsite is quite nice, and the campground is FULL of families---lots of kids on bikes and scooters.  As mentioned, it was a very hot afternoon, so I'm back to shorts and t-shirt.  

A fairly low-key day, but  pleasant.  We are here for two nights, so we'll have time to walk the trails more tomorrow.  

Day 68: Port Angeles to Montesano, WA

It’s hard to imagine a better day than today.

We left our campsite at Salt Creek early and traveled along Highway 101 in a counterclockwise direction.  Rte 101 goes around the perimeter of Olympic National Park, with side roads leading into the park, but none connecting in the middle.  We rode along Crescent Lake---huge lake, with a windy, narrow road following its shore, and then on to Forks, WA, setting for the Twilight books. 

Then we took the 18-mile long park road into the visitors’ center at Hoh Rain Forest.  What a fabulous place!  It is, indeed, a rain forest, with extremely tall trees, thigh-high ferns, and lots of lush undergrowth.  There were all sorts of epiphytes (like Spanish moss in Florida) on the trees, adding to the green.  The trees were very thick, creating a dark area underneath, with shafts of sunlight occasionally peeking through.  We took two short hikes, totally about two miles, and then rescued Ranger from the RV. (Dogs are not permitted on hiking trails in national parks.)  We had a nice lunch in the picnic area and then proceeded on our way.

Hoh Rain Forest definitely makes my “Top Three” for places we have visited on this trip!

Continuing on Hwy 101, we rode alongside the Pacific Ocean for about ten miles or so, gray and foggy on this particular day, but still lots of people  (and dogs) walking along the beach.  We went through Aberdeen, where we picked up US Route 112 for about ten miles, ending up in Montesano, WA.

We are staying at a small state park, Lake Sylvia.  The campground is small and for the most part full, with lots of families in tents.  There’s lots of activity around us: kayaking, fishing, swimming, and just playing.  It’s a pleasant place to stay for one night, as we head south toward Oregon.

Day 67: Along the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington

We had a relaxing Saturday at Salt Creek.   After a late breakfast, we hiked part of the trail up to Striped Peak, a trail which went through the ferns, moss, and very tall cedars that are typical of western Washington.  Later in the day, we walked along the path that followed the cliffs, looking for shore birds.  The fog moved in during late afternoon, dropping the temperature, so the early campfire felt quite good. I had put beef and veggies in the crockpot, so we had an easy dinner and retreated to the warmth of the RV. 

We now have neighbors on either side of us: the couple who are going to be campground hosts are still to our left, while a couple from southern California moved in on the right.  The campground has been busy all day, with kids on their bikes, people mingling, and a large church group picnicking in the pavilion.  Deer seem to be quite tame, hanging out in the big field across the road.  There have been kids in the same field, racing their remote-control car, which seems to make Ranger crazy and wild.   Lots of stimulation for him at this park!  I hope he sleeps well tonight. 

Day 66: North Olympic Peninsula

The day began with uncertainty but ended well.

We knew we wanted to head up toward Olympic National Park, the northwest corner of Washington, but I had tried to find a site at a state park in that area and all the sites had been reserved. This being the last summer weekend before Labor Day, I guess many people were getting in one more mini-vacation.  I was sure, however, that we could find some place to stay.

I had assumed we would follow I-5 down through Seattle and Tacoma, then wind our way up Route 101 toward Port Angeles.  When we checked the GPS, however, it said it was only a bit over 100 miles to Port Angeles, with part of the route on a ferry.  Of course---we could cut straight across from east to west!  So we backtracked north on I-5, went over the bridge onto Whidby Island, and drove to the town of Coupeville where there is a ferry slip.

I had not planned on this route so I had not made reservations.  When we drove up, the ferry attendant, upon hearing that we did not have reservations, said “Uh-oh”.  She had us park to the side while cars and trucks loaded onto the 10:15 ferry.  There was not room for us on that one, but we did get on the 11:00 one.  While waiting, Ranger got a good walk along the beach and I had some breakfast.

The ferry crossing to Port Townsend might have provided some great views, but there was fog almost the whole way.  The town of Port Townsend looked worth exploring, but I was focused on getting to a local park near Port Angeles for which only half the sites could be reserved, figuring that if we arrived early afternoon on a Friday, we might get one of the non-reservable ones.

And indeed we did, though when we arrived around 1:30, there were only two (out of 92) available.  So for the next two nights we will be at Salt Creek Recreation Area, a Clallam County park.  The site is in an open grassy area with neighbors close by, but the field is terraced, we are at the top, and we are able to look out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca….which was covered in fog for most of the afternoon while it was sunny at our campsite.

The park is very nice.  Ranger and I explored a bit and found that there is a walking path all along the cliffs above the water, with metal steps leading down to the rocks below in several places.  Once down, you can walk along the rocks and look in the tide pools.  There are also several hiking trails to viewpoints which we will try out tomorrow.

Ranger is still a bit leery of the many foghorns he is hearing.  When the fog lifted some in late afternoon, we could see far out (though not clear enough to see the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island) and we watched  a cruise ship head past.  The signs along the cliff indicate that one can see seals and whales from here, so maybe we will spot them tomorrow. 

Our close-by neighbor, about 12 feet to our right, is here to take over as campground host after this weekend.  Dan talked to him for a long time and got some tips on Dutch oven cooking over a campfire.  Bill was trying out a new recipe for Mountain Dew chicken and he gave us a sample----delicious! 

We had a campfire and Dan cooked brats for dinner on it.  We headed in fairly early: once the sun went down, the temperature dropped.  

A few photos from our hiking at Whistler Mountain

Day 65: Back in the USA

We followed the Sea-to-Sky Highway, Rte. 99, south from Whistler, through Squamish, to Horseshoe Bay on the outskirts of Vancouver.  It was a beautiful ride, with soaring mountains, and starting at Squamish, views of the turquoise Howe Sound.  Kelly had warned that Vancouver was a tough city to drive through, and indeed, we missed a turn and ended up on a different route, just trusting the GPS to get us over the border.  We ended up on a Rte 15 which was not evident on the GPS (except by a street name) or on any map, but the signs kept saying “US Border” so we kept going.

Whatever border crossing we went through….never again!  The electronic boards indicated a 40-minute wait in line.  Our wait was well over an hour, and then we were sent over to a parking lot for further inspection.  We had to put Ranger in a dog kennel that looked like a concrete jail cell, then go into a building to fill out more forms, then sit on a bench while an inspector went through the RV, checking the refrigerator and storage areas for any items that would not be allowed in.  He ended up confiscating the tomatoes, lemon, orange, and peppers before we were allowed to proceed…after almost two hours.

On our way again, south on I-5 we stopped for the night north of Seattle at Wenberg County Park (previously Wenberg State Park) on the shores of a large lake (Lake Goodwin?).  The area is densely populated with lake cottages and homes all along the shore, with this tiny park saving a little piece of natural space.  It is actually a nice park and will be fine for one night’s stay.

We have no reservations for the coming weekend, and my online search for spaces in state parks found nothing available, so the next few days will be “an adventure”.  

Day 64: Ascending the Mountain at Whistler

What a perfect day----time spent with Kelly and Michael, beautiful scenery, and hiking, all in one!

After breakfast, the four of us went into town to catch the gondola up the mountain.  While the gondola and chair lifts are used during the winter for skiers to get up the mountain, in the summer they are used for hikers, mountain bikers, and sightseers.  At the first stop on the way up, there was a restaurant and area for viewing, and we hiked the Spearhead Walk, about ¾ of a mile with incredible scenery.

From there, we boarded an open chair lift to continue the trip up Whistler Mountain.  It was very cool (glad I had a fleece pullover plus warm vest), with some patches of snow at the top.  Again, we set off on a short hike, the Whistler Summit Interpretive Trail----and of course took lots of photos along the way, which I will not be able to post today but will put up later.

Back down the chair lift, returning to Roundhouse Lodge, we had a good lunch, then got on the Peak-to-Peak gondola.  It is what it sounds like: a ride between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, dangling from a wire WAY above the ground.  When we got off, we took one more short hike, the Alpine Walk, another mile with beautiful views. 

Then a final ride down the mountain, ending up in Upper Village, and a walk back to the car.

 Dan grilled dinner, and we relaxed and talked well into the evening.  I was sorry to see them leave, heading for their hotel, but I was exhausted from our busy day.  They will be in the Vancouver area for a few more days before flying back to Alabama, and we will leave tomorrow to re-enter the US.

Day 63: Whistler (continued)

What a nice day, visiting with Kelly and Michael!  They had flown to Vancouver for the wedding of a friend of Kelly, and they rented a car and drove up to Whistler, arriving around lunchtime.  We had a snack, then walked into town to tour a bit.  Coming back to the campground, we took the Lost Lake trail which made for a good walk.   A few beers, good conversation, and dinner that included fresh sweet corn that Kelly had picked up on the way up----altogether a most enjoyable time!

Day 62: Whistler

Ranger and I met a bear first thing in the morning.  We were about thirty minutes along in our walk, heading back to the RV on the major bike trail in the area, and coming around a curve, there he was.  A large black bear, just walking along the bike trail toward us.  We crossed to the far side of the frontage road and waited for him to pass.  I told Ranger, “Leave it!” and hoped that he would not bark or lunge at the bear.  For once, he obeyed, and sat next to me, just watching the bear go by.  I kept talking to Ranger, to let the bear know where we were and not surprise him.  Meanwhile, a jogger had come from the other direction and saw the bear from her side, and she too stopped. The bear ignored her as well, and just went on his way.  I was so focused on keeping Ranger quiet that it didn’t even occur to me to snap a picture; I did have my camera in my pocket.

After breakfast, we caught the campground’s shuttle into the town of Whistler.  On the map, it looked like a total maze---no grid pattern to these streets, but rather swirls and curves.   Getting off the shuttle near the gondola up the mountain, we picked up information about that option for the day, but it would have required some advance planning (for the dog and for appropriate clothing) so we figured we would do that tomorrow.  Meanwhile, we strolled through the pedestrian mall of the town.

There are dozens of big, fancy hotels, and I’m guessing that they all fill during the ski season.  In summer, the town was still very busy, but mostly with young people who are into extreme biking.  At the base of the mountain and going up it quite a way is a mountain bike challenge course where the rider goes up on the ski lift to the top (with bikes on the next lift “seat”) and rides down, around all sorts of hills and jumps.  We stopped in a bike shop to get lubricant for our chains (which have been coated with dust and dirt several times along the way) and the shop sold all sorts of accessories for such an activity.

Aside from the many hotels, the town has lots of upscale shops to browse and restaurants.  It was all a bit overwhelming!  We managed to wind our way through the “marketplace” that is part of the section of town built for the Olympics and find the bike path (Valley Trail) that leads back to the campground.  It was about a 25 or 30 minute walk back.

I caught up on laundry and ended up spending much of the afternoon on the internet, trying to figure a route from here for the coming week.  I was getting concerned about where we might end up on Labor Day weekend when many of the parks will be full.  I was able, after much time and frustration, to get us a reservation at a state park in eastern Washington, so in the coming week, we’ll be hanging out in Washington and northern Oregon.  

Day 61: Clinton to Whistler

Our destination for this day was Whistler, the famous ski area of British Columbia.  And what a ride it was!

We left Clinton, going south on Route 97, and after fewer than twenty miles, we turned onto the Sea to Sky Highway, Route 99.  The hills had been getting larger as we went, and once on Route 99, we were in a high desert area, similar to parts of the western US.  There were increasingly bigger, dry mountains on either side of a winding road, with huge rock cliffs.  There were occasional cattle ranches and some First Nation (Native American) villages along the way.  We came to a section that followed the Fraser River, and the cliffs got steeper and the river farther and farther below the road, down in a huge canyon with rocky sides.  Just before the village of Lilloet a bridge took us over the river (after a long, long downhill), and we stopped at a grocery store to stock up. 

As we left Lilloet, the road got somewhat narrower, and it started to climb again, up and up and up.  It wound along the side of the mountain with hairpin turns and stunning scenery.  Then, over the crest of the mountain, and all of a sudden there were spruce trees, and aspens, and all sorts of green plants---a great change in vegetation. 

The road, however, continued to be narrow and windy. We had lunch along a beautiful green lake with towering, snow-capped mountains in the distance.  One final long downhill stretch of about eight miles, with 11 to 15% grades and many, many curves, and we were in a valley between mountains, not far from Whistler.

Whistler is, of course, a very upscale place with lots of condos and hotels, and there was only one RV park listed in the book, so I had made reservations there, at Riverside RV Resort.  It is expensive ($53 per night) but very nice, with an office that will book various activities for you (canoeing, kayaking, ATV trips, fishing, spa services, and so forth), also a café, Laundromat, and store.  Our site is about a five minute walk up the mountain from the main building, and it is small but paved, with a gravel “patio” area and picnic table.  We’re close to neighbors on either side---the park is full---but there are small trees to give a little bit of privacy.

We pulled out the recliners and stretched out to relax in a beautiful setting. The weather is perfect, 70’s and sunny with a light breeze.  Ahhhh!

Ranger enjoyed a walk to explore the park and find our way around; then we returned to dinner and a quiet evening.  

Some photos from the past week

View of fjord in Stewart, BC

Grizzly bear seen at Stewart

Day 60: Prince George to Clinton

After reading more about the wildfire in British Columbia (China Nose fire) , we are feeling fortunate that we were able to get through yesterday on the detour around Houston, which is on evacuation alert.  Route 16 was closed---still is, as far as I know---and if we hadn’t gotten through on the dusty, gravelly back roads to Prince George, we might have been stuck west of the fire for as many days as it would take to contain it.  Our only other choice would have been to drive all the way up the Cassiar Highway, 450 miles, then to Dawson Creek, another 600 miles, then down to Prince George.  British Columbia does not have many major (paved) roads!

We awoke about ten miles south of Prince George with the smell of smoke in the air.  The day was gray and dismal, but we couldn’t figure whether it was just the weather or the fire or both combined.  The  drive down Route 97 was not terribly interesting: lots of farmland, hayfields, some woods, mostly flat.   The overcast skies gave way to steady rain.  At lunchtime we pulled off at Lac La Hache Provincial Park to eat, but it seemed too early in the day to stop there to camp.  There was a nice break in the rain by then, however,  to allow Ranger a short walk. 

So we went on, figuring on staying at Green Lake Provisional Park for the night.  That park turned out to be about 15 miles off the main road, and when we got to the campground, every site was taken.  The campground host said that we could set up in the overflow parking area for the night, but even that was filled with people and we would have had campers close to both sides of the RV.  So we drove on.

We ended up in the town of Clinton at a quirky RV park right along the highway, so I’m sure we’ll hear the traffic all night long.  The proprietor, in addition to running the park, sells vegetables from his garden and runs a restaurant, the Roadkill Grill.  When we asked about a site, he directed us to  set up between two other RV’s, said he takes cash only, and didn’t take down any information from us---just took the cash.  I did go up to buy some tomatoes and lettuce later and the lettuce was literally right out of the garden, and it made a nice salad with our cheeseburgers for dinner.

The skies have cleared for the evening. We walked Ranger down the main drag of town, and almost everything was closed up at 7:00 on a Saturday night.  Tomorrow we head for Whistler.  

Day 59: Smithers to Prince George

Sub-title:  Hot summer day-----Hot forest fires.

The day started well enough.  We left Tyhee Lake around 9:15 and traveled down Route 16/Yellowhead Highway, which is a well-paved, two-lane road.  The countryside was mostly hills and pastures, lots of farms and hayfields.  Dan commented that it looked a little like Wisconsin.

Just before Houston, BC, we encountered a detour.  All cars and trucks (and RV’s) were routed to the right, onto a gravel and dust road.  The flagger said to “Go to 54 KM and there will be a pilot car there.  Be sure that you have plenty of fuel”.  Great! That sounded ominous.

And yes, we traveled 54 kilometers down that unpaved road. We did manage to time things right for the pilot car; we were the last vehicle allowed through in that group of perhaps 25.  After continuing a short way on the same road, we turned onto an even narrower, one-lane road that was all dust.  At times we could barely see the car ahead of us, the dust was so thick.  We banged along on a very rough path, sometimes washboard, rattling everything in the RV. 

Eventually we came out on a somewhat smoother gravel road that took us along the north shore of Francois Lake.  And a bit further on, after the pilot car dropped to the side, the road became packed dirt and we could manage to go about 35 mph or so.  In all, the detour covered about 90 to 100 miles,  taking us back to Route 16, about 70 miles along.  By then it was past noon, a long and rough morning’s drive.

The reason for the detour was the big forest fire that is occurring in this area.  We could see quite a bit of smoke and haze along the way, and the manager of tonight’s campground said that they were getting quite worried in Houston about the fire moving directly toward the town.

Well, much later than we had expected, we pulled into Bee Lazy RV Park, south of Prince George, along Highway 97.  It is a somewhat dated park, but basically clean and satisfactory for one night.  One attractive feature is their RV wash, so we spend about 20 minutes (and 5 “loonies”) there, getting the dust and dirt off the Navion.  It is still pretty dirty and will undoubtedly stay that way until we get home, but it did take much of today’s dust off.

It was in the upper 80’s today, but still there are signs of autumn approaching, with many leaves turning color or dropping off the trees. (The latter may be due in part to the dry conditions here. There is a campfire ban in effect in all parks, public and private.)  The next two days will be fairly short days of driving, with reservations at Whistler for the early part of next week. 

Day 58: Boya Lake to Stewart

Today was a good day, although it involved a lot of driving.  We continued along the Cassiar Highway, with the first part of the day through the Cassiar Mountains on fair, but occasionally rough, road.  It continued to be narrow, without lane lines for about half the way. (We had been told that the road improved as one travels south, and so it did, so that by the time we turned onto the road to Stewart, it was a normal, two-lane paved road with shoulders.)  We stopped for diesel in Dease Lake, where there was a notice on the door that the next diesel stop about 150 miles down the road had a broken pump, so one could not refill there.  That left us in a dilemma: we had not planned to take the forty-mile side trip to Stewart, but we probably did not have enough diesel to get us to the gas station at the end of the Cassiar.  So we decided that the trip to Stewart was in order, partly as a fuel stop and partly so that we could stay at an RV park with electricity, Wi-fi and showers. 

As it turned out, we were able to top off the tank at the place that was supposed to have the broken pump, but by then we were sold on the idea of a hot shower.  So we are now at Bear River RV Park in Stewart.  Stewart is right on the border, with Stewart in British Columbia while neighboring town Hyder, just two miles farther down the road, is in the US.  It is on the Portland Canal, a body of water that connects ultimately into the Gulf of Alaska.  Both towns are very small, Stewart about 700 and Hyder about 100, and neither looks to be very prosperous. 

One tourist attraction here is the USFS Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site, a sort of walled boardwalk in which people watch bears fish for salmon.  The couple we met at the last campground from Alabama, Molly and Larry, happened to be at this campground as well, and they invited us to ride up with them this evening to look for bears.  For the first 20 or 30 minutes, we saw hundreds of salmon swimming upstream, but no bears.  Then finally-----a grizzly bear!  We were able to watch him work his way up toward the observation deck, try to get a fish, eat part of an already-dead one, and munch on vegetation along the creek.   Although we had seen several black bears along the way, including one today along the highway, we had not seen any grizzlies, so this was a real treat. 

Between morning and late afternoon, we passed into a different zone for vegetation, and this part of the BC is considerably prettier and lusher.  The guide said that we passed from a northern boreal zone with many black spruce (which we’d been driving past for weeks) into a cedar-hemlock forest, with dry summers and cool wet winters, a bit like northern California.  It is a welcome change.

The weather is also changing----today felt almost hot---as well as the season.  The fireweed along the road are almost done blooming, and there are patches of yellow leaves on a number of the deciduous trees.  Autumn is definitely on its way.  (A tour guide at Denali said that up there, once the fireweed are done, they count forward six weeks until the first expected snow!)  We will be working our way south through the rest of British Columbia in the next week or so, on our way to Washington. 

Day 57: Boya Lake Campground in British Columbia

We had decided to spend an extra day at this beautiful park.  After breakfast, we headed out for a hike along a trail that went around one end of the lake to a beaver dam.  Upon our return, we relaxed for a while, then rented a canoe and went out on the lake.  The water was incredibly clear, so you could see way down to the bottom.  A wind came up while we were out, so we didn’t last long,  but it was fun anyway.  We also spent time during the day talking with neighbors on either side.  On one side is a couple from outside Montgomery, AL, who are traveling in a truck, towing a trailer, and carrying a tandem kayak that is propelled by pedaling the feet.  They spent almost all their time in Alaska on the Kenai peninsula at a town south of Kasilof, and the man fished much of the time.  They bought a small freezer that they are traveling with that is full of halibut and salmon!  On the other side, there is a couple who are from British Columbia but they are full-timers; that is, their RV is their home.  It’s a very big Class A and they tow a car, but I don’t think I’d ever get to where I didn’t have an actual geographic “home”. 

Grilled salmon for dinner, and a lovely campfire----feeling very relaxed and ready to take on the next segment of our journey.  I do hope we will soon be in a place with showers and internet access!

NOTE:  Enough internet to post words---I'll add photos later!

Day 56: Takhini Hot Springs to Boya Lake Provisional Park

It was cloudy for Ranger’s walk this morning, but the sun broke through and made it a good day for traveling.  We stopped in Whitehorse, about 20 minutes along, to do some grocery shopping.  As we are now retracing our earlier route, we already knew the store’s location and were somewhat familiar with it.  Once back on the road, we followed the Alaska Highway southeast for about 275 miles, along streams, lakes, and mountains.  We crossed several big rivers (including the one at Johnson’s Crossing where we had camped on the way up) and finally, after more than a month, saw another black bear along the road.  Still no sightings of grizzly bears for the trip, and really very little wildlife seen in Alaska at all.

We turned south on Route 37, the Cassiar Highway, just before Watson Lake.  Where the Alaska Highway had been two lanes, paved, with lane marking, the Cassiar is narrow and unlined with virtually no shoulder.  The first mile or so, while still in Yukon, it was rough and pot-holed, but once we crossed into British Columbia, the road smoothed out considerably.  It was, however, up-and-down, up-and-down, like a roller coaster!  There were no signs of people, towns, or anything civilized, just miles and miles of spruces, and for the first miles of road, they were all recently burned in a wildfire.  Very desolate scenery! 

After about fifty miles, we turned into a British Columbia provincial park at Boya Lake.

The guidebook described it as “unusually beautiful”, and that was no exaggeration.  We managed to get a pull-through site right alongside the lake, so our side windows look out on the view.  The lake is clear, with mountains on the far side, and in the evening the water mirrored the view perfectly.  To top it off, Dan identified a new bird for his life list, a phalarope. 

Dinner cooked on a campfire, an almost-full moon rising over the lake (and being reflected in it)---life doesn’t get much better than this.  We’re going to stay another night here and explore the trails tomorrow. 

(Note: No cell service, no internet, so this will be posted in a few days when we are back in touch with the world.)

Day 55: Dawson City to Takhini Hot Springs

It was a long day of driving (Dan) and riding (Karen).  Really, it was only about seven hours, but it felt like more, going along the Klondike Highway.

Shortly after pulling out of Dawson City, we stopped at an RV wash to get some of the caked-on mud off the Navion.  There’s only so much you can do with 6 minutes of cold water (cost: 2 loonies) and no soap, but it looked considerably better.  For maybe an hour, at which time the pavement ended and we were back on gravel and dirt road. (Why do they call these “highways”????)

Along the road from Dawson City, the road was lined with big piles of rocks and gravel, the tailings from all the gold mining.  They managed to make what was, I’m sure, at one time a lovely valley into a mess.  The road then followed the Klondike River which is a clear, pretty river, compared to the Yukon.  A stop in Pelly Crossing for diesel was extended, with the one building in town (gas station, grocery store, post office, phone, café) being busy with locals, so that it took a good twenty minute to fill the tank and stand in line to pay. 

We crossed the Yukon River several times, and in the afternoon we traveled through an area with middle-sized mountains and many lakes and streams, but no towns and almost no sign of civilization.  Road signs and the guide indicated that we should be on the lookout for both bears and elk, but all we saw were many magpies along the road.  In late afternoon we passed two large lakes, Fox Lake and Lake Laberge (famous for its mention in the Robert Service poem “The Cremation of Sam McGee”) and finally turned in to arrive at Takhini Hot Springs campground. 

The campground is wooded, with electric but no water hookups.  After unwinding for a bit, sitting outside in the sun, we had an easy dinner of leftovers and then went to the hot springs.  Yes, both of us---Dan went in this time!  This was a very different hot springs experience from the earlier Liard Hot Springs.  This one is more like a swimming pool, with patio, chairs, and plants around it.  It had two areas, one considered the “family pool”, kept at about 95 degrees and the other the “hot pool” kept about 110.  We alternated between them, and it sure felt good after that long day of travel! 

The campground manager warned us of both a fox that has been visiting campsites and three bears sighted just down the road, but we have not seen either.  

Day 54: Dawson City

Early in the day we packed up, took the ferry across the Yukon River, and within about 20 minutes we had checked into an RV park right in the middle of Dawson City, with plans to tour for a day.

I had purchased Parks Canada passes before we left home, figuring the cost would be made up with admission to the national parks in Banff and Jasper.  We were able to use them again in Dawson City, where Parks Canada has taken over and restored many of the historic buildings which now require a $6.30 admission, and our passes covered us.  The town reminded me a little of Colonial Williamsburg, as one walks around town on the wooden sidewalks of the Gold Rush Days, and there are costumed interpreters who tell you the story; quite a few buildings also have plaques on them with brief descriptions of their role in the town’s history (both English and French---we are back in Canada!) as well. 

So in the late 1890’s this was indeed a boom town with  over 30,000 people, making it the largest city north of San Francisco and, in Canada, the largest city west of Ottawa, as well as the territorial capital. The old photos show hundreds of miners’ tents along the river and hordes of people arriving on the paddle wheelers.  In its heyday, it had a fancy theater, a large public library (funded by Andrew Carnegie), a street lined with homes of prostitutes, and many thriving businesses, all supporting the gold miners.  Today it is a much smaller town, primarily catering to tourists. 

We went to a program at the Robert Service cabin, a combination of stories of his life and reading of his poetry, and we also visited a cabin and exhibit about Jack London.  We passed on the opportunity to try our luck at Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall, and had a relaxing evening at the RV park, enjoying relative warmth, along with electricity and hot showers.  

Day 53: Chicken to Dawson City.....or Goodbye, Alaska!

We awoke in Chicken to 38 degrees and heavy fog.  Hardly worth getting out of a warm bed!  However, on the morning walk with Ranger, the campground owner said that this was typical weather for August and September and the fog would burn off.  And it did…somewhat.

We headed out around 9:30, with at least some visibility.  Alaska Route 5, the Taylor “Highway” is a dirt and gravel road, no guardrails, barely room for two vehicles to pass, with many curves, great drop-offs, and soft shoulders.  Those conditions continued for almost 40 miles, very slow going, to where Rte 5 turned north to Eagle, AK and we turned east to the US/Canada border.  The Boundary Road was, surprisingly, fourteen miles of paved road, with painted lane markers and even some road signs, and it took us to Customs, where we sailed through without a problem.

From there, the road was the Top of the World Highway, appropriately named as it wound along the crest of mountains, in many parts above the tree line.  We were back to dirt and gravel, no guard rails, no lines….and no sign of civilization.  That continued almost the whole way to Dawson City, where we again were on paved road.  To add to the excitement, once we crossed the border, we were in the clouds, with poor visibility---unfortunate in that the scenery was supposed to be quite spectacular.  However, Dan covered the 108 miles from Chicken to Dawson City in about three and a half hours, which was fast for that stretch of road.

We got a site at a Yukon Territory government park called Yukon River.  The site is, naturally, right on the river, across from Dawson City.  After having lunch, the three of us walked to the ferry slip and rode the free ferry to Dawson City; Ranger did quite well on the ferry although the loud noises from the engine did frighten him somewhat.  From the ferry slip, it was an easy walk to the visitors center where we picked up maps and other information and checked out the one “in-town” RV park, with an eye to staying there tomorrow night.  Then we wandered the streets with wooden sidewalks and gold-rush era buildings before riding back across the river to the campground.  It was, for the first time in days, quite warm (upper 60’s) and we enjoyed some time sitting outside before (surprise!) some rain moved in.  It did not last long, however, and I look forward to a peaceful night’s sleep.

As the bumper stickers say, “I survived the Top of the World Highway!”

Photos to follow, when the internet is stronger.  

Day 52: Valdez to Chicken

Today Dan did more driving than usual, covering more than 300 miles.   Leaving Valdez, we did a second pass through the Keystone Canyon, a beautiful stretch of road with rock walls, waterfalls, and tunnels carved through the rock in which, in the past, horse-drawn carts brought supplies to Valdez.  Then up and up, more than seven miles of road, to Thompson Pass, where the average winter snowfall is 600 to 900 inches of snow!  Then the road followed the path of the pipeline for miles.  We went through Glenallen again, then took the Tok Cutoff, taking us back to where we started in Alaska: Tok.  Tok’s claim to fame is that anyone driving through Alaska must go through Tok twice, coming and going.  Back on the Alaska Highway for twelve miles, we then went north along the Taylor Highway which leads to Chicken.

And Chicken is where we are spending the night.  Chicken: population 23 in summer, 7 in winter.  It also has two RV parks, one of which is where we have set up for the night, in a parking lot without water or table---just a place to park.  We are, however, within easy walking distance of anything notable in Chicken, including the famous chicken statue which we can see from our side windows.  Actually the RV park has a café, espresso bar, gift shop, showers, and so forth---anything the traveler might want. This was a gold mining area, and one has the option of panning for gold here, but it looked like an awful lot of work for a few specks of gold.

The RV park has, supposedly, free Wifi, but judging from its performance so far, it may be a few days before this is posted.

Tomorrow we head out on the 108 miles to Dawson City, Yukon, following the Top of the World Highway.  The road is unpaved, just dirt and gravel, no guardrails or painted lines to distinguish lanes (of which there are barely two).  The guide book refers to many curves and drop-offs on the side.  The woman at the front desk said to estimate four hours to cover the 108 miles, though we talked to others who took the entire day of travel, going very, very slowly.  Another Alaskan adventure to come!

Very weak internet, so the photos will come on some future day.

Day 51: Kayaking in Valdez

Today was a particularly good day.  After breakfast, we walked over to the kayaking place, were fitted with appropriate clothes and PFD's, and headed out with our guide Webster.  We had opted for the Duck Flats tour which took us around shallow areas near Valdez in the Prince William Sound.  Having mentioned to Webster our interest in birds, he made a point of taking us to places where we could see kittiwakes, terns, gulls, and ducks.  We even saw some pigeon guillemots and some oystercatchers.    Besides the birds, it was just a lovely place to paddle, with great scenery.

Upon our arrival back at the small boats harbor, I mentioned to Webster that we had left our dog in the RV, and he recommended the local dog park.  Ranger loved the opportunity to run after his frisbee after being stuck inside by himself  for more than three hours.

Later in the afternoon, I browsed in some local shops and did some laundry.  Again, with Webster's recommendation, we went out for beer and pizza ...and the pizza was excellent. 

Something about Valdez that I did not know before:  There is the old Valdez and the new.  The old was almost completely destroyed in the 1964 earthquake (measured at 9.2), and rather than rebuild in the same location, a totally new town was built a few miles down the road.  A few of the original houses were picked up and moved, but most of the town is fairly new, in late 60's style.  Residents who moved to the new location were offered lots at $400 each.  The town government was able to plan its layout, and it includes a good number of small parks and green areas, and it has a lovely ferry terminal with lots of flowers as well as a big civic center.  All in all, its one of my favorite Alaska towns that we have visited!  

And as mentioned to brother Jim, this is Bunny-land!  Someone in the past released domestic rabbits, and they have managed to thrive in this cold environment.  The town is full of rabbits, black, gray, tan....they're everywhere.  Most entertaining for Ranger!

Day 50: Valdez

Today we drove the rest of the Glenn Highway, to Glenallen, then turned south on the Richardson Highway toward Valdez.

The first hour or so we were on windy mountain roads, following the Matanuska River.  Then the land flattened out quite a bit, and we were in an area with many small lakes (good fishing?).  By Glenallen, the land was fairly  flat but with huge Mount Sanford, Mount Drum, and Mount Wrangell rising in front of us.

Turning south onto Route 4, the Richardson Highway, the going was somewhat boring for the first part, then we went into more big mountains.  Here there were glaciers, and we stopped for a walk and lunch at Worthington Glacier, about 30 miles north of Valdez.  

Coming into Valdez, one passes through an alpine region with incredible snowy mountains all around, then one comes down, down, down a seven and a half mile long decline into the Keystone Canyon, with waterfalls and big stone walls.  Very dramatic scenery!  Once in Valdez, one is again at sea level, but with snow-capped mountains all around.  It's colder here than it has been in past days, and the tour guide says that the average summer temperature is 53, and in the winter they average over 300 inches of snow!

We decided to stay in an "in-town" RV park in Valdez, so we are basically in a gravel parking lot. However, it is across the street from the small boat harbor (which provided Dan with entertainment on an afternoon walk) and in easy walking distance of the small shops and restaurants of Valdez.  This is the "new Valdez", having been re-built entirely after the 1964 earthquake (magnitude 9.2).  We stopped into a business that provides sea-kayaking tours in the Prince William Sound and made reservations to go out paddling tomorrow.

Day 49: Kasilof to Palmer

Snow on the mountaintops, clouds in the valleys, and rain everywhere!

It’s another rainy day, but at least this was one that had been planned for travel. We stopped by the Kenai airport to return the rental car and then proceeded to the end of the Sterling Highway, turned north  on the Seward Highway, and headed along the Turnagain Arm toward Anchorage.  On this return trip, it was high tide along the Turnagain, so the huge mudflats were gone.  There were still quite a few fishermen along Bird Creek where we had camped a week ago.

Going through Anchorage, the rain let up.  Just north of Anchorage, we turned east on the Glenn Highway, heading toward Palmer, Glenallen, and ultimately Valdez. 

We stopped for the night at King Mountain State Recreation Site, a small campground along the Matanuska River.  The sun actually came out for a while, so Ranger was able to get a good walk and some outside time.  It stayed nice until after we had started our campfire, at which time the wind rose, the black clouds rolled in, and the rain started again.  So we retreated inside, to a dinner of pork BBQ and beans, and a quiet evening of reading.   No electric, no water, no cell service, and no internet here. 

Day 48: A quiet last day in Kasilof

We awoke to the sound of rain on the roof-----and went back to sleep.

The day was spent reading, checking on our next few destinations on the internet, doing crossword puzzles, and basically being pretty lazy!  

Dan gave the rental car a thorough cleaning in preparation for returning it tomorrow.  ($100 fee for returning it exceptionally dirty, and he wanted to get every bit of dog fur out!)  The sun came out for a bit in late afternoon, allowing us a little time outside.  (Ranger was happy for that.)

Both of us are coughing and blowing noses, so a day of rest was just what we needed.  Tomorrow we head back through Anchorage.  

Day 47: Seward

OK, Seward was disappointing.

I expected to like Seward. I knew that many cruise ships pull in there, so I expected a vibrant town with gorgeous scenery. 

It was a beautiful sunny day, and we thought we’d do a day trip and check out Seward, to decide whether we wanted to head there next for the early part of the week.  The drive across the peninsula, following the Kenai River to Kenai Lake, was nice, with sparkling water and snow-capped mountains.   And Seward had both of those: very blue water of the Prince William Sound and big mountains surrounding it.

Seward also had lots of tourists.  Hundreds of RV’s.  Yes, it was a warm, sunny Saturday, but the place was packed.  The city has maintained a park all along the water, with playground, bike path, and flower beds, from the Alaska Sea Life Center (big attraction, which we did not tour due to having Ranger with us) for quite a few blocks.  Then it becomes camping space, run by the locality, basically gravel parking lots for RV’ers.  Again, hundreds of them.   They were all parked parallel about 6 or 8 feet apart, with rows of them going back four or five deep.  If all those people were there to camp in the midst of stunning scenery, all they were seeing was the front or back or sides of another camper.  We made a quick decision not to plan to camp there!

In addition, Seward is known for its rainy weather, and indeed the ten-day forecast showed rain almost every day for the next week.  That would not be pleasant for one of the cruises in the sound or for sea kayaking.  So when we leave Kasilof on Monday morning, we will not be heading to Seward!