Alaska JULY 2019

JULY 1, 2019, in INUVIK, NWT…HAPPY CANADA DAY!

We got up this morning to a cloudy, rainy day and windy.  The sky in the south and west of here are very,very black.  This is exploration day which we began with a drive through town then onward to the Info Centre where we found out a lot about the local people, their way of living and interacting with each other.  There are the Inuvickualiut and the G’wich’in Natives (they used to be mortal enemies at one time).  There are also Muslin and a few white people.  They are set in their ways amongst the older generations but the young are more prone to get along and open to various intereactions.  Marriage have just begun being inter-tribal.  We got a certificate about crossing the Artic Circle and a free poster of that picture of the road in the McKenzie Mtns in the Fall.

We went to the Community Hall to celebrate Canada Day with the community and

met some travelers we knew and new ones.  One couple lived in Vancouver and comes up here to work on the water systems so they were familiar with the surroundings.  A kid was selling bags of salty strips of smoky fish and he bought one and offered us a piece which was different but good.  We took part in the BBQ (hot dog and hamburger), listen to music and watch the young ones enjoy themselves.  We left soon after and went to explore some more.  We saw a Dome from the DEW Line which was brought down from Tuk and is now being used for communication services such as TV, cellular and the likes.  Rain, rain, rain…it never stopped all day so we decided to come home after I stopped to take on gas then we came home.  We had a nice dinner and relaxed.  The sky is grey with no chance of sunshine so we won’t be seeing the midnight sun tonight.  We are planning to head to Tuk tomorrow for the day without the trailer.  The forecast is for sun!??  It’s only 144 km from here and we have been told the road is in great shape.

So far our little trailer is serving us well.  It is comfortable albeit small in space but we are managing.

JULY 2, Tuesday, to Tuktoyaktuc

Got up to more clouds and wind at 7:30 am local time.  Coffee is on.

We were on the road by 8:30 am.  What a drive this was, full of beautiful vista, Artic tundra, lakes and the McKenzie Delta.  The road was like a mini roller-coaster winding and weaving its way across the tundra and the lakes. Up and down with quite a few spots with washboards.  We started in with cloudy sky but the sun did come out eventually with temperature of 9* C only and WINDY!!!!  An Artic wind to boot. 

We arrived at the “HAMLET” (that’s what the village is called) and our first sight was the garbage dump.  I’ll never understand why they build the road by this!??  Anyway, we drove in and explore the street.  Typical Native village.  Noone was on the streets (too early) and we found the place call “Granma’s Kitchen” which was recommended to us but it was closed.  One thing here, there are nearly no signage to let you know what the business is.  We had to find out from the Info Centre.  

We drove to the Spit where I finally dunk my foot in the Ocean, it was too bloody cold to undress and the water was freezing!!!!!  I had to chip the ice off my foot after dunking it!

We went and found a “restaurant” (see pictures) that consisted of a kitchen, a dining room holding about 5 tables sitting 4-5 people each and it took forever to get our meal.  The place was packed with tourist and about 8 young local teenagers who were using two tables.  We had to make our own coffee pot as the “server” didn’t know how to do it and made a mess so I took over.  It was so funny!!!  All part of the adventure!  Quite a few locals on the streets now.  We also explored the DEW LINE ( Defense Early Warning).  Here we saw a hawk screeching like crazy and we assumed it was a female protecting her young.  The nest was on top of the tower so it was getting excited over nothing.  We explored some more then it was time to come home.  The drive back was the same but with a view at a different angle.  Traffic was light and the dust kept down. 

At home, we had a glass of wine then dinner.  We sat out afterwards to watch the “Midnight Sun” but Val gave up around 11 pm.  I watched it come down to the horizon then went to bed.  The sun slowly moves to the East where it begins rising again around 4 am.  I woke up a few times throughout the night; it felt weird sleeping with the sun shining!

I forgot to take note of the Latitude and Longitude of Tuk, damn! But found it later on the net 
N 69* 26.432
W 133* 02.304
Alt: 10 feet

As for big game animals, we saw none but we did see rabbits, marmots and Artic tern (beautiful birds) and a couple of hawks, one with what looked like a snake in its beak.   

JULY 3, Wednesday; laundry day and sightseeing

I was up by 6 am local time.  Didn’t sleep much, don’t know why!?  Anyway, I went out to wash the truck while Val slept then came home and sat outside but the mosquitoes took care of that.  Val got up around 9 am and she did the laundry while I went to the library for WIFI.  Downloaded our mail and paid a few bills.  I came home and we went to town to buy more souvenirs.  We stopped at the Hotel for lunch then completed our purchases.  The forecast is for rain tomorrow and having experienced that mess once, I really don’t want to do it again so we decided to leave today.  It was almost 2 o’clock when we left.  The ride back was uneventful until we got to Ft McLeod where some strange and loud metallic noise manifested itself.  I checked everywhere but couldn’t find the source.  After gassing up we left again and the noise subsided.  I hope it’s not the wheel bearings???  Anyway, we got no more problems.  We crossed the first ferry at 15:40 pm and the second one at 17:15 pm.  The scenery was fantastic as we had missed most of it coming up in the rain.  The road was extremely dusty.  The crossing of the RICHARDSON MOUNTAIN RANGE was absolutely breathtaking.  We had missed all of it because of the fog and rain.  We stopped at the border of Yukon/ NWT for a break and to look around then drove through the Artic Circle.

We arrived at EAGLE PLAINS at 19:50 PM making it a 6 hours drive @ an average 44 MPH.  We went for dinner in the restaurant then parked in the RV Lots with power.  The forecast is for rain tomorrow, YUCK!

N 66* 22.425’

W 136* 43.088’

Alt 2376 ft,

JULY 4, Thursday, to Dawson City

Raining, dam it!  But it didn’t rain for long and soon cleared up down the road.  I gassed up before leaving and also notice that one of my rear jacks was damaged when I got off the Peel River ferry.  I had heard a scrunching but didn’t pay attention due to the low banks.  I had also lost the handle on my sewer tank and the guy fixed me a small handle to pull the trap open at NO COST!

Back up the Olivigie Ridge and we drove south along some of the most impressive and beautiful sceneries.  I hadn’t realized this region was so mountainous.  We eventually reached the Seven Miles Hill and went down and down, from 3000 to 1200 feet.  We followed the Peel River for a while then the Olivigie River and eventually the Red River (Sulphur and mineral full).

Soon we were in the Tombstone Park and its majestic mountain range and Artic Tundra.  We crossed the last Pass at 4000’ and the Continal Divide for the last time on this highway.  We stopped at the Lodge to return the pamphlet they had loaned us on the way up, and had lunch here.  I emptied the Jerry can of gas into the truck so that I wouldn’t run out again. It is 15*C here

What a relief to reached pavement on Hwy 2 at 2:35 pm!!!!  The drive back to our campground was such a pleasure; no more washboards, potholes and dust.  We arrived at our campground, BONANZA RV PARK, just outside DAWSON around 3 pm, took time to power wash the trailer and truck then park in Number 21 and set up.

The canopy on the back of the truck has moved back about one inch and created enough space to allow all the dust to reach inside…what a mess!  Will have to clean this up.  Made some calls to find a place to get an oil change; no luck.  To gas up at $1.61 for $115 total

Time to relax, dinner and I was in bed by 9 pm.  Val stayed up a bit later and watched TV.  We are here for two days.  It is 27* C

This was an incroyable part of our voyage.  I would definitely NOT do it again but I DON”T regret any part of it.  It was a wonderful experience and a Life Time DREAM come true for me and Val too I’m sure.

N 64* 02.452’

W 139* 24.202’

Alt: 1098 feet

We travelled 254 miles in 6 hrs @ an average 46 MPH

JULY 5, Friday; Dawson City

This was a busy day; first I emptied the back of the truck, then loosen the canopy to reposition it to its proper place.  Then I took everything out, wiped the equipment down and went inside and swept the box out which was filled with dirt.  I then reorganized everything back in.  I cleaned the windows both on the truck and the trailer.  Once this was done, it was shower time.  Val felt I really needed it.

We went to town, had lunch at a funky place then went shopping but thank god, Val didn’t buy anything.  We got some groceries then went for a beer at our favorite bar, the Downtown Hotel.  We met a couple there that we chatted with then gave them a ride home as they were from the same campground we were from.  Val watched her favorite program on TV and I sat outside.

Tomorrow, we head for Alaska on the “Over the Top Highway”!  It’s been a warm day, 26*C, sunny and the A/C is on.  The sun is still shining at 10 pm.

JULY 6, Saturday, to Alaska via the “over the top highway”

We were on the road by 6:50 am.  We drove through town to the Ferry.  No line-ups, we only had to wait 10 minutes and were the first of two on board.  The crossing went smoothly and we got on Hwy 9, a gravel road, climbed and climbed from 10 feet to 3500 feet in 20 km.  Once on top we followed the ridge and meandered through the mountains.  The road was gravel and in good shape except for washboard at some places.  WHAT AN INCREDIBLE VIEW!!!  We stopped quite a few times trying to take it all in.  Yukon is definitely the best!  We arrived at the Alaska Border around 9:30 am, crossed with no problems/hassles then went down the road and around a corner and came upon a herd of CARIBOO!!  WOW!  WOW!  We had to come to Alaska to finally see big games.  Took a few pictures then went on.  We arrived in “CHICKEN”, a neat and awesome town.  We had to come down from 3500 feet to 1950 feet.  The road was tortuous and rough in this section We had to slow down to 40 km/hrs, a few switch backs

We stopped in CHICKEN (11:10 am) and had breakfast and of course, got a couple souvenirs.  This was really a funky place and all the food was made from scratch.  They even had their own chicken and ducks.  They had homemade pies that demanded to be devoured but I resisted and homemade bread which we had for toast.  I tasted Reindeer sausage…very good.  We spent a good half hour here.  Population about 50 going down to 15 in the winter.

A few miles later, another sighting, a huge moose crossing the road.  Incredible!  We were soooo excited.  Wouldn’t you know it, the camera battery was dead so had to use my phone.  On we went and finally arrived on the Alaska Hwy # 2.  We turned right and 10 minutes later we were in TOK.  The scenery also became much more grandiose with the Rockies in the distance

We moved our clock one hour back once we crossed into Alaska but we decided that our bodies were telling us ENOUGH!  So we got a campground, gassed up, filled one propane tank, washed the truck and trailer then set up in site 95.  We are here for one night only.  This is a cross-road with # 2 and # 1 from Anchorage and we will be back this way once we come from the south part.  It is a balmy 27 *C

Tomorrow, we will be sleeping in Fairbanks!

We travelled 190 miles in 5 hours @ an average 37 mph.

N 63*20.124

W 142* 57.795

Alt: 1680 feet

JULY 7, Sunday, Tok to Fairbanks, Alaska

This was the most disappointing driving day due to the thickness of the smoke, we couldn’t see any of the mountains.  Not only that, we missed a moose eating in a small lake next to the road and I couldn’t stop fast enough due to traffic behind me.

Anyway, the Highway was straight with a few lumps along the way.  We stopped in DELTA JUNCTION, the end of the “ALCAN HIGHWAY”, took some pics and had brunch.  I expected a bigger town, it was kind of a depress place from what we saw.

A few miles later, we stopped at road side meat producer, tasted their sample of different sausages and ended up buying a few of them.  I doubt we will have them by the time we get home!??

The ride went on with thick smoke and we finally arrived in NORTH POLE, where we proceeded to spend a lot of money.  What a neat place!  The grand and great grand kids would love this place, so would the kids(mom and dad).

Fairbanks by 3:30 pm and we set up at a campground Tanana RV Park that was not impressive.  Since I had reserved and paid for it, we stayed for one night only.  They had a very neat office, an old cabin and the door was only 4 feet high, so I had to bend over but once inside, I could stand.  That was so cool!!

We set up and left to check another place which was much nicer, got two days there then went to Safeway for gas, $3.13/gallon and some wine ($20).  Sat outside once back at our site and relaxed and planned our stay at DENALI PARK.

We drove 216 miles in 4.5 hrs@ 49 MPH average.  We stopped for 2 hrs.

N 64* 51.914’

W 147* 45.658

ALT: 453 feet

JULY 8, FAIRBANKS sightseeing

I was up at 5am (6 BC time).  Still can’t sleep in!??  This morning, we moved to a new and nicer campground, the RIVER’s EDGE about three miles from here (more expensive too).  Anyway, we went to Costco but didn’t get anything, off to Walmart to get groceries and buy a new camera, a PowerShot.  Afterwards, Val did the laundry while I went to get an oil change on the truck; it was overdue.

It is still quite smoky, but we can see a bit further than yesterday.  People we spoke with, tell us that it was smoky through the Park and they couldn’t see anything.  The forecast is for slight rain tomorrow morning so hopefully it will cleared up. 

I forgot to mention previously that when we crossed the Border into Alaska, the guy stamped our Passports with a Cariboo and the name of the crossing; what a neat thing to do and what a souvenir!

After dinner, we went for a drive through the downtown.  Seems to be some neat things to explore and it is quite small, I was surprised!  The highest building is about 12 story up and there are only a couple of them.  We came back and stopped at McDonald for ice cream, Val had a craving!???  At home, we sat out for a while then Val went in to watch the tube and I remained out breathing the smoke.  We were both in bed by 11 local time.

JULY 9, Tuesday, explore FAIRBANKS

This is our last day here.  We went to the University near here to their Museum of the North.  It was very interesting and well done.  We spent two hours in there.  From here, we went to downtown and had lunch at SOAPY SMITH, and funky place with the owner bragging all the time about his grand-father and what her accomplished.  It was fun and entertaining.  Afterward, we went to the Info Centre and they also had a museum which we checked out.  The day went by fast and it was time to head back…we had enough!  We found a neat pub near our campground called “PIKE’s LANDING” where we had a couple beers and appy’s and also met these two local guys and wife, Dave and Emily and Peter.  We had fun conversation and Peter ended buying everyone a cocktail.  They left as they were going out for dinner and we went back to our camp then to RIVER’s EDGE CHINA RIVER.  We had a good meal but it was bloody warm in there…no A/C.

The day was muggy and smoky of course.  Still can’t see past our nose (kidding but not by much)  We came home and were in bedasking  by 10 pm.

JULY 10, Wednesday, to DENALI PARK AND CANTWELL

We were on the road by 8.15 am.  It took us just about an hour to get out of Fairbanks as there was construction on the # 3 HWY exit near our campground  and it took me a while to find the right directions, after asking three times for directions .  It was confusing!!! (confusion due to old age!???).  Anyway, smoke was the order of the day although it did clear up some as enough to see somethings as we got into the mountains and further south.  The highway was not in the best of shape, lots of frost heave and a couple times, I had to slam on the brakes because it was so bad.  We followed and crossed the TANANA and the NANANA Rivers a couple times; Nanana empties in the Tanana river.

We went by the turn off to the DENALI NP and drove on to Cantwell to our campground, a little place off the main Hwy and 22 miles south of the Park.  We stopped numerous times to take pictures.  Once set up, we went back to the Park where we visited the Info Centre and all the exhibits, then took a shuttle bus to the Husky dog pen and walked among them and petted them.  All were very friendly.  They put on a demonstration show where they tied four dogs to a sled on wheels and had them race around a specific track.  They were all very well behaved and appeared happy to be exercising.  Back at the info center, we took in a movie about the dogs and the Park’s history then we came back home.  Still couldn’t see the mountains properly.  It’s really too bad.

Tomorrow, we will be in anchorage where I’ve made reservations.  The sky is covering up and we even had a sprinkle.  Windy too for the first time in a while.

Oh yeah, I fueled up @ $3.17/gal

We travelled 216 miles in 4.5 hrs (excludes time stop) at an average 49 MPH

N 64* 51.914’

W 147* 48.658’

Alt: 453 feet

JULY 11, Thursday, To Anchorage, Alaska

We left under low cloudy skies and headed south on Hwy 3.  There was no point going back to the Park as we were not going to see anything.  We went through the lowest Pass in North America ( Bare Mountains) at 2400 feet.  It's suppossed to be a beautiful area with surrounding mountains but we couldn't see anything.  It is also an area with low tundra and few trees; also known as the Divide in the flow of water…on the right, it went to the Bearing sea; to the left, it went to the Yukon River and the Arctic.

We stopped for brunch at a road side café about halfway through the State Park (95 miles long) then eventually reached the MAT-SU VALLEY, a very busy area with a few crazy drivers (speed and cutting you off).  We reached the Glenn Hwy (# 1, divided) and headed for Anchorage.  We began seeing mountains but the clouds were still low.  We saw the KNIK ARM connecting with Cook's Inlet and eventually the Pacific but again, fog was present so we only saw partial areas. 

We finally reached Anchorage, turned onto SEWARD HWY and reached our campground just off the Hwy hence noisy!  We decided to call it quit, had dinner then had a drink with our neighbours from Florida who called on us for a HH.  Who are we to refuse!??

We travelled 216 miles in 4.5 hrs with 2.5 hrs of stops @ an average 48 MPH

N 61* 12.072’

W 149* 52.144’

Alt: 75 feet

JULY 12, Thursday, Anchorage sightseeings

The day began overcast and cool, we had to wear a jacket.  We first went to the Info Centre, a neat log cabin with a sod roof.  The people were informative and friendly.  Val wasn’t feeling all that well so we hung around for a while.  Downtown is like Fairbanks except they have a few highrises.  We took a driving tour in a trolley (well worth the $20 we paid) and the lady driver immediately proceeded to make us laugh.  She is/was an actress/singer and it showed.  The tour was really interesting and she showed us places that we went back to later.  One of them was the airport for small airplanes, float and wheels.  She said that statistically one in ten possess a flying license however one in twenty actually fly an airplane!?!?!  She also said that this airport has over 11000 small personal and business planes!!!

After returning in town, we walked around to settle Val’s stomach again then went to have a bite to eat and that made her feel better.  We met people there from New York State and a couple from St-Hilaire, Quebec. 

We went over the route we took on the tour and stopped at a couple local Parks.  Took pictures of Cook Inlet where the tide is over 40 feet high then, because the animals won’t come out of the forest, we decided to go to the Zoo to see them even if in enclosures (seriously).  We stopped at a Bar & Grill on the way home (very nice place and friendly people), had a beer and shared nachos then came home

We sat with our new friends Steve and Toni from Florida and basked in a beautiful sunny evening sky.  I sure hope it’s there again in the morning!

JULY 13, Saturday, Anchorage to Seward, Alaska

FANTASTIC; INCREDIBLE; BREATH-TAKING is the way I can only describe our drive to Seward!  WOW, what a scenic drive!  Now this is the way we imagined Alaska!  But let's get back to the start.

We left at 8:40 am and headed south on Hwy #1.  It eventually turned into a freeway and back to two lanes at the Turnagain Arm.  The sky began clearing and we could see the surrounding mountains more and more as we headed towards TURNAGAIN ARM which empties into the COOK INLET.  It was a breathtaking drive with the water on one side with a railway track and sheer mountain sides on the other side of the road.  We actually met two passenger trains headed for Anchorage.

At the end of the Arm, we encountered the turn off to WHITTIER which we will take a look at on our way back but we did stop at the Info Centre and got ourselves a pass on a touring boat in Seward (6 hours + meal for $300).  We went on and began turning towards the North-West around the end of the Arm.  We eventually turn south again and climbed for 6 miles over the Turnagain Pass.  We stopped at the top at a lodge and had soup.  I have to say here that it was hard driving and keeping my eyes on the road; the scenery was so spectacular!!! 

After lunch, we drove on down from the Pass and arrived at the turn-off for HOMER.  The Highway changed here to Hwy 9.  The road was a bit rough but we were only travelling at 50 mph (75-80 km/h).  We finally arrived in Seward around 1 pm.  We found the Park, Resurrection RV Park which is a city Park @ $40/night with water and electricity.  The place is full with one or two sites empty.

After setting up, (we are parked across from the shower  and right near the water overlooking RESURRECTION BAY, on the East coast of Kenai Peninsula (pronounced ken-na-i).  All along the water’s edge there are campgrounds with no service and they are full.  We are surrounding by water and mountains.  It is a beautiful setting.

We went for a drive through and around town, found a few shops and three bars!  We looked at different restaurant, drove around the Harbor where the cruise ship come in (none here now) then went for dinner at RAY’s restaurant which is supposed to be really good for seafood.  I had a great dinner but Val had a miserable time with hers, sending it back three times because it wasn’t hot!?  They ended up no charging us for it and gave her a free dessert.  We came home and called it quit for the day.

We traveled 130 miles in 4 hrs @ 47 mph average.  We were stopped for one hour total.

N 60* 06.379’

W 149* 26.096’

ALT: 10 feet

JULY 14, Sunday, sightseeing in Seward

Two big cruise ships came into the harbor overnight!  After a nice shower, we went exploring.  It rained pretty well the whole day, at times, heavy but mainly like a drizzle.

We first went to the Info Centre then headed for the “EXIT GLACIER”, about 8 miles from here.  We parked the truck and walked up the trail to the first look-out.  We took lots of pictures, read all the plaques along the way, watched the “Resurrection River” flow down from the Glacier and read the history about it.  The Glacier has rescinded about 4-5 miles since 1899, an amazing distance when you think about it!  It was an awesome sight and I am glad to have seen it.

We drove back to the Harbor and had lunch at a railway car from the earlier days and turned into a restaurant.  Today being Sunday, they only served breakfast and they were wonderful.  I had a Burrito with eggs, sausage, potatoes and a few other items…it was delicious.  Val had a crab egg benedict which she regretted later.  We then went to the Harbour and made arrangement to be picked up tomorrow for our boat cruise.  We then went exploring campgrounds around the area and felt we made a good choice.

We came home and got our dirty laundry and went to the laundromat.  An hour later we were back home, put the clothes away then sat out with a drink and called daughter Rochelle.  It stopped raining but still a heavy overcast.  Having soup and sandwich for dinner.

JULY 15, Monday, Boat Cruise

We were picked up by the cruise bus at 10:45 am and taken to the boat, a huge catamaran.  There had to be at least 100 people and each of us were assigned a seat and table to be shared with two other person.  We had a father and son sit across from us from Mexico.  The kids had just turned 13 and could speak really good English and when he learned I was French, he began talking to me in francais!  Wow and only 13!  Puts us to shame.

We left at 11:30 sharp and headed out into Resurrection Bay, so name because of Russian ship having lost its rudder, drifted in to the Bay and missed all the hazards, back in the 1800’s.  The captain brought to different areas where we saw sea life such as otters, puffins, harbor seals, stellar sea lions, kittywake birds, cormorants, orcas, but the highlight was the glacier. 

We first had to traverse a part of the Alaskan Gulf and that was a rough ride with swells well over 10 feet high.  We finally entered the Bay with the glacier and the water calmed down.  They served us a marvelous meal then we went out on deck to admire this marvel.  We got right into the floating ice and saw a few seals on the ice.

We spent a good 20 minutes or more there then headed back towards the Gulf and rough seas then back into Resurrection Bay and home.  The captain brought right in to some cliffs and I swear we could have reached out and touch them…that’s how close we were.  It really was a great day.

We got home around 5:30 pm.  It was a long but worthwhile day!

Tomorrow we leave this area for Haines via Anchorage, Palmer, the Glenn Hwy and Tok.  I doubt we will make it that far but we’ll take a big chunk out of the trip. 

I figure we will be in Haines in 2-3 days

JULY 16, Tuesday, BIG PROBLEMS

Once again, we were on the road by 7:30am.  We dumped our tanks then headed to the garage where I topped up the tires on the trailer before heading out on Hwy 9 out of town.  It was cloudy but no rain until Mooses Pass where we had some drizzle but not for long.  Our next Pass was Summit Pass then Turnagain Arm Pass where the scenery began to change and we came into view of TURNAGAIN ARM.  First the sky cleared and the sun came out; then it got clearer and clearer as we neared Anchorage.  Going through the City was no problems except for this knocking whenever we hit a bump or crack on the road.  This began as we headed out and kept persisting.  I stopped a couple times to check things out but couldn’t see anything.

On the East side of town, I began suspecting my suspension and when we got to Palmer, it was confirmed by a mechanic.  The rubber shocks that I had installed before departing finally gave out on the right side and the bolts were banging on the springs whenever I hit a bump or crack on the road.  The guy at the garage checked out a couple places to find out if anyone could install new air bags but not before next week.  After a discussion, we agreed on spring chocks, so he ordered them and we went looking for a campsite for the night.  It is only one pm so a whole afternoon of travelling time wasted.  I find myself lucky that he was willing to fit me in his busy schedule first thing tomorrow morning.

We got a site about 6 miles down the road and here we are, in a pretty setting relaxing.  This is going to be an expensive breakdown, but I guess, after all this banging and mileage, it was bound to happen.

They have a little restaurant here on site and the chef cooked spareribs all afternoon (we could smell them) so we went and splurged.

It is sunny and very warm here; what a change from this morning and yesterday.

N 61* 33.111’

W 149* 13.747’

Alt 250 feet

We travelled 173 miles in 3.5 hours driving time @ an average 49 MPH.  We were stopped for 3 hours due to break down

Today is my son’s Birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!

JULY 17, Wednesday; repairs and onward to Tok cut-off hwy

FOOTNOTE:  We saw a lynch on the side of the road yesterday on our way from Seward!

So, here we are in Grizzly RV Park near Slana on the TOK CUT-OFF (Hwy 1).  We arrived here at 5 pm local time after 6 hrs of driving and stopping.

Our day or I should say, my day began at 7 am; after a cup of coffee, I drove back to Palmer to MIDAS Garage to have two new spring loaded shocks installed on the truck.  I was there at 8:15 and left at 10 am.  The back of the truck is now at least a couple inches higher.

I went back to the campsite, picked up leisurely Valerie, hooked up the trailer and we were on the road by 10:40 am.  We stopped in Palmer at McDonald for breakfast then topped up on gas @ $3.09.  Headed North-East on Hwy 1 and follow the MATANUSKA river along the CHUGACH Mountains Range on our right.  This is a Range of mountains with many glaciers, some of which we saw from the road.  It really was BREATHTAKING, and it was PHENOMENAL!!   Once again it was hard keeping my eyes on the road.  We had a sunny day and did stop a few times.  We saw Mt Marcus Baker (13,176 feet) a dormant volcano, MT SANFORD with a huge glacier on it and Mt Witherspoon (12,012 feet) also covered with a glacier.  We hit a couple showers on the way but nothing too serious.

We arrived in GLENALLEN, the junction at Hwy 4 to Delta Junction on the  Richardson Hwy and Valdez if we turned north and followed the WRANGELLS Mountains with MT DRUM (12010 ft), Mt WRANGELL (14113 ft) and Mt SANFORD (16237 ft) as the main sites.  Taking the TOK CUT-OFF, North East on Hwy 1 was a HORRIBLE HWY! (We had been warned about it).  Lots of frost heaves, poor pavement, gravel section and construction.  In some spot, I couldn’t go any faster than 30 MPH.  Anyway, by 5 pm I had enough and we stopped at this Road side campground which turned out to be very nice by a lake, 65 miles from TOK. Two BC’ers and an Albertan came in too.

Now it is time to recoup and relax.  We are camped at Grizzly RV Park.  Had a shower then sat outside until the sun went down ( 10pm and up again at 4 am)

We travelled 211 miles in 4.5 hrs(Driving time) @ an average 46MPH

N 62* 42.796’

W 144* 11.927’

Alt: 2474 feet

JULY 18, THURSDAY, To TOK then Resurrection Bay, Yukon

I went to bed early tonight, I was filthy tired! This is being written the next day.

I was up at 7:30 am local time. I needed the extra hour! We were on the road by 8:30 am local time on a cloudy day however the clouds were high enough to allow us a good view of the mountains. We once again hit construction but only twice and the road eventually improved where I was able to speed up some.

The mountain range changed from the Wrangell’s St-Elias Range to the Mentasta Range and the forest became denser although we could still see some mountains and their glacier. We began following the Tok River and the road became less tortuous and the last 10 miles to Tok was pretty well straight. We arrived in Tok 9:30 am, had a good breakfast, gased up($3.39) then headed East on the Alaska Hwy # 2.

We have now completed a circle from our previous time here (Tok, Fairbanks, Denali Park, Anchorage, Seward, Glen-Allen, Tok). We passed the turn off to Chicken and were soon in view of the Wrangell’s St-Elias mountain range on our right. This is the North-East side of the National Park with just as spectacular sights as previously and of course, we took dozen’s of pictures. The road had quite a bit of rough section and lots of frost heaves. We reached the American border, stopped for photo-op for the signs and border line then continued on and arrived at the Canadian border just before Beaver Creek, Yukon, approx. 18 miles further than the actual border line (turned our clock back one hour). Amazingly the road improved tremendously, and I was able to relax some. We soon reached Kluane Lake (pronounce klu-ann-nee), a huge and beautiful lake with gorgeous vistas. It is the second largest lake in Yukon with an area of 154 sq miles. We passed Burwash Landing, a first Nation Burlough. There was supposed to be a campground here but it’s closed so we travelled a further 17 miles to another campground, Cottonwood RV Parks, which turned out to be an excellent choice. We had a fantastic view of the lake and its surroundings; the owners were extremely friendly. Cash only which depleted my wallet of any ($48cdn). This area is call “Destruction Bay”. We were able to go for a walk and take pictures of course.

N: 61* 05.262
W: 138* 31.964
ALT: 2580 ft
We travelled 313 miles in 6hrs 25 min. @ an average 49mph. We stopped for three hours sightseeing and breaks.


JULY 19, Friday, to Haine’s Junction Yukon and Haines Alaska

On the road by 9 am, we passed SOLDIER’s SUMMIT, a place where an American soldier partially climbed the nearby mountain for a spectacular view of the lake and area. It was so named in his honor. We reached the end of the lake, went around the far side and headed back for a bit before turning south-east again. We climbed Boutillier summit to 3293 ft (second highest pass between Whitehorse and Fairbanks) and tried to get a view of Mt Logan to the West of us but no luck, too cloudy. Mt Logan is the highest mountain in Canada. We could, however, partially see Mt Sleece and Luciana with their huge and beautiful glaciers.

We arrived in Haines Junction where we stopped for breakfast and gas up ( $1.48/litre) and continued south, now on Hwy #3 for Haines. Of course, we began climbing again and stopped at a viewpoint with little luck, the clouds were low and hiding most view. We were still following the St-Elias Mountain range (west side of it). We went by the Dezadeash Lake, very shallow reaching temperature of 18* C in the summer.

We soon crossed into BC where the Yukon had a beautiful sign but BC, just a small sign that one could barely see or notice. We went over the CHILKAT PASS (3510 ft) and drove through a valley with high mountains on both side and a beautiful meadow reaching the THREE GUARDSMAN PASS(3015 ft). These were Pass used by gold seekers back in the 1890’s. It would have been a harsh environment especially in the winter! As we got nearer the end of the Pass, the clouds became thicker and we were soon going down and down, driving through the clouds, finally reaching the US/CANADA Border near the bottom. No problems crossing here, then began frost heaves following the Chilkat River and road construction/repair.

HAINES came into sight; we drove through town and found our campground on the water overlooking the Chilkat Inlet. We are here until Monday when we take the Ferry across to Skagway, our reservations are already made.

N: 59*14.140’
W: 135* 26.501’
ALT: 61 ft
We drove 199 miles in 4 hrs @ 47 mph average


JULY 20, Saturday, Haines

We woke up to low clouds and fog and only 12*C but it did warm up as the day went on. We went to farmer’s market at the fair grounds and found the set used in the movie “WHITE FANG”. We bought kale lettuce and some local relish. As we searched for a sewer cap and a level (both lost on the rough road somewhere), we explored the town. This is a very small place so it was quickly explored. I did find a sewer cap at a Parts Store!!! We stopped at the Info Centre and Val asked about where to buy fresh fish and was told of a Cannery to go so we proceeded to find it. We bought shrimp, halibut and rock fish. We also bought a really neat clock of a trailer with a red truck as a pendulum in their souvenir store. We stopped at the legion for a drink and then drove to the ferry terminal and beyond where the Inlet ends and a river flows into it. It was packed with fishermen so it must be a good place. No bear sighting unfortunately.

It’s been a dreary day and we are back into our little cozy trailer having a glass of wine and catching up to battery charging, the blog and just relaxing. Val cooked a jumbalaya with the shrimps we bought today.
Later in the evening, we watched two cruise ships coming from Skagway, slowly going by.  One was all lit up because of the lateness in the evening.

JULY 21, Sunday, Haines.

DO I DARE HOPE!??  It is sunny albeit still lots of clouds but we are beginning to see the top of the mountains.  I called this morning and made reservations at PULLEN RV PARK which is situated by the harbour in Skagway.  The other campground north of town is full!? WOW!!! 

We went for a drive exploring the surroundings of Haines.  First we checked the Native Heritage about 12 miles north of town but unfortunately it was closed.  On the way back, we stopped to check out these fishwheels.  We actually saw a salmon being caught and dropped into a side bag catcher.  Quite ingenious!  We came back to town and explored Fort Seward built in the late 1800’s after Russia sold Alaska to the USA and Canada was contesting some of the borderlines.  It was the only military force for that purpose in all the history of Alaska.  We also found a restaurant called PILOT HOUSE that was so appealing that we went back for dinner.  We went to get some groceries and stopped at a local café/bar where we had delicious soup.

We came home, put the stuff away and sat outside in the sunshine, YES, SUNSHINE!!!  The local mountains were quite spectacular too.  Of course, pictures were taken.  We have new neighbours and are very friendly.  We went out for a very delicious seafood dinner then sat out for a while longer.  The sun finally went behind the mountains by 9 pm so we went for showers then home to watch the tube and blog.

Tomorrow, we take the ferry to Skagway, about an hour and a half away.

JULY 21, Sunday, Haines.

DO I DARE HOPE!??  It is sunny albeit still lots of clouds but we are beginning to see the top of the mountains.  I called this morning and made reservations at PULLEN RV PARK which is situated by the harbour in Skagway.  The other campground north of town is full!? WOW!!! 

We went for a drive exploring the surroundings of Haines.  First we checked the Native Heritage about 12 miles north of town but unfortunately it was closed.  On the way back, we stopped to check out these fishwheels.  We actually saw a salmon being caught and dropped into a side bag catcher.  Quite ingenious!  We came back to town and explored Fort Seward built in the late 1800’s after Russia sold Alaska to the USA and Canada was contesting some of the borderlines.  It was the only military force for that purpose in all the history of Alaska.  We also found a restaurant called PILOT HOUSE that was so appealing that we went back for dinner.  We went to get some groceries and stopped at a local café/bar where we had delicious soup.

We came home, put the stuff away and sat outside in the sunshine, YES, SUNSHINE!!!  The local mountains were quite spectacular too.  Of course, pictures were taken.  We have new neighbours and are very friendly.  We went out for a very delicious seafood dinner then sat out for a while longer.  The sun finally went behind the mountains by 9 pm so we went for showers then home to watch the tube and blog.

Tomorrow, we take the ferry to Skagway, about an hour and a half away.

JULY 22, Monday, To SKAGWAY, AK

I was up at 6 am and discovered we ran out of propane.  I figured it would last to Skagway but no luck.  We woke up to a beautiful sunshine and two cruise ship anchored in the harbour. One big and one small!  Coffee is on.  We slowly packed and got ready to leave.  At 10 am, we drove out to the ferry terminal where we sat until 12:30 pm when we began loading on the boat.  As it turned out, I got a refund of $33 because my length was shorter than previously stated, 41 feet rather than 50!  We got in the ferry from the side and with the tide being low, it was eerie as to wether we would do damage to the rear of the trailer but we made it. 

We got underway by 1 pm and made our way up the Inlet to Skagway.  An hour later we were there and hence began the unloading.  I had to back up all the way to the front then turn and get out the same way we came in.  No wonder it took so long to unload in Haines!!!  Anyway, on this side, the dock was floating so it went down with tide making it easier to get out and the ramp was not as steep.  We found our campground about 500 meters up the road.  It was a nightmare driving there as the roadway was full of tourist from the Cruise ship (make that 2) walking down the road.  We got in our spot, set up then went to find propane ($40 for two tanks).  No problems,  then we went into town for a nightcap!  Came home, had dinner then relaxed outside and met some of our neighbours and watched the two cruise ships leave.

The ride in was very pretty and we saw a couple of beautiful waterfalls but no animals.  The surrounding mountains were breathtaking as expected.  It was quite noisy earlier but it’s quiet now (8 pm local time).

N: 59* 27.026’

W: 135* 19.036’

Alt: 15 feet

We travelled 6 miles by road and just over one hour by ferry

JULY 23, Tuesday, Skagway

I thought we were going to have a quiet day but it’s not to be…Two more cruise ships docked in the night and the harbour is once again busy.  We have a mixture of sun and high clouds.  Two more cruise ships are docked at the other side of the Harbor.

First thing we did is visit the info centre housed in the "ARTIC BROTHERHOOD HALL", to find out a few things about this town.  This is a neat building; the whole facade is covered in drift wood pieces, 8,833 pieces to be exact, arranged in a mosaic pattern.  We walked the Main street and must have stopped in every store there was.  We bought a pair of runners for me as mine were in ruin, a hoody for Val and a couple of other items.  We stopped at the RED SALOON for soup and salad and I admired the waitresses dressed in the 1800 era.  This is where there is a “ladies of the night” museum.  The food was good and so was the views.  The place was packed.  We continued our walking and ran into rain that lasted about 10 minutes than the sun came out for good.  After visiting every store, we went back to the truck and to IGA to pick up some groceries and wouldn’t you know it, there was a bar across the street that we hadn’t notice before.  Of course we had to try their beer.  They had this game that had a ring attached to a line nailed to the ceiling and you had to swing the ring and line towards this fish on the wall that had a hook.  The end game was to hook the line to the hook.  Tried it but no luck.

We came home, put everything away and sat outside soaking the sun and watching everyone coming back to the cruise ships.  We met some very nice people in town who were on the ship and had a few laughs.  Val is now cooking dinner.  When we came home, our neighbours in Haines were parked two sites over so we reunited.

All four cruise ships are now gone (9 pm).  The place is quiet once again but till when???  We’ll find out tomorrow!

JULY 24, Wednesday, last day in Skagway

More ships at the dock!  Another busy day.  Rained overnight and early this morning.

This concludes our trip through ALASKA!  Tomorrow, we will be back in the Yukon and Friday, B.C. for the Cassiard Hwy with one stop in Hyder,AK.  We have driven 9018 KM or 5,006 miles since we left…AMAZING!  I don’t even want to look at what we spent on gas.  Alaska was expensive overall but we did save on the price of gas.  We are looking forward to this last part of our trip and hopefully the weather will hold for us.  We certainly cannot complain about it; we had minimal rain, considering!

We walked into town and went to see places we missed before such as the museum at City Hall.  We found this neat little vest for Renn so of course we had to buy it.  At 2:30 pm, we went to the Theatre to watch “THE DAYS OF 98” show about SOAPY SMITH, a character of ill repute back in the days in Skagway.  It was a musical and story telling show.  It was an hour and 15 minutes long.

We took a drive to the far side of the valley afterwards to a viewpoint, took some pictures of the city and harbour then drove on to the State Park on the same road to have a peek.

On our return, we parked the truck and walked over to a restaurant near us on the dock, recommended to us and called “FISHCO”.  Famous for their crab and halibut.  They had a Special consisting of a Alaska King Crab leg and a “Jumbo Klaw” for $99 US!  We stuck with Halibut!  We met this young couple (in their 40’s) next to our table and chatted with them for a while before they had to board their ship.  Val had the lady taste a piece of her fish and she was amazed how good it was and wished she had ordered that instead.

After paying the bill, we came home and relaxed for the rest of the evening.  It is cloudy and windy.  We have two new neighbours camped beside us.  It is dark now by 11 pm local time (12 am Yukon)

JULY 25, Thursday, to Tagish, Yukon via the White Pass.

As soon as we left Skagway, we began climbing.  The road took us up one side of the mountain into a short canyon then it opened up.  We did more stops on this short ride to just under 3000 feet than anywhere else.  The scenery was awesome and at the top, it was surreal.  It looked like the surface of the moon with rocks everywhere and every sizes.  There were dozens of small lakes captures among that jumble of rocks with short conifers growing amidst it all.

On the way up, we passed the US Border buildings, approx.. 10 miles south of the actual border line.  It was the same on the Cdn side except 10 miles further north.  There was a rest area where we could take pictures at the actual border line.  Of course, we took pictures of it all.  We are now in B.C.

We began going down slowly and into dense forest.  We crossed into the Yukon and arrived in Carcross around 11 am.  We explored this Native village.  They had a new display of shops of all kinds, a coffee shop and a restaurant.  We had lunch here which turned out to be not only expensive but disastrous on our stomach as we found out about 5 miles out of town.  Anyway, we arrived in TAGISH and found our friends’ house, parked and hooked up to power.

We had a great visit with Louise; Ron was gone to Calgary to pick up a new truck they found on line.  Louise cooked us a marvelous meal of chicken and moose meat…yum…yum!  We had an entertaining evening than it was time for bed.  It was a great day overall

N: 60* 18.997’

W: 134* 16.245’

ALT: 2192 ft

We travelled 86 miles in 2 hrs and 15 minutes @ an average 39 MPH

JULY 26, Friday, to Atlin, BC. Then to Hwy 37, Cassiar Hwy

We got and visited with Louise for a bit then I partially filled the water tank, put the power cord away, said our goodbyes to Louise and were on our way after she gave us a package of Elk sausage.  We drove to Hwy 1, Alaska Hwy, Jake Corner and filled up ($100) then headed south on Hwy 7.  We crossed into BC and soon arrived in Atlin, 98 KM from the turn off.  This is a really old and neat village.  It is also the most north-westerly town in BC according to MILEPOST book.

We explored the place, had lunch at the local restaurant and explored some more.  Came home and sat out watching the seagulls chasing this poor eagle while he tried to fish.  The sky has been menacing all day but so far, no rain and we do have blue sky.  We are camped at NORSEMAN PARK on a point all by ourselves and by this very small marina.  We have a spectacular view and paid only $30 with power and electricity.

N: 59* 34.146’

W 133* 42.237’

ALT: 2198 feet

We travelled 81miles in 2 hrs @ an average 45 MPH.

JULY 25, Thursday, to Tagish, Yukon via the White Pass.

As soon as we left Skagway, we began climbing.  The road took us up one side of the mountain into a short canyon then it opened up.  We did more stops on this short ride to just under 3000 feet than anywhere else.  The scenery was awesome and at the top, it was surreal.  It looked like the surface of the moon with rocks everywhere and every sizes.  There were dozens of small lakes captures among that jumble of rocks with short conifers growing amidst it all.

On the way up, we passed the US Border buildings, approx.. 10 miles south of the actual border line.  It was the same on the Cdn side except 10 miles further north.  There was a rest area where we could take pictures at the actual border line.  Of course, we took pictures of it all.  We are now in B.C.

We began going down slowly and into dense forest.  We crossed into the Yukon and arrived in Carcross around 11 am.  We explored this Native village.  They had a new display of shops of all kinds, a coffee shop and a restaurant.  We had lunch here which turned out to be not only expensive but disastrous on our stomach as we found out about 5 miles out of town.  Anyway, we arrived in TAGISH and found our friends’ house, parked and hooked up to power.

We had a great visit with Louise; Ron was gone to Calgary to pick up a new truck they found on line.  Louise cooked us a marvelous meal of chicken and moose meat…yum…yum!  We had an entertaining evening than it was time for bed.  It was a great day overall

N: 60* 18.997’

W: 134* 16.245’

ALT: 2192 ft

We travelled 86 miles in 2 hrs and 15 minutes @ an average 39 MPH

JULY 26, Friday, to Atlin, BC. Then to Hwy 37, Cassiar Hwy

We got up and visited with Louise for a bit then I partially filled the water tank, put the power cord away, said our goodbyes to Louise and were on our way after she gave us a package of Elk sausage.  We drove to Hwy 1, Alaska Hwy, Jake Corner and filled up ($100) then headed south on Hwy 7.  We crossed into BC and soon arrived in Atlin, 98 KM from the turn off.  This is a really old and neat village.  It is also the most north-westerly town in BC according to MILEPOST book.

We explored the place, had lunch at the local restaurant and explored some more.  Came home and sat out watching the seagulls chasing this poor eagle while he tried to fish.  The sky has been menacing all day but so far, no rain and we do have blue sky.  We are camped at NORSEMAN PARK on a point all by ourselves and by this very small marina.  We have a spectacular view and paid only $30 with power and electricity.

N: 59* 34.146’

W 133* 42.237’

ALT: 2198 feet

We travelled 81miles in 2 hrs @ an average 45 MPH.

JULY 27, Saturday, to Cassiar Hwy #37

Once again I was up at 5:30 am!??  I don’t know why but it’s really bothering me because by early afternoon, I am ready for a snooze which is what happened today.

We left Atlin at 8 am.  Norm, the owner, came out to say goodbye; nice gesture.  We drove through town one last time and got on Hwy 7 heading North to the Alaska Hwy # 1.  The scenery was wonderful and we got a different angle.  Drove by “Little Atlin Lake” and saw a small black bear crossing the road.  We saw another one on Hwy 1 by the side of the road eating.

We stopped for gas at Johnson’s Crossing@ $1.47 and for breakfast.  Nice place and we had a good view of the bridge (I took pictures on our way through previously).  We left there, crossed the bridge and soon were in TESLIN; didn’t stop this time!  Once again, the scenery was spectacular and different.  It’s amazing what one misses when going into one direction only.

We stopped a couple time including at the “CONTINENTAL DIVIDE” for coffee.  We had stopped here on our way up to Whitehorse.  At that time it was raining and we had met 6 bikers who were soaked to the bones and trying to dry out.  This time around, it was sunny and warm (18*C).

We finally arrived at the Cassiar Junction and stopped at Nugget City RV Park.  It was expensive at $58., another $10 for WIFI (no thanks) and $5 for air to put in your tires (again no thanks).  I have a tire on the trailer that has a slow leak, I’ve been procrastinating in getting fix, always thinking I will get it done at the next stop.

Anyway, it is only 3 pm but I was starting to fall asleep at the wheel so it was time.  We had shower and it’s very nice out and warm.

N 60* 01.706

W 129* 05.103’

ALT: 2404 feet

We travelled 267 miles in 5 hrs @ 52 MPH.  We were stopped for an hour and a half.

JULY 28, Sunday, Cassiar Hwy # 37

Yeah, I slept in to 8 am.  We were on the road by 9:15 am after dumping.  We headed East on Hwy 1 for about one KM then turn right on HWY 37, the Cassiar HWY.  The road was tortuous to begin with lots of curves and ups and downs but we soon reached new pavement and the road became straighter.  We began making out the Cassiar Mountain Range which we soon reached.  We saw the remnants of a huge fire back in 2011.  We drove through Good hope which was a little Native village than stopped in JADE CITY where there used to be a mine but is now closed.  It was pricey and didn’t buy anything but it was a neat place.  We crossed the Continental Divide and reached a spot where we stopped to have lunch. 

We arrived in DEASE LAKE around 1:30 pm and stopped here for the night and a GOOD THING IT WAS!!!!  As I unhooked, I noticed that the pin on the hitch receiver was loose.  I had lost the lock on it somewhere on the way down. 

It could have been a real disaster!!!

So we went to town and I found a locking pin and installed it.  I’ll have to keep an eye on that.  I fuelled up at $1.59/liter. 

It was a great relaxing day.  It was sunny with cloudy period and the road was in good shape albeit narrow and no shoulder.  We are camped at Dease Lake RV Park @ $35. Cash.  We have power and water

We drove 147 miles in 3 hrs and 15 minutes @ an average 46 MPH.

N 58* 25.977’

W 129* 59.136’

ALT: 2657 feet

JULY 29, Monday, to Stewart, BC/Hyder, AK

We left Dease Lake under sunny and partially cloudy day by 8:30 am.  Within, 20 km we came face to face with a black bear around a particularly tight turn.  He just looked at us and nonchalantly continued crossing the road as if he owned it!  What a sight!  We carried on and found the road to be excellent.  We travelled between the Skeena mountains and the Coastal Mountains and they offered us some wonderful sceneries.  Along the way, we saw three more adult bear and 4 young ones, all on separate occasions.

We crossed the Artic Divide and went over the Gnat Pass at 4032 feet, the highest pass on this highway.  We saw some beautiful lakes that looked inviting to be fished. 

We stopped at the Meziadin Junction where we had lunch and fueled up @ $1.59.

From here, we took a turn West on Hwy 37A and headed for Stewart.  This Hwy offered us the most scenic scenery in terms of peaks and glaciers.  We even got to see one, Bear Glacier, that came down to the river beside us.  WHAT A SIGHT!!!  The road was tortuous at times but we were going so slow that it didn’t matter.  We arrived in Stewart around 3PM, found our campground, a Municipal Park @ $29 for electricity, water and free shower.  We have cellular coverage finally and WiFi although it is extremely slow.

After setting up, we went to explore the town and to find a laundromat which we found but the Municipality is working on a water main so there is no water!!??  We also found the Info Centre and the Museum which we will explore tomorrow.  We took a drive to HYDE, AK to find a restaurant recommended but it was closed on Monday’s.  Such is our luck.  We did find a Bar where we were “HYDERIZED”.  It consist of a 2 oz moonshine alcohol that you have to down in one shot, put the glass down on the bar upside down then drink a glass of water or a beer.  We both did it, have a picture for it and a card certifying us as “HYDERIZED”.  Things we do for fun!!!

We came back to BC after going through the Cdn border (that is the ONLY border service, NO USA), and stopped at a local hotel where we had dinner then came home to relax.  We are told that there are a few bears including grizzly at the viewing point…looking forward to that!

We drove 245 miles in 5 hrs plus an hour and a half of stopping time.

N: 55* 56.349’

W: 129* 59.993’

Alt: 10 feet

JULY 30, Tuesday, Stewart/Hyde

We had a lazy morning as it should be!  We went into town and did the laundry which is at the local King Edward Hotel and we had coffee while waiting at the restaurant next door.  

We walked into town and went through a couple shops.  Afterwards, we drove back to Hyder and went up to the Bear observation platform but no bear to be seen although quite a few salmon making their way up the creek.  We were charged $10 each to go on the platform so we will be back later.  We continued up the road which turned to gravel and saw a couple mine sites.  At 2600 feet, we saw the “toe” (end or foot) of the glacier which in itself was quite impressive.  We climbed to 3600 feet where we had the MOST MAJESTIC VIEW we ever had.  A full glacier making its way down between two mountains and turning down towards the valley.  This area had a large parking area and picnic tables.  It is just too bad it wasn’t sunny!  I took a dozen pictures if not more then we had lunch which I had bought earlier at a bakery in Stewart.  What an incredible view!  We got there in time because as we were leaving, the clouds began covering the view.  We were up there a good half hour just feasting our eyes with such incredibly beauty.

We slowly made our way down and as we got into HYDER, a young bear was on the road but soon disappeared into the bush.  He probably was heading for garbage!?  We stopped at GLACIER INN and had a couple drinks and delicious halibut appies (deep fried).  We came back to BC and I washed the truck as it was raining (lightly) when coming down and it got filthy on the gravel road.  We came home, put the laundry away, relaxed for a while then went out for dinner at a local Café, the "SILVERADO" then back to the Bear Observation Platform.  We were there for over an hour but to no avail, no bear came into view.  Everyone left disappointed including us. 

By the time we got back to our site, it was raining steadily.

JULY 31, Wednesday, to Prince Rupert

Last day of the month, going by too fast.  Soon we will be home.  We were planning on going to Terrace but once on Hwy 16, we changed the destination to Prince Rupert.

We left by 9 am and soon were on Hwy 37 south.  The drive from here was boring so there ain't much to say about it.  We did hit construction where a single lane bridge was being replaced.  That was the only excitement.  We had a sunny day so it was pleasant with temperature of 13 to 17*C.

We arrived in Kitwanga where we visited a National Monument consisting of a hill used by the Gitwangak Native and a huge war happened here between Native tribes.  We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant but the service was extremely slow.  We made it through although another couple cancel and left, and we hit the road with full bellies.  On Hwy 16, we headed for Terrace where I filled up @ $1.32 (pretty cheap) and we decided here to go for Prince Rupert.  Once committed it began raining in earnest and we thought we really had made a big mistake but by the time we reached Rupert, the sun came out and all was well.  We set up at the RV Park in town near the ferries and went out to investigate a couple places we were told about.  We chose the “the Breakers” Pub and the food was excellent.

We came home, read for a while then went to bed.  We are here for two nights only.

We travelled 286 miles in 5 hrs and 50 minutes @ an average 49 MPH.  We stopped for a total of one hour and 25 minutes.

N: 54* 17.948’

W: 130* 20.555’

Alt: 40 feet