Planes, Trains, Boat, Bus, Truck and Feet
Recap: Can't believe we are back home already. No we weren't eaten by bears. We weren't able to blog as much as we would have liked to, but I will update it now. The trip was awesome. The weather was great, too.
First Day
Monday, June 24, 2013
Vancouver - Gustavus, Alaska
Started off in Vancouver at 11 am. Flew to Seattle on a Dash 8. Flight took about 45 minutes. Had a short layover in Seattle, had lunch in the SeaTac Airport at a great place called Beecher's handmade cheese. The best Mac & Cheese, ever. They have a flagship cheese made from Gruyère and Cheddar.
We than took a 2 hour flight to Juneau, Alaska on a 737. We remained on the plane in Juneau where we had another layover for about an hour. The flight to Gustavus lasted 12 minutes, hardly flew above the treetops. We were greeted by the driver from Glacier Bay Lodge which took us in a green school bus to the lodge, about a 15 minute drive from the airport. The lodge is located in a National Park. Arrived about 5:30. Beautiful spot.
We are now on Alaska time, which is 1 hour earlier than BC time.
Spent the rest of the evening getting familiar with the place.
Sunsets at 10:15 pm and Sunrise is at 3:15am
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
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| View from the plane to Juneau |
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Glacier Bay Cruise
WOW! Amazing! OMG! What a way to spend our anniversary. Went on an 8 hour cruise from Bartlett Cove up Glacier Bay to see Marjorie Glacier. This was on a 150 passenger catamaran.
Weather perfect! Sunny!
Wildlife - Stellar sea lions, puffins, eagles, eaglet, mountain goat and kid, a coastal brown bear swimming midway across the inlet, about a 2 mile swim, humpback whales, whale spouts, flukes and sea otters.
Scenery - Mountains and lots of tide water glaciers.
Lunch - Smoked salmon chowder, sandwiches and cookies.
Went for a short hike before dinner, it rained a bit this evening.
Well relaxed.
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| Stellar Sea Lions |
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| Bear swimming |
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| Sea Otter |
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| Marjorie Glacier |
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Glacier Bay to Skagway, Alaska
Weather not bad, cloudy. Left Gustavus today for Skagway. Our first flight was on a Cessna 2007, a 5 passenger plane. Took about 25 minutes to get to Juneau, Alaska. Had about an hour in Juneau. Our next plane was a 9 passenger plane. That flight took about 45 minutes to Skagway. Skagway was crazy with people, 4 cruise ships in town. Walked around looking through a lot of the stores. Went on a walking tour of Skagway with a National Park Ranger.
Unfortunately, the computer we are using to type this won't allow me to upload any pictures. Hopefully, our next stop will be more successful.
Tomorrow we venture on the White Pass Train to Whitehorse.
Descent into Skagway
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| Skagway, Alaska |
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Skagway, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon
This morning we woke up to a cloudy, rainy, foggy day. We ventured on the White Pass Yukon Route Railroad today.
The railroad is a narrow gauge rail pulled by a diesel engine.
The views, what we could see, were fantastic.
Traveled 5 hours on the train from Skagway to Carcross, Yukon. There were three rail cars of people (not full).
Went through customs in Fraser, BC which consisted of a border official walking through our car while we held up our passports.
Had lunch in Bennett, BC. It reminded us of dinners at church. We all sat at long rows of tables. There was beef stew, bread, coleslaw, and Apple Pie. As much as you could eat. Yum! After lunch we had time to walk part of the Chilcoot Trail. The weather got much better later in the day.
We saw another bear today while on the train.
We spent 3 hours in tiny Carcross waiting for the bus to take us to Whitehorse. Arrived in Whitehorse about 6:30. Then we walked 4 blocks to the Best Western. Weather, very warm.
The railroad is a narrow gauge rail pulled by a diesel engine.
The views, what we could see, were fantastic.
Traveled 5 hours on the train from Skagway to Carcross, Yukon. There were three rail cars of people (not full).
Went through customs in Fraser, BC which consisted of a border official walking through our car while we held up our passports.
Had lunch in Bennett, BC. It reminded us of dinners at church. We all sat at long rows of tables. There was beef stew, bread, coleslaw, and Apple Pie. As much as you could eat. Yum! After lunch we had time to walk part of the Chilcoot Trail. The weather got much better later in the day.
We saw another bear today while on the train.
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| Original Cantilever Bridge |
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| Lunch in Bennett, BC |
We spent 3 hours in tiny Carcross waiting for the bus to take us to Whitehorse. Arrived in Whitehorse about 6:30. Then we walked 4 blocks to the Best Western. Weather, very warm.
Time change again. Back on BC time zone.
While in Carcross we stopped at the Visitors Centre. We were given Yukon Gold Explorer's Passports. These are books with pages of information on local attractions and community museums throughout the Yukon. The purpose is visit these places and collect stamps. If you collect 10 stamps you are entered in a draw to win two troy ounces of Klondike placer gold. If you collect 20 or more stamps you are entered in a draw to win five troy ounces of Klondike placer gold. And if you go to certain "out of the way" sites, like Mayo, you are entered into a draw for one troy ounce of gold. By the end of the trip we collected 20 stamps.
Tomorrow we pick up the RV. Didn't get to see much of Whitehorse. Maybe next time.
While in Carcross we stopped at the Visitors Centre. We were given Yukon Gold Explorer's Passports. These are books with pages of information on local attractions and community museums throughout the Yukon. The purpose is visit these places and collect stamps. If you collect 10 stamps you are entered in a draw to win two troy ounces of Klondike placer gold. If you collect 20 or more stamps you are entered in a draw to win five troy ounces of Klondike placer gold. And if you go to certain "out of the way" sites, like Mayo, you are entered into a draw for one troy ounce of gold. By the end of the trip we collected 20 stamps.
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| Whitehorse, Yukon |
Tomorrow we pick up the RV. Didn't get to see much of Whitehorse. Maybe next time.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Yukon
Whitehorse to Pelly Crossing
Picked up the truck camper this morning around 9:30. It took about 1 1/2 hours for paperwork and final instructions. Our first stop visiting the visitor centre in Whitehorse to find out what we can't take across the border into Alaska. Okay, that done we do some more sightseeing in Whitehorse, visiting the SS Klondike an old riverboat. Anxious to get going, we stop at Superstore to load up on groceries. Had lunch in Whitehorse at a 50's style diner. Finally, ready to go.
Yukon
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| SS Klondike |
Drove the Klondike Highway 277 km to Pelly Crossing. We'll spend the night here. Found a government campground which kinda looked abandoned. No one else around, looks like a work crew came in and left before finishing. Open paint cans with used brushes left by the outhouses, a rake just laying around, garbage cans beyond full. The best thing it was free. Made a campfire and cooked dinner, brats.
Weather great, sunny and warm. Not typical for this area.
Before Pelly Crossing we made stops at Braeburn lodge where we bought a giant cinnamon bun (which lasted us til Wednesday) and a place called Five Finger Rapids near Carmacks. We took a short hike to the rapids which consisted of descending 219 steps.
Five Finger Rapids named by early miners for the 5 channels formed by the rock pillars. The safest passage is through the east passage. Riverboats used cables to pull themselves through the rapids.
Five Finger Rapids named by early miners for the 5 channels formed by the rock pillars. The safest passage is through the east passage. Riverboats used cables to pull themselves through the rapids.
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| Giant cinnamon bun compared to a Starbucks muffin |
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| Five Finger Rapids |
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| Dinner, Yum! |
Friday, June 29, 2013
Pelly Crossing to Dawson City, Yukon
Well, we survived our first night in a RV. Not bad. Today the weather is good again. While getting Diesel in the RV we were greeted by a rather friendly fox. Today we drove about 300 km to Dawson City with a side trip to Mayo, a town on the Silver Trail Highway.
Staying in a RV Campground just outside of Dawson City. Will spend 3 nights here. The RV Campground is like one big parking lot. Our neighbour, Ron and his wife is from Ontario and is driving a truck camper similar to ours. He is quite friendly and eager to offer advice.
Traffic - vehicles few and far between
Mosquitoes - Plenty (Good thing we have Off with Deet)
Showers - $2 for 5 minutes
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| Taken at midnight without a flash |
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Dempster Highway / Tombstone Territorial Park
Dempster Highway / Tombstone Territorial Park
Today we drove the Dempster Highway. It is the only road in Canada that takes you across the Artic Circle. We will not drive that far, but we will experience some of the Dempster Highway. We drive 107 km of the Dempster Highway enough to see the landscape change to tundra.
50 km into the highway we enter Tombstone Territorial Park. The park protects 2,200 square kilometres of the Ogilvie Mountains and Blackstone Uplands.
We end our journey at a pullout beside the Blackstone River. The view is fantastic. We spend time on the top of our RV enjoying the view and quietness.
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| Dirt packed, gravel road |
We spend the rest of the day in Dawson City. Dawson City streets consist of hard packed dirt and boardwalk footpaths.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Dawson City, Yukon to Beaver Creek, Yukon
Rained throughout the night. Weather definitely cooler. About 15 degrees today, partly cloudy. Drove about 300 km. Photo stop at Pickhandle Lake. Stopped in Burwash Landing to see the Kluane Museum of Natural History. Pulled over for lunch in Destruction Bay. Very windy and cool. There were two cyclists also stopping for lunch, we offered them some hot tea.
Arrived in Haines Junction about 2:30. Staying two nights in the Kluane RV Campground.
Showers - 25 cents a minute.
Haines Junction is on the eastern boundary of Kluane National Park and Reserve. The Kluane Mountain range is spectacular. They present a nearly unbroken chain of mountains to 8,000 feet interrupted by only a few large valleys cut by glacier-fed rivers and streams. Kluane Lake is the largest lake in the Yukon Territory.
Presently there is no grocery store in Haines Junction. Some groceries can be bought at the RV Campground, otherwise residents need to drive to Whitehorse. There is a great Tastee-Freeze thought.
Also saw a moose in one of the lakes on the drive today.
Last night was cool. Actually needed the blanket and duvet. Today is our last full day of our adventure. Again, the weather is perfect, sunny, but cool and very windy. What a great day for a hike. We decided to hike 7.5 km one way into the Alsek Valley. We drive 10 km to the trailhead. The trail is mostly on an old rock covered road. We hike gradually uphill to a silt cliff, about a 300 m elevation gain. There were some water crossings. The first one was easy, somebody had placed a plank across. The next two were a little trickier. The water was muddy and flowing pretty fast. We had to choose the narrowest place and jump. Luckily we made all the crossings without getting wet. Views were spectacular. The wind kept the bugs at bay. At the end of the hike, at the base of the silt cliff were all these round, bowling ball size rocks. These rocks are sometimes called Thunder eggs, but they are really concretions.
In the centre of the cement-like rock is likely a leaf or twig. It fell into a stream running off of a retreating glacier and was swept into a fan-delta, an accumulation of sediments where the stream slowed as it entered Glacial Lake Alsek some five to eight thousand years ago. Rain water percolated into the ground absorbing minerals along the way until it met up with the leaf or twig. Being carbon material, it is positively charged and thus attracted the negatively charged minerals. The bigger areas on top of the leaf or twig have more of a positive charge so it built up minerals at a faster rate until it was finally perfectly round. The Haines Junction concretions size owes to the thick layers of sediments and ground water.
On the way back we startled a ptarmigan (chicken).
After our hike, we had lunch, then we drove 26 km towards Haines, Alaska to Kathleen Lake.
Kathleen Lake is a glacier fed lake, turquoise blue and nearly 400 feet deep.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Dawson City
Spending Canada Day in Dawson City. Lots to see and do, pancake breakfast, parade, and a picnic lunch. There was also cake at the Visitor's Centre, and a gold panning championship.
The breakfast was a sourdough pancake breakfast at St Mary's Church. Cost $8. We went to the church hall, paid our money and waited in line. The church women were in a small kitchen busily cooking pancakes on their little griddles. The wait was worth it. Yum!
After breakfast we walked around town waiting for the parade to start at 11. The parade was fun, lasting about 10 minutes.
After the parade we walked around town again until it was time to have a picnic lunch at the Dawson City Museum. The lunch was by donation, we had smokies, chips and a drink.
After enough walking around town we drove to a Dredge. A what, a dredge, Dredge #4 to be precise. It was a machine used during the gold rush. Dredge #4 is the largest wooden hulled bucket line gold dredge in North America. We were able to get a tour inside the dredge. Quite impressive piece of machinery.
We had dinner in Dawson City and then we boarded a paddlewheeler for a 2 hour evening cruise on the Yukon River.
Hot day, probably close to 30 degrees.
Hot day, probably close to 30 degrees.
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| Dawson City |
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| Sourdough Pancake Breakfast |
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| Canada Day Parade |
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| Typical Street |
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| Picnic Lunch |
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| Dredge #4 |
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| Buckets for the Dredge |
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| Evening Cruise |
It began raining about 9:30 pm. We were still up at midnight finishing some laundry when we saw a rainbow.
Dawson City, Yukon to Beaver Creek, Yukon
Leaving Dawson City today. There is a free ferry that crosses the Yukon river to continue our journey. We heard stories that at times there could be a long wait for the ferry, up to 3 hours. So we woke up at 5 am and left at 6:30. The crossing only takes about 5 minutes. We were the only ones waiting for the ferry, which was on the opposite shore.
Safely across we begin our journey on the Top of the World Highway. The Top of the World Highway is 105 km long.
We climbed through fog the first 14 km of the highway. After that we were above the clouds.
What awesome views.
Just before Customs into Alaska, there is a rest area, where there is a short walk to the highest point on Top of the World Highway (elevation 4,515 feet).
Back into Alaska, we gain an hour.
Now we are traveling on the Taylor Highway towards Chicken, Alaska. What a road to experience. There is a section of the road the locals call the goat trail. The road is narrow with vertical drops to the valley far, far below.
Chicken, Alaska has a population of 23 in the summer, with 3 businesses. A must visit.
After stopping at Chicken we continued on toward Tetlin Junction which will connect with the Alaska Highway.
Once again we pass through customs. We are back in the Yukon and back on BC time.
We stop in Beaver Creek for the evening. Beaver Creek is just past Customs and is the most westernly town in the Yukon.
We have traveled about 400 km today and it took 12 hours to do it. Reason for the slowness - scenery, road conditions (construction, gravel roads, dirt roads, frost heaves).
While in Beaver Creek we saw the Beaver Creek Rendezvous. A 2 person stage show about the Yukon.
Weather has cooled down.
Stayed in a RV campground which is part of Westmark Inn.
Showers - Free
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| George Black Ferry |
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| Top of The World Highway |
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| Summit of Top of The World Highway |
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| Taylor Highway |
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| Chicken, Alaska |
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Beaver Creek to Haines Junction
Rained throughout the night. Weather definitely cooler. About 15 degrees today, partly cloudy. Drove about 300 km. Photo stop at Pickhandle Lake. Stopped in Burwash Landing to see the Kluane Museum of Natural History. Pulled over for lunch in Destruction Bay. Very windy and cool. There were two cyclists also stopping for lunch, we offered them some hot tea.
Arrived in Haines Junction about 2:30. Staying two nights in the Kluane RV Campground.
Showers - 25 cents a minute.
Haines Junction is on the eastern boundary of Kluane National Park and Reserve. The Kluane Mountain range is spectacular. They present a nearly unbroken chain of mountains to 8,000 feet interrupted by only a few large valleys cut by glacier-fed rivers and streams. Kluane Lake is the largest lake in the Yukon Territory.
Presently there is no grocery store in Haines Junction. Some groceries can be bought at the RV Campground, otherwise residents need to drive to Whitehorse. There is a great Tastee-Freeze thought.
Also saw a moose in one of the lakes on the drive today.
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| Moose Spotting |
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| Pickhandle Lake |
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| Destruction Bay |
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| Kluane Lake |
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| Sheep Mountain |
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| Kluane Range |
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| View from our campsite |
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Haines Junction
Last night was cool. Actually needed the blanket and duvet. Today is our last full day of our adventure. Again, the weather is perfect, sunny, but cool and very windy. What a great day for a hike. We decided to hike 7.5 km one way into the Alsek Valley. We drive 10 km to the trailhead. The trail is mostly on an old rock covered road. We hike gradually uphill to a silt cliff, about a 300 m elevation gain. There were some water crossings. The first one was easy, somebody had placed a plank across. The next two were a little trickier. The water was muddy and flowing pretty fast. We had to choose the narrowest place and jump. Luckily we made all the crossings without getting wet. Views were spectacular. The wind kept the bugs at bay. At the end of the hike, at the base of the silt cliff were all these round, bowling ball size rocks. These rocks are sometimes called Thunder eggs, but they are really concretions.
In the centre of the cement-like rock is likely a leaf or twig. It fell into a stream running off of a retreating glacier and was swept into a fan-delta, an accumulation of sediments where the stream slowed as it entered Glacial Lake Alsek some five to eight thousand years ago. Rain water percolated into the ground absorbing minerals along the way until it met up with the leaf or twig. Being carbon material, it is positively charged and thus attracted the negatively charged minerals. The bigger areas on top of the leaf or twig have more of a positive charge so it built up minerals at a faster rate until it was finally perfectly round. The Haines Junction concretions size owes to the thick layers of sediments and ground water.
On the way back we startled a ptarmigan (chicken).
After our hike, we had lunch, then we drove 26 km towards Haines, Alaska to Kathleen Lake.
Kathleen Lake is a glacier fed lake, turquoise blue and nearly 400 feet deep.
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| Ptarmigan |
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| Kathleen Lake |
Friday, July 5, 2013
Haines Junction to Whitehorse
Whitehorse to Vancouver
Today we travel back to Whitehorse, 161 km from Haines Junction. On the way we stop at few more museums to collect our stamps for our Yukon Passport.
Copperbelt Railway and Mining Museum - Learn about the copper and rail history of the Yukon
Yukon Transportation Museum - There is a DC-3 weathervane here
Yukon Beringa Interpretive Centre - Yukon's ancient history
MacBride Museum of Yukon History
Time to turn in the Truck Camper. First we need to fill up with diesel. Then we need to stop at the local car wash and power wash the Truck Camper. All done, time to say good-bye to the Truck Camper.
It is only 11:30, our flight home is not til 5. We our driven to downtown Whitehorse to get our last view of the Yukon. We have lunch and check out the gift shops.
We check in at the airport and with some time left, we walk over to the Transportation Museum.
We were impressed with Air North Airlines. There was no cost for check-in baggage. They still offer pillows and blankets. We were offered sandwiches, had two drink services, were given hot chocolate chip cookies and offered a candy.
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| Canyon Creek Bridge |
Part of the original Wagon Road, built in 1904. Used until the 1920s
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| DC-3 Weathervane |
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| Waterfront Trolley |
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| Transportation Museum |
Our journey is through, but our quest for the North is not. We hope to visit again, maybe at a different time of year or maybe more of Alaska.
Happy Anniversary you two adventurers! May all of your moose encounters be happy ones!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! Looks like a wonderful trip--so glad you two were able to get away and enjoy!
ReplyDelete