We’ve returned to civilization, a mixed blessing. Riverside Golf and RV Park is our home for 2 nights. What would one call the citizens of Smithers? I like Smithereens even though it’s incorrect cuz the second ‘s’ is missing. What are smithereens anyway? Anybody ever looked it up? I just did: fragmented parts or broken pieces - could have guessed that. Anyway, guess the locals are Smitherseens or Smithersites or Smithersanians.
Groceries here are reasonable and selected fresh seafood items are great buys. That does not include beer: $14.35 for a 6-pack of anything drinkable, $12.35 for mass produced swill like Bud Light. Forget it. We’ll wait until we’re back in the States in 4 days.
We’re playing golf tomorrow, first time in 6 weeks, so it’ll be ugly but what the hell. Burn the score cards and tell big whopping lies about birdies and eagles and holes-in-one, oh my. It’ll be our first ever golf in BC for what that’s worth.
We were going to loll around BC for a week but have business to attend to and it’s best done in the US. So we'll beat feet southward come Sunday and arrive in the US Monday night.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Day 60. Hyder, AK
Last night about 7:30 we drove to the bear viewing platform about 3 miles up the road from our Camp Run-A-Muck (no kidding) campsite. It was our second attempt to view bears feasting on spawning chum salmon; our early afternoon attempt was fruitless. We scored 1 each black bear and griz in an hour’s time. The black was an accomplished fisher, stood stock still at the edge of the stream for a minute selecting its target, then did a quick rush forward and nailed it. Way cool! It then disappeared back into the brush to eat.
Some 15 minutes later the griz appeared, walked downstream a ¼ mile and made one floundering attempt at a salmon before disappearing around a bend in the stream. The griz’ technique was to stand in the middle of the stream and splash a lot, needs to take a lesson from the black.
As I write this, it’s 5:30 AM, and we’re preparing to go out for another viewing in ½ hour. The platform is a Forest Service facility and you have to pay a fee or show your Golden Passport to gain entry. There were about 150 people there last night and of course they all rush to the sighting point so it gets crowded. Luckily, I was the first to spot the black and it emerged close to where Trish and I were standing.
Our wakeup call yesterday at Kinaskan Lake was the maniacal laughter of a loon, reminiscent of MN, where I heard them frequently in my youth. There must be a lot of loons in Canada (the national bird?) cuz their $1 dollar coin, the loonie, has a loon engraved on one side. Their $2 coin is dubbed a two-nie cuz it’s two Loonies. Loonie’s and twonies are what one feeds into the coin-op laundry machines, carwash meters and vending machines, eh.
Later. We saw 2 more griz or maybe the same one twice, eating berries the first time, catching and eating 2 salmon the second. Took a few pix at max zoom (10X) so they’re not the best.
The mountain and glacier pix were taken on the Stewart/Hyder highway.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Day 58. Trip miles: 9310. Kinaskan Lake PP, BC
This morning we said goodbye to TAH and the Yukon just west of Watson Lake and turned south onto the Stewart Cassiar Highway. The northernmost 150 miles of the SCH are quite rough, can’t exceed 50 MPH towing a trailer. I don’t know the origin of the Stewart Cassiar name; regardless, the road would be more appropriately called Bladder Burst Byway. Weather’s been good since we left Skagway except for a thunderstorm last night while camped at Big Creek Provincial Park, YT.
We haven’t seen any large critters recently excepting one skuzzy black bear about an hour out of Skagway. Tomorrow, we’re heading off on a 1 or 2 night side jaunt to Stewart/Hyder, twin towns on the BC/AK border; there’s a place there where, so they say, you can see a mess of griz. To date, our griz count is unacceptably low (One. Count ‘em: one). It’s downright embarrassing, traveling through Canada and Alaska for 6 weeks and seeing one measly griz.
Stewart: will have to research that name since it seems to be everywhere hereabouts. He (She? Unlikely: darn few if any explorers, trappers and scouts were of the female persuasion) was probably a contemporary of Bill Williams, referenced in one of the early posts. I bet Stewart’s middle name is Nancy.
We’ve not seen any caribou in the wild. There were caribou at North Pole, penned up in a sad looking habitat. The LARS at UA Fairbanks had some also, but in a much better environment. Also, we saw a caribou farm where I assume they’re raised for meat and hides – maybe antlers, too.
Our Kinaskan Lake camp site is a fantastic setting, comparable to Muncho Lake. Will send pix in later post; the wifi here is snail paced.
We haven’t seen any large critters recently excepting one skuzzy black bear about an hour out of Skagway. Tomorrow, we’re heading off on a 1 or 2 night side jaunt to Stewart/Hyder, twin towns on the BC/AK border; there’s a place there where, so they say, you can see a mess of griz. To date, our griz count is unacceptably low (One. Count ‘em: one). It’s downright embarrassing, traveling through Canada and Alaska for 6 weeks and seeing one measly griz.
Stewart: will have to research that name since it seems to be everywhere hereabouts. He (She? Unlikely: darn few if any explorers, trappers and scouts were of the female persuasion) was probably a contemporary of Bill Williams, referenced in one of the early posts. I bet Stewart’s middle name is Nancy.
We’ve not seen any caribou in the wild. There were caribou at North Pole, penned up in a sad looking habitat. The LARS at UA Fairbanks had some also, but in a much better environment. Also, we saw a caribou farm where I assume they’re raised for meat and hides – maybe antlers, too.
Our Kinaskan Lake camp site is a fantastic setting, comparable to Muncho Lake. Will send pix in later post; the wifi here is snail paced.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Day 56. Skagway.
Would you believe it? Skagway, the best weather in AK? It’s true: sunny and 74 degrees for a high today. Mother Nature threw us a bone on our last day in AK; thanks, Mom.
Our original idea was to drive to Haines and take the ferry to Skagway, but we were put off by the ferry schedules/fees and the extra driving miles. Instead, we elected to do just Skagway, it being the more interesting of the two towns. We also considered taking a passenger-only ferry to Haines and back, but there doesn’t appear to be any regular service. Supposedly there are ‘water taxis’ that run back and forth.
Skagway was the first incorporated town in Alaska, had 20000 population during the gold rush, but only about 500 for several decades after. Population currently is 846, and most residents are here because of the tourist industry: 300 cruise ships a year, plus the folks who come by land. The downtown buildings have a classic western look, many with false fronts and colorful business names. Several years ago, I did the Inside Passage cruise with siblings, and the ship stopped here for a few hours so it's not my first time.
The White Pass train rolled by our campground at 7 AM, heading for the harbor to pick up cruise ship passengers. Train rides up to White Pass are one of the more popular tourist activities; having already driven here via White Pass, we’ll give it a miss.
Pix: Emerald Lake on the Klondike Highway, various Skagway shots including the old locomotive with the rotary snow plow in front, and unique jockstrap to keep the privates warm on those cold winter nights. Nobody likes cold privates.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Day 55. Evening. Skagway, AK
The worst stretch of road on TAH is between Haines Junction, YT, and a point about 25 miles beyond the border towards Tok. Unfortunately, you have to drive that stretch both coming and going; there is no alternative. On the way up, it was constant rain for that bad stretch but on the return drive the weather was better and we could see the mountains and lakes along the way, very scenic. Better weather is a relative term, though. Since entering AK there’s not been a single day without precipitation.
Our campground last night was Lake Creek Provincial Park, YT, and when we arrived at 4 PM, it was sunny and relatively warm at 67 degrees. Felt great to bask in the sun and sit around the campfire.
The run down to Skagway has beautiful scenery, also – and some of the most inhospitable mountainous terrain we’ve ever seen. The mountains are super steep and glaciated, with narrow valleys in between, mostly filled with rivers and lakes. This is the nasty stuff the gold rushers had to contend with. In winter, though, the lakes probably froze over so that may have helped then get to the gold fields.
We’re in Skagway for 2 nights, then, we say goodbye to Alaska and head back into Canada to catch the Cassiar Highway southbound. We’re gonna head south until we hit nice weather, then take about a 5-day breather.
We got in late tonight so no pix; manana por favor.
Our campground last night was Lake Creek Provincial Park, YT, and when we arrived at 4 PM, it was sunny and relatively warm at 67 degrees. Felt great to bask in the sun and sit around the campfire.
The run down to Skagway has beautiful scenery, also – and some of the most inhospitable mountainous terrain we’ve ever seen. The mountains are super steep and glaciated, with narrow valleys in between, mostly filled with rivers and lakes. This is the nasty stuff the gold rushers had to contend with. In winter, though, the lakes probably froze over so that may have helped then get to the gold fields.
We’re in Skagway for 2 nights, then, we say goodbye to Alaska and head back into Canada to catch the Cassiar Highway southbound. We’re gonna head south until we hit nice weather, then take about a 5-day breather.
We got in late tonight so no pix; manana por favor.
The Mail Seekers
Today’s episode of The Mail Seekers comes to you from Tok, AK, the twice-traveled town on The Alaska Highway – thusly called because you must go through Tok both coming and going. It’s Saturday, July 24th, and the Tok post office is closed, but The Seekers were told to knock on the inner door around noon and ask for their package.
Mike and Trish pull up to the Tok post office at 11:30 AM, a little early for the pickup, so they enter the EDGE and have lunch – sliced turkey breast on wheat bread with lettuce, mayo and cranberries. The meal is enhanced by potato chips, the ridged variety. Mike finishes his sandwich and enters the post office.
Knock, knock, knock.
“What do you want!?” The door is closed, but a woman is shouting from somewhere in the bowels of the PO.
“I’m here to pick up a package.”
“What box number!?”
“No box number; it’s general delivery.”
“What’s the name!?”
“Delaney and Roberts.”
Rustling, shuffling and a loud grunt are heard from within, a pause, then “Oh!” Another grunt.
The door is opened by a shriveled diminutive woman. She has a package in her hand. She says, “It has Delta Junction written on it so I was going to send it there. I need to see some ID.”
Mike pulls out his wallet and opens it to show his driver’s license. The woman hands Mike the package and he leaves the PO thinking, good grief; if I hadn’t been there right at noon, the package would have been buried in the Delta Junction pile and probably on its way back there by this afternoon. But, I got it – and it only took 6 attempts!
And there you have it, faithful readers. The Seekers seek no more – until they have the next batch of mail forwarded from Arizona. God only knows where (the USPS sure as hell won’t} that batch will end up, what circuitous route it may take, and when, if ever, it will arrive at the correct location.
“Priority Mail, 2-3 days, anywhere in the US.
Oh, yeah.
Mike and Trish pull up to the Tok post office at 11:30 AM, a little early for the pickup, so they enter the EDGE and have lunch – sliced turkey breast on wheat bread with lettuce, mayo and cranberries. The meal is enhanced by potato chips, the ridged variety. Mike finishes his sandwich and enters the post office.
Knock, knock, knock.
“What do you want!?” The door is closed, but a woman is shouting from somewhere in the bowels of the PO.
“I’m here to pick up a package.”
“What box number!?”
“No box number; it’s general delivery.”
“What’s the name!?”
“Delaney and Roberts.”
Rustling, shuffling and a loud grunt are heard from within, a pause, then “Oh!” Another grunt.
The door is opened by a shriveled diminutive woman. She has a package in her hand. She says, “It has Delta Junction written on it so I was going to send it there. I need to see some ID.”
Mike pulls out his wallet and opens it to show his driver’s license. The woman hands Mike the package and he leaves the PO thinking, good grief; if I hadn’t been there right at noon, the package would have been buried in the Delta Junction pile and probably on its way back there by this afternoon. But, I got it – and it only took 6 attempts!
And there you have it, faithful readers. The Seekers seek no more – until they have the next batch of mail forwarded from Arizona. God only knows where (the USPS sure as hell won’t} that batch will end up, what circuitous route it may take, and when, if ever, it will arrive at the correct location.
“Priority Mail, 2-3 days, anywhere in the US.
Oh, yeah.
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