Wyoming
June 10th – June 14th
We spent a wonderful few days with our friends Jimmy and Nadine in Buffalo, Wyoming. We were able to park in their driveway and watch the deer every morning and evening from the back porch. There are lots of wild turkeys around, too. It is so beautiful here …. right at the foothills of the Big Horn mountains. Friday we drove up to their cabin, following Crazy Woman Creek all the way up to the high meadows. Seems like most everything in this area has something to do with a crazy woman...LOL. They weren’t sure we could get in on the cabin trail as the snow pack had been very heavy this year, but it was all melted and we had a great time sitting around the campfire. We had such a great time we decided to come back up on Saturday, do some jeeping and spend the night. We saw several elk and that night a deer came right up to their fence and watched us. We threw tomahawks at a big stump, roasted marshmallows over the fire and watched the stars come out…. so close it seemed like you could touch them. Man, pancakes taste so good when you are in the mountains! If you ever have a hankerin’ to experience the best of what the West and the Rocky Mountain’s have to offer check out Buffalo, Wyoming and the beautiful Big Horn Mountains….truly God’s country. Many thanks Jimmy and Nadine….
Montana
June 15th – June 17th
We have had a lot of rain on this trip already. But the blessing in that is there are lots of rainbows! And wildflowers. All the rivers are so full; there is no chance for fishing! The farther west and north we get, the bigger the rivers! I thought the Colorado was big …not even; compared to the Clark Fork in Montana. It was really raging. I have never been to this part of the country so it is all new to me.
Montana has some great places to stop … Cabela’s in Billing’s. the Montana Wheat Company at Three Forks (where they mill and bake the bread right there) not to mention all the casinos. Gambling must be legal in Montana because every gas station seems to have a casino but they can’t all be on indian reservations! Seriously, just about every corner has a casino! Some have EZ loans in the same building…..go figure. Then there is the “50,000 Dollar Bar”. This tourist attraction is advertised on billboards all across Montana, so of course we had to stop. It is literally paneled in silver dollars….58,000 plus to be exact. Most of them have been donated and people’s names and dates are inscribed in big wooden plaques hung on the walls along with the dollars. And the bar is inlaid with them. It is amazing. You can also build your own 6 pack of Montana microbrews… Now get a mental picture……Moose Drool Ale, Pig’s Ass Porter, Dump Truck Bock, Trout Slayer Wheat, Jack Russell Red to name a few. But the best place was Lolo Hot Springs, about 45 minutes south of Missoula, MT. It is really beautiful country. They have a great little RV park right on the river and a really nice indoor soaking pool.
They also have what they have named the “Megaload”. Evidently this HUGE and I mean HUGE container had a permit to be trucked through the back roads from “somewhere” all the way to Canada, because it can’t fit under the overpasses on the interstate. When I googled it, it looks like it is parts of a refinery for ConocoPhillips in Billings and many loads have come through. Then the town of Missoula got an injunction to keep it from coming through town and it has been stuck there for almost 2 months. Nobody knows exactly what it is, but it takes 1 semi pulling it and 2 semis pushing to transport it.
Montana to Moses Lake, WA
June 18th
It sounds like a long haul but it is not really. You only go across a little bit of Idaho and it is really beautiful. Coeur d’Alene especially. I never knew it was on the shore of a huge lake. Never managed to find any wineries, guess we’ll hit some north of Seattle at a town called Woodenville (our friend Jimmy calls it Snokerville)….there are several different wineries up there, including one called the Barking Frog..
Thank goodness for Walmart, it is a great place to boondock. And the Rand McNalley atlas you buy there lists every Walmart by state and gives you the freeway exit, too. How cool is that. Then I found an app for my tablet and it tells you which ones allow overnight parking and whether it is a Super Center so you can grocery shop, too. And it lists campgrounds and rest stops, etc. I love technology, especially when it works.
Moses Lake to Silverdale, WA
June 19th
Well, I thought I had seen big rivers but now we have crossed the Columbia and it is huge! And the pull from Silverthorne to the tunnel west of Denver (11miles) is nothing compared to the pull uphill out of Vantage, Washington where I-90 crosses the river …. 21 miles!
Up and over the Cascades….Desert on the east side, rain forest on the west. Amazing. It is so lush and green and overgrown. The trees are huge! I scoffed at Snoqualime Pass at 3005 ft until I realized that you start out at sea level instead of 5280 ft when you go up into the mountains west of Denver. Even so it is a pretty wimpy pass.
My niece Jen lives in Silverdale and my brother lives in Bremerton, so we are going to park at her house for a couple of days & visit. (this is west of Seattle, across the Sound on rhe Olympic peninsula).
As it is Father’s Day, we are going to have fresh salmon and crab cakes for dinner…..yum!
Anacortes, WA
June 23th – June 26th
Okay so being divers we really wanted to scuba dive in the islands north of Seattle or the Vancouver coast which we’d heard was world class. Our friends Jimmy and Nadine from Wyoming highly recommended Anacortes on the island of Fidalgo which they’d just visited. We thought about riding the ferry across Puget Sound from Port Angeles but it would have cost about $80 with the RV, so we drove the long way around, south to Tacoma and up through Seattle to Mount Vernon, then across bridges to Anacortes. I think by the time Jim drove through traffic in Seattle he was wishing we had taken the ferry. Never did find the wineries, we must have passed them while driving.
We found a great RV park there way back in the trees and quite beautiful and very peaceful. We ended up staying for 4 days but could easily have made it a week or two….the whole island is very cool. Lots of museums and the oldest marine hardware store on the west coast. And we met new friends ….Vicky and Ole and her sister Laura. They are long time friends of Jimmy and Nadine. Nadine gave me their number and called them to let them know we were coming and that’s all it took. They have a beautiful house up on Biz Point and were gracious enough to invite us over for dinner. Ole and Vicky are fantastic chefs and it was an amazing dinner out on their deck. We enjoyed their fireplace, some great Washington wines, an awesome sunset and their very enjoyable company. It really made our visit to Anacortes very special.
Just a random observation here which has nothing to do with anything in particular but I find it fascinating to look for the really cool and weird names people call their businesses. While traveling you see random ones that really stick in your head. Like a beauty shop called “Curl up and Dye” in Sheridan, WY or a porta potty company on Whidbey Island called “The Wizards of Ooze”, how yucky is that! You have to wonder how some peoples minds work.
We tried to find a dive shop or charter that had some boat trips scheduled but struck out. Fortunately we hooked up with Bob and Kelly at Anacortes Dive and Supply (and a SSI shop to boot). They were very helpful in recommending some shore dives. We dove at Rosario Beach on Fidalgo Island on Saturday and then crossed over the bridge at Deception Pass and drove down Whidbey Island to Ft. Casey State Park on Sunday where we dove at the infamous Keystone Scuba Park. OK….this is beach diving…. not only do you have to carry your gear quite a ways over a rocky beach, you have to maneuver your way through some very prolific kelp beds, the current can be rippin, and the water temp was only 47 degrees! None the less we did 4 dives in 2 days and it was so worth it! The marine life is huge compared to what we normally see in Mexico. Octopus with mantles that are 1-2 ft across and tentacles as big around as your arm with suckers the size of a quarter! Star fish and sun stars that literally glow and are bigger than platters. Plus so many kinds of crab and anemones! Tube worms as big as your wrist together with dazzling white anemones on thick stems that seem to cover most everything…. amazing. To all of this then add in lots of schooling rock fish not to mention big ling cod, one of the ugliest fish I have ever seen, all of which is protected within the park boundaries. The diving at Keystone is considered to be some of the best in the whole Puget Sound area. You can only dive on the outside of the rock jetty because the car ferry to Port Townsend has the right of way on the other side. Or you can dive amongst the pilings under the abandoned wharf…..see pics. Or do a drift dive in between the two. Either way the amount of life is incredible…way too much eye candy! Needless to say if you’re a diver and wish to enjoy a unique and challenging experience hook up with Anacortes Diving and Supply. Also you can check out the pics on You Tube for Keystone Scuba Park in Washington.
Anacortes, WA to Cache Creek, BC
June 27th
Our neighbor at the RV park in Anacortes was from Canada, so we picked up some good tips on traveling in BC from them. We managed to bypass Vancouver and crossed the border at Sumas, WA. It was actually more intimidating than Mexico. They searched the coach and confiscated our pepper spray…..if it had been labeled bear spray, we could have kept it! Somehow that seems a bit twisted.
We followed the Fraser river most of the way to Cache Creek. It is even bigger than the Columbia! Incredible scenery. We were really enjoying the drive until we saw a warning sign saying that Hwy 97 (the highway to Dawson Creek, the start of the AlCan Highway) was closed at Pine Pass. Could not find Pine Pass on the map but did get information from a gas station in Cache Creek on how to look up info at www.drivebc.ca. Sure enough, Pine Pass is on the way to Dawson Creek so we had to find a different way to get there. There is only one other way …. We had to go east before we could go north. The route we have to take now is Kamloops to Jasper Nat’l Park in the Canadian Rockies, down to Hinton, north to Grande Cache, Grande Prairie then on to Dawson Creek. Only a 2-3 hundred mile detour!
Cache Creek , BC to Hinton, BC
June 28th
Wow! What a wonderful detour. We followed the Fraser River and then the Thompson River up an amazing mountain valley up and over the Rocky Mountains. Then we were back at the Fraser River again. The scenery is incredible …. Heavy woods in so many shades of green, it is overwhelming. There is a lot of logging all through here and they sculpt out areas to log and then replant them so you get a really pretty tapestry of colors. Everything up here is more or bigger….more rugged peaks, more trees, bigger rivers but much less development …. very small towns and resorts, well back and hidden from the road so you get an impression of a big wilderness. So different from Colorado where there is so much development.
Mt Robson Park was incredibly beautiful even though the highest peaks were covered by rain clouds. The other problem is that there are so many trees that taking pictures is a challenge. You can see the rivers and waterfalls and lakes and old bridges and old barns and old cabins but by the time you push the shutter all you get are trees. But we had a wonderful picture opportunity drop into our laps when we stopped to walk down by a river east of Jasper. Not 20 feet in front of us, right next to the highway, was a beautiful cow elk. We watched each other for several minutes before she ambled off…not bothered by us a bit.
There are lots of signs for moose crossings along the highway but we haven’t been blessed with a sighting yet. It is the perfect habitat for them… lots of marshy areas and big lakes and grass. The signs caution you “Moose crossing next 18 KM”
You see waterfalls every few miles and some are so big that they have their names on roadside signs. They also have signs along the highway pointing to various peaks with their names on them. Very informative, these Canadians.
Hinton, Alberta to Dawson Creek, BC -
Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway
then on to Ft. St. John
June 29th
We pulled into Hinton last night and guess what? There was a Walmart! We spent the night there and headed north this morning on Hwy 40, The Scenic Route to Alaska. It is also called the Bighorn Highway and goes across the Willmore Wilderness Park. It is very different from “parks” in Colorado in that there aren’t many trees in the mountainous parks of Colorado, like South Park. It is a beautiful drive across rolling foothills that are heavily wooded and stretch to the horizon. Lots of logging and natural gas wells up here, too. We saw a sign that said “Caribou Crossing, Wildlife Sanctuary. No hunting within 365 meters of the road”. Some sanctuary! But given as wild as the area is, you could have a whole village of Sasquach (Bigfoot for you less articulate souls) back in the trees and never see them so the caribou are probably safe. Needless to say, we haven’t seen any.
We got to Dawson Creek in the early afternoon. It is quite a bustling modern town…. Not at all what Jim thought it would be. I think he was expecting board sidewalks with old west saloons and people walking around in buckskins with mules and horses in the streets. Instead we saw a marquee announcing that Kiss would be playing in concert tomorrow night. What a trip!
A brief history of the Alaska Highway: It was built by the army to connect Alaska to the lower 48 states at the beginning of WW II. Construction started March 9, 1942 and by summer 11,500 men were working on the highway from both ends. In November of the same year, just 8 months and 12 days, the highway was opened! It was little more than a dirt road but a remarkable achievement. The original highway was 1680 miles long from Dawson Creek, BC to Delta Junction, AK and was opened to civilian cars in 1948.
We are going on to Ft. St. John to spend the night as there is; you got it, a Walmart there.
Alaska Highway Day 2
Ft. St. John, Ft. Nelson and Coal River – mile 533
June 30th
The landscape is still rolling wooded foothills, with some mountains to the south to add some interest. Among the other thing that keeps Jim on his toes are sections of the sealcoat highway that are chewed up, probably by tire chains. Many areas are in the process of being repaired and are just big sections of loose gravel. It is challenging hitting those at 60 MPH. All in all the roads are in pretty decent shape and we’ve hardly had any delays or traffic to speak of. We are pretty much all by ourselves out here.
The remarkable detail about the scenery so far is how healthy the forests are. Until this morning we had seen no evidence of pine beetle infestation. Today we passed through an extensive section that was all brown. Then we haven’t seen any more. The road is pretty straight with some ups and downs and then there are some real downs. We went down a real steep hill coming into Sikanni Chief, (the grade wasn’t even posted) and then we saw a sign warning of a real steep hill coming up. That was a little hairy, especially the big curve at the bottom.
Farther down the road:
Okay I take it back about nice meandering roads and the same old, same old re the trees. We entered Stone Mountain Provincial Park west of Fort Nelson and wowsers Bullwinkle …did the scenery ever change. The road has become a wonderful roller coaster ride at times up to or above tree line then down , down, down to the lush valley generally following the rivers course. There are so many rivers and lakes up here it’s hard to keep track of all the names but they are all big. Shortly after entering the park we came upon the first wildlife of the day …. 2 black bears in the grassy area next to the road. Up high above treeline there were a small herd of Thin Horn Sheep. They were right on the shoulder nibbling on gravel. I did not see anything resembling a blade of grass anywhere. Back down in the marshy areas there was a moose drooling all over his grass. Then we saw signs to watch out for buffalo! We both look at each other and say “no way”. But pretty soon we saw one by the side of the road. Wasn’t even ready with the camera but no worries, pretty soon we came upon a HERD of them, at least 12 with 4 or 5 calves … they were so cute! Then another herd, this time ambling down the middle of the highway! Then more bears, then more buffalo. We stopped for gas at Coal River and decided to stay there for the night. While we were eating dinner (inside the RV, thank goodness) several came lumbering through the RV park, knocking down fence posts and oblivious to everything.
Alaska Highway day 3
Coal River, BC, Watson Lake, Teslin and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory –mile 870
July 1st
We left Coal River this morning and are headed for Whitehorse to stay at the Walmart there. Now, the Coal River is actually bigger than the map dot which consists of 2 gas pumps, a café specializing in bumbleberry pie (raspberry, apple, rhubarb and blueberry) and Bison Burgers (can you say road kill) and 10 RV hookups. This is typical of accommodations and/or gas along the Alaska Highway. You get a better sense of the remoteness listening to the generator run all night which is the only power source and talking with the proprietor. They are only open for business between April and September as are many of the facilities along the road. Now with the economical problems and high price of fuel, fewer tourists traveling means that many of the smaller places have closed for good….quite sad.
Watson Lake is a small town and its primary claim to tourist fame is the Signpost Forest. It was started in 1942 by a GI working on the highway. He put up a sign pointing the way home and the mileage to Danville, IL. He came back 50 years later and there are more than 10,000 signs. The town puts up posts and you are free to leave your sign if you like.
Then on to Teslin which has a whopping 2 gas stations and a bigger RV park. It is on the shores of Lake Teslin which is 78 miles long, 2 miles wide and up to 700 ft deep! The bridge spanning the neck of the lake is the longest span on the Alaskan Highway.
Whitehorse is a thriving metropolis of 25,000 people on the shores of the Yukon River. The Yukon is the 3rd longest river in North America. It was a major destination for gold stampeders on the “Trail of ‘98” to the Klondike. It got its name from the historic rapids that resembled “the flowing manes of charging white horses” through Miles Canyon.
It is the home of the Yukon Quest dog sled race …1000 miles to Fairbanks, AK; the longest wooden fish ladder in the world; and the SS Klondike, a sternwheeler that transported gold seekers up the river. It is also the railhead for the White Pass & Yukon route Railway, completed in 1900, that runs to Skagway. It is the only international narrow gauge railroad operating in North America. There is so much here, including a brewery and hot springs that we will probably stay here for a couple of days on the return trip.
You got to enjoy the history lesson because we did not see much wildlife on this leg and I had plenty of time to read the guidebooks. We are going to head for Tok (Alaska at last) tomorrow, Anchorage on Sunday and Homer on Monday.
There is a Starbucks here next to Walmart, so this epic will finally get posted.
